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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.

Dr. John C. Maxwell Speaker

Dr. John C. Maxwell

Leadership Author, Coach and Speaker

 About

Dr. John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, coach, and speaker who has sold more than 30 million books in 50 languages. His latest book Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace was released in February, 2019.

Dr. Maxwell has been identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association, and the most influential leadership expert in the world by Business Insider and Inc. magazines. He is founder of The John C. Maxwell Company, The John C. Maxwell Team, EQUIP, and The John C. Maxwell Leadership Foundation - organizations that have trained millions of leaders from almost every country of the world. A recipient of the Horatio Alger Award and the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network, John speaks each year to Fortune 500 companies, presidents of nations, and many of the world’s top business leaders.

Kyle Maynard Speaker

Kyle Maynard

Mountaineer, Award-winning Extreme Athlete & Best-selling Author

 About

Oprah Winfrey called Kyle Maynard “one of the most inspiring young men you will ever hear about.” Arnold Schwarzenegger described him as “the real deal,” “a champion human,” and “one of the most inspiring people” he’s ever met. Even the great Wayne Gretzky has spoken of Kyle’s “greatness.”

Despite being born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, that has left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees, he learned early on, and with the support of his family, to live life independently and without prosthetics. Kyle thrives on physical challenges and following a few rough, middle school football seasons, he went on to become a champion wrestler, CrossFit Certified Instructor and gym owner, competitive MMA/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter, world record-setting weightlifter, and skilled mountaineer.

In 2012, Kyle became the first quadruple amputee to climb – actually bearcrawl – the 19,340 feet to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics. His 10-day ascent was widely covered by the press, followed on social media, and raised money and awareness for wounded veterans as well as Tanzanian schoolchildren. Upon his return, Kyle won his second ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability. 

Four years later, he reached the summit of Argentina’s breathtakingly beautiful, and sometimes deadly, Mount Aconcagua – the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres, standing at 22,838 feet. Following that epic summit, Nike featured Kyle in the powerful commercial “Unlimited Will,” which debuted globally during the 2016 Olympics, was viewed by millions around the world – as part of the series that AdWeek named the most memorable of all commercials during the 2016 Olympics.

Kyle proudly serves as a board member of K2 Adventure Foundation, and as an ambassador of No Barriers USA, Wounded Warrior Project, the USO, the Travis Manion Foundation, the U.S. Special Forces’ The Honor Foundation (THF), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF). He has also spent some of his most memorable moments meeting with recovering U.S. military veterans at Walter Reed Medical Center, and supporting service events for Air Force Academy and Navy SEAL Qualification Trainee programs, as well as to servicemen and women at Camp Pendleton, Ft. Benning, Ft. Bragg, Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Lewis and Ft. Myer.

He has appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, CBS The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, ABC's 20/20, and his story has been featured on ESPN’s Sportscenter, HBO`s Real Sports, and CNN’s Great Big Story, as well as other countless television shows and editorials.

Kyle was also the focus of the moving documentary, “A Fighting Chance,” which chronicled his life and the pursuit of his first Mixed Martial Arts cage fight – which was produced by ESPN Films & SnagFilms and premiered on ESPN in 2010 and can currently be found on Netflix – with film sales proceeds benefitting injured armed forces veterans. At age 19, Kyle authored his account of his life experiences in The New York Times bestselling book, “No Excuses” (2005), which is still in print and in demand today.

David Mead Speaker

David Mead

Leadership & Workplace Culture Expert

 About

David Mead is bringing humanity back to work. During the past 13 years David has worked with over 300 companies
in 21 countries. In that time, he has discovered a pattern that is present with every leader worth following.

David began his career in corporate training in 2004. In 2009 he was the second person to join speaker and author, Simon Sinek’s team. For the next 10 years, David helped share Simon’s simple, inspiring ideas through speaking and
workshops.

In 2017, David applied his years of practical experience and learning and co-authored, with Peter Docker and Simon Sinek, Find Your Why: a practical guide for discovering the WHY of an individual, team or organization. It has sold over 500,000 copies and is translated into 25 languages.

Since December, 2019 David has focused on helping leaders implement the powerful ideas he now talks about. He shares a simple framework that allows each of us to lead and influence others with genuine humanity, no matter our role or title. The result? Higher performance, innovation, collaboration, retention and importantly, well-being for us and our teams.

David is a no-stress presenter clients love working with. He brings a relatable, human approach to his ideas and guides people to identify frictionless daily practices they can use immediately after the session.

Aimee Mullins Speaker

Aimee Mullins

Record-Breaking Paralympian, Leader in the Next Generation of Prosthetics, Actor, Model and Speaker

 About

Aimee Mullins is currently on the hugely successful, Emmy-nominated Netflix series Stranger Things, which is now the most-searched for title in Netflix history.   8.2 million people watched the entire series in the first sixteen days.

Aimée  has also acted in a varied range of film and television roles alongside such talent as Rupert Friend, Vera Farmiga, Michael Shannon and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Aimée’s film debut was a starring role in the highly acclaimed film Cremaster 3, by contemporary artist Matthew Barney, first presented in the US at the Guggenheim Museum in 2003. The Guardian called it “one of the most imaginative and brilliant achievements in the history of avant-garde cinema.”

