New Speakers
Gaby Natale
Transformative Motivational Speaker, Triple Daytime EMMY-Winning Journalist, Bestselling Author & Entrepreneur
About
Gaby Natale is a triple Emmy® Award-winning journalist, top motivational speaker, bestselling author, and television host. Known for her high-energy, approachable style, Gaby inspires audiences to embrace the pioneer spirit, break barriers, and drive meaningful change in their personal and professional lives.
As the first Latina to win three Daytime Emmys® back-to-back, Gaby has consistently demonstrated her ability to innovate and lead across industries. Her proprietary frameworks equip individuals and teams with actionable takeaways that foster innovation, build resilience, and cultivate a sense of belonging.
Gaby delivers customized keynotes, talent development programs, leadership content, and consulting for corporate events both in-person and virtually. Her clients include global organizations such as Google, Microsoft, P&G, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, Estee Lauder, Dell, and the United Nations.
A bestselling author, her book The Virtuous Circle, published by HarperCollins Leadership, topped Amazon’s New Releases in Business, Inspiration, and Self-Help. It reflects her commitment to empowering indiv iduals to achieve personal and professional growth.
Gaby’s entrepreneurial ventures include founding AGANARmedia, a marketing company that has served Fortune 500 companies like Hilton Worldwide, Sprint, and Amazon. Her global perspective is shaped by her triple citizenship (United States, Argentina, and Italy) and her experience living in London, Mexico, Washington D.C., and Buenos Aires.
Recognized by media outlets such as Forbes, CNN, NBC, and Univision, Gaby has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the “25 Most Powerful Latinas” by People, a “Woman of Influence” by SUCCESS Magazine, and an “Exceptional Woman of Excellence” by the Women Economic Forum. Her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights earned her a GLAAD Media Award nomination.
In 2024, after surviving breast cancer, Gaby became an official Susan G. Komen ambassador, sharing her story to raise awareness about the importance of early detection.
With a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s in journalism, Gaby began her career teaching at the University of Texas. Today, with over 52 million YouTube views, she continues to inspire global audiences with her message of innovation, resilience, and leadership.
About
Richard Newman: Founder of BodyTalk | Bestselling Author | Speaker on Communication, Storytelling and Influence
Why Book Richard Newman?
Richard combines engaging demonstrations with practical tools for storytelling, body language, voice, and confidence under pressure. His keynotes show audiences how to make their message clearer and more compelling in the conversations that matter.
Why Is Richard Newman Right for Your Audience?
Richard is a strong fit for leadership conferences, sales meetings, client-facing teams, and events where people need to present ideas or influence decisions. He is especially valuable when an organization wants its people to communicate complex information with greater confidence and impact.
Book Richard when your audience needs to:
- Make presentations and pitches more memorable
- Explain complex ideas with clarity
- Use stories to move people toward action
- Strengthen presence in important conversations
- Adapt body language and voice to support a message
- Perform more confidently in high-pressure moments
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Better able to shape a clear, compelling story around an idea
- More aware of how nonverbal behavior affects a message
- Equipped with practical ways to improve their speaking presence
- Ready to prepare for high-stakes meetings and presentations
- Focused on communicating in a way that helps others listen and respond
Keynote Programs
Stories that Win
Richard shows audiences how to turn ideas and complex information into stories people can follow and remember. He introduces his PRO Story System™ to help attendees communicate with greater clarity and encourage action in meetings, presentations, and conversations. Ideal for leaders, sales teams, and anyone presenting important ideas.
The Science of Personal Impact
Richard draws on his research into nonverbal communication to demonstrate how body language and voice affect the way a message is received. Interactive exercises give audiences techniques they can apply to communicate with greater presence and influence. Ideal for leadership and client-facing events.
Peak Performance Mindset
Richard explores how to prepare for presentations, pitches, and conversations when the stakes feel high. He shares techniques for managing pressure and staying focused so people can put their communication skills to work when it matters most. Ideal for sales, leadership, and high-performance teams.
Is Richard Newman Right for Your Event?
Tell us what your audience needs to communicate more effectively and where the stakes are highest. We can help select Richard’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and fee.
Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.
Natalie Nixon
Strategy, Foresight, and Innovation Expert, Award-winning Author
About
Natalie Nixon, PhD is "the creativity whisperer to the C-Suite". She is a creativity strategist who advises leaders on achieving transformative business results by applying wonder & rigor. She is a highly sought after global keynote speaker, valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work and innovation.
Natalie was selected for Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2024; Real Leaders' "Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World for 2022" list; and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and INC. She is the author of the award-winning The Creativity Leap—an honoree in the creativity category of Fast Company's 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards. Her firm, Figure 8 Thinking, was named among the top 20 women-led innovation firms in 2021 by Core 77. Clients have included Microsoft, Salesforce, Comcast, Citrix, Morrison & Foerster, Living Cities, VaynerMedia and Bloomberg.
A hybrid thinker, Natalie consistently applies her background in cultural anthropology, fashion, design thinking and dance. She is an early-stage investor at two social impact ventures, valued for her ability to work at the intersection of commercial value and stakeholder equity.
Natalie is a trustee of the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt Design Museum; and a former trustee of Vassar College and Leadership+Design. She has lived in Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Israel, and Sri Lanka and is proficient in Portuguese and Spanish. She is certified as a Foresight Practitioner by the Institute for the Future. She received her BA (honors) from Vassar College, and her PhD from the University of Westminster in London.
When she's not dancing up a storm in hip-hop class, Natalie is fine-tuning her salsa, foxtrot and tango on the ballroom floor. She lives in her hometown of Philadelphia with her husband, John Nixon, and is the proud stepmother of Sydney.
Eric O’Neill
National Security Strategist at VMWare Carbon Black, Former FBI Agent, Bestselling Author & Speaker on Cybersecurity
About
In 2001, Eric O’Neill helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history: Robert Hanssen, a 25-year veteran of the FBI. The remarkable true events of his life are the inspiration behind the critically acclaimed dramatic thriller Breach, starring Ryan Philippe as O’Neill, and his bestselling novel Gray Day. The film set inside the FBI- the gatekeeper of the nation’s most sensitive and potentially volatile secrets – is the story of the greatest security breach in US history.
Preceding Hanssen’s arrest, O’Neill worked with the spy within the information assurance division that protected all classified FBI intelligence. O’Neill gained Hanssen’s trust and used that relationship to slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover.
O’Neill began his career in the FBI as a graduate of the FBI’s Intelligence Program. He spent the first five years of his career as a special surveillance group field operative tasked to surveil and monitor foreign, national, and domestic terrorists and spies. He transitioned from field operative to direct undercover work focusing on Hanssen. Although his prior training had focused on “ghosting” targets from the shadows, he engaged his target in conversation in order to elicit information needed to catch Hanssen in the act of espionage. The singular nature of the assignment, one with little backup or support, required O’Neill to draw from deep reserves of courage and confidence within himself to battle Hanssen’s mind games and aggressive probing and learn to “stop reacting to Hanssen and begin acting.”
