Inspiring Stories
Yossi Ghinsberg
Inspiring Speaker with a Story of Adventure, Survival and Overcoming Extreme Adversity.
About
Yossi Ghinsberg’s business adventures include: a tech entrepreneur in the heart of Silicon Valley, VP of a groundbreaking medical corporation and the visionary behind Chalalan the most celebrated eco-resort in the Bolivian Amazon. A world explorer and epic & inspirational storyteller, he is a graduate of philosophy and business administration from Tel Aviv University.
His book ‘Jungle’ has sold millions of copies globally, aired as a docudrama on Discovery Channel and has been produced as a major motion picture starring Daniel Radcliffe, entitled Jungle.
Yossi has met with world leaders, bringing his Amazon survival skills to institutes and organizations worldwide. He knows survival like no one else, and he knows why it is important for businesses to learn and embed these survival principles. Yossi advises leaders and teams worldwide on how to awaken their ‘Day to Day Hero,’ following a set of natural survival skills we have all forgotten that we possess. His unique insights are counter-intuitive, motivational, mind-bending and nothing short of transformational for individuals and organizations today.
Yossi knows that the old Darwinian approach is wrong, limiting and dated, and yet so prevalent. There is a new way of thinking about leadership and business with new science behind it. Fascinating and enlightening, Yossi is an epic storyteller who has shared the stage with luminaries such as Bill Clinton, Richard Branson and Wayne Dyer.
About
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CEO and founder of Student Maid, a cleaning company that has employed thousands of millennials and is known for building the next generation of leaders
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Kristen talks about how to build a culture of belonging with multiple generations in the workplace, and how to deliver and receive criticism as a leader.
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First TED Talk has received more than two million hits on YouTube
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Past clients include: Apple, Burger King, jetBlue, Ohio State University, PGA Tour, Re/MAX
Kristen Hadeed believes that authentic, human leadership can change the world.
At 19, with hardly any leadership experience, Kristen started a cleaning business called Student Maid. She never expected it to be her career; it was simply a way to earn money while she was in college. But before she graduated, her company received a contract to clean hundreds of apartments—and it changed her path forever. Kristen hired a team of 60 people help her, and within days, 75% of that team quit. That’s when Kristen’s obsession with learning how to be a leader began.
Over the next 14 years, Kristen learned a lot by screwing up. But most importantly, she learned how to lead from her heart. Doing so helped her take Student Maid from a small cleaning company to a business known on a global scale for its culture of belonging, its focus on people, and its purpose of building leaders.
Today, Kristen spends her time helping leaders, teams, and organizations around the world embrace their humanity. She’s worked with just about every industry with one purpose behind it all: To build a better world through courageous, compassionate leadership.
Kristen’s work has been featured in news outlets including PBS, FOX, Inc., NBC, TIME, and Forbes. Kristen’s book, Permission To Screw Up, has sold more than 40,000 copies worldwide. Her first TED Talk has more than three million views on YouTube
DeDe Halfill
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Keynote Speaker, and Advisor helping leaders Master the Unseen™
About
About DeDe Halfhill - Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Keynote Speaker, and Advisor helping leaders Master the Unseen™:
Hesitation, unspoken tensions, quiet disengagement—these aren’t just workplace challenges. They’re the invisible factors shaping trust, culture, and performance. In the military, where hesitation and miscommunication had real consequences, DeDe learned how to recognize and address these forces before they derailed mission success. As a principal advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staf, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the Commanding General of the Multinational Forces in Iraq, she made sure the nation’s top leaders didn’t make decisions without a clear view of the human dynamics that shape success. Every organization has an emotional undercurrent—it’s either working for you or against you.
DeDe’s leadership approach was featured in Dr. Brené Brown’s bestselling book, Dare to Lead, and on CBS’s 60 Minutes, highlighting her ability to challenge leadership norms and bring courage to the conversations leaders often avoid. Today, she partners with top organizations such as Lockheed Martin, Salesforce, Bank of America, Hearst, and FEMA. Through her keynotes, advisory work, and training seminars, she challenges leaders and teams to stop managing symptoms and start addressing the forces that truly drive engagement, trust, and performance.
The unseen isn’t just a risk—it’s the greatest opportunity most leaders never tap into.
About
Corinne Hancock is a globally recognized expert in building world-class leaders, effective teams, and cultural proficiency in chaotic environments. With over a decade of international aid and development experience working around the world developing bold leaders, building highly effective teams, delivering medical trainings and delivering medical care.
Corinne translates her expertise from working in chaotic environments into REAL RESULTS through EFFECTIVE and INTERACTIVE keynote presentations, corporate trainings and executive coaching, helping organizations and individuals THRIVE IN CHAOS.
Corinne Hancock is the former Director of Clinics and Training Programs for Project C.U.R.E., a global leader in bringing medical aid to low-income countries. She brought together multi-generational, multi-cultural teams to train leaders, open clinics and deliver medical care in some of the most remote locations on the planet. Corinne is a certified leadership coach and has worked on numerous contracts with the Department of State and Department of Defense, helping develop the next generation of African Leaders and improve health care systems in some of the most underserved, war torn parts of our world. She is now considered a leader in disrupting the model of aid in Africa. She regularly travels to countries across the African continent working with everyone from heads of state to tribal elders; from US Ambassadors to remote village community members. She challenges them all to create a better way to bring sustainable success to the areas that need it the most. She has worked in conjunction with several for-profit and non-governmental organizations to help them Thrive in Chaos.
Corinne is the Founder of The Curiosity Project, a nonprofit organization that provides health and entrepreneurial opportunities in countries where people have limited access to resources.
Mark Victor Hansen
Inspirational and motivational speaker, Co-Creator of the Best-Selling Chicken Soup For The Soul Series
About
Mark Victor Hansen is Co-Creator of the Best-Selling Chicken Soup For The Soul Series. Recent years have seen Mark and his business partner Jack Canfield create what TIME magazine calls the publishing phenomenon of the decade.
With more than 90 million Chicken Soup for the Soul books sold in North America alone and over 100 licensed products in the marketplace, it is one of the most successful publishing franchises in America today.
Mark's energy and exuberance travels still further through mediums such as television (Oprah, CNN and The Today Show), print (TIME, US News & World Report, USA Today, The New York Times and Entrepreneur) and countless radio and newspaper interviews as he assures our planet's people that you can easily create the life you deserve.
Mark is also known as a passionate philanthropist and humanitarian, working tirelessly for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, ChildHelp USA and many others.
Jason O. Harris
U.S. Air Force Officer Special Operations Pilot, U.S.A.F. Academy Instructor, Motivating Speaker on Leadership & Teamwork
About
Jason O. Harris: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Trust & High-Performance Teams | Former U.S. Air Force Officer | Fighter Pilot | Author
Build a Culture People Choose to Own
What separates teams that simply show up from teams that take ownership, trust one another and consistently perform at a high level?
Jason O. Harris is a leadership keynote speaker, former U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot who helps organizations build cultures of trust, accountability and commitment.
Drawing on lessons from aviation, military leadership and business, Jason shows leaders and teams how to create environments where people communicate openly, take ownership and work together when the pressure is on.
Why Book Jason O. Harris?
Jason brings a powerful perspective to one of the biggest challenges facing leaders today: how do you create a culture where people genuinely want to contribute, collaborate and perform?
His message goes beyond traditional motivation. Jason gives audiences practical principles for strengthening trust, increasing accountability and creating greater commitment across teams.
Using compelling aviation stories and real-world leadership lessons, Jason delivers a keynote that is engaging, memorable and directly relevant to today's workplace.
What Makes Jason O. Harris Different?
