Dr. Jasmin Bergeron is a sought-after expert who gave more than 2,000 keynote presentations and workshops (in person and online) in 12 countries around the world. He also authored or co-authored five books, more than 50 scientific research papers and over 100 newspaper articles on the “WOW effect” in journals such as The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Bergeron owns the “Certified Speaking Professional - CSP” designation, which is the highest international certification that can be earned in the professional speaker industry worldwide. Dr. Bergeron talks on the best practices to create a “WOW Effect” in various contexts such as: Sales and business development, customer service, leadership, teamwork, and work-life balance.

Dr. Jasmin Bergeron has given hundreds of keynote presentations in the following sectors: Financial Services, Healthcare, Education, Professional Services, Real Estate, Government, Tourism and Hospitality, Retail, and a variety of associations

Dr. Jasmin Bergeron will take a lot of time to tailor his presentation to your business, needs and expectations. In fact, after his presentations, many attendees think that he worked in their industry before. His main objective is to deliver practical tips and tools that can be implemented immediately. Delivering well-researched and relevant insights, Jasmin Bergeron is known for his interactive, humorous, and value-oriented approach. Jasmin is a fully bilingual speaker who has a unique ability to simplify seemingly complex challenges in a way that will provide your audience with a fresh and useful perspective.

Dr. Jasmin Bergeron’s dynamic presentations are grounded in science (he is a tenured University Professor), leavened with humor and strengthened by his flair for telling it like it is. Attendees particularly value the memory aid he provides at the end. You will leave Dr. Jasmin Bergeron’s keynote refreshed, energized and more confident than ever that you are prepared for the road ahead.

Click Here to Watch Dr. Jasmin Bergeron's Virtual Showcase

Barb Betts is a visionary keynote speaker and thought leader with over 20 years of experience transforming sales and business performance through the power of authentic relationships. Known for her dynamic presence and impactful delivery, Barb has energized audiences at top-tier events like LVMH, Fidelity National, Inman Connect, WomanUP!, and the NAR Annual Conference. Her transparent, compassionate, and results-driven approach consistently leaves audiences not only inspired but ready to take action.

As a sought-after speaker, Barb blends her extensive sales expertise with powerful, personal stories and actionable strategies that tackle today’s most pressing business challenges. She shows entrepreneurs, salespeople, and leaders how to leverage relationships as a strategic asset—transforming them into a measurable force for success in today’s fast-paced world.

Barb’s award-winning podcast, Relationships are Your Superpower®, amplifies her thought leadership, reaching thousands with insights on how to move beyond transactional interactions and create deep, trust-based connections. Her approach results in more referrals, loyal clients, and thriving businesses that are rooted in genuine connection and mutual respect.

Known for her high-energy, engaging presentations, Barb inspires audiences to rethink how they approach relationships and empowers them with the tools to build lasting, impactful connections that drive real results. Her ability to deliver practical next steps, grounded in real-world experience, makes her a highly sought-after speaker for professionals looking to elevate their leadership, sales, and influence.

When she’s not on stage or working with business leaders, Barb enjoys life in Southern California with her husband and two children. She believes that the most important relationships are the ones we nurture in both our personal and professional lives.

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.

• Anthony talks about how the difference between the winners and the "also rans" comes down to execution.

• Audiences leave equipped with simple, actionable tools to improve execution and drive better results as individuals and as teams.

• He is a highly accomplished and decorated F-16 fighter pilot, founder, President & CEO of Afterburner, author & keynote speaker on Peak Performance.

• Past clients include: Ernst & Young, GE, Cisco, Boeing, Bridgestone, AT&T, Charles Schwab and The Home Depot

Major Anthony “AB” Bourke is a highly accomplished and decorated F-16 fighter pilot who flew tactical missions in service to our country all over the world. He has accumulated more than 2,700 hours of flight time in various high performance aircraft - and was one of the first pilots to fly an F-16 in homeland defense efforts over New York City in the aftermath of September 11th.

Following his impressive military career, AB applied the tools and techniques that made him one of our nation's premier fighter pilots to the competitive world of business. He ascended rapidly to become the top producing mortgage banker in the Western U.S. for a prominent lending institution. His success in the mortgage banking industry led to an opportunity with a California based start-up - where his team dramatically grew annual revenue from $500,000 to $65M in just three years.

Following these two endeavors, AB combined his love of business with his passion for tactical aviation to build Afterburner Seminars, a global training company based on the lessons he learned in the military. While President & CEO, Afterburner grew into a best-in-class training company that was twice named one of Inc. magazine's 500 fastest growing companies.

Currently AB serves as CEO & Founder of Mach 2 Consulting - and has shared his message of peak performance to more than 100,000 people in twelve different countries. AB brings his tactical knowledge and business acumen to the forefront of the management training world - to share how fighter pilots, and other organizations where performance truly matters, can develop a feedback system to ensure continuous improvement and peak performance. His wealth of experience and ability to connect with audiences landed AB in Inc Magazine’s 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference.

