Inspiring Stories
Mark Schulman
World-Renowned Drummer; Author; Motivator; Expert, The Secrets of Rockstar Performance
About
Mark Schulman is a monster drummer who’s toured the world with some of the greatest rock and pop performers – before crowds as big as 225,000. He’s played with P!NK, Billy Idol, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Foreigner, Simple Minds, and others over his 32-year touring career. Mark is also amazing on another stage – as a speaker, where he delivers a rock show disguised as a keynote. “I’ve learned about the importance of attitude as part of the touring family with these great performers,” Mark says as he unpacks the secrets of rockstar performance. His presentations translate lessons learned during a remarkable career into valuable tips for organizations, teams, leaders, and those who want to be their absolute best.
Mark Schulman is a brilliant storyteller and performer who inspires audiences to engage and unleash their inner rockstar. Mark's first book, Conquering Life’s Stage Fright, shows people how to harness doubt, fear, and anxiety to perform at their best when it matters most. His next book, The Attitude Equation, is slated for early 2024 release. Mark is also a judge and coach on an all-new original music competition television show called BANDED on AXS TV.
Mark Schulman grew up in Los Angeles and is a classically trained cellist. As a teen, he played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic. He later even played cello on the 2009/2010 P!NK tour. During his unprecedented career over the last 32 years, Mark has been a first-call drummer for world-class rock and pop artists. He was voted “Top 3 Pop-Rock Drummers” in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll in 2014 and was the featured cover
artist in the May 2019 issue of Modern Drummer. Mark did four record-breaking world tours with P!NK over 15 years.
Mark’s resume reads like a “Who’s Who” of international rock ‘n’ roll royalty, including acts such as Cher, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Beyonce, and so many other world-class artists. He has drummed with Velvet Revolver at Ozzfest and for a crowd of 225,000 at Glastonbury Festival with Simple Minds. Mark has appeared on nearly every American, European, and Australian variety show including the Grammy Awards, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, American Idol, The Paul O'Grady Show, The X Factor, Wetten, dass..?, the ARIA Awards, and more.
Mark’s fan base extends way beyond the rock ‘n’ roll stage. Fans of his other career, as a top motivational speaker, exist at companies and organizations he’s spoken for, including American Express, Microsoft, IBM, DELL Cisco, Aveda, Kaiser, NCAA, SAP, and more. To date, Mark has performed over 2,000 keynotes, 1,000 music clinics, and for over a billion people.
Offstage, Mark is passionate about teaching and helping others. He was the chairman of Create Now!, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 to help change troubled children's lives through creative arts mentoring. A cancer survivor himself, Mark has also motivated children and teens through his work doing seminars with the Ronald McDonald House and benefits for the Teenage Cancer Trust in the U.K.
An active educator, Mark taught at the Los Angeles Music Academy and is one of the world’s most sought-after drum clinicians, hosting clinics around the world. Mark produced his first instructional DVD in his studio, A Day in the Recording Studio; A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Recording Great Drum Tracks for Drummers and All Musicians distributed by Hudson Music. The Mark Schulman Signature Snare Drum is one of the best-selling signature products in the history of GRETSCH.
In May 2023, Mark became a judge and coach for an all-new original music competition television show called BANDED. The show redefines the “build-a-band” concept and pairs up-and-coming artists with top coaches. Besides judging, Mark will coach one of the rock outfits.
Mark is also a music producer, trained audio engineer, and studio co-owner of West Triad Recording Studio in Venice, California.
Debra Searle
British Adventurer, Television Presenter, Author and Motivational Speaker
About
Click Here to Watch Debra's Virtual Presentation
Debra's inspiring presentation helps audiences understand how mindset can shift your momentum through even the most challenging experiences
Audiences leave feeling inspired and with specific tools to build a resilient mindset to help leaders and teams move through change
After 3 1/2 months spent at sea, single-handedly rowing from Tenerife to Barbados, Debra is ranked as one of the Top 30 Motivational Speakers in the world, alongside Simon Sinek & Tony Robbins, and has founded 5 companies and authored 3 books.