- Real leadership experience — lessons forged in demanding, high-stakes environments
- Powerful aviation stories — memorable experiences that reinforce practical business lessons
- Focus on trust and accountability — essential ingredients of high-performing teams
- Immediately actionable — strategies leaders and employees can put into practice
- Relevant across organizations — connects with leaders, sales teams and frontline employees
- Customizable — Jason can align his message with your organization's culture and objectives
Why Is Jason Right for Your Audience?
Jason is an excellent choice when you want your people to take greater ownership, strengthen relationships and work more effectively together.
He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales meetings, corporate events, association conferences and organizations focused on strengthening culture and performance.
Book Jason when your audience needs to:
- Build greater trust across teams
- Take more ownership and accountability
- Strengthen collaboration across departments
- Communicate more effectively under pressure
- Build stronger relationships with colleagues and clients
- Increase engagement and commitment
- Create a culture of consistent high performance
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Understanding why trust is fundamental to performance
- Better equipped to take ownership of their responsibilities
- Ready to strengthen communication and collaboration
- More aware of the behaviors that build—or weaken—team culture
- Equipped with practical strategies for greater accountability
- Motivated to become stronger teammates and leaders
Jason O. Harris Keynote Programs
No Fail Trust™: High-performing teams don't leave trust to chance. They build it deliberately.
Drawing on his experience as a U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot, Jason explores the principles that allow people to trust one another when performance matters most.
Audiences discover how individual behaviors influence trust, accountability, communication and ultimately organizational performance.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, sales kickoffs and high-performance teams.
Building High-Performance Teams: Great teams aren't created by talent alone. They're built through trust, ownership and shared commitment.
Jason shows audiences how to create stronger connections, increase accountability and develop the behaviors that allow individuals to perform effectively as part of a team.
Ideal for: Teamwork, leadership, culture and organizational-performance events.
Leading Through Trust
Leaders don't simply manage performance—they create the environment in which performance happens.
Jason helps leaders understand how their everyday actions influence trust, engagement and accountability. Audiences leave with practical strategies for creating teams where people feel empowered to contribute and take ownership.
Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development programs and organizations navigating growth or change.
Why Book Jason O. Harris Through The Sweeney Agency?
Finding the right keynote speaker is about more than choosing someone with an impressive story. The speaker needs to connect that experience directly to your audience and the results you want from your event.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Jason O. Harris's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Jason O. Harris keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your organization's objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Jason with other leading leadership, teamwork and motivational speakers
Is Jason O. Harris Right for Your Event?
Tell us where you want to see greater trust, accountability or collaboration in your organization.
We'll help you determine whether Jason is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, corporate meeting or sales kickoff? Contact The Sweeney Agency today to discuss booking Jason O. Harris as your keynote speaker.
Click Here To Book Jason Harris
Doc Hendley
Global Humanitarian, Founder and President of Wine To Water, Clean Water Crusader, Top 10 CNN Hero
About
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Doc Hendley talks about the immense power of relationships to transcend perceived barriers through teamwork & motivation.
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Audiences leave inspired by his journey from keg-tapper to humanitarian, in his work to help the 1.1 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean water.
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Doc Hendley was named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2009, and is the author Wine to Water: A Bartender's Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World.
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Past clients include: LinkedIn, United Water, Association for Healthcare Foodservice.
Doc Hendley is the Founder and President of Wine To Water, a global non-profit preserving life and dignity through the power of clean water. Wine To Water is committed to building a holistic, community-based model by supporting the life and dignity of all through the power of clean water. Their teams around the globe integrate strategies for social, environmental, and economic impacts through access to clean water.
Doc did not dream of dedicating his life to humanitarian efforts in developing countries. Far from it, in fact. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a communications degree that he wasn’t sure how to use. While bartending to pay the bills, he noticed the men and women sitting on the stools seemed to want to be part of something bigger. The 30-year-old Hendley got inspired behind the bar and traveled to Darfur, Sudan, and with the money raised, began installing water systems for victims of government-supported genocide.
In 2004 Hendley launched Wine To Water (W|W) from an idea that started with wine tastings and a humble donation jar. W|W radically transformed the process of bringing clean water to people in need anywhere in the world. To date, Wine To Water has dug, repaired, and sanitized drinking wells for nearly 2 million people in 53 countries. While developing water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions (WASH) in direct partnership with local leaders, WTW creates impact beyond water. This impact includes environmental sustainability, improved education, women’s empowerment, better healthcare, and economic growth.
For his life-saving work, Doc Hendley was named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2009 chosen from over 9,000 applicants by a panel of judges, including General Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner, and Sir Elton John.
Doc Hendley is the epitome of the individual who has made a difference. Because of Doc and his organization, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have access to clean drinking water. Hendley is proof that anyone, even a “tattooed keg-tapper,” can cure what ails the world.
Miles Hilton-Barber
Blind Adventurer, An Extraordinarily Inspiring, Funny and Compelling Speaker.
About
Miles Hilton-Barber is one of the most widely sought-after motivational speakers on the world circuit today, having had the privilege of speaking at over 1,400 corporate events in 74 countries to date.
Despite losing his sight in his early 20's, his quality of life and level of success was radically transformed at the age of 50, not through sight restoration, but through changing his attitude to his blindness.
“Potential for growth and ongoing success for individuals, companies and organizations is not primarily dependent on a change in the economy or their circumstances - but a change in the attitude of their management and leadership towards their current circumstances” he says.
Since the age of 50 Miles has set numerous world records undertaking extreme endurance events across all seven continents of our world in the fields of mountaineering, desert and polar ultra-marathons, power-boat racing, scuba-diving, motor-racing and long distance, aerobatic and supersonic flying amongst other achievements.
His presentation outlines a radical yet simple set of life principles that will enable companies, individuals and organizations to become more successful today, despite facing unprecedented global change - all of this wrapped up in a fast-moving, colorful and humorous presentation with photos and video clips from his many expeditions and adventures.
Miles will challenge you to look again at who you are, and inspire you to achieve so much more than you think you can - in both your personal and business life, because "the only limits in your life are those you accept yourself."
Click Here to Watch Mile's Virtual Presentation
Chad Hymas
World-Class Wheelchair Athlete and Speaker on Overcoming Adversity
About
Chad Hymas inspires, motivates, and moves audiences - creating an experience that touches hearts for a lifetime. The Wall Street Journal calls Chad Hymas “one of the 10 most inspirational people in the world!”
In 2001, at the age of 27 - Chad’s life changed in an instant when a 2,000-pound bale of hay shattered his neck leaving him a quadriplegic. But Chad’s dreams were not paralyzed that day - he became an example of what is possible.
Chad is a best-selling author, President of his own communications company, Chad Hymas Communications, Inc. - and a recognized world-class wheelchair athlete. In 2003, Chad set a world record by wheeling his chair from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas (513 miles).
Chad’s speaking career in the areas of leadership, team building, customer service, and mastering change - has brought him multiple honours. As a member of the National Speakers Association, Chad travels as many as 300,000 miles a year - captivating and entertaining audiences around the world. He has graced the stage of hundreds of professional and civic organizations including Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AT&T, Rainbird, IHC, American Express, Prudential Life, Vast FX, and Merrill Lynch.
Nataly Kogan
About Nataly Kogan – Keynote speaker, Bestselling author, Former tech CEO, 3x founder, Artist: Nataly Kogan is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, former tech CEO, and artist who helps leaders and organizations turn change into their catalyst to gr …
About
Nataly Kogan is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, former tech CEO, and artist who helps leaders and organizations turn change into their catalyst to grow and create their next.