Under AB's leadership as CEO - Mach 2 Consulting consistently delivers dynamic keynote speeches on leadership, communication, sales and teamwork to Fortune 1000 corporations around the globe. AB is a motivational dynamo with a proven ability to energize, enlighten and enrich your team’s experiences - to ensure a successful engagement for you and your client.

AB’s keynotes typically align to the following groups:

• Fortune 1000 organizations
• Sales meetings - speeches that extend into actual training
• Annual meetings - for various organizations such as Trade and Professional Associations
• Management Retreats - to give your leaders an opportunity to step out of the box and think differently
• Company off-sites - where teams are looking to improve communication and alignment

AB continues work on his book The Art of the Debrief . A business and leadership book about the significance of how business people can use Debrief to drive continuous improvement in any organization. Anticipated for release late 2019, keep an eye for the release of AB's first book - apt to captivate all!

Click Here to Watch Anthony's Virtual Presentation

• Peter teaches leaders how to lead with emotional courage by increasing their confidence, ability to connect with others and embrace change

• Audiences leave with the tools to engage on with their teams on an emotional level to guide change and support performance

• Peter is an author and contributor to more than 16 books, and a regular contributor to Bloomberg Business Week, Forbes, Fast Company and The Financial Times

• Past clients include: Allianz, American Express, Brunswick Group, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, FEI, GE Capital, Merck, Clear Channel, Nike, and UNICEF

Peter Bregman is recognized as the #1 executive coach in the world by Leading Global Coaches. Peter coaches CEOs and senior leaders in many of the world’s premier organizations. Having started his career teaching leadership on wilderness and mountaineering expeditions, Peter is CEO of Bregman Partners - an executive coaching company that helps successful people become exceptional leaders and stellar human beings.

Peter is ranked as a top 30 thought leader by Thinkers 50 Radar - and selected as one of the top 8 thought leaders in leadership. He is the award-winning, best-selling author and contributor of 16 books - including, most recently, Leading with Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability, and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work. His book, 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, was a Wall Street Journal best-seller, winner of the Gold medal from the Axiom Business Book awards, named the best business book of the year by NPR - and selected by Publisher’s Weekly and the New York Post as a top ten business book. He is also the author of Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Replace Counter-Productive Habits with Ones That Really Work, a New York Post "Top Pick for Your Career" in 2015, and Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change.

Peter is the host of the Bregman Leadership Podcast, which offers insightful conversations with industry thought leaders - on how to become more powerful, courageous leaders. He is also a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and his articles and commentary appear frequently in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, The Financial Times , PBS, ABC, CNN, NPR, and FOX Business News.

Peter created and leads the Bregman Leadership Intensive, a four-day program that transforms the way people lead - by increasing their confidence in themselves, their ability to connect with others, their commitment to what’s most important, and their emotional courage.

Peter designed the Bregman Partners proven, proprietary Big Arrow process - to align people to work together to accomplish an organization’s most important work. The Bregman Arrow Measurement tool (BAM)©tm - quantifies the leadership and organizational gaps that block successful execution.

He has implemented his proprietary solutions with CEOs and senior leaders in many of the world’s premier organizations, including Allianz, American Express, Brunswick Group, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, FEI, GE Capital, Merck, Clear Channel, Nike, UNICEF, among others.

Peter earned his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from Columbia University.

As a renowned author, speaker, television and radio personality, Les Brown has risen to national prominence by inspiring others to shake off mediocrity and live up to their full potential. With no formal education beyond high school, Les has distinguished himself as an international authority on harnessing human potential.

Born a twin in low-income Liberty City in Miami, Florida, Les and his twin brother were adopted when they were six weeks old by Miss Mamie Brown. As a single woman with a big heart, Miss Brown had very little education or financial means. With young Les' inattention to school work, his restless energy, and the failure of his teachers to recognize his potential, Les was misdiagnosed as educable mentally retarded. Suffering for years by the label and the stigma, Les was nevertheless driven by his passion to learn and his hunger to achieve his goal as a radio disc jockey.

In a humorous twist of fate and cunning, Les rose from a hip-talkin' morning DJ to a broadcast manager; from voracious reader to author; from community activist to community leader; from political commentator to three-term state legislator; from a banquet and nightclub emcee to a premier keynote speaker for Fortune 100 companies.

In 1986, Les entered the public speaking arena on a full-time basis and formed his own company, Les Brown Enterprises Inc., aimed at individuals and organizations, the company provides motivational products, personal development programs, speaker development workshops, keynote presentations and interactive business trainings.

In 1989, Les received the National Speakers Association's highest honor: The Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE). In addition, he was selected one of the World's Top Five Speakers in 1992 by Toastmasters International and became the recipient of the Golden Gavel Award.

Commencing in 1990 and recording the first in a series of six PBS specials, Les launched You Deserve which was awarded a Chicago-area Emmy. It became the leading fundraiser for pledges to PBS stations nationwide.

