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Ignite Your Innovation Speaker

Ignite Your Innovation

The Top Ten Keynote Speakers on Innovation

 About

10 Most Requested Speakers on Innovation

Click here to get your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Innovation is the catalyst for growth, profit, and sustainability for any business so it is no wonder that it is one of the most requested speaking topics from just about every industry. Here are our highest rated Speakers on Innovation:

Scott Anthony | Innovation Strategist

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Scott-Anthony

Andy Boynton | Dean of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, Speaker on Innovation and Leadership

Andy Boynton’s presentations take his audiences from conceptualization to implementation when it comes to innovative ideas and putting them into practice. He leaves audiences with openness to new and exciting views that may lead to the visionary ideas your organization needs.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Andy-Boynton

Lisa Bodell | CEO of Futurethink and Best-selling author of Kill the Company

Often innovation is associated with a complicated and overly challenging process, however, innovation expert Lisa Bodell argues that this need not be the case. Lisa’s keynotes demonstrate that the complex processes that organizations have developed over the years actually hinder innovation and block original thought.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Lisa-Bodell

Dr. James Canton | Global Futurist and Visionary Business Advisor

Dr. James Canton instills in his audiences that innovation cannot wait for the future, but rather innovation comes through the anticipation of the future and the actions of the present. His keynotes outline potential disruptions to your organization and attendees will leave with a better understanding of what is coming and how to take full advantage of these rapid industry changes.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Dr.-James-Canton

Whitney Johnson | Co-founder of the Investment Firm Disruptive Innovation Fund

Whitney Johnson will inspire audiences with her call for personal disruption as a means to create an organization-wide innovative culture. She motivates attendees to actually do the things they would only dare to dream. Whitney Johnson is a true influencer and innovator and will teach your audiences how to do the same.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Whitney-Johnson

Kaihan Krippendorff | Strategy and Innovation Expert & Founder of Outthinker

Kaihan Krippendorff is committed to helping organizations and individuals thrive in today’s era of fast-paced disruptive technological change. Kaihan is known for his ability to turn difficult concepts into easy-to-understand ideas that drive meaningful outcomes and actions. He is an internationally recognized thought-leader, battle-tested consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker on the topics of business strategy, growth, transformation and innovation.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Kaihan-Krippendorff

Steve Blank | Thought Leader on Startups and Innovation, Expert on Entrepreneurship

Steve Blank has led one heck of an interesting life. He’s had 3 careers: First, in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years during the Vietnam War. Next, as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur in 8 start-ups in 2 decades (with 4 IPOs). Currently as an academic, teaching at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia, and NYU. Steve, the Father of Modern Entrepreneurship, has changed how startups are built; how entrepreneurship is taught worldwide; how science is commercialized in the U.S., and how companies and the government innovate.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Steve-Blank

Polly LaBarre | Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur

Understanding that many organizations have been working since their inception to maintain and protect the foundational practices on which it was built, Polly LaBarre pushes audiences to break the status quo in order to achieve exceptional performance. Her keynotes highlight the importance of adaptability – or risk paralysis. Polly’s presentations are truly inspiring as she encourages attendees to be relentlessly creative, excited, and inventive.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Polly-LaBarre

Josh Linkner | Bestselling Author on Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership

You’ve come up with a spectacularly creative idea for your organization – so the hard part’s over, right? Unfortunately it’s not. Turning raw, unpolished (albeit great) ideas into a reality can be very challenging. Josh Linkner’s keynotes provide practical tools and methodologies to turn those big ideas into big results and big profits. Oh, and he’s an excellent jazz guitarist too!

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Josh-Linkner

Mike Walsh | Best-selling author of FUTURETAINMENT, Speaker on Technology and Innovation

So often companies survive on one big idea or major breakthrough, however, in contemporary business those who thrive are continuously creating and cultivating those big ideas and breakthroughs. Mike Walsh helps organizations create strategic priorities in order to prepare for the future of business today.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Mike-Walsh

*Speakers are listed in alphabetical order

To Learn more about these speakers contact [email protected]

Derek Sweeney is the Director of Speaker Ideas at The Sweeney Agency. www.thesweeneyagency.com. For 15 years Derek has been helping clients find the right Speakers for their events. Derek can be reached at 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected]

Phil M. Jones Speaker

Phil M. Jones

About Phil M. Jones – Bestselling Author and Speaker on Persuasion, Influence, and Sales 

 About

Click Here to Watch Phil's Virtual Presentation

  • Phil’s unique philosophy of using specific word choices to teach people “Exactly What To Say” in order to influence, persuade and drive outcomes, has made him one of the most practical and in-demand business experts & speaker.
  • Audiences leave with specific tools to build great relationships with clients and win more business.
  • Author of the “Exactly” book series with more than 1 million copies sold. Has delivered 3,000 presentations in 57 countries across five continents, training more than two million people (both sales and non-sales professionals, leaders and experts) to learn how to have more influence, confidence and control when steering their conversations.
  • Past clients include: Accruent, Citizens Bank,  DHL, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Microsoft, ReSound, SHRM, Volkswagen

About Phil M. Jones - Bestselling Author and Speaker on Persuasion, Influence, and Sales 

Phil entered the world of business at the tender age of 14. With nothing more than a bucket and sponge, he went from single-handedly washing cars on weekends to hiring a fleet of friends working on his behalf, resulting in him earning more than his teachers by the time he was 15.

Soon after, at just 18, Phil was offered the role of Sales Manager at UK fashion retailer Debenhams – making him the youngest Sales Manager in the company’s history.

His early career continued as he worked with a host of Premier League Football Clubs to help them secure sponsorships and licensing agreements, to then being a key part of growing a £240m property business.

After several years of being one of the most in-demand young sales leaders in the UK, Phil decided it was time to dedicate his future to helping others to succeed.

With this as Phil’s core mission, he has gone on to deliver over 2,500 presentations in 57 countries across five continents, training more than two million people (both sales and non-sales professionals, leaders and experts) to learn how to have more influence, confidence and control when steering their conversations.

Phil’s unique philosophy of using specific word choices to teach his audiences “Exactly What To Say” in order to influence, persuade and drive outcomes, has made Phil one of the most practical and in-demand business speakers on the planet.

Polly LaBarre Speaker

Polly LaBarre

Co-author, Mavericks at Work; Co-Founder, Management Lab; Founding Writer, Fast Company

 About

In a world awash in profound change and at a time when everything is on the table, Polly LaBarre helps leaders make sense of and creatively respond to the forces buffeting their organizations. A bestselling author, speaker, and thinker who’s advisedtop global organizations, Polly’s mission for the past 20 years has been to make every kind of organization fundamentally more resilient, innovative and inspiring. Her insights embolden and equip leaders at every level to make a meaningful impact. Polly is an inspiring and provocative voice on the big ideas and important questions that will shape the future of organizations, work, and collective progress.

Polly’s work is driven by three core questions: 1) How do we support human flourishing? 2) How do we cultivate the audacity of imagination required to tackle our most intractable problems? 3) And, how do organizations and individuals change how they change to become endlessly resilient?

To make genuine progress on those questions, Polly studies and works with progressive organizations, creates curriculum, and runs experiments for unleashing creativity, expanding collaboration, and accelerating change.

As cofounder of the Management Lab(with Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini), Polly spent the last decade working to develop a methodology, platform and practical tools for building organizational capability and accelerating change. Polly and her colleagues deployed that pioneering approach to collaborative innovation in a range of large-scale experiments in “hacking management” inside leading companies and across a global community of some 35,000 management innovators.

Polly is the coauthor of the bestselling book Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win(which The Economist named a “Book of the Year” and called “a pivotal work in the tradition of In Search of Excellence and Good to Great”). She was a member of the original team of Fast Company magazine, where she played a central role in the remarkable success of a magazine that recast the conventional wisdom on working, leading, and winning.

A sought-after speaker, moderator, and interviewer, Polly has delivered hundreds of keynote addresses around the world and developed and hosted numerous events. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Fast Company, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune.com, the McKinsey Quarterly, and The Huffington Post. In addition to frequent television appearances on CNBC, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, Good Morning America, and the Today Show, Polly has also been a business and innovation correspondent for CNN where she produced regular segments on big ideas and best practices from the world of business and beyond.