She is the creator of REINVENT•ABILITY™, a framework grounded in neuroscience and psychology that helps people thrive through change, reframe the beliefs that hold them back, and take bold action before they feel ready. Nataly built her expertise from the inside out. She came to the United States at 13 as a refugee from the Soviet Union with no English and no money, starting over in the projects outside Detroit. She learned to speak English by watching Who’s The Boss? on TV.
She went on to build a career spanning McKinsey, Microsoft, venture capital, and five tech startups, including Happier, one of the world's first gratitude platforms, which helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world lead happier lives. But at the peak of her success, Nataly burned out. That burnout became the catalyst for her most important reinvention, and for the REINVENT•ABILITY™ Framework she now brings to leaders and organizations navigating change.
Today, Nataly delivers keynotes and leadership experiences for organizations including Google, Disney, Dell, Capital One, and Intuit, helping their people grow and reinvent through change.
She works closely with leaders, founders, and creators at the threshold of something new. She guides people to see what is truly possible, release the beliefs holding them back, and build the path to bring that possibility into reality. Nataly has helped spark more businesses, books, podcasts, and reinventions than she can count.
Nataly’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and hundreds of other publications. She is the best-selling author of Happier Now, The Awesome Human Project, and The Awesome Human Journal, and hosts the Dare Yourself podcast.
At 40, she picked up a paintbrush for the first time. At 50, she had her first international solo show in Mexico City.
Nataly does not believe patience is a virtue, loves bold colors, and proudly holds the title of funniest person in her family, a distinction her husband and daughter have never once disputed. (This is obviously a joke.)
Kath Koschel
Founder, The Kindness Factory, Former Australian Cricketer, Triathlete and Motivational Keynote Speaker on Resilience, Teamwork & Change
About
Kath Koschel is a survivor who has overcome incredible odds and unimaginable tragedy to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Koschel is a former cricketer and Ironman competitor whose world came crashing down when she broke her back twice in the span of five years and was told that she would never walk again. Instead, she faced the challenges head-on and defied all medical prognosis by teaching herself to walk again on three separate occasions. In the midst of these harrowing experiences, she believes she experienced two things in large amounts: adversity and kindness.
After re-learning to walk for the second time in her life, this realisation kickstarted a 2-month journey around Australia which relied solely on the kindness of strangers. No cash, credit card food or water – and no help from family or friends! Now a best selling book, Kath shares some of the insights learnt on this trip as part of her best-selling memoir and has transferred these learnings from book form to keynote on stages around the world.
Julia Landauer
Two-time Champion NASCAR Driver, Advocate for STEM Education and Inspiring Speaker on Women’s Empowerment
About
Julia Landauer is a NASCAR driver and two-time champion from New York City. Since making history as the first and youngest female champion in the Skip Barber Racing Series at age 14 - Julia has amassed dozens of wins in many different racing series. After becoming the first woman to win a NASCAR Track Championship at Motor Mile Speedway in her division in 2015, Julia graduated to the televised NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2016. In the K&N series, Julia finished 4th in the championship - becoming the highest finishing female in the series’ 64-year history. Julia shares an inspiring story of her experience and insights, that audiences admire.
In January of 2017, Julia was selected as an honoree for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Sports category. Julia was also the only female member of the highly selective NASCAR Next class of 2016-2017.
Julia graduated from Stanford University in 2014, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. Julia has since purposefully built her brand where technology, community and racing intersect and fuse. During college Julia was a contestant on season 26 of CBS’ reality TV show SURVIVOR. It was also in college that Julia started her motivational speaking career with a TEDx talk - and she is now a sought-after speaker for corporations, universities, and conferences, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women. Julia also served as an external advisor to Hyundai Motor Corporation’s Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experience.
As she climbs the NASCAR ladder Julia uses her racing platform to continue advocating for STEM education and women’s empowerment.
About
An international keynote speaker Alvin Law tells stories about growing up without arms, learning to use his feet for hands, demonstrating that resilience is born from struggle, not from a pain-free existence. He believes that no matter what you’re up against, you can still live a life filled with gratitude and hope.
Law’s uniquely customized presentations are designed to empower organizations and their people to turn obstacles into possibilities. To remind everyone that success begins with people, their strengths and weaknesses, and how together, we can accomplish anything. This unforgettable, life changing experience will reawaken your belief in yourself and others.
In addition to being a professional speaker, Law is a trained broadcaster, fundraiser, award-winning musician and bestselling author. He has earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). In 2018, he was inducted into The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame welcomed him for his significant role in advocacy for people with special needs.
Law has appeared on countless telethons and media features, and has been the subject of two award-winning television documentaries. Since 1976 Alvin has played a direct role in raising over $200 million dollars for charity.
Catriona Le May Doan
Olympic champion, broadcaster, motivating keynote speaker and MC.
About
Catriona Le May Doan was the fastest woman on ice. After carrying the Canadian flag into the 2002 Olympic Winter Games opening ceremonies (her fourth Olympics), Catriona defended her Olympic title with a Gold medal performance in the 500 metre event, becoming the first individual and only female to defend a Gold Medal at any Olympic games. In addition to being a world champion athlete, Catriona is a talented motivational speaker. She is an articulate, engaging and bilingual presenter, exploring with her audiences the method of achieving personal excellence while challenging and inspiring people to achieve their full potential.
Catriona held the World Record in the 500m for 10 years and still currently holds the Olympic Record. During her career Catriona broke 13 World Records. In 1998, at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games, Catriona won her first Olympic Gold medal in the 500m in Olympic record time, then added an Olympic Bronze Medal in the 1000m event. She finished the 1998 season
first overall in the World Cup standings in both the 500m and 1000m events. In 1999 Catriona's domination in the speed skating world continued when She finished first over all in the World Cup standings for the 500m event.
Catriona's accomplishments have earned her the 2002 Lou Marsh Award as Canada's Athlete of the Year and she is a three-time recipient (1998,2001,2002) of the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award for Canadian Female Athlete of the Year award.
Catriona is actively involved in her community and charity associations including The Saskatoon Foundation and the Catriona Le May Doan Endowment for Children and Youth. She is a spokesperson for the SpinaBifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada, Right to Play, and Ontario's Lakefield Oval Project. She was on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee Board and is a Board member of CODA and the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary.
Catriona has covered four Olympic Games and co-hosted the primetime show Countdown to Beijing
. She joined the CTV Olympic broadcast team for the Vancouver 2010 Games which earned her a Gemini for Best Sports Analyst.
Catriona has received three Honorary Degrees from the University of Calgary, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina and gave the convocation speech to their graduating classes. Catriona was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Committee's Sports Hall of Fame and appointed an Officer of the Order of
Canada.
About
Rob Lilwall is an adventurer, author, and keynote speaker whose accomplishments include independent adventures by bicycle and foot across 50,000 miles (80,000 km) of the world. Rob's inspiring and motivational stories are first-hand accounts of his travels through Siberia, Tibet and Mongolia in winter, as well as Papua New Guinea, Australia, China, Iran and Afghanistan. He has two TV series with National Geographic and has written two books.
In his speeches, Rob takes the audience with him on his journey, bringing to life the mindsets that are needed to succeed in today's uncertain, high-pressure and high-opportunity business environment. He weaves in powerful takeaways to empower the audience to thrive amid change, embrace challenges, and achieve great goals.
Rob has given speeches in over 50 cities around the world, to organizations including Microsoft, Symantec, Gemalto, IBM, ADP, ABB, Swire Properties, CBRE, Ayala Land, Stokke, MEC, Nike, adidas, P&G, Mars-Wrigley, Ferrero, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, HSBC, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Alliance Bank, Permira, Prudential, Manulife, AIA, Sun Life, Randstad and Thomson Reuters.
