Health and Wellness
The Sweeney Agency will help you find the perfect Health, Nutrition, or Stress Management Speaker for your event by providing you with all the information you need to make the right decision. We take into account your conference objectives and provide you with Health Speaker bios, video clips, topic outlines, and independent perspectives on the best Health and Wellness speakers available. Working closely with the professional speaker you choose, we will ensure he or she delivers a customized presentation that informs, inspires and entertains.
About
Your mindset is your greatest asset.
This belief is at the core of Karen Allen’s message, one that she is sharing with as many people as possible.
A growth mindset guru, Karen’s work as a keynote speaker, author, coach, and thought leader has helped thousands of people and organizations - including the likes of Google, Experian, and YouTube - improve their lives by implementing various practical, simple techniques that incorporate mindfulness, positive psychology, neuroplasticity, and mental strength training.
If you think of your mind as a muscle, Karen is the personal trainer who helps it to become stronger, healthier, and more efficient.
She knows her techniques work because she’s trained her own mind to overcome the unthinkable. At just 29 years old, Karen lost her husband suddenly and tragically, and she found herself struggling to move forward. That is, until she realized that it was up to her to make the conscious choice to let go of the negative thoughts and energy and turn them into positive, productive action— her life, and the life of her then two-year-old son, depended on it.
This was the catalyst to creating her proprietary Stop & Shift method and launching 100% Human™, a platform where she shares her wisdom, tools, and techniques geared toward mindset training and sustainable joy.
She has given TED Talks and has been featured in Forbes, MSNBC, as well as other global media outlets.
Now with a book, also titled Stop & Shift, Karen continues to spread her message far and wide in hopes of maximizing her impact—and with her mindset, there is no stopping her.
Karen’s talent lies in showing people that change doesn’t have to be daunting. Her unique keynotes and programs are delivered in bite-sized insights designed to be put into immediate practice. She refrains from toxic positivity at all costs and teaches her audiences how to embrace moments of stress, sadness, or setback, and turn them into personal momentum toward something greater.
Hearing Karen speak is like receiving a warm hug. A student of life and as authentic as you can get, she draws from her real life experiences (along with sprinkles of science) to move audiences on multiple levels.
Book Your Next Great Speaker in 5 Easy Steps
5 Tips to Book your Next Great Speaker
About
Did last year's speaker knock your socks off? Not sure where to go next? Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker.
Here's a quick guide to help you get started:
Find A Theme
Decide on a theme or topic for your event.
Going through a period of transition? Looking to shake up your creative? Building trust within your teams? We have great speakers on all of those topics.
Having trouble? Check out our IDEA GENERATOR for inspiration.
Get in Touch
Get in touch with your Event Date & Theme.
We will ask you some key questions to find the perfect speaker for your live or virtual event.
We pride ourselves on our personal touch. We are small team of dedicated professionals with over 20 years experience. When you call us, you speak to us directly... and quickly.
Shortlist
By now, we have a great idea of what you are looking for and will send you a shortlist of exceptional speakers.
Each speaker will be vetted with YOUR event in mind, along with our personal thoughts on how that speaker can inspire your attendees.
Let's talk
From the shortlist, you've narrowed it down to two great speakers. Let's discuss your needs to help make the final decision.
With over 20 years experience, you can trust us to provide all of the information you need to choose the right speaker.
We work with you to find the best format for your presentation, including live streams, Q&A sessions and even follow up programs to ensure maximum engagement for your key stakeholders.
The Details
We will facilitate a call with your leadership team & our speaker to do a deep dive into your business to make sure their presentation really hits home.
As trusted experts, you can rest easy knowing our experience will guide you every step of the way.
get in touch
Dan Buettner
Internationally Recognized Researcher, Explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and New York Times Best-selling Author on Longevity
About
Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Fellow, an inspirational speaker, and multiple New York Times best-selling author. He has discovered, through multiple expeditions with teams of research scientists specializing in population studies, the five places in the world - dubbed Blue Zones - where people live the longest, and are healthiest and happiest. His New York Times Sunday Magazine article about these places, “The Island Where People Forget to Die,” was one of the Times’ most popular - as was his National Geographic cover story on longevity, “The Secrets of Living Longer.” A chord was struck, and thus subsequent books and a company which seeks to share the distilled wisdom of Blue Zones cultures with American cities and corporations were born.
Blue Zones, LLC, puts the world’s best practices of longevity and well-being to work in people’s lives at the community level. Buettner works in partnership with Healthways, municipal governments, and various insurance companies to implement the program in more than 20 cities so far - and has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date. Their strategy focuses on optimizing the local environment: walkability for citizens and kids, availability of healthy food options, social connectivity, pursuit of life purpose - and ongoing coaching and support for creating homes which effortlessly bring forth wellness and happiness.
