New Speakers
These speakers are the most recent additions to our Speakers Bureau roster. Browse this page to view our newest selection of professional conference speakers. The Sweeney Agency makes booking speakers a simple process. We help you find the best speaker for your event by providing you with all the information you need to make the right decision, taking into account your event objectives, audience dynamics and expected outcomes. We provide you with professional business and motivational speaker bios, video clips, and topic outlines, as well as independent perspectives on the best speakers available. Working closely with the speaker you choose, we will ensure he or she delivers a customized presentation that informs, inspires and entertains.
Showing 1–30 of 75 results
About
John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, coach, and author of 14 books that have been translated into 10 languages. His business management, leadership and coaching work centers on how leaders can use their authority, communications and presence to build trust and drive results.
As a highly sought after executive coach and leadership educator, John has had the privilege of working with senior leaders in virtually every industry from pharmaceutical to real estate, packaged goods to automobiles, and finance to health care.
John speaks widely to corporate, professional, military and university audiences. Those who attend John’s keynotes and workshops find his advice to be practical and inspirational. Mixed with stories of great men and women, and leavened with light-hearted humor, John seeks down-to-earth practical advice that individuals can apply immediately. John's presentations blend his passion for leadership with genuine enthusiasm for helping people achieve their leadership ambitions.
John’s newest book GRACE: A Leader’s Guide to a Better Us, focuses on grace as a secular force for helping women and men channel their purpose into creating the “greater good” for others. GRACE mixes stories of everyday heroes with interviews with noted thought leaders. The result are practical insights into generosity, respect and compassion - coupled with the energy and actions - it takes to deliver on these virtues.
John’s previous book, MOXIE: The Secret of Bold and Gusty Leadership, explores the grit and determination leaders need to exert to overcome challenges. Blending real-life stories with research and interviews, John provides a roadmap for how leaders can lead with greater awareness, more determined purpose and focused engagement in order to achieve inspired results. MOXIE earned a coveted 4-star review rating from Success magazine.
His tenth book, Lead with Purpose: Giving your Organization a Reason to Believe in Itself, solidified John’s reputation for blending thought-provoking ideas with pragmatic advice. Over the past decade John has established himself as world authority on topics that matter to leaders who are seeking insight into leadership challenges of the day.
In 2018, Inc.com named John a Top 100 Speaker. Also in 2018, Trust Across America honoured John with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Trust. In 2019, Global Gurus ranked John No. 9 on its list of Top 30 Global Leadership Experts, a list John has been on since 2007. In 2014, Inc.com listed John as a Top 50 leadership expert.
Through his books and his many columns for leading business publications, John has become a source of practical wisdom on topics such as influencing without authority, applying power appropriately, leading with grace and conviction, and developing genuine followership. All of these topics complement John’s mission to help individuals and their organization achieve positive results. Consequently John’s books have been translated into 10 languages including Mandarin, Hungarian, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Jason Barger
Author and Globally Celebrated Expert and Motivational Keynote Speaker on Culture and Leadership
About
Jason Barger is a New York Times-celebrated author, motivational speaker and expert on leadership and culture. He delivers over 70 keynote speeches around the world annually and is a dynamic storyteller. He has spoken for iconic brands such as Nationwide Insurance, Discover, Deloitte, Ultimate Software, Wendy’s, Caribou Coffee, SHRM, TEDx, as well as at Global Leadership Conferences around the world.
His books have been celebrated by the global media and as Founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting LLC, he works as a collaborative partner with teams and organizations to develop compelling leaders, culture and visions for the future. Through his books, leadership consulting, culture-shaping and motivational keynote speeches, he strives to make an impact in the world. Every presentation and engagement he does is tailored to meet the unique needs of the audience and maximize the message for each event.
For 10 years, Jason led thousands of people to build 125 houses internationally for families living in poverty and developed a program to serve the homeless on the streets of Columbus, Ohio. In 2004, Jason received a Jefferson Award, a national award given to “Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things.” In 2014, Business First named him one of their "40 Under 40 Award" winners.
Jason is passionate about making a difference in the world through the way we lead and serve every day.
Pamela Barnum
Former Undercover Police Officer & Federal Prosecutor, Trust Strategist & Body Language Expert
About
Pamela Barnum is a former undercover police officer and federal prosecutor who helps organizations increase trust, strengthen motivational strategies - and improve negotiation outcomes using insider nonverbal communication skills. As a body language expert and trust strategist, Pamela delivers techniques once thought of as a “secret second language” that participants can begin using immediately.
When you take decades of experience which includes a unique background of working deep undercover in the drug enforcement section, followed by a rewarding legal career - you get real-world strategies that help participants crack the code on deception and increase trust using proven field-tested techniques.
Following a successful career in the criminal justice system, Pamela studied corporate negotiations in graduate school - and now shares her experience, research, and expertise with humour, candor, and energy; blending actionable strategies with memorable stories.
About
Hal Becker is a nationally known expert on Sales, Customer Service, and Negotiating. He conducts seminars or consults to more than 140 organizations a year. His client list includes IBM, Disney, New York Life, United Airlines, Verizon, Terminix, AT&T, Pearle Vision, Cintas, and hundreds of other companies and associations.