Rob’s keynote speeches are an ideal fit for conferences, town halls and off-sites where, alongside industry experts and company updates, you are looking for an out-of-the-box story to add value and give “wow” to the event, and which will provoke a deep, positive change in attitudes and habits.
Siri Lindley
Best-selling Author, Two-time World Champion Triathlete, Inspiring Keynote Speaker
About
Against all odds, Siri Lindley defied the impossible—transforming from a non-swimmer to two-time World Champion triathlete and #1 ranked competitor in her sport. Her journey from battling crippling anxiety and self-doubt to dominating the world stage exemplifies the extraordinary power of belief and determination that has become her signature message.
When faced with acute myeloid leukemia and a devastating 10% survival prognosis, Siri applied the same championship mindset to defeat cancer, just as she had overcome the heartbreak of her father's initial rejection after coming out as gay. These profound personal battles have shaped her unique approach to resilience that resonates with audiences worldwide.
After retiring from professional racing, Siri built one of the most successful coaching legacies in sport, guiding athletes to 11 world championships and Olympic medals. She's translated these championship strategies into her work with Fortune 500 executives and purpose-driven organizations through her ChampionMind methodology.
Beyond her athletic and professional achievements, Siri has rescued 326 horses from slaughter through her non-profits, Believe Ranch and Rescue and Horses in Our Hands. She's the bestselling author of Surfacing: From the Depths of Self-Doubt to Winning Big and Living Fearlessly, and the subject of the powerful documentary Tri Me: The Siri Lindley Story, featuring Tony Robbins and Melissa Etheridge.
With infectious energy and authentic passion, Siri doesn't just share her remarkable story—she equips audiences with transformative frameworks that make their own "impossible" achievements not just conceivable, but inevitable. Her mission remains unwavering: to help every person she meets believe in themselves more deeply—and act more boldly than they ever thought possible.
Col. Nicole Malachowski
First Woman Thunderbird Pilot, Combat Veteran, Fighter Squadron Commander, White House Fellow & Adviser, and Indomitable Spirit
About
Col. Nicole Malachowski: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Resilience & High Performance | First Female Thunderbird Pilot | Combat Veteran | White House Fellow
Harness Headwinds. Lead Through Adversity.
What do exceptional leaders do when the unexpected changes everything?
Nicole brings audiences inside the cockpit and behind the scenes of an extraordinary career to reveal what it takes to lead under pressure, earn trust, adapt when circumstances change and keep moving forward when the original plan is no longer possible.
Why Book Nicole Malachowski?
Nicole has lived the leadership lessons she shares.
From becoming the first female Thunderbird pilot to serving as a White House Fellow and senior military leader, her career was built in environments where preparation, trust, teamwork and decision-making under pressure were essential.
Then an unexpected health challenge forced her to confront an entirely different kind of adversity.
Nicole turns these experiences into a compelling and highly relevant keynote that challenges audiences to rethink obstacles, embrace change and recognize that sometimes the headwinds standing in our way can ultimately help us rise.
What Makes Nicole Malachowski Different?
- Historic aviation career — the first woman selected to fly as a Thunderbird pilot
- Combat-tested leadership — real lessons from high-pressure environments where teamwork and trust matter
- Powerful resilience story — a deeply personal perspective on navigating unexpected adversity
- Senior leadership experience — brings lessons from the military, government and White House
- Authentic and relatable — combines extraordinary accomplishments with vulnerability and humanity
- Practical business relevance — connects her experiences directly to leadership, change and organizational performance
- Memorable storytelling — powerful aviation stories that stay with audiences long after the keynote
Why Is Nicole Right for Your Audience?
Nicole is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to lead confidently through uncertainty, respond constructively to adversity and understand what high-performance teamwork really requires.
She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, corporate meetings, sales kickoffs, women's leadership events, association conferences and organizations navigating significant change.
Book Nicole when your audience needs to:
- Lead effectively through uncertainty and change
- Build resilience when circumstances don't go as planned
- Turn obstacles into opportunities for growth
- Strengthen trust and teamwork
- Perform confidently under pressure
- Challenge assumptions about what is possible
- Adapt quickly when the original plan changes
- Take greater ownership of their response to adversity
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Better prepared to navigate unexpected challenges
- Understanding how trust strengthens high-performing teams
- More confident leading when circumstances are uncertain
- Ready to rethink their response to setbacks
- Equipped with practical lessons for adapting to change
- Inspired to challenge perceived limitations
- Motivated to turn their own “headwinds” into opportunities for growth
Nicole Malachowski Keynote Programs
Harnessing Headwinds: What if the forces working against you could actually help you rise?
Nicole uses the aviation concept of headwinds as a powerful metaphor for adversity, uncertainty and change.
Drawing from her extraordinary career and personal journey, she shows audiences how to recognize opportunities hidden inside difficult circumstances, adapt when the original flight plan no longer works and continue moving forward with purpose.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, transformation initiatives and organizations navigating change.
The Mach 2 Mindset: High performance isn't simply about individual talent. It's about trust, preparation and commitment to the team.
Drawing on lessons from fighter aviation and the Thunderbirds, Nicole takes audiences inside one of the world's most demanding performance environments.
She explores how elite teams build trust, maintain high standards, communicate effectively and remain focused when the margin for error is small.
Ideal for: Leadership, teamwork, sales kickoffs and high-performance events.
Leading Through Change and Adversity: Leadership matters most when the path forward isn't clear.
Nicole shares practical lessons from her experiences as a fighter pilot, senior military officer and leader navigating profound personal adversity.
Audiences discover how effective leaders maintain perspective, build trust and help their people move forward when circumstances change unexpectedly.
Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development, organizational transformation and resilience-focused events.
Why Book Nicole Malachowski Through The Sweeney Agency?
Nicole Malachowski has an extraordinary story—but the real value comes from connecting her experiences directly to the leadership, change and performance challenges your audience is facing.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Nicole Malachowski's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Nicole Malachowski keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your organization's objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Nicole with other leading leadership, resilience and motivational speakers
Is Nicole Malachowski Right for Your Event?
Tell us the headwinds your organization or audience is facing.
We'll help you determine whether Nicole is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today at [email protected] to discuss booking Col. Nicole Malachowski as your keynote speaker.
About
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Artist, Resilience Expert, Entrepreneur, Burn Survivor, Inspirational Storyteller
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Keynote Speaker on Adversity, Change, Creative Thinking, Self-leadership, Burnout, Employee Retention, Elevating Company Culture — Reaching audiences in more than 75 countries.
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Customization for Healthcare on Burnout, Patient Experience, and Retention.
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Unforgettable stories packed with takeaways. Your audience will be forever changed.
While most speakers have a story to tell, there are a select few with one so impactful and poignant that the audience is forever changed. That is what happens when Allison Massari speaks. She has been named one of the Top Ten Best Motivational Speakers in North America by Meetings and Conventions Magazine and has forged her path to success with creativity, tenacity, and deep gratitude.
Having survived two devastating and near fatal car accidents, one where she burned alive and suffered severe burns on over 50% of her body, Allison views her experiences as a tremendous gift that allowed her to find strength and a fiery passion to reach pinnacle achievements both in business and personally.
Allison has dedicated her career to catapulting individuals and organizations toward total success, mastery, and fulfillment. As an international keynote speaker, executive coach, and interdisciplinary artist, Allison provides an exceptional blend of business acuity, clarity, creative perspective, and real understanding. Her highly effective methods have enabled her to form bonds as a trusted confidante to CEOs, executives and entrepreneurs.
As an international keynote speaker, executive coach, and award winning visual artist, Allison Massari ignites vitality, inspires confidence, and offers essential tools for self-mastery to audiences worldwide. Prepare to be inspired, moved, and energized. Prepare to be taken on a journey.