Writing in Newsweek, Harvard University’s Walter Willet called the results “stunning.” In one project alone, Buettner and his then partner, AARP - applied principles of Blue Zones to Albert Lea, Minnesota, and lowered health care costs by 40%.
His books The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest and Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way - have remained best-sellers, along with The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People. Be sure to mark 03-December on your calendars - the release date of Dan's latest book The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Reach 100. Likely to be his next best-seller, The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. It captures the way of eating that yielded the statistically longest-lived people - and explains, in some detail, why that food has enabled populations to elude the chronic disease scourge that has befallen Americans.
Dan has appeared on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, NPR, and Oprah. Voted a Top 50 Influencer in Aging by PBS, Dan also holds three Guinness Book of world records in distance cycling (and is possibly the only person to have cycled through the Sahara desert without sunscreen!) - and has won an Emmy Award for television production. He resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is particularly proud to be the father of three (nearly) grown children.
About
Click Here to Receive Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas
Virtual Events can:
- Reach a wider audience
- Offer a great experience at a much lower cost
- Create long term impact with recorded elements that allow for content to be watched over a period of time
- Have an increased impact over time, as viewers re-watch, discuss and connect over social media and other channels
And, most importantly: offer the ability for inspiring and impactful presentations to connect in a one-on-one way, directly to the attendee.
WHO is your audience?
Who are your virtual event attendees? Are they across a specific group within your organization, or are you serving clients across a wide range of levels? Determining who you are speaking to will help you determine a format for your event that will captivate your audience.
WHAT is your key message?
Are you focusing on change? Innovation? Leadership?
Creating a single focus or mission will allow you to hone in on the type of speaker(s) you need to engage your audience and help event producers to format the event into a dynamic program that balances inspiration with information and audience interaction.
WHAT type of event suits your audience?
- Virtual Conference
- Webinar
- Hybrid Event
Virtual event technology has come a long way over the last few months, offering a huge range of different options from pre-recorded webinars, to multi-day virtual conferences, to hybrid events with some attendees in the audience while the event is live streamed.
OUR ADVICE
A COMBINATION of live and pre-recorded elements will allow your virtual event to run smoothly and stay on time.
Many of our clients are also opting for multi-day virtual conferences with shorter segments spaced over a few days.
This allows some flexibility for attendees in different time zones and accommodates different teleworking situations for attendees, allowing them to tune in when it is convenient.
WHERE? It’s all about Tech.
Virtual meeting technology has exploded over the last few months as teleworking became the norm.
Consider your needs:
- Interactive elements like breakout rooms, polls & Q&A
- Seamless blend of live & pre-recorded elements
- Ability to replay segments
- Live tech support
If you plan for rain, it’s likely the sun will shine…
Tech isn’t perfect so don’t forget to test, rehearse and have a back up plan ready to go for your virtual event.
Pro Tip: Think of a virtual presentation like a podcast. Viewers can view the content multiple times and refer back to it.
WHEN? A Date… or Dates?
As we have all noticed, our attention spans for meeting in real life versus meeting online are a lot longer.
When deciding on a date, consider spreading your virtual event out over a few days, with a variety of speakers, interactive elements and information.
The benefits of a multi-day format:
- Viewers watch content fresh for a short period every day
- Allows attendees in different time zones to stay on top of the content
- Attendees can review & re-engage with content
Virtual Event Checklist:
Is your event?
- Interactive?
- Informative?
- Able to be rewatched?
WHY? Pandemic 2020
Just because you are online instead of in person, it doesn’t mean you are missing out on connection.
Using the technology that we have become so accustomed to over the last few months, our keynote speakers have the ability to connect to your viewers one-on-one, in a way that was impossible in live events.
FIND YOUR WHY…
What do you want the audience to leave thinking at the end of the presentation?
Apply this question to all the presentations and segments in your event to create a cohesive, impactful virtual event.
HOW? Virtual Event Checklist
To wrap it all up
- TECH: Find the right tech platform & don’t forget to test drive before your event
- AGENDA: Use a mix of live and pre-recorded segments, mixed with interactive elements, to ensure a smooth flow of events & audience engagement
- ANTICIPATION: Build up your event with emails, teasers and sneak peeks into what content will be offered
- NETWORKING: Create and encourage online chat functions, an event specific hashtag or even a dedicated event page to allow attendees to network virtually. Maximize the networking opportunities offered by your tech platform.
- EXTEND YOUR IMPACT: A dedicated social media page is a great place for attendees to connect after an event to discuss ideas and implement some of the learnings from the event.
Offer a password protected, limited time recording of keynote presentations to continue the conversation long after the virtual event has ended.
Continue the conversation with post-event touch points like emails or questions based on the key presentations.
To find a GREAT Speaker for your Virtual event, get in touch.
About
Andy Core is a credentialed, award-winning thought leader on increasing employee engagement, productivity, and wellness motivation. His talent lies in helping hard-working, conscientious adults thrive at work and in their personal lives.