Past clients include: UBS, Nike, IBM, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Bausch & Lomb, phd.
Debra Searle MVO MBE has an extraordinary story! She first hit the headlines when she set out to row across the Atlantic with her husband – a 6’5” international oarsman. Unfortunately, he had to be rescued so Debra, a novice rower, continued alone without a support boat and rowed 3300 miles from Tenerife to Barbados. It should have taken them six weeks, but Debra ended up spending 3½ months at sea alone and unsupported, encountering 30' waves, sharks, and force 8 squalls in her 23-foot plywood boat. Since returning from this adventure, Debra has undertaken solo and team expeditions across the globe. She has also represented Great Britain at European and World Championship level in Dragon Boat Racing winning bronze, silver and gold medals.
Debra has spoken at well over 1100 events around the world, across every industry sector but she is more than your usual sports speaker. Debra has founded 5 companies including MIX Diversity, a Diversity Inclusion consultancy, so is able to speak with authenticity about what it takes to succeed in business. She has presented 40 programmes for the BBC and had 3 books published. Her spirit of adventure gained her a Member of The British Empire (MBE) from Her Majesty The Queen and she spent 10 years on the board of a charity with two members of the Royal Family, so has great board-level experience to share. Debra was further appointed a Member of The Victorian Order (MVO) for her services to the Royal Family.
In 2022, Debra was ranked no.3 in the World’s Top 30 Motivational Speakers, after Simon Sinek at no.1 and Tony Robbins at no.2, making her the highest ranking female motivational speaker in the world. In 2023, a British newspaper listed Debra as one of the World’s Top 50 Inspirational Leaders. The movie of Debra’s solo Atlantic row is currently in development in Hollywood.
About
Meet Jay Shetty the British-born, former monk & award-winning digital strategist turned captivating host, storyteller and viral trend content creator. Since launching his video channel in 2016, Jay’s viral wisdom videos have garnered over 4 billion views and he has gained over 25 million social media followers globally.
Jay was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 for being a game-changer and influencer in the world of Media. Jay aims to deliver educational and insightful content in an entertaining, uplifting format -- with the mission of making wisdom go viral. His inspirational video reach is known to skyrocket upwards of 100 million views within days of launch. He has created content for and partnered with the likes of Snapchat & Facebook and serves on the National Geographic Chasing Genius Council.
After meeting a monk at the age of 18, Jay sought to redefine personal success. He was inspired by a life of service, impact and passion as opposed to money, fame and power. After graduating with a first-class BSc (Hons) Degree in Behavioral Science from Cass Business School, he turned down lucrative job offers from prestigious companies, moved to India and lived as a monk. He traded his suits for robes, shaved his head, slept on the floor and lived out of a gym locker. Jay meditated for 4-8 hours a day and studied ancient philosophy. Half the day was spent on personal growth and the other on helping others. This included everything from personal and collective meditation, study and reflection to teaching and philanthropy. For three years, Jay helped build sustainable villages, food programs distributing over one million meals per day and coached Millennials throughout India and Europe.
Jay received a proposal from his guru who believed he could share what he had learnt if he left the path. Jay moved back to London with his parents, in massive debt with no recognizable skills on his resume. Fortunately, his friends, now working for the largest organizations in the world yet experiencing tremendous stress and pressure, invited Jay to coach them on well-being, purpose and mindfulness. Jay began sharing his experiences as a monk in the world's largest corporations including EY and Nasdaq.
Driven by a desire to share his learnings with as many people as possible, he re-engaged with the world and dove head first into learning about the tools and techniques that might allow knowledge to spread as fast as entertainment. He joined Accenture, helping them build their digital division while learning about the forces shaping the new digital landscape. He quickly became their #1 social media influencer, having advised over 150 executives on their personal brands, which provided a very broad base with which to test theories. He leveraged his findings to launch his own Facebook page in 2016.
