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Robyn Benincasa Speaker

Robyn Benincasa

Adventure Racer, Firefighter, Speaker on Leadership & Teamwork

 About

  • World Champion Adventure Racer, San Diego Firefighter, and 2014 CNN Hero Inductee
  • Expert on upgrading teamwork to “human synergy”
  • Founder of Project Athena- helping survivors of traumatic injuries lead adventurous lives
  • Past clients include: Allstate, Exxon Mobil, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Nestle

When the challenges are steep and the competition fierce, Robyn Benincasa provides the tools individuals and organizations need to cross their most challenging finish lines.

As a two-time World Champion Adventure racer, San Diego Firefighter, and CNN Hero, Robyn knows a thing or two about creating Human Synergy, or as she puts it, “That magic that allows ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things together.”

Through harrowing experiences in places like the jungles of Borneo and the Himalayan peaks, Robyn has studied the good, the bad, and the not-so-pretty of Extreme Teamwork. Her refreshing and unique techniques build and foster impactful, inspired teams that succeed against all odds and turn setbacks into comebacks.

Robyn was named one of 2020s World’s Top 50 Keynote Speakers (Real Leaders Magazine), the #1 Female Speaker for Meetings.net, and is one of the Top 10 Speakers featured by Harvard Business Review. She has motivated countless leaders and teams for Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, Starbucks, Walmart, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, HubSpot, Intel, and more. Her game-changing keynotes inspire us to grab life with one hand, our teammates with the other and create that special magic that makes each of us stronger together than we could ever be alone.

Ty Bennett Speaker

Ty Bennett

Leadership, Communication, and Sales Speaker

 About

  • Speaker on Leadership, Communication and Entrepreneurship
  • Talks about: Partnership is the New Leadership & The Power of Storytelling
  • Featured as one of the Top 40 Under 40, Founder of Leadership Inc., and author of 3 bestselling books, built a direct sales business to over $20 million in annual revenues by age 21
  • Past clients include: Coca-Cola, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield and RE/MAX

Click Here to Watch Ty's Virtual Presentation

Ty Bennett is the founder of Leadership Inc., a speaking and training company with a mission to improve communications and empower individuals and organizations to challenge their status quo, cultivate exceptional relationships - and compete in extraordinary ways. He has worked with over 500 leaders, in over 37 countries, to help them fine-tune their sales and leadership skills. He’s changing lives - one leader at a time.

At 21, Ty and his brother built a direct sales business to over $20 million in annual revenues. He was featured as one of the Top 40 Under 40 - and was dubbed one of the 10 Coolest Entrepreneurs in Utah.

He has traversed the world speaking to tens of thousands of audience members - transforming the lives, careers, and business practices of leaders from some of the most recognizable brands in the world such as: Coca-Cola, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield and RE/MAX.

Ty is author of three best-selling books, with all three being used in graduate courses at multiple universities including MIT - as today’s version of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”:

  • Partnership is the New Leadership
  • The Power of Storytelling: The Art of Influential Communication
  • The Power of Influence: Increase Your Income and Personal Impact

He’s one of the youngest speakers ever to receive the CSP Designation from the National Association of Speakers - of which less than 5% of the world’s speakers earn this honour.

Ty is a husband and father - and he’s PASSIONATE about helping leaders cultivate the relevance and influence they need to challenge old ways and open new doors.

Greg Bennick Speaker

Greg Bennick

About Greg Bennick – Interactive & Funny Motivational Speaker and Event Emcee

 About

  • Greg integrates award-winning comedy, audience interaction, incredible juggling, powerful magic effects, and unbelievable mind reading into his presentations to create a visual display which helps the ideas really sink in.
  • Audiences leave with ideas on how to build community and navigate change using creativity and humor.
  • Greg is an award winning speaker who uses humor to share his ideas on how to build strong teams across organizations from Seattle to Singapore.
  • Past clients include: Aegis, AAGL, The Seattle Times, Safeco.

Greg Bennick can be the after-dinner comedic act that makes the conference memorable for years, or he can be the keynote speaker who drives your points home with his own unique style. Greg Bennick works with you to deliver impact! He uses clean comedy and explores new ideas around community and creativity.

He integrates award-winning comedy, audience interaction, incredible juggling, powerful magic effects, and unbelievable mind reading into his presentations to create a visual display which helps the ideas really sink in.