She continued her work with Barney in River of Fundament, an adaptation of Norman Mailer’s novel ‘Ancient Evenings’, in which she starred as Isis. Chronicling the seven stages of a soul’s journey from death to rebirth, each filmed chapter is also accompanied by a one-time only live performance. The work, a six-hour operatic epic, premiered at Brooklyn Academy of Music in February 2014.

Aimée first received worldwide media attention as an athlete. Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimée’s medical prognosis was discouraging; she was told she would never walk and would likely spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair. In an attempt for an outside chance at independent mobility, doctors amputated both her legs below the knee on her first birthday. The decision paid off. By age two, she had learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and spent her childhood swimming, biking, skiing, playing softball and soccer with everyone else.

After graduating high school with honors, Aimée was one of three students in the US chosen for a full academic scholarship from the Department of Defense, and at age 17 became the youngest person to hold a top-secret security clearance at the Pentagon, where she worked as an intelligence analyst.

While a Dean’s list student at the prestigious School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, she set her sights on making the US Team for the 1996 Atlanta Games. She enlisted the expertise of Frank Gagliano, one of the country’s most respected track coaches. Through this partnership, she became the first woman with a “disability” to compete in the NCAA, doing so on Georgetown’s nationally-ranked Division I track team.

Aimée set her sights on becoming the fastest woman in the world on prosthetic legs, and began to wonder why legs made for sprinting wouldn’t be modeled on those of the fastest land animal, rather than just those of a human. Working in collaboration with a cutting-edge biomedical engineer and a visionary prosthetist she went on to set World Records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the long jump, outfitted with woven carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah.

These legs, which Aimée was the first to wear, are now the international standard for amputee runners.

After a profile in Life magazine showcased her in the starting blocks at Atlanta, the world took notice. Aimée soon landed a 10-page feature in the inaugural issue of Sports Illustrated for Women, which led to her accepting numerous invitations to speak at international design conferences.

The discourse regarding aesthetic principles sparked Aimée’s interest in issues relating to body image and how fashion advertising impacted standard notions of femininity and beauty. In 1998, Aimée made her runway debut in London at the invitation of one of the world’s most celebrated fashion designers, Alexander McQueen. Walking alongside the supermodels of the world, Aimée’s groundbreaking, triumphant turn propelled her onto the magazine covers of ID and Dazed and Confused.

After then making her mark in the highest echelons of the fashion press (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, Glamour, and Elle), she was also named as one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World”, Esquire’s “Women We Love,” Jane magazine’s “10 Gutsiest Women,” Sports Illustrated’s “Coolest Girls in Sport,” and was celebrated as the “Hottest Muse” in Rolling Stone’s annual Hot List. In 2011, she was named as the new Global Brand Ambassador to the world’s largest beauty brand L’Oréal Paris, another cultural milestone.

An influential voice in today’s culture, she is regularly invited to share her ideas at global conferences, such as the world-famous TED conferences, where she is one of their most popular speakers and was named a TED All-Star. Her talks have been translated into 41 languages and have been seen by millions of viewers worldwide.

In 2012 she was designated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In 2017, Aimée was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame joining fellow honorees “whose leadership and achievements have changed the course of American history.”

Aimée serves on the boards of various non-profit organizations, most notably the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, of which Aimée was elected President from 2007 to 2009. Aimée also had four years as Vice-President for the nation’s oldest non-profit employment service for persons with disabilities, ‘Just One Break’. She was the first woman on the board since the organization was founded in 1947 by Eleanor Roosevelt.  As Secretary of State in 2012, Hillary Clinton appointed her to the State Department’s ‘Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports’.

Aimée’s impact on modern society and her influence on future generations is undeniable.

Her likeness has been immortalized in exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the NCAA Hall of Fame, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, the Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Museum, where she is honored for her contribution to sport among the “Greatest American Women of the 20th Century.”  She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017.

Jim Murphy Speaker

Jim Murphy

Founder of inspiring ‘Afterburner’ fighter pilot corporate speaking group. Speaks on leadership, teamwork and execution.

 About

Jim 'Murph' Murphy is the Founder and CEO of Afterburner, Inc. He has a unique and powerful mix of leadership skills in both the military and business worlds. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Murph joined the U.S. Air Force where he learned to fly the F-15. He has logged over 1,200 hours as an instructor pilot in the F-15 and has accumulated over 3,200 hours of flight time in other high-performance jet aircraft. As the 116th Fighter Wing's Chief of Training for the Georgia Air National Guard, Murph's job was to keep 42 combat-trained Fighter Pilots ready to deploy worldwide within 72 hours. As a flight leader, he has flown missions to Central America, Asia, Central Europe and the Middle East.

After years in the military, Murph returned to his love of business. Prior to his service in the U.S. Air Force, Murph had a successful career in imaging equipment sales, where he helped increase his company's sales by 500%. Years later, Murph became Director of Sales for a small paint company. Realizing that the concepts of the Flawless ExecutionSM model could be applied to business, he engaged the proven model - Plan. Brief. Execute. Debrief. - and increased his company's sales from $5 million to $52 million. Realizing that many companies could benefit from these same concepts, Murph started Afterburner in early 1996.