Polly is a passionate (and experimental) gardener, an ardent cook, and a devoted yogi. She serves on the board of CitySeed, a nonprofit working to build a just and healthy food system and economic opportunity in New Haven, CT. A graduate of Yale University, Polly lives with her family in New Haven.

Dr. Janet Lapp Speaker

Dr. Janet Lapp

Author, psychologist, internationally known speaker. Very entertaining. Speaks on Change, Communication, Motivation and Teamwork.

 About

What would happen if everyone in the organization saw the positives and not the problems in change? This question inspired Dr. Janet Lapp and her team to conduct decades of research enacting these types of changes in the workplace, with amazingly positive results. Janet shares the evidence-based results derived from years of experience in both her books and stage performances. She has a professor's ability to translate complex theory into usable answers, and a humorist's knack for getting ideas across in an entertaining way.

Dr. Janet Lapp is a psychologist, author, and consultant for workplace transformation. She is known for her ability to create optimism, energy and an intense emotional connection. Her unique interactive approach engages the audience in a change lab, where they first assess their leadership skills, then leave with tools to transform from where they are to where they need to be.

She understands the needs, wishes and language of each client by research, interviews, and visits to facilities such that when she appears on stage she seems to be part of the organization or company.

Both her change management books and her stage programs have created clear, actionable paths for organizations from Ritz-Carlton Hotels to IBM Sales to the government of St. Petersburg, Russia. Clients who book Dr. Janet Lapp for a transformational program/keynote speech experience inspirational and memorable events.

Janet is a Registered Nurse who also holds a PhD in Psychology from McGill University in Montreal. Admitted into the CPAE Speakers Hall of Fame, one year she was rated by Toastmasters as one of the top three speakers worldwide. Creator and host of the Emmy-nominated CBS series Keep Well, she has appeared regularly on INN, ABC, CNN, and NBC. She and her team have helped hundreds of organizations around the world including Allstate, Blue Shield, IBM, Intel, Verizon, AT&T, Unilever, and P&G to design systems to overcome resistance to change and expedite workplace transformation.

A flight instructor, Janet has flown her airplane throughout South America and Africa on medical and rescue missions, and is a long time member of the Flying Doctors of Mercy working in central Mexico. She currently lives in southern California.

Campbell Macpherson Speaker

Campbell Macpherson

Global Change Expert and Motivational Speaker on Leadership and Change

 About

Campbell Macpherson is an international expert on leadership and change with more than 25 years of experience in enabling leaders of organizations large to lead and delivery successful change, especially within the financial services.

He is an Executive Fellow of Henley Business School and delivers innovative workshops and programs for organizations worldwide on ‘leading change’, ‘embracing change’ and ‘leading with influence’, a global program designed to create your next generation of senior leaders.

His client list includes Singer Capital Markets, Central Bank of Hungary, CPA Australia, T Rowe Price (EMEA, APAC, USA), BNY Mellon Pershing, Insight Investment, Shoosmiths Law Firm, League Managers Association, Invesco, iPipeline, CIPD, UK Police, Endsleigh Insurance, Dentex, Mazars, International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds, M&A Advisor, Bibby Group, FS Forum, Concentra, St James's Place, Centaur Media, Real Estate Results Network, and Aviva.

His executive experience includes Senior Adviser to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Strategy Director of Zurich Life Emerging Markets, HR Director of Sesame (UK’s largest IFA Network, Founding Marketing Director of Virgin Wines, Head of Business for the AMP Group and Senior Manager (Change) at Andersen Consulting.
He was a multimedia pioneer in his native Australia and he began his lengthy list of careers flying jets (badly) in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Campbell is the award-winning author of three books to date: The Change Catalyst, about leading change, the 2018 Business Book of the Year; The Power to Change, about embracing change; and You: Part Two, thriving in the second half of your life. His fourth book, Transforming Olympus, a leadership fable featuring the Greek gods, is due to be published in 2024.

Campbell is based in the UK and can be found wherever in the world his clients need him to be.

Campbell Macpherson is an accomplished, entertaining and thought-provoking public speaker, an experienced Master of Ceremonies and a seasoned facilitator, in demand worldwide. In a world where 88% of change fails, Campbell helps organizations discover the essential ingredients to successful change.

Col. Nicole Malachowski Speaker

Col. Nicole Malachowski

First Woman Thunderbird Pilot, Combat Veteran, Fighter Squadron Commander, White House Fellow & Adviser, and Indomitable Spirit

 About

Click Here to Watch Nicole's Virtual Presentation

Col. Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) defies stereotypes. Yes, she was a jet fighter pilot, but if you think you know her based on that, you’d be wrong. A leader, a combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, a White House Fellow, and an inductee into both the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, Nicole’s distinguished 21-year Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams. But the dream came to an end when a devastating tick-borne illness left her struggling greatly to speak or walk for almost nine months. An indomitable spirit, Nicole fought back against overwhelming odds and prevailed. Drawing on stories from her career and personal life, Nicole inspires audiences to rethink the challenges they face every day. She urges them to go beyond resilience and become resurgent.

Nicole empowers people with three key beliefs:

  • failure and risk is the price of entry for achieving something great
  • sometimes you need to yield to overcome
  • and her personal mantra - “nobody wants to lead a scripted life”

Drawing on her extraordinary Air Force career, Nicole offers lessons on leadership, followership, facing change and overcoming adversity - she brings her experience and inspirational story to the stage and holds audiences spellbound with an easygoing authenticity of someone who’s achieved greatness. She’s been a member and leader of exceptional teams. She has faced overwhelming challenges and adversity and has come out on top.

While other high school students were practicing for their driver’s license, Nicole was accumulating flight time. She was sixteen years old when she took her first solo flight - and from that point on there was no stopping her. While in high school, she joined the Civil Air Patrol and participated in Air Force Junior ROTC. Nicole’s professional story began when she earned her commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996. Following graduation, she attended Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Columbus AFB, MS and began her career as a pilot. Competitively selected to fly combat aircraft, she was among the first group of women to fly modern fighter aircraft. As a career pilot, she served in combat as an F-15E Flight Commander, Evaluator, Instructor Pilot and Flight Lead. Over her 21-year career, Nicole achieved the rating of Command Pilot with over 2,300 flight hours in six different Air Force aircraft. She was also selected to fly as Thunderbird #3 with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron - the first woman to fly on any Department of Defense military jet demonstration team. Colonel Malachowski has served as a mission ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E fighter squadrons - and has flown over 188 combat hours, including her proudest moment as a fighter pilot: leading the first fighter formation to provide security for Iraq’s historic democratic elections in 2005.

On the ground, Nicole was a White House Fellow, class of 2008-2009, where she served on the Presidential Transition Support Team (PTST) while assigned to the U.S. General Services Administration. The White House Fellows Foundation and Association awarded Nicole the 2019 IMPACT Award for demonstrating both remarkable achievement and transformational contributions in her field - as well as a sustained commitment to the White House Fellows program. Nicole also served two high-level staff assignments at the Pentagon - one in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD P&R) as well as the Secretary of the Air Force Office of International Affairs (SAF/IA). She also served as the Executive Director of the White House’s national ‘Joining Forces’ initiative where she directly advised former First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden on all topics relating to service members, veterans, and military families to include employment, education, mental health, veterans’ homelessness and more.

Nicole’s operational F-15E assignments include two tours of duty at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom as well as one operational assignment to Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. She has also served alongside the United States Army 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea, as an Air Liaison Officer. During her second assignment to Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, she had the honour of commanding the 333rd Fighter Squadron - leading an elite cadre of F-15E Instructors in the training of the next generation of combat aviators. Further, she was responsible for resources totaling over $1.1B and the execution of a $119M annual flying hour program.

Nicole earned a Master of Arts, with honors, in National Security Policy from American Military University and a second Master of Arts, with highest distinction, in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. While there, she earned the Admiral Stephen B. Luce Award as the class honour graduate, the first Air Force officer in the history of the Naval War College to do so. Nicole has been recognized with several honours for her consistent contributions to community service. As Nicole continues to recover from her neurological tick-borne illness, she embraces any opportunity to educate others about her medical journey - and gains energy from educating others about this growing epidemic. She is on the Board of Directors at the LivLyme Foundation and is a Patient Advisory Board Member of The Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness.