He has a master’s degree in the science of human performance and has spent the past 15 years researching ways to become better equipped to thrive in today’s hectic society. Thus helping organizations build teams that cost less, have better attitudes, and accomplish more.
Author of several books including Change Your Day, Not Your Life, Healthy Motivation, and Master Your Body, Andy has also received numerous awards and recognition on his work. He was also the Co-host of the PBS affiliate television show “Fighting Fat”.
About
Jenny talks about the connection between the daily grind of life and the chemistry of the brain and body and how to build resilience every day.
Audiences leave with actionable micro-strategies that individuals and teams can implement immediately to start building their resilience and stress-proof their brains.
Jenny Evans is a speaker, author, and on-air expert on physiology and chemistry, as it relates to resiliency, confidence and performance. She is also the author of The Resiliency rEvolution, TEDx speaker and regular contributor to The Huffington Post.
Past clients include: Microsoft, Cisco, Nestle Purina, Johnson & Johnson, Blue Shield, US Bank, Aveda, Clinique, Estee Lauder and MGM Resorts.
Click Here to Watch Jenny's Virtual Presentation
Jenny Evans is a speaker, author, and on-air expert on physiology and chemistry, as it relates to resiliency, confidence and performance. She is highly experienced, having worked with thousands of C-suite executives, leaders, and employees — from corporations, associations, and universities across the globe.
Her dynamic presentations and training sessions both educate and inspire audiences by linking the stressful challenges of everyday life to the body’s own chemistry and physiology. Jenny brings to life the art of optimizing your own chemistry to boost your performance and productivity, all while enhancing your health and energy.
Jenny’s events are active, engaging, high-energy, and life-changing – leaving audiences inspired, informed and on their way to leading a more productive life in increasingly demanding business environments.
Her award-winning book – The Resiliency rEvolution — has been hailed as a “smart, clever read and super-practical guide to leading a more full and resilient life.” She is also the creator of Hit the Deck – the ultimate tool for combating stress and increasing productivity and fitness.
Jenny has spoken on the TEDx stage, is the resiliency subject matter expert for Optum and The Big Know’s digital courses, writes as a blogger for The Huffington Post and was NBC KARE 11’s Health & Fitness expert for over four years. She has been quoted on National Public Radio, in Health Magazine and Women’s Health, while being showcased on FastCompany.com, Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, Shape.com and Elle.com. Jenny has a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in psychology from the University of Minnesota and has been an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor for over twenty years.
About
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Simply fill out the form below and we will be in touch with a customized list of ideas for your event.
It's that simple.
Amanda Gore
CEO of The Joy Project, Communication & Performance Expert, Author and Huffington Post Columnist
About
Click Here to Watch Amanda's Virtual Presentation
Amanda Gore is a communications and performance expert who believes success in business is always about feelings. The way we feel about a product, organization, customer or person influences how we behave - and informs our decisions about how we spend, or how we conduct business. Facts, targets and figures don’t change behaviours - touching hearts, feelings and stories do.
Amanda is on point, and devoted to presenting the most reputable research available for professionals - salespeople, nurses, teachers - and anyone reaching for excellence in their work. Her material is backed by the latest findings in neuroscience, epigenetics, emotional intelligence, and positive psychology that are proven to reap huge rewards for your business.
Amanda understands that getting down to business isn’t all about targets and optimizing click-throughs. The heart and profit center of every business is about how people think, and consequently, feel about themselves; and how they make others feel. How we feel about a personal or business relationship informs every part of our decision to invest with them. Amanda offers an abundance of use-it-now tools to create deep, lasting relationships at every level - with family, customers, colleagues, and clients. Everyone leaves energized, enthusiastic and re-engaged!
Instead of delivering facts and research, her presentations break down the barriers that separate people in an invigorating, action-packed ride toward self-discovery - and gives them the tools to make real and lasting change – by getting real! For example, how is it that the most successful people and those who are average (or worse!) manage to get their results in exactly the same environment? The difference is mindset - looking honestly at yourself and choosing consciously.
She uses principles from positive psychology, epigenetics, neuroscience and emotional intelligence to deliver profound messages in stories that are funny. This teaches people to re-connect to the energy and emotional layers that really drive performance, innovation, relationships, engagement and creativity in their business and personal life. Business today is about H2H. And it always has been, but we have forgotten it - Human2human!
Amanda makes your audiences happier - and gives them strategies that work on how to stay happier!
Amanda is one of 4 Australians inducted into the USA Speaker Hall of Fame. She works with small and large organizations around the globe, such as Flight Centre, McDonalds, Westpac, AMP, MDRT, CBA, Google, Remax, Disney, Hilton, The Direct Selling and many other associations, hospitals and schools to help them create cultures of joy and engagement and to bring the humanity back into their organizations.
Amanda’s action-packed, but scientifically based performances, offer an abundance of use-it-now tools to handle change and create deep, lasting relationships at every level - with customers, colleagues and family - leaving everyone feeling good about themselves, energized, enthusiastic and re-engaged!