Jay’s videos were spotted by Arianna Huffington, who asked him to create a series for HuffPost. His first four videos hit over 50 million views -- the highest HuffPost had ever received. Arianna invited Jay to New York to be a Senior Host & Producer for HuffPost Live where he created #FollowTheReader. The Facebook Live Daily Talk Show, featuring authors and life changing ideas, became #1 for audience engagement -- with themes that include passion, purpose, mindfulness, resilience, failure and communication.
These days, Jay continues to expand his brand through his viral video agency, group coaching & workshops. He's also been diligently working on his forthcoming book Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day (Simon & Schuster) to be released on 14-April-2020. Mark your calendars for this highly anticipated work.
Laurie Skreslet
First Canadian to climb Everest, inspirational and motivating speaker on commitment and teamwork.
About
Laurie Skreslet captivates, inspires, and entertains as he imparts his remarkable wisdom, gained from a lifetime of adventure and achievement. Enhanced with spectacular multimedia visuals, his presentations convey the importance of personal commitment, teamwork, preparation, and dedication to excellence -- keys to success on Mount Everest, and keys to success in business.
On October 5, 1982, Laurie Skreslet became the first Canadian to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest. Since then, he has revisited the challenge again and again, continuing to climb from various directions and with alternate equipment. Building upon his life as an adventurer, he has also become renowned for his spectacular presentations to corporate and professional groups. Helping individuals and organizations to uncover and explore the parallels between their business environment and that of high-risk adventure and exploration comes naturally to Laurie.
In order to attempt climbing Everest, Laurie and his team spent over five years planning and raised more than three million dollars. Still dealing with the horror of four team members deaths in the infamous Khumbu Icefall, Laurie personally had to recover from three cracked ribs incurred in a fall early in the climb. Despite these and countless other adversities he had accomplished mountaineering's ultimate achievement - and made history in the process.
Laurie brings to life the principles of personal best and beating fear of failure that enabled him to reach his Everest goals, and which can be applied by anyone trying to achieve difficult goals of their own. Participants learn that achievement is not a matter of luck or destiny, but a philosophy and a process that can be applied to any situation.
Nina Sossamon-Pogue
Resilience Speaker, USA Gymnast, Emmy-Winning News Anchor, Tech Executive & Author
About
Nina talks about creating success after change. recover quickly, learn – and ultimately grow stronger.
Audiences leave understanding their role in their own success and the corporations’ success with new strategies to keep going and not just survive change but thrive and find new levels of success.
Nina is a hyper-growth tech executive, USA Gymnast, and Emmy-winning television news anchor and keynote speaker- who expertly blends big data, current events and brain science research into an energetic multi-media stage performance.
Past clients include: GM, Benefitfocus, One Connection Management Group and Ellevate
Nina Sossamon-Pogue is an influential thought leader, whose experience as a communicator powers her ability to share her framework for handling a challenge. As someone who’s adapted through a lifetime of major challenges as an elite athlete, Emmy winning news anchor and Corporate Leader, she openly shares her struggles and how she overcame the challenges along the way.
Referred to as a rare ‘triple-threat’ in the speaking world, for her experience in sports, television and tech, Nina connects with audiences on multiple levels.
Nina was a member of the USA Gymnastics team in the 1980’s, then became an award-winning journalist and Emmy-award winning television news anchor. Nina left TV for Tech and spent 12 years on the leadership team of a technology company during its hyper-growth expansion and highly successful IPO.
Nina’s repeated successes, the highs, are only part of her story. Her ability to adapt and find new levels of success after each devastating plot twists in her life (the lows) is a testament to resilience and determination. After repeatedly being asked, “How’d you do that?”, she began her research into why some people thrive while others struggle or get stuck when faced with adversity. Years of research and two books later, she identified the specific actions and mental shifts needed to ‘adapt in a positive way’ to the challenges that life hands us. She created a proven framework that anyone can use to handle adversity and reach new levels of success..
An expert on Resilience, Nina uses her story as a backdrop to show how the highs and lows in each person’s story create a lifetime of learning and new strength. She challenges audiences to rethink their own life journey, identify strengths, and take on new challenges, and she gives them tools to handle anything that gets in their way.