In 1993, Les became the host of his own nationally syndicated daily television talk show, The Les Brown Show, in which he focused on solutions to the day's challenges rather than the problems.

Recognized internationally, Les is the author of three bestselling books: Up Thoughts for Down Times, Live Your Dreams, and It's Not Over Until You Win. With his Sunday morning radio talk show, Chicago Speaks with Les Brown, Les' outreach embraces the homeless and the world's most powerful leaders.

A leading authority in understanding and stimulating human potential, Les' electric and powerful delivery, stage presence and personal insights have built his international brand of "What's Possible". Les' customized presentation is driven by his approach to each unique audience. Before he gives a speech, he builds a speech. The end result is that Les teaches and inspires each audience to new levels of awareness and achievement.

David Brownlee is the CEO of The Brownlee Group, LLC and founder of the Rockstar Customer Service Training Program. He is a two-time, number one, best-selling author of Rockstar Service, Rockstar Profits and Customer Service Success and has been featured in Time Magazine, People Magazine and others. He is a former business coach and seminar leader for Tony Robbins and has conducted over 5,000 one-on-one coaching sessions with business owners and executives.

He has trained over 2M businesses and individuals from his online courses, keynotes, live events and coaching programs. His clients range from small businesses to large companies – from Harley-Davidson, and Oakley to Google and LinkedIn.

David is a serial entrepreneur and sold his first company in 2005. He then moved to Central America with his wife to take a break and learn his 3 s’s…Spanish, Salsa and Surfing. One night when coming home from dinner in a taxicab, David and his wife were kidnapped at gunpoint. David was robbed, beaten and stabbed in the leg.

After making it through that horrific experience, David decided in that moment, that life is short and dedicated himself to helping others. He looks at this life event as a “blessing” because it has led him down the path to be here with you on your journey.

David believes that we all deserve to be successful in life and business. He also believes that each one of us has the power to create a positive ripple effect of kindness and respect for one another through our interactions. We make this impact, one person at a time.

He currently lives in San Diego, CA with his wife and two children.

Fun fact: David is the biggest winner in the history of the Hollywood Squares Game Show on CBS with Whoopi Goldberg.

Colette Carlson: Human Behavior Expert | CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame | Leadership & Communication Expert | Creator of The Human Edge™

The Human Edge™

Colette Carlson helps leaders and teams strengthen the human skills technology can't replicate—trust, empathy, presence, resilience and influence.

A Human Behavior Expert and CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame inductee, Colette combines research, humor, storytelling and highly interactive experiences to help people communicate more effectively, collaborate more deeply and perform at their best.

Why Book Colette Carlson?

Colette addresses one of today's biggest workplace challenges: people are more connected technologically, yet often more disconnected personally.

She shows leaders, teams and sales professionals how stronger human connection translates into greater trust, engagement, collaboration and performance.

Her presentations are energetic, funny and highly practical. Audiences don't simply listen—they participate, connect and leave with strategies they can immediately put into action.

What Makes Colette Different?

• CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame inductee
• Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)
• Master's Degree in Human Behavior
• More than 20 years working with organizations worldwide
• Trusted by organizations including Microsoft, FedEx, Costco, Procter & Gamble and Fidelity
• Combines humor, storytelling, research and audience interaction
• Conducts extensive pre-event research and audience interviews
• Deeply customizes her presentation to the organization, audience and event objectives

Why Is Colette Right for Your Audience?

Colette is an excellent choice when organizations need people to communicate better, build trust and strengthen the relationships that drive results.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, sales meetings, corporate events, association conferences and organizations experiencing change.

Book Colette when your audience needs to:

• Build stronger relationships and trust
• Communicate with greater influence
• Collaborate more effectively across teams and silos
• Strengthen resilience during change
• Create greater engagement and belonging
• Connect across different generations and working styles
• Protect the human advantage in an increasingly AI-driven workplace

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Better equipped to build trust quickly
• More intentional about how they communicate and connect
• Ready to strengthen collaboration across teams
• Better able to navigate difficult conversations
• More resilient when facing change and uncertainty
• Equipped with practical strategies they can immediately apply
• Energized to bring greater humanity to the way they lead and work

Keynote Programs

The Human Edge™ Because Influence Begins With Connection, Not Code

In a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI, Colette shows audiences why human connection has become a critical competitive advantage.

She explores how trust, empathy, presence and emotional intelligence strengthen leadership, teamwork and performance—and gives audiences practical ways to put those skills into action.

Ideal for leadership conferences, corporate meetings and organizations navigating the future of work.

Impactful Leadership

Great leadership isn't simply about communicating information. It's about creating the trust and connection that inspire people to act.

Colette helps leaders communicate with greater clarity, listen more effectively, strengthen relationships and create cultures where people feel seen, valued and motivated to contribute.

Ideal for leadership meetings, management conferences and organizations focused on culture and engagement.

