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Johnny Quinn
Former Pro Football Wide Receiver, U.S. Bobsled Olympian, and Inspirational Speaker on Change
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Johnny Quinn is a dynamic keynote speaker, U.S. Olympian, and former pro football player who helps organizations Push What's Possible by turning great teams into unstoppable ultra performers who stay ready for what’s next.
As the third person in history to play pro football and compete in the Winter Olympics, Johnny brings a rare perspective on what it takes to perform under pressure. His journey from the gridiron to the Olympic track gives him a unique perspective on what it takes to turn setbacks into comebacks and challenges into the best opportunities you never saw coming.
His P.U.S.H. framework has equipped thousands at organizations like Toyota, Southwest Airlines, and Verizon to collaborate more effectively, stay agile during disruption, and build momentum—no matter the season. By helping audiences push past what's holding them back, he helps them discover untapped potential they didn't know they had.
Recognized by major media outlets including ESPN, CNN, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and the author of PUSH: Breaking Through Barriers, Johnny delivers proven strategies teams can implement the very next day. He lives in Texas with his wife, Amanda, and two small children.

Ravi Rajani
Author,  Keynote Speaker, and Sales Consultant on  the Art of Influential Communication
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Ravi Rajani is an international keynote speaker, author, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor, with over 70,000 professionals having taken his courses on Conscious and Charismatic communication. After his career in Investment Banking at Citi and Sales Leadership in Tech, Ravi has gone on to work with organizations such as Oracle NetSuite, T-Mobile, Hilton, Spotify, Sherwin-Williams and more - helping their people become magnetic storytellers and communicators so they can build trusted relationships that spark growth. 
Ravi and his recent book, Relationship Currency, have been featured in Forbes, Inc Arabia, and Entrepreneur, with the five communication habits inside designed to help leaders, entrepreneurs and sales teams build trust, cultivate authentic business relationships and communicate for connection in a world dominated by AI.
Ravi combines storytelling, humour, and practical frameworks to help your audience confidently communicate their message, story and value in a way that builds trusted relationships both in business and in life.

Marc Randolph
About Marc Randolph – Netflix Cofounder, Bestselling Author, Executive Mentor
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• Talks about a small Silicon Valley start up disrupted the entire home entertainment industry.

• Audiences are inspired story filled presentation that shows the values of innovation, persistence and optimism. Marc shares some of the many lessons he learned, including the value of analytics and testing, corporate culture and focus.

• Marc Randolph is a top entrepreneur and innovation keynote speaker, Netflix co-founder, angel investor, and an Amazon #1 bestselling author and podcast host of That Will Never Work.

• He is a frequent speaker at industry events, works extensively with young entrepreneur programs, sits on the board of the environmental advocacy group 1% for the Planet.
Marc Randolph is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, advisor and investor. Marc was co-founder of Netflix, serving as their founding CEO, as the executive producer of their web site, and as a member of their board of directors. Although best known for starting Netflix, Marc’s career as an entrepreneur spans more than four decades.  He's founded or co-founded more than half a dozen other successful start-ups, mentored rising entrepreneurs including the co-founders of Looker Data which was recently sold to Google for $2.6B, and invested in numerous successful tech ventures. He is a frequent speaker at industry events, works extensively with young entrepreneur programs, sits on the board of the environmental advocacy group 1% for the Planet, and chairs the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Board of Trustees.

Freddie Ravel
Celebrated Performer, International Expert and Keynote Speaker on Business & Communication
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• Freddie talks about how leaders can challenge and inspire organizations to discover their untapped potential through the power of Active Listening & The Music of Leadership, using music focused stories to help leaders build stronger teams.

• Audiences learn how to enhance interpersonal and professional leadership skills, amplify engagement and clarify their desired goals and outcomes.

• Bilingual Speaker (English & Spanish) Freddie Ravel is a GRAMMY nominated maestro & performer, Founder of "Life in Tune," and Business Success Expert. His clients have described his keynotes & emcee services as the "ideal balance of entertainment and content."

• Past clients include: IBM, Toyota, Red Bull, NASA, Apple, Blue Cross, Prudential, Google and Citi.
Click Here to Watch Freddie's Virtual Video
Freddie Ravel is the GRAMMY-nominated Keynote Maestro - who combines his expertise for business breakthroughs and virtuoso piano performances with a clear and concise application of music’s communicative and scientific powers to inspire, ignite and lift the minds, hearts and potential of audiences around the world.
Backed by number one hits and collaborative successes with Madonna, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince and Carlos Santana to leading the teams of J Lo, Jimmy Kimmel and Lady Gaga - the #1 chart-topping composer is the Founder of “LIFE IN TUNE," a worldwide program that delivers customized peak performance experiences - to reveal how the structure of music enhances leadership, innovation and productivity for entrepreneurs to major corporations alike. Dubbed the “Keynote Maestro” by the City of Los Angeles, Ravel received the city’s Award of Recognition for creating a music-based system to “renew the national and international economy” - while his film, TV, radio and recording credits include CBS, FOX, CW, Universal, iHeart and XM Sirius. Straddling sectors across Media, Tech, Healthcare and Wellness, Diversity and Inclusion, Communications, Social Impact and Financial Services - clients refer to him as “The ideal balance of Entertainment and Content”.
These include IBM, Toyota, Red Bull, NASA, Apple, Blue Cross, Prudential, Google and Citi where he continues to serve as a captivating access point through which to transform corporations, education, entertainment and the human condition. Based on decades of entrepreneurial and corporate training, scientific research and directing and performing with many of the music legends of our time - conference planners often engage Freddie and his team in the program planning process to help design and incorporate their meeting objectives into a rich, harmonious and rewarding experience. Having performed in over eighty countries, Freddie is in tune with cultural nuances and sensitivities delivering the universal language in both English and Spanish - as well as collaborating with translators to uplift your audience to success.

Michelle Ray
Sought-After Keynote Speaker on Change, Communication and Leadership.
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• Michelle talks about how you can embrace, manage. and anticipate change with renewed confidence

• Audiences learn to lead themselves and their teams with greater effectiveness in the new world of work

• Michelle Ray is a Leadership & Change expert with more than 25 years of experience helping people build outstanding workplace relationships and cultures. Author of Leading in Real Time: How to Drive Success in a Radically Changing World and Lead Yourself First! Indispensable Lessons in Business and in Life.

• Past clients include: Microsoft, Dell, Proctor & Gamble, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Shell, Xerox, Paypal, Qantas Airways, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Michelle Ray is a sought-after international leadership and change expert. An entrepreneur, an author, and an educator.
Most importantly, Michelle is a person. A passionate, deeply caring person. A fearless leader who’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. She's the kind of person who’ll do what it takes to help her team get outrageous results, even in a down economy.
After a successful career in media and advertising in Australia, Michelle shifted gears and accepted a leadership role at a global non-profit youth organization. She facilitated enduring partnerships between youth, entrepreneurs, and educators, preparing future generations to thrive in tomorrow’s business environment.
Michelle encountered a total contrast of leadership styles during her career, both good and bad. These experiences sparked her desire to help leaders not only master the fundamentals but also become the best versions of themselves. She seized the opportunity to venture into the speaking world and has since shared these messages with audiences around the world.
With more than 25 years of experience researching leadership, accountability, change, and workforce trends, Michelle has a deep understanding of new realities demanding the attention of leaders. Specifically, a dramatic shift in where and how we work, generational dynamics, talent shortages, and managing disruption while keeping the “human factor” of leadership top-of-mind.
A credit to her Aussie roots, Michelle engages audiences with her down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is style. As a respected thought leader, she has worked with some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Microsoft, the FBI, TD Bank, PayPal, and an array of Fortune 500 companies.
Click Here to Watch Michelle's Virtual Presentation

Mike Rayburn
Guitar Virtuoso, Motivational, Comedic and Entertaining Performer
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• Mike uses music and comedy to teach audiences how to become their personal best person by learning how to make "Virtuoso Decisions." 

