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Jim Abbott
Former Major League Baseball Pitcher & Gold Medal Winner in the 1988 Olympics
About
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Jim talks about how individuals must adapt and mold themselves to meet the obstacles of change.
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Audiences leave inspired by Jim's story of how he used his ADAPT framework to become a professional athlete.
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Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott is a former MLB pitcher who led Team USA to a Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics.
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Past clients include: Toshiba, Lucent Technologies, Fosters Freeze, Lason Inc., and Prudential.
Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott is a former MLB pitcher who led Team USA to a Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics. He was an All-America hurler at Michigan and won the Sullivan Award in 1987. Jim threw a 4-0 no-hitter for the New York Yankees versus Cleveland on September 4, 1993. He played for 10 seasons on 4 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1999.
Abbott has worked with The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on several initiatives encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities.
Today, in addition to often being a Guest Pitching Instructor during Spring Training for the Los Angeles Angels, Jim Abbott is a motivational speaker who shares his incredible story of overcoming adversity and achieving ultimate goal.
Mike Abrashoff
Inspiring Story of Leadership from Former Commander of USS Benfold
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Real-life Leadership advice from the former captain of the best ship in the U.S. Navy—the U.S.S. Benfold
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First book, It’s Your Ship, has sold over 1.1 million copies to date
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Fresh ways to build trust, harness people’s passion and achieve extraordinary results; common-sense ideas to stay focused only on the things you can control/influence
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Past clients include: Cox Communications, Disney, Exxon Mobil, JP Morgan, Microsoft, Starwood Hotels, Toyota
Click Here to Watch Mike's Virtual Presentation
Mike Abrashoff was the most-junior officer in the Pacific Fleet when he took command of the near-worst performing ship. Twelve months later, the USS Benfold was the best ship in the entire Navy –using the same crew. The story of that stunning transformation has lessons for every organization: leadership matters –and culture is everything. Mike’s written three books –his first, It’s Your Ship, has sold over 1.3million copies. His Leadership Roadmap offers clear, battle-tested, and actionable steps. Mike shows people at every level of the organization how to engage and take incremental steps toward change that can make a dramatic difference at work. Mike is clear, “I didn’t turn the ship around –my crew did that. What I did was to create an environment where they feltsafe, empowered and supported. When you do that, anything is possible.”
In many ways, what Mike was able to do with the USS Benfold was an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations today. That’s why dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company have cited Mike’s story as an inspiring lesson for business. Leaders especially identify with Mike’s being accountable for the results in an environment where he couldn’t make the rules.
“When my crew came to me with a problem, I’d say ‘It’s your ship –how would you fix it?’.” Mike focused on the one thing he could influence: his crew’s attitude, because culture is the ultimate competitive weapon for any organization.
Mike’s established a set of management principles that he calls The Leadership Roadmap. At the core of his leadership approach on Benfoldwas a process of replacing command and control with commitment and cohesion, and engaging the hearts, minds, and loyalties of workers with conviction and humility. “The most important thing that a captain can do is to see the ship through the eyes of the crew. The idea is to empower every individual to share the responsibility of achieving excellence.”
By every measure, these principles achieved breakthrough results: turnover decreased to an unprecedented 1%; the rate of promotions tripled; and the crew slashed operating expenses by 25%. Regarded as the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet, Benfoldwon the prestigious Spokane Trophy for havingthe highest degree of combat readiness. This remarkable turnaround was accomplished by the very same crew that had performed so poorly just months before.
Mike is author of three books. His first, It’s Your Ship, has a timeless message: don’t use outside forces that stand in your way as excuses –control the things you can influence and amazing results will happen. His next books, It’s Our Ship and Get Your Ship Together, showed how these principles have been put into action by business leaders in their own organizations.
A popular keynote speaker for audiences looking to ramp up organizational performance, Mike has spoken to every industry and kind of audience –from board retreats to front line personnel; from sales groups to universities; from Fortune 500s to startups. He inspires audiences to rethink their beliefs about leadership and organizational culture and tailors the message to focus on engagement, execution, change, safety, diversity, leadership, teamwork, innovation, accountability and more. Prior to commanding USS Benfold, Mike served as the Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense William J. Perry. He also helped draft the air defense plan for naval forces in the Persian Gulf in 1990, coinciding with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait; and served as the executive officer of the Cruiser Shiloh, where he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq.
Mike Abrashoff is the founder of Aegis Performance Group, a consulting firm which works with and supports leaders as they address leadership, talent and performance challenges within their organizations. Mike and his team prompt leaders at all levels to re-imagine their leadership thinking and create new ways to elevate individual,team and organizational performance.
About
Shawn Achor: Keynote Speaker on Happiness, Positive Psychology & Human Potential | Bestselling Author | Harvard-Trained Researcher
Happiness Isn't the Result of Success. It Can Help Drive It.
What if one of the biggest opportunities to improve performance, engagement and resilience is changing the way people think about happiness?
Shawn Achor is a bestselling author and internationally recognized keynote speaker on happiness, positive psychology, leadership and human potential.
Why Book Shawn Achor?
Shawn takes a topic everyone understands—happiness—and connects it directly to the challenges organizations care about: performance, engagement, resilience, leadership and change.
His approach isn't simply about encouraging people to “think positively.” Shawn translates research in positive psychology into practical behaviors people can incorporate into their everyday lives.
The result is a keynote that is funny, thought-provoking and highly actionable—giving audiences a fresh perspective on how they approach work, relationships, challenges and success.
What Makes Shawn Achor Different?
- Leading voice in positive psychology — helped bring the science of happiness into the business world
- Bestselling author — known for books including The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential
- Research-based message — connects positive psychology with workplace performance
- Exceptionally entertaining — combines research with humor and memorable storytelling
- Immediately actionable — practical habits audiences can begin using right away
- Broad audience appeal — relevant to leaders, sales teams and employees across an organization
- Positive and energizing — leaves audiences thinking differently about success and their own potential
Why Is Shawn Right for Your Audience?
Shawn is an excellent choice when you want your audience to leave energized, optimistic and equipped with practical strategies for improving their performance and wellbeing.
He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, corporate meetings, sales kickoffs, association conferences, employee events and organizations focused on engagement, resilience and workplace culture.
Book Shawn when your audience needs to:
- Increase engagement and motivation
- Build greater resilience during challenging periods
- Improve performance without simply increasing pressure
- Create more positive and productive workplace relationships
- Strengthen optimism during uncertainty and change
- Improve collaboration and social connection
- Develop practical habits that support wellbeing
- Recognize how individual behavior can influence team performance
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Understanding the relationship between mindset, happiness and performance
- Equipped with practical positive-psychology strategies they can use immediately
- Better prepared to maintain optimism during challenges
- More aware of how their behavior influences colleagues and teams
- Ready to strengthen relationships and social connection
- Motivated to create habits that support sustainable performance
- Inspired to rethink the traditional relationship between happiness and success
Shawn Achor Keynote Programs
The Happiness Advantage: What if happiness doesn't follow success—but actually helps create it?
Shawn challenges the conventional formula that says we'll be happy once we become more successful.
Drawing on positive psychology research, he shows audiences how developing a more positive mindset can influence motivation, creativity, resilience and performance.
Audiences leave with practical strategies for creating positive habits and bringing greater energy and optimism to both work and life.
Ideal for: Corporate conferences, leadership events, sales kickoffs, employee meetings and workplace wellbeing programs.
Big Potential: Our greatest potential isn't achieved alone. It's influenced by the people around us.
Shawn explores how individuals and organizations can move beyond focusing exclusively on individual achievement and instead create environments where people help one another perform at a higher level.
He demonstrates how stronger relationships, collaboration and positive influence can help teams unlock greater collective potential.