Her first book, This is Not The End: Strategies to Get You Through the Worst Chapters of Your Life (2019 Morgan James Publishing) is for readers going through life changing events. It offers readers strategies to handle life’s most difficult challenges and control their own destiny. Nina is also the host of the podcast “This Seriously Sucks, the Right Podcast When Life Goes Seriously Wrong”, where she shares stories of amazing people who have overcome devastating challenges.
Nina sits on several non-profit boards and is an Executive Advisor with the Alzheimer’s Association. She focused her efforts on Alzheimer’s when it took her father from her in 2017.
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.
Robert Swan
Renowned Polar Explorer & Transformational Leader in Sustainability
About
With his presence and integrity, accomplishments and reflections, Robert Swan has an extraordinary ability to inspire and motivate audiences worldwide. Having experienced leadership and team cooperation in some of the world’s most hostile environments, Robert applies the leadership lessons he has learned to inspire bold management practices and effective communication styles. Robert’s talks are thrilling, uplifting and stimulating – all while fostering courage, vision and teamwork. His core themes are inspiration, leadership and future thinking for business, society and the environment.
30 years ago, French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau gave Robert Swan a 50-year mission to save Antarctica from the realities of climate change. The 2041 Foundation was founded and through perseverance and dedication, Robert has helped inspire the next generation of leaders to take responsibility for their life paths.
As the founder of the 2041 Foundation, Robert has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica and the planet through promoting renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.
Robert Swan has been working side-by-side with his son Barney for the past 5 years. On January 15th 2018 at the South Geographic Pole, the baton was passed onto Barney Swan, who, on that day, became the first person in history to journey to the South Pole powered entirely by renewable energy. This incredible feat marked the launch of CLIMATEFORCE, a 7 year campaign to remove 326 million tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere through effective solutions and education to encourage personal leadership in our carbon neutral future. CLIMATEFORCE continues to build on the 2041 legacy through action and personal leadership today and in the future.
This is not only an incredible story about a father and son, it is a legacy story of Robert Swan and the 2041 Foundation and their unstoppable commitment and leadership to preserve this earth for generations to come.
Sebastian Terry
Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author, TV Host, & Founder of the 100things Movement
About
Shocked by the death of a close friend in his mid-twenties, Seb Terry experienced a moment in his life where he asked himself a simple question:
‘Am I happy?’.
The answer was NO, and so, he created a list of 100 things that he hoped would transform his life. Dropping everything to pursue his list, not only has Seb’s life transformed through his incredible journey, but the ripple effect has gone on to help millions of people unlock limitless possibilities in their own lives, too.
From Marrying a Stranger in Vegas (Goal #2) and Delivering a Baby (#23), to Living on a Deserted Island for 1 Week (#63) and Helping a Stranger (#26) by aiding a quadriplegic man to complete a half marathon by pushing him in his wheelchair, Seb’s story has been turned into books, reality shows and is constantly featured by ESPN and Discovery Channel.
As an expert in personal transformation, peak performance and creating environments for success, Seb's commitment to helping others, has seen him share his message and frameworks with many of the world’s biggest organizations including Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America and McKesson.
Recognized for his unique approach in combining brilliant humor, piercing insight and real-time action, Seb’s revered storytelling and interactive teaching style has impacted millions of individuals and influenced thousands of organizations and Fortune 500 companies around
the world.
About
Jason Tharp is an inspiration expert, best-selling author, and illustrator who inspires audiences to embrace their authentic selves and collaborate towards success. With a focus on leadership and self-leadership, Jason's dynamic speeches share his personal journey of overcoming impossibles, such as brain cancer, obesity, negative self-talk, and self-doubt. His books, including "The Best You!" and "It's Okay To Be A Unicorn!", promote self-leadership, inclusivity, creativity, and self-acceptance.