Remember - Joy is the ultimate business fuel.
Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe
Best-selling Author, Award-winning Scholar, Inspiring Keynote Speaker on Resilience and Wellbeing
About
An educational behaviorist (one of very few in the world) and a globally recognized speaker and scholar, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is also your friendly neighborhood scientist who makes life make sense! With a treasure trove of awards and a worldwide following, she's on a mission to empower audiences everywhere with practical strategies for fostering resiliency and making stress your ally, not your enemy.
Dr Robyne embodies her teachings by seamlessly blending real-world realities, rigorous research, and profound wisdom with her own personal journey. A mother of three teenagers, a high school dropout turned respected professor, author, entrepreneur and survivor of a life-altering accident, her life story exemplifies her unwavering dedication of spreading resilience. Dr Robyne proves that it is not just a theory, but a transformative skill set.
Known for her engaging delivery, Dr Robyne crafts experiences that integrate scientific research with inspirational narratives into actionable insights across diverse platforms. Her approachability and relatability shine through, inspiring individuals and organizations to face challenges with confidence.
Fueled by historical fiction, coffee, and an unwavering belief that better days are always ahead, Dr Robyne is here to show us that resiliency isn't just a concept— it's a skill set that transforms your work and life.
Dr. Heidi Hanna
Expert on nutrition and exercise in energy management for increased productivity, engagement and performance.
About
Dr. Heidi Hanna talks about redefining how we perceive stress using a new framework built upon recent neuroscience research.
Audiences leave understanding the different types of stress and stress reactions, and the techniques needed to train whole-brain skill sets that transform experiences of stress.
Best-selling author on stress mastery and brain-based health and performance.
Past clients include: Google, Starbucks, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, WD40, the PGA Tour, the National Football League
Dr. Heidi Hanna is the Chief Energy Officer of Synergy Brain Fitness, a company providing brain-based health and performance programs to individuals and organizations, a former instructor at Harvard Extension, and a Fellow and Advisory Board Member for the American Institute of Stress. She is a NY Times bestselling author who has written seven books, including The Sharp Solution, Stressaholic, Recharge and What’s So Funny About Stress?
Dr. Heidi has been featured at many global conferences including the Fortune Magazine Most Powerful Women in Business Summit, ESPN Leadership Summit and the Million Dollar Round Table. Her clients have included Google, Starbucks, Microsoft, Principal Insurance, Morgan Stanley, Ameriprise, and WD40 as well as the PGA Tour, and the National Football League. Dr. Heidi is also a Certified Humor Professional with the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor although she won’t admit she’s funny.
Devin Henderson
Award-Winning Entertainer & Motivational Keynote Speaker on Resilience
About
Successful companies are the ones who never stop striving for excellence. The way they accomplish this is maintain a culture that fosters a commitment to risk and perseverance. For many leaders, the past few years have thrown a number of challenges and roadblocks in their way and they are eager to embrace a new mindset that will help them and their employees to define and strive for the best, while confident that something greater is always possible.
Award-winning performer Devin Henderson brings an unforgettable experience of impact and inspiration and helps people and organizations take a break from the worries of the day while breaking free from their perceived limits. He helps them to discover practices for maintaining mental strength and resilience to realize their greatness like never before. As a mental strength keynote speaker, his presentations are thoughtfully designed to challenge participants to defy the impossible and inspire them to reflect on their own seemingly impossible goals while equipping them with the mindset that sometimes failure is actually just a fork in the road to achieving greatness.
Devin’s energy on stage is contagious and the audience learns how his own constraints became inspiration to innovate, dream bigger, and function better. He shares why it’s so important to embrace The Possibility Mindset and uncover the new levels of potential that are available to each of them. He reminds participants that achieving greatness in work and life requires commitment, risk, perseverance and that it’s a daily, on-going process. Devin’s keynotes are wildly successful since he shares his messages via a unique combination of magic, storytelling and audience interaction while guiding them to the realization that each can learn to define their own vision of new possibilities.
Resilience may be an overused word since the pandemic, but Devin gives it a fresh new perspective. His audiences leave armed with invaluable practices and insights for building a bulletproof spirit and unstoppable ambition. Setbacks are no longer viewed as failures, but rather stepping stones that can be used along the way to achieve unprecedented success.
About
Chris Johnson is the leading authority on small steps to healthy living. As Founder/CEO of On Target Living, Chris is a highly respected expert and accomplished executive, who has spent over 30 years researching and building optimal health and performance programs for individuals and corporations. He is the architect of the Food Target® that shifts from counting calories to concentrating on the nutrient values of foods that guide healthy choices.