Sales Success

Customers have more information, more choices and more technology than ever before. What still differentiates great salespeople is their ability to create genuine human connection.

Colette shows sales professionals how to build trust, listen more effectively, strengthen relationships and communicate in ways that create greater influence.

Ideal for sales kickoffs, national sales meetings and customer-facing teams.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

The right keynote needs to do more than entertain your audience. It needs to connect directly to the challenges they are facing.

Colette is particularly committed to customization, conducting discovery conversations and audience interviews so her presentation feels relevant to the people in the room.

Contact us to:

• Confirm Colette's availability and current fee
• Identify the keynote that best supports your objectives
• Discuss customization around your audience and organization
• Explore keynote, workshop and interactive formats
• Receive comparable recommendations if another speaker may be a stronger fit

Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking Colette Carlson.

Dr. Robert Cialdini, thought leader in the field of Influence, has spent his entire career conducting, testing, analyzing, and publishing peer-reviewed scientific research on what causes people to say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and his New York Times bestselling books have earned him an acclaimed reputation as a respected scientist and engaging storyteller. Robert Cialdini’s books, including his New York Times Bestselling Influence and Pre-Suasion, have sold more than seven-million copies in 45 different languages.

Robert is known globally as the foundational expert in the science of influence and how to apply it ethically in business. His Principles of Persuasion have become a cornerstone for any organization serious about effectively and ethically increasing their influence.

Dr Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University. Dr. Cialdini received his PhD from University of North Carolina and post doctoral training from Columbia University. He holds honorary doctoral degrees (Doctor Honoris Causa) from Georgetown University, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Wroclaw, Poland and University of Basil in Switzerland. He has held Visiting Scholar appointments at Ohio State University, the University of California, the Annenberg School of Communications, and the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University.

In acknowledgement of his outstanding research achievements and important contributions to world knowledge , Dr. Cialdini has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.

As a keynote speaker, Dr. Cialdini has earned a world-wide reputation for his ability to translate the science through valuable and memorable stories. These on-stage stories are both dramatic and indelible leading to long-term applications.

Because of this, Robert Cialdini is frequently regarded as “The Godfather of Influence”.

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.

Quinn Conyers has established a reputation for transforming the speaking and communication abilities of diverse leaders/executives across multiple industries, giving them the courage to be powerful presenters, excel in their careers, and confidently address crowds internally and externally as clear, concise, and compelling communicators.

Quinn is a faculty and founding member of the Black Speakers Network (BSN) and has taught Speech Communications for 5 years at Coppin State University. In 2021 she was named one of 20 Black Women Entrepreneurs to Watch, a Distinguished Alumni from her high school and an AT&T Dream in Black Future Maker alongside Lebron James, Tabitha Brown and Sarah Jakes Roberts to name a few.

Quinn earned a Bachelor's Degree from West Chester University and a Master's from Howard University in Washington DC. Her experience as an entrepreneur, thought leader and business woman transitions well into her role as an Energetic Emcee. She has been serving and speaking for years making her the perfect partner to transform your next event into an EPIC experience.
As a result of Quinn’s business, Emcee and Speaking accomplishments she has been featured on the cover of two magazines, and in various radio, print, podcast and TV media outlets. She is often interviewed about how she is amplifying and illuminating the voices of other entrepreneurs and women in business as well as how she is using language to leave a legacy as a professional Event Emcee and Keynote Speaker.

• Leadership Keynote Speaker

• Former Senior VP of Sales Leadership at WaMu Investment Services and Washington Mutual

• Regular leadership contributor to Fast Company Magazine, and published in the Seattle Times, The Huffington Post, Reuters, CEO Magazine Great Britain, USA Today

• Past clients include: AIG, Crowe, Fidelity Savings, Microsoft National Bank, Shaw Communications, Yahoo!

For 25 years, Mark Crowley led nationwide teams to record-breaking success at one of America’s largest financial services companies—not through conventional management tactics, buy by tapping into the deepest source of human motivation there is: emotional connection. Entirely out of step with conventional management tactics—and with his peers—Mark proved when managers genuinely care about their employees, value them as individuals, and invest in their development, they inspire extraordinary commitment, loyalty and performance.

Recognizing that his leadership approach defied conventional wisdom, Mark set out to uncover the science that could validate it. His goal was to prove that the same profound results he experienced could be replicated by managers across industries and nations, confirming his philosophy was a measurable, repeatable driver of workplace excellence.

Mark spent two years on this quest, and the result was his groundbreaking book, Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century—one that’s since been taught in 11 American universities.

When first published in 2011, many workplace managers were skeptical about bringing “heart” into leadership. They feared it was soft and weak. Now, in 2025, the science Mark introduced has been widely embraced by organizations worldwide. The cutting-edge discoveries that feelings and emotions drive up to 95% of human behavior—and that the human heart and brain work in tandem to shape motivation, behavior and productivity—challenges us to fundamentally rethink how we manage people.