At the age of 22, he became the #1 salesperson among a national sales force of 11,000, for the Xerox Corporation. Six years later in 1983, he survived terminal cancer only months after launching Direct Opinions, one of America's first customer service telephone survey marketing firms that facilitates more than two million calls per year with offices throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. In 1990, Hal sold Direct Opinions to devote time for consulting and presenting lectures around the world.
Hal is the author of Can I have 5 Minutes Of Your Time?", which is now in its 21st printing and is used by many corporations as their "Sales Bible." He has also authored three other best sellers including Lip Service, one of the nations foremost books on customer service, and Get What You Want, a fun, upbeat and fresh approach to negotiating. Hal’s latest book on sales is titled the Ultimate Sales Book.
He has been featured in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Inc Magazine, Nations Business and hundreds of newspapers and Radio/TV stations around the world, and is currently syndicated in over 45 newspapers and magazines.
In 2010 Salesgurus.net voted Hal as one of the "World's top 30 Professional Sales Trainers". Inc. Magazine has voted Hal as one of the nation's top speakers in the Area of Sales and Customer Service.
About
While growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, James Benham began writing code at the age of 11 and by 14 had developed his first application. Three years later, he co-managed an internet services provider (ISP), providing dial-up Internet to over 4,000 users. James went on to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Information Systems while in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. During his final year at Texas A&M in 2001, James established his second company, JBKnowledge, Inc. He has continued to stay involved with his alma mater by joining the university faculty as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M.
James is now the Chief Executive Officer of JBKnowledge, and host of The ConTechCrew podcast. James has led JBKnowledge to become a premier provider of technology solutions for the construction and insurance industries, with clients across North America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. As a rapidly growing business year after year, JBKnowledge is a seven-time recipient of the Aggie 100 award, six-time Newman 10 recipient, and was recently named to the LSU One Hundred for the second time. The company, and James, are headquartered in Bryan/College Station, TX with offices in North America and South America.
With extensive experience in the design, development and use of technology to improve efficiency, James is a sought-after speaker across the United States, Canada and abroad - on business information technology, data security and innovative technology solutions. James’ dynamic speaking style allows him to share his vast technical knowledge in a down-to-earth, engaging manner. In 2015, James presented at a variety of national events including: Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) IT Forum, CONEXPO, Construction Financial Management Association Annual (CFMA) Conference, Construct Canada, BIMForum, Augmented World Expo (AWE), Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Annual Convention, and more. In addition, he was recognized among ENR Texas & Louisiana’s 2014 Top 20 Under 40 for his advancements in construction technology and is a founding member of the Construction Open Standards Alliance.
About
Few journalists in America’s history have had the impact on their era and their craft as Carl Bernstein. For forty years, from All the President’s Men to A Woman-In-Charge: The Life of Hillary Clinton, Bernstein’s books, reporting, and commentary have revealed the inner-workings of government, politics, and the hidden stories of Washington and its leaders.
In the early 1970s, Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story for The Washington Post, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and setting the standard for modern investigative reporting, for which they and The Post were awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
Since then, Bernstein has continued to build on the theme he and Woodward first explored in the Nixon years – the use and abuse of power: political, media, financial, cultural and spiritual power. Renowned as a prose stylist, he has also written a classic biography of Pope John Paul II, served as the founding editor of the first major political website, and been a rock critic.
The author of five best-selling books, Bernstein is currently also at work on several multi-media projects, including a memoir about growing up at a Washington newspaper, The Evening Star, during the Kennedy era; and a dramatic political TV series with David Simon of ‘The Wire’ for HBO. He is also an on-air contributor for CNN and a contributing editor of Vanity Fair magazine. His most recent book was the national bestseller A Woman In Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton, acclaimed as the definitive biography of its subject, published by Knopf.
With Woodward, Bernstein wrote All the President’s Men (also a movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman), about their coverage of the Watergate story; and The Final Days, about the denouement of the Nixon presidency.
In 1977-78, Bernstein spent a year investigating the CIA’s secret relationship with the American press during the Cold War. The resulting 25,000-word article for Rolling Stone, entitled “The CIA and the Media,” was the first to examine a subject long suppressed by both American newspapers and the intelligence community.
Since his famous essay, “The Triumph of Idiot Culture,” a 1992 cover story for The New Republic about increasing sensationalism, gossip and manufactured controversy as staples of the American press, he has proved a prescient critic of his own profession.
Rohit Bhargava
Expert on Marketing, Branding, Trends & Disruption, Innovation, Storytelling
About
Rohit Bhargava is an innovation and marketing expert, skilled facilitator, and keynote speaker. After a successful 15-year career as a brand and marketing strategist at two of the largest agencies in the world (Ogilvy and Leo Burnett) - Rohit became an entrepreneur and has since started three companies.
He is the Wall Street Journal best-selling author of six books on topics as wide ranging as the future of business and building a brand with personality - and has delivered sold out keynote presentations and workshops to business leaders in 32 countries. His hallmark book Non Obvious is updated annually with 15 new trend predictions, has been read and shared by more than 1 million readers - and is translated in ten languages. His new updated version slated for release on 07-January-2020 is Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss, Predict Trends and Win the Future. Rohit has been invited to share his insights at some of the most forward-looking organizations in the world including Intel, NASA, Disney, JP Morgan Chase, LinkedIn, Microsoft, American Express, BP, the World Bank, Coca-Cola and hundreds of others.
