Dirk Ahlborn: Founder of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and JumpStarter | Entrepreneur | Speaker on Innovation, Collaboration and the Future of Work

Why Book Dirk Ahlborn?

His entrepreneurial background spans banking, alternative energy, product development and startup incubation. Dirk connects those experiences with practical questions leaders face: how to attract talent, build partnerships, organize expertise and keep moving when resources are limited. His presentations give audiences a concrete story to examine as they consider new ways to innovate.

Why Is Dirk Ahlborn Right for Your Audience?

Dirk is a strong fit for innovation conferences, leadership meetings, entrepreneurship events and industry gatherings exploring new business models. He is particularly relevant when an organization wants to challenge familiar assumptions about how companies develop ideas and bring people together.

Book Dirk when your audience needs to:

• Explore alternatives to traditional innovation models
• Bring outside expertise into business challenges
• Build commitment around an ambitious vision
• Rethink how teams and partnerships are organized
• Consider how AI could change everyday workflows
• Turn entrepreneurial thinking into practical action

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• More open to unconventional approaches to innovation
• Clearer on the opportunities and limits of crowd collaboration
• Better able to connect a shared purpose with contributor commitment
• Equipped with questions for evaluating new ways of working
• Ready to identify a practical next step for their own organization

Keynote Programs

Building the Hyperloop
Dirk shares the partnerships, setbacks and decisions behind building HyperloopTT. Ideal for innovation, transportation, infrastructure and leadership audiences interested in what ambitious ventures teach about running a business.

Crowd-Powered Companies
Dirk explains the model that brought hundreds of contributors together to work for equity, including how to organize a distributed community and where the approach can encounter difficulties. Ideal for founders, talent leaders and audiences exploring new organizational models.

Working in the Age of AI
Dirk explores how AI changes the way companies are built and work gets done, with practical ideas for introducing AI agents into workflows. Ideal for executives, industry associations and company audiences considering their next steps with AI.

Is Dirk Ahlborn Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the innovation challenges it faces and the ideas you want people to explore. We can help select Dirk’s most relevant program, discuss customization and format, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Scott Anthony: Innovation and Disruption Expert | Dartmouth Tuck Professor | Author of Epic Disruptions

Turn Disruption into a Path Forward

Scott Anthony helps organizations work through both. A clinical professor of strategy at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and a longtime advisor at Innosight, he brings research, business examples, and practical tools to the challenges of innovation, transformation, and growth. Tuck School of Business

Why Book Scott Anthony?

Scott gives leaders a way to act when the future is uncertain. He shows how to test assumptions, explore new opportunities, and make progress before every answer is known.

His keynotes are particularly useful for teams facing shifts in customer needs, technology, or competition. Scott connects innovation to strategic choices, leadership behaviour, and the systems needed to move ideas forward.

What Makes Scott Different?

• Experience spanning academic research and practical strategy work
• A clear view of how disruption unfolds
• Frameworks for strengthening today’s business while creating future growth
• Practical approaches to experimentation and innovation culture
• Insight relevant to executives making decisions under uncertainty

Why Is Scott Right for Your Audience?

Scott is a strong fit for executive conferences, board and leadership meetings, innovation events, and organizations planning a major transformation. He is especially valuable when leaders agree change is necessary but need a shared language and a more concrete path forward.

Book Scott when your audience needs to:

• Understand the forces reshaping its industry
• Make strategic decisions with incomplete information
• Strengthen the core business while exploring new growth
• Move promising ideas from discussion to testing
• Address the leadership and cultural side of transformation
• Build a more consistent approach to innovation

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Better able to recognize patterns of disruptive change
• Clearer on the assumptions behind their current strategy
• Equipped to discuss future opportunities without waiting for certainty
• Ready to use experimentation to learn what works
• More confident leading teams through ambiguity and change

Keynote Programs

Decoding the Epic Disruptions That Shaped Our Modern World

Drawing on Epic Disruptions, Scott uses stories from past innovations to show how major change unfolds and what those patterns can teach leaders facing disruption today. Ideal for strategy, innovation, and future-focused events.

Lead Through the Fog of Uncertainty with Optimism

Scott gives leaders practical ways to work through ambiguity, question old assumptions, and identify opportunity amid competing demands. Ideal for executive teams and organizations navigating transformation.

The Myths and Realities of Building a Culture of Innovation

Scott examines the systems and leadership habits that help innovation happen consistently. Audiences consider how to remove obstacles, support experimentation, and connect new ideas to results. Ideal for leadership and companywide innovation events. The Sweeney Agency

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Tell us where growth is slowing, what is changing in your market, and what you want your audience to do differently. We’ll help you assess which of Scott’s topics fits your event, discuss customization, and check his availability and current fee.

Is Scott Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, its biggest strategic challenge, and the decisions the event should help move forward. We’ll help you assess Scott’s fit and plan the next step.

To check availability and fee of this speaker, call 1-866-727-7555 or email [email protected].

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

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

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

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

Why Book Chris Barton?

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

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

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

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

What Makes Chris Barton Different?

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

Why Is Chris Right for Your Audience?

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

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

Book Chris when your audience needs to:

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

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

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

Chris Barton Keynote Programs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Book Chris Barton Through The Sweeney Agency?

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

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

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

Is Chris Barton Right for Your Event?

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

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

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

Carl Bernstein: Watergate Journalist | Bestselling Author | Political Analyst

Hear the Story Behind the Headlines

Carl Bernstein brings audiences inside the reporting that exposed Watergate and changed the course of a presidency. From his work with Bob Woodward at The Washington Post to decades of books and political reporting, he offers a firsthand perspective on journalism, public accountability, and American democracy.

Why Book Carl Bernstein?