Currently, Eric O’Neill runs The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security consultancy, where he specializes in counterintelligence operations, investigations into economic espionage, cybersecurity penetrations, internal investigations, catching the trusted insider and security risk assessment consulting out of Washington, DC. Eric is also the National Security Strategist for Carbon Black, the leader in next-generation endpoint protection, where he provides insight and advice on strategic cyber-security issues and will work to ensure Carbon Black is an active participant in the conversation about the national strategy for cybersecurity.
O’Neill’s story is one of patriotism, of decisive action in the face of fear, and of learning to maintain confidence in ability even if it looks like success is impossible. He has told his story in national media, in print, on radio, and on television including 20/20, Nightline, Hardball with Chris Mathews, Fox News Power Player of the Week with Chris Wallace, CNN, CSPAN’s Washington Journal, NPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” World News Now, MTV, and Access Hollywood.
A talented motivational speaker who weaves real-life experiences into a presentation that is both entertaining and rewarding, Eric O’Neill provides practical insights into real work situations relevant to many industries. In addition to his experience in the Hanssen case, he also addresses the issues of
John O’Leary
#1 National Bestselling Author, Award-winning Live Inspired Podcast, Inspiring Stories Keynote Speaker
About
In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live.
This epic story of survival was first showcased in Overwhelming Odds, the book his parents wrote in 2006. It was this book that first invited John to embrace his miraculous recovery and share it with the world.
Today, John inspires tens of thousands of people at more than 100 live and virtual events each year. He partners with companies and organizations across fields, such as: sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance. Consistently described as “the best speaker we’ve ever had,” John’s tireless schedule is a testament to the power of his message. His emotional storytelling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each presentation unforgettable.
John is a two-time bestselling author of On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy. John’s award-winning Live Inspired Podcast has more than seven million downloads and enjoys world-class guests such as Brené Brown, Mitch Albom, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Bob Costas.
Amazingly, John’s story is taking on a new form: a full-length feature film starring Joel Courtney, John Corbett, and William H. Macy. SOUL ON FIRE will be release in theaters nationwide on October 10, 2025.
Regardless of his professional accomplishments, John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.
Matt Phillips
Serial Entrepreneur, Leading Expert & Keynote Speaker on Innovation and Creativity
About
Matt Phillips: Keynote Speaker on Mental Toughness, Leadership & High Performance | Former Professional Baseball Player | Executive Coach
Matt Phillips is a leadership coach, mental toughness expert, former professional baseball player and dynamic keynote speaker on leadership, mindset and high performance.
Drawing on lessons from professional athletics and the corporate world, Matt helps leaders and teams strengthen the mental side of performance so they can become more confident, focused, emotionally controlled and energized when it matters most.
Why Book Matt Phillips?
Matt's message addresses a challenge almost every organization faces: knowing what to do isn't the same as consistently doing it at a high level.
Strategy, skills and experience matter. But when pressure rises, setbacks occur or confidence drops, mindset can determine whether people execute effectively.
Matt gives audiences practical strategies for developing greater mental toughness, improving their leadership and showing up more consistently—both professionally and personally.
His combination of professional sports experience, corporate leadership and executive coaching makes his message particularly relevant to leaders and sales teams focused on improving performance.
What Makes Matt Phillips Different?
- Mental toughness specialist — focuses on confidence, focus, emotional control and energy
- Former professional baseball player — competed in Austria's Bundesliga
- Division I athlete — understands performance from an elite sports perspective
- Corporate experience — worked in operations, finance and accounting with Fortune 500 organizations
- Leadership coach — works directly with executives and corporate leaders
- Sales leadership expertise — helps sales leaders strengthen both mindset and leadership skills
- Practical approach — gives audiences tools they can immediately apply
- High-energy delivery — combines motivation with actionable performance strategies
Why Is Matt Right for Your Audience?
Matt is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to strengthen their mindset, perform more consistently and become better leaders under pressure.
He is particularly effective for sales kickoffs, leadership conferences, management meetings, corporate events and high-performance teams.
Book Matt when your audience needs to:
- Strengthen confidence and self-belief
- Maintain focus when distractions increase
- Manage emotions more effectively under pressure
- Build greater resilience when setbacks occur
- Improve consistency and execution
- Develop stronger leadership habits
- Raise the performance of their teams
- Bring greater energy and intention to their work
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Understanding how mindset influences performance
- Better equipped to build confidence
- More capable of maintaining focus under pressure
- Better prepared to manage their emotional response to challenges
- Understanding how leaders influence the performance of others
- Equipped with practical strategies they can apply immediately
- More accountable for how they show up every day
- Ready to elevate their performance from good to great
Matt Phillips Keynote Programs
3 Secrets to High-Performance Leadership. How do you consistently show up as the leader your team needs—especially when the pressure is on?
Matt reveals three critical principles that help leaders strengthen their mindset, improve performance and become more effective at leading others.
Drawing from professional athletics, corporate leadership and coaching, he challenges audiences to rethink how they approach confidence, focus and performance.
The goal is straightforward: help leaders show up at their best more consistently so their teams can do the same.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, management meetings, corporate events and high-potential leadership programs.
Mental Toughness for High Performance. Your biggest performance challenge may not be what's happening around you—but what's happening between your ears.
Matt shows audiences how to strengthen the mental skills required to perform consistently when expectations, competition and pressure increase.
His approach focuses on key elements of mental toughness including confidence, focus, emotional control and energy, helping people develop a stronger internal foundation for sustained performance.
Ideal for: Sales kickoffs, high-performance teams, leadership events and organizations navigating demanding environments.
Mental Toughness for Sales. Sales performance isn't determined only by knowing what to say. It's also determined by how you respond when you hear “no.”
Matt helps sales professionals develop the mindset required to remain confident, focused and consistent despite rejection, changing targets and competitive pressure.
Rather than simply adding another sales technique, he focuses on strengthening the person responsible for executing those techniques.
Ideal for: Sales kickoffs, national sales meetings, sales leadership conferences and revenue teams.
Why Book Matt Phillips Through The Sweeney Agency?
Matt Phillips combines professional athletics, corporate experience and mental toughness coaching to help audiences improve how they perform when the pressure is on.
The Sweeney Agency can help you:
- Confirm Matt Phillips' availability and current speaking fee
- Determine which Matt Phillips keynote best fits your audience
- Discuss customization around your leadership or sales objectives
- Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
- Compare Matt with other leading mental toughness, leadership and high-performance speakers
Is Matt Phillips Right for Your Event?
Tell us where your people need greater confidence, focus, resilience or consistency.
We'll help you determine whether Matt is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.
Planning a sales kickoff, leadership conference or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Matt Phillips as your keynote speaker.
About
After 35 years at CNBC, Bob Pisani stepped away from his as Senior Markets Correspondent on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and started a new chapter: one focused on speaking, consulting and sharing the lessons he’s learned from a lifetime covering the intersection of markets and media. Bob is still planning to continue to collaborate with CNBC PRO as a Contributor and to help build out their content and conference business.