What Mark proved is that no matter the industry, generation or education level, workers consistently excel; when they feel valued, safe, trusted and supported. Simply put. when leaders demonstrate to employees that they matter, they unlock levels of motivation and excellence common leadership methods will always struggle to achieve.

At its core, this approach has transformed the way leaders inspire performance. And, as the world of work continues to evolve—shaped by new expectations, remote collaboration, and shifting cultural priorities—the need for managers to adopt this approach has never been more urgent.

In September, 2025, Mark’s new book, The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move Beyond Commitment To Build Flourishing Teams, will advance this wisdom even further. It not only reinforces his core conclusions but unveils new and disruptive research that proves employee well-being isn’t a nice-to-have, it is a direct, consistent and powerful force for team and organizational success. Research from Oxford University and others proves that leaders who prioritize well-being create environments where employees not only thrive but outperform.

Dr. Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker. Her writing, research, teaching, and speaking focus on presence and performance under stress, the causes and outcomes of feeling powerful vs. powerless, prejudice and stereotyping, nonverbal behavior, the delicate balance of projecting trustworthiness and strength, and most recently, the psychology of bullying, bystanding, and social bravery.

After earning her Ph.D. at Princeton University, she was a professor at Harvard Business School (2008-2017) and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management (2006-2008). Throughout her academic career, she’s been honored with some of the highest commendations for both her teaching and her research, including the Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard University (2018) and the Scientific Impact Award from the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (2022) for her extensive research on intergroup conflict. She continues to teach as a guest lecturer in Executive Education at Harvard Business School and at UCLAAnderson School of Management.

Her 2012 TED Talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are,” is the second-most popular of all time, with more than 70 million views. Her NYT bestseller, Presence, described in the NYT Sunday Book Review as “…concrete and inspiring, simple but ambitious - above all, truly powerful,” has sold more than half a million copies and been published in 35 languages. In 2025, she will publish her next book, Bullies, Bystanders, & Bravehearts (HarperCollins), on the psychology of bullying among adults — and how we find the courage and tools to stop it. She’s also an avid roller skater and skier, live-music lover (actually, a devoted Deadhead!), adventuring partner to her husband Paul, and hype mom to her son, Jonah, a guitarist, producer, songwriter, and student at Berklee College of Music. She lives in Venice, California.

Over 15 years ago, working in public education, Alisha De Lorenzo was charged with helping her failing school district improve culture and performance. A challenge that would pave the way for her to guide industries, organizations and individuals to solve seemingly intractable problems through a deceptively simple approach - Positive Deviance, which stands on one belief, in every organization there are people whose outlier practices are generating remarkable outcomes despite facing the same barriers and obstacles as everyone else. With their innovative ways living outside of the conditioned, cultural norms of the community, their solutions remain hidden in plain sight.

After years of experiencing burnout and the isolation that comes from challenging conventional thinking, Alisha recalls the feelings of hope and aliveness that came from being given the agency to discover and scale the solutions that mattered most. This changed EVERYTHING about how she viewed problems, their solutions and how to engage people in a way that brings them alive.
While Alisha’s efforts went on to transform the system of education across NJ, her influence began to spread across industries. In 2019 she was invited to speak to corporate audiences to help address the toxic work cultures, escalating mental health issues, disengagement, siloed innovation, resistance to change and ineffective leadership strategies that were plaguing companies.
Leaning on more than 20 years of combined experience as a speaker, high-performance coach, educator and therapist, Alisha shares a proven framework to help leaders uncover and scale positive disruption.

Her riveting keynote speeches and workshops provide the tools and frameworks to help teams infuse aliveness back into their work, revolutionize corporate culture and amplify the solutions.

Mark DeVolder is the Change Specialist and a pioneer in the field of transition management. Unique in the industry, DeVolder is one of the few speakers who teaches leaders how to change. He is a frequent presenter at top management meetings around the world, both live and virtual … from coaching NASA rocket scientists how to re-create themselves to the cultural transformation of a $42 billion merger; from pivoting to a safety-first culture in Qatar’s oil industry to preparing Egypt’s largest company to restructure itself. Mark teaches leaders about Perpetual Pivot, the process of adapting to continuous change through reinvention, innovation and anticipation.

In addition to cutting-edge content, Mark brings high-energy, humor and audience interaction to all his presentations. He uses his skill as a master storyteller to draw people into the essence of his message. Whether live or on a virtual stage, Mark has the ability to connect deeply with people: “Mark kept us glued to our screen” and “Mark was inspiring and kept the audience charged.”

Across five continents and in over 25 countries, Mark has worked with a myriad of impressive and diverse organizations, large and small, including NASA, McDonald’s, GE, Autodesk, Coca-Cola, Marriott, Siemens, Medtronic, PepsiCo, Bristol-Myers Squibb, PWC, HILTI, Verizon, Orascom Construction and Monsanto. Mark has engaged and delighted audiences from Monaco to Dubai, from Singapore to London and from Istanbul to Barcelona.