Carl can tell a story few speakers have lived. He explains how patient reporting revealed the Watergate scandal, then connects those lessons to the challenge of finding trustworthy information and holding powerful institutions accountable today.

His presentations give audiences a chance to hear history from a journalist who helped uncover it—and to consider what rigorous reporting requires when public trust is under strain.

What Makes Carl Different?

• Firsthand experience reporting the Watergate story with Bob Woodward
• Decades of investigative reporting on politics and public affairs
• Bestselling books including All the President’s Men, The Final Days, and Chasing History
• A perspective spanning major changes in journalism and American politics
• Stories that bring the work behind consequential headlines to life

Why Is Carl Right for Your Audience?

Carl is a strong fit for university events, leadership forums, journalism conferences, public affairs programs, and audiences interested in history and democracy. He is especially compelling when an event calls for a respected voice who can examine both a defining political moment and its continuing relevance.

Book Carl when your audience needs to:

• Hear the firsthand story of the Watergate investigation
• Understand how investigative reporters establish and verify facts
• Consider the role of journalism in holding power accountable
• Discuss the relationship between trustworthy information and public debate
• Explore how political history informs present-day questions
• Engage with a speaker whose reporting shaped a national conversation

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• With a deeper understanding of the reporting behind Watergate
• Better able to appreciate the persistence and verification investigative journalism demands
• Thinking more critically about evidence, sources, and competing claims
• Clearer on why an informed public matters to democratic institutions
• With questions to carry into conversations about journalism and civic life

Keynote Programs

An Evening with Carl Bernstein: The System Can Work

From his early days as a teenage copyboy to his reporting on national politics, Carl reflects on journalism, the public interest, and the search for the best obtainable version of the truth. Ideal for broad audiences and moderated conversations.

The Lessons of Watergate

Carl takes audiences behind the scenes of the reporting and political drama that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. He considers what Watergate reveals about institutions, accountability, and the work required to uncover facts. Ideal for history, journalism, and public affairs events.

The Problem of Washington

Carl examines the responsibilities of elected officials, the press, and citizens in shaping political life. Ideal for leadership forums and audiences looking for a candid discussion about public debate and the state of American democracy.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Tell us what your audience wants to explore: Watergate, investigative journalism, political history, or the role of the press. We can help identify the right topic and format for your event and confirm Carl’s availability and current fee.

Is Carl Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the questions it wants to examine, and whether you envision a keynote or a moderated discussion. We’ll help you assess Carl’s fit and plan the next step.

To check availability and fee of this speaker, call 1-866-727-7555 or email [email protected]

Jason Bevan: Former Head of Creative Development and VP Marketing EMEA at Warner Bros. | Speaker on Creativity, Innovation and Storytelling

Why Book Jason Bevan?

Jason makes creativity accessible to people in every role. His presentations use film clips, behind-the-scenes examples and straightforward exercises to help teams recognize their creative triggers, challenge assumptions and communicate ideas with greater impact.

Why Is Jason Bevan Right for Your Audience?

Jason is a strong fit for innovation conferences, marketing meetings, leadership events and company gatherings. He is especially relevant when teams need to move beyond familiar answers or explain ideas in ways that engage people emotionally.

Book Jason when your audience needs to:

• Generate fresh approaches to business challenges
• Build confidence in its creative abilities
• Challenge assumptions that limit new ideas
• Strengthen storytelling and communication
• Explore the relationship between human creativity and AI
• Encourage a culture that welcomes experimentation

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• More confident contributing creative ideas
• Better able to recognize sources of inspiration
• Equipped with practical techniques from filmmaking
• Ready to communicate through more engaging stories
• More aware of how human insight can complement new tools

Keynote Programs

Rocketfuel Your Innovation & Creativity
Jason shares lessons from major movies and their makers to help people unlock their own creative thinking. Ideal for teams seeking fresh ideas and a more inventive approach to work.

Drive Feelings and Spur Action with Atomic Movie Storytelling
Jason examines how memorable stories engage emotions and motivate action, with techniques audiences can use in their own communication. Ideal for marketing, sales and leadership audiences.

Jason also offers presentations exploring creativity in the age of uncertainty and generative AI. We can discuss the most relevant focus for your audience.

Is Jason Bevan Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the ideas you want to unlock and the communication challenges you want to address. We can help select Jason’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker

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

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

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

Why Book Lisa Bodell?

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

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

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

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

What Makes Lisa Bodell Different?

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

Why Is Lisa Right for Your Audience?

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

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

Book Lisa when your audience needs to:

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

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

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

Lisa Bodell Keynote Programs

Unleash the Power of Simple: Eliminate Complexity, Reclaim Control, and Win in the Age of AI

Lisa Bodell shows organizations how to eliminate unnecessary complexity before using AI to accelerate the way work gets done. Drawing on more than 25 years of global experience and examples from organizations including Netflix, AT&T, and Pfizer, she shares practical tools for reducing noise, improving focus, and creating simpler ways of working. Attendees learn why AI can amplify broken processes rather than fix them—and how simplification can create the conditions for greater speed, innovation, and performance. Ideal for organizations navigating AI adoption, transformation, and increasing workplace complexity.

Let Leaders Lead: It’s Time to Fix What’s Broken

Lisa examines why leadership has become unnecessarily difficult and what organizations can do to change it. She challenges systems that ask leaders to move quickly while burdening them with excessive process, competing expectations, and unclear authority. Through practical tools and real-world examples, Lisa shows how leaders can replace complexity with clarity, establish stronger boundaries, make better decisions, and balance empathy with accountability. Ideal for leadership meetings and organizations that want to improve execution, engagement, and performance.

