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 113 results
Jay Acunzo
Author, Critically-Acclaimed Documentary Host/Producer, Keynote Speaker on Empowerment
About
Jay Acunzo is waging war on conventional thinking. As a digital media strategist at Google, he was responsible for pushing marketing executives and practitioners into the digital age more rapidly, in ways that benefited both companies and careers. He held multiple leadership positions at high-growth tech startups, including Head of Content at HubSpot, and served as Vice President of Brand and Community at the venture capital firm NextView. On the side, Jay created the award-winning podcast, Unthinkable, and co-founded Boston Content, the northeast's largest community of content creators and marketers.
Courses at Harvard Business School have cited Jay’s work, as well as writers at the New York Times, the Washington Post, FastCompany, Forbes, and more. He has been called a “creative savant” by Salesforce, and named to the city of Boston’s “50 on Fire" list.
Today, Jay is the founder of Unthinkable Media, which works with fast-growing start-ups and challenger brands to create entertaining B2B shows. In a world where “storyteller” has become a buzzword, Jay actually understands how to tell great stories -- stories that entertain, surprise, teach, and above all, push people beyond conventional thinking so they can do their best work. His book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work, inspires others to do precisely that.
Simon J. Anderson
Founder of Venture Foresight, Futurist, Award-winning Author and Global Speaker on Trends & Technology.
About
Simon J. Anderson is an Applied Foresight speaker and consultant. He helps leaders and organizations be more future resilient - and has shared his compelling message with thousands of senior executives and other leaders in a variety of industries from coast to coast in the United States, as well as internationally. In 2013, he founded Venture Foresight, a company dedicated to helping leaders recognize opportunities in emerging technologies and trends. The world is changing faster than ever, and every industry is being transformed. Find out how Simon can help you spot the opportunities created by all this change before they become challenges.
Simon co-authored the 2014 Bellwether Award winning book Foresight 20/20: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow with fellow global futurist Jack Uldrich. With two new chapters and hundreds of updates, the 2015 “Updated & Expanded” edition broadens the focus to include new industries, insights, and advancements. Watch for Simon's upcoming book to be released Fall, 2019 - in progress with the working title Outrunning Automation: How to Create Value in a Fast-Changing World. This too will be a must-read!
As a key member of the international organization Communities of the Future, Simon works to promote and facilitate “future’s thinking’ in communities around the world. His work as a futurist also informed his roles as an advisor to several technology startups and a multinational educational non-profit organization.
Having traveled to more than 25 countries, Simon brings a global perspective to his work, which has been featured in numerous publications including the World Future Society’s monthly newsletter, “The Futurist” and the Austrian management magazine the “Hernsteiner.”
Simon and his wife Helena Cruz Sanchez live in Minneapolis, MN.
Dr. Britt Andreatta
Former Professor and Dean at the University of California, Author & Speaker on the Brain Science of Success
About
Dr. Britt Andreatta is an internationally recognized thought leader in leadership and learning. Drawing on her unique background in leadership, neuroscience, psychology, education, and the human sciences, she has a profound understanding of how to unlock the best in people, helping organizations rise to their potential. As the former Chief Learning Officer for Lynda.com, her research on the brain science of success has transformed the talent/learning industry.
She is the CEO and President of 7th Mind Inc. providing groundbreaking research and science-based solutions for today's workplace challenges. Britt has published several titles on learning and leadership including her books Wired to Connect: The Brain Science of Teams and a New Model to Create Collaboration and Inclusion, Wired to Grow: Harness the Power of Brain Science to Master Any Skill and Wired to Resist: The Brain Science of Why Change Fails and a New Model for Driving Success. Britt is currently writing her next books on the neuroscience of purpose and the conscious evolution of organizations.
Britt is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience consulting with businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations. Corporate clients include Fortune 100 companies like Comcast and Apple as well as companies such as Ernst&Young, Avvo, LinkedIn, Franklin Covey, AlterEco Foods, DPR Construction, and 15Five. Dr. Andreatta has also worked with major educational institutions like the University of California, Dartmouth University, and the University of New Mexico as well as non-profit organizations like the YMCA and Norton Healthcare.