Colonel Nicole Malachowski, USAF (Ret.) was born in Santa Maria, CA and graduated high school in Las Vegas, NV. She and her husband Paul have twin children; son Garrick and daughter Norah. Paul is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former F-15E Evaluator Weapons Systems Officer.

Adam Markel Speaker

Adam Markel

Entrepreneur, Workplace Expert, and Best-Selling Author

 About

Adam Markel, bestselling author, keynote speaker and resilience researcher, guides individuals and organizations to tap the power of resilience to master the challenges of constant change. With 18 years as a trial attorney building a multi-million dollar enterprise and 10 years as the CEO of a leading personal development and business training company, Adam has much to share about resilience, culture and change. Yet, some of his most enduring lessons came from his years as an ocean first responder - a life and death environment where Adam learned the importance of cultivating high performance capacity and impeccable teamwork.

In his latest bestselling book, Change Proof, Adam shows how those principles of resilience are equally relevant today for any business that wants to move beyond managing change to actively embracing it and using times of uncertainty, crisis, and chaos to create opportunities and stimulate individual and team growth.
As one of Huffington Post’s top speakers to see and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Pivot, Adam’s messages have inspired tens of thousands worldwide. His keynotes, corporate workshops, and business coaching integrate practical business strategies, personal development insights and a unique delivery style to create a high-energy and impactful learning environment.

Adam is currently the CEO of the More Love Media Group, a TEDx speaker and influencer, and host of The Change Proof Podcast, facilitating insightful discussions with business leaders and social innovators and sharing strategies to fully embrace an uncertain world and build Change Proof organizations.

Adam is continuously inspired by his wife of more than 30 years and their 4 amazing children.

Gaby Natale Speaker

Gaby Natale

Transformative Motivational Speaker, Triple Daytime EMMY-Winning Journalist, Bestselling Author & Entrepreneur

 About

Every individual has an opportunity to break barriers and redefine what is possible, and triple Emmy-Winning Journalist and Bestselling Author Gaby Natale is on a mission to awaken the PIONEER spirit in each of us.  

Gaby is among just a few women in the entertainment industry who not only owns the rights to her TV show, but also a television studio. This unique situation has allowed her to combine her passion for media and her entrepreneurial spirit, which continues to help her break barriers. In 2021, Gaby became the first Latina author to be published by the leadership division of HarperCollins. 

Her first book, The Virtuous Circle, became an instant bestseller, topping Amazon’s New Releases charts in 3 different categories (Business, Inspiration and Self-Help). What has made the book so successful is that it offers readers actionable strategies on how to channel their innate strength and abilities to best work for them.

Gaby has been featured in Forbes, CNN, Buzzfeed, NBC News, Univision and Latino Leaders magazine. In 2018, People magazine named her one of the “25 Most Powerful Latinas,” highlighting the inspirational story of how she went from a local TV show that started out of a carpet warehouse to becoming the only Latina in US history to win triple back-to-back Daytime EMMYs. In the digital world, she has a thriving fan base with over 52 million views on YouTube and 250K+ followers on social media.

A consummate entrepreneur, Gaby is also the founder of AGANARmedia, a marketing company with a focus on Hispanic audiences that serves Fortune 500 companies such as Hilton Worldwide, Sprint, AT&T, eBay and Amazon. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of San Andres and Columbia University. Prior to starting her career in television, Gaby taught Communication and Journalism courses at the University of Texas.

Deborah Perry Piscione Speaker

Deborah Perry Piscione

Authority on Changing Mindsets, Best-selling Innovation Author and Entrepreneur

 About

  • Deborah talks about  every organization can develop new mindsets, organizational structures, and product development/problem-solving processes – that will maximize opportunities in the future.
  • Audiences leave inspired by her pragmatic presentation on harnessing the energy in every organization.
  • Deborah Perry Piscione is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, national bestselling author, media commentator and public speaker.
  • Past clients include: Google, McKinsey, TED Talks, Cadence Design, London School of Economics, Microsoft, McDonald's, NetApp, Princeton University, KPMG, Innotown, Qualcomm, Stanford University, and Accenture.

We know that great leaders are defined by the extraordinary people that they lead. What makes Deborah Perry Piscione so special is that she has uncovered the DNA from the inspired cultures of the most innovative companies in the world. It is no surprise that organizations that build systems to grow the passions of their talented workforce are more productive, more innovative, more loyal, and consistently move faster than competitors. Provocative and wonderfully entertaining, Deborah’s presentations are a prerequisite for leaders looking to shake the status quo.

Through her years of research and hands-on work with many of Silicon Valley’s pioneer companies, she has found the keys to building organizations into innovation machines and preparing leaders for the future. She is the architect of Improvisational Innovation, a bottom’s up innovation process, where anyone in any corner of the company can bring forth new ideas in a trusted environment and be rewarded for it. Adopted at Qualcomm, Tata Group, Nike, McKinsey & Co, among many other leading global companies, Deborah’s process has created a minimum of 10x ROI in new products and services for the company, and greatly assist in talent development as employees explore their passions.

Deborah’s discoveries are highlighted by her series of critically acclaimed books:

  1. Employment is Dead: How Web3 Technologies will Radically Change our Relationship with Work (to be published Fall 2024, Harvard Business Review Press)
  2. The People Equation: Why Innovation Is People, Not Products
  3. Secrets of Silicon Valley: What Everyone Else Can Learn from the Innovation Capital of the World 
  4. The Risk Factor: Why Every Company Needs Big Bets, Bold Characters and the Occasional Spectacular Failure

All of these books and the research in them stems from the differences between old-school power and new-school leadership, which Deborah understands well thru first-hand experience. Having worked as an insider at the White House and Capitol Hill, and then moving into the center of Silicon Valley, Deborah was struck by the vast differences in power and leadership between the two coasts. She became fascinated by the collaborative cultures of innovation that dominate the Silicon Valley region, especially the voracious appetite for growing value from ideas.

This spurred her to launch five successful companies, including Sterling Capital (a venture capital fund focusing on the future of work). Another, Alley to the Valley, has grown into the most influential program for connecting powerful business women.

It is this unique experience and understanding that has made her one of the most sought-after business speakers today. With companies and industries looking for every new customer, every new idea, every advantage they can find, Deborah specializes in helping organizations do this by understand their under-realized assets — their talent workforce — that they already have under their nose, and build systems that unlock their full potential. Both her keynotes and her innovation boot-camps for Fortune 500 leaders are fully customized for your very specific needs.

Deborah is a LinkedIn Learning author (“Executing on Innovation” and “Risk-taking for Leaders”), a Stanford University Case Study (Graduate School of Business) “Deborah Perry Piscione: Finding Opportunity in Silicon Valley” and a former television commentator with CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

Her speaking clients include Google, McKinsey & Co., TED Talks, Cadence Design, London School of Economics, Microsoft, McDonalds, NetApp, Princeton University, KPMG, Innotown, Qualcomm, Society for Human Resource Management, Stanford University, Accenture, Texas Economic Development Council, Singularity University, among many others.

Connie Podesta Speaker

Connie Podesta

Powerful Motivator and Humourist, Author, Educator, Licensed Counselor and Consultant.

 About

Connie Podesta is a game-changing, idea-generating ball of fire whose rare blend of humour, substance, style and personality have made her one of the most memorable, in-demand speakers in the world today. Topics on sales, leadership, change, life balance and success. And (what we all probably could use now and then) - a Comedienne.

Twenty-five years. Two million people. 1,000 organizations. Hall of Fame speaker. Award-winning author. Seven books. Former Radio/TV personality. Comedienne. Human Relations Expert. Therapist for 30 years - all of this wrapped up in one amazing woman, Connie Podesta!

Johnny Quinn Speaker

Johnny Quinn

Former Pro Football Wide Receiver, U.S. Bobsled Olympian, and Inspirational Speaker on Change

 About

Click Here to Watch Johnny's Virtual Presentation

Johnny Quinn is a professional speaker who travels the globe to inspire audiences by delivering thought-provoking and action-packed messages to businesses, teams and organizations. He digs-in deep on the lessons learned in pro football and what it took to become a U.S. Olympian. He dives-in to the knowledge shared by mentors of uber successful businesses and the daily decision making of leaders and winners. Johnny equips us to embrace change, accept risk to live life on purpose.