Igniting Innovation: AI-Enabled, Human-Led

Lisa explores how organizations can use AI to strengthen rather than replace the human thinking that drives innovation. She shows audiences how curiosity, judgment, and creative problem-solving can be combined with AI to challenge assumptions, explore possibilities, and make better decisions. Through interactive exercises and ideas from Kill the Company and Why Simple Wins, participants learn practical ways to question the status quo and approach change more boldly. Ideal for innovation conferences, transformation initiatives, and teams exploring how AI can support more creative and effective work.

Why Book Lisa Bodell Through The Sweeney Agency?

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

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

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

Is Lisa Bodell Right for Your Event?

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

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

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

Liz Bohannon: Entrepreneur and Bestselling Author of Beginner’s Pluck | Speaker on Connection, Resilience and Innovation

Why Book Liz Bohannon?

Liz also explores the relationships that help people thrive. Through humor, candid stories and practical frameworks, she encourages leaders to build communities where people can ask for support, contribute their strengths and work through challenges together.

Why Is Liz Bohannon Right for Your Audience?

Liz is a strong fit for leadership conferences, entrepreneurial events, company gatherings and programs focused on culture. She is particularly relevant when teams need renewed confidence, stronger connections or permission to try a different approach.

Book Liz when your audience needs to:

• Take action before it feels fully ready
• Approach setbacks as opportunities to learn
• Strengthen relationships across teams
• Build a culture of curiosity and experimentation
• Connect individual purpose with meaningful work
• Develop resilience through shared support

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• More willing to learn through experimentation
• Ready to take a manageable first step toward a goal
• Clearer on how relationships support resilience
• Equipped with ideas for building workplace connection
• Motivated to contribute to a more collaborative culture

Keynote Programs

Collective Resilience™
Liz explores how strong relationships help people and organizations navigate challenges. Ideal for leaders and teams seeking greater connection, collaboration and mutual support.

Beginner’s Pluck™
Liz shares her entrepreneurial journey and a framework for approaching work with a beginner’s curiosity. Ideal for audiences seeking confidence to experiment, learn from failure and pursue meaningful goals.

Her programs combine storytelling with practical frameworks, with the emphasis selected around your audience’s needs.

Is Liz Bohannon Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the connections you want to strengthen and the goals people need confidence to pursue. We can help select Liz’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm her availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker.   No Cost. No obligation. Just great advice.

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

Find A Theme

Decide on a theme or topic for your event.

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

Having trouble? Check out our IDEA GENERATOR for inspiration.

Get in Touch

Get in touch with your Event Date & Theme.

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

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

Shortlist

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

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

Let's talk

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

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

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

The Details

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

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

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Get in touch to book your next great speaker.

Matt Britton: Founder of Suzy | Author of Generation AI | Speaker on AI, Consumer Behavior and Generational Change

Why Book Matt Britton?

Matt brings experience building companies, researching consumers and speaking with brand leaders through The Speed of Culture podcast. His presentations use examples and demonstrations to help audiences consider how AI and changing consumer habits could affect their customers, offerings and work.

Why Is Matt Britton Right for Your Audience?

Matt is a strong fit for marketing conferences, leadership meetings, retail events and industry gatherings. He is particularly relevant when an organization wants to understand younger consumers, explore AI’s business implications or question assumptions about what customers will want next.

Book Matt when your audience needs to:

• Understand how AI is changing consumer behavior
• Explore Gen Z’s expectations and choices
• Consider the emerging influence of Gen Alpha
• Connect customer insight with business decisions
• Identify relevant applications of new technology
• Challenge assumptions about future demand

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the presentation focus, attendees will leave:

• More aware of changes in how customers discover and buy
• Better able to connect technology with human behavior
• Clearer on the questions to ask about generational change
• Equipped with examples to inform strategic discussion
• Ready to investigate opportunities relevant to their industry

Keynote Programs

Matt’s keynotes are shaped around the audience and industry. Current presentation focuses include:

AI and Consumer Behavior
Matt explores how AI enters everyday decisions and what that could mean for discovery, service and loyalty. Ideal for leaders and marketing teams considering the implications for their businesses.

Gen Z
Matt examines the influences and expectations behind Gen Z’s choices as consumers and colleagues. Ideal for organizations seeking a more informed understanding of this generation.

Gen Alpha
Matt considers how growing up with AI could shape learning, family decisions and expectations of brands. Ideal for audiences planning for emerging consumers and future markets.

Is Matt Britton Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the customers you want to understand and the technology questions you want to explore. We can help shape Matt’s most relevant presentation, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Daniel Burrus: Futurist | Author of The Anticipatory Organization | Speaker on AI, Innovation and Strategic Foresight

Why Book Daniel Burrus?

His approach distinguishes Hard Trends, based on developments he considers predictable, from Soft Trends that can still be influenced. Daniel applies this thinking to AI, innovation and business transformation, helping teams discuss what they can prepare for and where they can act.

Why Is Daniel Burrus Right for Your Audience?

Daniel is a strong fit for executive meetings, strategy conferences, technology events and leadership programs. Consider him when an organization needs a practical conversation about future opportunities and how to prioritize action.

Book Daniel when your audience needs to:

• Identify trends relevant to their business
• Distinguish predictable developments from changeable assumptions
• Explore the business implications of AI
• Anticipate problems before they become urgent
• Find opportunities within industry disruption
• Connect future thinking with present decisions

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Familiar with the Hard Trend and Soft Trend framework
• Better prepared to question assumptions in strategic plans
• Clearer on opportunities created by technological change
• Ready to discuss AI alongside human capabilities
• Equipped with a more anticipatory approach to innovation

Keynote Programs

Know What’s Next: Leveraging the New Science of Certainty
Daniel introduces his approach to identifying predictable change and using it to inform action. Ideal for executive and strategy audiences.