• Audiences leave with the tools, and a simple, personalized action plan for becoming world class virtuosos in their own lives.

• Mike is a world-class guitarist, keynote speaker, entrepreneur & innovator

• Past clients include: Texas Pharmacy Association, Premera Blue Cross, Moneytree, Inc., Prosperity Financial Associates, Coldwell Banker Burnet, Apple Leisure Group and Orkin.
When organizations need innovation, change and peak performance, where do they go? Usually it’s to business leaders, authors, or famous sports figures. Rarely do they go to artists! Yet for artists, innovation, peak performance and change are their life blood. Being a mega-successful artist, as well as an innovative entrepreneur, Mike Rayburn is uniquely qualified to teach artistic principles in a business context, to give businesses and teams the edge they need to innovate and perform like virtuosos…and thus transform their success and significance.
Mike Rayburn is a TEDx Presenter who teaches innovation, change and peak performance using world-class guitar and humor to create a transformational experience and generate exponential results. He has headlined Carnegie Hall, Las Vegas, and performed more than 5,000 presentations in 20 countries on five continents. Rayburn is a music/internet pioneering entrepreneur, feature artist on Sirius/XM and Artist In Residence at High Point University. His more than 1000 corporate clients include most of the Fortune 100, 500, and the top five, including multiple presentations for Walmart, Exxon, Wells Fargo, Lincoln Financial, UnitedHealth, IBM, Siemens, Verizon, Ford, Nationwide, MetLife, PepsiCo, Chevron, Sony, Allianz, and Liberty Mutual.

Tara Renze
About Tara Renze – Emotional Intelligence Expert, Keynote Speaker on Leadership: Tara Renze is an author, keynote speaker, emotional intelligence & positive intelligence practitioner, podcaster, thought-leader, wife and mother and is redefining how …
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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.
Tara Renze's journey to empowerment and inspiration began in the competitive arena of corporate America. At CareerBuilder.com, her exceptional leadership and sales acumen were quickly recognized, earning her the coveted "Sales Leader of the Year" accolade. Tara's impact expanded as she took the helm of the national new hire sales training program and served as a national sales manager consultant, shaping the future of sales leadership with her innovative approaches and insights.
Building on her corporate success, Tara ventured into the world of social selling with Stella & Dot. Here, she founded a nationwide, multi-million-dollar business, blending her corporate expertise with entrepreneurial spirit. This phase of her career not only showcased her business acumen but also her ability to connect with and inspire a new generation of women entrepreneurs.
Today, Tara Renze is a beacon for those seeking to "be who they came to be." Her grandmother's transformative note to her son in 2007 became the cornerstone of Tara's mission. As an author, keynote speaker, and emotional intelligence practitioner, Tara has dedicated her life to empowering others. Her work is supported by her impressive educational background, with a degree from the University of Kansas and leadership studies at the Wharton School and Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Tara's influence extends through her books, such as "Be Who You Came To Be" and the collaborative children's book "Be Who You Came To Bee," along with her eagerly awaited "Perfectly Flawed." Her "Be Who You Came To Be" merchandise line further embodies the spirit of her empowering message.
Tara's credibility is underscored by her collaborations with renowned brands such as Aflac, T-Mobile, Amazon, American Century Investments, Baxter, the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF), Farmasi, and many more. These partnerships reflect the trust and value placed in her expertise and the universal appeal of her empowering message.

Peter Ricchiuti
Investment Expert, Professor of Finance and Keynote Speaker
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Peter Ricchiuti has taught finance at Tulane University since 1986. His humor and insight have earned him numerous teaching awards at Tulane University where he created and runs the nationally acclaimed Burkenroad Reports (www.burkenroad.org) student stock research program.
Peter is a graduate of Babson College and began his career with the investment firm of Kidder Peabody in Boston. He later managed Louisiana’s $3 billion investment portfolio while serving as the assistant state treasurer.
In 1993, Peter created the nationally acclaimed Burkenroad Reports Stock Research Program.
Peter has addressed more than 1500 groups in 47 states and several countries. He has been featured in BARRON’S, Kiplinger’s, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He also hosts a popular weekly business show on National Public Radio in New Orleans called “Out To Lunch.”
Peter is a husband, dad and author who has attended baseball games at all 30 current major league ballparks

Shola Richards
About Shola Richards – Bestselling Author & Expert on Workplace Culture:
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• Shola teaches audiences learn how creating a resilient mindset, regardless of the circumstances using strategies to build unshakable strength within themselves and within their teams.

• Founder & CEO, Go Together Global, Bestselling Author.

• Past clients include: the GAP, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, SHRM
Shola Richards speaks about workplace transformation, but he didn't start out as a fighter. For years, he waited for someone else to step up when he faced bullying and workplace dysfunction. When no one came, he realized a simple truth: what you allow is what will continue. He had to become his own hero. That realization changed everything.
Today, he's a workplace kindness expert and global keynote speaker whose work has taken him from testifying before Congress to speaking across three continents. Real kindness, he argues, takes guts. It requires you to fight incivility instead of managing it, to care about people and problems that don't directly affect you, and to refuse to let harmful dynamics slide just because it's easier to stay quiet.
His message has reached audiences at organizations including Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and dozens of other major companies and institutions worldwide. Major media outlets like the Today Show, CBS This Morning, and Forbes regularly feature his insights.
His three bestselling books have become essential reading for leaders worldwide. Civil Unity: The Radical Path to Transform Our Discourse, Our Lives, and Our World earned praise from Mel Robbins as "an incredibly powerful and compelling guide to restoring much-needed kindness to our divided world." Go Together: How the Concept of Ubuntu Will Change How You Live, Work and Lead won the Gold Medal at the 2025 Independent Publisher Book Awards. And Making Work Work: The Solution for Bringing Positive Change to Any Work Environment hit #1 New
Release in both "Workplace Culture" and "Human Resources" categories on Amazon.
His podcast, The Kindness Extremist, tackles the hard conversations that actually matter, helping listeners navigate conflict, set boundaries without losing compassion, and turn moments of tension into opportunities for real change.
When you're strong enough to be kind, you don't just change your workplace—you become the leader people choose to follow, and the organization competitors wish they could build.