She has received over 8 million views worldwide of her courses on Lynda.com/ LinkedIn Learning. Titles include The Neuroscience of Learning, Creating a Culture of Learning, Organizational Learning & Development, Leading Change, Having Difficult Conversations, and Leading with Emotional Intelligence.
A highly sought-after and engaging speaker, Britt delivered a TEDx talk called “How Your Past Hijacks Your Future” and she regularly speaks at corporate events and international conferences receiving rave reviews like “best speaker of the conference” or “best keynote I’ve ever heard.”
Dr. Andreatta has served as professor and dean at the University of California, Antioch University, and several graduate schools. She regularly consults with executives and organizations on how to maximize their full potential.
About
A poor upbringing from one of the roughest areas of Chicago didn't stop Victor Antonio from earning a B.S. Electrical Engineering, an MBA and building a 20-year career as a top sales executive and becoming President of Global Sales and Marketing for a $420M company. As Vice-President of International Sales in a Fortune 500 $3B corporation at the time, he was selected from over 500 sales managers to join the President’s Advisory Council for excellence in sales and management.
He is the author of 13 books on sales and motivation. His most recent publication, "Sales Ex Machina: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the World of Selling" examines how AI is altering the world of sales. He is also the founder of the Sales Mastery Academy, a learning platform for today's salesperson.
He has shared the stage with top business speakers: Rudy Giuliani, Zig Ziglar, Paul Otellini (CEO, Intel), and John May (CEO, FedEx Kinkos), and has spread his sales message around the world: Europe, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Latin America, Middle East, China, United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
Victor is also bilingual, adding the option of presenting in Spanish.
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.
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 signature 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. 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 that 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.
About
Russell Bishop is a global thought leader on the power of personal transformation, helping individuals and teams achieve what matters most. Gleaned from 35 years experience working with individuals, teams and organizations in over 30 countries, Russell Bishop presents a powerful and inspiring blend of insights and best practices for personal and professional transformation. Over two million people have been inspired by Russell in keynote speeches and workshops around the world.
Russell Bishop is Managing Partner of a marketing and business strategy consulting firm focused on transformational change. A serial entrepreneur, Russell has started five companies in his career and has been a partner in the Andersen Consulting (Accenture) global think tank on Change Strategy.
In addition to running his consulting practice, Russ Bishop also serves as Senior Editor-at-Large for the Huffington Post, bringing fresh voices and new perspectives to the business and Living sections. Along with his recent book, Workarounds That Work: How to Conquer Anything That Stands in Your Way at Work, he is the author of over 100 articles in such leading publications as The New York Times, Forbes, Strategy & Business, Crain’s, The Huffington Post, Psychology Today, World Finance, CIO, CFO, The Globe and Mail and PC World.
Russell Bishop has appeared on ABC News Now, The Ron Insana Show, and numerous radio news and talk shows, and has lectured on productivity for the executive MBA programs at UCLA, University of Texas and Washington University in St. Louis.
Jane Blaufus
Best-Selling Author, Chartered Life Underwriter and Keynote Speaker on Courageous Conversations
About
As a catalyst for Courageous Conversations, Jane Blaufus uses a combination of both compelling storytelling, at times heart-wrenching, at times laugh out loud funny, and offers a wealth of knowledge and insights to deliver presentations that are sure to ignite your audience and leave them wanting more.
Jane brings to the table 25+ years of financial services expertise as a financial advisor, sales manager and executive responsible for the development, delivery and implementation of recruiting and selection processes and sales and marketing training to thousands of people in the sales force. Today she is the Principal of The Blaufus Group Inc., based in Toronto, Canada, and is a frequent guest expert on national TV/Radio.
Jane has been on both sides of the table, first, as a financial advisor delivering the cheques and later as a beneficiary receiving the cheques. In less than sixty-seconds, her life turned upside down when she became a widow with a twelve-year-old daughter, and a financial tsunami coming her way after her 39-year-old husband was killed in a tragic accident. A veteran of the financial services industry she had foolishly thought that if anything happened to her she would be better prepared than others would be -- Wrong!