A two-time humorous speaking champion, Greg engages and inspires your audience while making them laugh. He has spent over thirty years on stage and has connected with audiences live in over twenty-five countries in the last decade, and of course virtual presentations are available via Zoom, Skype, Facebook live, telepathy, and any other mode you can imagine.

His topics range from new angles on team building and the psychology of how to manage crisis and conflict, leadership, and communication…and how self-doubt limits wide-ranging expansion. Based in Seattle, he’s been flown everywhere from Syracuse to Singapore to share his unique brand of engaging ideas.

Michael Bergdahl Speaker

Michael Bergdahl

Former Wal-Mart executive, author, and speaker on sales.

 About

Michael Bergdahl is a professional international business speaker, author and turnaround specialist. Bergdahl worked in Bentonville, Arkansas for Walmart, as the Director of “People” for the headquarters office, where he worked directly with Walmart’s founder Sam Walton. It was Sam Walton who gave Bergdahl the nickname, “Bird Dawg!” Previous to Walmart he worked in the FMCG Industry for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay Division in the sales organization and headquarters staff assignments. He is a turnaround specialist who participated in two successful business turnarounds as VP of HR at both American Eagle Outfitters and Waste Management. Bergdahl has more than 25 years of HR experience, and he has received the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) lifetime certification from SHRM. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology / Behavioral Science.

Michael Bergdahl is considered to be an authority on the best practices of Walmart & Sam Walton.  He has been interviewed on CNN, CNBC, CNN FN, MSNBC, CNN International, Univision, CBS National Radio, and Bloomberg TV.  He has participated in internationally televised news debates on “Power Lunch,” “On the Money,” “Morning Call,” and “Closing Bell.”  Articles written by him, and articles written by others about him, have been published in business newspapers and magazines around the world.  He has written articles for Hardware Retailer Magazine (NRHA), Progressive Grocer Magazine, Sweden’s Butikstrender Magazine, and the Retailer Association of India: STOrai Magazine.  Bergdahl is the moderator of two LinkedIn discussion groups called, “Walmart’s Best Leadership Practices” and “Sam Walton’s Best Leadership Practices” with a combined membership of 14,000 worldwide members including:  Retailers, FMCG/CPG Product Manufacturers/Suppliers, HR Professionals, Supply Chain Professionals.  He has more than 3000 followers on LinkedIn.

He wrote his first book about “The Strategies of the World’s Largest Company,” titled:  What I Learned from Sam Walton:  How to Compete and Thrive in a Walmart World (2004).  His second book is written about “The Tactics of the World’s Richest Man,” titled The 10 Rules of Sam Walton:  Success Secrets for Remarkable Results (2007). His third book is a 50th Walmart Anniversary Commemorative Edition titled The Sam Walton Way (Brighton Publishing 2012).  His fourth book, High Expectations Are The Key To Everything was published by Jaico Books in India in September 2013, and it was published by Motivational Press in the USA in 2014.

Michael Bergdahl is a speaker with substance, who is one part business, one part inspiration, and one part storyteller.  He presents Keynote Speeches, breakout sessions, half day programs, and full day Master Classes.  He tailors his speeches to fit the conference theme.  His Full Day Master Classes are designed to teach others the Best Practices of Walmart.  In his speech, “Picking Walmart’s POCKETS,” Bergdahl unveils the best practices of Walmart, and the success secrets of Sam Walton.  Audience members will learn the “Tactics of the World’s Richest Man, Sam Walton,” and the “Strategies of Walmart, the World’s Largest Company.”  He also presents an inspiring keynote speech about “Bringing Out the Best in You” based on his newest book, High Expectations Are The Key To Everything.

Michael has spoken at association conferences, public events, customer conferences, and private company meetings in the USA and Internationally to Retailers, Non-Retailers, Manufacturers, Suppliers, and B2B.  He speaks to a wide variety of audiences including Sales, Customer Service, IT, Supply Chain/Logistics, Franchisees, Financial Services, Real Estate Developers, Property Managers, Leasing Agents, Retail Managers, Brand/Marketing Professionals, Loss Prevention Specialists, Human Resources, Plant Managers, Engineers, DC Managers, Operations Managers, Product Manufacturers / Suppliers / Buyers, Pharmacists, Bankers, Credit Union Directors, Presidents, Entrepreneurs, College Professors, College Students & College Commencement, CEO’s, CIO’s, CTO’s, and CFO’s.  He has spoken at events for Walmart’s current suppliers, and its direct competitors, who are interested in improving their ability to compete successfully in a Walmart “Big Box” World! 