Ideal for: Leadership, teamwork, culture, collaboration and employee-engagement events.
Positive Leadership Through Change: During uncertainty, a leader's mindset doesn't affect only the leader—it can influence the entire team.
Shawn shows leaders how optimism, connection and positive behaviors can help teams remain engaged and resilient when circumstances are difficult or changing.
Audiences gain practical strategies for creating environments where people can continue learning, collaborating and performing despite uncertainty.
Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development, transformation initiatives and organizations navigating change.
Why Book Shawn Achor Through The Sweeney Agency?
Shawn Achor's combination of research, humor and practical positive psychology makes him an engaging choice for a wide range of audiences—but the real value comes from connecting his message directly to what you want your people to think, feel and do differently.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Shawn Achor's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Shawn Achor keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your organization's objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Shawn with other leading motivational, leadership and workplace-culture speakers
Is Shawn Achor Right for Your Event?
Tell us what you want to improve—performance, engagement, resilience, leadership or workplace culture.
We'll help you determine whether Shawn is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Shawn Achor as your keynote speaker.
Jon Acuff
About Jon Acuff – New York Times Bestselling Author and INC Top 100 Leadership Speaker: Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books. His titles, including Procrastination Proof, Soundtracks, Finish and All It Takes Is A Goal, have sold …
About
Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books. His titles, including Procrastination Proof, Soundtracks, Finish and All It Takes Is A Goal, have sold more than one million copies.
Named one of Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, he’s delivered keynotes to companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, and Comedy Central. Host of the popular podcast All It Takes Is a Goal, Jon has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to overcome overthinking and finish what matters most.
Jon lives outside of Nashville with his wife and two daughters.
About
Jay Acunzo is one of the world’s most sought-after business storytellers and showrunners.
He’s worked in marketing roles at Google, ESPN, HubSpot, and the VC firm NextView, and both billion-dollar brands and brand new startups have turned to him to develop original podcasts and documentaries to shape their markets. As a consultant, he’s helped teams at Salesforce, the performance coach for Kobe Bryant, and authors of global bestsellers to help them develop stronger, more differentiated IP.
Jay is the author of the book Break the Wheel and host of the award-winning podcast How Stories Happen, as well the cofounder of the Creator Kitchen, a mastermind for content creators. His grandest aspiration (though he’ll call it his biggest delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling.
About
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Talks about making and celebrating incredible moments comes from facing failure and adapting to change
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Audiences are inspired by Jeff's story of becoming a Paralympian and entrepreneur despite facing numerous hurdles
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Jeff is a gold medal winning Paralympian, as well as being the co-founder of design, engineering and manufacturing company focused on Category II medical devices, and most recently a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School.
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Jeff is a member of the Order of Ontario, and has been inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Athletics Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame.
Jeff Adams is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, a Paralympian, and six-time world champion in wheelchair racing. After a distinguished athletic career that included winning three Paralympic gold medals, he retired from competition in 2008 and was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
In 2010, Jeff co-founded a design, engineering and manufacturing company focused on Category II medical devices. After seven years as President and CEO, and managing the acquisition of the intellectual property by a US company, Jeff decided to pursue a life-long dream of a career in law.
Jeff’s work experience includes serving as the Executive Director for the International Arts Games Foundation where he instructed counsel on the incorporation of a federal not-for-profit corporation, established an inaugural board of directors and created the charter and by-laws. He was also the President, CEO and Founding Partner of Icon Wheelchairs Inc. and President of Marvel Wheelchairs Inc.
At Osgoode Hall Law School, Jeff worked at the Business Clinic and interned at ARCH legal clinic.
Jeff is a member of the Order of Ontario, and has been inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Athletics Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame.
Afterburner, Inc.
Fighter Pilots who Teach Leadership, Teamwork, Culture & Motivation Skills
About
Afterburner is a diverse team of elite military professionals composed of current and former Fighter Pilots. Their keynote speakers take the mindset and ways of working they learned in the cockpit of their high-performance fighter jets and transfer those lessons into your organization. They inspire teams, align them on their purpose, and help execute their plan to accelerate their performance. They connect strategy to execution with their cutting-edge training programs that include keynotes, team building seminars, workshops, training, coaching, and consulting programs.
Thousands of companies including Microsoft, Google, Home Depot, and Nike have all learned the secrets to accelerating the development of their strategy and execution – and you can too! From executive leaders to the frontline team, Afterburner’s programs are crafted to inspire your leaders and their teams to consistently surpass expectations!
Afterburner’s dynamic, high-energy keynote speakers will inspire your audience to take action and set the foundation for you to build highly engaged, outcome-focused teams. They’ll bring out your inner fighter pilot and show you what it’s like at the edge of the human performance envelope, physically and mentally.
Dirk Ahlborn
About Dirk Ahlborn – Entrepreneur and Innovation Speaker, CEO of Hyperloop Technologies, Founder of JumpStarter
About
Dirk Ahlborn is an entrepreneur keynote speaker and the founder and CEO of JumpStarter Inc. JumpStarter is a web portal that creates smarter and more successful companies by using crowdsourcing to fund ideas from initial conception to final product. Dirk is also CEO and Co-Founder of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. It is JumpStartFund’s well-known undertaking to make the Hyperloop become reality, by using its crowd collaboration concept.
Dirk started his career in 1993 as an investment specialist in Berlin, Germany. After moving to Italy in 1997, he founded several companies in the alternative energy and interior design space. In 2006, he successfully sold one of these companies to a global alternative energy conglomerate.
He is a serial entrepreneur with experience in almost every element of business. His careers have taken him through management, product design, development, manufacturing, production facility design and set up, production cost control, marketing, product distribution, customer service, and sales.
Before co-founding Jumpstarter, he was at the Girvan Institute of Technology, an incubator-accelerator for early-stage high-tech companies. At Girvan, beginning in 2009, he was instrumental in the development of several startup companies, most notably Advanced Turbine Designs, a developer of natural-gas-fueled gas turbine generators for combined heat and power. In the course of his multi-faceted activities at Girvan he also managed mobile and web application developments as well as search engine optimization and online marketing.
Prior to 2009, his activities were centered in Germany and Italy. Dirk is fluent in German and Italian and proficient in conversational Spanish. He holds the credential in banking and insurance from the Organization of German Industry and Commerce.
About
David Allen is an author, consultant, international speaker, Founder and Chairman of the David Allen Company. He is widely recognized as the world's leading authority on personal and organizational productivity. His thirty years of pioneering research, motivation and education of some of the world's highest-performing professionals, corporations and institutions - has earned him Forbes' recognition as one of the top five executive coaches in the United States, and as one of the Top 100 thought leaders
by Leadership magazine. Fast Company hailed David Allen One of the world's most influential thinkers
in the arena of personal productivity, for his outstanding programs and writing on time and stress management, the power of aligned focus and vision in the face of change - and his groundbreaking methodologies in management and executive peak performance. Time Magazine labeled his first book, Getting Things Done, as the defining self-help business book of the decade.
David Allen is the author of three books; the international best-seller, Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity (GTD - as the method is popularly known
), Ready for Anything, and Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life. Getting Things Done has been a perennial business best-seller since it's publication in 2001, and is now published in 28 languages.
Getting Things Done has spawned an international movement of devoted adopters from executives, techies, soldiers, entrepreneurs, university professors, musicians, students and the clergy. It has given rise to a thriving GTD
industry of web sites, blogs and software applications. Internet searches bring up tens of millions of references. David Allen is a rarity in the twitter world - as one of the few non-celebrities with over a million followers hanging on his wit and inspiration.