The Anticipatory Mindset: Leading with Certainty in Uncertain Times
Daniel explores how leaders can prepare for emerging challenges and opportunities. Ideal for organizations seeking to improve foresight and innovation.

Mastering AI’s Future Today
Daniel examines the intersection of AI and human ingenuity and its implications for business. Ideal for technology, transformation and leadership events.

Is Daniel Burrus Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your industry, your strategic priorities and the changes your leaders need to understand. We can help select Daniel’s most relevant program, discuss customization and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Dan Chuparkoff: CEO of Reinvention Labs | Former Technology Leader at Google, McKinsey and Atlassian | Speaker on AI, Innovation and the Future of Work

Why Book Dan Chuparkoff?

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience at Google, McKinsey and Atlassian, Dan brings the perspective of someone who has built products and led teams through technological change. Now CEO of Reinvention Labs, he helps organizations connect emerging capabilities to the tasks, decisions and challenges their people face every day.

Why Is Dan Chuparkoff Right for Your Audience?

Dan is a strong fit for leadership meetings, industry conferences, association events and company gatherings focused on AI adoption and innovation. His presentations can meet audiences at different levels of technical understanding, making him particularly relevant when teams need a shared foundation for moving forward.

Book Dan when your audience needs to:

• Understand AI in clear, practical terms
• Identify useful applications in its industry
• Combine AI capabilities with human knowledge and judgment
• Build confidence in learning new technologies
• Rethink how teams collaborate and solve problems
• Turn interest in AI into practical next steps

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Clearer on AI’s strengths and limitations
• Better able to recognize opportunities in their everyday work
• More aware of the role of human expertise in using AI effectively
• Equipped with ideas for improving productivity and collaboration
• Ready to approach technological change with curiosity and purpose

Keynote Programs

AI & the Future of Everything
Dan’s signature keynote explains how AI is changing work and how teams can respond. He explores its capabilities and limitations, helping audiences connect new technology with their own experience and expertise. Ideal for organizations seeking a practical introduction to AI and its business implications.

Dan customizes this program to the audience’s industry, technical readiness and priorities. For nontechnical audiences, he provides an accessible starting point; for technology teams, he explores new possibilities for applying AI. Industry examples help participants connect the presentation to their own work.

Is Dan Chuparkoff Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, its experience with AI and the changes you want people to make after the event. We can help shape a relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm Dan’s availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Click Here to Receive Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Virtual Events can:

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

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

WHO is your audience?

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

WHAT is your key message?

Are you focusing on change? Innovation? Leadership?

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

WHAT type of event suits your audience?

• Virtual Conference
• Webinar
• Hybrid Event

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

OUR ADVICE

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

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

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

WHERE? It’s all about Tech.

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

Consider your needs:

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

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

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

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

  WHEN? A Date… or Dates?

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

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

The benefits of a multi-day format:

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

Virtual Event Checklist:

Is your event?

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

WHY? Pandemic 2020

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

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

FIND YOUR WHY…

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

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

  HOW? Virtual Event Checklist

To wrap it all up

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

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

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

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

Andrew Davis: Author | Former Digital Agency Entrepreneur | Speaker on Marketing, Customer Experience and AI

Why Book Andrew Davis?

His presentations use memorable examples to challenge familiar marketing assumptions. Whether examining customer loyalty, creative constraints, or AI, Andrew encourages teams to look closely at how their choices earn attention and trust. His message gives audiences a starting point for testing better ways to serve customers.

Why Is Andrew Davis Right for Your Audience?

Andrew is a strong fit for marketing conferences, customer experience events, sales meetings, and business growth programs. Consider him when your audience needs fresh thinking that connects creativity with a specific customer or commercial challenge.

Book Andrew when your audience needs to:

• Create experiences customers want to repeat
• Make marketing more useful and memorable
• Find creative opportunities within limited resources
• Turn customer interactions into reasons to return
• Explore AI while protecting brand trust
• Translate new ideas into small, practical experiments

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• More aware of the moments that shape customer loyalty
• Ready to question familiar marketing habits
• Equipped with ideas for using constraints creatively
• Better prepared to evaluate AI through a customer lens
• Focused on testing a specific improvement after the event

Keynote Programs

The Loyalty Loop

Andrew examines how small changes in customer experience can encourage repeat business and advocacy. Ideal for marketing, sales, and service audiences.

The Cube of Creativity

Andrew explores how constraints can stimulate useful ideas and action. Ideal for teams seeking innovation with limited time or resources.

Artificial Influence

Andrew examines AI’s opportunities and risks for brands, including its impact on trust. Ideal for marketers and leaders considering how to use AI responsibly.

Is Andrew Davis Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the customers you serve and the growth or marketing challenge you want attendees to address. We can help select Andrew’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

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

Turn Better Communication Into Better Performance

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

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

Why Book Erica Dhawan?

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

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

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

What Makes Erica Dhawan Different?

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

Why Is Erica Right for Your Audience?

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

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

Book Erica when your audience needs to:

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

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

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

Erica Dhawan Keynote Programs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leading Through Connection

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

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

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

Why Book Erica Dhawan Through The Sweeney Agency?

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

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

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

Click Here To Book Erica Dhawan

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

Make the Impossible, Not Impossible

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

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

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

Why Book Mick Ebeling?

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

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

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

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

What Makes Mick Ebeling Different?

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

Why Is Mick Right for Your Audience?

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

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

Book Mick when your audience needs to:

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

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

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

Mick Ebeling Keynote Programs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Book Mick Ebeling Through The Sweeney Agency?

