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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2001, Eric O’Neill helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history: Robert Hanssen, a 25-year veteran of the FBI. The remarkable true events of his life are the inspiration behind the critically acclaimed dramatic thriller Breach, starring Ryan Philippe as O’Neill, and his bestselling novel Gray Day. The film set inside the FBI- the gatekeeper of the nation’s most sensitive and potentially volatile secrets – is the story of the greatest security breach in US history.

Preceding Hanssen’s arrest, O’Neill worked with the spy within the information assurance division that protected all classified FBI intelligence. O’Neill gained Hanssen’s trust and used that relationship to slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover.

O’Neill began his career in the FBI as a graduate of the FBI’s Intelligence Program. He spent the first five years of his career as a special surveillance group field operative tasked to surveil and monitor foreign, national, and domestic terrorists and spies. He transitioned from field operative to direct undercover work focusing on Hanssen. Although his prior training had focused on “ghosting” targets from the shadows, he engaged his target in conversation in order to elicit information needed to catch Hanssen in the act of espionage. The singular nature of the assignment, one with little backup or support, required O’Neill to draw from deep reserves of courage and confidence within himself to battle Hanssen’s mind games and aggressive probing and learn to “stop reacting to Hanssen and begin acting.”

Currently, Eric O’Neill runs The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security consultancy, where he specializes in counterintelligence operations, investigations into economic espionage, cybersecurity penetrations, internal investigations, catching the trusted insider and security risk assessment consulting out of Washington, DC. Eric is also the National Security Strategist for Carbon Black, the leader in next-generation endpoint protection, where he provides insight and advice on strategic cyber-security issues and will work to ensure Carbon Black is an active participant in the conversation about the national strategy for cybersecurity.

O’Neill’s story is one of patriotism, of decisive action in the face of fear, and of learning to maintain confidence in ability even if it looks like success is impossible. He has told his story in national media, in print, on radio, and on television including 20/20, Nightline, Hardball with Chris Mathews, Fox News Power Player of the Week with Chris Wallace, CNN, CSPAN’s Washington Journal, NPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” World News Now, MTV, and Access Hollywood.

A talented motivational speaker who weaves real-life experiences into a presentation that is both entertaining and rewarding, Eric O’Neill provides practical insights into real work situations relevant to many industries. In addition to his experience in the Hanssen case, he also addresses the issues of

Named a Future Innovator by the United Nations, Angela Oguntala is a futurist and global authority on foresight and innovation.

She is a founding partner at Greyspace, a foresight consultancy. Across the globe, she helps organizations understand and innovate for a world in transition. Her clients have included IKEA, Hermès, Philips, Sky, Deloitte, The World Economic Forum, The World Trade Organization, Microsoft, Bayer and Swiss Life.

Over the past decade, Angela has been asked to speak on a wide range of future-facing topics. She has delivered hundreds of keynotes worldwide on themes including: innovating through uncertainty, emerging technology impacts, purpose driven innovation, leadership & organizational foresight, creativity, sustainability, as well as on specific domains from the future of work to futures of healthcare.

Angela leaves audiences with insights, inspiration, and actionable tactics to engage with significant shifts ahead, and to critically question what needs to shift to meet future demands. She is a Salzburg Global Fellow for leaders challenged to shape a better worldand has been featured as an expert on futures thinking on outlets including Sky, TED, and NPR.

Angela is an American who shares her time between the US (Atlanta, Georgia) and Copenhagen, Denmark.

• Erica talks about new and emerging trends in the global economy and what these mean for your business.

• Audiences leave understanding the trends affecting their organization and how to leverage those changes for growth.

• Erica is the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of The Future Hunters, one of the world’s leading futurist consulting firms and TEDx Speaker.

• Past clients include: Human x Design Conference, L’Oreal, Mastercard, Razor Technologies, BNP Paribas

Erica Orange is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of The Future Hunters, one of the world’s leading futurist consulting firms. She evaluates emerging social, technological, economic, political, demographic and environmental trends – and identifies the strategic implications (the “So what?”) of those trends for several of the most influential Fortune 500 companies, trade associations and public sector clients. Erica’s ability to think critically and translate that into actionable and tangible strategies is what has made her an invaluable asset to clients.

Erica speaks to a wide range of global audiences about the macro trends that are shaping and impacting today’s landscape. She has spoken at TEDx and keynoted over 250 conferences around the world, including across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. She has authored numerous articles and industry white papers, and has been featured in news outlets including Wired, NPR, Time, Bloomberg, and CBS This Morning. In 2020, she was named by Forbes as one of the world's 50 Top Female Futurists.

Dr. Roch Parayre is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Philadelphia office and a member of Heidrick Consulting. He was previously a senior partner at Decision Strategies International, a global strategy and leadership development advisory firm acquired by Heidrick & Struggles in 2016, where he also led the Blue Ocean Strategy Practice.

A strategist and master teacher, Dr. Parayre has advised organizations on five continents across a broad spectrum of industries, helping them grow and transform their businesses. He is an expert and conducts executive education seminars on the topics of decision-making, scenario planning, innovation, and strategy. Roch teaches in executive education programs at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, at CEDEP and INSEAD in France, for Duke Corporate Education, and at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Dr. Parayre was previously a senior fellow at the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at the Wharton School and a faculty member at the Cox School of Business at SMU, where he won numerous MBA teaching awards. His published works are in a variety of academic journals, industry reports, and trade publications.

Neil Pasricha helps people live happy lives.

He is a top-rated leadership keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher focused on the relationship between happiness and leadership in business.

Neil is one of the most popular TED speakers with his first TED Talk “The 3 A’s of Awesome” (2010) ranked as one of the ten most inspiring of all time and his second “How will you maximize your tiny, short life?” (2016) the world’s first ever TED Listen, composed entirely of questions. As a leadership keynote speaker Neil has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world including Fortune 100 companies, Ivy League schools, and Royal Families in the Middle East.

Neil has written five New York Times and #1 International Bestsellers including: The Book of Awesome, a catalog of simple pleasures based on his 50-million hit, award-winning blog, Awesome is Everywhere, an interactive introduction to meditation, and The Happiness Equation, a nine step guidebook to happiness based on new research. His books have been on bestseller lists for over 200 weeks and sold millions of copies.

Before leading The Institute for Global Happiness and keynote speaking, Neil spent a decade running Leadership Development and working directly for two CEOs at Walmart, the world’s largest company. He was responsible for CEO onboarding, executive development, and talent management across all levels of the organization.

His work has been featured in hundreds of outlets including CNN, BBC, The Today Show, The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, and Forbes.

Neil has degrees from Queen’s University and Harvard Business School.

The Passing Zone, Jon and Owen, are known as much for their comedy as their keynoting and juggling skills. They were featured twice on the gala stage at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and have opened for comedians Jay Leno, George Carlin, Bob Newhart, Bob Hope, and Penn & Teller. Television appearances have included “Comic Strip Live,” “CNN’s Road Warriors,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “An Evening at The Improv,” “MADtv,” Penn & Teller’s “Sin City Spectacular,” “Steve Harvey’s Big Time,” and regular returns to NBC’s “Today.” They have also been commentators on ESPN for their coverage of the World Juggling Federation competitions, and the Moxie Games at SkillCon.

Looking for something different? You put on a great meeting last time, but now you have to top it. You need something unexpected, unique, fresh, not just the same old speaker, comedian, magician or band.

You found something different. You found roaring chainsaws, cheering attendees, flaming torches and knives flying through the air! You found an experience. You found a surprise. You found genuine laughter, the kind that makes your face hurt.

You found two grown men who demonstrate partnership and collaboration by DOING, with rapid-fire banter, throwing sickles around the body of someone from the audience (or your CEO) as they receive a standing ovation. You found three of your people in astronaut suits flying through the air. You found danger (or so it would seem), laughter, and an inspirational experience your people will never forget.

Jon & Owen have been awarded five Guinness World Records and 18 Gold Medals from the International Juggler’s Association. They were presented with that organization’s Award of Excellence, for “excellence in the art of juggling through professional performance,” which is the most prestigious award in juggling (essentially the Juggling Hall of Fame). They remain THE most decorated and awarded juggling duo in the history of the craft. In addition, they have been inducted into the National Speaker’s Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame, a highly prestigious credential awarded only to the most elite and accomplished keynote speakers in the world.

• Deborah talks about  every organization can develop new mindsets, organizational structures, and product development/problem-solving processes – that will maximize opportunities in the future.

• Audiences leave inspired by her pragmatic presentation on harnessing the energy in every organization.

• Deborah Perry Piscione is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, national bestselling author, media commentator and public speaker.

• Past clients include: Google, McKinsey, TED Talks, Cadence Design, London School of Economics, Microsoft, McDonald's, NetApp, Princeton University, KPMG, Innotown, Qualcomm, Stanford University, and Accenture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Her career in numbers:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click Here to Watch Vince's Virtual Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. David Posen was a family physician for 17 years before devoting his time exclusively to stress management, lifestyle counseling and psychotherapy in 1985.

As both a keynote speaker and seminar presenter, David has spoken widely to education, government, business and professional groups across North America. His clients have included Warner Bros., University of Michigan, Chevron, Verizon, American Express, Ontario Crown Attorneys Association, University of California, Allstate Insurance, Hydro One, State Farm, Rogers Communications, Pfizer, Kraft, Hilton Hotels, US Foodservice, London Life, Dun & Bradstreet (D & B), Microsoft, University of Florida Athletic Association, BC Association of Broadcasters, Canadian Home Builders Association, McKinsey, Ernst & Young, City of Hamilton, CIBC, IBM, Mohawk College, Ontario Government Centre for Leadership, Citizenship & Immigration Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart and the Million Dollar Round Table. His areas of expertise include Stress Mastery, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Stress and Mastering Change.

David is the best-selling author of four books, Always Change A Losing Game, Staying A Float When The Water Gets Rough, The Little Book Of Stress Relief (translated into seven languages) and Is Work Killing You? which was profiled in USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, The Globe and Mail & Winnipeg Free Press. His fifth book, Authenticity, is due out in January, 2018.  His magazine articles have appeared in Canadian Living and Readers Digest as well as several medical journals.  He wrote a weekly column on stress and lifestyle management for a year on the popular website www.canoe.ca. David has appeared many times on TV and radio across Canada and has been quoted in many leading U.S. media outlets such as US News & World Report, People, Huffington Post, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Redbook and McCall’s,

Married with two adult children, David lives and works in Oakville, Ontario.  In addition to his busy schedule of seeing patients, writing and public speaking, he is an avid reader, musician, baseball and tennis player.  He played trombone in the Oakville Symphony Orchestra for nine years and now plays in the Oakville Wind Orchestra.

When companies want to drive culture transformation and increase workplace belonging, human connection, and team engagement, they call ADAM “SMILEY” POSWOLSKY.

Smiley is an internationally renowned keynote speaker, workplace belonging expert, and bestselling author of four books that have been translated into multiple languages, including The Quarter-Life Breakthrough, Friendship in the Age of Loneliness, and The Workplace Belonging Toolkit.

Smiley shares industry-shaping insights and practical tools to attract and retain top talent across generations, create a culture of belonging, and engage high-performing teams, at world-class organizations like Apple, Google, Verizon, JPMorgan Chase, and the U.S. Navy. Smiley’s TED talk has been viewed 2 million times, and he has delivered 600 keynotes in front of 250,000 people in 25 countries.

Smiley’s work has been featured in 100 media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, the Wall St. Journal, Fast Company, the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the World Economic Forum.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click Here to Watch Clint's Virtual Presentation

Known as the leading authority on employee retention, Clint Pulver helps organizations retain, engage, and inspire their team members from the front desk to the board rooms and everyone in between. He expertly helps audiences navigate generational complexities, communication challenges, leadership missteps, and culture cues.

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

Clint strongly believes that a single moment in time can change a person’s life. He has traveled the world speaking to a wide spectrum of diverse audiences, challenging them to dream, excel, connect, and believe--both in themselves and in the power of others. His mantra? “It’s not about being the best in the world…it's about being the best FOR the world.”

• Erik talks about how organizations can leverage the must learn the new rules of social, mobile, and video marketing to earn customers’ loyalty and drive long-term success.

• Audiences learn the latest shifts that technology has brought to the world of branding and marketing and how they can use those tools to develop loyalty.

• Erik Qualman is a top technology keynote speaker and best selling author who helps clients leverage the power of focus to engage clients on every level.

• Past clients include: Sony Playstation, Stern School of Business, Nokia, Zappos, ADP, Starbucks, FBI and Disney.

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

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

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

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

Click Here to Watch Johnny's Virtual Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Freddie talks about how leaders can challenge and inspire organizations to discover their untapped potential through the power of Active Listening & The Music of Leadership, using music focused stories to help leaders build stronger teams.

• Audiences learn how to enhance interpersonal and professional leadership skills, amplify engagement and clarify their desired goals and outcomes.

• Bilingual Speaker (English & Spanish) Freddie Ravel is a GRAMMY nominated maestro & performer, Founder of "Life in Tune," and Business Success Expert. His clients have described his keynotes & emcee services as the "ideal balance of entertainment and content."

• Past clients include: IBM, Toyota, Red Bull, NASA, Apple, Blue Cross, Prudential, Google and Citi.

Click Here to Watch Freddie's Virtual Video

Freddie Ravel is the GRAMMY-nominated Keynote Maestro - who combines his expertise for business breakthroughs and virtuoso piano performances with a clear and concise application of music’s communicative and scientific powers to inspire, ignite and lift the minds, hearts and potential of audiences around the world.

Backed by number one hits and collaborative successes with Madonna, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince and Carlos Santana to leading the teams of J Lo, Jimmy Kimmel and Lady Gaga - the #1 chart-topping composer is the Founder of “LIFE IN TUNE," a worldwide program that delivers customized peak performance experiences - to reveal how the structure of music enhances leadership, innovation and productivity for entrepreneurs to major corporations alike. Dubbed the “Keynote Maestro” by the City of Los Angeles, Ravel received the city’s Award of Recognition for creating a music-based system to “renew the national and international economy” - while his film, TV, radio and recording credits include CBS, FOX, CW, Universal, iHeart and XM Sirius. Straddling sectors across Media, Tech, Healthcare and Wellness, Diversity and Inclusion, Communications, Social Impact and Financial Services - clients refer to him as “The ideal balance of Entertainment and Content”.

These include IBM, Toyota, Red Bull, NASA, Apple, Blue Cross, Prudential, Google and Citi where he continues to serve as a captivating access point through which to transform corporations, education, entertainment and the human condition. Based on decades of entrepreneurial and corporate training, scientific research and directing and performing with many of the music legends of our time - conference planners often engage Freddie and his team in the program planning process to help design and incorporate their meeting objectives into a rich, harmonious and rewarding experience. Having performed in over eighty countries, Freddie is in tune with cultural nuances and sensitivities delivering the universal language in both English and Spanish - as well as collaborating with translators to uplift your audience to success.

• Michelle talks about how you can embrace, manage. and anticipate change with renewed confidence

• Audiences learn to lead themselves and their teams with greater effectiveness in the new world of work

• Michelle Ray is a Leadership & Change expert with more than 25 years of experience helping people build outstanding workplace relationships and cultures. Author of Leading in Real Time: How to Drive Success in a Radically Changing World and Lead Yourself First! Indispensable Lessons in Business and in Life.

• Past clients include: Microsoft, Dell, Proctor & Gamble, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Shell, Xerox, Paypal, Qantas Airways, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Click Here to Watch Michelle's Virtual Presentation

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

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

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

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

Why Michelle Ray can add value to your conference:

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

• Mike uses music and comedy to teach audiences how to become their personal best person by learning how to make "Virtuoso Decisions." 

• Audiences leave with the tools, and a simple, personalized action plan for becoming world class virtuosos in their own lives.

• Mike is a world-class guitarist, keynote speaker, entrepreneur & innovator

• Past clients include: Texas Pharmacy Association, Premera Blue Cross, Moneytree, Inc., Prosperity Financial Associates, Coldwell Banker Burnet, Apple Leisure Group and Orkin.

When organizations need innovation, change and peak performance, where do they go? Usually it’s to business leaders, authors, or famous sports figures. Rarely do they go to artists! Yet for artists, innovation, peak performance and change are their life blood. Being a mega-successful artist, as well as an innovative entrepreneur, Mike Rayburn is uniquely qualified to teach artistic principles in a business context, to give businesses and teams the edge they need to innovate and perform like virtuosos…and thus transform their success and significance.

Mike Rayburn is a TEDx Presenter who teaches innovation, change and peak performance using world-class guitar and humor to create a transformational experience and generate exponential results. He has headlined Carnegie Hall, Las Vegas, and performed more than 5,000 presentations in 20 countries on five continents. Rayburn is a music/internet pioneering entrepreneur, feature artist on Sirius/XM and Artist In Residence at High Point University. His more than 1000 corporate clients include most of the Fortune 100, 500, and the top five, including multiple presentations for Walmart, Exxon, Wells Fargo, Lincoln Financial, UnitedHealth, IBM, Siemens, Verizon, Ford, Nationwide, MetLife, PepsiCo, Chevron, Sony, Allianz, and Liberty Mutual.

Peter Ricchiuti has taught finance at Tulane University since 1986. His humor and insight have earned him numerous teaching awards at Tulane University where he created and runs the nationally acclaimed Burkenroad Reports (www.burkenroad.org) student stock research program.

Peter is a graduate of Babson College and began his career with the investment firm of Kidder Peabody in Boston. He later managed Louisiana’s $3 billion investment portfolio while serving as the assistant state treasurer.

In 1993, Peter created the nationally acclaimed Burkenroad Reports Stock Research Program.

Peter has addressed more than 1500 groups in 47 states and several countries. He has been featured in BARRON’S, Kiplinger’s, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He also hosts a popular weekly business show on National Public Radio in New Orleans called “Out To Lunch.”

Peter is a husband, dad and author who has attended baseball games at all 30 current major league ballparks

• Shola talks about the challenges we faced this recent year--a deadly pandemic is barreling through the world, there are deep divisions that have been exposed within our country, parents are being asked to balance working and homeschooling their kids simultaneously, and according to recent studies, Americans are the unhappiest they have been in the past 50 years--and strategies to become more resilient in the face of it all.

• Audiences learn how creating a resilient mindset, regardless of the circumstances using strategies to build unshakable strength within themselves and within their teams.

• Founder & CEO, Go Together Global, Bestselling Author.

• Past clients include: the GAP, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, SHRM

Most organizations have a version of "joyful peak performance" somewhere in their mission statement. But how many are actually achieving it? Across the US, 65M people are experiencing some form of toxicity at work every day. Many of these employees resign themselves to the pitiful fate of spending each day dodging the bullies, accepting deep-seated job dissatisfaction, fighting back clinical depression, or worse, succumbing to it.

Shola Richards was one of them. The workplace bullying he experienced, which went unaddressed even after he complained to HR, drove him into clinical depression, and the unimaginable. Shola intentionally swerved off the interstate in an attempt to take his own life. As his car clipped the guardrail on I-405, something changed...

This catalyst has since become Go Together™ Movement - a transformational roadmap of mindset, behaviors, and tools that transform workplace cultures. Sholas mission is to help every workplace in America become one where joyful peak performance is lived every day and where engagement and satisfaction become the new norm.

Shola Richards’ life’s mission is an ambitious one: To end generations of professional suffering, simply by changing how we treat each other at work.

Shola is an advocate, a one-man counsel, and a humanitarian hardwired for positivity, who (ironically) speaks, coaches, consults, and authors books on the shadowy, often underground, and underestimated subject of workplace bullying, a pernicious reality that, when overlooked, corrodes trust, distorts communication, and ultimately usurps equity from the bottom line by using up a company’s most valuable resource: its people.

His approach is to open eyes to the staggering price we pay for normalized, toxic behavior, because we can’t address what we don’t see. His result is people equipped with tangible, doable solutions because we can’t accomplish what we can’t make actionable. His conviction is that everyone deserves a healthy work environment because the quality and meaning of our work suffers when we do.

Through his books--Go Together and Making Work Work and featured articles that have reached readers in over 160 countries, and through his presentations with institutions that range from Silicon Valley businesses to the Department of Homeland Security, Shola is spearheading a timely revolution that teaches us how to protect the professionalism of our company cultures, the preciousness of our time, the strength of our talents, the dignity of ourselves, and the mutual respect of one another.

Click Here to Watch Sam's Virtual Presentation

Sam Richter is an internationally recognized expert on digital information and is considered the father of modern-day Sales Intelligence. His award-winning experience includes building innovative programs for start-up companies and some of the world's most famous brands.

Sam is Founder and CEO of SBR Worldwide/Know More. Through his in-person keynote presentations and online programs, Sam has trained leading organizations and entertained tens of thousands of persons around the world. Sam’s programs promise to be the highest-content, most take-home-value presentations attendees have ever experienced.

He is the author of the best-selling book, Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling, considered the preeminent publication on finding information online and using it for sales success. Take the Cold was named "Sales Book of the Year" by the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, and it was also named a "USA Book News Winner" and a "Sales Book Awards Silver Medalist."

In addition to speaking and writing, Sam has developed numerous technologies including the world's top prospecting/sales meeting preparation resource, the Sales Intel Engine; the world's top news search engine, YouGotTheNews; a Blog search engine; and the Facebook search engine, YouGotSocial. Sam partnered with Mark Hunter - the Sales Hunter - to create the Know More University, an online-learning platform and sales-success training program used by thousands of sales executives at some of the world's leading organizations.

Sam is a partner at Contata Solutions, a big-data/machine learning firm that produces sales, marketing, and business intelligence software. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for Brandpoint, one of the world's leading content management platforms, and Argos Risk, a business financial health and credit monitoring software platform.

Multiple times Sam was named by InsideView as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Sales, and he was also named as one of the Top Chief Marketing Officers on Twitter and he has been recognized by LinkedIn as having one of the world's most viewed profiles. Sam has been featured in thousands of television and radio programs and national and online publications.

For more than six years, Sam was president of the James J. Hill Center, a not-for-profit business library, where he led the transformation of an eighty-five-year-old private, non-profit business research organization into a nationally renowned institution serving entrepreneurs and small businesses via cutting edge online resources. Sam also spent more than eighteen years in the advertising, public relations, and e-commerce/e-marketing industry owning his own firm and working for internationally recognized organizations as a creative director, group director, and marketing director. Sam has led product launch and strategic marketing programs for companies including Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Major League Baseball, Polaris Industries, and National Geographic.

He has won regional, national and international awards including Best of Show and Gold Awards at numerous sales and marketing competitions, Webby Awards, and a Gold Award at the International Film Festival. He's also won a Retail Vision Award and a Codie Award - "the "Oscars" of the software industry" - for Best E-commerce Software. He is a member of the Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" and a past finalist for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year. The National Speakers Association honored Sam with its CSP Designation, reserved for the top 10 percent of the world's professional speakers, and he is also a member of the Minnesota Speakers Hall of Fame.

Sam received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication and was twice named Scholastic All-American while also a four-year player and a letter winner on the University of Minnesota varsity football team. His postgraduate education includes certificate degrees in Executive Leadership from the University of St. Thomas, and in Corporate Boards of Director Ethical Leadership from Saint Mary's University.

Sam lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota with his wife and two children, and he enjoys volunteering his time working with non-profit organizations and mentoring individuals in his community.

Jeremy Rifkin is an American economic and social theorist, writer, public speaker, political and geopolitical advisor and activist. Rifkin is the author of 20 best-selling books about the impact of scientific and technological changes and trends on the economy, the workforce, society and the environment. The books have been translated into more than 35 languages. His most recent books include the international best-sellers, The Zero Marginal Cost Society (2014), The Third Industrial Revolution (2011), The Empathic Civilization (2010), The European Dream (2004), The Hydrogen Economy (2002), The Age of Access (2000), The Biotech Century (1998), and The End of Work (1995). His latest book was released in the U.S. on 10-September-2019: The Green New Deal: Why the Fossil Fuel Civilization will Collapse by 2028, and the Bold Economic Plan to Save Life on Earth  (St. Martin's Press). The German, French, Italian and Spanish translations are expected in October - followed by Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other translations into the new year.

Jeremy Rifkin has been an advisor to the leadership of the European Union since 2000. He has advised three presidents of the European Commission: Romano Prodi, Jose Manuel Barroso and the current President, Jean-Claude Juncker - as well as the European Parliament, and numerous EU heads of state, including Germany's Angela Merkel, on the ushering in of a smart green Third Industrial Revolution economy.

Mr. Rifkin’s New York Times bestselling book, The Third Industrial Revolution, provided the blueprint for the economic transition to a post-carbon ecological society across the EU. According to The European Energy Review, "perhaps no other author or thinker has had more influence on the EU's ambitious climate and energy policy than the famous American 'visionary' Jeremy Rifkin." In the words of Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, Jeremy Rifkin "is the economic and ecological worldwide ambassador of the energy transition… Rifkin presents a grand scenario for the future: a visionary approach unlike anyone has dared to put forward in the last fifty years that will boost our thinking and help with our orientation.”

Mr. Rifkin is also advising the leadership of the Peoples Republic of China on the build out and scale up of the Internet Plus Third Industrial Revolution infrastructure - to usher in a sustainable low-carbon economy. The Huffington Post reported from Beijing on October 29th 2015 that "Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has not only read Jeremy Rifkin's book, The Third Industrial Revolution, and taken it to heart - he and his colleagues have also made it the core of the country's thirteenth Five-Year Plan..." The Huffington Post goes on to say that "this blueprint for China's future signals the most momentous shift in direction since the death of Mao and the advent of Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening up in 1978."

Mr. Rifkin is President of the TIR Consulting Group, LLC - comprising many of the leading renewable energy companies, electricity transmission companies, engineering companies, construction companies, architectural firms, ICT and electronics companies, transport and logistics companies, advanced manufacturing companies, and economic modelers.

Mr. Rifkin is ranked 123 in the WorldPost/HuffingtonPost 2015 global survey of "The World's Most Influential Voices." Mr. Rifkin is also listed among the top 10 most influential economic thinkers in the survey. The survey was prepared at Massachusetts Institute of Technology - and used collective intelligence to correlate the rankings.

Since 1995, Rifkin has lectured at the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania - where he instructs CEOs and senior management on transitioning their business operations into sustainable economies.

• Change navigator and guide to help you embrace uncertainty and the unknown

• Top-ranked global futurist with immersive work and travels in 100+ countries

• Bestselling author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click Here to Watch Steve's Virtual Presentation

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

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

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

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

But the surprises didn’t stop there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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