Today she is the best-selling author of the book With the [Stroke] of a Pen: Claim Your Life and openly shares her story to support advisors, the financial services industry and companies in their quest to help their prospects, clients and employees to have the Courageous Conversations to get one’s personal and financial lives in order while they can. Her book and comprehensive planning binder have become acclaimed as two of the most comprehensive, actionable, personal and financial planning resources available today for families, individuals and business owners alike.
Her reputation and expertise make her an influential coach to many sales professionals and business owners. Jane believes that to excel in today's marketplace, the key to success is relationship building and she walks the walk and talks the talk.
About
Rocky Bleier’s story - a gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam - has held audiences in rapt attention for years. Yet, the motivational message behind it, detailing how ordinary people can become extraordinary achievers, defines success in the new American century.
With the same optimism, sense of humor and steadfast determination that were his trademarks as a Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Rocky Bleier takes audiences from his early years through his professional career and talks about the lessons he learned along the way….lessons that we can all benefit from.
Not falling within the ideal of what a running back should look like, Bleier had to run harder and play smarter to be able to stand out. Despite his drive and ability to make the big play, the Pittsburgh Steelers only considered him a late round pick. But before the season ended that first year, he was drafted again - this time by the United States Army. At the height of the Vietnam War, Bleier was thrust into combat early and was seriously wounded when his platoon ran into an ambush. Receiving wounds from both rifle fire and grenade fragments in his legs, he was barely able to walk and his professional football career seemed to have ended before it began.
For more than two years, he drove himself. Little by little, he overcame obstacles and fought his way back. He not only made the Pittsburgh Steelers, but also eventually became a starting running back on a team that won four Super Bowls and became the greatest football team of the 20th century.
The hard lessons Rocky Bleier learned early in his life, and that helped him overcome adversity and reach his goals, have paid off after football. These lessons are seen between the lines in the popular book on his life, Fighting Back.
About
Kerry Bodine believes that happy customers lead to happy shareholders. Her book, Outside In: The Power of Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business, helps business leaders understand the financial benefits of great customer experiences—and how their organizations must change in order to deliver them.
Kerry is a customer experience consultant with expertise in human-centered design, journey mapping, marketing, and branding. She helps executives co-create innovative products, services, and experiences that truly matter—for their customers, for their employees, and for their business.
Kerry’s ideas, analysis, and opinions have appeared on sites like The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, USA Today, and Advertising Age. She also contributes a regular column to Touchpoint, the journal published by the global Service Design Network. Kerry is a frequent keynote speaker at public conferences and private corporate events around the world.
Kerry spent seven years with the customer experience practice at Forrester Research. As vice president and principal analyst, she lead Forrester’s research on customer experience design and innovation. She was also the creative force behind the customer experience ecosystem, a framework that helps companies diagnose and fix customer problems at their roots.
In previous roles, Kerry managed consumer research teams; guided the design of websites, mobile apps, and branded social networks; designed interfaces for robots and wearable devices; and in 1995, developed a Web-based social shopping prototype for AT&T Bell Labs. She also completed stints as both a management consultant and an advertising executive.
Kerry holds a master’s degree in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon University.
About
At the vanguard of his generation, 36 years ago Harry Broadman began building a career that epitomizes present-day 'serial entrepreneurs’ as a practitioner in high growth emerging markets of international finance, global business growth and risk-mitigation strategy, corporate governance and anti-corruption compliance practices, and the nature and pace of innovation.
Re-inventing himself multiple times in a truly interdisciplinary fashion across greatly differentiated senior roles in the private sector, interspersed with stints as a high-level policy maker and regulator, Harry emerged as a genuine thought leader on the transformation of world markets long before the term "globalization" was ever uttered.
His professional journey—the imprints of which color his thought-provoking speeches—has been driven by his intense personal inquisitiveness about the elements shaping the operations successful firms pursue to grow rapidly, excel at remaining more competitive than rivals, reduce exposure to risks and constantly innovate.
Harry brings to audiences a unique combination of fundamentally insightful yet pragmatic views about how market and policy dynamics impact Boards, C-Suites, and workers enterprise-wide, and how they’ll alter the fortunes of today's businesses in ways few ever could have predicted.