Chris likes to say he was 'raised by wolves'. Growing up struggling with terrible skin and chronic health issues, he had no idea how his lifestyle affected his health. The doctors couldn't help him, and despite all the medications they prescribed, his health did not improve. By his mid-20's, deeply frustrated and feeling hopeless, Chris set out to heal himself. On his quest, he learned how food affects the body, the importance of sleep, and why people need to move. These discoveries transformed his life. Conditions which plagued him for years disappeared, and his energy and attitude reached new heights. Amazed at how good he felt, Chris knew he’d found his calling, and needed to share his discoveries.
Today, Chris works with organizations to transform their performance from the inside out. He applies the principles of REST-EAT-MOVE to educate, engage and motivate teams around the world. Chris graduated from Michigan State University with a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology, and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Economics from Western Michigan University. He holds certifications from The American College of Sports Medicine, The National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise and Certified Natural Health Professional. Chris earned and maintains a reputation of providing groundbreaking lifestyle modification strategies with integrity, humor and passion.
Dr. Daniel Kraft
Stanford and Harvard Trained Physician-Scientist, Inventor and Entrepreneur
About
Click Here to Watch Dr. Kraft's Virtual Presentation
Daniel Kraft is a Stanford and Harvard trained physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and innovator and is serving as the Chair of the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance Task Force. With over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research and healthcare innovation, Kraft has chaired the Medicine for Singularity University since its inception in 2008, and is founder and chair of Exponential Medicine, a program that explores convergent, rapidly developing technologies and their potential in biomedicine and healthcare. Following undergraduate degrees from Brown University and medical school at Stanford, Daniel was Board Certified in both Internal Medicine & Pediatrics after completing a Harvard residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital & Boston Children's Hospital, and fellowships in hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation at Stanford.
He is often called upon to speak to the future of health, medicine and technology and has given 5 TED and TEDMED Talks.
He has multiple scientific publications and medical device, immunology and stem cell related patents through faculty positions with Stanford University School of Medicine and as clinical faculty for the pediatric bone marrow transplantation service at University of California San Francisco.
Daniel is a member of the Kaufman Fellows Society (Class 13) and member of the Inaugural (2015) class of the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship.
Daniel's academic research has focused on: stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, stem cell derived immunotherapies for cancer, bioengineering human T-cell differentiation, and humanized animal models. His research has been published in journals that include Nature and Science. His clinical work has focuses on: bone marrow / hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for malignant and non-malignant diseases in adults and children, medical devices to enable stem cell based regenerative medicine, including marrow derived stem cell harvesting, processing and delivery. He also implemented the first text-paging system at Stanford Hospital.
He is heavily involved in digital health, founded Digital.Health, and is on the board of Healthy.io and advises several digital health related startups. Daniel recently founded IntelliMedicine, focused on personalized, data driven, precision medicine. He is also the inventor of the MarrowMiner, an FDA approved device for the minimally invasive harvest of bone marrow, and founded RegenMed Systems, a company developing technologies to enable adult stem cell based regenerative therapies.
Daniel is an avid pilot and has served in the Massachusetts and California Air National Guard as an officer and flight surgeon with F-15 & F-16 fighter Squadrons. He has conducted research on aerospace medicine that was published with NASA, with whom he was a finalist for astronaut selection
Dr. Janet Lapp
Author, psychologist, internationally known speaker. Very entertaining. Speaks on Change, Communication, Motivation and Teamwork.
About
What would happen if everyone in the organization saw the positives and not the problems in change? This question inspired Dr. Janet Lapp and her team to conduct decades of research enacting these types of changes in the workplace, with amazingly positive results. Janet shares the evidence-based results derived from years of experience in both her books and stage performances. She has a professor's ability to translate complex theory into usable answers, and a humorist's knack for getting ideas across in an entertaining way.
Dr. Janet Lapp is a psychologist, author, and consultant for workplace transformation. She is known for her ability to create optimism, energy and an intense emotional connection. Her unique interactive approach engages the audience in a change lab,
where they first assess their leadership skills, then leave with tools to transform from where they are to where they need to be.
She understands the needs, wishes and language of each client by research, interviews, and visits to facilities such that when she appears on stage she seems to be part of the organization or company.
Both her change management books and her stage programs have created clear, actionable paths for organizations from Ritz-Carlton Hotels to IBM Sales to the government of St. Petersburg, Russia. Clients who book Dr. Janet Lapp for a transformational program/keynote speech experience inspirational and memorable events.
Janet is a Registered Nurse who also holds a PhD in Psychology from McGill University in Montreal. Admitted into the CPAE Speakers Hall of Fame, one year she was rated by Toastmasters as one of the top three speakers worldwide. Creator and host of the Emmy-nominated CBS series Keep Well, she has appeared regularly on INN, ABC, CNN, and NBC. She and her team have helped hundreds of organizations around the world including Allstate, Blue Shield, IBM, Intel, Verizon, AT&T, Unilever, and P&G to design systems to overcome resistance to change and expedite workplace transformation.