Click Here to Watch Allison's Hybrid Presentation
Mike Massimino
Former NASA Astronaut, NY Times Bestselling Author, Media & TV Personality; Columbia University Professor
About
Mike Massimino: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Teamwork & Achieving the Impossible | Former NASA Astronaut | Bestselling Author | Columbia University Professor
Achieve the Impossible
What does it take to accomplish something everyone—including you—thinks might be impossible?
A veteran of two space missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, Mike logged more than 570 hours in space and completed four spacewalks. Today, he brings the extraordinary lessons of space exploration back to Earth, showing organizations how great teams overcome setbacks, solve seemingly impossible problems and perform when the stakes couldn't be higher.
Why Book Mike Massimino?
Mike has something few motivational speakers can offer: an extraordinary story combined with practical lessons audiences can apply to their own challenges.
His journey to becoming an astronaut included repeated rejection from NASA before finally being selected. Once there, he faced enormous technical challenges, high-pressure decisions and missions where teamwork and trust were essential.
Mike turns those experiences into a funny, inspiring and highly relatable keynote about perseverance, leadership, teamwork and accomplishing what initially seems impossible.
What Makes Mike Massimino Different?
- A genuine NASA astronaut — two missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope
- Four spacewalks — more than 30 hours working outside the Space Shuttle
- An extraordinary story of perseverance — rejected repeatedly before achieving his dream of becoming an astronaut
- Funny and highly entertaining — serious leadership lessons delivered with warmth and humor
- Bestselling author — author of Spaceman and Moonshot
- Columbia University professor — combines extraordinary experience with an ability to teach
- Pop-culture appeal — appeared as himself on The Big Bang Theory
- First person to tweet from space — making him an instantly memorable addition to an event
Why Is Mike Right for Your Audience?
Mike is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to think bigger, persevere through setbacks and understand what exceptional teamwork looks like when failure isn't an option.
He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, corporate meetings, sales kickoffs, association conferences, awards events and organizations navigating ambitious goals or significant change.
Book Mike when your audience needs to:
- Think bigger about what is possible
- Persevere when the first plan doesn't work
- Turn setbacks into opportunities to find another solution
- Strengthen teamwork and trust
- Perform effectively under pressure
- Take greater ownership of the mission
- Stay focused when facing difficult challenges
- Pursue ambitious goals without giving up
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Inspired to pursue goals that may initially seem impossible
- Better prepared to respond when things don't go according to plan
- Understanding why exceptional teamwork requires trust and preparation
- More willing to ask for help and rely on the strengths of others
- Equipped with a stronger mindset for overcoming setbacks
- Ready to approach difficult challenges with persistence and optimism
Mike Massimino Keynote Programs
Moonshot: Achieving the Impossible. How do you accomplish something you've been told you can't do?
Drawing from his journey to becoming a NASA astronaut and his missions to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, Mike shares powerful lessons about perseverance, preparation, teamwork and pursuing ambitious goals.
He shows audiences why setbacks don't have to mean failure—and how the biggest accomplishments often require persistence, adaptability and the willingness to keep finding another way forward.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings and organizations pursuing ambitious goals.
Teamwork: Lessons From Space. When you're hundreds of miles above Earth, teamwork isn't a corporate slogan. It's essential to accomplishing the mission.
Mike takes audiences behind the scenes of NASA to reveal how astronauts prepare, communicate, build trust and work together under extraordinary pressure.
His stories demonstrate why successful teams need shared goals, preparation, accountability and people willing to support one another when challenges arise.
Ideal for: Leadership, teamwork, culture and high-performance events.
Leading Through Challenges and Change
Even the best-prepared teams encounter situations they didn't anticipate.
Mike shares what space exploration taught him about staying calm, adapting when plans change and solving problems when the stakes are high.
Audiences discover how preparation, trust, persistence and teamwork can help organizations navigate uncertainty and continue moving toward their mission.
Ideal for: Leadership meetings, transformation events and organizations navigating uncertainty or change.
Why Book Mike Massimino Through The Sweeney Agency?
Mike Massimino has an extraordinary story—but the real value is connecting that story to what your audience needs to accomplish.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Mike Massimino's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Mike Massimino keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your event objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Mike with other leading motivational, leadership and teamwork speakers
Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Mike Massimino as your keynote speaker.
Kyle Maynard
Mountaineer, Award-winning Extreme Athlete & Best-selling Author
About
Oprah Winfrey called Kyle Maynard “one of the most inspiring young men you will ever hear about.” Arnold Schwarzenegger described him as “the real deal,” “a champion human,” and “one of the most inspiring people” he’s ever met. Even the great Wayne Gretzky has spoken of Kyle’s “greatness.”
Despite being born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, that has left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees, he learned early on, and with the support of his family, to live life independently and without prosthetics. Kyle thrives on physical challenges and following a few rough, middle school football seasons, he went on to become a champion wrestler, CrossFit Certified Instructor and gym owner, competitive MMA/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter, world record-setting weightlifter, and skilled mountaineer.
In 2012, Kyle became the first quadruple amputee to climb – actually bearcrawl – the 19,340 feet to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics. His 10-day ascent was widely covered by the press, followed on social media, and raised money and awareness for wounded veterans as well as Tanzanian schoolchildren. Upon his return, Kyle won his second ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability.
Four years later, he reached the summit of Argentina’s breathtakingly beautiful, and sometimes deadly, Mount Aconcagua – the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres, standing at 22,838 feet. Following that epic summit, Nike featured Kyle in the powerful commercial “Unlimited Will,” which debuted globally during the 2016 Olympics, was viewed by millions around the world – as part of the series that AdWeek named the most memorable of all commercials during the 2016 Olympics.
Kyle proudly serves as a board member of K2 Adventure Foundation, and as an ambassador of No Barriers USA, Wounded Warrior Project, the USO, the Travis Manion Foundation, the U.S. Special Forces’ The Honor Foundation (THF), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF). He has also spent some of his most memorable moments meeting with recovering U.S. military veterans at Walter Reed Medical Center, and supporting service events for Air Force Academy and Navy SEAL Qualification Trainee programs, as well as to servicemen and women at Camp Pendleton, Ft. Benning, Ft. Bragg, Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Lewis and Ft. Myer.
He has appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, CBS The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, ABC's 20/20, and his story has been featured on ESPN’s Sportscenter, HBO`s Real Sports, and CNN’s Great Big Story, as well as other countless television shows and editorials.
Kyle was also the focus of the moving documentary, “A Fighting Chance,” which chronicled his life and the pursuit of his first Mixed Martial Arts cage fight – which was produced by ESPN Films & SnagFilms and premiered on ESPN in 2010 and can currently be found on Netflix – with film sales proceeds benefitting injured armed forces veterans. At age 19, Kyle authored his account of his life experiences in The New York Times bestselling book, “No Excuses” (2005), which is still in print and in demand today.
Martha McSally
First Woman to Command a U.S. Fighter Squadron, Former U.S. Senator, Resilience & Leadership Speaker, & Author
About
Martha E. McSally: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Resilience & High Performance | First American Woman to Fly a U.S. Air Force Fighter Jet in Combat | Retired Colonel | Former U.S. Senator
Be Unbreakable. Lead Yourself First. How do you lead with courage, clarity and confidence when the pressure keeps rising?
During her 26-year Air Force career, Martha became the first American woman to fly a U.S. Air Force fighter jet in combat and the first woman to command a fighter squadron in combat. She flew 325 combat hours and earned the Bronze Star and six Air Medals.