Outside of his consulting work, Rohit also teaches his popular signature course on storytelling and marketing at Georgetown University in Washington DC - and has been invited to deliver guest lectures at many other prestigious schools including Stanford and Wharton. For the past 14 years Rohit has also been writing his personal “Influential Marketing Blog” which has been featured in global media and named One of The top 25 Marketing Blogs in the World by AdAge Magazine. He is regularly interviewed and featured as an expert commentator in global media including Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, and NPR. Rohit also writes a monthly column for GQ magazine in Brazil on technology and trends.
Thanks to his many years of sharing insights, Rohit has been recognized alongside visionary business leaders like Sir Richard Branson and Tom Peters as a “Top 100 Thought Leader In Trustworthy Business Behavior” and was named by global recruiting firm Korn Ferry as one of the “Most Influential South Asians in Media and Entertainment.”
On a personal level, Rohit is married and lives with his wife and two young boys in the Washington DC area. He is a lifelong fan of anything having to do with the Olympics (he’s been to five so far!), actively avoids anything having to do with cauliflower (yuck!) - and believes the most entertaining and impactful job he will ever have is being a great dad and teaching his sons to be kind when no one expects it, curious about the things others take for granted, and confident enough to change the world.
Susan Cain
Co-founder of Quiet Revolution, New York Times Best-selling Author and Speaker on Leadership
About
Susan Cain is the author of the best-sellers Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, which has been translated into 40 languages, is in its seventh year on the New York Times best- seller list, and was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company magazine, which also named Cain one of its Most Creative People in Business. LinkedIn named her the 6th Top Influencer in the world.
Susan has partnered with Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant and Dan Pink to launch the Next Big Idea Book Club; they donate all their proceeds to children’s literacy programs.
Her writing has appeared in the The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Her record-smashing TED talk has been viewed over 30 million times on TED.com and YouTube combined, and was named by Bill Gates one of his all-time favorite talks.
Cain has also spoken at Microsoft, Google, the U.S. Treasury, the S.E.C., Harvard, Yale, West Point and the US Naval Academy.
She received Harvard Law School’s Celebration Award for Thought Leadership, the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and was named one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc. Magazine. She is an honours graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School.
She lives in the Hudson River Valley with her husband and two sons.
Colette Carlson
Author & Motivational Speaker on Human Behaviour and Communications
About
Colette Carlson is a human behaviour expert and keynote speaker who inspires individuals to connect and communicate in real and relevant ways. How to create effective connections, and leverage them for greater success, is the thread that is woven into every one of Colette’s presentations.
Colette provides the perfect blend of interaction, research, stories and humour to support leaders in building powerful connections with those they lead. She will also show you how to up your personal connection quotient to maximize relationships, revenue and results with sales and customer service.
With a Master’s Degree in Human Behaviour, a fascination with communication trends, and extensive experience in the personal development industry for over 20 years, Colette knows the difference between trendy topics and timeless truths when it comes to successful business practices.
Colette has published a couple of audible audiobooks, and is the author of countless articles that have been featured in Success, Business Management Daily and Working Mother magazines.
Through her real-world, highly-engaging, and laugh-out-loud funny seminars, Colette teaches organizations how mindful communication creates powerful connections. Every presentation is customized and personalized - and audience members learn how to form and sustain connections that drive productivity, engagement, and collaboration. From the top leadership to the front line, it’s all about the power of connection.
Every person at every level of an organization benefits from the power of connection. Most importantly, that power begins within. The awareness and discipline of connecting with yourself first, in order to genuinely connect with others, is what Colette inspires in people everywhere.
Her clients include Boeing, Microsoft, Cisco, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Shell, Great Clips, Davidson Hotels, the United States Government among numerous others.
Colette grew up in Chicago and now lives in San Diego - and she still prefers pizza over tofu.
About
A pioneer in the frontier of commercial space sector, former astronaut and International Space Station commander Leroy Chiao captivates audience with his amazing stories on space exploration and brings unparalleled insights on leadership, innovation and technology trends .
A veteran of four space missions and a fifteen-year career with NASA, Dr. Chiao most recently served as Commander and NASA Science Officer of Expedition 10 aboard the International Space Station. He has logged over 229 days in space – over 36 hours of which were spent in Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA, or spacewalks). From June through September 2009, he served as a member of the White House appointed Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, and currently serves on the NASA Advisory Council.
Leroy holds appointments at Rice University and the Baylor College of Medicine, and is the special advisor for human spaceflight to the Space Foundation. He has worked extensively in both government and commercial space programs, and has held leadership positions in commercial ventures and NASA. Chiao has extensive experience as a NASA Astronaut and prior to that, as a Research Engineer. Dr. Chiao is a fellow of the Explorers Club, and a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and the Committee of 100. Chiao also serves in various capacities to further space education,
A native English speaker, Dr. Chiao also speaks Mandarin Chinese and Russian. He has flown space missions and worked closely with Russian, Japanese and European Astronauts and their affiliated space agencies. Dr. Chiao is uniquely qualified to speak about the United States, Russian, Japanese, European and Chinese Space Programs. A Space Station Commander and Space Shuttle Mission Specialist, Dr. Chiao was also a certified Co-Pilot of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He is an expert in all facets of U.S. and Russian EVA hardware and operations and is EVA certified in U.S. and Russian spacesuits, tools, and training programs. In September 2006, Chiao became the first American to visit the Astronaut Research and Training Center of China. There, he met the first two national Chinese astronauts, Yang Liwei and Fei Junlong.