A flight instructor, Janet has flown her airplane throughout South America and Africa on medical and rescue missions, and is a long time member of the Flying Doctors of Mercy working in central Mexico. She currently lives in southern California.
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo
Transformative Keynote Speaker on Positive Psychology, Acclaimed Clinical Psychologist & Coach
About
Elizabeth takes the audience on a journey to explore the Red Zone, her research-driven approach which breaks down the emotional obstacles we face each day and provides strategic tactics to better manage them.
Audiences learn her methods and strategies to understand how mindset can change in the Red Zone vs. the Green Zone, and how individuals can identify when a shift is needed, and how it can be leveraged for greater communication success at work and home.
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo is a a Ph.D in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Physical therapy and has been called Shaquille O’Neals “Head Coach for Happiness." She is also a best selling author and regular guest on Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, The TODAY Show, and more.
Past clients include: Zappos, Westinghouse, SOLO, SHRM, Vistage, Canyon Ranch and Lexis Nexis.
With a Ph.D. in Psychology and over two decades helping celebrities, high performing executives, entrepreneurs and athletes address stress and access untapped reserves of potential, it is no surprise that Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo is often referred to as “America’s Most Trusted Celebrity Psychologist.” She has even been called NBA star Shaquille O’Neal’s “Head Coach for Happiness.” As a sought-after keynote speaker, author and coach, Dr. E is helping people identify where they are on the Red Zone spectrum of stress, how to quickly scale back the negative thoughts that put them there, and ultimately use communication strategies that create better relationships, more productivity and overall success.
What if there was a better way to help your people manage stress, and develop effective ways to communicate and optimize their lives professionally and personally? At the end of the day, we all want to feel productive and happy. We want to know that we are doing valuable work and that we are being valued, but if we are all approaching each day with varying levels of stress that often cause us to shut down and shut people out, where does that leave our true potential?
That’s where Dr. E comes into action. With deep experience as a Clinical Psychologist and Transformative Speaker on Positive Psychology, she draws upon research from her latest book, Get Out of The Red Zone: Transform Your Stress and Optimize True Success, to help audiences identify and overcome what is uniquely holding them back and stressing them out. But more importantly, she gives them a new language to use in high moments of stress that helps realign them for better outcomes.
About
Adam Markel, bestselling author, keynote speaker and resilience researcher, guides individuals and organizations to tap the power of resilience to master the challenges of constant change. With 18 years as a trial attorney building a multi-million dollar enterprise and 10 years as the CEO of a leading personal development and business training company, Adam has much to share about resilience, culture and change. Yet, some of his most enduring lessons came from his years as an ocean first responder - a life and death environment where Adam learned the importance of cultivating high performance capacity and impeccable teamwork.
In his latest bestselling book, Change Proof, Adam shows how those principles of resilience are equally relevant today for any business that wants to move beyond managing change to actively embracing it and using times of uncertainty, crisis, and chaos to create opportunities and stimulate individual and team growth.
As one of Huffington Post’s top speakers to see and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Pivot, Adam’s messages have inspired tens of thousands worldwide. His keynotes, corporate workshops, and business coaching integrate practical business strategies, personal development insights and a unique delivery style to create a high-energy and impactful learning environment.
Adam is currently the CEO of the More Love Media Group, a TEDx speaker and influencer, and host of The Change Proof Podcast, facilitating insightful discussions with business leaders and social innovators and sharing strategies to fully embrace an uncertain world and build Change Proof organizations.
Adam is continuously inspired by his wife of more than 30 years and their 4 amazing children.
Brant Menswar
Speaker on Values Based Leadership, Rock Musician & Expert on Connection
About
Brant Menswar is a best-selling author, named one of the country's top speakers, and has helped more than 10,000 people discover their non-negotiable values. His keynotes transcend mere speaking and information-sharing to a powerful, moving conversation designed to re-engage even the most apathetic of employees. His books and podcast expand on his ground-breaking work around values-based leadership described as “disarmingly simple and incredibly powerful.”
Brant has helped to change what’s possible for industry-leading companies like Netflix, Verizon, Anthem, Microsoft, ESPN, Hilton, and dozens more. He is certified in the Psychology of Leadership from Cornell University and is on a mission to help organizations create a high-performing connected culture.
Passionate and engaging, Brant encourages audiences to discover their Black Sheep Values® and move forward with deliberate intention. His interactive and entertaining ways of defining what matters most enable audiences to develop the skills necessary to perform at the highest level.
Shannon Miller
About Shannon Miller – 2-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Gymnast; Inspirational Speaker on Peak Performance, Health and Fitness
About
Shannon talks about the gold medal mindset that leads to victory on the competition floor, at work, in our education and in our personal lives.
Audiences learn the importance of goal setting, teamwork, maintaining a positive attitude, and committing yourself to excellence.
7-time Olympic Medalist Gymnast (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze), Author, and Cancer Survivor.