Sam Richter
Keynote Speaker, Expert on Sales Intelligence, Best-selling Author
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Sam Richter is an internationally recognized expert on digital information and is considered the father of modern-day Sales Intelligence. His award-winning experience includes building innovative programs for start-up companies and some of the world's most famous brands.
Sam is Founder and CEO of SBR Worldwide/Know More. Through his in-person keynote presentations and online programs, Sam has trained leading organizations and entertained tens of thousands of persons around the world. Sam’s programs promise to be the highest-content, most take-home-value presentations attendees have ever experienced.
He is the author of the best-selling book, Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling, considered the preeminent publication on finding information online and using it for sales success. Take the Cold was named "Sales Book of the Year" by the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, and it was also named a "USA Book News Winner" and a "Sales Book Awards Silver Medalist."
In addition to speaking and writing, Sam has developed numerous technologies including the world's top prospecting/sales meeting preparation resource, the Sales Intel Engine; the world's top news search engine, YouGotTheNews; a Blog search engine; and the Facebook search engine, YouGotSocial. Sam partnered with Mark Hunter - the Sales Hunter - to create the Know More University, an online-learning platform and sales-success training program used by thousands of sales executives at some of the world's leading organizations.
Sam is a partner at Contata Solutions, a big-data/machine learning firm that produces sales, marketing, and business intelligence software. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for Brandpoint, one of the world's leading content management platforms, and Argos Risk, a business financial health and credit monitoring software platform.
Multiple times Sam was named by InsideView as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Sales, and he was also named as one of the Top Chief Marketing Officers on Twitter and he has been recognized by LinkedIn as having one of the world's most viewed profiles. Sam has been featured in thousands of television and radio programs and national and online publications.
For more than six years, Sam was president of the James J. Hill Center, a not-for-profit business library, where he led the transformation of an eighty-five-year-old private, non-profit business research organization into a nationally renowned institution serving entrepreneurs and small businesses via cutting edge online resources. Sam also spent more than eighteen years in the advertising, public relations, and e-commerce/e-marketing industry owning his own firm and working for internationally recognized organizations as a creative director, group director, and marketing director. Sam has led product launch and strategic marketing programs for companies including Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Major League Baseball, Polaris Industries, and National Geographic.
He has won regional, national and international awards including Best of Show and Gold Awards at numerous sales and marketing competitions, Webby Awards, and a Gold Award at the International Film Festival. He's also won a Retail Vision Award and a Codie Award - "the "Oscars" of the software industry" - for Best E-commerce Software. He is a member of the Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" and a past finalist for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year. The National Speakers Association honored Sam with its CSP Designation, reserved for the top 10 percent of the world's professional speakers, and he is also a member of the Minnesota Speakers Hall of Fame.
Sam received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication and was twice named Scholastic All-American while also a four-year player and a letter winner on the University of Minnesota varsity football team. His postgraduate education includes certificate degrees in Executive Leadership from the University of St. Thomas, and in Corporate Boards of Director Ethical Leadership from Saint Mary's University.
Sam lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota with his wife and two children, and he enjoys volunteering his time working with non-profit organizations and mentoring individuals in his community.
Click Here to Watch Sam's Virtual Presentation
 
 

Jeremy Rifkin
Futurist, Best-selling Author and Speaker on Economic Changes & Trends, Renewable Energy Transition & Green Economy
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Jeremy Rifkin is an American economic and social theorist, writer, public speaker, political and geopolitical advisor and activist. Rifkin is the author of 20 best-selling books about the impact of scientific and technological changes and trends on the economy, the workforce, society and the environment. The books have been translated into more than 35 languages. His most recent books include the international best-sellers, The Zero Marginal Cost Society (2014), The Third Industrial Revolution (2011), The Empathic Civilization (2010), The European Dream (2004), The Hydrogen Economy (2002), The Age of Access (2000), The Biotech Century (1998), and The End of Work (1995). His latest book was released in the U.S. on 10-September-2019: The Green New Deal: Why the Fossil Fuel Civilization will Collapse by 2028, and the Bold Economic Plan to Save Life on Earth  (St. Martin's Press). The German, French, Italian and Spanish translations are expected in October - followed by Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other translations into the new year.
Jeremy Rifkin has been an advisor to the leadership of the European Union since 2000. He has advised three presidents of the European Commission: Romano Prodi, Jose Manuel Barroso and the current President, Jean-Claude Juncker - as well as the European Parliament, and numerous EU heads of state, including Germany's Angela Merkel, on the ushering in of a smart green Third Industrial Revolution economy.
Mr. Rifkin’s New York Times bestselling book, The Third Industrial Revolution, provided the blueprint for the economic transition to a post-carbon ecological society across the EU. According to The European Energy Review, "perhaps no other author or thinker has had more influence on the EU's ambitious climate and energy policy than the famous American 'visionary' Jeremy Rifkin." In the words of Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, Jeremy Rifkin "is the economic and ecological worldwide ambassador of the energy transition… Rifkin presents a grand scenario for the future: a visionary approach unlike anyone has dared to put forward in the last fifty years that will boost our thinking and help with our orientation.”
Mr. Rifkin is also advising the leadership of the Peoples Republic of China on the build out and scale up of the Internet Plus Third Industrial Revolution infrastructure - to usher in a sustainable low-carbon economy. The Huffington Post reported from Beijing on October 29th 2015 that "Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has not only read Jeremy Rifkin's book, The Third Industrial Revolution, and taken it to heart - he and his colleagues have also made it the core of the country's thirteenth Five-Year Plan..." The Huffington Post goes on to say that "this blueprint for China's future signals the most momentous shift in direction since the death of Mao and the advent of Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening up in 1978."
Mr. Rifkin is President of the TIR Consulting Group, LLC - comprising many of the leading renewable energy companies, electricity transmission companies, engineering companies, construction companies, architectural firms, ICT and electronics companies, transport and logistics companies, advanced manufacturing companies, and economic modelers.
Mr. Rifkin is ranked 123 in the WorldPost/HuffingtonPost 2015 global survey of "The World's Most Influential Voices." Mr. Rifkin is also listed among the top 10 most influential economic thinkers in the survey. The survey was prepared at Massachusetts Institute of Technology - and used collective intelligence to correlate the rankings.
Since 1995, Rifkin has lectured at the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania - where he instructs CEOs and senior management on transitioning their business operations into sustainable economies.

April Rinne
Global Authority on the New Economy, Future of Work, and Navigating Constant Change, Humanistic Futurist
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• Change navigator and guide to help you embrace uncertainty and the unknown

• Top-ranked global futurist with immersive work and travels in 100+ countries

• Bestselling author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change
Change defines the present and uncertainty permeates the future. What are the skills, practices, and superpowers that this world in flux demands – and how can you cultivate them with purpose and joy?
In 2024, humans’ ability to embrace all kinds of change, uncertainty, and not-knowing isn’t exceptional, but rather table stakes. It’s at the heart of responsible leadership, thriving culture, and effective communication. Put another way, tolerance of uncertainty is the #1 skill we’ll need this year – and beyond.
April Rinne – change navigator, speaker, investor, and adventurer – has been obsessed with these questions for more than 25 years. Her work and travels in more than 100 countries have given her a front-row seat to a world in flux, as well as a world of wisdom to navigate the unknown. Not only is she your guide to developing a “flux mindset,” she’s also ranked one of the 50 Leading Female Futurists in the world by Forbes and is a Harvard Law School graduate, a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, a member of the Silicon Guild and Thinkers50 Radar, a Fulbright Scholar, and the author of the international bestseller Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change.
April is a trusted advisor to well-known startups, companies, financial institutions, nonprofits, think tanks, and governments worldwide, including Airbnb, Nike, Intuit, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, AnyRoad, and Unsettled as well as governments ranging from Singapore to South Africa, Canada to Colombia, and Italy to India. For more than two decades, she’s been known for seeing emerging trends early, understanding their potential, and helping others do the same. April is a bridge-builder between stakeholders, priorities, business models, markets, and those excited about change and those resistant to it. Most recently, she’s been part of Finland’s inaugural “masterclass of happiness,” combining her Finnish heritage and “fluxiness” to reach audiences around the world.
Earlier in life April was a global development executive, an international microfinance lawyer, and a hiking guide. Before that, she spent the better part of four years traveling solo, with an insatiable desire to better understand how the rest of the world lives. (One lesson: Change is universal. How we deal with it is not.) She is as comfortable at Davos as she is talking with microfinance borrowers in an urban slum. A certified yoga teacher, she can often be found upside-down, doing handstands around the world.
The following is also shared, depending on audience and context: April also harnesses her very personal experiences with flux, including the death of both of her parents in a car accident when she was 20.