Dr. Chiao studied Chemical Engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1983. He continued his studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, earning his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 1985 and 1987. Prior to joining NASA in 1990, he worked as a Research Engineer at Hexcel Corporation. and then at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Scott Christopher
Speaker and Author on Using Humor to Excel Personally and Professionally
About
A contributing author of the bestseller A Carrot A Day, co-author of The Levity Effect, a regular columnist for Workplace HR and Safety magazines and a distinguished consultant on recognition, Scott Christopher travels the world speaking to leadership groups at conferences, conventions, and on-site customer meetings.
With a background in radio, television, and film, Scott offers a presenting style that is upbeat, witty, and unforgettable. His sessions are typically “standing room only” and receive the highest commendations and evaluations.
In his rare spare time, Scott is a professional voice over artist, emcee and actor (SAG), appearing on the network television series Everwood and Touched by an Angel and in several Disney Channel movies.
While at Brigham Young University, Scott was honored with the United States’ most prestigious acting scholarship, the Irene Ryan Award, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
About
Joey Coleman is called upon for assistance when organizations like Whirlpool, NASA, Deloitte, the World Bank, and Zappos need to boost their customers' experience.
For over a decade, Joey has helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans via his entertaining and actionable keynotes, workshops, and consulting projects. His First 100 Days® methodology helps fuel the successful customer experiences his clients deliver around the world.
In his Wall Street Journal #2 best-selling book, Never Lose a Customer Again, he shares strategies and tactics for turning that one-time sale into a lifelong customer. As a recognized expert in customer experience design and an award-winning speaker at national and international conferences, Joey specializes in creating unique, attention-grabbing customer experiences.
With a background in developing outreach materials, packaging, events, promotions, and brand identities, Joey works with businesses and individuals seeking to provide their clients with a memorable experience. Joey’s greatest talents include formulating creative strategies that build buzz and loyalty around products and services. He works with companies ranging from small VC-funded start-ups, to large Fortune 500s, with hundreds of mid-size businesses in between.
Joey is the Chief Experience Composer at Design Symphony, who before founding the company developed his narrative skills as a criminal defense trial attorney, advised and counseled Fortune 500 companies as a business consultant, honed his communications and messaging skills at the White House, and did things for the U.S. Secret Service and the CIA that he can't talk about publicly.
Joey received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame (Dean’s List Honors) and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School (Dean’s Fellow). He has served on the Board of Directors for numerous privately-held companies and non-profits. For almost a decade he sang first tenor with the GRAMMY-nominated Washington Men's Camerata.
His design and artwork has been displayed in museums, featured in juried shows, and graced publications in the U.S. and abroad. When not traveling the world (48 countries and counting) for keynote presentations, client workshops, and quality beach time, Joey enjoys watching magnificent sunsets from his mountain-top home in Colorado with his wife and two young sons.
About
Dr. Antonia Colibasanu is Geopolitical Futures’ Chief Operating Officer. She is responsible for overseeing all departments and operations for the company.
Dr. Colibasanu joined Geopolitical Futures as a senior analyst in 2016 and frequently speaks on international economics and security topics in Europe. Since 2012 she has served on the educational board of the International Academy of Advanced Studies in Greece, a summer program that brings together students from Eurasia and the Middle East.
Prior to Geopolitical Futures, Dr. Colibasanu spent more than 10 years with Stratfor in various positions, including as partner for Europe and vice president for international marketing. Dr. Colibasanu was also an associate professor at the Romanian National Intelligence Academy and Bucharest University. Prior to joining Stratfor in 2006, Dr. Colibasanu held a variety of roles with the World Trade Center Association in Bucharest.
Dr. Colibasanu holds a Doctorate in International Business and Economics from Bucharest’s Academy of Economic Studies, where her thesis focused on country risk analysis and investment decision-making processes within transnational companies. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Project Management. She is an alumna of the International Institute on Politics and Economics at Georgetown University.
About
Andy Core is a credentialed, award-winning thought leader on increasing employee engagement, productivity, and wellness motivation. His talent lies in helping hard-working, conscientious adults thrive at work and in their personal lives.
He has a master’s degree in the science of human performance and has spent the past 15 years researching ways to become better equipped to thrive in today’s hectic society. Thus helping organizations build teams that cost less, have better attitudes, and accomplish more.
Author of several books including Change Your Day, Not Your Life, Healthy Motivation, and Master Your Body, Andy has also received numerous awards and recognition on his work. He was also the Co-host of the PBS affiliate television show “Fighting Fat”.