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

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

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

Is Mick Ebeling Right for Your Event?

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

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

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

Carly Fiorina: Former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard | Author | Speaker on Leadership and Problem-Solving

Why Book Carly Fiorina?

Carly draws on her career to examine how people influence outcomes regardless of title. Her presentations encourage leaders to listen to those closest to a problem, clarify what needs to change, and develop the people who can help change it.

Why Is Carly Fiorina Right for Your Audience?

Carly is a strong fit for executive forums, leadership conferences, women’s events, and strategy meetings. Consider her when your organization wants a substantive discussion of leadership responsibility and developing others.

Book Carly when your audience needs to:

• Approach complex problems with greater clarity
• Recognize leadership potential throughout the organization
• Listen to people closest to the work
• Strengthen accountability for meaningful progress
• Develop others through challenging assignments
• Lead through change with a clear purpose

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Clearer on leadership as a responsibility beyond title
• Ready to ask better questions about persistent problems
• More aware of untapped potential in colleagues
• Better prepared to connect decisions with execution
• Focused on a problem they can help solve

Keynote Programs

From Secretary to CEO: A Transformative Story of Leadership

Carly shares lessons from her career about solving problems and developing people. Ideal for broad leadership and professional development audiences.

Building a High-Performance Culture: Lessons Learned from a High-Profile Assignment

Carly examines the leadership challenges of major organizational change. Ideal for executives and managers responsible for culture and execution.

Is Carly Fiorina Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, leadership goals and the problems your organization needs to solve. We can help select Carly’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Get Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas.   No Cost.No Obligation. Just Great Advice.

Simply fill out the form below and we will be in touch with a customized list of ideas for your event.

It's that simple.

Vinh Giang: Award-Winning Magician | Entrepreneur | Speaker on Communication and Influence

Why Book Vinh Giang?

The magic draws people in; the lesson gives them something to use. Vinh connects performance with practical ideas about voice, body language, perspective, and influence. His sessions give audiences a chance to examine how they communicate and leave with renewed confidence to make a stronger connection.

Why Is Vinh Giang Right for Your Audience?

Vinh is a strong fit for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, company meetings, and events that need an engaging opening or closing keynote. He is especially valuable when a team wants to strengthen communication while giving attendees an experience they will remember and discuss afterward.

Book Vinh when your audience needs to:

• Communicate with more confidence and presence
• Build stronger connections with colleagues and clients
• Recognize how voice and body language affect a message
• Challenge assumptions that limit new ideas
• Influence others with greater intention
• Learn practical skills through an interactive experience

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• More aware of how their communication style affects others
• Ready to use voice and body language more deliberately
• Better able to adapt their approach to different people
• Encouraged to question the perspective they bring to a challenge
• Motivated to practise the communication skills that build relationships

Keynote Programs

The Leader’s Instrument – Amplify the Best Parts of You
Vinh invites audiences to treat their ability to communicate as an instrument they can learn to use more effectively. He explores verbal and nonverbal skills, communication styles, and the confidence needed to connect with others. Ideal for leaders and teams whose success depends on strong relationships.

The Psychology of Illusion
Through magic and storytelling, Vinh shows how perspective, influence, and beliefs shape what people see as possible. He encourages audiences to rethink assumptions, collaborate, and take deliberate action toward their goals. Ideal for broad conference audiences seeking an entertaining message about mindset and change.

Creating Communication Magic — Breakout Session
This interactive session gives participants more time to work on how they speak and connect. Vinh explores techniques for greater clarity, confidence, and presence in everyday conversations. Ideal as a companion to a keynote for teams that want to practise the ideas together.

Is Vinh Giang Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the communication skills you want to strengthen, and the experience you want the event to create. We can help select Vinh’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

James Gilmore: Co-Author of The Experience Economy | Co-Founder of Strategic Horizons | Speaker on Customer Experience and Business Differentiation

Why Book James Gilmore?

As co-founder of Strategic Horizons and co-author of Authenticity, James brings a framework for discussing what customers value and how businesses communicate it. His presentations encourage audiences to reconsider familiar assumptions about service, customer attention, and the design of an offering.

Why Is James Gilmore Right for Your Audience?

James is a strong fit for executive meetings, customer experience conferences, retail and hospitality events, and brand strategy programs. Consider him when customers have many similar choices and your organization needs a clearer reason to be chosen.

Book James when your audience needs to:

• Distinguish an experience from a service
• Evaluate how customers spend their time and attention
• Identify opportunities to make interactions more memorable
• Align customer experiences with the brand’s promise
• Challenge assumptions about business differentiation
• Connect experience design with strategic priorities

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Clearer on the principles of the experience economy
• Ready to examine an important customer interaction
• More aware of how experiences influence perceived value
• Equipped to discuss differentiation beyond features and price
• Focused on an experience their organization could improve

Keynote Programs

Welcome to the Experience Economy

James introduces the shift from delivering services to staging experiences that customers value. Ideal for leaders, marketers, and customer experience teams revisiting their business offering.

Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money

James explores the competition for customers’ limited attention and the implications for experience design. Ideal for organizations seeking more meaningful engagement with customers.

Is James Gilmore Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the customer experience you want to improve and the competitive challenges you face. We can help select James’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Nancy Giordano: Keynote Speaker on Future Trends, AI & Leadership | Strategic Futurist | Author of Leadering | Founder of Play Big Inc.

Don't Just Predict the Future. Help Build It. What future do you want your organization—and your leaders—to be responsible for creating?

As technology, AI and societal expectations reshape virtually every industry, Nancy helps leaders understand not only what is changing—but how they can actively shape what comes next.