Piloting a productivity seminar for a thousand managers at Lockheed in 1983, David has continued to test and refine the techniques and principles we now know as GTD - a powerful method to manage commitments, information, and communication. This pioneering and proven system is the result of those twenty plus years of David's consulting, private coaching and organizational programs with over a half million people internationally. GTD has well earned its recognition as the gold standard in personal management and productivity for many of the world's best and brightest people and companies.
Sophisticated without being confining, the subtle effectiveness of GTD lies in its radically common sense notion that with a complete and current inventory of all your commitments , organized and reviewed in a systematic way, you can focus clearly, view your world from optimal angles and make trusted choices about what to do (and not do) at any moment. GTD embodies an easy, step-by-step and highly efficient method for achieving this relaxed, productive state. It includes:
- Capturing anything and everything that has your attention
- Defining actionable things discretely into outcomes and concrete next steps
- Organizing reminders and information in the most streamlined way, in appropriate categories, based on how and when you need to access them
- Keeping current and
on your game
with appropriately frequent reviews of the six horizons of your commitments - purpose, vision, goals, areas of focus, projects, and actions
Implementing GTD alleviates the feeling of being overwhelmed, instills confidence - and releases a flood of creative energy. It provides structure without constraint and managing details with maximum flexibility. The system rigorously adheres to the core principles of productivity - while allowing tremendous freedom in the how.
The only right
way to do GTD is getting meaningful things done with truly the least amount of invested attention and energy. Coaching thousands of people, where they work, about their work - has informed the GTD method with the best practices
of how to work (and live), in that most efficient and productive way. GTDs simplicity, flexibility, and immediacy are its attraction. Its ability to enliven, enlighten, and empower is its magic. What, indeed, is GTD? More than meets the eye...
David Allison
Human Values Expert, Bestselling Author, and Founder of The Valuegraphics Project
About
David Allison is a human values expert, international speaker, head of a global research firm, and two-time best-selling author.
As the founder of the Valuegraphics Project – a worldwide inventory of human values created from one million surveys in 152 languages – he has transformed values into measurable data and created an entirely new type of human-centric insights.
He helps big brands like PayPal, Five Star School Supplies, the United Nations Foundation, and Google connect with people by honoring their values. Valuegraphics are now included next to demographics in textbooks used on college campuses around the world, and INC Magazine named his last book one of the top ten leadership books of the year.
His latest book, The Death of Demographics, was hailed by critics as "Convincing, insightful, and...revolutionary."
About
Get Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas
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About
Click here to receive your Customized List of the Best Speakers on Sales
Our Sales Speakers have used their knowledge to adapt and create actionable and engaging presentations on how organizations can pivot to embrace the opportunities presented by the pandemic.
Ranging from Virtual Keynotes to Fireside chats, all with interactive elements, let our Sales Speakers help your 2021 Sales Conference.
We work with some of the best Sales Speakers in the speaking world and asked them all the same question:
What is your number 1 sales tip?
Here’s how they answered:
Saying “yes” implies a course of positive action. The predictable expletive, “No!” can fill up our time and energy because saying “no” is
frequently a commitment to an unproductive struggle that reinforces helplessness and inertia.
Responding positively to problems is the prerequisite to overcoming bad things that occur so we can break down our challenges and move forward.
People thrive on challenges, and are the winners who get things done.
Scott McKain is a Dynamic Speaker on Innovation, Sales & Customer Service.
2. The 80/20 Rule – Tim Sanders
Some great advice we received from Tim Sanders, VP of Customer Insights for Upwork just after starting The Sweeney Agency:
“Don’t think about sales or closing deals, just position yourself so that whenever you can help someone you help them, without any expectations. 20% of the people you help you’ll never hear from again, but that won’t matter because you will certainly hear back from the other 80%. They will remember you and your incredible help and that will create such great relationships
that you will build both a great business and a great life.”
Tim Sanders is a renowned Communication and Leadership Speaker.
3. A Vision of the Future – Ryan Estis
Communicating compassionately, consistently, confidently and courageously is precisely what is required during a crisis. Our research has found that two of the biggest drivers of engagement and commitment from employees are confidence in their senior leadership and confidence in the future of the
organization.
Now is the time to model scenarios to create a long-term plan and vision for your business, fully aware that you will be agile enough to adapt when new information is available or the landscape suddenly changes.
Ryan Estis speaks on Business Performance, Leadership and Sales.
4. Be Indiana Jones – Sterling Hawkins
At the climax of Indiana Jones & The Holy Grail, the Nazis are turned to dust after selected a gem studded chalice they believe to be the Holy Grail. Indy chooses a simple wooden cup that is in fact the true Holy Grail.
In the context of business, most of us scramble to have the “right” message on social media or want to make things look a certain way. The same optics that make the false grail so beautiful.
This is a powerful lesson: the substance of something, is ultimately infinitely more important than what it looks like. Optics may present a short term gain but will always lose in the long run and at a macro level.
5. Ask Open-Ended Questions – Diana Kander
Your customers’ natural inclination is to be nice, not honest. Open-ended questions give your potential customers the option to respond very honestly and to fully explain the problems they’re
facing (that your product may or may not solve).
Ask leading questions that broadcast the answer you want to hear, such as:
- “Are you…”
- “Will you…”
- “Won’t you…”
- “Didn’t you…”
- “Can’t you…”
Diana Kander is an Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker on Innovation.
Get in touch to book your next great sales speaker.
Simon Anderson
Founder of Venture Foresight, Futurist, Award-winning Author and Global Speaker on Trends & Technology.
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International Futurist and Applied Foresight Expert
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Co-author of the award-winning book Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow
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Creator of the Future Ready Formula™ which empowers audiences to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities created by rapid change.
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Past clients include: AT&T, American Heart Association, Michigan Bankers Association, Telekom Austria Group, TMW
Simon Anderson has dedicated his career to helping executives and organizations move beyond resilience to be truly future ready. As a Futurist Keynote Speaker and Applied Foresight Expert since 2011, he transforms how leaders think about and prepare for tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.
Simon's Future Ready Formula™ combines deep strategic insight with immediately actionable steps. His counter-intuitive emphasis on unlearning - helping executives and organizations let go of outdated mental models - has made him a trusted advisor to leaders worldwide. A truly global speaker, Simon has delivered keynotes in person across four continents and 30+ U.S. states, while connecting with audiences around the world through virtual events. In every engagement, he shows organizations how to spot emerging opportunities early and turn rapid change into competitive advantage.
Founder of Venture Foresight, Simon works with executive teams to develop strategic foresight capabilities essential for long-term success. He co-authored the award-winning book Foresight 20/20 and his insights featured in global media have established him as a leading voice in applied foresight.
Simon's signature combination of eye-opening insights and practical actions has made him a sought-after keynote speaker for executives and organizations ready to move beyond surviving change to shaping their own future.
Scott Anthony
Author and speaker on growth and innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism.
About
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Scott Anthony talks about companies can outperform the competition by focusing on innovation.
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Audiences leave with a new appreciation for how innovation can shape their ability to grow their business and build their future.
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Scott Anthony a senior partner at Innosight, a contributor to Harvard Business Review, author and distinguished keynote speaker.
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Past clients include: Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Singtel, Kraft, General Electric, LG and Cisco Systems.
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour
America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot, Former Marine & Cop, Author and Consultant to Business
About
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Courage & High Performance | America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot | Former U.S. Marine | Author
Break Through Barriers. Take the Gutsy Move. What could your people accomplish if they stopped letting fear, uncertainty and obstacles determine what was possible?
As America’s first Black female combat pilot, Vernice knows what it takes to break through barriers, perform under pressure and take decisive action when the stakes are high. Her dynamic keynotes challenge audiences to move beyond excuses, embrace bold action and develop the mindset needed to accomplish ambitious goals.