Past clients include: Hewlett Packard, Morgan Stanley, NBC Universal, Novartis, Sodexo
Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Shannon Miller is the only female athlete to be inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame--twice!--Individual (2006) and Team (2008).
Shannon has won an astounding 59 International and 49 National competition medals. Over half of these have been gold. In 1993/94 Shannon became the first US gymnast to ever win back-to-back World All-Around Titles, and she is the first American female to medal in the individual all-around of a non-boycotted Olympics. Her tally of five medals (two silver, three bronze) at the ’92 Olympics was the most medals won by a US athlete in any sport. At the ’96 Games, she led the “Magnificent Seven” to the US Women’s first ever Team Gold and for the first time for any American gymnast, she captured Gold on the Balance Beam. She is the first American gymnast to win an individual gold medal at a fully-attended summer games and cemented her place as the most accomplished gymnast, male or female, in U.S. Olympic history.
After retiring from Olympic competition, Shannon received her undergraduate degrees in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Houston and her law degree from Boston College. She then moved from Olympic athlete to advocate for the health and wellness of women and children.
Shannon launched her company devoted to helping women make their health a priority in July, 2010. She continues to travel the country as a highly sought after motivational speaker and advocate for the health and wellness of women and children. Shannon’s seeks to empower women to make their health a priority through education and awareness.
In January of 2011, Shannon was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer. She had the baseball sized tumor removed successfully and followed up with an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. Shannon has remained open and public about her diagnosis and treatment and continues to empower women to make their health a priority. Shannon is currently cancer-free and continues to be a strong advocate for early detection.
Shannon’s book, It’s Not About Perfect: Competing for My Country and Fighting for My Life, is her inspirational memoir written to encourage and empower others to break through and overcome their own personal challenges.
Shannon remains involved with the sport of gymnastics and the Olympics as a commentator and analyst.
David Posen
Change, health, motivation and work-life balance keynote speaker.
About
Dr. David Posen was a family physician for 17 years before devoting his time exclusively to stress management, lifestyle counseling and psychotherapy in 1985.
As both a keynote speaker and seminar presenter, David has spoken widely to education, government, business and professional groups across North America. His clients have included Warner Bros., University of Michigan, Chevron, Verizon, American Express, Ontario Crown Attorneys Association, University of California, Allstate Insurance, Hydro One, State Farm, Rogers Communications, Pfizer, Kraft, Hilton Hotels, US Foodservice, London Life, Dun & Bradstreet (D & B), Microsoft, University of Florida Athletic Association, BC Association of Broadcasters, Canadian Home Builders Association, McKinsey, Ernst & Young, City of Hamilton, CIBC, IBM, Mohawk College, Ontario Government Centre for Leadership, Citizenship & Immigration Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart and the Million Dollar Round Table. His areas of expertise include Stress Mastery, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Stress and Mastering Change.
David is the best-selling author of four books, Always Change A Losing Game, Staying A Float When The Water Gets Rough, The Little Book Of Stress Relief (translated into seven languages) and Is Work Killing You? which was profiled in USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, The Globe and Mail & Winnipeg Free Press. His fifth book, Authenticity, is due out in January, 2018. His magazine articles have appeared in Canadian Living and Readers Digest as well as several medical journals. He wrote a weekly column on stress and lifestyle management for a year on the popular website www.canoe.ca. David has appeared many times on TV and radio across Canada and has been quoted in many leading U.S. media outlets such as US News & World Report, People, Huffington Post, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Redbook and McCall’s,
Married with two adult children, David lives and works in Oakville, Ontario. In addition to his busy schedule of seeing patients, writing and public speaking, he is an avid reader, musician, baseball and tennis player. He played trombone in the Oakville Symphony Orchestra for nine years and now plays in the Oakville Wind Orchestra.
Dr. Howard Rocket
Inspiring speaker with remarkable story of overcoming adversity. Author of A Stroke of Luck.
About
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.
Dr. Joel Selanikio
Consultant in technology, healthcare, AI, entrepreneurship, social innovation, big data, and disaster response.
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.
Meg Soper
Corporate Entertainer and Motivational Humorist who Speaks on Resilience and Teamwork
About
Click Here to Watch Meg's Virtual Presentation
Meg Soper is a professional speaker and comedienne who combines a remarkable sense of humour with her unique perspective of life - to captivate her audience and provide them with a presentation filled with inspiration and entertainment. Across North America, Meg is highly sought after to energize events and inspire employees through keynote presentations, as an M.C., or through interactive workshops.
Meg has appeared as a keynote speaker and featured entertainer at conferences and corporate functions across North America and internationally. A veteran performer, she got her start at various comedy clubs across Canada, and over the years shared the stage with many leading comedy acts including Ray Romano and Ellen Degeneres.