Steve Rizzo
Corporate Comedian, Emcee, Motivational Speaker and Best-Selling Author.
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Steve Rizzo is ready to help, whether you need to motivate your sales & service team, improve employee morale, instill strong leadership skills, deal with stress, or embrace change - then his  “Common Sense Success Strategies” will take your audience to the next level. As one of his clients said, “Never has my group learned so much and laughed so hard in one sitting!”
Once upon a time, Steve Rizzo was told by a guidance counselor that he didn’t have the intelligence for college. A few years later he was saddled with the dubious high school honor of being voted “Least Likely to Succeed.”
Steve went on to surprise everyone, including himself, by excelling with honors at the university and postgraduate levels. Eventually, Steve even taught English at his old high school and was a counselor for students with behavioral problems, proving once and for all that guidance counselors are not fortune-tellers.
Steve would go on to stellar success as a national headline comedian, and starred in his very own Showtime comedy special, earning him honors as a Showtime Comedy All-Star.
But the surprises didn’t stop there.
At the pinnacle of his stand-up career, Steve walked away from comedy to pursue his true purpose and passion - to show people how to shift their focus and way of thinking, to discover more joy and enthusiasm, increased productivity and greater levels of success.
Steve offers more than the usual nuts and bolts on how to succeed. He stresses the importance of enjoying yourself during the process of achieving your goals, and building a solid foundation to stand on when all else fails, because he absolutely knows that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, attitude is everything.
When Steve Rizzo shares his blueprint for success with Fortune 500 companies and associations across the globe, he delivers a powerful message for living an extraordinary life, because he lives the “Common Sense Success Strategies” that has made him a member of prestigious Speakers Hall of Fame - an honor bestowed on fewer than 300 speakers worldwide since 1977.
Steve is author of the best-selling books Motivate THIS! and Get Your SHIFT Together. He is also a regular contributor for SUCCESS magazine and often called upon as the “go-to” guy on the topic of personal and professional development for many network, cable and radio media outlets.
Click Here to Watch Steve's Virtual Presentation

Mel Robbins
Best-Selling Author, and Life-Changing Change and Motivational Speaker
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Mel Robbins is the creator and host of the award-winning The Mel Robbins Podcast, one of the most successful podcasts in the world, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She has amassed 25 million followers online and is considered the most sought after expert in life improvement, mindset, and behavior change. The Wall Street Journal calls her a “billion-view podcaster” and TIME Magazine says she gives millions of listeners around the globe “a reason to believe in themselves.”
Her books have been translated into 50 languages and include the #1 New York Times, #1 Amazon, #1 Audible, and #1 Sunday Times bestselling The Let Them Theory, which is the most successful non-fiction book launch in history, with over 1.2 million copies sold within a month of its release date. She is also the author of the multimillion-copy-selling The 5 Second Rule, The High Five Habit, and seven #1 audiobook releases on Audible.
USA Today calls Mel “a force to be reckoned with.” She is a global phenomenon in the publishing industry and podcasting. Her Boston-based media production company, 143 Studios, produces award-winning content, podcasts, events, audio series, online courses, journals, and books, along with professional development education for partners like Starbucks, Ulta Beauty, JP Morgan Chase, LinkedIn, Headspace, and Audible.
The Mel Robbins Podcast has won some of the most prestigious awards given to podcasts, including Webby, Signal Awards, and more. It was also recognized as one of Apple Podcasts' Top Shared and Followed Shows of 2024 and 2023 and Spotify Top Global Shows of 2024. Notable accolades for Robbins include being a Forbes 50 Over 50 Honoree, USA Today Top 5 Mindset & Performance Coaches in the World, and one of the fifty most influential influencers on The Hollywood Reporter’s Creator A-List in 2024.

Mike Robbins
Motivational Leadership Speaker, Author, Executive Coach, Former Professional Baseball Player
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For 25+ years, leadership, culture, and teamwork expert Mike Robbins, CSP, has helped some of the world’s most respected organizations build environments where people perform at their best because they feel safe, valued, connected, and inspired to contribute at their highest level.
He’s the author of five books, We’re All in This Together, Bring Your Whole Self to Work, Be Yourself Everyone Else Is Already Taken, Nothing Changes Until You Do, and Focus on the Good Stuff, which have been translated into fifteen languages.
He hosts the popular podcast, We're All in This Together, and has delivered three TEDx talks viewed more than 2.3 million times. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, ABC News, NPR, and other national media outlets.
Trusted for his expertise and partnership, Mike has delivered more than 2,000 keynote speeches and workshops around the world. His extensive client list includes organizations such as Google, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Walmart, and the NBA. More than 70% of his engagements are repeat business. His approach blends emotional intelligence with practical business insight, helping organizations strengthen human connection and turn values like trust, authenticity, appreciation, and connection into tangible business results.
A rare combination of data, story, and soul, Mike moves audiences from aha moments to next-day action, delivering real-world strategies they can use immediately. His warmth and authenticity invite genuine connection, whether he’s addressing a few dozen senior executives or thousands at a global conference. He has spoken in 17 countries across four continents and has earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association (NSA), a distinction held by fewer than 10% of professional speakers worldwide.
Before starting his company in 2001, Mike was drafted out of high school by the New York Yankees but chose instead to play baseball at Stanford University, where he pitched in the College World Series. After Stanford, he played professionally in the Kansas City Royals organization. Although injuries ended his athletic career early, the lessons he learned about mindset, teamwork, resilience, and leadership continue to shape his work and philosophy today.
After his playing career, Mike worked in sales and business development for two internet startups before discovering his deeper passion: helping people and teams fulfill their potential.
Since then, Mike has combined those early lessons with decades of research, experience, and real-world business insight to help leaders and teams create cultures of trust, authenticity, appreciation, and belonging where people thrive and performance follows.
Mike holds a degree in American Studies from Stanford University, with a specialization in race and ethnicity, and has completed extensive professional and personal development training, including with the Coaches Training Institute.