For 28 years, Bob reported live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as CNBC’s Senior Markets Correspondent. Surrounded by traders on the floor, he covered the movement of major indices, corporate earnings, IPOs, the SEC, market structure, the impact of global economic and political developments on investor behavior, the growth of indexing/passive investing and the remarkable rise of ETFs. He witnessed the remarkable transition from traders shouting on the floor of the NYSE to nearly all-electronic trading.
When Bob started in this role, it was still possible to talk about the U.S. stock market in isolation. Not anymore. Bob has been praised for his ability to explain how interconnected the world has become, from China to Europe to emerging markets, and how financial data and political change influence market performance.
About
Jeremy Poincenot is an extraordinary figure, not just as a renowned keynote speaker but also as a world champion in blind golf. Jeremy’s speaking topics often revolve around turning trauma into triumph, the power of interdependence, and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth.
At the age of 19, Jeremy’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare genetic disorder that led to the loss of his central vision. Initially viewing this as a life-limiting setback, Jeremy soon realized that every challenge comes with an opportunity for growth. With determination and the support of his family and friends, he not only adapted to his new reality but also excelled in it.
Jeremy’s prowess in golf, a sport he loved, took on a new dimension as he began to compete as a blind golfer. With his father as his guide, he won the 2010 World Blind Golf Championship, a victory that marked the beginning of an illustrious career in the sport. He has since won three World Championships, nine National Championships, an Australian Blind Open, and an Italian Blind Open. His remarkable achievements in golf led CNN to call him the World’s best blind golfer. In 2011, he was honored as the San Diego Hall of Champions Challenged Athlete of the Year.
As a speaker, Jeremy Poincenot travels the world sharing his story, encouraging audiences to take control of their lives and view obstacles as opportunities. His approach is not just about promoting independence but highlighting the greater power of interdependence. His personal narrative, combined with wit and a strong inspirational message, has resonated with many.
Jeremy’s impact has been recognized widely. He has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, ESPN.com, CNN’s “Great Big Story,” and MTV’s True Life. His ability to connect with people has led him to speak for prestigious companies such as Aflac, Honda, John Hancock, Kaiser Permanente, and Wells Fargo.
Lindsey Pollak
New York Times Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker and Multigenerational Work Expert
About
As a speaker and consultant for more than 350 of the world’s top corporations, law firms and universities, Lindsey is the leading global expert on succeeding in the multigenerational workplace.
Currently a visiting fellow at NYU Stern School of Business, Lindsey is the author of four career and workplace advice books, including The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace.
Her audiences and clients have included leading organizations across industries, such as: Aetna, Google, Goldman Sachs, Estee Lauder Companies, MIT, The National Association of Law Placement (NALP), Stanford and Wharton.
Her insights have appeared in numerous media outlets including the TODAY Show, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and the Harvard Business Review. In 2020, Lindsey was named to the Thinkers50 Radar List, which honors the top global management thinkers whose work is shaping the future of how organizations are managed and led.
She previously served as an Official Ambassador for LinkedIn. Currently based in New York City, Lindsey is a graduate of Yale University and a proud member of Generation X.
About
Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky: Bestselling Author | Workplace Belonging Expert | Speaker on Human Connection and the Future of Work
Why Book Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky?
Smiley brings energy and warmth to a subject many organizations struggle to put into action. He connects the challenges of hybrid work, generational differences, and AI adoption to everyday habits that help people feel included and supported. Audiences leave with ideas they can try with their teams right away.
Why Is Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky Right for Your Audience?
Smiley is a strong fit for leadership conferences, company meetings, association events, and gatherings focused on culture or the future of work. He is especially relevant when a team needs to rebuild connection across roles, locations, or generations while adapting to change.
Book Smiley when your audience needs to:
- Build stronger relationships among colleagues
- Increase trust and a sense of belonging at work
- Improve collaboration across generations
- Engage teams through uncertainty and change
- Keep human connection central as AI changes work
- Put simple connection habits into regular practice
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Clearer on how daily interactions shape workplace belonging
- Equipped with practical ways to strengthen team connection
- Better able to recognize assumptions about other generations
- Ready to create more opportunities for trust and collaboration
- Focused on habits they can use with colleagues and clients
Keynote Programs
The Power of Human Connection
Smiley shows leaders how stronger relationships can support engagement, teamwork, and retention. He offers practical ways to help people connect with colleagues and customers amid hybrid work and rapid technological change. Ideal for leadership and broad employee audiences.
Belonging in the Future of Work
Smiley explores how organizations can build a culture where people feel connected and able to contribute. He addresses challenges including uncertainty, burnout, and the impact of AI, then gives teams habits they can put into action. Ideal for culture, engagement, and future-of-work events.
Engaging the Multigenerational Workforce
Smiley helps audiences move beyond stereotypes and communicate more effectively across age groups. He examines what people across generations share and offers ways to strengthen collaboration, engagement, and trust. Ideal for leaders and teams working across generations.
Is Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky Right for Your Event?
Tell us where your audience needs stronger connection and what kind of team culture you want to build. We can help select Smiley’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and fee.
Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.
Dr. Sian Proctor
Space Artist, Afrofuturist, Commercial Astronaut, and Motivational speaker
About
Dr. Sian Leo Proctor is a Visionary Artist, Futurist, and Explorer who made history as the first artist officially selected to go to space with the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission, also becoming the first African-American woman to pilot a spaceship.
Born on Guam to a father who worked at NASA's tracking station during the Apollo missions, Proctor's artistic vision has been shaped by a lifelong connection to space and Earth sciences. Today, her work bridges the worlds of science, space exploration, humanity, and creative expression. With advanced degrees in Environmental Science, Geology, and Science Education, Proctor's art is deeply informed by her scientific background. As a geoscience professor at Maricopa Community College, she honed her ability to communicate complex ideas through creative expression, laying the groundwork for her unique artistic style.
Proctor's journey as a space artist gained momentum through her experiences as an analog astronaut, participating in multiple simulated space missions, including a NASA-funded four-month Mars simulation. These experiences profoundly influenced her artistic themes, exploring human adaptation, isolation, and discovery.
In 2021, Proctor made history as the mission pilot for SpaceX Inspiration4, becoming the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft and the first Black commercial astronaut. More significantly for her art, this mission allowed Proctor to experience the Overview Effect firsthand, transforming her perspective and artistic vision.
As the first African-American to paint in space, Proctor's post-Inspiration4 work offers a rare blend of scientific accuracy and cosmic inspiration. Her art captures the fragility and interconnectedness of Earth as seen from orbit, inviting viewers to experience our planet from this unique vantage point.
Through her company Space2inspire, Proctor creates Afrofuturist art that not only celebrates space exploration but also advocates for a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (J.E.D.I.) approach to space and STEM fields. Her work challenges us to consider humanity's future among the stars while also addressing humanity’s most pressing issues on Earth, from ecological stewardship to inclusion and diversity.
Proctor's contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of The Explorer's Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World. She serves on the National Space Council Users' Advisory Group under Vice President Harris, where she brings her artistic perspective to discussions on STEM workforce development and climate change.