Today, Martha translates those extraordinary experiences into practical strategies that help leaders become more resilient, make better decisions under pressure and move forward when circumstances are uncertain.
Why Book Martha McSally?
Martha doesn't teach leadership from theory. She learned it when hesitation, poor communication and bad decisions had real consequences.
Her experiences span the cockpit, military command, Congress, the U.S. Senate and corporate boardrooms—giving her a distinctive perspective on what happens to leaders and teams when the pressure rises.
At the heart of her message is a simple idea: lead yourself first.
Through her WEDGE Framework, Martha gives audiences a practical process for understanding how they respond under pressure, removing what holds them back, gaining clarity about where they're going and taking decisive action.
What Makes Martha McSally Different?
- Historic fighter pilot — first American woman to fly a U.S. Air Force fighter jet in combat
- Combat-tested leadership — 325 combat hours during a 26-year Air Force career
- Command experience — first woman to command a U.S. fighter squadron in combat
- Leadership under pressure — lessons developed where decisions had immediate consequences
- WEDGE Framework — a practical approach to self-leadership and execution
- Extraordinary resilience — a powerful personal story of overcoming barriers and adversity
- Senior leadership perspective — experience spanning military command, government and corporate boards
- Practical delivery — gives audiences tools they can apply immediately
Why Is Martha Right for Your Audience?
Martha is an outstanding choice when you need leaders to stay grounded under pressure, navigate uncertainty and take decisive action instead of becoming reactive.
She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, executive meetings, women's leadership events, corporate conferences and organizations navigating significant change or growth.
Book Martha when your audience needs to:
- Lead more confidently under pressure
- Make faster, clearer decisions
- Navigate uncertainty and constant change
- Build greater resilience
- Strengthen trust across teams
- Communicate more directly
- Remove barriers that slow execution
- Turn adversity into forward momentum
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Better equipped to lead themselves before leading others
- More aware of how they respond under pressure
- Able to identify behaviors that may be holding them back
- Better prepared to make decisions during uncertainty
- Understanding how trust influences team performance
- More confident navigating adversity and change
- Ready to take focused, courageous action
Martha McSally Keynote Programs
Be Unbreakable: The Leadership Edge in Uncertain Times. When the stakes rise, even strong leaders can hesitate, overanalyze and become reactive.
Martha shows leaders how to remain clear, courageous and decisive when uncertainty and pressure increase.
Using her WEDGE Framework, she helps audiences examine how they lead themselves, identify patterns that emerge under pressure, remove unnecessary drag and execute with greater focus.
Ideal for: Executive leadership teams, C-suite audiences, leadership conferences and organizations navigating change or growth.
Be Unbreakable: The High-Trust Team Advantage. Talent alone doesn't create high-performing teams. Trust does.
Drawing on her experiences flying combat missions and commanding a fighter squadron, Martha demonstrates why communication, alignment, accountability and trust become even more important when the pressure is high.
She shows leaders how to identify friction, break through silos and create teams capable of moving quickly and confidently toward a shared mission.
Ideal for: Leadership offsites, cross-functional teams, culture initiatives and organizations navigating growth or transition.
Be Unbreakable: The Courage to Rise and Get Stronger From Life's Hits. Resilience isn't about avoiding adversity. It's about what you do next.
Martha shares lessons from a life marked by significant obstacles, setbacks and barrier-breaking achievements.
Using her WEDGE Framework, she gives audiences a practical approach for facing fear, navigating adversity and continuing to move forward even when the path ahead isn't clear.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, women's leadership events, corporate meetings and organizations navigating significant change.
Why Book Martha McSally Through The Sweeney Agency?
Martha McSally combines extraordinary leadership credibility, combat-tested experience and a practical framework for performing under pressure—but the real value comes from connecting those lessons directly to the challenges your leaders are facing.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Martha McSally's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Martha McSally keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your leadership and business objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Martha with other leading leadership, resilience and high-performance speakers
Is Martha McSally Right for Your Event?
Tell us where your leaders are feeling the most pressure—and what you need them to do differently as a result.
We'll help you determine whether Martha is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, executive meeting or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Martha E. McSally as your keynote speaker.
About
By his 35th birthday Mike Michalowicz (pronounced mi-‘kal-o-wits) had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies.
Confident that he had the formula to success, he became a small business angel investor… and proceeded to lose his entire fortune. Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Mike has devoted his life to the research and delivery of innovative, impactful, entrepreneurial strategies to you.
Mike is the creator of Profit First, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit. He is the creator of Clockwork, a powerful method to make any business run on automatic. And his latest, arguably most impactful discovery, is Fix This Next. In Fix This Next, Mike details the strategy businesses can use to determine what to do, in what order, to ensure healthy, fast, permanent growth (and avoid debilitating distractions).
Today, Mike leads two new multi-million-dollar ventures, as he tests his latest business research for his books. He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and business makeover specialist on MSNBC. Mike is a popular main stage keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics; and is the author of Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
Joe Moglia
Former CEO & Chairman of the Board, TD Ameritrade, Former Head Football Coach, Coastal Carolina University, Speaker on Leadership
About
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Joe talks about the four pillars of success that have always guided him, and shows audiences how to look at challenges with a new perspective.
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Audiences leave with practical strategies for success from Joe's long career as in finance and as an award winning football coach.
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Joe Moglia is the former Chairman of the Board and former CEO at TD Ameritrade and the former head football coach of Coastal Carolina University, and is the only author in the world to have written books on finance AND football.
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Past clients include: Wells Fargo, US Coast Guard Academy, Fordham University, Dallas Cowboys, and Fox News.
As the former Chairman of the Board and former CEO at TD Ameritrade and the former head football coach of Coastal Carolina University, Joe Moglia has one of the most "unique resumes in modern business," according to Forbes, and his tremendous success from the locker room to the board room provide invaluable lessons on strategic risk-taking, how to look at challenge with new perspective, and leadership. Having honed his message of the four-pillars of success through his own trials as a business leader and football coach, Moglia is an in-demand executive leadership speaker heralded as "incredibly gifted" (Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC); "raw and remarkable" (Collegiate Sports Summit); and "pitch-perfect" (Bentley University).
He was the chairman of the board at TD Ameritrade, and is the chairman of Fundamental Global Investors and Capital Wealth Advisors, and chair of athletics and executive advisor to the president at Coastal Carolina University.
In 1984, Joe entered the MBA Training Program at Merrill Lynch, where there were 26 people—25 MBAs and one football coach. By 1988, he was Merrill Lynch's No. 1 producer in the world. By the time he left, he had been a member of both the Institutional and Private Client Executive Committees, and his final responsibilities were all Investment Products, the Insurance Company, the 401(k) Business and the Middle Market Business.
Joe became the CEO of TD Ameritrade in 2001, and when he stepped down in 2008, shareholders had enjoyed a 500% return. In 2009, he became chairman of the board. TD Ameritrade recently announced that they would be acquired by Charles Schwab. The combined company will be worth $100 billion and have client assets of approximately $5 trillion. When Joe arrived, these numbers were $700 million and $24 billion.
Joe has also been a football coach for 25 years, but it’s not been a traditional 25 years. He began his career as a coach for 16 years, moved to the business world for over 20, and back to coaching in 2009. In his last 11 years of college coaching, he has been a part of eight championship teams, and as a head coach, has a winning percentage of .718. He has also received multiple Coach of the Year honors, including the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award, was the recipient of the Vince Lombardi Award and inducted into the Lombardi Hall of Fame.
He has received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Sharp Trophy for Leadership. He has been honored by the National Italian American Foundation, the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the American Institute for Stuttering and the Stuttering Association for the Young. Joe has been inducted into seven halls of fame, is a member of the National Economics Society and is the recipient of three honorary doctorates. Joe has already had a book written about his life, and is the only author in the world to have written books on both investing and football.