As a researcher, consultant and author, Mark has written the multi-disciplinary book on managing change, entitled, Perpetual Pivot: How the Best Leaders Adapt to Exponential Change. His second book, Get Engaged, is a practical guide for improving employee engagement. Mark’s first publication was his doctoral dissertation which studied the elements of diversity, inclusion and teambuilding, entitled Unity in Diversity Through Synergy.

Click Here to Watch Dr. DeVolder's Virtual Presentation

Erica Dhawan: Keynote Speaker on Leadership, Collaboration & Connection | Bestselling Author | Workplace Communication Expert

Turn Better Communication Into Better Performance

In a world of hybrid teams, nonstop messages and constant change, how do you make sure people truly connect, collaborate and get things done?

Erica Dhawan is a bestselling author and internationally recognized keynote speaker on leadership, collaboration and workplace communication who helps organizations transform the way their people work together.

Why Book Erica Dhawan?

Erica addresses one of today's biggest workplace challenges: we have more ways to communicate than ever before, yet connection and collaboration are often harder than ever.

She gives audiences practical strategies to reduce communication friction, strengthen relationships and create the kind of collaboration that drives performance.

Her keynotes are energetic, highly relevant and actionable—giving audiences ideas they can immediately apply to meetings, emails, virtual communication and everyday teamwork.

What Makes Erica Dhawan Different?

• Leading authority on modern collaboration — practical insights for today's connected workplace
• Immediately actionable — strategies audiences can use the moment they return to work
• Highly relevant — addresses hybrid work, digital communication, trust and teamwork
• Research-driven — combines behavioral science with real-world business examples
• Broad audience appeal — valuable for executives, managers and employees
• Customizable — Erica can connect her message directly to your organization's priorities

Why Is Erica Right for Your Audience?

Erica is an excellent choice when you want your people to communicate more clearly, collaborate across silos and build stronger working relationships.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, corporate meetings, sales kickoffs, association events and organizations navigating hybrid work, transformation or rapid growth.

Book Erica when your audience needs to:

• Communicate more effectively across teams and functions
• Strengthen trust in hybrid and digital workplaces
• Break down organizational silos
• Improve collaboration and teamwork
• Reduce misunderstandings and communication overload
• Build stronger relationships across generations
• Turn better communication into better business results

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Better equipped to communicate with clarity and intention
• Able to recognize digital behaviors that create unnecessary friction
• Ready to build greater trust across teams
• Equipped with practical strategies for stronger collaboration
• More confident communicating across different working styles
• Prepared to create more productive and connected workplaces

Erica Dhawan Keynote Programs

Digital Body Language:  How do you build trust when much of today's communication happens through a screen?

Based on Erica's bestselling book Digital Body Language, this keynote reveals how emails, texts, video meetings and digital interactions send powerful signals about trust, respect and inclusion.

Erica gives audiences practical strategies for communicating clearly, reducing misunderstandings and building stronger relationships in a digital-first workplace.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, hybrid workplaces, corporate meetings and organizations focused on communication and culture.

Get Big Things Done:  The biggest opportunities rarely happen because of one person—they happen when the right people connect and collaborate.

Erica shows audiences how to unlock the power of relationships and networks to solve problems, generate ideas and achieve results that individuals and isolated teams cannot accomplish alone.

Ideal for: Leadership, innovation, teamwork, transformation and collaboration events.

Leading Through Connection

Today's leaders must do more than communicate information. They need to create clarity, trust and connection across increasingly complex organizations.

Erica gives leaders practical tools for strengthening communication, breaking down silos and creating teams that collaborate more effectively—even when people work across different locations, functions and generations.

Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development programs and organizations navigating change.

Why Book Erica Dhawan Through The Sweeney Agency?

Finding the right keynote speaker isn't simply about choosing an impressive name. It's about finding the speaker whose message fits your audience, your business challenges and what you want people to do differently after the event.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

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

Click Here To Book Erica Dhawan

For nearly 12 years, Connie Dieken has been the trusted executive coach and advisor to many leaders who run the world's most recognizable brands. She has become the most respected and in-demand executive coach, keynote speaker, author and authority - on learning the skills needed to become an influential personality in all forms of leadership and communication.

For more than 20 years, Connie Dieken dedicated herself to journalism as a television news anchorwoman, reporter, broadcast personality, and talk show host - including co-hosting The Morning Exchange, America's longest running television talk show. She is a multiple Emmy® award-winning and Telly® award-winning journalist - and her excellence has led to her induction to the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Connie has represented more than 50 companies as their spokesperson, including Intel, Sealy, GE, American Greetings, Ernst and Young and Goodyear.

Connie spent her career with the most successful and influential people in business and entertainment and recognized a pattern to their success. After years of research, she learned the common traits each of these people shared - and discovered people could learn how to be influential with the right training. Armed with unique insight into the power that influence has over each of us, she developed a proven methodology to transform any leader or executive into an influencer. In 2000, she founded onPoint Communication to train leaders and emerging leaders in critical influential leadership, communication, media and presentation skills.