Jim Craig
Iconic Winter Olympic goaltender, and inspirational speaker on Teamwork & Leadership
About
Jim Craig is best remembered for his outstanding goaltending in the 1980 winter Olympics where the United States team beat the heavily favored Russians and went on to win the Olympic gold medal in what’s has been labeled the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. The picture of Jim with the American flag on his shoulders looking for his father is one of the most iconic images of all time.
Currently president of Gold Medal Strategies, Jim is this Boston-area based motivational speaking and sales training company. Over the past 30 years, Jim has inspired, instructed, and provided strategic and winning direction for employees and associates from more than 500 organizations and some of the world’s most recognized brands in the country.
Jim is in demand from coast to coast and internationally as a motivational speaker, spokesperson, marketing and sales strategist, and master storyteller.
Jim’s unique life experiences as an All-American goalie and NCAA Champion at Boston University, Olympic gold medalist, professional athlete, actor and highly successful business consultant enables him to provide his audience with insightful real life experiences like no other.
Jim is the author of recent business book, Gold Medal Strategies, Business Lessons from Americas Miracle Team, which focuses on his Gold Medal Strategies for Success.
About
Vito Di Bari maintains a global reputation of excellence as the world's premiere futurist, innovation strategist and inspirational keynote speaker. His charming and entertaining style leaves nothing to be desired.
Vito is the only keynote speaker who has given a TEDx Talk in five world continents. Vito is an esteemed former professor of Project Design and Management of Innovation at both the Polytechnic University and Bocconi University in Milan. He has also served as Executive Director for the IMI Institute of UNESCO in Paris; the candidate city of Milan has chosen Vito Di Bari to be the Innovation Designer of the World Fair Expo 2015.
In 2001, Vito Di Bari has secured his visions and legacy by founding Next Media Lab – a cutting edge international research laboratory, named "Milan's think tank" by Wired Magazine, where he currently serves as CEO. After moving to Miami Beach, Di Bari has founded Di Bari & Associates - a design studio is changing the world a neighborhood at the time through his cutting edge artistic iconic urban installations, using recent discoveries in various fields such as AR, sensors and 3D printing.
A recognized author on innovative theories, Di Bari has published a multitude of works including the books: Social Killer, Short Circuit, Web 2.0, The Future is Already Here (but we don’t know it yet), Weekend in the Future, Strategies for the Next Economy, and Multimedia Management. In addition to his books, Di Bari is a contributing writer for various magazines including WIRED, Harvard Business Review, Panorama (Italy) and Il Sole 24 Ore (Italy). He has also appeared as a host for television’s Discovery Channel and the Italian broadcasting network Italia 1.
Di Bari has held numerous titles of professorship, including: Professor of Design and Management of Innovation at the Faculty of System Engineering of the Polytechnic University and Professor of Innovation Design at the Bocconi University in Milan; Professor of New Media Theories and Techniques at the Communication Science and Technology Faculty of the IULM University in Milan; Professor of Multimedia Innovation Management at the Computer Science Faculty of the Polytechnic University in Milan; Professor of Design and Management of Multimedia Systems at the Design Faculty of the Polytechnic University in Milan; Scientific Director of the Master in Marketing, Communications and New Technologies at the Business School of Il Sole 24 Ore.
About
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is a nationally acclaimed economist and public speaker specializing in making economics fun, relevant and educational. Dr. Eisenberg earned a B.A. in economics with first class honors from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a Master and Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University. Eisenberg is the Chief Economist for GraphsandLaughs, LLC, an economic consultancy that serves a variety of clients across the United States. He writes a syndicated column and authors a daily 70 word commentary on the economy.
Dr. Eisenberg has spoken to hundreds of business groups and associations, often as keynote speaker on topics including: economic forecasts, economic impact of industries such as homebuilding and tourism, consequences of government regulation, strategic business development and other current economic issues. Dr. Eisenberg has been invited to testify before lawmakers and is often asked to comment on proposed legislation. His research and opinions have been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Bureau of National Affairs, Forbes, Fortune, and many other publications. He is a regularly featured guest on cable news programs, talk and public radio.
Dr. Eisenberg was formerly a Senior Economist with the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C. He is the creator of the multifamily stock index (the first nationally recognized index to track the total return of public firms principally involved in the ownership and management of apartments), the author of more than eighty-five articles, serves on the Expert Advisory Board of Mortgage Market Guide and is a regular consultant to several large real estate professional associations, hedge funds and investment advisory groups.
Philip Evans
Best-selling Author and Authority on Big Data & Business Strategy
About
Philip Evans is a Senior Partner Emeritus with the Boston Consulting Group and the first elected BCG Fellow. He founded both BCG’s media and Internet practices. He has long been the preeminent thought-leader for BCG and was dubbed one of the “Lords of Strategy” in the book of that name. In his 35-year career at BCG, he has consulted worldwide on strategy in the consumer goods, financial services, health care, media, retail, and technology sectors. He has also advised governments on military organization, homeland security, economic development, and digital policy.
Philip's long-term interest is in technology and business strategy. He has served as thought leader for BCG on such topics as community-centric marketing, tapping user-generated content, the architecture of open collaboration and innovation, network-based strategy, infrastructure economics, the “deconstruction” of value chains, big data, and privacy. Founding BCG’s media and internet practices, Philip also pioneered their expertise in pricing, IP, network analysis, and big data.