Why Book Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour?
Vernice doesn't simply talk about courage and performance. She has lived them in one of the world's most demanding environments.
From breaking barriers in military aviation to flying combat missions, Vernice learned that success requires more than talent. It requires preparation, confidence, teamwork and the willingness to act when circumstances are uncertain.
She translates those lessons into a powerful business message that helps audiences move from thinking about what they should do to actually doing it.
Her combination of extraordinary stories, practical strategies and contagious energy makes Vernice especially effective when you want to energize a room and inspire immediate action.
What Makes Vernice Different?
- Barrier-breaking combat pilot — America's first Black female combat pilot
- Battle-tested leadership — lessons developed in demanding, high-pressure environments
- High-energy delivery — brings exceptional enthusiasm and presence to the stage
- Action-oriented message — challenges audiences to move from ideas to execution
- Powerful business relevance — connects aviation lessons to leadership, sales and performance
- Courage under pressure — helps people act confidently despite fear and uncertainty
- Broad audience appeal — connects with executives, leaders, sales teams and employees
- Memorable storytelling — combines inspiration, humor and practical lessons
Why Is Vernice Right for Your Audience?
Vernice is an outstanding choice when you need your audience to raise their energy, take greater ownership and act more decisively.
She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings, women's leadership events and organizations pursuing ambitious growth or transformation.
Book Vernice when your audience needs to:
- Take bold action instead of waiting for perfect conditions
- Break through barriers and limiting beliefs
- Perform confidently under pressure
- Strengthen accountability and personal ownership
- Turn strategy into execution
- Navigate uncertainty with courage
- Build stronger teamwork and trust
- Raise expectations for what's possible
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- More confident taking action despite uncertainty
- Better prepared to push through obstacles and setbacks
- Understanding why courage is essential to leadership
- More willing to take ownership of results
- Equipped with a stronger mindset for high-pressure situations
- Ready to turn intentions into action
- Energized to make their own “gutsy moves”
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour Keynote Programs
Get Gutsy: Make the Gutsy Move. What happens when you stop waiting for circumstances to be perfect and start taking action?
Vernice challenges audiences to identify the barriers standing between where they are and where they want to go—and then make the courageous moves necessary to break through them.
Drawing from her experiences as a combat pilot, she shows how preparation, mindset and decisive action can help people move forward even when uncertainty is high.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, transformation events and organizations pursuing ambitious goals.
Zero to Breakthrough. Breakthrough performance starts when people take ownership of creating a different result.
Vernice helps audiences move beyond excuses, obstacles and limiting assumptions and focus on the actions that can move them forward.
Her message encourages people to clarify their goals, identify what's holding them back and take practical steps toward achieving meaningful results.
Ideal for: Sales kickoffs, high-performance teams, leadership meetings and organizations focused on execution.
Leading From the Cockpit. When the pressure rises, leadership becomes visible.
Drawing on lessons from military aviation, Vernice explores how effective leaders build trust, communicate clearly, make decisions and keep teams focused on the mission.
She translates the discipline and teamwork of the cockpit into practical leadership lessons audiences can apply in their own organizations.
Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development, teamwork and high-performance audiences.
Is Vernice Armour Right for Your Event?
Tell us the breakthrough you need your people to make—and what's standing in their way.
We'll help you determine whether Vernice is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour as your keynote speaker.
Lior Arussy
Leading Global Expert on Customer Experience & Customer-Centric Transformation
About
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Lior talks about How organizations can create and execute a profitable customer strategy.
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Audiences will explore the success (and some failures) of leading brands in their pursuit of profitable, lasting customer relationships.
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Lior Arussy is hailed as one of the leading global authorities in the fields of Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Strategy Execution. He is a best selling author & regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.
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Past clients include: IBM, Accuity, Mercedes Benz, Cognizant, Cisco, KIA and Great Wolf Lodge.
Lior Arussy is hailed as one of the leading global authorities in the fields of Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Strategy Execution. He is a Corporate Culture expert, a ‘success accelerator’ - and a proven, passionate change agent. Called a “triple threat of transformation” by William Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazine - Lior has helped many of the world’s top brands achieve unprecedented goals in customer satisfaction, growth - and profitability. Among these are Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Thomson Reuters, HSBC, E.ON, FedEx, SAP, and the University of Pennsylvania - to name a few.
His insights and methods have been successfully put into practice in over 200 corporate transformations worldwide, making Lior not only a forerunner in the field - but a proven practitioner. And that’s what truly sets him apart - where other speakers simply talk of change, Lior makes it happen time and time again. As inspiring as he is passionate, Lior’s unique and critical voice continues to drive people across the globe to achieve their ultimate success.
Lior spent the first part of his career in various executive positions at world-leading firms, such as Hewlett-Packard. It was at this stage that he recognized the old, traditional methods of change management were flawed - and simply didn’t work for most companies. Lior took it upon himself to create a different methodology - one which recognizes the key to truly driving a company’s change for success, is in putting its most important resource at the center of its transformational efforts: its employees. The idea being that, in order for customers to choose your product and get the most out of it, you not only have to have an exceptional product - but a great, dedicated, happy team that stands behind that product’s success.
Lior’s methodology enabled Mercedes-Benz to reach the much-coveted #1 position in customer satisfaction. Another client, a European logistics corporation - leapt from 3% annual organic growth to 44% annual organic growth in just two years!
In 2003, Lior founded the Strativity Group - a strategy firm specializing in customer experience consulting, employee engagement programs, journey mapping, and business growth. In addition, he has written seven books on business strategy, customer experience optimization, and achieving the ultimate success. Lior's latest book Next is Now: 5 Steps for Embracing Change - Building a Business that Thrives into the Future (May 2018, Simon & Schuster), and his self-published Exceptionalize it! (2015) - which has sold over 30,000 copies to date. He has also written over 300 articles for publications around the world, including the Harvard Business Review, and Chief Executive media - for which he is a regular contributing author. As well, a multitude of magazines and media outlets have cited his work including MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, CRM Magazine, Smart CEO Magazine, Inc. magazine, Financial Times, The Times of London, and ABC.
Lior currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and five children. He completed his undergraduate degree at Case Western Reserve University - and received his MBA from Weatherhead School of Management.
He is a self-professed chocoholic.
Mariana Atencio
Peabody Award-winning Journalist, Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Inspiring Storyteller, and Host/Moderator
About
Mariana Atencio is on a mission to help people supercharge their careers, their workplace cultures, and their happiness by embracing the power of authenticity. Coming to America from Venezuela as a young girl, Mariana learned first-hand how feeling self-conscious about being different kept her from engaging. After graduating Columbia University, Mariana wanted to take that experience into her journalism career and tell stories that build bridges and foster understanding.
She became a national news anchor and correspondent, earning a Peabody Award for reporting which took her from Haiti to Hong Kong to the Syrian border. The success of her TEDx talk, “What Makes YOU Special?”, viewed over 23 million times, catapulted Mariana into a new storytelling outlet: speaking.
Her first book, Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real, is a bestselling call to action to unleash the magic of personal and professional authenticity to find purpose and break barriers. Currently head of her own media production company, Mariana pursues stories that capture her curiosity. She also continues to deliver inspiring keynotes and moderate/host at major events.
Joey Aviles
Former Chief of Diversity & Inclusion, Former Director of Recruitment & Retention, and Keynote Speaker
About
Joey Aviles is recognized as a 2022 LinkedIn’s Racial Equity Top Voice, 2021 Top 15 Champion of Diversity by Diversity Global Magazine, as a Top 100 Executive Leader by Diversity MBA Magazine, and featured as an Inclusion Innovator by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Joey is the Founder and Chief Belonging Officer of MJA & CO, LLC, a Minority-owned consulting firm helping leaders leverage Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as a catalyst to increase engagement, innovation, and retention.