With over 30 years experience in the health care industry and as a Registered Nurse in the Operating Room, she understands how your attitude affects those around you at home and in the workplace environment. Meg is co-author of the book, From the Stage to the Page - Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies. She has appeared on the CBC Television Network, Women’s Television Network and Prime TV, as well as being featured in many radio programs and comedy festivals. Meg has a tremendous ability to connect with her audience and take every event to a higher level.
Her experiences as a staff nurse and operating room nurse - in major urban teaching hospitals and regional healthcare facilities - shaped her perspective. It taught her how humor can help us effectively deal with stressful situations in our personal and professional lives. Out of the pressure-packed environment of the hospital operating room and balancing two careers, Meg realized humor is extremely effective for dealing with stress and managing change.
And how better to motivate and entertain her audiences than through humor and inspiration? That’s why her unique brand of motivational comedy is referred to as “Humor with a Heart”. She inspires people to improve communication, deal with stress, and achieve better balance in their lives while establishing a healthy workplace and home life.
It all comes down to choices. We always have a choice about how we do our work, even if we don’t have a choice about the work itself. We choose the attitude we bring with us to work and to life, and the ability to decide whether any given day will be good or bad. If we have the ability to step back from a situation and see the humor in it, we quickly realize that life can be less stressful.
Dr. Natalie Stavas
Harvard Physician, Mentor, Runner, International Humanitarian; Runner Turned First Responder in the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing
About
Dr. Natalie Stavas serves as the Program Director for Child Protection Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. She specializes in work with vulnerable children, victims of abuse, and decreasing youth violence. Described as a healer, educator, and Boston community leader she received the 2012 Change Maker award from The Boston Foundation.
On April 15, 2013, Dr. Stavas approached the finish line of her fifth Boston marathon. Just blocks away, she heard explosions and ran towards them. Arriving at the scene she went to work administering CPR, applying tourniquets, and triaging the wounded.
Following this event, President Barack Obama, Katie Couric, and Anderson Cooper honored her for her actions. Improper Bostonian magazine named Dr. Stavas one of “Boston’s Best” and The Boston Globe awarded her with “2013 Bostonian of the Year” – an honor bestowed upon those that shape the biggest story of the year in a remarkable way.
After the bombings, Dr. Stavas increased her efforts in preventing childhood violence. She became a weekly medical contributor for Boston’s Fox 25- discussing issues affecting children and young adults, a mentor for Sole Train- a non-profit guiding inner-city youth on a path towards their full potential through running. In early 2014 she helped partner Prescription for the Outdoors with Boston Medical Center’s pediatric team.
This advocacy goes beyond borders- traveling to Haiti throughout the year Dr. Stavas provided medical care to children and helped strengthen their fragile medical infrastructure. A documentary featuring this work as a medical pioneer premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival.
Dr. Stavas is currently a leader in education and research. She serves as the Program Director for Child Protection Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. In this role she mentors medical students, residents, and fellows towards a path of fulfillment in medicine. Her research on caring for vulnerable children has won awards and been highlighted on multiple media outlets. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Stavas has focused her research on how COVID-19 is affecting children’s health as well as physical wellbeing.
Dr. Stavas has been featured in Runner’s World, The New York Times, LA Times, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, Time, and People magazine.
Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser
Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Speaker on Change & Resilience
About
Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is considered one of the best female hockey players in the world. Seven world championships, six Olympic appearances, five Olympic medals — she is a titan of sport and a leader both on and off the ice. Wickenheiser now sits on the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes Commission, is the Vice Chair of the Calgary 2026 Bid Committee, and is the Senior Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Beyond sport, she is a community leader, doctor, and businesswoman who inspires audiences to give their best in everything they do.
In her 23 years as an Olympic athlete, Wickenheiser led her team to four gold medals and one silver medal, and served as Canada’s official flag bearer at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She also won seven gold and four silver medals at Women’s World Hockey Championships as part of the Canadian Women’s National Team. Wickenheiser made hockey history as the first female player to notch a point in a men’s professional game, and as the first woman in history to have played in/coached at four NHL development camps with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 2019, Wickenheiser was inducted into Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame. She has also been named one of Sports Illustrated’s Top 25 Toughest Athletes in the World; has been twice-named to the “Power 50 in Sports”; was among the QMI Agency’s “Top 10 Greatest Female Athletes in the History of Sports”; and is a member of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, Canada’s Top 40 under 40, and Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2014, she was awarded Canada’s highest honour when she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of the women’s game.
Wickenheiser’s passion for sport is paralleled by her desire to give back to the community through her work with dozens of philanthropic organizations, including Lace ‘Em Up, Jumpstart, KidSport, Project North, and Right to Play. She is also the founder of the world-renowned personal and athletic development weekend, The Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival, which provides mentoring and growth opportunities for young athletes around the world.
Wickenheiser holds several honourary degrees from institutions across Canada, as well as a Masters in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary, where she also studied medicine. In 2021, Wickenheiser completed her studies and became a medical doctor. She also published her first book Over the Board: Lessons from the Ice, available in October 2021.