Dr. Jasmin Bergeron Speaker

Dr. Jasmin Bergeron

International expert on the WOW Effect, Dr. Jasmin Bergeron delivered more than 2,000 keynote presentations on the WOW Effect in sales, leadership, teamwork and work-life balance.

 About

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

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

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

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

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

Ross Bernstein Speaker

Ross Bernstein

Inspiring Business Speaker and Bestselling Sports Author

 About

  • Ross talks about why certain teams are SUCCESSFUL whereas others aren’t, based on his research of over 1,000 professional athletes and coaches in this highly personalized presentation.
  • Audiences leave motivated by the 100 unique characteristics and traits that are common among champions, told through poignant life lessons and inspirational stories.
  • Ross Bernstein is a best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, and an award-winning business speaker.
  • Past clients include: Tempurpedic, Anytime Fitness, Chatham Steel, Milk Specialties Industries, Allianz Life Financial Services and Levi Strauss & Co.

Ever wonder why certain teams win consistently, whereas others come up short? Ross Bernstein explains why - in an engaging and visually entertaining style that's designed to improve your organization's productivity, morale and bottom-line profitability...

The best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross Bernstein is an award-winning business speaker who helps companies and organizations perform more like champions. Ross and his books have been featured on thousands of television and radio programs over the past 20 years, including CNN, MSNBC, CBS This Morning, FOX News, Bloomberg, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the CBC, as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, L.A. Times, USA Today, and Maxim Magazine.

Ross' signature program, The Champion's Code: Life Lessons of Ethics & Accountability from the Sports World to the Business World, is based on more than six years of research that resulted in two critically acclaimed series of sports-business books. The first examines how and why certain teams win world championships; while the other chronicles the unwritten and unspoken rules in the world of sports, or codes as they are known, which explores the fine line between cheating and gamesmanship - and the consequences involved when that line is crossed.

Ross interviewed more than 1,000 professional athletes and coaches for the six books and along the way he saw some fascinating patterns, metrics and trends develop among certain individuals who possessed a very unique DNA. For these unique individuals, or champions, it wasn't always about winning, it was about following their moral compass in order to play the game the right way - with respect and integrity - in order to achieve success. In his presentation, Ross identifies upwards of 100 unique characteristics and traits that are common among champions, which he then ties into poignant life lessons and inspirational stories that relate back to his client's event theme and desired learner outcomes.

Based largely on the Good to Great ideology of how the best companies are able to separate them- selves from the rest of the pack through dynamic leadership and extraordinary customer service, Ross' program reinforces the concept that individuals win games, but TEAMS win championships. Momentum, roles, buy-in, motivation, consistency, sacrifice, trust, chemistry, work-ethic, innovation, karma, and being humble - they're all a part of what it takes to become the best of the best - a champion both on and off the field.

So... who are the champions in your organization? Ross speaks about 100 dates a year and he'd love to customize a keynote (from one to six hours) for your next annual conference, corporate event, or sales meeting - his passion and energy is contagious and he'd be honored to be a member of YOUR team for the day!

Carl Bernstein Speaker

Carl Bernstein

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist and Author

 About

Few journalists have had the impact on history and their craft as Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Carl Bernstein. From uncovering the Watergate scandal with Bob Woodward to writing about national and international affairs for half a century, Bernstein’s books, reporting and commentary have revealed the hidden workings of government and politics around the world.

Bernstein’s important on-air reporting and commentary on Donald Trump for CNN has been widely recognized for continuing the kind of work he and Bob Woodward pioneered during the Nixon presidency.

In 1973, Woodward and Bernstein were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their Watergate coverage at The Washington Post, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and setting new standards for investigative journalism. The pair went on to write two classic best-sellers: All the President’s Men (also a movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman); and The Final Days, chronicling the end of the Nixon presidency.

Bernstein’s recently released book, Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom, became an instant New York Times bestseller, receiving extraordinary attention and praise in reviews throughout the United States and Europe. In it, Bernstein recounts his earliest days in journalism at the Washington Evening Star newspaper, where he began his career during the Kennedy era as a 16-year-old copyboy. The roots of his Watergate reporting can be seen in this remarkable apprenticeship as a teenage reporter in the nation’s capital.