He has the rare ability to frame speeches about the impacts of the most salient business issues from a prospective vantage point rather than conventional rear-view mirror extrapolation, and do so through a prism that recognizes the intrinsic non-linearities of market changes. And, all done in a highly entertaining mode and infused with Harry’s infectious sense of humor.
Harry has authored several books and numerous professional articles published in a wide array of peer-reviewed economics, law, and foreign policy journals. His most recent books are: Africa's Silk Road: China and India's New Economic Frontier; From Disintegration to Reintegration: Russia and the Former Soviet Union in the Global Economy; and The State As Shareholder: China's Management of Enterprise Assets.
About
Kevin’s unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. He is a marketing executive for an international franchisor that is ranked #1 in their industry and in the top 10 of all franchise companies according to the Annual Franchise 500. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Kevin is also a highly sought after keynote speaker. He has had the privilege of speaking to a wide variety of organizations including Siemens, State Farm, Country Financial, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Northwestern Mutual, Delta Airlines and The Boy Scouts of America to name just a few.
He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan where his blue collar roots taught him the value of hard work and determination. His resume includes an eclectic mix of career stops that ultimately led him to the purchase of a franchise at the age of seventeen.
With a street-wise aptitude and a never quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom. For the past seventeen years he has been part of a leadership team that has grown a little known brand into an industry giant with annual revenues exceeding one billion dollars.
Kevin is on a mission to help people and organizations embrace a simple philosophy that separates world class organizations and high performance people from everybody else. He is passionate about helping people expand their vision, develop their potential and grow their results. And, as the father of an autistic child he knows firsthand how the principles of true success reach beyond the boardroom and into the lives of real people facing the challenges of everyday life.
Kevin entertains, inspires and challenges people to show up every day and make a positive difference at work and in life!
About
A dynamic and insightful speaker, Jeff Bush is known for his unique ability to translate difficult and confusing tax and fiscal information coming out of Washington into winning growth strategies for business owners, executives, and high net worth investors. Jeff is a colleague of Andy Friedman and an integral part of The Washington Update, the non-partisan experts on all things Washington D.C.
Jeff does more than 200 presentations yearly in the US and abroad to a client base that includes a who’s who list of fortune 500 firms from Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between. Jeff has been featured in Investment News and has been an analyst on POTUS Sirius/XM radio. While best known as a keynote speaker, Jeff has shared the stage with many notables including former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., Consuelo Mack, host of Wealth Track, Morgan Stanley, Chief Investment Officer, Jeffrey Applegate, Ron Insana, reporter for Market Score Board and former CNBC Senior Analyst.
Jeff is a 28-year veteran of the financial industry. During a 10-year career at Merrill Lynch he was responsible for providing, through 7500 financial advisers, creative investment strategies and effective risk mitigation approaches to private and corporate clients across the US. By the end of his career on Wall Street, he was managing a $50+ billion business. Before that, Jeff was the youngest managing partner in the 150-year history of The New England Financial, an investment and tax risk consulting firm. He began his career at Principal Financial Group, where he handled complex underwriting issues before moving into the areas of research and development.
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management with emphasis in accounting and philosophy from William Jewell College. Jeff’s dedication, forward thinking, and strategic abilities have resulted in performance records, industry awards, and leadership accolades.
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.
Rachel DeAlto
Relationship expert, media personality, hypnotherapist, high-end mediator and keynote speaker
About
Rachel DeAlto is a relationship expert, coach, media personality, speaker, and hypnotherapist. Rachel believes that relationships are the foundation of everything. She knows that navigating those relationships with great communication, a sense of perspective, and self-awareness is essential. As a relationship expert, Rachel is best known for her Lifetime’s hit show Married at First Sight. She is also the host of FYI’s Kiss Bang Love, a provocative social experiment based on the science of kissing. Additionally, Rachel was featured as an expert and coach on Lifetime's Second Chances. She is presently shooting with TLC for a series to be released in 2019.
As a speaker, Rachel integrates her humor and passion to deliver the most impactful presentation possible. She draws from a decade of experience as a relationship expert and her prior occupation as a trial attorney to help others succeed in the most challenging situations.