David Rock
Neuroleadership and performance speaker.
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David Rock is a keynote speaker and the founder and CEO of Results Coaching Systems (RCS), which has operations in 15 countries across the globe. In his capacity as CEO, David works with Fortune 500 clients specializing in embedding internal coaching capacity within organizations to develop leadership, retain talent, turn managers into coaches, improve performance, and change culture.
David is one of the thought leaders in the global coaching profession. The integrated coaching system he developed in the mid-90's has been taught to over 10,000 professionals in more than fifteen countries.
He is the author of Personal Best, Quiet Leadership and Coaching with the Brain in Mind and Your Brain at Work released in October 2009.
In 2004, David founded the brain-based approach to coaching, which has gathered momentum as a theory base for coaching ever since. In collaboration with several leading neuroscientists, David is working to explain the neural basis of issues like self-awareness, reflection, insight and accountability.
In 2006 he co-authored a feature article in strategy business magazine with neuroscientist Dr Jeffrey Schwartz, called 'The Neuroscience of Leadership', the most downloaded article of the year at the magazine. In September 2006 CIO magazine ran a cover story featuring David and Jeff's work called 'The new science of change'. His paper 'Managing with the Brain in Mind' was the most downloaded of 2009 at Strategy & Business.
In late 2006, David founded the NeuroLeadership Institute and Summit, a global initiative bringing neuroscientists and leadership experts together to build a new science of leadership development. The Institute is now a worldwide network of researchers and practitioners building a new body of knowledge.
David is on the advisory board at CIMBA business school, and a guest lecturer at universities in 5 countries including at Oxford University Said Business School.

Dr. Howard Rocket
Inspiring speaker with remarkable story of overcoming adversity. Author of A Stroke of Luck.
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In the last 2 years Dr. Howard Rocket has started four new businesses. That is an amazing accomplishment in itself but even more amazing when you realize that a few years ago a stroke nearly killed him. For Dr. Rocket passionately believes that your attitude is everything especially in these challenging times. Howard was a successful dentist-turned-entrepreneur when he suffered a massive stroke on the morning of October 27, 1995. By that evening Howard was a dying man, a blood clot lodged deep in his brain, his body barely responding to medical intervention. There had been warning signs for days prior, but he did not understand their cause, nor the crisis that they foreshadowed.
With valiant medical attention and good fortune Howard survived and made a stunning recovery, but the experience changed his life forever both in body and in attitude. He has since co-authored A Stroke of Luck, his personal story of how recovery from a stroke changed his life and his outlook. A powerful speaker, Dr. Rocket helps people understand that they can overcome any obstacle.

Michael Rogers
Author, journalist and futurist on future trends and the economy.
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• Michael talks about new efficiencies and surprising new intelligent services that will change the very nature of work and challenge us to think differently about technology & innovation.

• Audiences leave with inspired with ideas on how technology and innovation can help leaders identify potential new products, new customers and new challenges.

• Michael Rogers is a best-selling author, technology pioneer and futurist, who most recently served as futurist-in-residence for The New York Times.

• Past clients include: Coca Cola, Chanel, Discover, Pfizer, Oracle, Prudential and Shell.
Michael Rogers is a best-selling author, technology pioneer and futurist, who most recently served as futurist-in-residence for The New York Times. He has worked with companies ranging from FedEx, Boeing and NBC Universal to Microsoft, Pfizer and Siemens, focusing on how companies can think about the future in useful ways.  He speaks to audiences worldwide and is a regular guest on radio and television.
Rogers began his career as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. He co-founded Outside magazine and then launched Newsweek’s technology column, winning numerous journalism awards. For ten years he was vice president of The Washington Post Company's new media division, leading both the newspaper and Newsweek into the new century and earning patents for multimedia technology. He is also a best-selling novelist whose books have been published worldwide, chosen for the Book-of-the-Month club and optioned for film.
Rogers studied physics and creative writing at Stanford University, with additional studies in finance and management at the Stanford Business School Executive Program. He lives in New York City and is currently working on book and television projects.

Sara Ross
Speaker on Science-based Leadership & the Future of Work
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Sara Ross Leadership & Workplace Expert | Founder & Chief Vitality Officer, BrainAMPED | Bestselling Author | Global Keynote Speaker
Lead FULL. Perform Better. Feel More Alive.
Sara Ross helps leaders and teams close the gap between excellence and energy—so they can achieve ambitious results without sacrificing the human capacity needed to sustain them.
Founder and Chief Vitality Officer of BrainAMPED and bestselling author of Dear Work: Something Has to Change, Sara combines behavioral science, real-world leadership experience, humor and practical strategies audiences can immediately put to work.
Why Book Sara Ross?
Sara tackles a challenge almost every organization is facing: How do we keep raising performance when people already feel stretched?
Rather than telling people to simply work less or find better balance, Sara shows them how to build the capacity, emotional intelligence and vitality needed to perform at their best.
Her high-energy style combines science, storytelling and practical tools—leaving audiences inspired and knowing what to do differently tomorrow.
What Makes Sara Different?
• Nearly two decades studying leadership and high performance
• Founder & Chief Vitality Officer of BrainAMPED
• Bestselling author of Dear Work: Something Has to Change
• Research informed by data from more than 10,000 high performers
• Combines behavioral science with practical business experience
• High-energy, humorous and highly relatable presentation style
• Customizes her presentations around the audience and organization
Why Is Sara Right for Your Audience?
Sara is an excellent choice when people need to perform, adapt and lead without running themselves into the ground.
She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales meetings, corporate events and organizations navigating significant change.
Book Sara when your audience needs to:
• Maintain high performance under pressure
• Build resilience during constant change
• Increase energy without lowering ambition
• Strengthen trust and collaboration
• Lead themselves and others more effectively
• Turn stress and uncertainty into productive action
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
• Better able to recognize what drains and generates their energy
• Equipped to move from reactivity toward greater leadership vitality
• More capable of sustaining excellence during demanding periods
• Ready to build greater trust, ownership and collaboration
• With practical strategies they can use immediately
• Energized to bring their best to both work and life
Keynote Programs
The LeadFULL Way: Where Excellence Meets Energy to Expand What Is Possible
Sara shows leaders how to close the Excellence-Energy Gap and build the capacity to meet increasing complexity without continually demanding more of themselves.
Audiences learn how to shift from reactive functioning toward greater vitality, ownership and sustainable excellence.
Ideal for leadership conferences, executive meetings and organizations asking people to accomplish more in demanding environments.
FULL Change: Transforming Stress, Uncertainty and Fear into Future-Ready Resilience
Change doesn't have to drain people.
Sara shows audiences how to shift from a reactive, stressed and change-fatigued state toward one that is more strategic, energized and resilient.
Ideal for organizations navigating transformation, uncertainty or significant organizational change.
FULL Energy: The Burnout Stops Here — Redefine Success, Unlock Energy and Boost Joy
Sara challenges the assumption that exhaustion is simply the price of ambition.
Drawing on her workplace vitality research, she provides science-backed strategies for directing energy more effectively, strengthening renewal and pursuing ambitious goals without sacrificing well-being.
Ideal for high performers, sales teams, leaders and organizations concerned about burnout and sustainable performance.
Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?
The right keynote isn't simply about finding a great speaker. It's about finding the right message for what your audience needs right now.
Contact us to:
• Confirm Sara's availability and current fee
• Identify the keynote that best supports your objectives
• Discuss customization for your audience and event theme
• Explore keynote, workshop and interactive formats
• Receive comparable recommendations if another speaker may be a stronger fit
Is Sara Ross Right for Your Event?
Tell us about your audience, the pressures they are facing and what you want them to think, feel or do differently after the event.
We'll provide an honest assessment of Sara's fit, confirm availability and fees, and help you determine the presentation that will have the greatest impact.
Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking Sara Ross.

Marci Rossell
CNBC Chief Economist and keynote speaker on finance.
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• Talks about the nexus of economics, politics, culture, and the media.

• Audiences get an expert analysis of America’s current and future role in the global economy, factors responsible for recessions, how Washington influences Wall Street and the markets, and the specific forecast for the U.S. economy over the course of the next 18-24 months. She is also well-versed in the stock market, investor behavior, consumer confidence, and what accountable capitalism looks like this year and beyond.