Johnny has an athletic background which opened the door to many opportunities. He is a U.S. Olympian in the sport of bobsled and competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He traveled the world with Team USA and competition took him to Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Switzerland. Competing, living and interacting within different cultures around the world has provided a unique perspective, and ability, to connect with today’s diverse workforce.

Johnny declared for the NFL Draft in 2007 and was ranked in the Top 10 at the wide receiver position in career receptions, career yards and career touchdowns at the collegiate level. Thirty-five wide receivers went on to be selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, and Johnny was not one of them. Shortly after the draft concluded, he signed his first free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills. In 2008 he signed his second free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers. After bouncing around the NFL for two years, Johnny went on to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2009 as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played the Montreal Alouettes in the 97th Grey Cup and lost 28-27 on a 33-yard field goal as time ran out.

Johnny was cut three times, lost $2.6 million in NFL contracts and blew out his knee. He then became a U.S. Olympian. From an NFL failure to a U.S. Olympian, his “what’s next” attitude led to success he never imagined.

It was a long-time goal of Johnny's to write and publish a book. His dream came true as his first book was released in February 2018, PUSH: Breaking through the Barriers. After the first 12 hours on Amazon.com, the book was temporarily out of stock which was a pleasant surprise to see as a first time author.

He has been featured on ABC, CNN, CBS, Good Morning America, NBC Olympics, Fox Sports, TIME, USA Today and many other media and news outlets around the world. He even earned a spot to compete on the popular TV show, American Ninja Warrior!

Johnny graduated with a Pre-Law degree in 2006. In 2011, he was inducted into the University of North Texas Hall of Fame as a first ballot candidate. In 2013, he was selected as one of two receivers to the University of North Texas All-Century Team. When not globe-trotting for speaking engagements, he lives north of Dallas with his lovely wife Amanda and beautiful baby daughter Amelia Rose.

Michelle Ray Speaker

Michelle Ray

Sought-After Keynote Speaker on Change, Communication and Leadership.

 About

  • Michelle talks about how you can embrace, manage. and anticipate change with renewed confidence
  • Audiences learn to lead themselves and their teams with greater effectiveness in the new world of work
  • Michelle Ray is a Leadership & Change expert with more than 25 years of experience helping people build outstanding workplace relationships and cultures. Author of Leading in Real Time: How to Drive Success in a Radically Changing World and Lead Yourself First! Indispensable Lessons in Business and in Life.
  • Past clients include: Microsoft, Dell, Proctor & Gamble, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Shell, Xerox, Paypal, Qantas Airways, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Click Here to Watch Michelle's Virtual Presentation

With more than twenty-five years of experience researching leadership, accountability, change and workforce trends, Michelle Ray has a deep understanding of new realities demanding the attention of leaders. Specifically: A dramatic shift in where and how we work, generational change, employee voices rising on a host of social issues, post- pandemic talent shortages and ongoing digital transformation impacting every industry. Michelle advises leaders on how to lead in real time; to remain ready, responsive, and relevant against the backdrop of a world forever changed.

How do we answer the call? How do we reset? The answers can be found through Michelle’s powerful content and real-time leadership solutions.

Michelle Ray is a Hall of Fame business keynote speaker, leadership and change expert, author and educator who has worked with renowned brands that include Microsoft, Dell, PayPal, McDonalds, Xerox, and Shell. Originally from Australia and now residing in Vancouver, Canada, Michelle is the CEO and Founder of the Real Time Leadership Academy. Michelle has taught leadership skills to the Australian Army, the FBI, and C-Suite executives in an array of industries, including financial institutions on the list of the world’s top 50 banks.

Michelle is as an unstoppable, inspiring force on stage, creating memorable experiences for her audiences, utilizing her masterful methods of audience engagement, storytelling, and dynamic stage presence to instantly build rapport. She a frequent guest on podcasts and current affairs programs and is the author of two books; her latest, Leading in Real Time: How to Drive Success in a Radically Changing World, was released to rave reviews.

Why Michelle Ray can add value to your conference:

  • Proven track record as a seasoned presenter at corporate and association meetings throughout North America as well as internationally since 1995
  • Renowned business motivational speaker for numerous annual conferences and professional development events
  • Qualified as a “Certified Speaking Professional”, the National Speakers Association’s highest – earned designation held by less than 10% of members
  • From thousands of entries received, Michelle Ray reached the Top Ten Finals of “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” Contest.
  • Undertakes due diligence with in-depth research prior to every engagement
  • Consistently engages audiences with humor, passion and a powerful message
  • Delivers a return on investment with solid content; tailored for each client

April Rinne Speaker

April Rinne

Global Authority on the New Economy, Future of Work, and Navigating Constant Change, Humanistic Futurist

 About

  • Change navigator and guide to help you embrace uncertainty and the unknown
  • Top-ranked global futurist with immersive work and travels in 100+ countries
  • Bestselling author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change

Change defines the present and uncertainty permeates the future. What are the skills, practices, and superpowers that this world in flux demands – and how can you cultivate them with purpose and joy?

In 2024, humans’ ability to embrace all kinds of change, uncertainty, and not-knowing isn’t exceptional, but rather table stakes. It’s at the heart of responsible leadership, thriving culture, and effective communication. Put another way, tolerance of uncertainty is the #1 skill we’ll need this year – and beyond.

April Rinne – change navigator, speaker, investor, and adventurer – has been obsessed with these questions for more than 25 years. Her work and travels in more than 100 countries have given her a front-row seat to a world in flux, as well as a world of wisdom to navigate the unknown. Not only is she your guide to developing a “flux mindset,” she’s also ranked one of the 50 Leading Female Futurists in the world by Forbes and is a Harvard Law School graduate, a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, a member of the Silicon Guild and Thinkers50 Radar, a Fulbright Scholar, and the author of the international bestseller Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change.

April is a trusted advisor to well-known startups, companies, financial institutions, nonprofits, think tanks, and governments worldwide, including Airbnb, Nike, Intuit, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, AnyRoad, and Unsettled as well as governments ranging from Singapore to South Africa, Canada to Colombia, and Italy to India. For more than two decades, she’s been known for seeing emerging trends early, understanding their potential, and helping others do the same. April is a bridge-builder between stakeholders, priorities, business models, markets, and those excited about change and those resistant to it. Most recently, she’s been part of Finland’s inaugural “masterclass of happiness,” combining her Finnish heritage and “fluxiness” to reach audiences around the world.

Earlier in life April was a global development executive, an international microfinance lawyer, and a hiking guide. Before that, she spent the better part of four years traveling solo, with an insatiable desire to better understand how the rest of the world lives. (One lesson: Change is universal. How we deal with it is not.) She is as comfortable at Davos as she is talking with microfinance borrowers in an urban slum. A certified yoga teacher, she can often be found upside-down, doing handstands around the world.

The following is also shared, depending on audience and context: April also harnesses her very personal experiences with flux, including the death of both of her parents in a car accident when she was 20.

Steve Rizzo Speaker

Steve Rizzo

Corporate Comedian, Emcee, Motivational Speaker and Best-Selling Author.

 About

Click Here to Watch Steve's Virtual Presentation

Steve Rizzo is ready to help, whether you need to motivate your sales & service team, improve employee morale, instill strong leadership skills, deal with stress, or embrace change - then his  “Common Sense Success Strategies” will take your audience to the next level. As one of his clients said, “Never has my group learned so much and laughed so hard in one sitting!”

Once upon a time, Steve Rizzo was told by a guidance counselor that he didn’t have the intelligence for college. A few years later he was saddled with the dubious high school honor of being voted “Least Likely to Succeed.”

Steve went on to surprise everyone, including himself, by excelling with honors at the university and postgraduate levels. Eventually, Steve even taught English at his old high school and was a counselor for students with behavioral problems, proving once and for all that guidance counselors are not fortune-tellers.

Steve would go on to stellar success as a national headline comedian, and starred in his very own Showtime comedy special, earning him honors as a Showtime Comedy All-Star.