Through his leadership, Afterburner has landed on Inc. Magazine's Inc. 500 List twice. Murph has been regularly featured in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Inc. Magazine, Newsweek, Meetings & Conventions Magazine and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and Bloomberg news to name a few. He has also been named as one of Atlanta's top 50 entrepreneurs by Catalyst Magazine. To date, the Afterburner team of elite military professionals has led over 1 million executives, sales professionals, and business people from every industry through Afterburner's Flawless ExecutionSM Model, and its unique, high-energy programs.

Afterburner notable clients include the Who's Who of the Global 1000 list of companies. He is the author of the groundbreaking books Business Is Combat and Flawless Execution through Harper Collins publishing and has spoken at many of the world's most notable business schools to include Harvard, Wharton, Cornell, Emory, Duke and Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

Ben Nemtin Speaker

Ben Nemtin

#1 New York Times Best-selling Author & Member of MTV’s Hit Show, The Buried Life

 About

  • Talks about how leaders and individuals can make the impossible possible by creating a people first culture that focuses on how to set and achieve big goals.
  • Audiences leave inspired with a system for achieving impossible goals through action and accountability.
  • Ben Nemtin is the best selling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and is the co-founder of The Buried Life movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured in major media including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, CNN, NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, and more. Former President Obama called Ben the "inspiration for a new generation." He is the Co-Founder of "The Buried Life" Movement
  • Past clients include: Home Depot, Cisco, Principal, Fedex, Siemens, WellsFargo, Stanford University, Levi's and Engel & Volkers.

Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? - and a star of MTV’s highest rated show ever on iTunes and Amazon called The Buried Life. As co-founder of `The Buried Life` movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, FOX, and NBC News. President Obama called Ben and The Buried Life “ inspiration for a new generation” - and Oprah declared their mission “truly inspiring.” An acclaimed keynote speaker, Ben has headlined business conferences and Fortune 100 leadership teams around the world, offering motivational strategies and garnering standing ovations from AIG, Anthem, Amazon, FedEx, Harvard, Microsoft, Verizon, and more. Global Gurus ranked Ben in the Top 30 Best Organizational Culture Thought Leaders in the World in 2019.

In his first year of university, Ben was unexpectedly hit with a depression that forced him to drop out. In an attempt to feel more alive, he created the world’s greatest bucket list with his three best friends. They borrowed a rickety old RV and crisscrossed North America - achieving the unthinkable. And most importantly, every time they accomplished a dream - they helped a complete stranger cross something off their bucket list. From playing basketball with President Obama to having a beer with Prince Harry, from reuniting a father and son after seventeen years to surprising a young girl with a much-needed bionic arm - Ben’s bucket list quest has inspired millions to thrive personally and professionally.

Chantal Petitclerc Speaker

Chantal Petitclerc

Canadian Paralympic champion and inspirational speaker.

 About

At the age of 13, Chantal Petitclerc
lost the use of her legs following an accident. Convincing her to take up swimming in order to develop
her strength and stamina, her high school physical education teacher, Gaston Jacques, would have a
decisive impact on her life. For Chantal, that was her first contact with sport and training. Four years
later, she would discover wheelchair athletics, paving the way for a long and very successful career
which would take her to the Barcelona Games in 1992, and ultimately, to the Beijing Games in 2008.

Chantal Petitclerc returned from the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games with 5 gold medals, 2 new world
records and 1 new Paralympic record, making her the most celebrated track athlete in history as well
as the only Canadian athlete to have won gold medals at the Olympics, Paralympics and
Commonwealth Games.

Her career in numbers:

  • Five Paralympic Games (Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing)
  • 21 Paralympic medals (including 14 gold medals)
  • 3 world records (200m, 400m and 800m)
  • Paralympic records (200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m)
  • 1 Olympic gold medal in the 800m (demonstration sport)

Chantal has received several recognitions for her sporting career, including being appointed Chevalier
de l'Ordre du Quebec (2005), being named Personality of the Year by La Presse newspaper (2004)
and receiving the Laureus international award (2005). Other recognition:

  • Companion of the Order of Canada
  • Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year
  • Star on Canada's Walk of Fame
  • International Paralympic Committee Female athlete of the year
  • La Presse Sports personality of the year
  • Honorary Doctorate, University of Ottawa
  • 2010 United States Sports Academy's (USSA) Juan Antonio Samaranch IOC Disabled Athlete
    Award.

While the Beijing Games would be the last time she would be participating in track competitions,
Chantal Petitclerc nevertheless continues to train as she intends to take part in road marathons over
the next few years. In 2012, she tried for the first time what could be a new career path as coach and
mentor of the UK track and field team at the London Paralympic Games. After her return to Canada,
she was named Chef de Mission for the Glascow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Chantal Petitclerc is a highly sought after speaker, and shares her story with dozens of groups each
year, both throughout Canada and abroad. She participates in projects by various Paralympic athletics
and sports organizations, in addition to working as a spokesperson for Défi Sportif in Montréal and as
an ambassador for the international Right to Play organization.

Jeremy Poincenot Speaker

Jeremy Poincenot

Renowned Inspiring Keynote Speaker and Blind Golf Champion

 About

Jeremy Poincenot is an extraordinary figure, not just as a renowned keynote speaker but also as a world champion in blind golf. Jeremy’s speaking topics often revolve around turning trauma into triumph, the power of interdependence, and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth.