As an international speaker and educator, Proctor uses her art to inspire global audiences, encouraging people to view our planet and our future from a truly cosmic perspective. Her unique combination of scientific expertise, space experience, and artistic acumen makes her a powerful voice in both the art world and the space exploration community.
Dr. Proctor's journey from a child of the Space Age to a pioneering space artist and astronaut embodies the intersection of science, exploration, and creativity. Her work continues to push boundaries, offering a visionary artistic lens through which to view our planet and humanity's relationship with the cosmos.
Ravi Rajani
Author, Keynote Speaker, and Sales Consultant on the Art of Influential Communication
About
Ravi Rajani is an international keynote speaker, author, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor, with over 70,000 professionals having taken his courses on Conscious and Charismatic communication. After his career in Investment Banking at Citi and Sales Leadership in Tech, Ravi has gone on to work with organizations such as Oracle NetSuite, T-Mobile, Hilton, Spotify, Sherwin-Williams and more - helping their people become magnetic storytellers and communicators so they can build trusted relationships that spark growth.
Ravi and his recent book, Relationship Currency, have been featured in Forbes, Inc Arabia, and Entrepreneur, with the five communication habits inside designed to help leaders, entrepreneurs and sales teams build trust, cultivate authentic business relationships and communicate for connection in a world dominated by AI.
Ravi combines storytelling, humour, and practical frameworks to help your audience confidently communicate their message, story and value in a way that builds trusted relationships both in business and in life.
Freddie Ravel
Celebrated Performer, International Expert and Keynote Speaker on Business & Communication
About
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Freddie talks about how leaders can challenge and inspire organizations to discover their untapped potential through the power of Active Listening & The Music of Leadership, using music focused stories to help leaders build stronger teams.
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Audiences learn how to enhance interpersonal and professional leadership skills, amplify engagement and clarify their desired goals and outcomes.
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Bilingual Speaker (English & Spanish) Freddie Ravel is a GRAMMY nominated maestro & performer, Founder of "Life in Tune," and Business Success Expert. His clients have described his keynotes & emcee services as the "ideal balance of entertainment and content."
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Past clients include: IBM, Toyota, Red Bull, NASA, Apple, Blue Cross, Prudential, Google and Citi.
Click Here to Watch Freddie's Virtual Video
Freddie Ravel is the GRAMMY-nominated Keynote Maestro - who combines his expertise for business breakthroughs and virtuoso piano performances with a clear and concise application of music’s communicative and scientific powers to inspire, ignite and lift the minds, hearts and potential of audiences around the world.
Backed by number one hits and collaborative successes with Madonna, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince and Carlos Santana to leading the teams of J Lo, Jimmy Kimmel and Lady Gaga - the #1 chart-topping composer is the Founder of “LIFE IN TUNE," a worldwide program that delivers customized peak performance experiences - to reveal how the structure of music enhances leadership, innovation and productivity for entrepreneurs to major corporations alike. Dubbed the “Keynote Maestro” by the City of Los Angeles, Ravel received the city’s Award of Recognition for creating a music-based system to “renew the national and international economy” - while his film, TV, radio and recording credits include CBS, FOX, CW, Universal, iHeart and XM Sirius. Straddling sectors across Media, Tech, Healthcare and Wellness, Diversity and Inclusion, Communications, Social Impact and Financial Services - clients refer to him as “The ideal balance of Entertainment and Content”.
These include IBM, Toyota, Red Bull, NASA, Apple, Blue Cross, Prudential, Google and Citi where he continues to serve as a captivating access point through which to transform corporations, education, entertainment and the human condition. Based on decades of entrepreneurial and corporate training, scientific research and directing and performing with many of the music legends of our time - conference planners often engage Freddie and his team in the program planning process to help design and incorporate their meeting objectives into a rich, harmonious and rewarding experience. Having performed in over eighty countries, Freddie is in tune with cultural nuances and sensitivities delivering the universal language in both English and Spanish - as well as collaborating with translators to uplift your audience to success.
Tara Renze
About Tara Renze – Emotional Intelligence Expert, Keynote Speaker on Leadership: Tara Renze is an author, keynote speaker, emotional intelligence & positive intelligence practitioner, podcaster, thought-leader, wife and mother and is redefining how …
About
Tara Renze is an author, keynote speaker, emotional intelligence & positive intelligence practitioner, podcaster, thought-leader, wife and mother and is redefining how we unleash purpose, level up our success and create sustainable happiness and fulfillment in all aspects of our lives. After two decades of success in corporate leadership and social selling, she started writing and keynote speaking to empower others to "be who they came to be" and create, own and live the life they desire, envision and deserve. Tara has a true passion and talent for guiding others to harness and realize their full potential.
Tara Renze's journey to empowerment and inspiration began in the competitive arena of corporate America. At CareerBuilder.com, her exceptional leadership and sales acumen were quickly recognized, earning her the coveted "Sales Leader of the Year" accolade. Tara's impact expanded as she took the helm of the national new hire sales training program and served as a national sales manager consultant, shaping the future of sales leadership with her innovative approaches and insights.
Building on her corporate success, Tara ventured into the world of social selling with Stella & Dot. Here, she founded a nationwide, multi-million-dollar business, blending her corporate expertise with entrepreneurial spirit. This phase of her career not only showcased her business acumen but also her ability to connect with and inspire a new generation of women entrepreneurs.
Today, Tara Renze is a beacon for those seeking to "be who they came to be." Her grandmother's transformative note to her son in 2007 became the cornerstone of Tara's mission. As an author, keynote speaker, and emotional intelligence practitioner, Tara has dedicated her life to empowering others. Her work is supported by her impressive educational background, with a degree from the University of Kansas and leadership studies at the Wharton School and Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Tara's influence extends through her books, such as "Be Who You Came To Be" and the collaborative children's book "Be Who You Came To Bee," along with her eagerly awaited "Perfectly Flawed." Her "Be Who You Came To Be" merchandise line further embodies the spirit of her empowering message.
Tara's credibility is underscored by her collaborations with renowned brands such as Aflac, T-Mobile, Amazon, American Century Investments, Baxter, the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF), Farmasi, and many more. These partnerships reflect the trust and value placed in her expertise and the universal appeal of her empowering message.
Shola Richards
About Shola Richards – Bestselling Author & Expert on Workplace Culture:
About
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Shola teaches audiences learn how creating a resilient mindset, regardless of the circumstances using strategies to build unshakable strength within themselves and within their teams.
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Founder & CEO, Go Together Global, Bestselling Author.
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Past clients include: the GAP, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, SHRM
Shola Richards speaks about workplace transformation, but he didn't start out as a fighter. For years, he waited for someone else to step up when he faced bullying and workplace dysfunction. When no one came, he realized a simple truth: what you allow is what will continue. He had to become his own hero. That realization changed everything.
Today, he's a workplace kindness expert and global keynote speaker whose work has taken him from testifying before Congress to speaking across three continents. Real kindness, he argues, takes guts. It requires you to fight incivility instead of managing it, to care about people and problems that don't directly affect you, and to refuse to let harmful dynamics slide just because it's easier to stay quiet.