But the surprises didn’t stop there.

At the pinnacle of his stand-up career, Steve walked away from comedy to pursue his true purpose and passion - to show people how to shift their focus and way of thinking, to discover more joy and enthusiasm, increased productivity and greater levels of success.

Steve offers more than the usual nuts and bolts on how to succeed. He stresses the importance of enjoying yourself during the process of achieving your goals, and building a solid foundation to stand on when all else fails, because he absolutely knows that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, attitude is everything.

When Steve Rizzo shares his blueprint for success with Fortune 500 companies and associations across the globe, he delivers a powerful message for living an extraordinary life, because he lives the “Common Sense Success Strategies” that has made him a member of prestigious Speakers Hall of Fame - an honor bestowed on fewer than 300 speakers worldwide since 1977.

Steve is author of the best-selling books Motivate THIS! and Get Your SHIFT Together. He is also a regular contributor for SUCCESS magazine and often called upon as the “go-to” guy on the topic of personal and professional development for many network, cable and radio media outlets.

Mel Robbins Speaker

Mel Robbins

Best-Selling Author, and Life-Changing Change and Motivational Speaker

 About

Mel Robbins is one of the world’s most widely booked and followed podcast hosts and authors. She’s trusted by the world’s leading brands and medical professionals who use her research-backed tools and strategies in clinical and corporate settings. She’s amassed millions of followers online, with her videos going viral almost daily.

A New York Times bestselling author and self-publishing phenom, Mel’s work includes The High 5 Habit, The 5 Second Rule, and the #1 education podcast in the world, The Mel Robbins Podcast.

143 Studios Inc., her female-led media company, produces provocative and award-winning content with unprecedented results: millions of books sold, billions of video views, seven #1 audiobooks, and original courses and programming for clients like Starbucks, JP Morgan Chase, LinkedIn, Spotify, Headspace, and Audible.

Mel’s work has been translated into 41 languages, her podcast is syndicated in 194 countries, and her TEDx Talk is one of the most viewed of all time. Most importantly, her science-backed tools and relatable advice have changed the lives of millions of people worldwide.

And despite all that, Mel is one of the most down-to-earth and relatable people you’ll ever know. Probably because she learned everything she teaches the hard way: by first screwing up her own life, and out of necessity, discovering the tools and research that transformed her life and got her to where she is today.

David Rock Speaker

David Rock

Neuroleadership and performance speaker.

 About

David Rock is a keynote speaker and the founder and CEO of Results Coaching Systems (RCS), which has operations in 15 countries across the globe. In his capacity as CEO, David works with Fortune 500 clients specializing in embedding internal coaching capacity within organizations to develop
leadership
, retain talent, turn
managers
into coaches, improve performance, and
change
culture.

David is one of the thought leaders in the global coaching profession. The integrated coaching system he developed in the mid-90's has been taught to over 10,000 professionals in more than fifteen countries.

He is the author of Personal Best, Quiet Leadership and Coaching with the Brain in Mind and Your Brain at Work released in October 2009.

In 2004, David founded the brain-based approach to coaching, which has gathered momentum as a theory base for coaching ever since. In collaboration with several leading neuroscientists, David is working to explain the neural basis of issues like self-awareness, reflection, insight and accountability.

In 2006 he co-authored a feature article in strategy business magazine with neuroscientist Dr Jeffrey Schwartz, called 'The Neuroscience of Leadership', the most downloaded article of the year at the magazine. In September 2006 CIO magazine ran a cover story featuring David and Jeff's work called 'The new science of change'. His paper 'Managing with the Brain in Mind' was the most downloaded of 2009 at Strategy & Business.

In late 2006, David founded the NeuroLeadership Institute and Summit, a global initiative bringing neuroscientists and leadership experts together to build a new science of leadership development. The Institute is now a worldwide network of researchers and practitioners building a new body of knowledge.

David is on the advisory board at CIMBA business school, and a guest lecturer at universities in 5 countries including at Oxford University Said Business School.

Deborah Rosado Shaw Speaker

Deborah Rosado Shaw

About Deborah Rosado Shaw – Leadership & Peak Performance Speaker

 About

  • Deborah talks about shaping workplace cultures to elevate performance. 
  • Audiences learn strategies to create vibrant and healthy workplaces where people think powerfully, act courageously and invent collaboratively, while offering mindset shifts to sustain a high performance culture.
  • Fortune 50 Trusted Advisor, Award-winning Entrepreneur, Author, Former SVP, Chief Global Diversity & Engagement, PepsiCo.
  • Past clients include: PepsiCo, ING, UPS, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, P&G, RiteAid and American Express.

Deborah Rosado Shaw is a leading and powerful voice, who founded and led PepsiCo’s transformational global leadership program that provided leaders with strategies to guide their people beyond limitations. Deborah’s New Realm of Mastery program helped employees see beyond their constraints in order to pave a path toward their best levels of performance.

  This is an entirely new area of prowess that Fortune 50 leaders are seeking in this era of company culture that requires a focus on commitments, goals and personal values. When leaders focus on their people in this deeper way, they transform them into self-starters, risk-takers and people who know how to find their voice and path even in the most challenging times. 

As Deborah shares with global leadership audiences, the best leaders help people learn how to motivate themselves in times of uncertainty and challenge. She helps leaders and organizations elevate to new heights by sharing the strategies of the New Realm of Mastery, which former Chairman of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi praised: “Deborah took our company-wide conversation about diversity from one focused on inclusion to a broader dialogue about the engagement of all employees with each other and with the diverse world around us.”

Dr. Michelle Rozen Speaker

Dr. Michelle Rozen

America’s Leading Expert on Leadership Through Change

 About

Dr. Michelle Rozen is a game-changing, revenue building, performance-boosting change expert, and a highly respected authority on the psychology of change. She is a researcher, an author, and a frequent guest expert on the most prominent media networks. Dr. Michelle’s rare blend of audience engagement, alongside her ability to make takeaways simple and actionable, and her instant connection with the audience, have made her one of the most sought-after speakers on the stage today.

Her latest work is around The 6% Club, which is also the name of her upcoming new book, is rooted in her recently published research in the prestigious Journal of Social Sciences. The results of her research are jaw dropping. Out of 1000 people that Dr. Michelle has surveyed in January, only 6% stuck with their goals past….February. What it is that those 6% do differently that get them to the results in leadership, business, and life that they want and deserve, is among the secrets that Dr. Michelle shares with her attendees around the world.

Dr. Michelle consistently speaks for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies and her clients include some of the most recognizable companies in the world including Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Coca Cola and Pfizer. Each experience that Dr. Michelle creates for her attendees is highly customized in order to meet that event’s unique goals. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and resides in the greater NYC area with her husband, three kids, two dogs and mischievous cat.

Debra Searle Speaker

Debra Searle

British Adventurer, Television Presenter, Author and Motivational Speaker

 About

Click Here to Watch Debra's Virtual Presentation

  • Debra's inspiring presentation helps audiences understand how mindset can shift your momentum through even the most challenging experiences
  • Audiences leave feeling inspired and with specific tools to build a resilient mindset to help leaders and teams move through change
  • After 3 1/2 months spent at sea, single-handedly rowing from Tenerife to Barbados, Debra is ranked as one of the Top 30 Motivational Speakers in the world, alongside Simon Sinek & Tony Robbins, and has founded 5 companies and authored 3 books.
  • Past clients include: UBS, Nike, IBM, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Bausch & Lomb, phd.

Debra Searle MVO MBE has an extraordinary story! She first hit the headlines when she set out to row across the Atlantic with her husband – a 6’5” international oarsman. Unfortunately, he had to be rescued so Debra, a novice rower, continued alone without a support boat and rowed 3300 miles from Tenerife to Barbados. It should have taken them six weeks, but Debra ended up spending 3½ months at sea alone and unsupported, encountering 30' waves, sharks, and force 8 squalls in her 23-foot plywood boat. Since returning from this adventure, Debra has undertaken solo and team expeditions across the globe. She has also represented Great Britain at European and World Championship level in Dragon Boat Racing winning bronze, silver and gold medals.