At the age of 19, Jeremy’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare genetic disorder that led to the loss of his central vision. Initially viewing this as a life-limiting setback, Jeremy soon realized that every challenge comes with an opportunity for growth. With determination and the support of his family and friends, he not only adapted to his new reality but also excelled in it.

Jeremy’s prowess in golf, a sport he loved, took on a new dimension as he began to compete as a blind golfer. With his father as his guide, he won the 2010 World Blind Golf Championship, a victory that marked the beginning of an illustrious career in the sport. He has since won three World Championships, nine National Championships, an Australian Blind Open, and an Italian Blind Open. His remarkable achievements in golf led CNN to call him the World’s best blind golfer. In 2011, he was honored as the San Diego Hall of Champions Challenged Athlete of the Year.

As a speaker, Jeremy Poincenot travels the world sharing his story, encouraging audiences to take control of their lives and view obstacles as opportunities. His approach is not just about promoting independence but highlighting the greater power of interdependence. His personal narrative, combined with wit and a strong inspirational message, has resonated with many.

Jeremy’s impact has been recognized widely. He has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, ESPN.com, CNN’s “Great Big Story,” and MTV’s True Life. His ability to connect with people has led him to speak for prestigious companies such as Aflac, Honda, John Hancock, Kaiser Permanente, and Wells Fargo.

Vince Poscente Speaker

Vince Poscente

Peak performance speaker, Olympic skier and best-selling author.

 About

Click Here to Watch Vince's Virtual Presentation

Vince Poscente, one of the most in-demand speakers today, is an expert on resiliency - the ability to overcome challenges and motivate to bounce back even stronger than ever before. His client list includes top organizations with one thing in common: they understand that success is not just about reaching your goals and getting what you want. There also has to be an intent to handle set-backs and overcome obstacles and end up smarter, stronger and more focused than ever before, Vince knows first-hand the power that attitude, determination and innovation play in your future success -- especially when life doesn’t go as planned.

Vince has two signature keynotes where the first half of his life he went downhill. The second half he goes up. First, Full Speed Ahead reveals the formula for big goals in short order with his story of recreational skier to Olympics in just four short years. Second, Become a Local Hero, outlines the qualities of everyday heroes using the backdrop of ten years of leading Heroes Climb expeditions in the Himalayas. In both cases audiences experience the way to bounce back and find another path. Another solution. Another way to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Vince is a New York Times Best Selling author. Hall of Fame Speaker in the USA and Canada.  Award winning business owner. Expedition leader.

So, what are your teams’ obstacles? The economy?  Competition?  Negative attitudes?  Lower productivity? And the list goes on.

Vince is the #1 go-to guy for taking a team and teaching them how to lead better.  Produce more.  Sell more. And move past the obstacles and into a mental space that creates the kind of success you and your team want and deserve.

This is NOT Vince just telling his story. Because everybody has a story. This is about Vince sharing strategies and solutions that will definitely change how your team handles crisis. Problems.  Competition. And change.   Without understanding resiliency and the absolute importance it plays on everything and everyone - your team will not have the skills they need to overcome the things that will inevitably stand in their way.

Cheryl Pounder Speaker

Cheryl Pounder

2 x Olympic Gold Medalist, Motivational Speaker, Broadcaster

 About

Cheryl Pounder brings her high energy and effervescent personality to each and every event, large or small. With her warmth and friendliness, Cheryl immediately makes guests feel like they have a new friend. For fundraising events, Cheryl encourages giving and supports the cause with inspirational personal stories. With galas and award presentations, Cheryl is professional, yet down to earth. There’s never a dull moment with Cheryl. With her experience as a sports commentator, radio host and motivational keynote speaker, Cheryl keeps the energy moving while focusing on the goal of the event she’s at.

Success in one field doesn’t necessarily translate to another area. In the case of former Canadian Women’s hockey player, Cheryl Pounder, who has made the transition from ice to stage, the move has been a triumph.

In the sports world where accomplishments are measured by medals and titles, there aren’t many who can claim a list of achievements as glowing as Cheryl’s.

Her run of success began early in the 1990s when her ice hockey team won the Under-18 Canadian National championship. In 1994, she won Gold for the first time at the 1994 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship, and during her illustrious career with the National Women’s team, Cheryl won two Olympic Gold medals (2002 and 2006) and was crowned IIHF World Champion six times.

The shining on-ice achievements aside, it’s been Cheryl’s varied experiences on international stages that have made her an in-demand speaker, with keynote clients such as Tim Hortons, Maple Leaf Foods, CIBC, TD Bank, Manulife, Women in Leadership Groups, Girl Guides of Canada, Western-Ivey-Executive MBA and the City of Toronto, to name a few. She believes that her approach, one that is interactive, passionate and positive, has a lot to do with her ability to cross over to diverse audiences.

“When I speak to people, I want them to connect with material that they can identify with, that stimulates a thought process,” she says.

For Cheryl, everything is rooted in self-confidence, something that was instilled in her as a child. ”My family had a huge impact on my personal goals as an athlete. My grandfather was the GM of the Montreal Junior Canadiens and my grandmother was a prominent softball player in the 1940’s. Along with my parents, they taught me to ‘believe’, ‘finish something you start’, and persevere through adversity.” Adversity can be a learning experience and according to Cheryl, “It is important that we learn not only from our successes but also from our failures. Change is the key to ultimately staying on the path toward excellence.”