About
Only eight years after his first run down a skeleton track, Jon Montgomery won Olympic Gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver (Whistler), B.C. No stranger to podium finishes, Jon captured Silver at the 2007/2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, and has earned eight World Cup medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) and five Canadian National titles to date.
Jon got his start in skeleton racing in March 2002, after witnessing a skeleton race at Calgary's Canada Olympic Park while on a self-guided tour with his parents. One week later, Jon experienced the exciting sport first hand at a Discover Skeleton School. He hasn't looked back since.
Over the next few years, Jon steadily climbed the rankings while sailing head-first down frozen tracks all over the world. First competing on the America's Cup and Europa Cup circuits, Jon has competed on the World Cup Tour and Senior National Team since 2006.
Aimee Mullins
Record-Breaking Paralympian, Leader in the Next Generation of Prosthetics, Actor, Model and Speaker
About
Aimee Mullins is currently on the hugely successful, Emmy-nominated Netflix series Stranger Things, which is now the most-searched for title in Netflix history. 8.2 million people watched the entire series in the first sixteen days.
Aimée has also acted in a varied range of film and television roles alongside such talent as Rupert Friend, Vera Farmiga, Michael Shannon and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Aimée’s film debut was a starring role in the highly acclaimed film Cremaster 3, by contemporary artist Matthew Barney, first presented in the US at the Guggenheim Museum in 2003. The Guardian called it “one of the most imaginative and brilliant achievements in the history of avant-garde cinema.”
She continued her work with Barney in River of Fundament, an adaptation of Norman Mailer’s novel ‘Ancient Evenings’, in which she starred as Isis. Chronicling the seven stages of a soul’s journey from death to rebirth, each filmed chapter is also accompanied by a one-time only live performance. The work, a six-hour operatic epic, premiered at Brooklyn Academy of Music in February 2014.
Aimée first received worldwide media attention as an athlete. Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimée’s medical prognosis was discouraging; she was told she would never walk and would likely spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair. In an attempt for an outside chance at independent mobility, doctors amputated both her legs below the knee on her first birthday. The decision paid off. By age two, she had learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and spent her childhood swimming, biking, skiing, playing softball and soccer with everyone else.
After graduating high school with honors, Aimée was one of three students in the US chosen for a full academic scholarship from the Department of Defense, and at age 17 became the youngest person to hold a top-secret security clearance at the Pentagon, where she worked as an intelligence analyst.
While a Dean’s list student at the prestigious School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, she set her sights on making the US Team for the 1996 Atlanta Games. She enlisted the expertise of Frank Gagliano, one of the country’s most respected track coaches. Through this partnership, she became the first woman with a “disability” to compete in the NCAA, doing so on Georgetown’s nationally-ranked Division I track team.
Aimée set her sights on becoming the fastest woman in the world on prosthetic legs, and began to wonder why legs made for sprinting wouldn’t be modeled on those of the fastest land animal, rather than just those of a human. Working in collaboration with a cutting-edge biomedical engineer and a visionary prosthetist she went on to set World Records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the long jump, outfitted with woven carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah.
These legs, which Aimée was the first to wear, are now the international standard for amputee runners.
After a profile in Life magazine showcased her in the starting blocks at Atlanta, the world took notice. Aimée soon landed a 10-page feature in the inaugural issue of Sports Illustrated for Women, which led to her accepting numerous invitations to speak at international design conferences.
The discourse regarding aesthetic principles sparked Aimée’s interest in issues relating to body image and how fashion advertising impacted standard notions of femininity and beauty. In 1998, Aimée made her runway debut in London at the invitation of one of the world’s most celebrated fashion designers, Alexander McQueen. Walking alongside the supermodels of the world, Aimée’s groundbreaking, triumphant turn propelled her onto the magazine covers of ID and Dazed and Confused.
After then making her mark in the highest echelons of the fashion press (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, Glamour, and Elle), she was also named as one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World”, Esquire’s “Women We Love,” Jane magazine’s “10 Gutsiest Women,” Sports Illustrated’s “Coolest Girls in Sport,” and was celebrated as the “Hottest Muse” in Rolling Stone’s annual Hot List. In 2011, she was named as the new Global Brand Ambassador to the world’s largest beauty brand L’Oréal Paris, another cultural milestone.
An influential voice in today’s culture, she is regularly invited to share her ideas at global conferences, such as the world-famous TED conferences, where she is one of their most popular speakers and was named a TED All-Star. Her talks have been translated into 41 languages and have been seen by millions of viewers worldwide.
In 2012 she was designated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In 2017, Aimée was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame joining fellow honorees “whose leadership and achievements have changed the course of American history.”
Aimée serves on the boards of various non-profit organizations, most notably the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, of which Aimée was elected President from 2007 to 2009. Aimée also had four years as Vice-President for the nation’s oldest non-profit employment service for persons with disabilities, ‘Just One Break’. She was the first woman on the board since the organization was founded in 1947 by Eleanor Roosevelt. As Secretary of State in 2012, Hillary Clinton appointed her to the State Department’s ‘Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports’.
Aimée’s impact on modern society and her influence on future generations is undeniable.
Her likeness has been immortalized in exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the NCAA Hall of Fame, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, the Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Museum, where she is honored for her contribution to sport among the “Greatest American Women of the 20th Century.” She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017.
Ben Nemtin
#1 New York Times Best-selling Author & Member of MTV’s Hit Show, The Buried Life
About
Ben Nemtin: Keynote Speaker on Purpose, Leadership & Human Potential | #1 New York Times Bestselling Author | Co-Founder of The Buried Life
Stop Putting Off the Things That Matter Most. What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?
Ben's journey began with a simple question: “What do you want to do before you die?” What started as a list of 100 dreams became a global movement—and a powerful lesson in what happens when people identify what truly matters, overcome the barriers holding them back and start taking action.
Why Book Ben Nemtin?
Ben doesn't just inspire audiences to dream bigger. He gives them a framework for turning those dreams into action.
Through extraordinary stories, humor and practical strategies, Ben explores why people often postpone the goals that matter most and what they can do to change that.
His keynote connects personal purpose with workplace performance, showing how helping people pursue meaningful goals can strengthen motivation, engagement, resilience and connection.
The result is a keynote that is high-energy, emotional, entertaining and actionable—and one audiences continue talking about long after the event.
What Makes Ben Nemtin Different?
- Co-founder of The Buried Life — turned a list of 100 dreams into a global movement
- #1 New York Times bestselling author — author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?
- Extraordinary storytelling — combines adventure, humor and deeply human moments
- Purpose meets performance — connects meaningful goals with motivation and engagement
- Highly actionable — gives audiences a process for turning goals into reality
- Powerful human connection — demonstrates what can happen when people help others achieve their dreams
- Broad audience appeal — connects across generations, roles and industries
- Memorable event experience — creates the kind of emotional impact audiences remember
Why Is Ben Right for Your Audience?
Ben is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to think bigger, reconnect with what matters and take action on goals they've been putting off.
He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings, association conferences and employee-engagement events.
Book Ben when your audience needs to:
- Reconnect with personal and professional purpose
- Turn ambitious goals into action
- Break through fear and limiting beliefs
- Build greater resilience when setbacks occur
- Increase motivation and engagement
- Create stronger connections with colleagues
- Think bigger about what's possible
- Take greater ownership of their future
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Thinking differently about the goals they've been postponing
- Equipped with practical strategies for turning intentions into action
- More willing to pursue ambitious goals despite uncertainty
- Understanding how purpose can strengthen motivation
- Better prepared to overcome obstacles and setbacks
- Inspired to help other people achieve meaningful goals
- Energized to take the first step toward something that matters
Ben Nemtin Keynote Programs
5 Steps to Make the Impossible Possible: What separates a dream people talk about from a goal they actually accomplish?
Drawing from his experiences with The Buried Life, Ben shares practical lessons for identifying meaningful goals, overcoming obstacles and taking action.