• Expert economic forecaster who drove some of the highest ratings in the history of CNBC

• Past clients include: American Resort Develop Manulife Financial, The Newport Group, San Diego State University
Marci Rossell is a world-renowned economist and financial expert who electrifies audiences nationwide, speaking candidly on the nexus of economics, politics, culture, and the media. She honed her animated style serving as the popular, lively Chief Economist for CNBC, where she became a household name and a must-watch source of financial news. The former co-host of the well-known “pre-market” morning news and talk show Squawk Box, Rossell is revered for taking complex economic issues, often dull in the button-down business press, and making them relevant to people's lives, families, and careers.
Marci discusses America’s current and future role in the global economy, factors responsible for recessions, how Washington influences Wall Street and the markets, and the specific forecast for the U.S. economy over the course of the next 18-24 months. She is also well-versed in the stock market, investor behavior, consumer confidence, and what accountable capitalism looks like this year and beyond. With a knack for making complex topics more digestible, Rossell’s authentic, high-energy talks deliver a stimulating and often optimistic economic outlook, providing an insider’s perspective on key factors of economic disruption. Her creative, thought-provoking commentary will ring in the audience members' ears well after she leaves the stage.
Prior to her career in broadcast journalism, Marci served as Corporate Economist and Investment Spokesperson for OppenheimerFunds, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies. Her success in the private sector led to her economic commentary being revered and ultimately her appointments on nationally syndicated talk shows. Before moving to Wall Street, she was an expert witness for Deloitte & Touche in court cases involving economic issues. Marci began her career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
Marci earned a Ph.D. in Economics from Southern Methodist University, where she was named one of the Young Alumni of the Year in 2002. She brings a world of experience — from Main Street to Wall Street — when discussing the U.S. economy, international events, and movements in capital markets.

Rebecca Ryan
Innovator, Speaker, Author, Futurist and Economist
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Rebecca Ryan is a human sparkplug - part futurist, part economist. She is always engaging - and is one of America’s most influential and innovative thought leaders who helps cities and companies think around the corner to what’s next. Rebecca is the Resident Futurist at the Alliance for Innovation, a Senior Advisor at the Governing Institute, a faculty member at the Institute for Zen Leadership, the Founder of Futurist Camp, the inventor of Futures Labs - and the owner of NEXT Generation Consulting, Inc.
What is Strategic Foresight? "Strategic foresight" is a bland term for a great idea: to look into the future - and figure out what’s coming, so you can be ready. Rebecca is one of a few hundred people in the world who hold the designation of "APF" - conferred to full members of the Association of Professional Futurists. Her peers call her "one of the world's leading futurists" - and she has led foresight projects for Fortune 500 companies and many of America's most innovative cities.
She is the author of The Next Big Things: The Future of Local Government (2015), ReGENERATION: A Manifesto for America’s Future Leaders (2013), and Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Head of the Next Generation (2007).
As Founder of Next Generation Consulting, Rebecca leads the team that best-selling author Richard Florida calls, “One of the most reliable sources for leaders who want to attract and retain the next generation of creative workers." Rebecca has also been named: Top 100 Most Influential People by Accounting Today and Entrepreneur of the Year by U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Robert Safian
Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company & Inspiring Speaker on the Future of Business
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Robert Safian is one of the most sought-after speakers, moderators, and interviewers in modern business. From leadership positions at Fast Company, Time, Fortune and Money, to incisive analysis across multiple TV networks, podcasts and digital platforms, Safian has been lauded as an unparalleled source of insight on the future of the global enterprise. He is not only among the most acclaimed publishing executives in history but has deep relationships across the C-suite in multiple industries, accessing the cutting-edge developments that are reshaping our world.
For decades Safian has chronicled thousands of odds-defying organizations and leaders, uncovering their secrets of success. He synthesizes their lessons into eye-opening and thoroughly entertaining presentations filled with compelling storytelling. Whether assessing a startup in Detroit, the tech scene in Palo Alto or an iconoclast in Shanghai, Safian is constantly translating what is next and new to the mainstream. By presenting stories of the people behind innovative business thinking, he provides hope to millions of talented professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders that meaningful change is possible.
Safian has been propelled by a reputation for near-clairvoyant prediction. He was the first editor to put Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg on a magazine cover and covered Airbnb, Netflix and Uber long before they were household names. For nearly twelve years he led the influential, award-winning business magazine Fast Company, turning it into the world's leading progressive business media brand. He was named Editor of the Year by Adweek, and earned the highly coveted National Magazine Award for Magazine of the Year in 2014, beating out rivals including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine and more.
Prior to Fast Company, Safian was the executive editor for Time and Fortune and headed Money as its chief editor for six years. He is a frequent guest on CBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and other TV networks.
His latest projects include The Flux Group, an advisory firm that is driving awareness of new business practices to both individual companies and mass-market audiences; The Flux Network, a special invitation-only community of leading thinkers, creative collaborators and idea generators; and a highly-anticipated forthcoming book on the reinvention of business that is identifying how leaders at all levels can best adapt and thrive in today’s high-flux environments and turn disruption to their advantage.
Safian has also built a reputation as one of today’s top interviewers, conducting onstage dialogues with many of the world's most intriguing leaders including the CEOs of Starbucks, Nike, Target, Ford, Pepsico, Pixar, Walmart.com, Chobani, Under Armour, J Crew, Soulcycle, Casper, Pinterest, Warby Parker and more, plus celebrities including Kate Hudson, Serena Williams, Chelsea Clinton, Princess Reema Bint Bandar of Saudi Arabia, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jordan Spieth, Jared Leto, Alicia Keys and more. He has been a keynote presenter at events ranging from SxSW Interactive to the United Nation's Global Accelerators Council, the National Retail Federation's "Big Show" to the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival, HSM Brazil to The World Congress on Intelligent Transport.
In addition to all of Safian's wide experiences, pool of knowledge, and deft storytelling skills, he is also warm, approachable, and an expert at working with event organizers to personalize his presentations for each audience.

Mark Sanborn
International Speaker and Best-selling Author of 8 Books on Leadership Development and Team Building.
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• Mark talks about how leaders can lead best with clarity, intention and consistent action.

• Audiences leave with specific advice on three essential areas of focus for leaders in today's world - culture, inspiration and emotion - and the tools to create powerful changes within their organizations.

• Mark Sanborn has been called one of the top leadership experts by GlobalGurus.org. He is also a best-selling author and a member of the the Speakers Hall of Fame.

• Past clients include: Costco, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Cisco, KPMG, Morton’s of Chicago, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, Avnet, Sandvik and John Deere.
Mark Sanborn is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Mark is an international best-selling author and noted expert on leadership, team building, customer service and change. GlobalGurus.org lists Mark as one of the top leadership experts in the world.
Mark has given over 2,600 presentations in every state and 14 countries. He has authored eight books and more than two dozen videos and audio training programs. His programs are taught by Crestcom International in 90 countries and he is an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis.
Mark’s book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary is an international best-seller and was on the New York Times, Business Week and Wall Street Journal best-seller lists. His other books include 1) You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference, 2) The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do, 3) Up, Down or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or In Between, 4) Fred 2.0: New Ideas on How to Keep Delivering Extraordinary Results and 5) The Potential Principle: A Proven System for Closing the Gap Between How Good You Are and How Good You Could Be and his newest 6) The Intention Imperative: 3 Essential Changes That Will Make You a Successful Leader Today (anticipated release, Oct 2019).
Mark is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, a member of the exclusive Speakers Roundtable representing 20 of the top speakers in the country today and a past president of the National Speakers Association.
Mark’s list of clients includes Costco, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Cisco, KPMG, Morton’s of Chicago, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, Avnet, Sandvik and John Deere.
“We each know how good we have become,” Mark says, “but none of us knows how good we can be. One of the most exciting opportunities we get each day is to pursue our potential.” Mark Sanborn challenges his audiences with this message and provides insights for extraordinary living.
He lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his wife Darla and sons Hunter and Jackson.