His message has reached audiences at organizations including Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and dozens of other major companies and institutions worldwide. Major media outlets like the Today Show, CBS This Morning, and Forbes regularly feature his insights.
His three bestselling books have become essential reading for leaders worldwide. Civil Unity: The Radical Path to Transform Our Discourse, Our Lives, and Our World earned praise from Mel Robbins as "an incredibly powerful and compelling guide to restoring much-needed kindness to our divided world." Go Together: How the Concept of Ubuntu Will Change How You Live, Work and Lead won the Gold Medal at the 2025 Independent Publisher Book Awards. And Making Work Work: The Solution for Bringing Positive Change to Any Work Environment hit #1 New
Release in both "Workplace Culture" and "Human Resources" categories on Amazon.
His podcast, The Kindness Extremist, tackles the hard conversations that actually matter, helping listeners navigate conflict, set boundaries without losing compassion, and turn moments of tension into opportunities for real change.
When you're strong enough to be kind, you don't just change your workplace—you become the leader people choose to follow, and the organization competitors wish they could build.
About
Sara Ross Leadership & Workplace Expert | Founder & Chief Vitality Officer, BrainAMPED | Bestselling Author | Global Keynote Speaker
Lead FULL. Perform Better. Feel More Alive.
Sara Ross helps leaders and teams close the gap between excellence and energy—so they can achieve ambitious results without sacrificing the human capacity needed to sustain them.
Founder and Chief Vitality Officer of BrainAMPED and bestselling author of Dear Work: Something Has to Change, Sara combines behavioral science, real-world leadership experience, humor and practical strategies audiences can immediately put to work.
Why Book Sara Ross?
Sara tackles a challenge almost every organization is facing: How do we keep raising performance when people already feel stretched?
Rather than telling people to simply work less or find better balance, Sara shows them how to build the capacity, emotional intelligence and vitality needed to perform at their best.
Her high-energy style combines science, storytelling and practical tools—leaving audiences inspired and knowing what to do differently tomorrow.
What Makes Sara Different?
- Nearly two decades studying leadership and high performance
- Founder & Chief Vitality Officer of BrainAMPED
- Bestselling author of Dear Work: Something Has to Change
- Research informed by data from more than 10,000 high performers
- Combines behavioral science with practical business experience
- High-energy, humorous and highly relatable presentation style
- Customizes her presentations around the audience and organization
Why Is Sara Right for Your Audience?
Sara is an excellent choice when people need to perform, adapt and lead without running themselves into the ground.
She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales meetings, corporate events and organizations navigating significant change.
Book Sara when your audience needs to:
- Maintain high performance under pressure
- Build resilience during constant change
- Increase energy without lowering ambition
- Strengthen trust and collaboration
- Lead themselves and others more effectively
- Turn stress and uncertainty into productive action
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Better able to recognize what drains and generates their energy
- Equipped to move from reactivity toward greater leadership vitality
- More capable of sustaining excellence during demanding periods
- Ready to build greater trust, ownership and collaboration
- With practical strategies they can use immediately
- Energized to bring their best to both work and life
Keynote Programs
The LeadFULL Way: Where Excellence Meets Energy to Expand What Is Possible
Sara shows leaders how to close the Excellence-Energy Gap and build the capacity to meet increasing complexity without continually demanding more of themselves.
Audiences learn how to shift from reactive functioning toward greater vitality, ownership and sustainable excellence.
Ideal for leadership conferences, executive meetings and organizations asking people to accomplish more in demanding environments.
FULL Change: Transforming Stress, Uncertainty and Fear into Future-Ready Resilience
Change doesn't have to drain people.
Sara shows audiences how to shift from a reactive, stressed and change-fatigued state toward one that is more strategic, energized and resilient.
Ideal for organizations navigating transformation, uncertainty or significant organizational change.
FULL Energy: The Burnout Stops Here — Redefine Success, Unlock Energy and Boost Joy
Sara challenges the assumption that exhaustion is simply the price of ambition.
Drawing on her workplace vitality research, she provides science-backed strategies for directing energy more effectively, strengthening renewal and pursuing ambitious goals without sacrificing well-being.
Ideal for high performers, sales teams, leaders and organizations concerned about burnout and sustainable performance.
Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?
The right keynote isn't simply about finding a great speaker. It's about finding the right message for what your audience needs right now.
Contact us to:
- Confirm Sara's availability and current fee
- Identify the keynote that best supports your objectives
- Discuss customization for your audience and event theme
- Explore keynote, workshop and interactive formats
- Receive comparable recommendations if another speaker may be a stronger fit
Is Sara Ross Right for Your Event?
Tell us about your audience, the pressures they are facing and what you want them to think, feel or do differently after the event.
We'll provide an honest assessment of Sara's fit, confirm availability and fees, and help you determine the presentation that will have the greatest impact.
Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking Sara Ross.
Sebastien Sasseville
Best-selling Author, Leadership and teamwork expert, Motivational keynote speaker, Endurance athlete
About
One of the most accomplished endurance athletes on the planet, Sébastien’s long list of athletic accomplishments is made even more impressive by the fact that he lives with type 1 diabetes. Sébastien’s story embodies resilience, determination, and purpose. Today, he inspires leaders to galvanize teams around a mission and helps organizations boost engagement with his awe-inspiring stories.
An author, speaker, and athlete, he is a frequent guest on radio and TV shows, and has been featured in countless newspapers and magazines. Sébastien is a world-class communicator, and is well known for his inspiring stories, humor, and dynamic speeches. His greatest strength is his ability to build relevant parallels between athletic endurance and the corporate world.
Sébastien spent the first ten years of his career in sales roles for Fortune 1,000 companies. Transformed by his achievements and already a veteran speaker with over 1,000 keynotes delivered in North America, Europe and Asia, including a TEDx talk, Sébastien speaks on leadership, teamwork, and change.
Ken Schmidt
Authentic Leadership and Customer Loyalty Expert; Senior Role in Harley-Davidson Turnaround; and Author, Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance
About
It’s an impersonal world, where so many products and services are seen as easily-replaced, indistinct commodities. Whether you stand out or get lost in the crowd is a choice. A mindset. Ken Schmidt faced those same challenges himself and gained acclaim for his role in the extraordinary turnaround of the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That transformation was based on a change in mindset and a focus on answering three key strategic questions. While times have changed, what humans want and need from the businesses they buy from and work for hasn’t.
In his high-energy speeches, Ken inspires companies and individuals to shift their thinking and ride a path to success by becoming memorable – not for what they do or what they make, but for how they connect with people.
Ken is author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. He’s also host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. In all of his endeavors, Ken brings an unconventional perspective that helps organizations and individuals reframe how they engage with their marketplace.
Ken Schmidt’s career in the motorcycle industry began in 1985 as a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations for the then-struggling Harley-Davidson. He was tasked with helping the company restore its image, improve its competitiveness, and create demand for its motorcycles. Within a few short years, sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles skyrocketed, and the company returned to prominence as one of the most respected, profitable, and frequently reported-on companies in the world.