Joey served as the first civilian Chief of Diversity and Inclusion in the history of the US Coast Guard. He is a DEI Thought Leader with over 15 years of experience serving clients like Dell Technologies, Ferrara, University of Phoenix, Highmark Health, Peace Corps, FDIC, FDA, NIH, Department of Defense, Department of Interior, Department of Homeland Security, and other organizations. Miguel is a TEDx speaker, and has been featured at the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Telemundo, the Change Management Conference, the Human Capital Institute, the SHRM Talent Management and D&I Conferences.
Graduate of the Yale School of Management Fostering Inclusion and Diversity Certificate, Joey is a certified Professional Diversity Coach by the Coach Diversity Institute. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez.
For over a decade he held several leadership positions in 3 major Federal Departments; DOI’s Division Chief of the Office of Recruitment and Retention Programs; DOD’s Deputy Program Manager of the Executive Leadership Development Program, the Defense Civilian Emerging Leaders Program, and the Managerial and Supervisory Training Program. He started his federal career as a Diversity Recruiter intern in Mayaguez, PR and served as an HR Specialist in the DOD’s Recruitment Assistance Division. Miguel is the former President of Young Government Leaders, a 12,000+ member national Affinity Group.
About
Sarah Aviram is an international keynote speaker, best-selling author, and leadership coach who helps individuals and organizations navigate change and uncertainty by activating agency — the power to take ownership of motivation, choices, and impact in uncertain environments. Through her proprietary Remotivation Method, Sarah delivers a proven process that empowers leaders and employees to convert that agency into higher engagement, fulfillment, and performance.
Drawing on senior HR leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies and living and working across 12 countries in 12 months, she has designed and delivered leadership development programs, keynotes, and workshops to over 50,000 professionals at companies like Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, American Express, and Google. Sarah is the author of best-selling books Remotivation and The Scenic Route. Her thought leadership has been featured in Forbes and the BBC, and her TEDx talk, “Does more freedom at work mean more fulfillment?” has been viewed nearly one million times.
She holds an MBA in Leadership and Change Management from NYU Stern School of Business, where she also guest lectures on managing uncertainty and change.
About
Cam Awesome: Motivational Keynote Speaker on Resilience, Mindset & High Performance | Champion Boxer | Team USA Captain
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
What could your people accomplish if setbacks stopped being reasons to quit and became reasons to grow?
Cam Awesome is a champion boxer, former Team USA captain and dynamic motivational keynote speaker on resilience, mindset, overcoming adversity and high performance.
Why Book Cam Awesome?
Cam delivers something every event planner wants: a motivational keynote that's inspiring, entertaining and genuinely useful.
His story isn't about winning every time. It's about learning how to respond when you don't.
Cam shows audiences that resilience isn't something you're born with—it's something you develop by changing the way you interpret setbacks, failure and discomfort.
His energetic and often hilarious delivery gets audiences laughing while challenging them to take greater ownership, become more resilient and stop allowing fear of failure to limit their potential.
What Makes Cam Awesome Different?
- Champion athlete — brings real lessons from elite-level competition
- Former Team USA captain — understands leadership, accountability and teamwork
- Powerful resilience story — demonstrates how setbacks can become catalysts for growth
- Exceptionally entertaining — uses humor to make serious lessons memorable
- Authentic and vulnerable — openly shares both victories and failures
- High-energy delivery — immediately engages and energizes a room
- Practical mindset strategies — gives audiences ideas they can apply immediately
- Broad audience appeal — particularly effective for sales, leadership and employee events
Why Is Cam Right for Your Audience?
Cam is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to increase their resilience, become more comfortable with discomfort and take action despite the possibility of failure.
He is particularly effective for sales kickoffs, leadership conferences, corporate meetings, association events and teams working in competitive or rapidly changing environments.
Book Cam when your audience needs to:
- Bounce back faster from setbacks
- Become more comfortable taking risks
- Stop allowing fear of failure to limit performance
- Build greater confidence and resilience
- Maintain motivation when results don't come immediately
- Take greater ownership of their attitude
- Approach challenges with a stronger mindset
- Bring more energy and optimism to their work
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Thinking differently about failure and setbacks
- Better prepared to respond when things don't go according to plan
- More willing to step outside their comfort zone
- Equipped with practical strategies for strengthening resilience
- Understanding how mindset influences performance
- More confident taking action despite uncertainty
- Energized and ready to approach their next challenge differently
Cam Awesome Keynote Programs
Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable. Growth rarely happens inside your comfort zone.
Cam shares the lessons he learned from years of elite competition and the setbacks that threatened to derail his ambitions.
He challenges audiences to rethink their relationship with discomfort and recognize that difficult experiences can become opportunities to learn, adapt and improve.
Ideal for: Sales kickoffs, leadership conferences, corporate meetings and organizations navigating change.
The Awesome Mindset. You can't control everything that happens. You can control what you do next.
Cam shows audiences how changing their perspective can change the way they respond to pressure, disappointment and adversity.
Using humor, personal stories and lessons from competitive boxing, he demonstrates how people can develop a mindset that helps them recover faster and continue moving toward their goals.
Ideal for: High-performance teams, sales organizations, leadership events and employee meetings.
Turning Failure Into Fuel. What if failure wasn't the opposite of success—but part of the process required to achieve it?
Cam challenges the fear of failure that often prevents people from taking risks, pursuing opportunities and reaching their potential.
His experiences demonstrate how setbacks can provide the lessons, perspective and motivation needed to come back stronger.
Ideal for: Sales teams, emerging leaders, high-performance cultures and organizations pursuing ambitious goals.
Why Book Cam Awesome Through The Sweeney Agency?
Cam Awesome combines championship-level experience, powerful resilience lessons and exceptional humor—but the real value comes from connecting his message directly to the challenges your audience is facing.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Cam Awesome's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Cam Awesome keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your event objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Cam with other leading motivational, resilience and high-performance speakers
Is Cam Awesome Right for Your Event?
Tell us where your people need greater resilience, confidence or motivation.
We'll help you determine whether Cam is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a sales kickoff, leadership conference or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Cam Awesome as your motivational keynote speaker.
About
Nikolas Badminton is a world-renowned futurist speaker and Chief Futurist that mentors top executives and the highest levels of government to create bold visions by exploring desirable futures, anticipating opportunities and risks, and strengthening strategic planning.
He has spent 30+ years working with leadership at over 400 leading organizations at the frontline of futures, strategy and disruption - including NASA, Disney, Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, WM, JP Morgan, Verizon, VISA, TD Bank, American Express, BISCI, ISACA, Rolls Royce, Procter & Gamble, US Department of State, UK Home Office, United Nations, and many more.
Facing Our Futures: How foresight, futures design and strategy creates prosperity and growth - is Nikolas’ number one best selling book and has been named Top-50 Business Books of 2023 by The Next Big Idea Club, and JP Morgan Private bank’s “Next Gen Pick” for their 2023 Summer Reading List to guide new leaders to ignite curiosity and embrace futures thinking.
Nikolas’ essential research has been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, Sunday Telegraph and many others. He appears on SIRIUSXM and CTV regularly, was a key advisor to the ‘Age of AI’ series with Robert Downey Jr, and appears in the Franklin Institute's series ‘2050’.
Jay Baer
Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker and Best-selling Author on Customer Experience, Customer Service, Business Growth, and Marketing, and Event Emcee & Host
About
Jay Baer is a business growth and customer experience expert, advisor, researcher, author, and analyst. He has spent 30 years helping more than 700 of the world’s most iconic brands, including Nike, Oracle, Salesforce, Bentley, and The United Nations, gain and keep more customers.