Tim Sanders
Renowned Communication and Leadership Speaker, Author of The Likeability Factor
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Tim Sanders is Vice President of Research Insights at G2, Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and NY Times Best Selling Author.
As the Vice President of Research Insights at G2, Tim’s deep expertise in analyzing data to reveal trends, shows customers how to understand what’s actually happening in the market today, particularly as it relates to artificial intelligence.

John Sanei
Best-selling Author, Futurist & Keynote Speaker with a passion for psychology & technology
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• A co-host of the 2x award-winning business podcast, The Expansive.

• An author and co-author of 11 books, five of which are best-sellers.

• Ranked 5th among the World's Top Futurists for 2025, according to Global Gurus research.

• Faculty at Duke Corporate Education.
John Sanei has worked with thousands of leaders and organizations across the globe, including Google, Mastercard, NASA, Singularity University, and clients in technology, finance, FMCG, consulting, government, education, and beyond. He is a sought-after futurist and transformation specialist who helps decision-makers navigate uncertainty, especially in an A.I-disrupted world, so they can turn anxiety into confidence, complexity into clarity, and confusion into purposeful action.
He speaks on topics including futures thinking, organizational transformation, human adaptability, technology integration, resilient leadership, and the evolving relationship between humans and A.I. His sessions are known for being emotionally resonant, commercially relevant, and rich in insights drawn from neuroscience, psychology, and systems strategy.

Sebastien Sasseville
Best-selling Author, Leadership and teamwork expert, Motivational keynote speaker, Endurance athlete
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One of the most accomplished endurance athletes on the planet, Sébastien’s long list of athletic accomplishments is made even more impressive by the fact that he lives with type 1 diabetes. Sébastien’s story embodies resilience, determination, and purpose. Today, he inspires leaders to galvanize teams around a mission and helps organizations boost engagement with his awe-inspiring stories.
An author, speaker, and athlete, he is a frequent guest on radio and TV shows, and has been featured in countless newspapers and magazines. Sébastien is a world-class communicator, and is well known for his inspiring stories, humor, and dynamic speeches. His greatest strength is his ability to build relevant parallels between athletic endurance and the corporate world.
Sébastien spent the first ten years of his career in sales roles for Fortune 1,000 companies. Transformed by his achievements and already a veteran speaker with over 1,000 keynotes delivered in North America, Europe and Asia, including a TEDx talk, Sébastien speaks on leadership, teamwork, and change.
 

Ken Schmidt
Authentic Leadership and Customer Loyalty Expert; Senior Role in Harley-Davidson Turnaround; and Author, Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance
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It’s an impersonal world, where so many products and services are seen as easily-replaced, indistinct commodities. Whether you stand out or get lost in the crowd is a choice. A mindset. Ken Schmidt faced those same challenges himself and gained acclaim for his role in the extraordinary turnaround of the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That transformation was based on a change in mindset and a focus on answering three key strategic questions. While times have changed, what humans want and need from the businesses they buy from and work for hasn’t.
In his high-energy speeches, Ken inspires companies and individuals to shift their thinking and ride a path to success by becoming memorable – not for what they do or what they make, but for how they connect with people.
Ken is author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. He’s also host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. In all of his endeavors, Ken brings an unconventional perspective that helps organizations and individuals reframe how they engage with their marketplace.
Ken Schmidt’s career in the motorcycle industry began in 1985 as a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations for the then-struggling Harley-Davidson. He was tasked with helping the company restore its image, improve its competitiveness, and create demand for its motorcycles. Within a few short years, sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles skyrocketed, and the company returned to prominence as one of the most respected, profitable, and frequently reported-on companies in the world.
In 1990, Ken became director of Harley-Davidson’s corporate and financial communications, serving as its primary spokesperson to the media and the financial communities. He frequently appeared in mainstream and business media to offer insights on nontraditional communications, customer attraction, and brand-building. His expertise and success at Harley-Davidson ultimately led to consulting assignments and speaking invitations from all over the world.
In 1997, Ken left Harley-Davidson to take an ownership position with a highly successful Chicago-based marketing firm, VSA Partners. In addition to Harley-Davidson, VSA served a virtual who’s who of the world’s best-known brands. In 1999, he sold his portion of VSA to start his own business, Ken Schmidt Company, to combine two of his greatest passions, motorcycling and speaking. He uses motorcycles as a metaphor to expose people to proven ideas and concepts they’ve likely never imagined.
After all he has accomplished, Ken remains committed to his philosophy of standing out, taking risks, and having fun in both his personal and professional life. He says, “Never do what’s expected, make yourself as noticeably different as possible, and have a lot more fun than you’re supposed to.”

Mark Schulman
World-Renowned Drummer; Author; Motivator; Expert, The Secrets of Rockstar Performance
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Mark Schulman is a monster drummer who’s toured the world with some of the greatest rock and pop performers – before crowds as big as 225,000. He’s played with P!NK, Billy Idol, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Foreigner, Simple Minds, and others over his 32-year touring career. Mark is also amazing on another stage – as a speaker, where he delivers a rock show disguised as a keynote. “I’ve learned about the importance of attitude as part of the touring family with these great performers,” Mark says as he unpacks the secrets of rockstar performance. His presentations translate lessons learned during a remarkable career into valuable tips for organizations, teams, leaders, and those who want to be their absolute best.
Mark Schulman is a brilliant storyteller and performer who inspires audiences to engage and unleash their inner rockstar. Mark's first book, Conquering Life’s Stage Fright, shows people how to harness doubt, fear, and anxiety to perform at their best when it matters most. His next book, The Attitude Equation, is slated for early 2024 release. Mark is also a judge and coach on an all-new original music competition television show called BANDED on AXS TV.
Mark Schulman grew up in Los Angeles and is a classically trained cellist. As a teen, he played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic. He later even played cello on the 2009/2010 P!NK tour. During his unprecedented career over the last 32 years, Mark has been a first-call drummer for world-class rock and pop artists. He was voted “Top 3 Pop-Rock Drummers” in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll in 2014 and was the featured cover
artist in the May 2019 issue of Modern Drummer. Mark did four record-breaking world tours with P!NK over 15 years.
Mark’s resume reads like a “Who’s Who” of international rock ‘n’ roll royalty, including acts such as Cher, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Beyonce, and so many other world-class artists. He has drummed with Velvet Revolver at Ozzfest and for a crowd of 225,000 at Glastonbury Festival with Simple Minds. Mark has appeared on nearly every American, European, and Australian variety show including the Grammy Awards, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, American Idol, The Paul O'Grady Show, The X Factor, Wetten, dass..?, the ARIA Awards, and more.
Mark’s fan base extends way beyond the rock ‘n’ roll stage. Fans of his other career, as a top motivational speaker, exist at companies and organizations he’s spoken for, including American Express, Microsoft, IBM, DELL Cisco, Aveda, Kaiser, NCAA, SAP, and more. To date, Mark has performed over 2,000 keynotes, 1,000 music clinics, and for over a billion people.
Offstage, Mark is passionate about teaching and helping others. He was the chairman of Create Now!, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 to help change troubled children's lives through creative arts mentoring. A cancer survivor himself, Mark has also motivated children and teens through his work doing seminars with the Ronald McDonald House and benefits for the Teenage Cancer Trust in the U.K.
An active educator, Mark taught at the Los Angeles Music Academy and is one of the world’s most sought-after drum clinicians, hosting clinics around the world. Mark produced his first instructional DVD in his studio, A Day in the Recording Studio; A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Recording Great Drum Tracks for Drummers and All Musicians distributed by Hudson Music. The Mark Schulman Signature Snare Drum is one of the best-selling signature products in the history of GRETSCH.
In May 2023, Mark became a judge and coach for an all-new original music competition television show called BANDED. The show redefines the “build-a-band” concept and pairs up-and-coming artists with top coaches. Besides judging, Mark will coach one of the rock outfits.
Mark is also a music producer, trained audio engineer, and studio co-owner of West Triad Recording Studio in Venice, California.