In 1990, Ken became director of Harley-Davidson’s corporate and financial communications, serving as its primary spokesperson to the media and the financial communities. He frequently appeared in mainstream and business media to offer insights on nontraditional communications, customer attraction, and brand-building. His expertise and success at Harley-Davidson ultimately led to consulting assignments and speaking invitations from all over the world.
In 1997, Ken left Harley-Davidson to take an ownership position with a highly successful Chicago-based marketing firm, VSA Partners. In addition to Harley-Davidson, VSA served a virtual who’s who of the world’s best-known brands. In 1999, he sold his portion of VSA to start his own business, Ken Schmidt Company, to combine two of his greatest passions, motorcycling and speaking. He uses motorcycles as a metaphor to expose people to proven ideas and concepts they’ve likely never imagined.
After all he has accomplished, Ken remains committed to his philosophy of standing out, taking risks, and having fun in both his personal and professional life. He says, “Never do what’s expected, make yourself as noticeably different as possible, and have a lot more fun than you’re supposed to.”
Mark Schulman
World-Renowned Drummer; Author; Motivator; Expert, The Secrets of Rockstar Performance
About
Mark Schulman is a monster drummer who’s toured the world with some of the greatest rock and pop performers – before crowds as big as 225,000. He’s played with P!NK, Billy Idol, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Foreigner, Simple Minds, and others over his 32-year touring career. Mark is also amazing on another stage – as a speaker, where he delivers a rock show disguised as a keynote. “I’ve learned about the importance of attitude as part of the touring family with these great performers,” Mark says as he unpacks the secrets of rockstar performance. His presentations translate lessons learned during a remarkable career into valuable tips for organizations, teams, leaders, and those who want to be their absolute best.
Mark Schulman is a brilliant storyteller and performer who inspires audiences to engage and unleash their inner rockstar. Mark's first book, Conquering Life’s Stage Fright, shows people how to harness doubt, fear, and anxiety to perform at their best when it matters most. His next book, The Attitude Equation, is slated for early 2024 release. Mark is also a judge and coach on an all-new original music competition television show called BANDED on AXS TV.
Mark Schulman grew up in Los Angeles and is a classically trained cellist. As a teen, he played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic. He later even played cello on the 2009/2010 P!NK tour. During his unprecedented career over the last 32 years, Mark has been a first-call drummer for world-class rock and pop artists. He was voted “Top 3 Pop-Rock Drummers” in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll in 2014 and was the featured cover
artist in the May 2019 issue of Modern Drummer. Mark did four record-breaking world tours with P!NK over 15 years.
Mark’s resume reads like a “Who’s Who” of international rock ‘n’ roll royalty, including acts such as Cher, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Beyonce, and so many other world-class artists. He has drummed with Velvet Revolver at Ozzfest and for a crowd of 225,000 at Glastonbury Festival with Simple Minds. Mark has appeared on nearly every American, European, and Australian variety show including the Grammy Awards, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, American Idol, The Paul O'Grady Show, The X Factor, Wetten, dass..?, the ARIA Awards, and more.
Mark’s fan base extends way beyond the rock ‘n’ roll stage. Fans of his other career, as a top motivational speaker, exist at companies and organizations he’s spoken for, including American Express, Microsoft, IBM, DELL Cisco, Aveda, Kaiser, NCAA, SAP, and more. To date, Mark has performed over 2,000 keynotes, 1,000 music clinics, and for over a billion people.
Offstage, Mark is passionate about teaching and helping others. He was the chairman of Create Now!, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 to help change troubled children's lives through creative arts mentoring. A cancer survivor himself, Mark has also motivated children and teens through his work doing seminars with the Ronald McDonald House and benefits for the Teenage Cancer Trust in the U.K.
An active educator, Mark taught at the Los Angeles Music Academy and is one of the world’s most sought-after drum clinicians, hosting clinics around the world. Mark produced his first instructional DVD in his studio, A Day in the Recording Studio; A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Recording Great Drum Tracks for Drummers and All Musicians distributed by Hudson Music. The Mark Schulman Signature Snare Drum is one of the best-selling signature products in the history of GRETSCH.
In May 2023, Mark became a judge and coach for an all-new original music competition television show called BANDED. The show redefines the “build-a-band” concept and pairs up-and-coming artists with top coaches. Besides judging, Mark will coach one of the rock outfits.
Mark is also a music producer, trained audio engineer, and studio co-owner of West Triad Recording Studio in Venice, California.
About
Rachel Sheerin is an award winning speaker on a mission to help people love their work, their lives and their communities with renewed energy and focus.
As a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, Rachel knows what makes people tick - paired with her background in meetings and events, she knows how to help keep your event flowing with fun and ease (no matter what happens!). As a keynote speaker and event host for some of the world’s largest companies and organizations, conferences, conventions and annual meetings, Rachel’s often tapped for her high energy and inclusive, welcoming style of speaking, storytelling and audience engagement.
Rooted in the goal of making events impactful, connective and memorable, Rachel works with meeting planner teams and organizations to strategize and deliver performances and experiences that unify and energize! As an active member of MPI, Rachel is not just a speaker but also an event partner, sharing best practices and resources from her hundreds of client events.
With her viral TEDx talk How to Burnout and Be Successful and her book BETTER: How to live, lead and succeed coming out in Summer 2023 on Hawthorn Road Press, Rachel has been featured in Inc. Magazine, USA Today, The Washington Post, Medium and more.
Dr. Sam Sivarajan
Expert Financial Advisor & Keynote Speaker on Business Future-ready
About
Dr. Sam Sivarajan is an accomplished financial services leader with a track record of adapting to market shifts and diverse industries to consistently deliver results. Having led three wealth management businesses overseeing $80 billion in assets and advising on $40 billion in M&A transactions, Sam has a deep understanding of complex financial landscapes.
Outside the office, Sam is an avid mountaineer, having climbed peaks in the Alps, Himalayas, and Andes. He finds that the challenges of mountain climbing offer valuable lessons in perseverance, risk management, and strategy—principles that also drive his professional approach. Sam is also a dedicated cyclist, having completed an epic 8-day ride from London to Monaco. As a runner, he set a personal best in the Boston Marathon. He also obtained his certifications as a personal trainer and kettlebell trainer.
With a doctorate in behavioral science, Sam has a unique ability to make financial strategy relatable and engaging. He blends practical insights with a touch of humor and real-world examples, making even the most complex decisions clear and manageable. If you’re seeking a financial leader who combines experience, expertise and a track record of results, with a broader perspective, Sam is the expert you can trust.
Jason Sosa
Technologist and keynote speaker on AI and the future of finance.
About
Erin Stafford
Speaker, consultant and expert on changing mindsets through her innovative Type A Trap concept
About
Erin Stafford is a powerhouse author, speaker, and leader with a career as diverse as it is impactful. From Paris and London to Los Angeles and San Diego, Erin has excelled as an MTV advertising executive, celebrity stylist, journalist, and marketing guru. She has worked with iconic brands such as Apple, Nike, Coke, and American Express and styled celebrities for the Emmys, Grammys, and Academy Awards.
Erin’s most transformative role was as the head of marketing for the largest healthcare staffing company in the U.S., where she helped lead a 27x growth trajectory and supported the largest healthcare personnel deployment in history. This experience cemented her expertise in leading through complexity and driving high performance in high-stakes environments.
As a recovering Type A overachiever who has faced and overcome burnout, Erin blends her personal experiences with insights gleaned from working alongside top performers, including Fortune 100 executives, Olympians, and renowned creatives. She’s on a mission to help leaders and teams unlock extraordinary results without compromising their energy or well-being.
Through her signature entertaining and high-energy keynotes, Erin shares actionable strategies to redefine success, reignite purpose, and build resilience. Her talks are rooted in decades of research, personal stories, and a deep understanding of what it takes to thrive in today’s demanding world. Audiences leave inspired, equipped, and ready to sustain peak performance with balance and clarity.
Erin is the best-selling author of The Type A Trap: Five Mindset Shifts to Beat Burnout and Transform Your Life, endorsed by bestselling author, Mel Robbins, Olympian, Amy Purdy, and Chris Barton, the founder of Shazam. As a Forbes Business Council member, Erin’s thought leadership on burnout and peak performance is featured regularly, and her expertise has been highlighted by outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and MSN.
Erin’s core message resonates with leaders and teams across industries: success is sustainable when rooted in energy, purpose, and balance. Her practical tools and inspiring insights empower organizations to burn bright, not out, and achieve extraordinary outcomes that not only look good, but feel good.
Alan Stein, Jr.
Speaker, Author, and former basketball Performance coach on helping business leaders create high-performance cultures
About
Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to improve organizational performance, create effective leadership, increase team cohesion and collaboration, and develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines.
In his corporate keynote programs and workshops, Alan shares real-world lessons, illustrated by powerful stories, so that every audience can immediately put new ideas into action. He has a passion for helping organizations create high-performance cultures, and his clients include American Express, Pepsi, Under Armour, Starbucks, Charles Schwab, Orange theory Fitness, and numerous college athletic programs such as Penn State Football and UConn Men’s Basketball.
An acclaimed basketball performance coach, Alan spent 15 years working with the highest performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant). He transfers that knowledge to reveal how leaders and teams can utilize the same approaches in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level.
The strategies from Alan’s book, Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best, are implemented by corporate teams and sports teams around the country. His inspirational words are featured on a 12-foot mural outside the Penn State Football Training Center, so that players run past it on the way to practice every day.
Robert Swan
Renowned Polar Explorer & Transformational Leader in Sustainability
About
With his presence and integrity, accomplishments and reflections, Robert Swan has an extraordinary ability to inspire and motivate audiences worldwide. Having experienced leadership and team cooperation in some of the world’s most hostile environments, Robert applies the leadership lessons he has learned to inspire bold management practices and effective communication styles. Robert’s talks are thrilling, uplifting and stimulating – all while fostering courage, vision and teamwork. His core themes are inspiration, leadership and future thinking for business, society and the environment.
30 years ago, French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau gave Robert Swan a 50-year mission to save Antarctica from the realities of climate change. The 2041 Foundation was founded and through perseverance and dedication, Robert has helped inspire the next generation of leaders to take responsibility for their life paths.
As the founder of the 2041 Foundation, Robert has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica and the planet through promoting renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.
Robert Swan has been working side-by-side with his son Barney for the past 5 years. On January 15th 2018 at the South Geographic Pole, the baton was passed onto Barney Swan, who, on that day, became the first person in history to journey to the South Pole powered entirely by renewable energy. This incredible feat marked the launch of CLIMATEFORCE, a 7 year campaign to remove 326 million tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere through effective solutions and education to encourage personal leadership in our carbon neutral future. CLIMATEFORCE continues to build on the 2041 legacy through action and personal leadership today and in the future.
This is not only an incredible story about a father and son, it is a legacy story of Robert Swan and the 2041 Foundation and their unstoppable commitment and leadership to preserve this earth for generations to come.
Simone Sweeney
Former Fortune 100 Executive, Keynote Speaker on Marketing and Retail
About
Simone Sweeney is a globally recognized retail strategist and executive coach with over 25 years of experience shaping some of the world’s most iconic retail brands—including Apple, The LEGO Group, and Motorola. A visionary leader with a rare blend of creative insight and operational rigor, Simone helps businesses reimagine what’s possible in physical retail—and then delivers it, at scale.
With a career spanning more than 60 countries, Simone has led retail expansion and transformation for multinationals across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. At Apple, she spearheaded consumer engagement and experience strategies for over 100 stores across 11 countries, driving market-leading product launches and new store openings. At LEGO, she masterminded the global retail development strategy, scaling the brand’s store footprint to 1,000 locations and pioneering immersive in-store concepts that fueled rapid growth and brand love—particularly in key markets like China, the Middle East, and Mexico.
Simone’s work at Motorola saw her launch over 400 branded stores and shop-in-shops across 18 countries, while managing field merchandisers and marketers in 28 markets. She truly understands the complexity of delivering best in class brand and product engagement while maintaining consistency and maximizing revenue. Her career is a masterclass in strategic execution, local market adaptation, and the power of in-store storytelling to drive consumer loyalty.
Today, Simone combines her retail expertise with her passion for leadership and human development. As an executive coach and consultant, she partners with organizations to not only build compelling retail programs—but also to grow the people who lead them. Her keynotes weave together insights on global retail trends, innovation, and leadership—leaving audiences inspired and equipped to evolve.
Hamish Taylor
Award-winning CEO and Global Keynote Speaker on Entrenching the Customer in the Heart of All Activities by Creating The Customer Promise
About
Hamish Taylor has a CV that the Times describes as “takes some beating.” His energetic, thought-provoking and humorous keynotes are based on a rare combination of real stories - and a fantastic ability to inspire audiences with tailored advice and practical tools. Regularly featured in broadcast media, today Hamish acts as an advisor to some of the world’s largest companies (and even Governments) - assisting with specific innovation projects, customer focus and/or people leadership.
Hamish is an award-winning CEO whose career has taken him from the international consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, consultancy firm Price Waterhouse and British Airways - to become CEO of the channel tunnel railway Eurostar, and then CEO of Sainsbury’s Bank… all before he was 40! In all cases, he left behind a record of significant business growth triggered by a willingness to challenge the normal way of doing things - so much so that his advice and assistance is now sought by organizations all over the world in many different industries.
As the self appointed “chief dumming down officer” in each of his roles, his approach is simple - but highly effective in delivering breakthroughs.
- The first thing that has to change is the way you look at your customers (both internal and external) - if you look at your customers the same way, you will get the same answers and keep doing the same things
- Secondly, you need to use your customer insights to create a new leadership tool - a simple “customer promise” as a platform for ALL future activity that puts customer benefit at the heart. Your customer doesn’t care about what you do, but about how they benefit as a result of what you do - so use this as your key purpose
- Thirdly, you must look to other environments and industries if you want breakthrough ideas - for product, service, process, leadership and much more. The Inspired Leaders Network dubbed Hamish the “Master thief” due to his track record in this area
- Concentrate your major energy on changing the way you engage with the team that will deliver the customer promise
Hamish’s keynotes will demonstrate the major breakthroughs that can be achieved by changing your approach. Hamish’s message can be tailored to a variety of topics and levels within an organization.
About
Jason Tharp is an inspiration expert, best-selling author, and illustrator who inspires audiences to embrace their authentic selves and collaborate towards success. With a focus on leadership and self-leadership, Jason's dynamic speeches share his personal journey of overcoming impossibles, such as brain cancer, obesity, negative self-talk, and self-doubt. His books, including "The Best You!" and "It's Okay To Be A Unicorn!", promote self-leadership, inclusivity, creativity, and self-acceptance.
Renowned for his interactive speaking style and impactful leadership advice, Jason has delivered numerous keynotes since 2015, providing audiences with a blueprint to break their own impossibles. His speeches emphasize teamwork and self-leadership, creating a bridge of empathy through vulnerability. Jason has worked with successful organizations like Better Business Bureau, Novocure, Sonova, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, NRG, Best Buddies, and MacMillan, and has been featured on major media outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, Washington Post, The Hill, HuffPost, CBC, and The Independent. Jason has also written many op-ed pieces for numerous media outlets.
Speech Thomas
2x Grammy Award Winning founder & lead singer of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
About
Speech was born Todd Thomas in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The youngest of parents Robert & Patricia Thomas. He grew up on two sides of life: the ghetto of Milwaukee (one of the nation’s roughest cities for African Americans) and (Wauwatosa) Milwaukee’s suburbia. Speech learned how to draw from the pains and beauty of both. He would absorb the plights of his people and the retreat of a middle-class black boy in a primarily white neighborhood. He lost his grandmother to a heart attack and his older brother, Terrence Thomas to an Asthma attack within the same week, and through spirituality, learned to recalibrate his inner anger through dynamic music. To celebrate the lives of those he lost, he coined his sound “life music”. Speech wrote the hit song Tennessee as a dedication to his grandmother and brother. In the early nineties, Speech and his mother started the Terrence Thomas Scholarship and to date, the scholarship has raised over a million dollars helping young black students further their educations.
Speech started and produced the hip-hop group, Arrested Development. Based in Georgia, from humble and rural beginnings; they became a pioneering force in the music world. Arrested Development received two Grammy Awards (Best new artists & Best rap single 1993) for the album, 3 years, 5 months, and 2 days in the life of…” Their second album “Zingalamaduni” was met with critical acclaim and was also nominated for a GRAMMY award.
In 1995, the group disbanded and Speech signed a solo record deal with EMI. His first single “Like Marvin Gaye Said” shot to #1 on the Japanese Tokio 100 charts for 7 consecutive weeks. Speech has released 5 solo albums since, all of which have spawned Top 10 hit singles in Japan. His album “1998 Hoopla” and Spiritual People” (2000) were certified gold. “Spiritual People” was awarded the Best black music album of the year 2000 by the acclaimed ADLIB magazine. Speech supported each album with sold-out tours.
Speech has also toured as a solo performer with the United States Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Youssou N’dour, James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Jason Mraz, Hootie & the Blowfish, and The Roots.
In 2020 Speech partnered with Resonant Pictures and Pipeline Entertainment to release the full-length documentary “16 Bars” where Speech goes into a maximum security jail to write music with inmates. This stirring documentary has won numerous film festival awards and is now available through Lightyear Entertainment on streaming platforms worldwide
Tamsen Webster
Tamsen Webster – Selected for 2022 Thinkers50 Radar, Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker on Communication: Turn Ideas Into Action Great ideas don’t create change unless people believe in them. Tamsen Webster helps leaders turn complex ideas into clear …
About
Tamsen Webster - Selected for 2022 Thinkers50 Radar, Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker on Communication:
Great ideas don't create change unless people believe in them.
Tamsen Webster helps leaders turn complex ideas into clear, compelling messages that build buy-in and inspire action. Drawing on more than 25 years in message strategy and change communications, she gives audiences practical frameworks for communicating ideas in ways people understand, believe—and remember.
Why Book Tamsen Webster?
Tamsen doesn't simply teach people to communicate better. She shows leaders how to build a case for change that audiences can believe in.
Her experience spans major organizations including Harvard Medical School and Fidelity Investments, as well as advising entrepreneurs through Harvard Innovation Labs and the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. She also spent more than a decade as an Idea Strategist for TEDxCambridge and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022.
What Makes Tamsen Different?
- A practical approach to building buy-in for change
- More than 25 years of message strategy experience
- Creator of the Red Thread® framework
- Two-time bestselling author
- Deep expertise in storytelling, persuasion and change communication
- Actionable frameworks audiences can use immediately
Why Is Tamsen Right for Your Audience?
Tamsen is particularly effective for organizations where leaders need people to understand, support and act on new ideas.
Book Tamsen when your audience needs to:
- Communicate change more effectively
- Build stronger buy-in for new ideas and initiatives
- Turn complicated messages into clear, compelling stories
- Influence without relying on pressure or manipulation
- Help people understand why change matters
- Move audiences from agreement to action
Audience Takeaways
Attendees will leave:
- Better able to build a persuasive case for change
- Equipped to make complex ideas easier to understand
- Clearer about why some messages inspire action while others fail
- Ready to connect new ideas to beliefs audiences already hold
- Able to create messages people remember and repeat
- More confident turning ideas into lasting action
Keynote Programs
Say What They Can't Unhear: How to Inspire Change That Lasts
Tamsen reveals why traditional approaches to change often struggle and shows leaders how to build messages around beliefs, identity and stories that people already understand. Audiences learn practical principles for creating change that lasts rather than generating temporary agreement.
The Logic of Belief: How to Make Inaction Impossible
Every decision involves an internal argument. Tamsen shows audiences how to structure the reasoning behind an idea so clearly that people can see why taking action makes sense. Her Core Case and If–Then–Because–And frameworks give leaders practical tools for building agreement, understanding and action.
The Red Thread®: How to Find and Tell the Story of Your Ideas
Tamsen teaches audiences how to uncover the essential story behind an idea and communicate it in a way others immediately understand. Participants learn the five building blocks of a powerful message and how to adapt that story for different audiences, formats and situations.
Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?
The right speaker must do more than deliver a great presentation. Their message needs to connect directly to what your organization wants people to think, believe or do differently.
Contact us to:
- Confirm Tamsen's availability and current fee
- Identify the keynote that best supports your objectives
- Discuss customization, workshops and event format
- Determine how her message can connect directly to your organization's change or communication challenges
- Receive comparable recommendations if another speaker may be a stronger fit
Is Tamsen Right for Your Event?
Tell us about your audience, the change you're trying to create and what you want people to think, feel or do differently. We'll provide an honest assessment of Tamsen's fit, confirm availability and fees, and help you determine the best program for your event.
Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking Tamsen Webster.