As a speaker, Philip has given keynote speeches for TED, Bill Gates’s CEO Summit, Michael Milken’s Global Conference, The Economist and the World Economic Forum. He has also addressed “closed door” sessions with the world’s telecommunication regulators (in Geneva), privacy authorities (in Uruguay), and the Senior Executive Council of the Pentagon.
Philip is co-author of the bestseller Blown to Bits and numerous award-winning articles in the Harvard Business Review. Currently, he sits on the Advisory Board of the Oxford Internet Institute, British-North American Committee.
About
Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. The M.I.T. Technology Review dubbed Nir, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.”
Nir founded two tech companies since 2003 and has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. He is the author of the bestselling book, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products.
In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today.
Nir is also an active investor in habit-forming technologies. Some of his past investments include: Eventbrite, Product Hunt, Pantry, Marco Polo, Presence Learning, 7 Cups, Pana, Symphony Commerce, Worklife (acquired by Cisco) and Refresh.io (acquired by LinkedIn).
Nir attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.
About
Mike Forde is one of the world’s leading authorities on elite talent and high performance - having worked in professional sports since 1998. Mike has a rich background and experience in creating ‘game changing’ methodologies around management of world class, multi-cultural talent. His work in pioneering new practices in the elite sports world have become a benchmark for leading teams across the globe. Mike is the go to expert for some of the great sports leaders from the world of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and European Soccer.
Between November 1999 and July 2007, Mike was Performance Director for Bolton Wanderers Football Club, also in the EPL. Mike also consulted closely on Corporate Knowledge Capture, with Sir Dave Brailsford and two-time Tour de France winners Team Sky Cycling.
Between August 2007 to July 2013, Mike was employed as Director of Football Operations & Executive Club Director for Chelsea Football Club in the EPL - dealing with all areas of performance and team operations relating to the 1st team. In this period Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Premier League title and three FA Cups. The most successful era in the club’s history.
In 2013, Mike branched out to create the leading Consulting and Software company Sportsology - based out of London and New York. Mike now has a client list of the ‘who’s who’ of professional sports - including 2019 NFL Super Bowl runner-up L.A. Rams; 2018 NFL Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles; and 2017 NFL Super Bowl runner-up Atlanta Falcons.
Over the past four years Mike has built a powerhouse business consulting around building high performance teams and ‘Talent Factories’ - for over 30 professional teams across five global sports. Through his extensive work, Mike has created a clear methodology around building high performance environments and leading talent that is repeatable and scalable - for teams and companies anywhere to take their organizations to the next level.
In addition, Mike is co-author of the inspiring business book Quiet Leadership (with over 100,000 sales globally) - and a consistent publisher in the Financial Times; MIT Sloan; Harvard Business Review and many other leading business publications.
About
Over the past decade, Futurist Thomas Frey has built an enormous following around the world based on his ability to develop accurate visions of the future and describe the opportunities ahead. Having started seventeen businesses himself and assisting on the development of hundreds more, the understanding he brings to his audiences is a rare blend of reality-based thinking coupled with a clear-headed visualization of the world ahead. Predicting the future has little value without understanding the driving forces behind the trends, subtle nuances that can be leveraged, and implications for both the people directly affected in the industry as well as others farther down the technological food chain.
Before launching the DaVinci Institute, Tom spent 15 years at IBM as an engineer and designer where he received over 270 awards, more than any other IBM engineer. He is also a past member of the Triple Nine Society (High I.Q. society over 99.9 percentile).As part of the celebrity speaking circuit, Thomas continually pushes the envelope of understanding, creating fascinating images of the world to come. His keynote talks on futurist topics have captivated people ranging from high level government officials to executives in Fortune 500 companies including NASA, Disney, IBM, Federal Reserve Bank, TED, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Visa, Frito-Lay, Toshiba, Dow Chemical, KPMG, Siemens, Rockwell, Wired Magazine, Caterpillar, PepsiCo, Deloitte & Touche, Hunter Douglas, Amgen, Capital One, National Association of Federal Credit Unions, Korean Broadcast System, Bell Canada, American Chemical Society, Times of India, Leaders in Dubai, and many more.
Thomas has been featured in thousands of articles for both national and international publications including New York Times, Huffington Post, Fast Company, World Economic Forum, and many more.
Thomas pushes far beyond the limits of conventional wisdom, often talking about extreme futures and building intriguing “what if” scenarios as a tool for discussing far reaching implications. His presentations not only stretch the imagination but also challenge current thinking.
Tom’s thought-provoking dialog and intense delivery enables audience members to grasp new possibilities and concepts while comprehending the salient touch points he presents. New ideas have a way of infusing audiences with energy and Thomas has the uncanny ability of touching on the most poignant trends, invigorating everyone who attends.
His long anticipated book, Epiphany Z: 8 Radical Visions for Transforming Your Future is captivating the attention of a whole new generation of forward thinking business leaders. Epiphany Z is a dynamic approach to envisioning, comprehending, and ultimately thriving in the radically different futures emerging around us at the speed of light. Frey’s unparalleled ability to detect emerging trends from the smallest of clues gives him an edge on other futurists.