Debra has spoken at well over 1100 events around the world, across every industry sector but she is more than your usual sports speaker. Debra has founded 5 companies including MIX Diversity, a Diversity Inclusion consultancy, so is able to speak with authenticity about what it takes to succeed in business. She has presented 40 programmes for the BBC and had 3 books published. Her spirit of adventure gained her a Member of The British Empire (MBE) from Her Majesty The Queen and she spent 10 years on the board of a charity with two members of the Royal Family, so has great board-level experience to share. Debra was further appointed a Member of The Victorian Order (MVO) for her services to the Royal Family.

In 2022, Debra was ranked no.3 in the World’s Top 30 Motivational Speakers, after Simon Sinek at no.1 and Tony Robbins at no.2, making her the highest ranking female motivational speaker in the world. In 2023, a British newspaper listed Debra as one of the World’s Top 50 Inspirational Leaders.  The movie of Debra’s solo Atlantic row is currently in development in Hollywood.

Ross Shafer Speaker

Ross Shafer

Emmy Award-Winning Network Talk Show Host, Best-selling Author, and Hilarious Change Expert

 About

  • Ross talks about how professional and personal success follows from one's commitment to being accountable--when we are the architect of our own life, we will have more time, money and happiness.
  • Audiences learn that they can no longer blame “government regulation,” “the economy” or “the competition” – or “changes in management" -- for their discontent. Focus on what you can control. Personal growth and opportunity always emerge from realizing that nobody cares more about your career and success than YOU do. Be accountable – and you won’t have to wait for anybody to elevate your position in work and life.
  • 6-time Emmy Award Winning TV host, comedian, and writer; Author of 9 Business Books & Entrepreneur
  • Past clients include: ACE Hardware, Aflac, Hilton Hotels, Hyundai, iPipeline

Click Here to Watch Ross' Virtual Presentation

Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Comedian, Network TV Host and Best-Selling Business Author of 10 Books on Reinvention and Resilience.

With more than 35 years of experience in show business and media, the six-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, and former network TV host Ross Shafer is also a man who simultaneously began his business career at the age of 21. He subsequently rescued 23 different companies from bankruptcy and resold them.

Ross’s peculiar combination of experience led to his writing (10) popular business books (Nobody Moved Your CheeseThe Customer Shouts BackGrab More Market ShareCustomer EmpathyAre You Relevant? Absolutely Necessary, Behave Like a StartupSuccess: Its on You, No More Customer Friction, and his latest (2021) book on resilience, titled RATTLED).

Ross has spoken and consulted for 3,000+ clients including Apple, Microsoft, Chrysler, Adobe, MetLife, Hyundai, Hilton Worldwide, AT&T, Marriott, FedEx, and Toyota to name a few. His unique insights on raising customer scores became a game changer when he dismissed the notion of “WOW-ing the Customer.” Instead, he blamed low scores on the devastating impact of the POW moments (customer gut-punches by your failures). According to Ross’s research and client case studies, POWs can erase the WOW effect and cause customers to abandon a business forever. Ross believes, “The pandemic taught us we dont have to over-delight everyone. We just need to make fewer blunders. Don’t disappoint customers and your customer scores will soar. Ross Shafer offers entertaining and eye-opening perspectives for individuals and organizations to achieve resilience by paying attention to the evolving influences around them.

Scott A. Snook Speaker

Scott A. Snook

Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School and Speaker on Leadership Development

 About

Scott Snook is currently the MBA Class of 1958 Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School.

He graduated with honors from West Point earning the Royal Society of Arts Award for the most outstanding overall cadet in his class. Following graduation, he was commissioned in the US Army Corps of Engineers where he served with distinction in various command and staff positions for over 22 years, earning the rank of Colonel before retiring in 2002. He has led soldiers in combat. Among his military decorations are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Master Parachutist badge.

He has an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he graduated with High Distinction as a Baker Scholar. Dr. Snook earned h is Ph.D. from Harvard University in Organizational Behavior winning the Sage-Louis Pondy Best Dissertation Award from the Academy of Management for his study of the Friendly Fire Shootdown in Northern Iraq. Until July of 2002, Colonel Snook served as an Academy Professor in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department at the United States Military Academy. He also directed West Point's Center for Leadership and Organizations Research as well as its joint Master's Program in Leader Development. He is the primary author of West Point's Cadet Leader Development System - the Academy's philosophy on how to develop leaders of character for the Nation. Professor Snook's book Friendly Fire was selected by the Academy of Management to receive the 2002 Terry Award as the most influential book on managerial thinking published during the past two years. He has also co-authored a book that explores the role of "common sense" in leadership titled, Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life, available from Cambridge University Press (2000). He most recently co-edited The Handbook for Teaching Leadership: Knowing, Doing, and Being available from SAGE Publications (2011). Professor Snook has shared his leadership insights in formal executive education programs at Harvard and with numerous corporate audiences around the world. 

Professor Snook's research and consulting activities have been in the areas of leadership, leader development, change management, organizational systems and failure, and culture. He currently lives in Concord, Massachusetts with his wife Kathleen and their five children.

Nina Sossamon-Pogue Speaker

Nina Sossamon-Pogue

Resilience Speaker, USA Gymnast, Emmy-Winning News Anchor, Tech Executive & Author

 About

  • Nina talks about creating success after change. recover quickly, learn – and ultimately grow stronger.
  • Audiences leave understanding their role in their own success and the corporations’ success with new strategies to keep going and not just survive change but thrive and find new levels of success.
  • Nina is a hyper-growth tech executive, USA Gymnast, and Emmy-winning television news anchor and keynote speaker- who expertly blends big data, current events and brain science research into an energetic multi-media stage performance.
  • Past clients include: GM, Benefitfocus, One Connection Management Group and Ellevate

Nina Sossamon-Pogue shares an unforgettable message of resilience and offers her Science-backed, Data-driven, Stoic philosophy-infused framework to take control of your life story and handle any plot twist life throws at you.

With a focus on smart audiences and high achievers, she uses her astonishing stories of success and failure as a backdrop, and takes audiences on a motivational journey into their own strengths, helps them build their ‘Reverse Resume’, and shows them how to thrive in the “High Achievers’ Success Cycle”. Nina uses the word THIS/This/this to represent adversity of all sizes.

Nina’s first book, THIS is Not ‘The End’: Strategies to Get You Through the Worst Chapters of Your Life (2019 Morgan James Publishing) offers readers strategies to handle life’s most difficult challenges and control their own destiny.

Nina’s very public life has been powered by her compulsion to encourage and help others. As a teenager Nina was named Miss Congeniality at the USA Gymnastics Championships, later she was voted Charleston’s Favorite News Anchor for 10 consecutive years, and named a ‘Woman of Distinction’ by the state of South Carolina.

Authentic and intelligent, with a contagious energy, Nina’s 15+ years on TV combined with her 10+ years on the leadership team at a high-growth technology company make her uniquely qualified to connect with a corporate audience.

Dr. Paul Stoltz Speaker

Dr. Paul Stoltz

Motivational speaker on change, adversity and resilience.

 About

Dr. Paul G. Stoltz is considered the world’s leading authority on the integration and application of grit and resilience. He is author of four international bestselling books on the subject—printed in 14 languages—was voted by HR Magazine as “One of the Top 10 most influential global thinkers,” and by Executive Excellence as “One of the 100 Most Influential Thinkers of Our Time.” His newest book, GRIT—The New Science of What it Takes to Persevere, Flourish, Succeed is available now, in which he pioneers the first construct for growing both the quantity and quality of one’s GRIT.

Dr. Stoltz guest lectures at MIT, where his GRIT-related methods and assessments are used to equip tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. Dr. Stoltz has also been a member of Stanford University’s Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series, was selected as the Millennial Thinker for Singapore, “Thought Leader of the Year” in Hong Kong, and is a top-rated international faculty member for the Young Presidents’ Organization.

He has also guest lectured for Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and the Harvard Business School Executive Education program. HBS incorporates Dr. Stoltz’s AQ (Adversity Quotient) theory and methods into its prestigious executive development and MBA programs. Dr. Stoltz has been a featured blogger and author for the Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today.

Today, GRIT™ and AQ® are the most widely adopted methods of their kind in the world for measurably enhancing one’s resilience, agility, and GRIT—currently in use by industry-leading companies, top institutions, and many governments in 63 countries across the globe.