Her optimistic, human-centered approach challenges audiences to stop thinking about the future as something that simply happens to them and start recognizing their responsibility and opportunity to help create it.

Why Book Nancy Giordano?

Nancy doesn't simply predict trends. She helps leaders understand the forces reshaping their world and decide what they want to do about them.

Her work sits at the intersection of exponential technology, AI, leadership, work and societal transformation.

Rather than overwhelming audiences with predictions, Nancy creates a compelling picture of what's becoming possible—and challenges leaders to think more boldly about the organizations, experiences and systems they can create.

Her central question is powerful:

What future do you want to be responsible for?

What Makes Nancy Giordano Different?

• Strategic futurist — connects emerging trends to practical leadership decisions
• Author of Leadering — introduces a new approach to leading through exponential change
• 200+ global keynotes — extensive experience engaging executive audiences
• Founder of Play Big Inc. — focused on helping leaders actively shape the future
• Deep technology perspective — explores AI and other exponential technologies
• Human-centered futurism — keeps people, purpose and responsibility at the center
• Highly customized — tailors presentations to the questions facing each audience
• Optimistic perspective — helps audiences become excited rather than overwhelmed by what's next

Why Is Nancy Right for Your Audience?

Nancy is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to understand what's changing, rethink outdated assumptions and become more confident shaping what's next.

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

Book Nancy when your audience needs to:

• Understand the forces reshaping business and society
• Prepare for the opportunities and responsibilities created by AI
• Think differently about leadership
• Anticipate the future of work
• Challenge outdated assumptions and systems
• Become more comfortable with exponential change
• Think more boldly about what's possible
• Move from reacting to the future to actively shaping it

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Better prepared to understand exponential change
• More confident navigating AI and emerging technologies
• Thinking differently about what 21st-century leadership requires
• Better able to recognize opportunities hidden inside disruption
• More willing to challenge outdated assumptions
• Understanding why human capabilities matter even more as technology advances
• Inspired to take greater responsibility for shaping what's next
• Asking: What future do we want to create?

Nancy Giordano Keynote Programs

Creating a Future to Be Excited About. What if the future isn't something to fear—but something we're responsible for designing?

Nancy explores the powerful technological, economic and societal forces transforming our world and helps audiences understand what these changes could make possible.

Rather than simply forecasting what's next, she challenges leaders to think intentionally about the future they want to create and the actions they can take today to move toward it.

Ideal for: Executive conferences, association meetings, innovation events and organizations preparing for significant change.

21st Century Expectations for Leadership. The leadership practices that got organizations here may not be enough to take them where they're going next.

Drawing from her book Leadering, Nancy challenges traditional ideas about leadership and introduces a more dynamic approach designed for continuous change.

She helps leaders become more curious, adaptive and forward-looking while developing the confidence to navigate a future where many of yesterday's assumptions no longer apply.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, executive meetings and organizations transforming how their leaders think and operate.

The Opportunities and Responsibilities of Being AI-Led. AI is extraordinarily powerful—but what do we actually want to do with that power?

Nancy moves the AI conversation beyond productivity and automation to explore the bigger leadership questions surrounding artificial intelligence.

She challenges audiences to consider how AI can expand human capability while recognizing the responsibility leaders have to make thoughtful decisions about how these technologies are designed, deployed and governed.

Ideal for: AI conferences, executive meetings, technology events and organizations developing their AI strategy.

The Work of the Future. As technology transforms what machines can do, how should we rethink what humans do best?

Nancy explores how exponential technologies, changing expectations and new organizational models are reshaping work.

She challenges audiences to move beyond simply making existing work more efficient and instead consider how work itself can be redesigned to become more meaningful, human and valuable.

Ideal for: Future-of-work conferences, HR events, leadership meetings and organizations undergoing workforce transformation.

Why Book Nancy Giordano Through The Sweeney Agency?

Nancy Giordano combines future trends, AI, leadership and human-centered thinking—but the real value comes from connecting those forces directly to the future your organization needs to prepare for and help create.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

• Confirm Nancy Giordano's availability and current speaking fee
• Determine which Nancy Giordano keynote best fits your audience
• Discuss customization around your industry and strategic priorities
• Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
• Compare Nancy with other leading futurist, AI and leadership keynote speakers

Is Nancy Giordano Right for Your Event?

Tell us what's changing in your industry—and what you need your leaders to understand about the future ahead.

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

Planning a leadership conference, AI summit, association meeting or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Nancy Giordano as your keynote speaker.

Kian Gohar: Founder and CEO of Geolab | Bestselling Co-Author of Competing in the New World of Work | Speaker on Human–AI Collaboration and Innovation

Why Book Kian Gohar?

A former executive director at XPRIZE and Singularity University, Kian brings ambitious thinking into practical team conversations. His keynotes connect emerging possibilities with the behaviors needed to pursue them—helping audiences examine how they collaborate, adapt, and turn ideas into action.

Why Is Kian Gohar Right for Your Audience?

Kian is a strong fit for leadership conferences, innovation summits, HR events, and company gatherings focused on AI or team performance. He is especially relevant when an organization wants employees to explore new tools while strengthening the collaboration that makes those tools useful.

Book Kian when your audience needs to:

• Explore practical ways to collaborate with AI
• Strengthen teamwork across roles and departments
• Adapt how it works as expectations change
• Challenge assumptions that limit innovation
• Turn ambitious goals into a plan for action
• Build confidence experimenting with new approaches

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Better informed about the skills involved in human–AI collaboration
• Ready to identify opportunities to improve team workflows
• More aware of behaviors that support trust and shared ownership
• Equipped with a framework for approaching ambitious challenges
• Motivated to test new ideas and learn from the results

Keynote Programs

The Future of Human + AI Collaboration
Kian explores how teams can use generative AI to support creativity, productivity, and decision-making. Ideal for leaders and employees seeking practical insight into AI at work.