Connie is the author and co-author of five books, dedicated to teaching individuals influential leadership, communication and presentation techniques. Her most recent best-selling book, Talk Less, Say More: 3 Habits to Influence Others and Make Things Happen - takes Connie's knowledge, research and experience coaching high-powered leaders and condenses it into a fast-paced, no-nonsense guide to teach anyone to be an influential communicator with anyone, anywhere.

Connie's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, The Los Angeles Times, Crain's Business, The Chicago Tribune, Women's Day, and many more nationwide.

Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Carly Fiorina is a true leader and seasoned problem-solver. She passionately advocates for problem-solving, innovation, and effective leadership. Her mission is to inspire, equip, and connect individuals and teams to seize opportunities, face challenges, and accelerate impact in their communities and workplaces. She believes everyone has more potential than they realize and that those closest to the problem understand it best. Leading to unlock potential in others can result in progress and joy.

Carly’s experience spans from secretary to CEO, public to private, and for-profit to non-profit. She started as a secretary for a nine-person real-estate business and became the first woman to lead a Fortune 50 company. When Carly led Hewlett Packard (HP) in 1999, the industry faced the worst technology recession in 25 years. Under her leadership, revenue grew, innovation tripled, growth quadrupled, and HP became the 11th largest U.S. company.

During her tenure at HP, the company received numerous civic recognitions, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Business Ethics Magazine, one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mother Magazine, receiving a 100% rating by The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, and being named one of the World’s Most Respected Companies by The Financial Times and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

After leaving HP, Carly focused on giving back. Before Unlocking Potential, she served as Chairman of Good360, the world’s largest product philanthropy organization, and Chairman of Opportunity International, a Christian-based organization lifting millions out of poverty through micro-finance. She also founded the One Woman Initiative with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to empower women in Pakistan, Egypt, India, and the Philippines through increased economic opportunity.

Carly was appointed by President Bush and CIA Director Michael Hayden to serve as Chairman of the External Advisory Board of the CIA after 9/11. She held the highest clearances available to a civilian and focused on CIA recruitment policies, information technology capabilities, and organizational integration.

Carly is also a best-selling author. Her titles include Tough Choices and Rising to the Challenge. Her third book, Find Your Way, is out now.

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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

Michelle Gielan, founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research, researches the science of positive communication and how to use it to fuel success. She works with Fortune 500 companies and schools to raise employee engagement, productivity and happiness at work. Michelle is a partner at GoodThink, a positive psychology consulting firm, and she holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michelle is an Executive Producer of “The Happiness Advantage” Special on PBS, and she formerly served as the anchor of two national newscasts at CBS News. Her research and advice have received attention from Forbes, USA Today, CNN, FOX and NPR.

• Libby talks about what followers want – and deserve – from their leadership, and how to create, communicate and thrive in change.  

• Audiences leave with inspirational blend of leadership strategies and  secrets to success.

• Libby is a bestselling author, keynote speaker on Leadership and regular guest on the CBS Early Show, CNN, Inside Edition, NPR, the Today Show, and in BusinessWeek, Time, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and many more.

• Past clients include: Abbott Medical, ADP, Disney, Ernst & Young, Facebook, First American Insurance, Hyundai, Microsoft, Sony, Sutter Health, Viacom, Warner Bros., and Wells Fargo.

Libby Gill knows change. She grew up on two continents and went to eight different schools before putting herself through college waiting tables. Starting her career as an assistant at Embassy Communications, a television company founded by the legendary Norman Lear, Libby survived three mergers to emerge as head of publicity, advertising, and promotion for Sony’s worldwide television group in just five years.

After her first career heading communications at media giants Sony, Universal, and Turner Broadcasting, Libby founded LA-based Libby Gill & Company, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. She guides individuals and organizations to lead through change, challenge, and chaos by deeply engaging employees in a shared future-focused vision of success.

In her consulting, coaching, and keynotes Libby helps her clients:

• Reframe change as an opportunity for massive growth
• Re-energize your best performers to reach their full potential
• Reinvent your corporate culture to embrace ambiguity

Her clients include Abbott Medical, ADP, Disney, Ernst & Young, Facebook, First American Insurance, Hyundai, Microsoft, Sony, Sutter Health, Viacom, Warner Bros., Wells Fargo, as well as non-profits and small businesses. A global speaker, Libby has delivered keynote presentations on three continents and in 36 U.S. states for organizations including Acura, ADP, Bank of America, Capital One, Cisco, Disney, Honda, Intel, Kellogg’s, Marriott International, Medtronic, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, United Healthcare, Vanguard, and many more.