Linda Galindo
Keynote Speaker on Accountability, Educator, Consultant, and Author
About
Linda Galindo is a fierce advocate for personal accountability. She wants to create a world in which everyone, regardless of circumstances or position, is accountable for their results. Galindo’s mission is to help others to find the courage to see, hear and tell their own truth so they can live fully accountable lives.
After years as a journalist covering government and business, Linda Galindo was fed up covering stories focused on a lack of accountability. She left journalism and decided to do something about it. Today, Galindo speaks, writes and consults internationally, teaching the principles of personal accountability. She looks for the hidden places where lack of accountability flourishes – often masked by ‘the culture’ – and shines light on them. With humor, directness and compassion, she calls out the truth.
Galindo delivers keynotes, and works directly with leaders and their teams to create accountable organizations. Her clients include some of the world’s most notable corporations, health care systems, government entities and educational institutions, as well as entrepreneurial companies and non-profits. Clients include: Genentech, Pharmacylics, Abbott and the YMCA.
About
Garry Golden is a professionally trained futurist who writes, speaks, and consults about issues that will shape society and business in the 21st century. His uncanny sense of what will hit—and what won’t—can be seen in futurethink’s research and heard in his international keynotes and corporate leadership seminars. His insights on how to align talent development to coming industry and market transitions have been shared with and implemented by such organizations as the McGraw-Hill Companies, Goodyear, S&P, and Reliant Energy.
Garry serves as Adjunct Lecturer on the Future of Energy and Environment for the University of Houston. He has consulted on projects as diverse as the future of utilities; transportation and supply chains; food safety and health; financial services; and sustainable retail packaging. He is the co-author of the inspiring book Designing Your Future, and author of the upcoming book titled The Age of Adaptive Experiences.
Garry attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his Futures Studies degree from the University of Houston. He is a past board member of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) as well as an aspiring collector of street art (which will likely be huge in the year 2040.) If left to his own devices at a museum gift shop, odds are a micro-machine or geological piece will be finding itself a future home.
About
Risha Grant is motivated by her passion to correct societal 'isms' - like racism, sexism, classism and plain old stupidism! It is her personal mission to expose the value of Diversity & Inclusion - while shining a light on the economic impact it creates. From her race, gender and lifestyle choices, to growing a small business and tackling economic issues - every area of her life intersects diversity.
Founder & CEO of Risha Grant LLC, an award-winning diversity consulting and communications firm, as well as an edgy, educational and motivational speaker - author Risha Grant is an internationally renowned diversity, inclusion and bias expert. She covers these topics as NBC KJRH TV News 2 for You community correspondent and host of the JustUs series, through her Tulsa World column, Risha Talks, as a columnist for Black Enterprise Magazine and in her book, That’s BS! How Bias Synapse Disrupts Inclusive Cultures.
Featured in Forbes, The Financial Times, Off Script, Bloomberg Media, Black Enterprise, Radioactive Radio, Take the Lead Radio and WURD Radio among other podcasts, local and national media. Risha has also been awarded numerous honours such as being named a 2019 Top 100 HR Influencer by Engagedly, a 2018 Inclusive Leadership Award Winner and Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017.
Through her interactive keynotes and deep-dive training sessions, Risha teaches and empowers attendees with D&I tools to increase their bottom line - and permission to get rid of their BS.
About
Adam’s remarkably consistent track record is built on applying his two proprietary frameworks for predicting business success; The Phoenix Principle and the Status Quo Risk Management Playbook. His keynote presentations and workshops make trends clear and help audiences chart a successful course to a more profitable future in our fast changing world.
Adam has been the No. 1 Leadership columnist for Forbes.com since 2009, written a quarterly column for CIO Magazine since 2010 and been a contributing editor for the International Journal of Innovation Science since its founding in 2008. His columns have boldly predicted highly unexpected declines for market leaders such as Tribune, Sears, and Research in Motion years before anyone else.
For two decades, Adam’s accurate forecasts about market shifting trends and his predictions for industry leading corporations has made him a frequent press interviewee regarding Apple, Microsoft, HP and other tech companies, as well as the automobile, media and retail industries. His insight to business growth and overcoming organizational obstacles have been featured in Inc, Adweek, Washington Times and on BBC television.
Since 2004, Adam has been CEO and Managing Partner of Spark Partners, a strategy and transformation consultancy. In 2010, Adam became the founding CEO of Soparfilm Energy, a corporation that invested early in fracking for oil and gas production. Additionally, Adam has been on the Board of Directors at several successful privately held companies, including Crosfield Electronics and Benchmark Technologies in the U.K., Biometric Access Corp. and Apex Interactive and in the U.S. Adam provides board advisory services and is a certified Fellow in the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) where he is a regular speaker on risk management.
Adam was formerly an executive with PepsiCo and DuPont and is a Boston Consulting Group alumni. Adam received his MBA from the Harvard Business School with Distinction. He now travels the globe giving keynotes and leading risk management workshops sharing his insights to how companies and executives can succeed.
Doc Hendley
Founder & President of Wine To Water, Top 10 CNN Hero, Author, Philanthropist and Expert on the ‘Power of One’
About
Doc Hendley is proof that anyone, even a tattooed keg tapper, can cure what ails the world. He is an expert on the immense power of relationships to transcend perceived barriers. Doc will take you on an inspirational journey, where he shares his experience by focusing on innovation, motivation and teamwork - and the brilliant change that can be effected.