It is all part of a journey that we must be willing to take – a journey that must be inspired to take for ourselves and those we work with...our TEAM. To this point, she adds, “When the team goal is met, the individual goals take care of themselves. Seize the opportunities, get outside your comfort zone, trust yourself, and engage in your life, don’t just participate. Most importantly, listen to your strong side, even when your weak side is louder.”

The journey continues for Cheryl – her varied background and knowledge were major factors for TSN & CBC choosing her as a colour commentator for the coverage of the women's hockey tournament at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. In her sporting life and in her life off the ice, Cheryl continues to motivate with a passion that comes across in all her worlds.

Cheryl’s keynotes are perfect for: non-profits, corporations, youth, women.

Clint Pulver Speaker

Clint Pulver

The Ultimate Experience to Engage, Retain, and Inspire Your People

 About

Click Here to Watch Clint's Virtual Presentation

Clint Pulver is a motivational keynote speaker, author, musician, and workforce expert. He’s also fun, dynamic, entertaining – and the no-stress speaker clients love to work with.

A professional drummer for over 20 years, he’s played with top headlining fellow musicians in venues like the Vivint Arena, the Stadium of Fire, and the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. He founded the UVU Drumline known as the Green Man Group, which he directed for six years and went on to direct the Drumline for the NBA’s Utah Jazz until 2015.

Clint was featured in Business Q Magazine as one of their “Top 40 Under 40” as a premiere Corporate Keynote Speaker. He has appeared on America’s Got Talent and in feature films with actors such as Jack Black (School of Rock) and John Heder (Napoleon Dynamite).

Known as the Leading Authority on Employee Retention, Clint helps organizations retain, engage - and inspire their team members from the front desk to the board rooms and everyone in between. He expertly helps audiences navigate generational complexities, communication challenges, leadership mis-steps, and culture cues.

As the president and founder of The Center for Employee Retention, Clint has transformed how corporations like Keller Williams, AT&T, and Hewlett Packard create lasting loyalty through his work and research as “The Undercover Millennial”. For over a decade, he has been a self-motivated Entrepreneur who is well versed in business start-up, leadership, change, sales management, management training, and helping teams grow multi-million-dollar accounts. He uses that experience to create teachable relationship and business strategies based on trust, service, support, connection, and consistent follow-through.

Clint strongly believes that a single moment in time can change a person’s life. He has traveled the world speaking to a wide spectrum of diverse audiences, challenging them to dream, excel, connect, and believe - both in themselves and in the power of others. For over a decade, Clint has dedicated his heart to helping organizations understand the younger generation and helping the younger generation better understand themselves by living a life of significance - rather than just a life of success. His mantra? “It’s not about being the best in the world… it's about being the best FOR the world.”

Erik Qualman Speaker

Erik Qualman

Author of Socialnomics and Speaker on Digital Leadership

 About

  • Erik talks about how organizations can leverage the must learn the new rules of social, mobile, and video marketing to earn customers’ loyalty and drive long-term success.
  • Audiences learn the latest shifts that technology has brought to the world of branding and marketing and how they can use those tools to develop loyalty.
  • Erik Qualman is a top technology keynote speaker and best selling author who helps clients leverage the power of focus to engage clients on every level.
  • Past clients include: Sony Playstation, Stern School of Business, Nokia, Zappos, ADP, Starbucks, FBI and Disney.

#1 Best Selling Author and Keynote Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in 55 countries and reached 50 million people.

His Socialnomics work has been on 60 Minutes to the Wall Street Journal and used by the National Guard to NASA. His book Digital Leader propelled him to be voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.

What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube helped Qualman be listed by Forbes and Fortune as a Top100 Digital Influencer. His business books are used in over 200 universities and he has received an honorary doctorate for his groundbreaking work.

How to Sell on LinkedIn is becoming mandatory reading for sales teams. Qualman was formerly a sitting professor at Harvard & MIT’s edX labs.

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.

Mike Rayburn Speaker

Mike Rayburn

Guitar Virtuoso, Motivational, Comedic and Entertaining Performer

 About

  • Mike uses music and comedy to teach audiences how to become their personal best person by learning how to make "Virtuoso Decisions." 
  • Audiences leave with the tools, and a simple, personalized action plan for becoming world class virtuosos in their own lives.
  • Mike is a world-class guitarist, keynote speaker, entrepreneur & innovator
  • Past clients include: Texas Pharmacy Association, Premera Blue Cross, Moneytree, Inc., Prosperity Financial Associates, Coldwell Banker Burnet, Apple Leisure Group and Orkin.

Mike Rayburn is an entertainer, whose personal, business and career mission is simple: "Transform communities." Whether that community is a business audience, an association, or enrollees in his “What If…?” keynote experience, impoverished people world wide, or the lost in his hometown of Las Vegas, Mike’s daily efforts and motivational life work are dedicated to transforming communities.