Dr. Stoltz is frequently featured in the world’s top media. Examples include the major news shows CNN, CNBC, ABC, Sky News, Business News Network, NBC Nightly News, Public Broadcast Service (PBS), as well as the biggest daytime shows such as the Today Show, and Oprah. You will also find Dr. Stoltz quoted in the major press, worldwide, including Wall Street Journal, Harvard Management Update, Investor’s Business Daily, Yahoo! Finance, Asia 21, Inc., Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Singapore Straits Times, The Australian Financial Review, Success Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Boss Magazine, The Drucker Foundation’s prestigious Leader to Leader and other publications.

Dr. Stoltz founded PEAK Learning, Inc. in 1987. PEAK is a leading global research and consulting firm, through which he coaches, consults, teaches, and collaborates with top leaders, thinkers, and influencers within a broad range of organizations from start-ups and NGO’s to the Fortune 50 on six continents.

As a highly sought-after thought leader, presenter, and teacher, Dr. Stoltz combines inspiration and humor with application and substance, delivering a compelling and practical message to audiences of 10 to 10,000 people, including some of the largest venues in the world.

As Director of the Global Resilience and GRIT Institutes, Dr. Stoltz oversees a research agenda in 29 countries dedicated to exploring, expanding, and advancing the applications of AQ and GRIT to strengthen people and their organizations. His research partners have included top thinkers at Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Harvard, and more than a dozen universities overseas.

Dr. Stoltz received his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and Economics from the University of California, as well as his business and social sciences interdisciplinary master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. PEAK Learning’s international headquarters is situated in the coastal mountains of San Luis Obispo, California, where Dr. Stoltz resides with his family, who were honored by USA Today as “America’s Most Creative Family.”

Rohit Talwar Speaker

Rohit Talwar

Leading Global Futurist, Speaker, Author and CEO of Fast Future

 About

  • Rohit talks about how organizations can navigate a rapidly changing reality in his highly customized keynote and helps clients understand the key future factors driving innovation, growth and disruptive change
  • Audiences leave with the key topics and learning takeaways that address how their specific organizatons can address the critical factors of future success.
  • Rohit Talwar is a global futurist, award-winning and thought provoking speaker, strategic advisor, author, entrepreneur, and the CEO of Fast Future.
  • Past clients include: 3M, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, American Express, Barclays, Bayer, BP, Citi, Deloitte, DeutscheBank, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, EE, Emaar, Emirates, Etisalat, and EY.

Rohit Talwar is a global futurist, award-winning and thought provoking speaker, strategic advisor, author, entrepreneur, and the CEO of Fast Future. He delivers keynote speeches, executive education, consultancy, research, and future-focused leadership mentoring to clients internationally. He helps clients understand the key future factors driving innovation, growth and disruptive change. He works with major corporations, governments, professional services, investors, associations, business schools, and NGOs - to help them anticipate, prepare for and create the future. He has delivered over 1,500 keynote speeches and executive workshops in 70+ countries on six continents.

Rohit leads Fast Future Publishing - delivering a series of multi-contributor books exploring the emerging future. He is the co-author of Designing Your Future, lead editor and a contributing author for The Future of Business, and editor of Technology vs. Humanity. He is also a co-editor and contributor for the recently published Beyond Genuine Stupidity - Ensuring AI Serves Humanity, and The Future Reinvented - Reimagining Life, Society, and Business. He is also working on two forthcoming books: Unleashing Human Potential - The Future of AI in Business, and 50:50 - Scenarios for the Next 50 Years.

His new book Aftershocks and Opportunities – Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future published on June 1st, 2020 draws on contributions from 25 thought leaders around the world to explore the emerging possibilities and risks and the resulting critical actions required to navigate our way out of the current health crisis and economic disruption.
Rohit delivers fully researched and completely customised presentations for each keynote, and has the audience spellbound with his story of ending up on Interpol’s most wanted list due to identity theft. He has undertaken a wide range of foresight research studies for clients as diverse as the UK Government, Heathrow Airport, Amadeus, and the European Commission

Rohit’s primary objective is to support clients in exploring and shaping the emerging future - putting people at the center of the agenda. He helps clients understand the key future factors driving innovation, growth and disruptive change. Rohit highlights the new thinking and business models being enabled by exponential technologies such as AI, blockchain, and hyperconnectivity and uses case studies to demonstrate how firms across sectors are reinventing themselves in the era of smart machines. He then explores the mindset shifts and leadership capabilities required to compete in the emerging future. Finally, he demonstrates how to harness the next waves of innovation to unleash human potential and ensure a very human future for our organisations.

Rohit has delivered keynote speeches around the world and for clients across the globe. Example clients include 3M, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, American Express, Barclays, Bayer, BP, Citi, Deloitte, DeutscheBank, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, EE, Emaar, Emirates, Etisalat, EY, GE, Generali, IBM, Intel, KPMG, Latham and Watkins, Linklaters, Microsoft, Nokia, Norton Rose Fulbright, Novartis, O2, Orange, PWC, Pepsi, SAP, Sara Lee, Tata, The Singapore Government, The World Government Summit 2016 (UAE), and Twofour54.

Nick Tasler Speaker

Nick Tasler

#1 Best-selling Author and Speaker on Leading Change

 About

  •  Nick talks about how we are wired to use the periods of change and upheaval around us to unleash growth inside us--growth in our teams, growth in our businesses, and growth in ourselves. 
  • Audiences walk away from this dynamic session not just more knowledgeable, but also more excited about the hidden opportunities for growth right under their noses. Invigorated by a fresh outlook; connected by a common language; and armed with practical tools and clear decisions, your people will be ready to cut through the chaos with a laser-like focus on organizational objectives, team priorities, and personal growth opportunities.
  • #1 best-selling author of four counter-intuitive books on the art and science of making decisions and leading change, including: Ricochet: What to do when change happens to you
  • Past clients include: 3M, Best Buy, Cargill, Dell Technologies, Wells Fargo, RBC, Microsoft and Zoetis/Pfizer.

Click Here to Watch Nick's Virtual Presentation

‍Nick Tasler is an internationally acclaimed thought leader, organizational psychologist and the #1 best-selling author of four counter-intuitive books on the art and science of making decisions and leading change. He is also an expert writer for the Harvard Business Review and his work has been covered by The New York Times, Bloomberg Business Week, The Atlantic, Inc., U.S. News & World Report, The Financial Times, Fox Business, and Forbes; as well as NPR, the BBC, NBC, ABC, and CBS.

Nick’s original insights and dynamic style have benefited the world’s most respected organizations ranging from General Electric, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Novo Nordisk, Wells Fargo, the Royal Bank of Canada, and UnitedHealth Group to the Wharton School, Yale University, and many more.Nomadic by nature, Nick and his wife and their four kids live in…lots of places. Sometimes Minnesota. Sometimes Florida. Currently Puerto Rico.

James Taylor Speaker

James Taylor

Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Author, Inspiring Keynote Speaker on a Global Mission to Unlock Creativity, Increase Productivity, and Accelerate Innovation

 About

  • Award-winning speaker and internationally recognized leader in creativity and innovation
  • Talks about Augmenting Human Creativity In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Centaur Marketing: Augmenting Human Marketers In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, & Building A Creative Company Culture - What We Can Learn From The World's Most Innovative Places
  • Host of The Creative Life Podcast and TV Show
  • Past clients include: Apple, Sony, IBM, Visa, McDonalds, EY, Accenture, TATA, Cisco, GSK, Johnson & Johnson and Mercedes Benz

James Taylor M.B.A. F.R.S.A. - who started his career managing high profile rock stars - is now an in-demand keynote speaker and internationally recognized leader in creativity, sustainability, innovation and Artificial Intelligence. For over 20 years, he has been advising CEO’s, entrepreneurs, educators, governments and leaders from Silicon Valley to Dubai on how to design innovative organizations, unlock creative potential and build a sustainable future.

As the host of multiple global summits he has personally interviewed over 750 of the world’s leading creative minds including Silicon Valley tech CEO’s, New York Times bestselling authors, and artificial intelligence pioneers. Hundreds of thousands of people in over 120 countries have learned about creativity and innovation through his online courses, videos, media interviews and keynote speeches.