If you are looking for a speaker to motivate and inspire, while providing attendees with tangible practical steps to change their lives, reduce stress, and improve relationships, look no further.
Rachel DeAlto holds an undergraduate degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law. These two degrees and professional experience have provided her with a strong foundation in interpersonal communications and relationships. Further professional training as a coach through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC) and certification as a hypnotherapist via the International Association Of Counselors & Therapists (IACT) has allowed Rachel to bring a multidimensional approach to her work.
In addition to her regular appearances, Rachel has also been featured on a multitude of media outlets including The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, CNN/HLN, Access Hollywood Live, The Steve Harvey Show, and Fox News. She has also given three TEDx talks on Being Authentic in a Filtered World, the Power of Kindness and Killing Fear.
About
As a charismatic and energetic worldwide keynote speaker, author, sales leader, performance expert, and change agent, Andrew Deutscher instills today's most critical skills of self-awareness, empathy, resilience, absorbed focus, and perseverance in the face of ever increasing demand and stress. The emerging science of high performance proves definitive links to today's most engaged, profitable, and progressive companies.
Andrew currently serves as a Vice President at The Energy Project, a company that helps individuals and organizations fuel energy by harnessing the science of high performance. He also is the author of a new book that captures the essence of story and purpose to overcome obstacles and achieve sustained excellence.
His increasing popularity as a speaker combined with his corporate and entrepreneurial background have attracted companies such as Apple, Intel, Coca Cola, Genentech, GE, Lego Systems, DPR Construction, American Express and many others to his speeches and trainings.
Having worked his way up from an account executive at a small television station to Senior Vice President of Sales for Sony Pictures Television in the furiously competitive entertainment industry, Andrew forged his path to success with personal connection, fortitude, persistence, creativity and humility. A corporate wide reduction at Sony leaving him unemployed and the subsequent chronic illness diagnosis of his youngest child served as the turning points to live a life with greater energy, passion, deeper meaning and purpose.
Andrew's determination and triumphant comeback personally and professionally is the backdrop for a rich, inspiring, and uplifting experience that changes lives. Delivered with authenticity, humor, command and the desire to lift others yields personal breakthroughs that help them attain their highest potential both at work and in life.
Grounded in real-world business case studies, individual achievement, personal experience, and a growing science of high performance, Andrew has helped thousands improve their overall health and well-being, deepen relationships emotionally, cultivate absorbed and flexible focus, overcome obstacles and ultimately, live lives with deeper meaning and purpose.
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
For more than 20 years, Connie Dieken dedicated herself to journalism as a television news anchorwoman, reporter, broadcast personality, and talk show host, including co-hosting The Morning Exchange, America's longest running television talk show. She is a multiple Emmy® award-winning and Telly® award-winning journalist and her excellence has led to her induction to the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Connie has represented more than 50 companies as their spokesperson, including Intel, Sealy, GE, American Greetings, Ernst and Young and Goodyear.
Connie spent her career with the most successful and influential people in business and entertainment and recognized a pattern to their success. After years of research, she learned the common traits each of these people shared, and discovered people could learn how to be influential with the right training. Armed with unique insight into the power that influence has over each of us, she developed a proven methodology to transform any leader or executive into an influencer. In 2000, she founded onPoint Communication to train leaders and emerging leaders in critical influential leadership, communication, media and presentation skills.
For nearly 12 years, Connie has been the trusted executive coach and advisor to many leaders who run the world's most recognizable brands. She has become the most respected and in-demand executive coach, keynote speaker, author and authority on learning the skills needed to become an influential personality in all forms of leadership and communication.
Connie is the author and co-author of five books, dedicated to teaching individuals influential leadership, communication and presentation techniques. Her most recent bestselling book, Talk Less, Say More: 3 Habits to Influence Others and Make Things Happen, takes Connie's knowledge, research and experience coaching high-powered leaders and condenses it into a fast-paced, no-nonsense guide to teach anyone to be an influential communicator with anyone, anywhere.
Connie's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, The Los Angeles Times, Crain's Business, The Chicago Tribune, Women's Day, and many more nationwide.
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.