Renowned for his interactive speaking style and impactful leadership advice, Jason has delivered numerous keynotes since 2015, providing audiences with a blueprint to break their own impossibles. His speeches emphasize teamwork and self-leadership, creating a bridge of empathy through vulnerability. Jason has worked with successful organizations like Better Business Bureau, Novocure, Sonova, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, NRG, Best Buddies, and MacMillan, and has been featured on major media outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, Washington Post, The Hill, HuffPost, CBC, and The Independent. Jason has also written many op-ed pieces for numerous media outlets.
Alex Weber
American Ninja Warrior, Inspirational Speaker on Leadership & Peak Performance
About
Click Here to Watch Alex's Virtual Presentation
With his contagious positive energy, Alex Weber immediately impacts audiences and ignites record-breaking achievements! Alex is an International Keynote Speaker, Award-Winning Host for NBC, competitor on American Ninja Warrior. Alex helps Leaders, Individuals, and Organizations be relentless, gain their competitive edge, and unlock new levels of peak performance.
Alex connects so well with audiences because of his genuine openness about the challenges, self-doubt, and uncertainty that we all face - and how you can overcome it! As a professional entertainer, US Lacrosse Coach of the Year, and acclaimed Author, Alex is highly sought after for his unique ability to engage, transform, and empower audiences. Alex has positively inspired over 3.5 million people worldwide, and worked with major companies like ABC, Apple, Amazon, Under Armor, LinkedIn, The Los Angeles Lakers, Stanford Business and many more. Alex is also the only person ever to Host and Compete on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior.
With his riveting storytelling, uplifting humor, and captivating energy, Alex empowers you to be a positive leader, propel past challenges, and accomplish your highest goals in your career, your relationships, and your life!
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.
About
Dr. Paula Stone Williams is an internationally known speaker on gender equity, LGBTQ advocacy and religious tolerance. As a transgender woman, Paula brings a unique perspective to her work on gender equity. She says, "The differences between living as a man and a woman are massive. There is no way an educated white male can understand how much the culture is tilted in his favor, because it is all he has ever known and all he ever will know."
Whether a corporate meeting, women's conference, company retreat or national gathering, Paula's unique perspective and story-telling skill delights both men and women as she humbly and effectively advocates for gender equity, LGBTQ rights and appreciation for the differences among us.
Paula has been the CEO of a large religious non-profit, the editor-at-large of a national magazine, host of a national television show and a corporate consultant. With her doctoral thesis on the DiSC Personality Profile, Paula has led hundreds of corporate boards and work teams to become more efficient and productive. Paula has served as an adjunct university professor in the United States and Europe, and is the author of eight books, including She's My Dad, co-authored with her son, Jonathan.
Paula’s memoir, As a Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned (Simon & Schuster), chronicles her transition journey and sheds light on the gendered landscape that impacts many in the LGBTQ+ community and women in the workplace and beyond. Her memoir will be turned into a limited series by Cannonball Productions.
In addition to her public speaking and corporate consulting, she is also a Pastor and Pastoral Counselor in Boulder County, Colorado. Paula has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, TEDWomen, TEDSummit, TEDxMileHigh, Red Table Talk, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, ABC Primetime News, CNN, People Magazine, and many other media outlets. She has been a keynote speaker for hundreds of conferences, corporations, and universities around the world. Her TED Talks have had over six million views.
Paula lives in Boulder County, Colorado, where she also serves as a pastor with Left Hand Church.
About
John Wood is the founder of Room to Read®, an organization that believes World Change Starts with Educated Children. From its humble origins as a cash strapped and unknown organization, Room to Read has now reached over 10 million children in developing countries with a focus on literacy and gender equality in education.
At age 35, John left an executive career track at Microsoft to follow his passion that “no child should ever again be told they were born in the wrong place at the wrong time and therefore will not get educated.” The business acumen honed in the fast paced world of technology, combined with his passion to change the world, makes John a unique and inspiring speaker with broad appeal.