Through remarkable stories and an actionable framework, he shows audiences how seemingly impossible goals can become achievable when people create accountability, take incremental steps and refuse to let fear make their decisions.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings and organizations pursuing ambitious goals.
Mental Wealth: Prioritizing the Things That Matter. Success means very little if achieving it requires sacrificing everything that makes life meaningful.
Ben challenges audiences to think more intentionally about their priorities and the relationship between achievement, purpose, relationships and wellbeing.
He demonstrates how reconnecting with the things that matter can create greater energy, resilience and motivation—both personally and professionally.
Ideal for: Leadership, employee engagement, workplace culture and wellbeing events.
Building a Culture Where People Thrive. What happens when organizations care about their people's goals—not just the organization's goals?
Ben explores how leaders can create deeper engagement by helping employees connect their work with their personal ambitions, purpose and potential.
Audiences discover how supporting one another's goals can strengthen trust, connection and a sense of belonging.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, culture initiatives, employee meetings and organizations focused on engagement and retention.
Why Book Ben Nemtin Through The Sweeney Agency?
Ben Nemtin delivers an extraordinary combination of inspiration, entertainment and practical action—but the real value comes from connecting his message to what you want your audience to accomplish after the event.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Ben Nemtin's availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Ben Nemtin keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your event objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Ben with other leading motivational, purpose and leadership speakers
Is Ben Nemtin Right for Your Event?
Tell us what you want your audience to stop putting off—and what you want them inspired to do next.
We'll help you determine whether Ben is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Ben Nemtin as your keynote speaker.
About
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Kevin shares lessons from his life as an entrepreneur, Shark and business leader.
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Audiences learn the O'Leary Fundamentals that have been instrumental in Kevin's success in business and life taking him from modest beginnings to incredible success.
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Kevin O'Leary is an entrepeneur in a variety of industries, beginning with his first software business. As a Shark and television personality, he is uniquely suited to share how to turn challenges into triumphs.
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Past clients include: Pitney Bowes, Straumann, and SME Entertainment Group.
Kevin O’Leary was born to a middle class family in 1954. The combination of Kevin’s mother’s family heritage as merchants and his father’s Irish charisma truly meant that O’Leary was born for business. Kevin learned most of his business intuition from his mother. She taught him key business and financial insights from an early age. These became Kevin’s core philosophies, and the pillars upon which he would one day build his empire.
Kevin’s approach to business went through major changes as a teenager. During his second day on the job at a local ice cream shop, his boss came into the front of the store where Kevin was scooping ice cream. She looked at Kevin and asked him to perform a task that he wasn’t expecting. What happened next had a profound effect on Kevin – one that stayed with him for the rest of his life.
As a university student, Kevin’s innate business sense led him along several different paths – including some very unusual, very entrepreneurial ways of making a profit.
Not long after he finished his MBA, Kevin had a meeting that changed his life forever. He met a man who had a strange idea for a software product – an idea with huge, high-profit potential that Kevin immediately recognized.
After years of ups, downs, sacrifices, challenges, and lessons learned — not to mention a critical phone call that nearly cost him everything — the opportunity that Kevin saw eventually turned into a computer software giant that was acquired for more than $4 billion dollars.
After his extraordinary success at the software company he founded – and a difficult period of obstacles and legal disputes – Kevin eventually found himself on television, quickly becoming a sought-after host and personality on a range of shows – including Discovery’s Project Earth, CBC’s Dragons’ Den, and ABC’s Shark Tank.
Kevin has since launched O’Leary Funds, an investment fund company; O’Leary Fine Wines; and a best-selling book series on financial literacy.
In 2014, Kevin founded O’Leary Financial Group – a group of brands and services that share Kevin’s guiding principles of honesty, directness, convenience, and above all, great value.
John O’Leary
#1 National Bestselling Author, Award-winning Live Inspired Podcast, Inspiring Stories Keynote Speaker
About
In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live.
This epic story of survival was first showcased in Overwhelming Odds, the book his parents wrote in 2006. It was this book that first invited John to embrace his miraculous recovery and share it with the world.
Today, John inspires tens of thousands of people at more than 100 live and virtual events each year. He partners with companies and organizations across fields, such as: sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance. Consistently described as “the best speaker we’ve ever had,” John’s tireless schedule is a testament to the power of his message. His emotional storytelling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each presentation unforgettable.
John is a two-time bestselling author of On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy. John’s award-winning Live Inspired Podcast has more than seven million downloads and enjoys world-class guests such as Brené Brown, Mitch Albom, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Bob Costas.
Amazingly, John’s story is taking on a new form: a full-length feature film starring Joel Courtney, John Corbett, and William H. Macy. SOUL ON FIRE will be release in theaters nationwide on October 10, 2025.
Regardless of his professional accomplishments, John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.
The Passing Zone
Award-winning Entertaining and Inspirational Duo with a Focus on Performance, Teamwork & the Power of Partnership
About
The Passing Zone is a renowned comedy act featuring Jon Wee and Owen Morse, who are experts on what it takes to be a high-performance team. Their partnership literally demonstrates trust, innovation, collaboration, communication and execution all with big laughs, wild stunts, and hilarious audience participation. After meeting at a juggling convention, and finishing college (Jon in economics and Owen in psychology) they began their professional journey, quickly winning the Silver and Gold Medals at the International Jugglers' Association Teams Competition. This success led to their debut on “The Tonight Show”, followed by another appearance due to Johnny Carson’s enthusiasm. Their film debut was in The Addams Family Movie, doubling for Raul Julia and Christopher Lloyd.
Showcasing innovation, leadership development, and teamwork through their presentations, they gained further acclaim performing at the Royal Variety Performance in London for then Prince Charles, on the Miss America Pageant and at The White House. They were finalists on “America’s Got Talent” in Seasons 1 and 11, showcasing their comedic and juggling prowess. Their television appearances include “The Tonight Show", "Penn & Teller: Fool Us” “MADtv,” “Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular,” “Steve Harvey’s Big Time,” and regular slots on NBC’s “Today.” They also provided commentary for ESPN’s World Juggling Federation competitions.
Jon & Owen hold four Guinness World Records, have received the IJA’s Award of Excellence and are in the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame. Performing at corporate and association events, they are known for their clean, versatile act that appeals to diverse audiences. They customize performances to include company products and slogans, inspiring collaboration and creativity.
About
After 35 years at CNBC, Bob Pisani stepped away from his as Senior Markets Correspondent on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and started a new chapter: one focused on speaking, consulting and sharing the lessons he’s learned from a lifetime covering the intersection of markets and media. Bob is still planning to continue to collaborate with CNBC PRO as a Contributor and to help build out their content and conference business.
For 28 years, Bob reported live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as CNBC’s Senior Markets Correspondent. Surrounded by traders on the floor, he covered the movement of major indices, corporate earnings, IPOs, the SEC, market structure, the impact of global economic and political developments on investor behavior, the growth of indexing/passive investing and the remarkable rise of ETFs. He witnessed the remarkable transition from traders shouting on the floor of the NYSE to nearly all-electronic trading.
When Bob started in this role, it was still possible to talk about the U.S. stock market in isolation. Not anymore. Bob has been praised for his ability to explain how interconnected the world has become, from China to Europe to emerging markets, and how financial data and political change influence market performance.