Mike does this most often with his “What If…?” keynote presentations and breakouts, where he uses world-class guitar and hilarious comedy to teach the three simple, powerful tools which took him from playing empty bars - to headlining Carnegie Hall (eight times!). They work for anyone. And everyone. Always. Mike also showcases his energetic and entertaining style as an emcee or host of your next event.

When organizations need innovation and peak performance, where do they go? Usually it’s to business leaders, authors, or famous sports figures. Rarely do they go to artists! Yet for artists, creativity, innovation and peak performance are their life blood! Being a mega-successful artist, as well as a savvy entrepreneur and business owner, Mike Rayburn is uniquely qualified to teach artistic principles in a business context, to give businesses and organizations the edge they so desperately need to innovate and perform at peak “virtuoso” levels - and thus transform their success and significance.

The measure of any speaker is the results they produce. Mike is consistently cited as “the hit of the conference,” and “what we needed and didn’t even know it.” More importantly, businesses regularly attribute significant, sometimes exponential increases in sales, impact and morale to the application of Mike’s keynote tools and breakout session content.

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.

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.

Jason Selk Speaker

Jason Selk

Developing Mental Toughness in Sport, Business and Life

 About

While serving as the Director of Mental Training for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dr. Jason Selk helped the team win their first World Series in over 20 years, and in 2011 he assisted the Cardinals in the historic feat of winning their second World Championship in a six year period. Dr. Selk is a regular contributor to Forbes, ABC, CBS, ESPN, and NBC radio and television and has been featured in USA Today, CNBC, Men's Health, Muscle and Fitness, Shape and Self Magazine. Dr Selk's second book, Executive Toughness, is a bestselling business book and his first book, 10-Minute Toughness, is on pace to be one of the bestselling sport psychology books of all time. His newest offering is Relentless Solution Focus: Train Your Mind to Conquer Stress, Pressure, and Underperformance

Dr. Selk is considered to be one of the premier performance coaches in the United States. He helps numerous well- known professional and Olympic athletes as well as Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 executives and organizations develop the mental toughness necessary for high-level success.

Dr. Selk utilizes his in-depth knowledge and experience of working with the world's finest athletes, coaches and business leaders to help individuals and organizations outperform their competition. Dr. Selk works with such clients as professional athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA, LPGA, MLB and NASCAR. In addition, he works with such business clients as UBS Financial, Edward Jones, Wells Fargo, Northwestern Mutual and Enterprise Holdings, to name a few.

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.

Rachel Sheerin Speaker

Rachel Sheerin

Burnout Expert, Keynote Speaker + Event Emcee

 About

Rachel Sheerin is an award winning speaker on a mission to help people love their work, their lives and their communities with renewed energy and focus.

As a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, Rachel knows what makes people tick - paired with her background in meetings and events, she knows how to help keep your event flowing with fun and ease (no matter what happens!). As a keynote speaker and event host for some of the world’s largest companies and organizations, conferences, conventions and annual meetings, Rachel’s often tapped for her high energy and inclusive, welcoming style of speaking, storytelling and audience engagement.

Rooted in the goal of making events impactful, connective and memorable, Rachel works with meeting planner teams and organizations to strategize and deliver performances and experiences that unify and energize! As an active member of MPI, Rachel is not just a speaker but also an event partner, sharing best practices and resources from her hundreds of client events.

With her viral TEDx talk How to Burnout and Be Successful and her book BETTER: How to live, lead and succeed coming out in Summer 2023 on Hawthorn Road Press, Rachel has been featured in Inc. Magazine, USA Today, The Washington Post, Medium and more.

Darryl Sittler Speaker

Darryl Sittler

Legendary Toronto Maple Leaf. Speaker on sports, lessons in leadership and teamwork.

 About

Darryl Sittler is one of the greatest players to ever wear the Toronto Maple Leaf uniform. The former centreman was Toronto's first choice in the 1970 Amateur Draft, and he embarked on a career that led him to the top of the Leafs' All-Time Points and Goal Scoring List.

The native of Kitchener, Ontario may well be remembered for two of the most historical performances in the history of the National Hockey League. On February 7, 1976, Sittler scored six goals and added four assists for an NHL record total of 10 points in a game versus the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens. That spring, the team leader joined Maurice Richard in hockey history by recording five goals in one playoff game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Darryl's place among the sport's all-time greats came in 1989 with his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame and in 1995-96, Darryl was voted by fans as the centreman on the All-Time Leafs Team.

After hanging up his skates, Darryl took on a new professional role as special consultant to the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the areas of marketing, public relations, alumni relations and hockey operations. He is now a marketing and community consultant. Darryl's place among the NHL's all-time greats came in 1989 with his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1995-96, Darryl was voted by fans as the centreman on the All-Time Leafs Team, and on February 8, 2003, Toronto retired Sittler's No. 27.

Meg Soper Speaker

Meg Soper

Corporate Entertainer and Motivational Humorist who Speaks on Resilience and Teamwork

 About

Click Here to Watch Meg's Virtual Presentation

Meg Soper is a professional speaker and comedienne who combines a remarkable sense of humour with her unique perspective of life - to captivate her audience and provide them with a presentation filled with inspiration and entertainment. Across North America, Meg is highly sought after to energize events and inspire employees through keynote presentations, as an M.C., or through interactive workshops.

