Meet our New Speakers
At The Sweeney Agency, we don’t just book speakers—we launch ideas that move people. And this year, we’re raising the bar. Our newest keynote speakers aren’t just experts in their fields—they’re architects of change, igniters of possibility, and storytellers with a spark. From global visionaries to industry disruptors, these are the voices your audience has been waiting for. Ready to meet the speakers who will redefine what’s possible at your next event? Let’s dive in.
Ready to book your next great keynote speaker?
Penny Zenker – Leadership Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author, and Productivity Expert
Booked by: Deloitte, Pfizer, SAP, Samsung, and NASA, and been featured by NBC News, ESPN, FORBES, INC
Penny Zenker (AKA “The Focusologist”) is a sought-after international leadership speaker, 2x bestselling author, and former C-Suite executive of a global top-five research company. Over the past three decades, she has built and sold multiple multimillion-dollar companies—including an award-winning tech firm she founded.
Booked by: Amazon, KPMG, Microsoft, A&T, Bristol-Myers Squibb, DellTechnologies, Facebook, Google, Liberty Mutual, Pfizer, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Procter & Gamble, Adobe, Cisco, Lockheed Martin, and Wells Fargo.
James Clear is a writer and keynote speaker focused on habits, decision making, and continuous improvement. His book, Atomic Habits, has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, has been translated into more than 60 languages and was the #1 best-selling book of 2021 and 2023 on Amazon and #1 audiobook on Audible. Clear is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work has been featured in publications such as Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning and Today Show Australia. He is a MasterClass instructor, alongside the world’s top experts such as Serena Williams, Neil Gaiman and Gordon Ramsay. His popular “3-2-1” email newsletter is sent out each week to more than 3 million subscribers.
Known for: investor/Shark for the past eleven seasons on ABC’s four-time Emmy award winning show, Shark Tank
Barbara Corcoran’s credits include straight D’s in high school and college and 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country: She borrowed $1,000 and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. The Corcoran Group, the largest and best-known brand in the brokerage business, building the largest and best-known brand in the business.
Martha McSally – Combat Pilot, Leadership Keynote Speaker on Overcoming Adversity
Colonel (ret) Martha E. McSally is a pioneering combat-proven leader, inspiring speaker, and celebrated author. McSally is a compelling example of overcoming adversity and fear to achieve extraordinary feats. Losing her dad at the age of 12 and surviving sexual abuse and assault, she persevered to become the 1st woman in U.S. history to fly a fighter jet in combat and command a fighter squadron in combat. Along her journey, McSally had to overcome significant obstacles including U.S. law prohibiting women from flying combat jets. She persevered, held onto her dreams, continued to excel, and shattered glass ceilings.
Ravi Rajani – Keynote Speaker, and Sales Consultant on the Art of Influential Communication
Booked by: Spotify, Oracle NetSuite, Citibank & Sherwin Williams
Whether it was his time as a salesperson on the trading floor at Citibank, or his stint in sales leadership in the world of tech, Ravi’s always had an edge: The ability to communicate with influence.
Fast forward to today, Ravi has trained impact-driven entrepreneurs, B2B sales teams and leaders at companies like Spotify, Oracle NetSuite & Sherwin Williams, with over 53,000 people having taken his courses on charismatic and conscious communication. The common thread? Every single person being able to do one thing after listening to Ravi speak: Communicate with influence so they can build trusted relationships that boost sales growth, workplace culture and team performance.
Barb Betts – Top Sales Speaker on Building Authentic Relationships
Booked by: LVMH, Fidelity National, Inman Connect, WomanUP!, and the NAR Annual Conference
Barb Betts is a visionary keynote speaker and thought leader with over 20 years of experience transforming sales and business performance through the power of authentic relationships. Known for her dynamic presence and impactful delivery, Barb has energized audiences at top-tier events with her transparent, compassionate, and results-driven approach that consistently leaves audiences not only inspired but ready to take action.
As a sought-after speaker, Barb blends her extensive sales expertise with powerful, personal stories and actionable strategies that tackle today’s most pressing business challenges. She shows entrepreneurs, salespeople, and leaders how to leverage relationships as a strategic asset—transforming them into a measurable force for success in today’s fast-paced world.
James Lawrence – the Iron Cowboy, Endurance Athlete, Inspiring Keynote Speaker
Booked by: Proctor & Gamble, Google, Netflix, Sports Illustrated and Nike
James Lawrence – better known as the Iron Cowboy – is a world-renowned speaker, bestselling author, and endurance athlete who redefined human potential by completing 50 Ironmans in 50 days across all 50 states – and then doing the unthinkable – 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days.
He’s been named one of Sports Illustrated’s “Fittest 50,” featured in two acclaimed documentaries, and honored alongside icons like LeBron James and Conor McGregor. But James’s story isn’t just about athletic records – it’s about purpose, resilience, and refusing to settle for average.
Matt Phillips – Serial Entrepreneur, Leading Expert & Keynote Speaker on Innovation and Creativity
Booked by: Purina, Bosch, Macy’s, Pella, Hyatt and Paramount
Matt Phillips is a leading expert on innovation and breakthrough thinking. For over 20 years, Matt has been an in-demand advisor to the Fortune 500, large nonprofits and rapidly growing mid-sized companies.
As the founder of Phillips & Co., a Chicago-based innovation think tank, Matt leads a team of researchers, strategists and inventors who help organizations invent new products, services and businesses.
Tara Renze – Emotional Intelligence Expert, Keynote Speaker on Leadership
Booked by: Aflac, T-Mobile, Amazon, American Century Investments, Baxter, the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), and Farmas
Tara Renze is an author, keynote speaker, emotional intelligence & positive intelligence practitioner, podcaster, thought-leader, wife and mother and is redefining how we unleash purpose, level up our success and create sustainable happiness and fulfillment in all aspects of our lives. After two decades of success in corporate leadership and social selling, she started writing and keynote speaking to empower others to “be who they came to be” and create, own and live the life they desire, envision and deserve. Tara has a true passion and talent for guiding others to harness and realize their full potential.
Booked by: Salesforce, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, State Farm, and John Deere
Ryan Jenkins is a Wall Street Journal bestselling leadership author on the topics of team connection, generational differences, and the future of work. Ryan’s thought leadership has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Fortune, and CNBC.
Booked by: Lockheed Martin, Salesforce, Bank of America, Hearst, and FEMA
Colonel DeDe Halfill, USAF (Ret.), is an international keynote speaker, strategic advisor, and leadership expert who has spent 25 years leading in high-stakes environments—where unseen human dynamics shaped success before strategy ever had a chance to. From combat zones to advising senior executives, she saw firsthand that teams and leaders don’t struggle because they lack a plan; they struggle because they misread the forces shaping whether people buy in or check out.