A 7th-generation entrepreneur, Jay has written seven best-selling books on marketing and customer experience, and founded five, multimillion-dollar companies. Jay is an inductee into the professional speaking hall of fame, and travels globally teaching business growth principles to in-person audiences.
For three consecutive years, Jay has been voted a Global Guru for internet marketing and customer experience.
Jay has also hosted more than 800 podcast episodes and created 7 shows, including Social Pros, twice named the #1 marketing podcast.
A lover of plaid suits and a hater of red tape, Jay is also the world’s #2 tequila influencer, publishing 25 videos per month on Instagram, TikTok, and beyond.
Jay can elevate your corporate meetings and events with exclusive, custom tequila tasting experiences — perfect for engaging and entertaining teams and clients.
Rodger Baker
Executive Director of the Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics at RANE
About
Rodger Baker leads Baker Global Insights a consulting Company delivering strategic thinking on global issues and future trends. As the firm's CEO, Mr. Baker guides the company's analytical process, to include the development of international analyst teams to refine their understanding and application of his methodology grounded in the study of applied geopolitics and intelligence analysis. Prior to setting up Baker Global insights in 2025 Rodger spent 20 years as the Executive Director of the Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics at RANE, a global center of excellence for geopolitical intelligence and analysis. The Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics identifies, develops, and strengthens best practices in geopolitical analysis and offers tools, methods, and training to organizations and individuals as they integrate geopolitical factors into their business practices.
Rodger holds a master's degree in military history from Norwich University, the oldest private military university in the United States. He has studied and worked in South Korea and graduated with honors from Southampton College, Long Island University. Mr. Baker regularly holds exchanges with academic institutes and research groups around the world and frequently travels to brief executives and corporate boards as well as deliver keynote addresses to a wide range of industry groups.
Mr. Baker is one of the world's leading experts on North Korea and has dedicated extended periods of time living and working in and around the Korean peninsula. His core emphasis is the multidisciplinary approach to geopolitics and the evolution of international relations to develop mid- and long-term forecasts to assist companies, governments and other globally engaged organizations make informed decisions.
Dr. Robert Ballard
Inspiring adventure speaker, deep sea explorer who discovered the RMS Titanic.
About
Best known for his 1985 discovery of the TITANIC, Dr. Robert Ballard has succeeded in tracking down numerous other significant shipwrecks, including the German battleship BISMARCK, the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the U.S. aircraft carrier YORKTOWN (sunk in the World War II Battle of Midway), and John F. Kennedy boat, PT-109.
While those discoveries have captured the imagination of the public, Dr. Ballard believes his most important discoveries were of hydrothermal vents and black smokers in the Galapagos Rift and East Pacific Rise in 1977 and 1979 along with their exotic life forms living off the energy of the Earth through a process now called chemosynthesis.
In addition to being a National Geographic Society Explorer-In-Residence and a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, Dr. Ballard is the president of the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET).
Ballard was born June 30, 1942, in Wichita, KS but moved to California at a very young age and grew up exploring the shore in San Diego. Dr. Ballard has a Ph.D. in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Rhode Island. He spent 30 years at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where he helped develop telecommunications technology to create "tele-presence" for his education initiative, which allows hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren to accompany him from afar on undersea explorations around the globe each year. In 2001, he returned to the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island where he is presently a tenured Professor of Oceanography and Director of the Center for Ocean Exploration.
Dr. Ballard has 21 honorary degrees and six military awards. He was also a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving in the Navy from 1967 to 1997. He received the National Geographic Society's prestigious Hubbard Medal in 1996 for extraordinary accomplishments in coaxing secrets from the world's oceans and engaging students in the wonder of science. In 2014, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Ballard has published numerous books, scientific papers, and a dozen articles in National Geographic magazine. Dr. Ballard also has been featured in several National Geographic television programs, including the record-breaking Secrets of the TITANIC.
His discoveries also include sunken remains of ships along ancient trade routes in the Mediterranean Sea; two ancient Phoenician ships off Israel, the oldest shipwrecks ever found in deep water; and four 1,500-year-old wooden ships, one almost perfectly preserved in the Black Sea. Dr. Ballard's Black Sea project seeks evidence of a great flood that may have struck the region thousands of years ago.
His 1997 best-selling book, Lost Liners, tells the story of the great transatlantic liners through memorable wrecks he has visited. Dr. Ballard was also a special advisor on Steven Spielberg's futuristic Sea Quest, DSV television show.
An explorer, discoverer and historian, Dr. Ballard's fascinating journeys can teach us a great deal about our past, and they have encouraged others to take tremendous strides in the survey of the undiscovered mysteries of the deep sea.
Chris Barton
Founder and Creator of Shazam, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Tech Investor
About
Chris Barton: Keynote Speaker on Innovation, AI & Disruptive Thinking | Founder & First CEO of Shazam | Inventor | Tech Entrepreneur
Bring Impossible Ideas to Life. What if the idea everyone says is impossible is actually your biggest opportunity?
When Chris conceived the idea for Shazam, experts told him it couldn't be done. He refused to accept the assumptions defining what was possible. The result became one of the world's most recognizable technology platforms, with more than 2 billion downloads before being acquired by Apple.
Today, Chris shows organizations how to challenge conventional thinking, break through barriers and turn seemingly impossible ideas into reality.
Why Book Chris Barton?
Chris doesn't simply talk about innovation. He built something the experts said couldn't be built.
Shazam was conceived before smartphones and app stores existed. Creating it required Chris and his team to solve enormous technological, commercial and operational challenges while repeatedly finding ways around obstacles that could have ended the company.
Those experiences shaped Chris's “Start from Zero” approach to innovation—a way of challenging assumptions and returning to basic truths instead of automatically accepting how things have always been done.
His keynote combines a remarkable entrepreneurial story with practical thinking audiences can use to challenge the status quo and create breakthrough ideas of their own.
What Makes Chris Barton Different?
- Founder & first CEO of Shazam — created one of the world's most recognizable technology platforms
- AI pioneer — Shazam was an early mass-consumer application of artificial intelligence
- 2+ billion downloads — transformed an impossible-sounding idea into a global product
- Apple acquisition — Shazam was acquired by Apple in 2018
- 12 patents — inventor across Shazam, Google and Dropbox
- Google experience — was Google's first employee focused on mobile partnerships
- Dropbox experience — joined when it was still a rapidly growing startup
- Start from Zero thinking — gives audiences a practical framework for challenging assumptions
- Creative Persistence — demonstrates how imagination and tenacity combine to overcome barriers
Why Is Chris Right for Your Audience?
Chris is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to challenge conventional thinking, become more innovative and stop allowing assumptions to determine what's possible.
He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, AI and technology events, innovation summits, sales kickoffs and organizations navigating disruption.
Book Chris when your audience needs to:
- Challenge assumptions and conventional thinking
- Generate more innovative ideas
- Understand the possibilities created by AI and technology
- Turn ambitious ideas into action
- Overcome barriers without compromising the original vision
- Develop greater creative persistence
- Eliminate friction for customers and employees
- Become more comfortable pursuing ideas others don't immediately understand
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Thinking differently about what is possible
- Better equipped to challenge assumptions
- Understanding how first-principles thinking can unlock innovation
- More willing to pursue unconventional ideas
- Better prepared to creatively overcome obstacles
- Recognizing how unnecessary friction limits growth
- Inspired to combine persistence with imagination
- Ready to bring their own “impossible” ideas to life
Chris Barton Keynote Programs
Bring Impossible Ideas to Life. How do you create something that experts insist can't be done?