His clients have included Fortune Global 500 companies, government policy makers, industry associations and he was recently the subject of a 30 minute BBC documentary about his life and work. Companies including Apple, Cisco, Deloitte, Accenture, Caterpillar, UPS, Novartis, EY, Visa, McDonalds, ADNOC and Dell have all brought in James Taylor to inspire and educate through his thought-provoking keynotes and interactive workshops.

James is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (F.R.S.A.) whose Fellows have included global innovators and leaders including President Benjamin Franklin, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Bob Dylan, Adam Smith, Nelson Mandela and Professor Stephen Hawking.

 

Sebastian Terry Speaker

Sebastian Terry

Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author, TV Host, & Founder of the 100things Movement

 About

Shocked by the death of a close friend in his mid-twenties, Seb Terry experienced a moment in his life where he asked himself a simple question:

‘Am I happy?’.

The answer was NO, and so, he created a list of 100 things that he hoped would transform his life. Dropping everything to pursue his list, not only has Seb’s life transformed through his incredible journey, but the ripple effect has gone on to help millions of people unlock limitless possibilities in their own lives, too.

From Marrying a Stranger in Vegas (Goal #2) and Delivering a Baby (#23), to Living on a Deserted Island for 1 Week (#63) and Helping a Stranger (#26) by aiding a quadriplegic man to complete a half marathon by pushing him in his wheelchair, Seb’s story has been turned into books, reality shows and is constantly featured by ESPN and Discovery Channel.

As an expert in personal transformation, peak performance and creating environments for success, Seb's commitment to helping others, has seen him share his message and frameworks with many of the world’s biggest organizations including Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America and McKesson.

Recognized for his unique approach in combining brilliant humor, piercing insight and real-time action, Seb’s revered storytelling and interactive teaching style has impacted millions of individuals and influenced thousands of organizations and Fortune 500 companies around
the world.

Mark Thompson Speaker

Mark Thompson

Expert speaker on Leadership, Driving Change and Innovation

 About

Mark is an expert on executive leadership, business strategy, and innovation who has spent over 25 years leading teams and building companies from the ground up. He delivers actionable, valuable and practical advice for leaders at all levels of an organization.

Currently a highly sought after executive coach and venture investor, Forbes called Mark one of America’s Top Venture Investors with the "Midas Touch." Mark was recently featured as one of the "World’s Top Executive Coaches" by the American Management Association and #1 Thought Leader on Innovation and Engagement. He was named one of the "Top 30 Communications Professionals for 2015" by Global Gurus. Mark advises top leaders in Fortune 500 and Global Fortune 1000 companies as well as the executive teams who are leading high growth startup companies in Silicon Valley today.

A New York Times bestselling author whose books include: ADMIRED: 21 Ways to Double Your Value; Now Build a Great Business; and Success Built to Last - Creating a Life that Matters, Mark is also an Innovation Leadership columnist for Forbes.com, Inc.com and FastCompany.com. His most recent bestseller ADMIRED is a primer on how the world’s "Most Admired Companies" achieve long-term success and growth as well as the qualities that are common to "Most Admired Leaders."

Mark has worked side by side with three of the world’s most legendary disruptive innovators: Steve Jobs, Charles Schwab and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. He brings insight from decades of experience with these great leaders and research on the culture of companies and brands that achieve the highest levels of employee engagement, customer loyalty and continuous sales growth.

Mark was Charles Schwab’s former Chief of Staff and Chief Customer Experience Officer, and the Executive Producer of Schwab.com which today has assets over $2.4 Trillion. He is a co-founder of Sir Richard Branson’s Entrepreneurship Centers and an advisor to Virgin Unite Entrepreneurs.

Mark is a founding advisor of the Stanford Realtime Venture Design Lab, and is a visiting scholar at his alma mater, Stanford University. He has served as faculty at the World Economic Forum and World Business Forum, is a member of the Clinton Initiative, and an executive coach for TED Fellows.

A successful venture capitalist over the last two decades, Mark was as an early investor in companies like Facebook, Netflix and eSurance. He has been a Board Member for many well known technology, biotech and retail companies, including: Best Buy, Korn Ferry, and Interwoven (now owned by HP). He was the Chairman of the Board for Rioport, which popularized the MP3 player prior to the iPod. He is an investor in Cancer Genetics, a leader in DNA-based diagnostics for clinical management of cancer treatment.

Among Mark’s passions are music and Broadway. Mark serves as a founding Board of Directors member for Smule, the top music app company on iTunes which has over 125 million users worldwide. As a Broadway producer, Mark’s plays have earned five Tony Awards and a total of ten Tony nominations, including Peter and the Star-Catcher with Disney, and StickFly with Alicia Keys.

Mark lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Manhattan with two extraordinary women – his wife Bonita and their daughter Vanessa.

Waldo Waldman Speaker

Waldo Waldman

Former Fighter Pilot, Hall of Fame Speaker on Leadership, Sales, Teamwork and Change.

 About

  • Talks about how leaders can build high performing teams through innovation, communication & a relentless commitment to excellence.
  • Audiences learn how to build collaborative cultures of trust, courage, motivational strategies and commitment in order to adapt to change, break performance barriers, and overcome adversity.
  • Known as “The Wingman,” Lt Col (ret) Waldo Waldman is a combat decorated fighter pilot, executive coach, Hall of Fame Speaker, and the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Never Fly Solo.
  • Past clients include:  Hewlett Packard, Verizon, American Express, GE, The Denver Broncos, ExxonMobil, Merck, Johnson & Johnson

Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman - The Wingman.

  • You want a leadership expert who can call on life experiences to show the value of committing to excellence, adapting to change, and building collaborative, trusting relationships
  • Your audience needs an interactive, high-energy speaker who can bridge the gap between the highly competitive world of the fighter pilot and the challenges of business
  • Real world sales experience, MBA, New York Times & Wall Street Journal best-selling author, member of the Speaker Hall of Fame

Known as “The Wingman,” Lt Col (ret) Waldo Waldman is a combat decorated fighter pilot, executive coach, Hall of Fame Speaker, and the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Never Fly Solo. He helps organizations build collaborative cultures of trust, courage, motivational strategies and commitment in order to adapt to change, break performance barriers, and overcome adversity.

In addition to his time in the military, Waldo has real world corporate sales experience and is an expert on change management and resilience – having broken through a lifelong fear of heights and overcoming claustrophobia as a fighter pilot. His compelling stories and techniques on overcoming adversity, performing under pressure, earning trust, and servant-based leadership are extremely relevant to organizations who seek to create a “One Team, One Mission” performance-focused culture of trust and collaboration.

“We Survive Solo but Win Together.” – Waldo Waldman

Waldo is a graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy and also holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior. He is an inductee into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, a prestigious award that honors speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence and has been bestowed on less than 180 speakers worldwide. Waldo is also founder The Wingman Foundation, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to build funds and awareness for veterans in need. He’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Inc. Magazine, and The Harvard Business Review, and his clients include Hewlett Packard, Verizon, American Express, GE, The Denver Broncos, ExxonMobil, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and dozens of national associations.

Margie Warrell Speaker

Margie Warrell

Global Thought Leader in Human Potential and Brave Leadership

 About

Click Here to Watch Margie's Virtual Presentation

Dr. Margie Warrell brings sharp insights from her diverse global experience to inspire bolder thinking and braver action.

The bestselling author of five books, Margie’s ability to distill grounded research into actionable advice sets her apart on the global stage. A leading authority on courageous leadership, she has learned a lot about overcoming fear and embracing change since her childhood growing up on a small farm in rural Australia. She has spent the last 25 years working around the world - in Australia, Asia, Papua New Guinea and the USA - while raising her four children.

An honoree of the Women’s Economic Forum and CEO of Global Courage, Margie sits on the advisory board of Forbes School of Business & Technology and is trusted by global brands - NASA, Google, Deloitte, Dell, Abbot, UN Foundation and Salesforce - to deliver life-changing programs that accelerate growth, inspire braver action and better outcomes. Her latest book, You’ve Got This! The Life-Changing Power of Trusting Yourself  has been hailed as a transformative book for these times.