Debra Searle
British Adventurer, Television Presenter, Author and Motivational Speaker
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Debra Searle: Motivational Keynote Speaker on Resilience, Mindset & Change | Solo Atlantic Rower | Entrepreneur | Author
Choose Your Attitude. Change Your Outcome.
What happens when the plan falls apart, circumstances change and giving up feels like the easiest option?
Debra Searle is an entrepreneur, adventurer and inspiring keynote speaker on resilience, mindset, change and overcoming adversity.
Why Book Debra Searle?
Debra's story immediately captures an audience—but the real power of her keynote is how easily people can apply its lessons to their own challenges.
Alone on the Atlantic, Debra couldn't control the weather, the waves or many of the obstacles she encountered. She could control how she responded.
That distinction became central to her approach to resilience and performance.
Debra helps audiences understand how their mindset, language and daily choices can influence the way they navigate uncertainty, change and setbacks. Her keynote is inspiring without being simply motivational—it gives people practical ideas they can use long after the event.
What Makes Debra Searle Different?
• Extraordinary Atlantic rowing story — a powerful real-world example of resilience
• Authentic experience with adversity — lessons developed when quitting would have been understandable
• Practical mindset strategies — turns an incredible adventure into useful workplace lessons
• Change focused — highly relevant for organizations navigating uncertainty and disruption
• Personal accountability — emphasizes taking ownership of what you can control
• Engaging storyteller — combines vulnerability, humor and inspiration
• Business relevant — connects resilience directly to leadership and performance
• Broad audience appeal — resonates with leaders, sales teams and employees at every level
Why Is Debra Right for Your Audience?
Debra is an outstanding choice when you need your audience to build resilience, take greater ownership and maintain momentum when circumstances become difficult.
She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings, association conferences and organizations experiencing significant change.
Book Debra when your audience needs to:
• Build greater resilience during uncertainty
• Adapt positively when plans change
• Focus on what they can control
• Maintain motivation during difficult periods
• Take greater responsibility for their attitude
• Recover more quickly from setbacks
• Keep moving toward long-term goals
• Approach change with greater confidence
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
• Understanding how attitude influences their response to challenges
• Better able to separate what they can control from what they can't
• Equipped with practical strategies for maintaining resilience
• More aware of how internal dialogue influences performance
• Ready to take greater ownership of their response to change
• Better prepared to maintain momentum when progress feels difficult
• Inspired to make small choices that create meaningful results
Debra Searle Keynote Programs
Choose Your Attitude. You can't always choose what happens to you. You can choose how you respond.
Drawing from her extraordinary Atlantic journey, Debra demonstrates how consciously choosing your attitude can influence resilience, decision-making and performance.
She gives audiences practical strategies for managing their mindset when circumstances are difficult, uncertain or outside their control.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, sales kickoffs and organizations navigating uncertainty.
Resilience: Keep Moving Forward. How do you keep going when the destination feels impossibly far away?
Debra shares the strategies that helped her continue rowing day after day despite isolation, setbacks and constantly changing conditions.
She connects those lessons to the workplace, helping audiences understand how small actions, clear goals and the right mindset can create momentum during challenging periods.
Ideal for: Sales teams, high-performance organizations, leadership events and employee conferences.
Navigating Change. When the conditions change, the original plan may no longer be the right plan.
Debra uses lessons from the Atlantic to show audiences how to adapt when circumstances shift unexpectedly.
Rather than wasting energy fighting realities they can't change, people learn how to refocus on what they can influence and continue making progress.
Ideal for: Organizational transformation, leadership development and companies experiencing significant change.
Why Book Debra Searle Through The Sweeney Agency?
Debra Searle has an extraordinary story of resilience, courage and determination—but the real value comes from connecting those experiences directly to the challenges your audience is facing.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
• Confirm Debra Searle's availability and current speaking fee
• Determine which Debra Searle keynote best fits your audience
• Discuss customization around your organization's objectives
• Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
• Compare Debra with other leading resilience, change and motivational speakers
Is Debra Searle Right for Your Event?
Tell us the challenge, change or uncertainty your people are navigating.
We'll help you determine whether Debra is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
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Dr. Joel Selanikio
Consultant in technology, healthcare, AI, entrepreneurship, social innovation, big data, and disaster response.
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 About
• Joel talks about the future of healthcare using a long range perspective: 100 years of information technology and its impact on health and healthcare.

• Dr. Selanikio helps the audience navigate the possible futures of the industry, and how it will be affected by AI and technology.

• Dr. Joel Selanikio bridges the worlds of healthcare, global health and technology to illustrate opportunities in the application of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, and mobile technology to health, healthcare, and social challenges.  He is a recognized innovator in global health, technology, and social enterprise, as well as a former CDC outbreak investigator and Ebola clinic director.

• Past clients include: Royal Society of Medicine, Harvard, Stanford School of Business, DARPA, the World Economic Forum at Davos, and Google.
Dr. Joel Selanikio bridges the worlds of healthcare, global health and technology to illustrate opportunities in the application of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, and mobile technology to health, healthcare, and social challenges.  A former CDC outbreak investigator and Ebola clinic director, he also frequently speaks about the challenges of providing clinical services in “the hot zone”, and the role that technology (and humanity) can play in emergencies.
A recognized innovator in global health, technology, and social enterprise, his broad career has allowed him to observe and leverage the great technological changes of our time – including the worldwide shift from personal computers to mobile, the adoption of cloud technologies, and the growing application of big data to healthcare – as few others have done.  Named in 2009 as one of Forbes’ “most powerful innovators”, he is a recipient of both the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainable Innovation and the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award for Healthcare for his work in healthcare technology.  A TED speaker, he has spoken at or provided consultation to organizations including the Royal Society of Medicine, Harvard, Stanford School of Business, DARPA, the World Economic Forum at Davos, and Google – and been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Economist, CNN, Fox News, and the BBC, among others.
Dr. Selanikio is a graduate of Haverford College and the Brown University School of Medicine, and he continues to practice pediatrics at Georgetown University.
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