Meg has appeared as a keynote speaker and featured entertainer at conferences and corporate functions across North America and internationally. A veteran performer, she got her start at various comedy clubs across Canada, and over the years shared the stage with many leading comedy acts including Ray Romano and Ellen Degeneres.

With over 30 years experience in the health care industry and as a Registered Nurse in the Operating Room, she understands how your attitude affects those around you at home and in the workplace environment. Meg is co-author of the book, From the Stage to the Page - Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies. She has appeared on the CBC Television Network, Women’s Television Network and Prime TV, as well as being featured in many radio programs and comedy festivals. Meg has a tremendous ability to connect with her audience and take every event to a higher level.

Her experiences as a staff nurse and operating room nurse - in major urban teaching hospitals and regional healthcare facilities - shaped her perspective. It taught her how humor can help us effectively deal with stressful situations in our personal and professional lives. Out of the pressure-packed environment of the hospital operating room and balancing two careers, Meg realized humor is extremely effective for dealing with stress and managing change.

And how better to motivate and entertain her audiences than through humor and inspiration? That’s why her unique brand of motivational comedy is referred to as “Humor with a Heart”. She inspires people to improve communication, deal with stress, and achieve better balance in their lives while establishing a healthy workplace and home life.

It all comes down to choices. We always have a choice about how we do our work, even if we don’t have a choice about the work itself. We choose the attitude we bring with us to work and to life, and the ability to decide whether any given day will be good or bad. If we have the ability to step back from a situation and see the humor in it, we quickly realize that life can be less stressful.

Dr. Natalie Stavas Speaker

Dr. Natalie Stavas

Harvard Physician, Mentor, Runner, International Humanitarian; Runner Turned First Responder in the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing

 About

Dr. Natalie Stavas shares her inspiring story as she takes you back to April 15, 2013 - when approaching the finish line of her fifth Boston marathon - just blocks away heard explosions, and she ran towards them. Arriving at the scene she went to work administering CPR, applying tourniquets, and triaging the wounded.

What led her to make that fateful decision to run into a terrorist attack? An expert on chaos, Natalie Stavas attacks every obstacle with the same attitude: “You run towards that which you fear, that which challenges you, that which is oppositional.” Running toward chaos actually makes chaos more manageable.

Following these actions President Barack Obama, Katie Couric, and Anderson Cooper honored Natalie for her role as a first responder. Improper Bostonian magazine named Dr. Stavas one of “Boston’s Best" and The Boston Globe awarded her with “2013 Bostonian of the Year” - an honor bestowed upon those that shape the biggest story of the year in a remarkable way.

After the bombings Dr. Stavas was so motivated that she increased her efforts in preventing childhood violence and improving the health of urban communities. She is a mentor for Sole Train - a non-profit organization guiding inner-city youth on a path towards their full potential through running. She is also the Medical Advisor for the Appalachian Mountain Club, helping improve the health of children by getting them outside.

Dr. Stavas’ work goes beyond borders - traveling to Haiti throughout the year, she provides medical care to children and helps strengthen the fragile medical infrastructure. A documentary featuring this work as a medical pioneer premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival.

Dr. Stavas has written for multiple outlets including the Huffington Post, the Center for Disease Control, Self Magazine and the Medical Bag.

She has been featured in Runners World, The New York Times, LA Times, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, Time and People Magazine. Described as a healer, educator, and community leader she received the 2012 Change Maker award from The Boston Foundation.

Dr. Natalie Stavas is currently a physician at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Trained and educated at Harvard University, Natalie’s area of experience is in childhood trauma, decreasing youth violence and researching how we can better protect and serve high-risk children.

She is pursuing fellowship training in Child Protection pediatrics and obtaining a Masters in Health Science and Public Policy at The University of Pennsylvania. She was recently named The Wellbeing/Work-Life Integration Specialist for the Department of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Keep an eye out for her upcoming book, Sole to Soul, about the transformative power that running has on high-risk youth, a simple solution to the complicated problem of childhood poverty and violence.

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.”

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.

Speech Thomas Speaker

Speech Thomas

2x Grammy Award Winning founder & lead singer of  ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

 About

Speech was born Todd Thomas in Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. The youngest of parents Robert & Patricia  Thomas. He grew up on two sides of life: the ghetto of  Milwaukee (one of the nation’s roughest cities for African  Americans) and (Wauwatosa) Milwaukee’s suburbia.  Speech learned how to draw from the pains and beauty of both. He would absorb the plights of his people and the retreat of a middle-class black boy in a primarily white neighborhood. He lost his grandmother to a heart attack and his older brother, Terrence Thomas to an Asthma attack within the same week, and through spirituality, learned to recalibrate his inner anger through dynamic music. To celebrate the lives of those he lost, he coined his sound “life music”. Speech wrote the hit song Tennessee as a  dedication to his grandmother and brother. In the early nineties, Speech and his mother started the Terrence  Thomas Scholarship and to date, the scholarship has raised over a million dollars helping young black students further their educations.

 Speech started and produced the hip-hop group,  Arrested Development. Based in Georgia, from humble and rural beginnings; they became a pioneering force in the music world. Arrested Development received two  Grammy Awards (Best new artists & Best rap single  1993) for the album, 3 years, 5 months, and 2 days in the  life of…” Their second album “Zingalamaduni” was met with critical acclaim and was also nominated for a GRAMMY award.