The Art of Teamwork
Kian examines the practices behind adaptable, effective teams, including communication, trust, and peer collaboration. Ideal for company events and teams seeking to improve how they work together.

Leadership in the New World of Work
Drawing on his bestselling book, Kian challenges established assumptions about work and explores how leaders can build more resilient, inclusive teams. Ideal for executives, managers, and HR audiences.

How to Build a Moonshot
Kian draws on his XPRIZE experience to guide audiences from an ambitious goal toward concrete steps and solutions. Ideal for innovation conferences, entrepreneurs, and teams pursuing a significant challenge.

Is Kian Gohar Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the challenges it needs to solve, and what you want people to try after the event. We can help select Kian’s most relevant program, discuss customization and workshop options, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Nikki Greenberg: Futurist and Innovation Strategist | Founder of Women in PropTech | Speaker on AI and the Future of Real Estate

Why Book Nikki Greenberg?

Nikki is especially compelling where technology meets the physical world. She helps audiences consider how changing expectations will affect the places people live, work, and visit. Her presentations give event planners a way to open a useful conversation about investment, innovation, and long-term priorities.

Why Is Nikki Greenberg Right for Your Audience?

Nikki is a strong fit for real estate conferences, construction and infrastructure events, urban planning forums, and executive meetings. She is particularly relevant when an organization wants to explore future possibilities and agree on where to focus its attention next.

Book Nikki when your audience needs to:

• Explore how technology could change its industry
• Reconsider assumptions about future customers and communities
• Connect innovation with business and property decisions
• Think beyond the next project or planning cycle
• Identify questions to guide a technology investment
• Build a shared direction for future initiatives

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• With a broader perspective on the changes ahead
• Ready to question assumptions in existing plans
• Better prepared to discuss technology with colleagues
• Clearer on the people their future investments should serve
• Motivated to identify a practical next step

Keynote Programs

Journey to 2040: Leading the Future of Your Industry
Nikki examines AI, generational change, and workplace evolution, with a framework for moving ideas into action. Ideal for leadership and industry conferences.

The World in 2050: Preparing Cities for Future Generations
Nikki explores how demographic shifts and technology could reshape cities. Ideal for public sector, infrastructure, and urban development audiences.

Today to 2050: Creating the Future of Real Estate
Nikki considers how AI, automation, and changing demand will influence property development and use. Ideal for real estate investors, developers, and property leaders.

Introduction to AI: Eliminate Your Busywork — Workshop
This hands-on session introduces practical uses of AI tools for everyday tasks. Available as a keynote add-on for teams seeking a more applied learning experience.

Is Nikki Greenberg Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the changes affecting your industry, and the decisions you want people to think about differently. We can help select Nikki’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm her availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Sterling Hawkins: Author of Hunting Discomfort | Entrepreneur | Speaker on Commitment, Change and Growth

Why Book Sterling Hawkins?

Sterling draws on entrepreneurial experience and his own setbacks to make the message tangible. His presentations challenge leaders and teams to identify what they are willing to own, how they will seek support, and what they will do when a familiar approach stops working.

Why Is Sterling Hawkins Right for Your Audience?

Sterling is a strong fit for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, company meetings, and transformation events. Consider him when people need to move from agreement about a goal to a clearer commitment to acting on it.

Book Sterling when your audience needs to:

• Take greater ownership of important goals
• Respond constructively when plans become difficult
• Address uncomfortable conversations
• Support one another through uncertainty
• Challenge habits that restrict growth
• Connect stated commitments with visible actions

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Clearer on a commitment they want to strengthen
• Ready to identify a difficult action they have avoided
• More aware of patterns that limit their response to change
• Equipped with language for discussing shared accountability
• Focused on following through under pressure

Keynote Programs

No Matter What: Become Who the Moment Requires

Sterling explores commitment and the choices required when familiar habits no longer serve a goal. Ideal for leadership, sales, and culture events.

The Threshold: Leading Through Uncertainty and Change

Sterling examines how leaders and teams approach disruption and the discomfort it creates. Ideal for organizations navigating transformation.

Is Sterling Hawkins Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the commitments your people need to make and the changes they need to work through. We can help select Sterling’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

David Horsager: CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute | Author of The Trust Edge | Speaker on Trust, Leadership and Business Relationships

Why Book David Horsager?

David connects trust with everyday decisions: setting expectations, demonstrating competence, and keeping commitments. His presentations give teams shared language for discussing a subject that can otherwise remain vague until a relationship breaks down.

Why Is David Horsager Right for Your Audience?

David is a strong fit for leadership conferences, sales meetings, company gatherings, and customer relationship events. Consider him when collaboration depends on stronger confidence in the people making decisions and delivering on promises.

Book David when your audience needs to:

• Make expectations and commitments clearer
• Strengthen credibility with colleagues and customers
• Recognize behaviors that undermine trust
• Build consistency between words and actions
• Improve accountability within working relationships
• Discuss trust as a leadership responsibility

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Clearer on David’s framework for building trust
• Ready to examine a behavior that affects their credibility
• More aware of the importance of consistent follow-through
• Equipped with language for discussing trust within a team
• Focused on a commitment they can make more reliably

Keynote Programs

The Trust Edge®: How Top Leaders and Organizations Drive Business Results through Trust

David introduces his approach to trust and its relevance to workplace performance. Ideal for leaders, sales teams, and broad company audiences.

Trusted Leader: 8 Pillars that Drive Results

David explores eight pillars of trust and the behaviors leaders can examine in their own work. Ideal for management meetings and leadership development programs.