Technology and AI are rapidly changing the boundaries of what's possible. Chris takes audiences inside the remarkable creation of Shazam and the challenges involved in developing an idea years ahead of the technology ecosystem required to support it.
He shows audiences how questioning assumptions, thinking from basic truths and approaching obstacles differently can unlock entirely new possibilities.
Ideal for: AI conferences, innovation summits, leadership meetings and organizations pursuing breakthrough ideas.
Overcome Obstacles with Imagination. Persistence matters—but simply trying the same thing harder isn't enough.
Chris calls his approach Creative Persistence: combining determination with the imagination required to find another path when the obvious route is blocked.
Using extraordinary stories from Shazam's journey, he shows audiences how to challenge barriers, question conventional solutions and keep moving toward ambitious goals.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, entrepreneurial events and organizations navigating difficult challenges.
Eliminate Effort to Unlock Explosive Growth. Where is unnecessary friction making it harder for customers, employees or partners to say yes?
Shazam succeeded by making something incredibly complex feel effortless: hear a song, press a button and discover what it is.
Drawing on his experiences with Shazam, Google and Dropbox, Chris shows audiences how identifying and removing friction can create dramatically better customer and employee experiences.
Ideal for: Customer experience, sales, innovation, technology and growth-focused events.
Build the Vision You See, But Others Don't. What do you see that others can't see yet?
Breakthrough ideas often face resistance precisely because they're unfamiliar.
Chris shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind transforming Shazam from an idea many considered impossible into a product used by billions of people.
He challenges entrepreneurs and innovators to strengthen their conviction, prioritize what matters and find creative ways to turn vision into reality.
Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, founders, innovation teams and organizations building new products or businesses.
Why Book Chris Barton Through The Sweeney Agency?
Chris Barton combines an extraordinary entrepreneurial success story with practical frameworks for innovation, AI and breakthrough thinking—but the real value comes from connecting those lessons to the barriers and opportunities facing your organization.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Chris Barton's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Chris Barton keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your industry and event objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Chris with other leading innovation, AI and technology keynote speakers
Is Chris Barton Right for Your Event?
Tell us the impossible idea, stubborn barrier or innovation challenge your organization is facing.
We'll help you determine whether Chris is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning an innovation summit, AI conference, leadership meeting or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Chris Barton as your keynote speaker.
Chris Bashinelli
National Geographic Explorer & TV Host, United Nations Moderator, Actor from The Sopranos (HBO), Expert on Human Connection & Happiness in Business
About
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National Geographic Explorer with experience in 40+ countries, helping organizations drive sales and reignite employee inspiration through global insights and storytelling.
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Actor on The Sopranos (HBO) & Arab-American from NYC, using the iconic “Stoop” as a powerful metaphor to spark authentic connection and belonging.
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Happiness and Mental Wellness advocate, drawing on 20+ years of deep mindfulness and meditation practice to champion resilience, focus, and well-being in the workplace.
“We need more people like Chris in the world,” says Dr. Jane Goodall.
Chris Bashinelli, National Geographic Explorer, TV host, and celebrated speaker on human connection, travels the globe researching what drives happiness, purpose, and belonging in life and business. Drawing from immersive experiences in over 40 countries, Chris—known affectionately as “Bash”—helps organizations boost sales, reignite employee inspiration, and build cultures of genuine connection.
Born in Brooklyn, New York to Lebanese and Italian-American parents, Bash’s worldview was shaped on his childhood “Stoop”, where his friends shared more than 13 nationalities. After a decade-long acting career, including a role on the hit HBO TV series The Sopranos, Bash traded the red carpet for the road, launching Bridge the Gap, a global documentary series featured on PBS and National Geographic Channel.
Bash’s adventures have taken him from living with nomads in Mongolia, to harvesting tea in China, to Sumo wrestling the heaviest Japanese human in recorded history. He fully embeds himself in different worlds as a modern-day Cultural Anthropologist- learning from Ugandan mystics, Mongolian herdsmen, Lakota suicide prevention activists, and some of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet.
A passionate advocate for mental wellness and happiness, Bash has studied mindfulness and meditation for over 20 years. Following the loss of his father to cancer when he was 20 years old, he began a lifelong mission to understand the human condition. Through his service work, he has brought mindfulness to inmates across federal and state prisons and to veterans of nearly every major conflict since WWII.
As a keynote speaker, Bash brings stories of adventure, interactive exercises, and exclusive content from his travels to create powerful, customized experiences for every audience. His authenticity and curiosity spark something rare and unforgettable—an alchemy of trust, laughter, and transformation. Bash has headlined events for AT&T, American Express, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Million Dollar Round Table, and many more.
Bash has shared the stage with luminaries like Stevie Wonder and Michael Douglas, and at just 24, became the youngest person ever to moderate the United Nations International Day of Peace. His most recent film explores the power of friendship with his adoptive grandfather, actor Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior on The Sopranos). His work has been featured in Delta Sky Magazine, Lonely Planet, Huffington Post, and The Daily News Zimbabwe. He’s also an Eagle Scout and guest host on the Be Here Now podcast network. In a world hungry for meaning and connection, Chris Bashinelli delivers – with heart, humor, and an unwavering belief in our shared humanity.
Click Here to Watch Chris' Virtual Presentation
Kristel Bauer
About Kristel Bauer – Award-Winning Author, Keynote Speaker on Sustainable High Performance & Leadership: Kristel Bauer is a keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and award-winning author who helps leaders and teams thrive in demanding environments while …
About
Kristel Bauer is a keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and award-winning author who helps leaders and teams thrive in demanding environments while strengthening resilience, engagement, and sustainable high performance. She is the founder of Live Greatly and was recognized as a 2026 Top Impact Speaker by Real Leaders Magazine.
Known for delivering energizing, research-backed keynote experiences, Kristel equips audiences with actionable strategies to elevate performance, navigate change effectively, and sustain success over the long term. Kristel brings a distinctive perspective to the stage shaped by her background in healthcare. She practiced as a Physician Assistant in Integrative Psychiatry and completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, experiences that give her unique insight into the science of stress, resilience, behavior change, and human performance.
Kristel is the award-winning author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business), where she introduces her signature Work-Life Tango Framework — a modern approach to helping professionals manage competing demands, strengthen well-being, and sustain high performance in today’s fast-paced world.
Kristel is also the host of the Live Greatly Podcast, ranked among the top 1.5% of podcasts globally, where she shares conversations and insights focused on leadership, resilience, wellbeing, and sustainable success. Her work has been featured in NBC, ABC, FOX, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and other prominent media outlets.
Blending behavioral science, positive psychology, leadership research, and engaging storytelling, Kristel helps organizations cultivate healthier, high-performing cultures where people can perform at a high level, navigate change more effectively, and sustain success without sacrificing well-being.
Bernard Baumohl
Chief Global Economist of the Economic Outlook Group, Speaker on International Economy and Geopolitics
About
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Bernard examines forward-looking economic indicators and talks about how these will affect business and investment.
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Audiences learn to foresee turning points in the economy and use them to effectively plan business and investment strategies.
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Bernard Baumohl is a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel; Featured contributor to the New York Times, Washington Post, Business Week, Financial Times, and on National Public Radio. The Wall Street Journal ranked Mr. Baumohl the most accurate economic forecaster for 2019.
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Past client include: AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, Nike, BMI, the US Naval Academy, and SAP, among others.
Bernard Baumohl is Chief Global Economist at The Economic Outlook Group. He is well known for being ahead of the curve in assessing the direction of the U.S. and world economy. His ability to correctly predict the economy's path was recognized by the Wall Street Journal, which ranked Mr. Baumohl the most accurate economic forecaster for 2019.