Bernstein’s other best-selling books demonstrate his unique range as a journalist:  Loyalties: A Son’s Memoir, about his family’s experiences in the McCarthy era; His Holiness: Pope John Paul II and The History of Our Time – a biography of Pope John Paul II – that revealed the Pope’s pivotal role in the fall of communism; and A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton, acclaimed as the definitive biography on the subject.

His magazine articles have appeared in TimeUSA TodayRolling Stone and The New Republic. From 1999-2001, Bernstein served as editor and executive vice president of Voter.com, a pioneering website that Forbes named the best political site on the internet. He has worked as Washington bureau chief and correspondent for ABC News; and, while at the Washington Post, was also a part-time rock critic.

Bernstein lives in New York with his wife and is the father of two sons, Jacob Bernstein, a reporter for the New York Times; and Max Bernstein, who plays guitar for Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.

Jason Bevan Speaker

Jason Bevan

Innovation Speaker, Former Head of Creative Development & VP Marketing EMEA at Warner Bros. Studios

 About

  • Jason talks about how our brains get creative and explains how we can rocketfuel our own ability to get out of the world of the plain and ordinary to create bold new ideas that have the real potential to change and transform.
  • Audiences leave with ten simple practical tips to help identify your own creative triggers and maximise creativity and ideation: both personally and within your organization.
  • Jason Bevan was responsible for the innovation and creativity process at Warner Bros. Studios, marketing some of the world’s best loved films in EMEA and creating new ideas that were often used globally. Jason is also a TED circuit speaker and as an expert speaker for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
  • Past clients include: KFC, BT, Netflix.

Jason Bevan was responsible for the innovation and creativity process at Warner Bros. Studios, marketing some of the world’s best loved films in EMEA and creating new ideas that were often used globally. Jason worked with legendary film-makers and actors on massive movies for 16 years and reveals how a number of iconic film ideas came to be and how we can all powerfully employ the same techniques used to create them.

Jason’s Innervation keynote talks and masterclasses show why creativity has become one of our most valuable skills in the post-pandemic world and demystifies how we generate ideas with simple logic. Clear, easy to follow steps and tasks show how we can take inspiration from iconic movies and their makers to tap into the creativity we already have, but often don’t use…including people that don’t think they are innovative! It’s fun, uplifting and inspiring.

Jason offers a peek behind the curtain of the world of film, explaining how Warner Bros. pushed the limits of creativity with brave, ambitious ideas with principles we can use in our own work. How the Dark Knight batmobile led to supercars all over the world becoming matt black. How they made creative magic on the Harry Potter film sets by making them the friendliest places in film. How Jason got teams from 37 markets to energise from these films that pervaded global culture to create incredible ideas and seismic events that were seen all over the world. Jason’s talk was developed with a clinical psychologist for scientific accuracy.

Jason was known for pushing creative boundaries on campaigns for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, DC movies like Joker, The Dark Knight and Aquaman films, the Lego movies, the Conjuring and IT horrorverse and the Christopher Nolan movies. Previously Jason worked for Disney in London and Paris and continues to work with top film and entertainment companies, as co-founder of Content Creator Studios.

In addition to speaking on the TED circuit and as an expert speaker for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Jason has been on the judging panel for various highly regarded awards in the creative industry and speaks for major brands and at a number of renown trade & industry events worldwide.

Rohit Bhargava Speaker

Rohit Bhargava

Expert on Marketing, Branding, Trends & Disruption, Innovation, Storytelling

 About

  • Rohit talks about what it takes to bring more innovative thinking into your organization, and how leaders can harness the power of innovation to drive performance.
  • Audience participants will learn the five essential principles of leading transformation and building a team that sees the world differently.
  • Guest lecturer at Stanford and Wharton, Bestselling author of 6 books including, Non Obvious.
  • Past clients include: AT&T, Coca-Cola, Disney, Ford Motor Company, Prudential Financial, PwC, Under Armour

    Click Here to Watch Rohit's Virtual Presentation

About Rohit Bhargava - Keynote Speaker on Trends, Innovation, Marketing, Storytelling and Diversity:

Rohit Bhargava is an innovation and marketing expert, skilled facilitator, and keynote speaker. After a successful 15-year career as a brand and marketing strategist at two of the largest agencies in the world (Ogilvy and Leo Burnett) - Rohit became an entrepreneur and has since started three companies.