Is David Horsager Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the relationships you want to strengthen and the commitments your people need to deliver. We can help select David’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Andrea Iorio: Author of Between You and AI | Business Transformation Speaker | Speaker on AI, Leadership and Customer Experience

Why Book Andrea Iorio?

Andrea’s presentations move the discussion from general excitement about AI to questions about application. He encourages leaders to examine where technology can support their goals, what still requires human judgment, and how their teams can adapt together.

Why Is Andrea Iorio Right for Your Audience?

Andrea is a strong fit for leadership conferences, sales meetings, technology events, and transformation programs. Consider him when your audience needs to connect AI adoption with clearer business priorities and the development of its people.

Book Andrea when your audience needs to:

• Connect AI opportunities with business goals
• Reconsider leadership habits as technology changes
• Identify human skills worth strengthening
• Explore AI across the customer journey
• Discuss collaboration between people and technology
• Prepare teams for changing responsibilities

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Clearer on the human side of AI adoption
• Ready to identify a business question technology could help address
• More aware of skills that complement AI
• Equipped with a framework for discussing leadership adaptation
• Focused on a practical opportunity to explore with their team

Keynote Programs

The 3 Pillars of Exponential Leadership in the Age of AI

Andrea explores how leaders can adapt their decisions and behavior as AI changes work. Ideal for executive and management audiences.

Experienc.AI

Andrea examines AI opportunities across the customer journey. Ideal for sales, marketing, and customer experience teams.

Between You and AI

Andrea focuses on human skills that complement emerging technology. Ideal for company meetings and workforce development programs.

Is Andrea Iorio Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the AI opportunities you are exploring and the leadership or workforce questions you want to address. We can help select Andrea’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Whitney Johnson: CEO of Disruption Advisors | Author of Smart Growth | Speaker on Personal Disruption, Learning and Talent Development

Why Book Whitney Johnson?

Whitney connects individual learning with organizational development. Her message helps managers consider when someone needs encouragement, a new challenge, or a different opportunity—and how those choices can shape the growth of the whole team.

Why Is Whitney Johnson Right for Your Audience?

Whitney is a strong fit for leadership conferences, talent development programs, management meetings, and organizations navigating change. Consider her when developing people is central to the business strategy.

Book Whitney when your audience needs to:

• Recognize different stages of learning
• Support employees through unfamiliar challenges
• Create opportunities for continued growth
• Rethink assumptions about career progress
• Connect individual development with team needs
• Make learning a more deliberate leadership responsibility

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

• Clearer on the S-Curve of Learning
• Ready to reconsider their own stage of growth
• More aware of the support a colleague may need
• Equipped with questions for development conversations
• Focused on a meaningful next learning challenge

Keynote Programs

Program options include Disrupt Yourself® and a tailored focus on smart growth and talent development:

Disrupt Yourself®

Whitney explores how personal disruption can open new paths for development. Ideal for professionals and leaders considering their next growth opportunity.

Smart Growth and Developing Your People

Whitney connects learning stages with the decisions leaders make about talent. Ideal for managers building development into everyday work.

Is Whitney Johnson Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the people you want to develop and the learning challenges your organization faces. We can help select Whitney’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

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

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

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

Why Book Diana Kander?

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

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

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

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

What Makes Diana Kander Different?

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

Why Is Diana Right for Your Audience?

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

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

Book Diana when your audience needs to:

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

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

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

Diana Kander Keynote Programs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Book Diana Kander Through The Sweeney Agency?

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

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

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

Is Diana Kander Right for Your Event?

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

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

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

Brett King: Founder of Moven | Bestselling Author of Bank 4.0 and Branch Tomorrow | Speaker on the Future of Banking

Why Book Brett King?

His keynotes challenge audiences to look beyond today’s products and channels. Brett examines how artificial intelligence, changing customer behavior, and new competitors could reshape financial services—and what institutions should consider as they plan for that future.

Why Is Brett King Right for Your Audience?

Brett is a strong fit for banking conferences, credit union meetings, fintech events, payments forums, and leadership gatherings in financial services. He is especially relevant when executives need to test assumptions about branches, digital experiences, and the role of AI in serving customers.

Book Brett when your audience needs to:

• Understand forces changing the future of banking and payments
• Examine how AI could reshape financial services
• Reconsider the role of branches and traditional channels
• Learn from the rise of mobile banking and fintech challengers
• Anticipate changing customer expectations
• Start a strategic conversation about what to build next

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

• Clearer on the trends challenging established banking models
• Better able to question assumptions about where and how banking happens
• More aware of the opportunities and risks in AI-driven services
• Ready to discuss how customer behavior should shape future offerings
• Equipped with questions to guide their next strategic decisions

Keynote Programs

Towards Bank 5.0: The Algorithmic Bank
Brett explores how AI could change banking operations, security, and the customer experience in the decades ahead. Ideal for banking leaders, technology teams, and fintech audiences.

Branch Today, Gone Tomorrow: The End of Branch Banking as We Know It
Drawing on research behind Branch Tomorrow, Brett examines the changing role of branches as digital-first financial services grow. Ideal for banks and credit unions reconsidering their distribution strategy.

The Rise of the Challengers: How Neo-Banks Changed the Rules and How the Industry Responded
Brett reviews the emergence of digital challengers and the responses of established institutions. Ideal for executives weighing competitive threats and opportunities to adapt.

Optimal Humanity: Smart Economies & Emerging Solutions
Brett widens the lens beyond banking to explore how AI and other major developments could affect economies and society. Ideal for executive and cross-industry audiences seeking a broader view of the future.

Is Brett King Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the financial services questions it is facing, and the decisions you want the keynote to inform. We can help select Brett’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.