Mr. Baumohl began his career as an analyst with the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank specializing in international affairs and national security. He later served as an economist at European American Bank - with responsibilities to monitor the global economy and develop forecasts. Mr. Baumohl was also an award-winning economics reporter with TIME magazine who covered the White House, Federal Reserve and Wall Street.
A sought out international speaker, he frequently makes keynote presentations before conferences, workshops and legislatures - on the latest economic and geopolitical outlook. In additional to his current post as Chief Global Economist, Mr. Baumohl is on the faculty of the New York Institute of Finance - where he conducts seminars on how forward-looking economic indicators can help business leaders better foresee turning points in the economy. He has also previously lectured at NYU and Florida Gulf Coast University.
Mr. Baumohl is a member of the monthly Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel - and his projections on the economy and geopolitical trends are frequently cited in the New York Times, Washington Post, Business Week, Financial Times, and on National Public Radio. He also served as a regular commentator on TV's Nightly Business Report.
Mr. Baumohl is author of The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities (Pearson Education). The best-selling book is in its 3rd edition - and has been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and German.
He is a recipient of the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism, and is a member of the National Association for Business Economics and the American Economic Association. Mr. Baumohl holds an M.A. from Columbia University's School of International Affairs.
Jack Becker
Decorated U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot, Founder & CEO, Flight Level Solutions, Inc., Leadership, Teamwork, Safety, and Peak Human Performance Expert
About
Jack Becker: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Accountability & High Performance | Former U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot | Founder of Supersonic Success
Bring Fighter-Pilot Precision to Business Performance
What could your team accomplish if they prepared, communicated and executed with the discipline of elite fighter pilots?
Jack Becker is a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot and dynamic keynote speaker on leadership, accountability, teamwork and high performance.
Why Book Jack Becker?
Jack doesn't simply tell exciting fighter-pilot stories. He translates the disciplines of military aviation into practical strategies business teams can use.
His message focuses on the behaviors that drive consistent performance: preparation, accountability, communication, execution and learning from every experience.
For organizations looking to improve performance rather than simply motivate people for an hour, Jack delivers a keynote designed to help audiences turn lessons into action and action into better results.
What Makes Jack Becker Different?
- Former U.S. Navy fighter pilot — brings lessons from an elite performance environment
- Business-focused message — translates aviation principles into workplace strategies
- Accountability driven — encourages people to take ownership of their performance
- Execution focused — helps close the gap between strategy and results
- Practical debriefing approach — emphasizes learning and continuous improvement
- Team performance — demonstrates why trust and communication matter under pressure
- High-energy delivery — engages audiences with compelling aviation experiences
- Actionable takeaways — gives teams concepts they can apply immediately
Why Is Jack Right for Your Audience?
Jack is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to improve execution, strengthen accountability and work together more effectively.
He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings, management events and organizations focused on operational excellence.
Book Jack when your audience needs to:
- Turn strategy into consistent execution
- Strengthen personal accountability
- Improve communication across teams
- Build greater trust and collaboration
- Prepare more effectively for important opportunities
- Learn quickly from wins and mistakes
- Perform more consistently under pressure
- Create a culture of continuous improvement
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Understanding how preparation improves execution
- More willing to take ownership of results
- Better equipped to communicate when the stakes are high
- Recognizing the importance of effective debriefing
- More focused on learning rather than assigning blame
- Better prepared to collaborate across teams
- Ready to apply continuous improvement to everyday performance
Jack Becker Keynote Programs
Supersonic Success: What can business teams learn from the way fighter pilots prepare, execute and improve?
Jack takes audiences inside the world of military aviation to demonstrate how high-performing teams prepare for demanding missions and execute when the pressure is on.
He then translates those lessons into practical business strategies that can help organizations improve communication, accountability and performance.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, management teams and organizations focused on execution.
The Fighter Pilot Mindset: High performance doesn't happen by accident.
Jack explores the habits and disciplines that help elite performers stay focused, make decisions and deliver results in demanding environments.
Audiences learn how stronger preparation, clearer expectations and personal accountability can improve performance across an organization.
Ideal for: Sales kickoffs, leadership meetings and high-performance teams.
Debrief to Win: What happens after the mission may be just as important as what happens during it.
Jack demonstrates how effective debriefing can help teams identify what worked, understand what didn't and continuously improve without creating a culture of blame.
Applied to business, this approach can strengthen communication, accelerate learning and help teams perform better on the next mission.
Ideal for: Leadership teams, sales organizations, project teams and companies building a culture of continuous improvement.
Why Book Jack Becker Through The Sweeney Agency?
Jack Becker combines fighter-pilot experience with practical business strategies for improving execution, accountability and teamwork—but the real value comes from connecting those lessons to the performance challenges facing your organization.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Jack Becker's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Jack Becker keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your event objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Jack with other leading leadership, teamwork and high-performance speakers
Is Jack Becker Right for Your Event?
Tell us where your team needs to improve execution, accountability or collaboration.
We'll help you determine whether Jack is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Jack Becker as your keynote speaker.
Kim Becking
Communications and PR strategist, Trusted Media Expert, and Bestselling Author
About
The driving force behind the Unstoppable MomentumTM Movement, Kim Becking is changing the way we think about change and resilience in a rapidly changing world that NEVER SLOWS DOWN. An engaging, high energy and impactful international keynote speaker, New York Times Bestselling Author, human behavior expert and change and resilience researcher, Kim’s strategic insights and practical solutions have been utilized by hundreds of organizations ranging from Fortune 50 companies to associations and organizations around the world.
Kim’s expertise on reframing change and redefining resilience is regularly featured in media outlets such as the New York Times, People, Good Morning America, USA Today and Harvard Business Review. Kim has helped companies and organizations around the world empower their leaders, teams, and communities to redefine resilience, reframe change, and understand what it truly means to lead, live, and lean into a rapidly changing, ever-evolving world that never slows down. Her mission is to inspire everyone she meets to be more adaptable, more resilient, and better equipped to own what’s now and embrace what’s next with a deep breath and a big cup of Bring It On.
Using humor and vulnerability, Kim has the ability to connect with her audiences at a deeper level. Her authentic, engaging, humorous, and empowering messages of extraordinary resilience, conquering change, and creating success regardless of your circumstances have made her a favorite among her audiences.
She has boosted communication, collaboration and consensus building capabilities for companies, associations, government, and non-profit organizations. And coached Fortune 500 CEO’s and C-Suite leaders, association executives and government leaders to accelerate their success and momentum.
Kim knows a thing or two about change and challenges through her own experiences in business and life. As a “recovering” attorney, serial entrepreneur running 2 successful businesses, communications and public affairs strategist and “recovering” political consultant, Kim has conquered the ever-changing tough worlds of business, government, and politics. She’s also conquered life challenges - as a breast cancer thriver, mom of 3 with a blended family, caregiver with aging parents and many other unexpected changes.
Kim has spent decades discovering research-based strategies, tools and the Unstoppable MomentumTM Framework, rooted in positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and communications - and then proving them in her life and in the work she has done with hundreds of organizations..
Unstoppable Momentum is the power to use any change or challenge as a catalyst to bounce forward—not just bounce back—no matter what. Fueled by emotional intelligence, a Momentum Mindset, and intentional action, it is the fastest way to build sustainable resilience and adaptability in this ever-evolving world where change is happening at breakneck speed.
After hearing Kim, leaders leave with the framework, mindset, and tools to revolutionize their approach to change, challenges, and obstacles, embrace the power of possibility, and use any change or challenge as rocket fuel for forward growth, transforming their lives, leadership, and your organization.
Kim resides in Columbia, Missouri, and delivers programs as a keynote speaker, consultant and executive coach both in-person and virtually throughout the world.