In 2003, Doc Hendley dreamed up the concept of Wine to Water while bartending and playing music in nightclubs around Raleigh, North Carolina. In January, 2004 he held his first fundraiser and by August was living in Darfur, Sudan installing water systems for victims of the government supported genocide.
When Doc returned home in 2005, the haunting memories of what he had seen in Darfur drove him to continue growing the organization he had started only two years earlier. And in 2007, after working two jobs and volunteering his time for over three years, Wine To Water became an official 501 (c)(3) non-profit aid organization and Doc’s dream finally became a reality.
Hendley’s work aims to help the 1.1 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean water, a figure estimated by the World Health Organization. Nearly two-thirds of that group lives in Asia. In sub-Saharan Africa, 42% of the population lives without yard taps, household connections or other improvements to sanitize water. Unclean water is the number one killer of children in the world. Water borne illnesses kill far more children then HIV/AIDS and Malaria combined. Every 15 seconds a child dies from unclean water.
Doc Hendley was named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2009 (chosen by a panel of judges including Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner and Sir Elton John).
His book, Wine to Water: A Bartender's Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World (Avery:Penguin, Jan 2012), is a captivating story of an ordinary bartender who's changing the world through clean water.
Doc is the second of four children, with one older sister and two younger brothers. He currently resides in Boone, North Carolina with his wife and 2 sons.
About
Bruce Himelstein is the Ritz-Carlton executive who transformed customer service for one of the world's most recognizable luxury brands, as featured prominently in the New York Times bestseller, The New Gold Standard.
Recognized as “One of The Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing” by The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), Bruce was featured on The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania’s Sirius radio channel discussing his experiences in marketing lifestyle brands.
An inductee into “The American Marketing Association” Hall of Fame, Himelstein also sits on many prominent industry boards, including the Luxury Institute Advisory Board. He is credited with leading some of the travel and hospitality industry’s most prestigious domestic and global brands during a 30+ year illustrious career setting the global standards in hospitality, marketing, and C-level executive management.
Successful at every level of his career, Bruce Himelstein now helps growing and established businesses achieve new levels of success as a marketing, hospitality industry, and luxury brand consultant, as well as a business facilitator.
Peter Hinssen
Serial Entrepreneur, Acclaimed Author and Sought-after Innovation & Technology Keynote Speaker
About
Peter Hinssen for 15+ years has led an entrepreneurial life immersed in technology start-ups. His first company e-COM was acquired by Alcatel-Lucent, his second, Streamcase, by Belgacom, and Across Technology by Delaware Consulting. His third venture (Porthus) was quoted on the stock exchange in 2006 and acquired by Descartes. Between start-ups, he has been an Entrepreneur in Residence with McKinsey & Company - with a focus on digital and technology strategy. Peter’s current company nexxworks helps organizations become fluid, innovate and thrive in The Day After Tomorrow.
Peter has presented innumerable keynote speeches around the world, among those for Google Think Performance, Nimbus Ninety, Gartner, NEXT Berlin, Tedx, PayPal, MasterCard, Microsoft, CIO City, SAS, Accenture and Apple. He lectures at renowned business schools such as the London Business School, the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine. He is also a multiple board advisor on subjects related to innovation and technology.
Peter is the author of four best-selling business books. ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ (June 2017) - about surviving in times of radical innovation. ‘The Network Always Wins’ (2014) - explains how and why companies have no choice but to become a network when the outside world has evolved into one. In ‘The New Normal’ (2010) - Peter writes about how companies should explore the limits of the digital world, and what happens when technology just becomes ‘normal’. ‘Business/IT Fusion’ (2008) - is a guide about how to solve the conflict between business and IT. Peter is frequently asked to contribute to (international) publications and is a Forbes contributor as well as a LinkedIn Influencer. Peter's forthcoming best-seller The Phoenix and The Unicorn -- is slated for release in March 2020.
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 is 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 honors. 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.
Sheena Iyengar
Distinguished Scholar and Speaker on The Science of Decision Making
About
Sheena Iyengar has revolutionized the study of choice and decision-making with her research into the negative impact of choice quantity on decision quality. She regularly speaks to audiences across the world on how individuals can overcome the challenges of a market saturated with options. She is the inaugural S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at Columbia Business School. Prior to joining the Columbia faculty in 1998, she served on the faculty of the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
Her book The Art of Choosing explores the many facets of choice, both its pleasures and its perils, and offers handy techniques anyone can learn in order to start choosing better. It received a Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 award, and was ranked #3 on the Amazon.com Best Business and Investing Books of 2010.
Iyengar’s more recent research has turned to social network analysis, the forces behind creativity and innovation, and how we construct our authentic selves. Her work has been published in premiere academic journals, including JPSP, Psychological Science, Leadership Quarterly, and the Journal of Policial of Economy, and is regularly cited in the popular media, including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and BBC. Iyengar has also appeared on the Today Show, the Daily Show, and Fareed Zakaria’s GPS on CNN. Her TED Talks have collectively received almost four million views and her research continues to inform markets, businesses, and people all over the world.
Iyengar received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University.