John’s award-winning memoir, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World tells how he raised over $400 million from a “standing start” to develop one of the fastest growing nonprofits in history. The book was described by Publishers’ Weekly as “an infectiously inspiring read.” Translated into 23 languages, it is popular with entrepreneurs, philanthropists and educators. Amazon named it one of the Top Ten Business Narratives of 2006 and Hudson Booksellers voted it to their Top Ten Nonfiction list. John’s author interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show raised over $3 million from viewers.
John’s latest book is entitled Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy. Kirkus Reviews called it “an absorbing personal account of a remarkable achievement”. It was endorsed by Bill Clinton, Melinda Gates and Sheryl Sandberg.
John is a five time winner of Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist Award and is one of Goldman Sachs’ 25 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs. He was named an Asian Hero by Time Magazine, selected as in the inaugural class of Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Bill and Melinda Gates presented him with the first ever Microsoft Alumnus of the Year medal. Barron’s twice named John to their list of the 25 Best Givers. In 2014, John was awarded by Queen Silvia of Sweden with the World’s Children’s Prize. The WCP is often called the Children’s Nobel Prize, and in the same year Malala Yousafzai was a fellow honoree. He has also won the Asia Society’s “Service to Society” award and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tribeca Film Festival.
Room to Read has been voted by the Young Presidents Association as their Social Enterprise of the Year, was awarded the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, and was chosen as the inaugural winner of the Library of Congress David Rubenstein International Literacy Prize.
John holds a MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in finance from the University of Colorado, and honorary doctorates from McGill University, Westminster College, Wofford College and the University of San Francisco. At the invitation of former President Bill Clinton, he served three years on the Advisory Board of the Clinton Global Initiative. John is a frequent lecturer at Harvard Business School, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Policy. He is a former Board member of the College Advising Corps, Net Impact and the One Acre Fund, and serves on the Advisory Boards of Global Citizen Year, Possible Health, and the “Getting to Carnegie” competition.
About
Marc Woods competed internationally as a swimmer for 17 years; winning 12 Paralympic medals from 5
Games and a further 21 from either World or European Championships. In the past he has held world records
for 200m, 400m, 1500m Freestyle and as well as being part of the team that held the world record for 4 x
100m Freestyle. At the London 2012 Paralympic Games worked for the BBC as a commentator and presenter, as
well as performing in the opening ceremony.
Marc now spends his time presenting at business conference around the world. His speech takes you on an
inspirational journey - giving insights into personal
responsibility, leadership, teamwork and motivation. It is a journey that took him from cancer patient to multiple Gold
medallist. Along with some of the personnel now working with British Cycling he was a pioneer of the
notion of marginal gains.
Marc has written three books. Most notably Personal Best, a combination of his
inspirational life story and personal development advice, and more recently Beyond the Call, which
supported by research from New York University, looks at how to create conditions within an organisation
that make discretionary effort more likely.
Amongst other things he is an ambassador of Teenage Cancer Trust, a director of the Youth Sport Trust and
ambassador for CANSA (South Africa's Cancer Charity) and patron for Bone Cancer Research Trust.
His clients come from all business sectors and include IBM, Pfizer, Sainsbury, O2 and Santander.
Steve Wozniak
“The Woz” – Co-Founder of Apple Computer, Inc., Chief Scientist at Primary Data
About
A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for more than thirty years, Steve Wozniak has helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products the Apple I and II and influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer. The following year, he introduced his Apple II personal computer, featuring a central processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive. The Apple II was integral in launching the personal computer industry.
In 1981, he went back to UC Berkeley and finished his degree in electrical engineering/computer science. For his achievements at Apple, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators.
In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers.
Through the years, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. Making significant investments of both his time and resources in education, he adopted the Los Gatos School District, providing students and teachers with hands-on teaching and donations of state-of-the-art technology equipment. He founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose.
Wozniak is Chief Scientist at Primary Data and is a published author with the release of his New York Times best selling autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon by Norton Publishing. His television appearances include reality shows Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and The Big Bang Theory. In 2014, he was awarded the Hoover Medal, a prestigious honor given for “outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity,” and was inducted into the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame.