Dirk Ahlborn is an entrepreneur keynote speaker and the founder and CEO of JumpStarter Inc. JumpStarter is a web portal that creates smarter and more successful companies by using crowdsourcing to fund ideas from initial conception to final product. Dirk is also CEO and Co-Founder of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. It is JumpStartFund’s well-known undertaking to make the Hyperloop become reality, by using its crowd collaboration concept.

Dirk started his career in 1993 as an investment specialist in Berlin, Germany. After moving to Italy in 1997, he founded several companies in the alternative energy and interior design space. In 2006, he successfully sold one of these companies to a global alternative energy conglomerate.

He is a serial entrepreneur with experience in almost every element of business. His careers have taken him through management, product design, development, manufacturing, production facility design and set up, production cost control, marketing, product distribution, customer service, and sales.

Before co-founding Jumpstarter, he was at the Girvan Institute of Technology, an incubator-accelerator for early-stage high-tech companies. At Girvan, beginning in 2009, he was instrumental in the development of several startup companies, most notably Advanced Turbine Designs, a developer of natural-gas-fueled gas turbine generators for combined heat and power. In the course of his multi-faceted activities at Girvan he also managed mobile and web application developments as well as search engine optimization and online marketing.

Prior to 2009, his activities were centered in Germany and Italy. Dirk is fluent in German and Italian and proficient in conversational Spanish. He holds the credential in banking and insurance from the Organization of German Industry and Commerce.

Click here to receive your Customized List of the Best Speakers on Sales

Our Sales Speakers have used their knowledge to adapt and create actionable and engaging presentations on how organizations can pivot to embrace the opportunities presented by the pandemic.

Ranging from Virtual Keynotes to Fireside chats, all with interactive elements, let our Sales Speakers help your 2021 Sales Conference.

We work with some of the best Sales Speakers in the speaking world and asked them all the same question:

What is your number 1 sales tip? 

Here’s how they answered:

1. Say Yes to Misfortune – Scott McKain

Saying “yes” implies a course of positive action. The predictable expletive, “No!” can fill up our time and energy because saying “no” is
frequently a commitment to an unproductive struggle that reinforces helplessness and inertia.

Responding positively to problems is the prerequisite to overcoming bad things that occur so we can break down our challenges and move forward.

People thrive on challenges, and are the winners who get things done.

Scott McKain is a Dynamic Speaker on Innovation, Sales & Customer Service.

2. The 80/20 Rule – Tim Sanders

Some great advice we received from Tim Sanders, VP of Customer Insights for Upwork just after starting The Sweeney Agency:

“Don’t think about sales or closing deals, just position yourself so that whenever you can help someone you help them, without any expectations. 20% of the people you help you’ll never hear from again, but that won’t matter because you will certainly hear back from the other 80%. They will remember you and your incredible help and that will create such great relationships
that you will build both a great business and a great life.”

Tim Sanders is a renowned Communication and Leadership Speaker.

3. A Vision of the Future – Ryan Estis

Communicating compassionately, consistently, confidently and courageously is precisely what is required during a crisis. Our research has found that two of the biggest drivers of engagement and commitment from employees are confidence in their senior leadership and confidence in the future of the
organization.

Now is the time to model scenarios to create a long-term plan and vision for your business, fully aware that you will be agile enough to adapt when new information is available or the landscape suddenly changes.

Ryan Estis speaks on Business Performance, Leadership and Sales.

4. Be Indiana Jones – Sterling Hawkins

At the climax of Indiana Jones & The Holy Grail, the Nazis are turned to dust after selected a gem studded chalice they believe to be the Holy Grail. Indy chooses a simple wooden cup that is in fact the true Holy Grail.

In the context of business, most of us scramble to have the “right” message on social media or want to make things look a certain way. The same optics that make the false grail so beautiful.

This is a powerful lesson: the substance of something, is ultimately infinitely more important than what it looks like. Optics may present a short term gain but will always lose in the long run and at a macro level.

Sterling Hawkins is a leading speaker on Breakthrough Innovation, Tech Entrepreneur and Leadership Expert.

5. Ask Open-Ended Questions – Diana Kander

Your customers’ natural inclination is to be nice, not honest. Open-ended questions give your potential customers the option to respond very honestly and to fully explain the problems they’re
facing (that your product may or may not solve).

Ask leading questions that broadcast the answer you want to hear, such as:

• “Are you…”
• “Will you…”
• “Won’t you…”
• “Didn’t you…”
• “Can’t you…”

Diana Kander is an Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker on Innovation.

Get in touch to book your next great sales speaker.

Chris Barton: Keynote Speaker on Innovation, AI & Disruptive Thinking | Founder & First CEO of Shazam | Inventor | Tech Entrepreneur

Bring Impossible Ideas to Life. What if the idea everyone says is impossible is actually your biggest opportunity?

When Chris conceived the idea for Shazam, experts told him it couldn't be done. He refused to accept the assumptions defining what was possible. The result became one of the world's most recognizable technology platforms, with more than 2 billion downloads before being acquired by Apple.

Today, Chris shows organizations how to challenge conventional thinking, break through barriers and turn seemingly impossible ideas into reality.

Why Book Chris Barton?

Chris doesn't simply talk about innovation. He built something the experts said couldn't be built.

Shazam was conceived before smartphones and app stores existed. Creating it required Chris and his team to solve enormous technological, commercial and operational challenges while repeatedly finding ways around obstacles that could have ended the company.

Those experiences shaped Chris's “Start from Zero” approach to innovation—a way of challenging assumptions and returning to basic truths instead of automatically accepting how things have always been done.

His keynote combines a remarkable entrepreneurial story with practical thinking audiences can use to challenge the status quo and create breakthrough ideas of their own.

What Makes Chris Barton Different?

• Founder & first CEO of Shazam — created one of the world's most recognizable technology platforms
• AI pioneer — Shazam was an early mass-consumer application of artificial intelligence
• 2+ billion downloads — transformed an impossible-sounding idea into a global product
• Apple acquisition — Shazam was acquired by Apple in 2018
• 12 patents — inventor across Shazam, Google and Dropbox
• Google experience — was Google's first employee focused on mobile partnerships
• Dropbox experience — joined when it was still a rapidly growing startup
• Start from Zero thinking — gives audiences a practical framework for challenging assumptions
• Creative Persistence — demonstrates how imagination and tenacity combine to overcome barriers

Why Is Chris Right for Your Audience?

Chris is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to challenge conventional thinking, become more innovative and stop allowing assumptions to determine what's possible.

He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, AI and technology events, innovation summits, sales kickoffs and organizations navigating disruption.

Book Chris when your audience needs to:

• Challenge assumptions and conventional thinking
• Generate more innovative ideas
• Understand the possibilities created by AI and technology
• Turn ambitious ideas into action
• Overcome barriers without compromising the original vision
• Develop greater creative persistence
• Eliminate friction for customers and employees
• Become more comfortable pursuing ideas others don't immediately understand

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Thinking differently about what is possible
• Better equipped to challenge assumptions
• Understanding how first-principles thinking can unlock innovation
• More willing to pursue unconventional ideas
• Better prepared to creatively overcome obstacles
• Recognizing how unnecessary friction limits growth
• Inspired to combine persistence with imagination
• Ready to bring their own “impossible” ideas to life

Chris Barton Keynote Programs

Bring Impossible Ideas to Life. How do you create something that experts insist can't be done?

Technology and AI are rapidly changing the boundaries of what's possible. Chris takes audiences inside the remarkable creation of Shazam and the challenges involved in developing an idea years ahead of the technology ecosystem required to support it.

He shows audiences how questioning assumptions, thinking from basic truths and approaching obstacles differently can unlock entirely new possibilities.

Ideal for: AI conferences, innovation summits, leadership meetings and organizations pursuing breakthrough ideas.

Overcome Obstacles with Imagination. Persistence matters—but simply trying the same thing harder isn't enough.

Chris calls his approach Creative Persistence: combining determination with the imagination required to find another path when the obvious route is blocked.

Using extraordinary stories from Shazam's journey, he shows audiences how to challenge barriers, question conventional solutions and keep moving toward ambitious goals.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, entrepreneurial events and organizations navigating difficult challenges.

Eliminate Effort to Unlock Explosive Growth. Where is unnecessary friction making it harder for customers, employees or partners to say yes?

Shazam succeeded by making something incredibly complex feel effortless: hear a song, press a button and discover what it is.

Drawing on his experiences with Shazam, Google and Dropbox, Chris shows audiences how identifying and removing friction can create dramatically better customer and employee experiences.

Ideal for: Customer experience, sales, innovation, technology and growth-focused events.

Build the Vision You See, But Others Don't. What do you see that others can't see yet?

Breakthrough ideas often face resistance precisely because they're unfamiliar.

Chris shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind transforming Shazam from an idea many considered impossible into a product used by billions of people.

He challenges entrepreneurs and innovators to strengthen their conviction, prioritize what matters and find creative ways to turn vision into reality.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, founders, innovation teams and organizations building new products or businesses.

Why Book Chris Barton Through The Sweeney Agency?

Chris Barton combines an extraordinary entrepreneurial success story with practical frameworks for innovation, AI and breakthrough thinking—but the real value comes from connecting those lessons to the barriers and opportunities facing your organization.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

• Confirm Chris Barton's availability and current speaking fee
• Determine which Chris Barton keynote best fits your audience
• Discuss customization around your industry and event objectives
• Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
• Compare Chris with other leading innovation, AI and technology keynote speakers

Is Chris Barton Right for Your Event?

Tell us the impossible idea, stubborn barrier or innovation challenge your organization is facing.

We'll help you determine whether Chris is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning an innovation summit, AI conference, leadership meeting or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Chris Barton as your keynote speaker.

• Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author

• Talks about: Molly's Game: The True Story of the Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World, Overcoming Setbacks & Building your Brand

• Molly’s Game was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name by renowned director, Aaron Sorkin.

• Appeared on numerous shows and in media outlets such as Ellen, Vice, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, Vulture, and has been asked to speak at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, for companies like Blackrock Financial, SiriusXM Radio, and delivered the 2018 commencement speech at Colorado State University

Molly Bloom is an inspirational keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Molly’s Game. She is best known for her memoir, Molly’s Game, which was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name by Aaron Sorkin. Bloom’s memoir chronicles her journey from college student to LA waitress to building and operating the largest and most notorious private poker game in the world. Her games featured hundreds of millions of dollars and players like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, A-Rod, and Ben Affleck.

Bloom began her career as a world-class skier. While training as a pre-teen she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and had to undergo surgery that the doctors said would end her athletic career. A year later, fully recovered, she was back on the slopes. She later joined the U.S. Ski Team and at 21 years old was ranked No. 3 in North America in moguls, but her Olympic dreams would go unrealized as she left the team to pursue other projects. This led her to what she thought would be a year sabbatical in LA.

Bloom was finishing her degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado – Boulder, and was in the process of applying to top tier Law Schools, when her assistant job turned her into an accidental entrepreneur, running one of  the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world, pulling in as much as $4 million per year. What happened next is where her story truly begins.

The film Molly’s Game, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, stars Jessica Chastain (as Molly), Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Brian d’Arcy James, and Chris O’Dowd. Bloom has appeared on numerous shows and in media outlets such as Ellen, Vice, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, Vulture, and has been asked to speak at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, for companies like Blackrock Financial, SiriusXM Radio, and delivered the 2018 commencement speech at Colorado State University.

Lisa Bodell:  Keynote Speaker on Simplification, Innovation & Leadership | Founder & CEO of FutureThink | Bestselling Author of Why Simple Wins

Simplify Work. Unlock Better Thinking. What could your people accomplish if they stopped wasting time on unnecessary work and focused their energy on what actually matters?

Lisa helps organizations eliminate the complexity, bureaucracy and low-value work that prevent people from thinking, leading and innovating at their best. Her message is provocative, practical and immediately actionable: stop adding more—and start removing what gets in the way.

Why Book Lisa Bodell?

Lisa doesn't just inspire people to work differently. She gives them practical tools to actually do it.

Her keynotes challenge one of the biggest problems facing organizations today: people are overwhelmed by meetings, processes, approvals and unnecessary complexity while leaders simultaneously ask them to innovate, move faster and accomplish more.

Lisa shows audiences how to create capacity by eliminating low-value work, simplifying decision-making and giving people more space to think.

The result is a keynote that can change not just how your audience thinks—but how they work the very next day.

What Makes Lisa Bodell Different?

• Founder & CEO of FutureThink — helping organizations simplify and innovate since 2003
• Bestselling author — author of Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company
• Simplification expert — helps organizations eliminate unnecessary complexity
• Innovation authority — teaches people how to challenge assumptions and think differently
• Highly interactive — incorporates audience participation and live exercises
• Immediately actionable — audiences leave with tools they can actually use
• Human-centered AI perspective — focuses on strengthening the capabilities technology can't replace
• Extensive corporate experience — has worked with leading organizations around the world

Why Is Lisa Right for Your Audience?

Lisa is an outstanding choice when your people are overwhelmed, moving too slowly or spending too much time on work that doesn't create enough value.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, executive meetings, innovation summits, transformation initiatives and organizations navigating AI-driven change.

Book Lisa when your audience needs to:

• Eliminate unnecessary complexity
• Create more time for meaningful work
• Make decisions faster
• Reduce bureaucracy and low-value processes
• Give leaders more capacity to actually lead
• Challenge outdated assumptions
• Strengthen innovation and creative problem-solving
• Determine where humans add the greatest value in an AI-enabled workplace

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Identifying unnecessary work they can stop doing
• Better equipped to simplify meetings, processes and decision-making
• Understanding how complexity can undermine innovation
• More willing to challenge outdated rules and assumptions
• Equipped with practical tools they can apply immediately
• Better prepared to create space for higher-value work
• Thinking differently about leadership in an AI-enabled workplace
• Ready to simplify how work gets done

Lisa Bodell Keynote Programs

Unleash the Power of Simple. What if the fastest way to improve performance isn't adding something new—but eliminating what no longer matters?

Drawing from her bestselling book Why Simple Wins, Lisa shows audiences how unnecessary complexity steals time, energy and attention from the work that creates the most value.

Through practical tools, interactive exercises and real-world examples, she helps people identify what they can eliminate, simplify or change so they can spend more time on meaningful work.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, transformation initiatives and organizations struggling with complexity.

Let Leaders Lead. How much time do your leaders actually spend leading?

Too often, managers become trapped in meetings, approvals, processes and administrative work that leave too little time for coaching, decision-making and developing their people.

Lisa challenges organizations to remove the bureaucracy preventing leaders from doing what they were hired to do: lead.

She gives managers practical ways to simplify work, remove barriers and create more capacity for the leadership activities that drive performance.

Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development, management conferences and organizations focused on improving leadership effectiveness.

Unleashing Innovation: AI-Enabled, Human-Led. As AI becomes more capable, what becomes more important for humans to do exceptionally well?

Lisa reframes the AI conversation around a critical opportunity: using technology to amplify human capability rather than simply replace human activity.

She explores how organizations can use AI to remove lower-value work while strengthening the distinctly human capabilities that drive innovation—including judgment, curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving.

The goal isn't humans versus AI. It's creating organizations where AI handles more of the work while people do more of the thinking that matters.

Ideal for: AI conferences, leadership events, innovation summits and organizations navigating the future of work.

Why Book Lisa Bodell Through The Sweeney Agency?

Lisa Bodell combines provocative thinking with practical tools audiences can use immediately—but the real value comes from identifying where complexity is getting in the way of your organization's performance.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

• Confirm Lisa Bodell's availability and current speaking fee
• Determine which Lisa Bodell keynote best fits your audience
• Discuss customization around your organization's challenges
• Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
• Compare Lisa with other leading innovation, change and leadership speakers

Is Lisa Bodell Right for Your Event?

Tell us what's slowing your people down—and what you want them spending more time doing instead.

We'll help you determine whether Lisa is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning a leadership conference, innovation summit or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Lisa Bodell as your keynote speaker.

Liz Bohannon is the Founder and CEO of socially conscious fashion brand Sseko Designs, which she founded in 2008 as a way to provide educational and economic opportunities for women in East Africa. Liz shares the lessons learned from her 10-year journey growing Sseko from three women under a mango tree, into a successful international fashion brand that provides employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities to thousands of women across the globe.

Her story is filled with lessons for success that are grounded in the principle of having a beginner’s mind, which Liz sums up in her new book, Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now. In it, as in her presentations, she shares uncommon ideas toward success like, Own Your Average, Stop Trying to Find Your Passion…Create It, and Dream Small so you can do big things. Liz continues to channel her inner beginner as she manages 100s of employees across multiple continents, and her mindset sets her apart as a courageous, creative and effective leader.

The Sseko story has been featured in dozens of publications including, Vogue Magazine, Redbook Magazine, O Magazine, Inc., Fortune and others. Sseko has appeared on national broadcasts including ABC's Shark Tank and Good Morning America.

Among other notable honors, Liz was named a Top Three Transformation Leader by John Maxwell, Forbes listed her as a top 20 public speaker in the U.S. and Bloomberg Businessweek named Sseko as a top social enterprise to watch.
Liz now splits her time between Uganda and Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband Ben run Sseko Designs and raise their two young sons.

Did last year's speaker knock your socks off? Not sure where to go next? Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker. 

Here's a quick guide to help you get started:

Find A Theme

Decide on a theme or topic for your event.

Going through a period of transition? Looking to shake up your creative? Building trust within your teams? We have great speakers on all of those topics.

Having trouble? Check out our IDEA GENERATOR for inspiration.

Get in Touch

Get in touch with your Event Date & Theme.

We will ask you some key questions to find the perfect speaker for your live or virtual event.

We pride ourselves on our personal touch. We are small team of dedicated professionals with over 20 years experience. When you call us, you speak to us directly... and quickly.

Shortlist

By now, we have a great idea of what you are looking for and will send you a shortlist of exceptional speakers.

Each speaker will be vetted with YOUR event in mind, along with our personal thoughts on how that speaker can inspire your attendees.

Let's talk

From the shortlist, you've narrowed it down to two great speakers. Let's discuss your needs to help make the final decision.

With over 20 years experience, you can trust us to provide all of the information you need to choose the right speaker.

We work with you to find the best format for your presentation, including live streams, Q&A sessions and even follow up programs to ensure maximum engagement for your key stakeholders.

The Details

We will facilitate a call with your leadership team & our speaker to do a deep dive into your business to make sure their presentation really hits home.

As trusted experts, you can rest easy knowing our experience will guide you every step of the way.

get in touch

Get in touch to book your next great speaker.

• Talks about the birth of "Siri" from concept to implementation and new ways of thinking about AI and how to prepare your business for the continuing AI revolution.

• Audiences leave with an understanding of how to integrate innovation, including AI and new technologies into their organizations in order to prepare for the future.

• Adam Cheyer is a top technology speaker, AI expert and entrepreneur. He co-founded Siri. He has a proven track record of innovation in business, having worked at research labs, startups and some of the largest technology companies in the world, bringing ideas to market to positively impact hundreds of millions of people. 

• Adam is current Vice President of R&D at Samsung.

Adam Cheyer is a top technology speaker, AI expert and entrepreneur. He co-founded Siri, which was acquired by Apple, and later co-founded Viv, which became the basis of the voice assistant Bixby on Samsung phones, TVs, watches, and more. He is also a founding member and first developer at Change.org, the world’s largest petition platform, with more than 300M members.

Cheyer has a proven track record of innovation in business, having worked at research labs, startups and some of the largest technology companies in the world, bringing ideas to market to positively impact hundreds of millions of people. He is also an award-winning magician, having performed for millions on TV and for presidents and heads of state.

Adam Cheyer is currently Vice President of R&D at Samsung. Previously, he was co-founder and VP Engineering of Viv Labs, an artificial intelligence (AI) company acquired by Samsung in 2016.

Adam was also co-Founder and VP Engineering of Siri, acquired by Apple in 2010 to build their virtual personal assistant, which was distributed on more than 1.5B devices. After joining Apple, he became a Director of Engineering in the iPhone/iOS group, leading all AI and server-side aspects of the Siri assistant.

Adam is the author of more than sixty peer-reviewed publications and twenty-five issued patents. He received his bachelor’s degree with highest honors from Brandeis University and his master’s degree with an “outstanding master’s student” award from UCLA.

Click Here to Receive Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Virtual Events can:

1. Reach a wider audience
2. Offer a great experience at a much lower cost
3. Create long term impact with recorded elements that allow for content to be watched over a period of time
4. Have an increased impact over time, as viewers re-watch, discuss and connect over social media and other channels

And, most importantly: offer the ability for inspiring and impactful presentations to connect in a one-on-one way, directly to the attendee.

WHO is your audience?

Who are your virtual event attendees? Are they across a specific group within your organization, or are you serving clients across a wide range of levels? Determining who you are speaking to will help you determine a format for your event that will captivate your audience.

WHAT is your key message?

Are you focusing on change? Innovation? Leadership?

Creating a single focus or mission will allow you to hone in on the type of speaker(s) you need to engage your audience and help event producers to format the event into a dynamic program that balances inspiration with information and audience interaction.

WHAT type of event suits your audience?

• Virtual Conference
• Webinar
• Hybrid Event

Virtual event technology has come a long way over the last few months, offering a huge range of different options from pre-recorded webinars, to multi-day virtual conferences, to hybrid events with some attendees in the audience while the event is live streamed.

OUR ADVICE

A COMBINATION of live and pre-recorded elements will allow your virtual event to run smoothly and stay on time.

Many of our clients are also opting for multi-day virtual conferences with shorter segments spaced over a few days.

This allows some flexibility for attendees in different time zones and accommodates different teleworking situations for attendees, allowing them to tune in when it is convenient.

WHERE? It’s all about Tech.

Virtual meeting technology has exploded over the last few months as teleworking became the norm.

Consider your needs:

• Interactive elements like breakout rooms, polls & Q&A
• Seamless blend of live & pre-recorded elements
• Ability to replay segments
• Live tech support

If you plan for rain, it’s likely the sun will shine…

Tech isn’t perfect so don’t forget to test, rehearse and have a back up plan ready to go for your virtual event.

Pro Tip: Think of a virtual presentation like a podcast. Viewers can view the content multiple times and refer back to it.

  WHEN? A Date… or Dates?

As we have all noticed, our attention spans for meeting in real life versus meeting online are a lot longer.

When deciding on a date, consider spreading your virtual event out over a few days, with a variety of speakers, interactive elements and information.

The benefits of a multi-day format:

• Viewers watch content fresh for a short period every day
• Allows attendees in different time zones to stay on top of the content
• Attendees can review & re-engage with content

Virtual Event Checklist:

Is your event?

• Interactive?
• Informative?
• Able to be rewatched?

WHY? Pandemic 2020

Just because you are online instead of in person, it doesn’t mean you are missing out on connection.

Using the technology that we have become so accustomed to over the last few months, our keynote speakers have the ability to connect to your viewers one-on-one, in a way that was impossible in live events.

FIND YOUR WHY…

What do you want the audience to leave thinking at the end of the presentation?

Apply this question to all the presentations and segments in your event to create a cohesive, impactful virtual event.

  HOW? Virtual Event Checklist

To wrap it all up

• TECH: Find the right tech platform & don’t forget to test drive before your event
• AGENDA: Use a mix of live and pre-recorded segments, mixed with interactive elements, to ensure a smooth flow of events & audience engagement
• ANTICIPATION: Build up your event with emails, teasers and sneak peeks into what content will be offered
• NETWORKING: Create and encourage online chat functions, an event specific hashtag or even a dedicated event page to allow attendees to network virtually. Maximize the networking opportunities offered by your tech platform.
• EXTEND YOUR IMPACT: A dedicated social media page is a great place for attendees to connect after an event to discuss ideas and implement some of the learnings from the event.

Offer a password protected, limited time recording of keynote presentations to continue the conversation long after the virtual event has ended.

Continue the conversation with post-event touch points like emails or questions based on the key presentations.

To find a GREAT Speaker for your Virtual event, get in touch.

Barbara Corcoran’s credits include straight D’s in high school and college and 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country: She borrowed $1,000 and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. The Corcoran Group, the largest and best-known brand in the brokerage business, building the largest and best-known brand in the business.

Corcoran is the author of the best seller “Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business!” and host of top business podcast “Business Unusual with Barbara Corcoran.”

Corcoran is a motivational and inspirational speaker. She is a frequent small business and real estate contributor on every major network. Corcoran has been an investor/Shark for the past eleven seasons on ABC’s four-time Emmy award winning show, Shark Tank, investing in over 100 businesses to date. Follow Barbara on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @BarbaraCorcoran.

Mick Ebeling: Keynote Speaker on Innovation, Leadership & Possibility | Founder of Not Impossible Labs | Author | Entrepreneur

Make the Impossible, Not Impossible

What could your organization accomplish if your people stopped asking “Can we?” and started asking “How can we?”

Mick Ebeling is an entrepreneur, author, innovator and inspiring keynote speaker on innovation, leadership, problem-solving and purpose-driven business.

His message challenges audiences to stop accepting limitations, take action before they have every answer and use technology, creativity and collaboration to solve problems that truly matter.

Why Book Mick Ebeling?

Mick doesn't just talk about innovation. He shows audiences what innovation looks like when people actually do something.

His projects begin with seemingly impossible human problems. Instead of waiting for someone else to solve them, Mick brings together diverse teams, technology and an intense determination to find a way forward.

The result is a powerful business lesson: innovation doesn't always begin with having the answer. It begins with refusing to accept that a problem can't be solved.

Mick's combination of extraordinary stories, optimism and practical thinking makes his keynote inspiring while giving audiences a fresh perspective on innovation and action.

What Makes Mick Ebeling Different?

• Founder of Not Impossible Labs — an organization built around solving real-world problems
• Innovation with purpose — demonstrates how technology can create meaningful human impact
• Action-oriented mindset — encourages people to stop overthinking and start experimenting
• Extraordinary storytelling — brings innovation to life through compelling real-world projects
• Human-centered approach — starts with people and problems rather than technology
• Collaboration focused — shows how diverse expertise can accelerate breakthroughs
• Relevant to AI and technology conversations — keeps the focus on what technology can enable for people
• Highly inspirational — challenges audiences to rethink what they believe is possible

Why Is Mick Right for Your Audience?

Mick is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to challenge assumptions, solve problems differently and turn ambitious ideas into action.

He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, innovation summits, technology events, corporate meetings and organizations undergoing transformation.

Book Mick when your audience needs to:

• Challenge assumptions about what is possible
• Turn ideas into action
• Approach difficult problems with greater creativity
• Innovate with the customer or end user at the center
• Use technology to create meaningful solutions
• Break through organizational silos
• Collaborate across different disciplines
• Become more comfortable experimenting and learning

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• More willing to challenge “that's impossible” thinking
• Inspired to take action before every answer is known
• Better prepared to approach problems from the user's perspective
• Understanding how collaboration can accelerate innovation
• More focused on solving meaningful problems rather than chasing technology
• Ready to experiment, learn and adapt
• Asking a powerful question: What impossible problem should we solve next?

Mick Ebeling Keynote Programs

Making the Impossible, Not Impossible. What if “impossible” simply means nobody has solved the problem yet?

Mick takes audiences behind the scenes of Not Impossible Labs and the remarkable projects created by teams willing to tackle challenges others had accepted as unsolvable.

Through compelling stories of innovation and human impact, he demonstrates how commitment, collaboration and experimentation can turn seemingly impossible ideas into real solutions.

Ideal for: Innovation conferences, leadership events, corporate meetings and organizations looking to inspire bold thinking.

Innovation for the Sake of Humanity. The most powerful innovation doesn't begin with technology. It begins with a human problem worth solving.

Mick challenges audiences to put people at the center of innovation and focus technology on creating meaningful outcomes.

His stories demonstrate how empathy, creativity and diverse perspectives can uncover solutions that traditional approaches may overlook.

Ideal for: Technology, AI, innovation, healthcare and purpose-driven business events.

The Fallacy of “Impossible”. How many opportunities disappear because someone decides an idea can't be done before anyone actually tries?

Mick challenges audiences to question the assumptions, processes and conventional thinking that can prevent innovation.

He shows how experimentation, collaboration and a willingness to begin without knowing every step can create breakthroughs.

Ideal for: Leadership teams, transformation initiatives, innovation summits and organizations navigating disruption.

Why Book Mick Ebeling Through The Sweeney Agency?

Mick Ebeling brings together innovation, technology, purpose and extraordinary human stories—but the real value comes from connecting his message to the problems and opportunities your organization needs people to approach differently.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

• Confirm Mick Ebeling's availability and current speaking fee
• Determine which Mick Ebeling keynote best fits your audience
• Discuss customization around your organization's innovation objectives
• Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
• Compare Mick with other leading innovation, technology and leadership speakers

Is Mick Ebeling Right for Your Event?

Tell us the challenge your organization is trying to solve—or the “impossible” idea you want your people to start believing is possible.

We'll help you determine whether Mick is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning an innovation conference, leadership meeting or technology event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Mick Ebeling as your keynote speaker.

• Molly shares stories from her experiences as one of the only female sports agents in the industry as well as lessons from some of the top athletes and coaches in the game in her inspiring keynote.

• Audiences leave with Molly's  5-step process to unleashing your potential and achieving peak performance.

• Molly is hailed by CNN as hailed as the “female Jerry Maguire” and spent two decades as one of the world’s only female sports agents. She is also a best selling author of four books, and agent to some of the world's top athletes.

• Past clients include: AT&T, Cox Communications, ITA Group, Kraft, Morgan Stanley, and Porsche.

Hailed as the “female Jerry Maguire” by CNN, Molly Fletcher made a name for herself as one of the first female sports agents. During her almost two-decade career as President of CSE, Molly negotiated over $500 million in contracts and represented over 300 of sports' biggest names, including Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, PGA TOUR golfer Matt Kuchar, broadcaster Erin Andrews and basketball championship coaches Tom Izzo and Doc Rivers.

Today she is one of the most booked female speakers in the world. Her TED Talk, “Secrets of a Champion Mindset,” has more than one million views. She is the author of multiple books, including The Energy Clock, Fearless at Work, and A Winner’s Guide to Negotiating. Her latest book, Dynamic Drive, is a #1 USA Today Bestseller.

Molly is the founder and host of the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast, where she interviews experts and celebrities in every field including Troy Aikman, Sue Bird, Glennon Doyle,
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Matthew McConaughey, and Simon Sinek. Molly’s insights have been featured in prestigious media outlets, including CBS, CNN, Fox, ESPN, Forbes, Fast Company, InStyle, and Sports Illustrated.

A world-renowned speaker, Molly has delivered inspiring keynotes to some of the world’s most admired brands. She talks on leadership, mindset and peak performance. Molly understands the importance of putting someone in front of your people, and trusting that they deliver. That’s why she takes the time to customize every keynote to meet your goals. Whether she’s commanding the stage at a global conference for 50,000 leaders or inspiring a room of 75 top sales performers at a sales summit, Molly gets rave reviews and repeat bookings.

Since 2015, John Foley has been recognized as one of the top 10 most in demand speakers. John has spoken to some of the highest performing organizations in the world such as, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Goodyear, Chevron, Lowe's, Marriott, Hilton, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NCAA, Penske Racing, Sprint, Motorola, Merrill Lynch, Mass Mutual, AMC Theatre, Norton Lifelock, Capital Group, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, GE, American Hospital Association, Mayo, Merck, Palo Alto Networks, Sunovion, Gillette, McDonalds, Stanford Business School, Global Sports Summit, and numerous CEO Summits to name a few.

He is the former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, Bestselling Author of Fearless Success, an expert in the How of High Performance teams and 'The Guru of Gratitude.’ As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour in formations as close as 18 inches apart. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. John employs the intense realities of his aviation career as a metaphor to inspire - breath life into - teams to reach for their highest potential and sustain excellence under dynamic change. John’s presentations are highlighted by:

• An energizing delivery that inspires High Performance with a grateful mindset.
• Awe inspiring storytelling and electrifying video of the legendary Blue Angels in action.
• A contagious attitude of gratitude that he calls Glad To Be Here®.
• A unique approach that equips others to take the same journey toward excellence, teamwork and transformation.

In 2011 John founded the Glad To Be Here Foundation. John donates 10% of his speaking fees to charities through the foundation. The program has donated over $2 million to 380+ charities and impacted thousands of lives globally including sponsoring 47 children in 47 countries. It's part of his mission to connect a shared ‘purpose larger than self’ with every organization.

Click Here to Watch John's Virtual Presentation

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• Vinh talks about how leaders and teams can create and cultivate the RIGHT influence in our lives to make the difference between tremendous success or limited mediocrity.

• Audiences leave inspired and entertained by how Vinh teaches leaders how to achieve the right mindset through a presentation interwoven with entertainment, magic and powerful messaging.

• Vinh is a magician, powerful storyteller and CEO of Luminary Productions which produces exceptional video for individuals and companies all around the globe.

• Past clients include: Intuit, American Equity, Microsoft, Flinders University, American Dental Education Association, Western National Group, NALCO Champion, and Tetra Pak. 

Vinh Giang had only 6 months to graduate when he left his degree program in commerce and law to become an online magic teacher - ultimately building a hugely successful online business, 52kards, which now serves over 800,000 students around the globe. This earned him the award of Top Young Entrepreneur in Australia.

Vinh Giang’s real magic journey began when he finally understood what Robert Houdin (an amazing magician) meant when he said: “A magician is an actor playing the part of the magician.” Once Vinh understood the meaning behind this quote, he focused all his energy on studying the art of performance - and not the art of presentation. He has spent the last 15 years mastering the art of performance-enhanced communication - helping thousands of professionals worldwide to learn these skills.

Vinh is also the CEO of Luminary Productions which produces exceptional video for individuals and companies all around the globe.

Vinh’s presentations will bring out the magic in you! Prepare to be captivated by Vinh - as he:

• unlocks your mindsets - by presenting innovating concepts that produce deliberate and definitive action
• is an Entrepreneur who knows what it takes to lead and sell ideas
• is a Young Entrepreneur of the Year and award winning magician
• shares three key business ideas - and demonstrates them using the art of magic with on-stage audience participation
• creates a fun and highly entertaining atmosphere of illusion - where each key business concept is driven home in a truly profound and creative manner
• carefully crafts each performance creating the most powerful emotional experience for attendees - making the conference theme stick in their minds long after the event

“I believe that magicians are salespeople; they sell one of the most difficult products in the world. They sell magic - they sell the illusion. The way they’re able to sell magic is by working ridiculously hard. It takes thousands and thousands of hours to be able to sell the illusion, to be able to really sell the magic. Imagine if you applied the same mindset to your company - imagine if you applied the same dedication to your business - think about what you could achieve.” - Vinh Giang

Click Here to Watch Vinh's Virtual Presentation

Dr. Anil K. Gupta is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on strategy, globalization and entrepreneurship. Ranked by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s “most influential management thinkers,” he has been inducted as a member of the Thinkers50 2024 Hall of Fame. He has been named by The Economist as one of the world's "superstars" for research on emerging markets. He is also the recipient of the 2023 CK Prahalad Award for Scholarly Impact on Practice from the Strategic Management Society and the 2017 Outstanding Educator Award from the Academy of Management for worldwide contributions to research, practice, and teaching on the topic of globalization.

Anil is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Expert Network, the Bretton Woods Committee set up by the World Bank and IMF to advise them on solutions to global challenges, and the CNBC Disruptor 50 Advisory Council. He is a frequent participant at the World Economic Forum’s annual summits in Davos as well as regional summits in China, India, and the Middle East.

Anil’s honors include one of his papers being ranked #1 world-wide among the 20 most-cited papers on “Managing the Multinational Subsidiary.” Another of his papers is ranked #4. Anil is also one of only 3 professors in the world to have been elected by his peers as a Lifetime Fellow of the three most prestigious bodies in the field – Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society, and Academy of International Business, with a combined membership of over 25,000 scholars worldwide.

Anil is the coauthor of several highly acclaimed books including The Silk Road Rediscovered, Getting China and India Right, Global Strategies for Emerging Asia, The Quest for Global Dominance, Smart Globalization, and Global Strategy and Organization as well as over 70 papers in leading academic journals. Getting China and India Right received the 2009 Axiom Book Awards’ Silver Prize as one of the world’s two best books on globalization and was short-listed for the Asia Society’s Annual Bernard Schwartz Book Award.

Anil’s opinion pieces have been published in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Chief Executive Magazine, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Daily Telegraph, China Daily, Economic Times, and other outlets. He has been interviewed by Harvard Business Review, Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Forbes, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Reuters TV, as well as other top-tier media.

Anil serves regularly as a speaker at major conferences and corporate forums in the US, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa – including the World Economic Forum, Economist conferences, Chief Executive magazine’s CEO2CEO Summits, and the Yale CEO Summit. He has also served as a consultant, keynote speaker and/or executive education faculty with some of the largest corporations in the world including GE, Wal-Mart, IBM, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, H-P, SAP, Microsoft, Schneider Electric, PPG Industries, Accenture, Marriott, First Data, Jacobs, ABB, Lockheed Martin, Indian Oil, Huawei, TeliaSonera, Metso, UPM-Kymmene, Cemex, and others.

Anil has served as an elected board member for several companies including Origene Technologies (a gene cloning company), Omega (NASDAQ), Vitalink (NYSE), NeoMagic (NASDAQ). He also serves on the advisory boards of the E-Ship Centre at IIT Bombay, and Asia Silicon Valley Connection. He has earlier served as an advisor to the US-India Business Council and is a Charter Member of TiE-DC.

Kristen Hadeed believes that authentic, human leadership can change the world.

At 19, with hardly any leadership experience, Kristen started a cleaning business called Student Maid. She never expected it to be her career; it was simply a way to earn money while she was in college. But before she graduated, her company received a contract to clean hundreds of apartments—and it changed her path forever. Kristen hired a team of 60 people help her, and within days, 75% of that team quit. That’s when Kristen’s obsession with learning how to be a leader began.

Over the next 14 years, Kristen learned a lot by screwing up. But most importantly, she learned how to lead from her heart. Doing so helped her take Student Maid from a small cleaning company to a business known on a global scale for its culture of belonging, its focus on people, and its purpose of building leaders.

Today, Kristen spends her time helping leaders, teams, and organizations around the world embrace their humanity. She’s worked with just about every industry with one purpose behind it all: To build a better world through courageous, compassionate leadership.

Kristen’s work has been featured in news outlets including PBS, FOX, Inc., NBC, TIME, and Forbes. Kristen’s book, Permission To Screw Up, has sold more than 40,000 copies worldwide. Her first TED Talk has more than three million views on YouTube

• Troy talks about entrepreneurship: how businesses can grow through forward thinking leadership.

• Audiences leave with actionable ideas to develop and pursue strategies for growth and promote great collaboration within teams.

• Troy is a best-selling author, business strategist and entrepreneur, having founded twelve businesses over two decades and has consulted to countless successful companies over the last 25 years.

• Past clients include: Kia Motors, Prudential Real Estate, Toyota, McCain Foods, Lowe's and Hertz Rent-a-Car.

Click Here to Watch Troy's Virtual Presentation

Robert Herjavec a dynamic entrepreneur and leading Shark on ABC’s Emmy Award-winning hit show Shark Tank - is one of North America’s most recognizable business leaders. In 2003, he founded Herjavec Group, and it quickly became one of North America’s fastest growing technology companies. Today, Herjavec Group is recognized as a global cybersecurity operations leader - specializing in managed security services, compliance, identity services and incident response for enterprise-level leaders and their organizations.

Born in Eastern Europe, he arrived in North America on a boat with his parents - after escaping communism in the former Yugoslavia. From delivering newspapers, and waiting tables, to launching a computer company from his basement - his drive to achieve has led him to the fulfillment of a better life for himself and his family. Robert’s motivational business advice has received millions of impressions through TV, print, radio and digital media.

Robert's inspiring books all appeared on best-sellers’ lists:

• You Don’t Have to Be a Shark: Creating Your Own Success (St. Martin's Press, May 2016)

• The Will to Win (HarperCollins, Apr 2013)

• Driven (HarperCollins, Sep 2010)

Robert will engage and inspire anyone willing to keep up with the pace of change! Robert's fundamental guiding principles include "Today we do what others won’t, so that tomorrow we can accomplish what others can’t" - and "Constant Forward Momentum!"

Daymond John, from his wildly successful role on ABC’s smash hit, Shark Tank, to his distinguished status as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, has become globally recognized for his relentless and commitment to promoting and supporting entrepreneurs.

Daymond initially made his mark as the entrepreneur and branding expert behind the groundbreaking lifestyle brand, FUBU, which eclipsed more than $6 billion in global retail sales. From the streets of Hollis, Queens, Daymond started a global movement from the basement of his mother’s house by capitalizing on the then fledgling hip-hop culture. Today, the streetwear market that FUBU pioneered is a $20 billion dollar industry.

Since then, Daymond has continued to challenge himself and the business world in which he operates. In 2009, Daymond was tapped by lauded television producer, Mark Burnett, to join the cast of a new business-reality concept, Shark Tank. After 8 seasons, 4 Emmy Awards, multiple Critic’s Choice Awards and millions of dollars in investments, the show has become the most watched program on Friday nights, and one of the most successful business reality series of all time. Over the course of the series, Daymond has been a mainstay of the cast of Sharks and is now affectionately referred to as, “The People’s Shark.”

Resolved to expand his own brand, Daymond has written three books, the most recent of which debuted at #2 on the New York Times best-seller list in January of 2016. The wildly successful release, The Power of Broke (Crown Publishing) takes an in-depth look at how successful entrepreneurs who started from broke were forced to think more creatively and to leverage their resources more efficiently, than their counterparts. While his previous books, Display of Power and The Brand Within were national best-sellers, The Power of Broke stands as the only New York Times best-selling book from any of the Sharks.

Beyond the brands, the television series and the books, Daymond’s commitment to entrepreneurship has been celebrated on a global level. In 2015, he was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and was part of an exclusive group who joined President Obama at the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Kenya. In March, Daymond accompanied The President on his historic trip to Cuba, which represented the first time a sitting US president visited the island since Calvin Coolidge did in 1928.

One of Daymond’s greatest accomplishments is his continued fight against dyslexia. He has worked with the Yale Center for Dyslexia and he currently sits on the advisory board of Understood.org. Daymond has embraced his affliction allowing it to be a catalyst for his career as a highly sought after motivational public speaker and author.

As a dynamic speaker with more than twenty-five years of proven business experience, Daymond has become one of the most highly sought after speakers in the country. He regularly speaks at Fortune 100 companies, conferences, universities, and independent businesses alike. Daymond’s high energy presentations give audiences relatable advice and practical takeaways. His S.H.A.R.K. Points are actionable principles that bring long-term results. Entrepreneurship, marketing and branding, financial literacy and goal-setting are among his most popular topics. Daymond has delivered keynote speeches for organizations such as General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, AT&T and dozens more.

A recipient of more than thirty-five awards, including the Brandweek Marketer of the Year and Ernst & Young’s Master Entrepreneur of the Year, Daymond serves as CEO of the brand consultancy, The Shark Group, which specializes in brand strategy and development, artist relations and talent development. Under Daymond’s leadership, The Shark Group has re-written the script on how companies, brands and products can seamlessly work together to yield a sum greater than its parts. The Shark Group works with a wide range of businesses and brands, including Capital One, HSN, Forbes, Miller Lite, Gillette, Shopify and Infusionsoft and superstars such as Muhammad Ali, the Kardashians, Pitbull, Stan Lee, Carlos Santana, Jillian Michaels and others.

Diana Kander: Keynote Speaker on Innovation, Curiosity & Growth | New York Times Bestselling Author | Entrepreneur | Innovation Consultant

Better Questions Create Better Results. What opportunities are your people missing because they've become too comfortable with the way things have always been done?

Diana helps organizations turn curiosity into a competitive advantage. Through entertaining case studies, interactive exercises and practical tools, she shows audiences how to uncover blind spots, challenge assumptions and ask the questions that lead to better ideas, stronger customer relationships and new opportunities for growth.

Why Book Diana Kander?

Diana's message starts with a deceptively simple idea: the more experienced we become, the easier it is to stop questioning what we think we already know.

She calls this the Expert Plateau—the point where expertise can begin creating blind spots that prevent people from learning, improving and recognizing new opportunities.

Diana helps audiences break through those blind spots by developing curiosity as a daily habit.

Rather than simply telling people to “think outside the box,” she gives them practical tools for asking better questions, challenging outdated assumptions and turning curiosity into measurable business results.

What Makes Diana Kander Different?

• New York Times bestselling author — her books are taught in more than 100 universities
• Serial entrepreneur — built and sold millions of dollars of products and services
• Innovation expert — has helped organizations develop multi-billion-dollar products
• Curiosity specialist — turns curiosity from an abstract concept into a practical business skill
• Highly interactive — uses exercises and case studies to keep audiences involved
• Immediately actionable — audiences leave with tools they can start using right away
• Sales relevant — applies curiosity directly to customer relationships and revenue growth
• Highly customized — adapts her content to the organization, industry and audience

Why Is Diana Right for Your Audience?

Diana is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to challenge the status quo, ask better questions and discover opportunities they may currently be overlooking.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, innovation summits, association meetings and organizations navigating change or pursuing growth.

Book Diana when your audience needs to:

• Challenge outdated assumptions
• Build a culture of curiosity
• Identify opportunities hidden in everyday problems
• Reduce the risk associated with new ideas
• Become more innovative without simply adding more work
• Understand customers more deeply
• Improve sales conversations
• Eliminate habits and processes that no longer create value

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Understanding how expertise can create dangerous blind spots
• Better equipped to ask questions that uncover new opportunities
• More willing to challenge “the way we've always done it”
• Able to identify unnecessary activities that should be eliminated
• Better prepared to test new ideas while reducing risk
• More curious about customers, colleagues and competitors
• Equipped with practical tools for driving innovation
• Ready to turn curiosity into action

Diana Kander Keynote Programs

Unleash Your Curiosity! What if the biggest barrier to innovation isn't a lack of ideas—but believing you already know the answer?

Diana shows audiences how experience can create an Expert Plateau, where people stop questioning familiar assumptions and become less open to better ways of working.

Drawing from her work on The Curiosity Muscle, Diana helps participants develop simple habits that make curiosity part of how they approach problems, decisions and opportunities.

Through entertaining case studies and interactive exercises, audiences discover how to uncover blind spots, reduce the risk of new ideas and prevent yesterday's success from limiting tomorrow's growth.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, innovation events, corporate meetings and organizations focused on growth and transformation.

Innovate to Sell. What if your salespeople could win more business by becoming more curious—not more persuasive?

Diana applies her innovation principles directly to sales, helping teams rethink how they prioritize opportunities, understand customers and approach important conversations.

Drawing from Get Curious & Grow, she gives salespeople practical tools to eliminate distractions, uncover hidden customer needs and develop more innovative strategies for winning business.

Rather than another traditional sales presentation, Innovate to Sell helps salespeople rethink how they sell.

Ideal for: Sales kickoffs, national sales meetings, account-management teams and revenue organizations.

Customized Innovation Keynote. What innovation challenge does your organization need people to think differently about?

Diana can customize her innovation and curiosity content around the specific issues, opportunities and objectives facing an organization.

By connecting her frameworks directly to the audience's world, she helps participants see familiar challenges through a different lens—and identify opportunities they may have previously overlooked.

Ideal for: Executive meetings, industry conferences, transformation initiatives and organizations facing a specific innovation challenge.

Why Book Diana Kander Through The Sweeney Agency?

Diana Kander combines innovation expertise, practical business tools and an exceptionally engaging presentation style—but the real value comes from connecting her curiosity framework directly to the challenges and opportunities facing your audience.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

• Confirm Diana Kander's availability and current speaking fee
• Determine which Diana Kander keynote best fits your audience
• Discuss customization around your industry and business objectives
• Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
• Compare Diana with other leading innovation, sales and business-growth speakers

Is Diana Kander Right for Your Event?

Tell us where your organization needs people to ask better questions, challenge assumptions or uncover new opportunities.

We'll help you determine whether Diana is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning a leadership conference, sales kickoff, innovation summit or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Diana Kander as your keynote speaker.

• Speaker on Creativity, Change, Innovation, and Leadership

• Talks about Big Little Breakthroughs -- how small, everyday ideas drive gigantic results

• Tech start up leader, Josh started, built, and sold five companies for a combined sum of over $200 million

• Author of four books including the New York Times Bestsellers, Disciplined Dreaming and The Road to Reinvention

• Past clients include: Bank of America, Deloitte, Ford Motor Company, Intel, Coca-Cola, Nike, P&G, SAP

Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capital investor, professional jazz guitarist, and a globally-recognized innovation expert. On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (mooDEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he's helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He's twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. He’s been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world.

His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.

Click Here to Watch Josh's Virtual Presentation

By his 35th birthday Mike Michalowicz (pronounced mi-‘kal-o-wits) had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies.

Confident that he had the formula to success, he became a small business angel investor… and proceeded to lose his entire fortune. Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Mike has devoted his life to the research and delivery of innovative, impactful, entrepreneurial strategies to you.

Mike is the creator of Profit First, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit. He is the creator of Clockwork, a powerful method to make any business run on automatic. And his latest, arguably most impactful discovery, is Fix This Next. In Fix This Next, Mike details the strategy businesses can use to determine what to do, in what order, to ensure healthy, fast, permanent growth (and avoid debilitating distractions).

Today, Mike leads two new multi-million-dollar ventures, as he tests his latest business research for his books. He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and business makeover specialist on MSNBC. Mike is a popular main stage keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics; and is the author of Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

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.

• Kevin shares lessons from his life as an entrepreneur, Shark and business leader.

• Audiences learn the O'Leary Fundamentals that have been instrumental in Kevin's success in business and life taking him from modest beginnings to incredible success.

• Kevin O'Leary is an entrepeneur in a variety of industries, beginning with his first software business. As a Shark and television personality, he is uniquely suited to share how to turn challenges into triumphs.

• Past clients include: Pitney Bowes, Straumann, and SME Entertainment Group.

Kevin O’Leary was born to a middle class family in 1954. The combination of Kevin’s mother’s family heritage as merchants and his father’s Irish charisma truly meant that O’Leary was born for business. Kevin learned most of his business intuition from his mother. She taught him key business and financial insights from an early age. These became Kevin’s core philosophies, and the pillars upon which he would one day build his empire.

Kevin’s approach to business went through major changes as a teenager. During his second day on the job at a local ice cream shop, his boss came into the front of the store where Kevin was scooping ice cream. She looked at Kevin and asked him to perform a task that he wasn’t expecting. What happened next had a profound effect on Kevin – one that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

As a university student, Kevin’s innate business sense led him along several different paths – including some very unusual, very entrepreneurial ways of making a profit.

Not long after he finished his MBA, Kevin had a meeting that changed his life forever. He met a man who had a strange idea for a software product – an idea with huge, high-profit potential that Kevin immediately recognized.

After years of ups, downs, sacrifices, challenges, and lessons learned — not to mention a critical phone call that nearly cost him everything — the opportunity that Kevin saw eventually turned into a computer software giant that was acquired for more than $4 billion dollars.

After his extraordinary success at the software company he founded – and a difficult period of obstacles and legal disputes – Kevin eventually found himself on television, quickly becoming a sought-after host and personality on a range of shows – including Discovery’s Project Earth, CBC’s Dragons’ Den, and ABC’s Shark Tank.

Kevin has since launched O’Leary Funds, an investment fund company; O’Leary Fine Wines; and a best-selling book series on financial literacy.

In 2014, Kevin founded O’Leary Financial Group – a group of brands and services that share Kevin’s guiding principles of honesty, directness, convenience, and above all, great value.

• Michelle talks about her journey towards overcoming her fears over the course of 100 days and challenges audience members to do the same by stepping outside of their comfort zones to tap into their true potential.

• Audiences leave inspired by Michelle's story of dealing with the unknown, seeking growth, embracing authenticity and daring to fail.

• Michelle is the Founder of Hello Fears, a social movement empowering millions to step outside of the comfort zone and tap into their full potential. She has spoken at TEDx, Google, INBOUND, Facebook, ESPN, Netflix, Procter and Gamble, Microsoft, Toyota, World Domination Summit, Festival of Media Global, and many more.

• Past clients include: Netflix, Amazon, Coca Cola, Whirlpool, YouTube, P&G and Yum!

Born and raised in Caracas-Venezuela, Michelle Poler is a creative and passionate social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, fear facer, and branding strategist.

She is the Founder of Hello Fears, a social movement empowering millions to step outside of the comfort zone and tap into their full potential. She has spoken at TEDx, Google, INBOUND, Facebook, ESPN, Netflix, Procter and Gamble, Microsoft, Toyota, World Domination Summit, Festival of Media Global, and many more.

In April 2015, Michelle embarked on a 100-day project that would change the course of her life. Born to a family of Holocaust survivors, Michelle was accustomed to living with fear. But when she moved to New York, she quickly realized that the “big apple” was not for the fearful. In order to rewrite her definition of fear and change her approach to life, Michelle decided to face 100 of her fears in a period of 100 days, uploading every experience to YouTube sharing them with the world.

At around day 40, the project was discovered by the media, becoming a viral phenomenon. Her work has been featured on CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Fox News, Telemundo, Glamour, Elle, The Rachael Ray Show, Refinery29, and Daily Mail among many others. Celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Sofia Vergara, Zoey Deschanel, Lil Wayne and George Takei also shared Michelle’s project, generating millions of views.

In 2017 Michelle started speaking to the younger generation. Since then, she has empowered over 20,000 students at schools and universities around the world to live with courage, find their authenticity and embrace their growth paths.

• Talks about a small Silicon Valley start up disrupted the entire home entertainment industry.

• Audiences are inspired story filled presentation that shows the values of innovation, persistence and optimism. Marc shares some of the many lessons he learned, including the value of analytics and testing, corporate culture and focus.

• Marc Randolph is a top entrepreneur and innovation keynote speaker, Netflix co-founder, angel investor, and an Amazon #1 bestselling author and podcast host of That Will Never Work.

• He is a frequent speaker at industry events, works extensively with young entrepreneur programs, sits on the board of the environmental advocacy group 1% for the Planet.

Marc Randolph is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, advisor and investor. Marc was co-founder of Netflix, serving as their founding CEO, as the executive producer of their web site, and as a member of their board of directors. Although best known for starting Netflix, Marc’s career as an entrepreneur spans more than four decades.  He's founded or co-founded more than half a dozen other successful start-ups, mentored rising entrepreneurs including the co-founders of Looker Data which was recently sold to Google for $2.6B, and invested in numerous successful tech ventures. He is a frequent speaker at industry events, works extensively with young entrepreneur programs, sits on the board of the environmental advocacy group 1% for the Planet, and chairs the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Board of Trustees.

Scott Welle is a #1 international best-selling author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and Founder of Outperform The Norm - a leading program for business leaders and athletes looking raise their game and perform at the highest level.

While the rest of the competition is playing not to lose, Scott teaches people to play to win. His proprietary “Commit/Attack/Conquer” formula ensures people fall asleep at night knowing they are making the most of their precious days on this planet. For this, Fox 9 in Minneapolis-St Paul has called him a “Motivational Expert.”

Scott has successfully engaged audiences from Northwestern Mutual, State Farm, Edward Jones, Caribou Coffee, Sherwin Williams, Toyota and Chevrolet. He has spoken in 27+ states to 100,000+ people; students from 49+ countries have taken his online courses; 1,000,000+ video views across social platforms; author of 9 best-selling books in peak performance/self-help; Adjunct professor in Sport Psychology - and 20+ years studying and working with Outperformers in business and athletics.

Scott’s nine best-selling books, articles, videos, podcasts and online programs inspire hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. He has a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology - and serves on advisory committees of three national level organizations. He regularly speaks and consults with top performing executives, sales professionals and entrepreneurs, as well as elite athletes, all with one common goal - to outperform the norm.

Scott enjoys pushing his own physical and mental limits, completing five Ironman triathlons, 27 marathons - and a 100-mile ultra marathon run. He is very close with his brother, Jason. Together they “plod” at least one marathon together each year, laughing the whole way.

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