 In 1995, the group disbanded and Speech signed a solo record deal with EMI. His first single “Like Marvin Gaye  Said” shot to #1 on the Japanese Tokio 100 charts for 7  consecutive weeks. Speech has released 5 solo albums since, all of which have spawned Top 10 hit singles in Japan. His album “1998 Hoopla” and Spiritual  People” (2000) were certified gold. “Spiritual People” was awarded the Best black music album of the year 2000  by the acclaimed ADLIB magazine. Speech supported each album with sold-out tours.

Speech has also toured as a solo performer with the United  States Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary ClintonHerbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Youssou N’dour, James  Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Jason Mraz, Hootie &  the Blowfish, and The Roots.

In 2020 Speech partnered with Resonant Pictures and Pipeline Entertainment to release the full-length documentary “16 Bars” where Speech goes into a maximum security jail to write music with inmates. This stirring documentary has won numerous film festival awards and is now available through Lightyear Entertainment on streaming platforms worldwide

Dan Thurmon Speaker

Dan Thurmon

Author, Hall of Fame Speaker, and a Recognized Expert in Delivering Peak Performances.

 About

  • Dan talks about how organizations can meet the challenge of helping their employees bring more energy to work and not only embrace change but see it as an opportunity to lead.
  • Audiences leave his dynamic presentations understanding how they can manage energy and time more effectively and adopt an off balance on purpose approach as a realistic and empowering way to excel at work and life.
  • Dan is a world-renowned Hall of Fame keynote speaker, author, entrepreneur, workplace performance expert, fitness advocate, and acrobat.
  • Past clients include: AT&T, Bank of America, Marriott, Microsoft, WalMart, Honeywell, Chase, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

Click Here to Watch Dan's Virtual Presentation

Dan Thurmon isn’t just a world-renowned Hall of Fame keynote speaker. He’s also an author, entrepreneur, workplace performance expert, fitness advocate, and acrobat who practices what he preaches!

Known for delivering powerful, customized, opening and closing keynotes in jaw-dropping style, Dan uses every bit of his passion and ability to educate and inspire his audiences. The results and experiences are unlike anything any other speaker can offer.

Dan is known for delivering powerful, customized opening and closing keynotes in jaw-dropping style. He does handstands on podiums while discussing balance. He juggles sharp objects to teach principles of performance under pressure. He weaves through the audience on a six-foot unicycle to visually amplify principles for navigating change. Dan has been transforming fortune 500 teams to see change as as ‘an opportunity to lean into’ for 25 years.

What started as a means to fund a business school grew into a seven-figure business across 32 countries and six continents. Dan began his journey as an acrobatic performer for corporate events over 25 years ago. He soon moved beyond performance to incorporate motivational messages tailored to solve real-world business problems. Word-of-mouth helped spread the powerful impact of Dan’s keynotes and workshops, and he’s established a long list of fortune 500 clients.

Today, Dan continues to work closely with his clients to truly understand their challenges in business, leadership and teamwork. For Dan, his role goes far beyond just an energetic start or end to a meeting. He serves as a catalyst to inspire significant change within a business, especially during times of transition.

In his programs, Dan drives to the root of what’s holding clients back, and he tailors every engagement to address the specific needs of every organization. Whether it’s a live event or virtual learning experience, Dan’s dynamic approach and unique point of difference sets his programs apart and keeps him in high demand all year long.

Dan is a dedicated family man currently living in the Atlanta area with his wife Shay and their children, Eddie and Maggie. He is passionate about health and fitness, and enjoys playing golf, reading, writing and music.

Erik Wahl Speaker

Erik Wahl

Graffiti Artist, Author, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

 About

Click Here to Watch Erik's Virtual Presentation

Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author. His breakthrough experience as an artist and entrepreneur has translated into making him into one of the most sought-after corporate speakers on the circuit today.

On stage, Erik’s keynote experience creates a dynamic multidimensional metaphor for how to systematically embrace innovation and risk. His message: disruption is the new normal and businesses must embrace creativity in a wholesale fashion, or risk being left behind. Erik’s presentation inspires organizations to be increasingly agile and outlines how to use disruption as a competitive advantage. Some companies will be disrupted others will choose to be the disruptor. Choose wisely.

His new book, The Spark and the Grind, activates the essential components of translating ideas into action. His breakthrough thinking has earned praise from the likes of top influencers in both art and business. Erik’s previous book, a bestseller called Unthink was hailed by Forbes Magazine as The blueprint to actionable
creativity, and by Fast Company Magazine as “provocative with a purpose.”

The Warhol of Wall Street, the Renoir of ROI, The Picasso of Productivity, the Jobs of … Well, Jobs.
Erik discovered an alarming truth early in his career as a partner in a corporate firm: organizations that encouraged the mental discipline of creativity did better than those that did not put innovation as a priority mission. So he set out to challenge companies to change their way of thinking.

In the meantime, inspired by street art, he became an acclaimed graffiti artist—though he has since stopped selling his works for personal gain, and instead uses his art to raise money for charities. His keynote is where his passion for business growth and art converge into a fascinating performance.

Erik’s list of clients includes AT&T, Disney, London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst &
Young, and XPrize.