Libby is the author of five books, including the award-winning You Unstuck, Capture the Mindshare and the Market Share Will Follow, and Traveling Hopefully. Her latest book is The Hope-Driven Leader: Harness the Power of Positivity at Work. A former columnist for the Dallas Morning News, Libby has published book chapters and peer-reviewed articles for numerous journals and trade publications. Business leaders including Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, Stephen M.R. Covey, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, and Dr. Ken Blanchard have endorsed her work. Currently, she is co-authoring a book about Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders with former Brigadier General and Director of the Institute Thomas Kolditz, Ph.D.

A frequent media guest, Libby has appeared on the CBS Early Show, CNN, Inside Edition, NPR, the Today Show, and in BusinessWeek, Time, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and many more. Libby lives with her husband in Los Angeles and is the proud mother of two millennial sons.

Jodi Glickman is passionate about developing leaders— both seasoned executives and next generation talent.

As the CEO and founder of Great on the Job, Jodi and her team have reached hundreds of thousands of the brightest minds across corporate America and academia—working with many of the most influential organizations and iconic brands—counting LinkedIn, JP Morgan, Abbott, and Harvard Business School among their longest standing clients.

Jodi has appeared on the TEDx stage (Why You Should Stop Looking for Work You Love), she is the author of the critically acclaimed book Great on the Job, What to Say, How to Say It, The Secrets of Getting Ahead (St. Martin’s Press), and she is a writer for the Harvard Business Review.

Jodi regularly contributes to media outlets and her career advice hasbeen featured in the New York Times, USA Today, US News & World Report, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, WSJ finance, CNN Money, Glamour, Shape, Real Simple, Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, and many more.

Jodi is a former Peace Corps volunteer (Southern Chile) turned investment banker (Goldman Sachs) turned communication expert. She received her MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell where she was a Park Leadership Fellow and received a full-ride scholarship to business school.

Before turning to the world of finance, Jodi was a policy analyst at the U.S. EPA and did stints at the White House and Governor’s Office of Illinois. She has a B.S. in Social Policy, Magna Cum Laude, from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. She is a former member of the Northwestern University Council of 100, and a former board member of Readworks.org and Trustee of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

Jodi lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and three children. She enjoys hiking, biking and eating hot fudge sundaes, not necessarily in that order.

Amanda Gore is an Australian living in the USA. An author, USA Hall of Fame speaker, business woman, CEO of The Joy Project and a Huffington Post Columnist, she has won many awards, including Educator of the Year and Keynote Speaker of the Year from the National Speakers Association.  

She works with organizations of different sizes to help boost engagement of teams, create cultures of joy and joyful people, manage change fatigue and bring humanity back into leadership and work.  

With the rise of mental health issues, Amanda believes that joy is the antidote to burnout and has been shown to increase productivity, sales, and well-being. In her presentations, she blends humor, science, and life experience to teach practical tools and skills for personal and organizational growth. She focuses on helping people feel good about themselves which leads to positive changes in all areas. 

Originally a physical therapist with a major in psychology, Amanda blends research in neuroscience, epigenetics, positive psychology, quantum physics and emotional intelligence with funny stories to help organizations achieve better performance by aligning with values and mission and creating joyful workplaces and people. Through her funny, interactive and engaging presentations, Amanda breaks down barriers, opens hearts and minds, and inspires people to action. 

Her presentations are funny, energetic, entertaining, and engaging, and she is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating lasting change while people laugh and learn. 

Click Here to Watch Amanda's Virtual Presentation

Motivated by her passion to correct societal “isms” like racism, sexism, classism and plain old stupidism, it is Risha Grant’s personal mission to expose the subtleties and values of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion while shining a light on the impacts they create. From her race, gender and lifestyle choices, to growing a small business and tackling economic, moral, and business issues, every area of her life intersects diversity.

Founder & CEO of Risha Grant LLC, an award-winning diversity consulting, communications and speaking firm, as well as an edgy, educational and motivational speaker, author Risha Grant uses honest, humorous, and vulnerable storytelling to motivate audiences to embrace the inner tough work of Radical Acceptance while honoring diversity, equity, and inclusion without evoking feelings of judgement or assigning blame.

These audiences have included Google, Levi Strauss, Nestle Purina, Xerox, YouTube, Procter & Gamble, Discover Card Financial Services, Samsung Electronics America, U.S. Airforce, U.S. Navy, Intuit, and Harvard University, to name a few. She’s also been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, HR News, The Financial Times, Glamour magazine UK, Bloomberg Media, and Black Enterprise among others.

Risha has received numerous honors such as being named one of the Top 10 Most Powerful Women Leaders in HR by PeopleHum in 2021, 40 Top Women Keynote Speakers by Real Leaders, the NBA OKC Thunder Changemaker Award in 2020 among others.

In her no-holds-barred style, renowned diversity and inclusion thought leader Risha Grant teaches and empowers attendees about unconscious bias, micro-aggressions and other actions that perpetuate discrimination and inequality. Audiences leave with easily applied principles for finding respect, understanding and inclusion both personally & professionally.