He is the Wall Street Journal best-selling author of six books on topics as wide ranging as the future of business and building a brand with personality - and has delivered sold out keynote presentations and workshops to business leaders in 32 countries. His hallmark book Non Obvious is updated annually with 15 new trend predictions, has been read and shared by more than 1 million readers - and is translated in ten languages. His new updated version slated for release on 07-January-2020 is Non Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss, Predict Trends and Win the Future. Rohit has been invited to share his insights at some of the most forward-looking organizations in the world including Intel, NASA, Disney, JP Morgan Chase, LinkedIn, Microsoft, American Express, BP, the World Bank, Coca-Cola and hundreds of others.

Outside of his consulting work, Rohit also teaches his popular signature course on storytelling and marketing at Georgetown University in Washington DC - and has been invited to deliver guest lectures at many other prestigious schools including Stanford and Wharton. For the past 14 years Rohit has also been writing his personal “Influential Marketing Blog” which has been featured in global media and named One of The top 25 Marketing Blogs in the World by AdAge Magazine. He is regularly interviewed and featured as an expert commentator in global media including Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, and NPR. Rohit also writes a monthly column for GQ magazine in Brazil on technology and trends.

Thanks to his many years of sharing insights, Rohit has been recognized alongside visionary business leaders like Sir Richard Branson and Tom Peters as a “Top 100 Thought Leader In Trustworthy Business Behaviour” and was named by global recruiting firm Korn Ferry as one of the “Most Influential South Asians in Media and Entertainment.”

On a personal level, Rohit is married and lives with his wife and two young boys in the Washington DC area. He is a lifelong fan of anything having to do with the Olympics (he’s been to five so far!), actively avoids anything having to do with cauliflower (yuck!) - and believes the most entertaining and impactful job he will ever have is being a great dad and teaching his sons to be kind when no one expects it, curious about the things others take for granted, and confident enough to change the world.

JJ Birden Speaker

JJ Birden

Former NFL Pro Turned Motivational Keynote Speaker

 About

A Small Man in a Big Man’s Game

To appreciate the Hero’s Journey that is JJ Birden’s life, you must first know a few important facts:

  • Less than 6% of high school seniors go on to play college football
  • Of the 150,000 draft-eligible college football players, only 253 (less than 1%) are selected in the NFL draft
  • The average NFL career is less than 2 years
  • The average NFL player is 6’2, 245 lbs.

The odds of making it to the NFL are staggering. The odds of staying in the NFL are even more amazing. The odds of doing both are the most astronomical of all when you’re undersized and play one of the sport’s most physical positions. Good thing JJ Birden never cared about the odds of success.

Despite being the #1 high school wide receiver in Oregon, JJ didn’t receive a single D1 scholarship offer. He was fast enough for sure, but at 5’9 and 133 lbs., JJ was just too small to play with the big boys. At least that’s what the naysayers thought; JJ knew he was good enough, and he set his mind to achieving the impossible. All he needed was an opportunity, no matter how small, even if it meant making his own.

After receiving a scholarship to the University of Oregon for track & field, JJ earned a walk-on spot with the football team his sophomore year. He was at the bottom of the depth chart and nowhere near seeing actual playing time on the field, but his coaches and teammates didn’t know how hard he was willing to work. It didn’t take long for them to find out: JJ became a starter the next season, his junior year.

But like all long-shot stories and underdog tales, JJ’s trials were just beginning. The remainder of his college career was plagued with injuries and unimpressive stats. Still, JJ’s speed and toughness were enough to earn him an invite to the NFL Combine, a yearly gathering of the top 300 college prospects in the nation. Unsurprising to his teammates, coaches, and fans, JJ dominated the Combine. His performance earned him the 216th pick in the 8th round of the 1988 NFL Draft. That’s when the going got really tough.

A series of injuries and failed physicals culminated in one of the darkest moments in JJ’s early career, and one of the hardest weeks imaginable for anyone: JJ was rejected by 4 NFL teams in 5 days. He could have walked away from the game and given up hope in spite of what seemed like insurmountable odds, but JJ didn’t even flinch. Instead, he did what he’s always done when faced with adversity—he found a way to win.

JJ would go on to play 9 seasons in the NFL (remember, the average career is less than a quarter of that) despite never being the biggest, strongest or most physical guy on the field. What kept JJ on the field for almost a decade wasn’t just how he played the game but rather how he approached every day like it was game day. JJ was willing to put in the work and do whatever it took to improve.

Now a motivational speaker and performance coach, JJ shares lessons from his life that help audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and professions realize the most important thing about success—it is never given, but always earned. JJ’s inspiring keynote presentations outline the principles and strategies that helped an undersized wide receiver overcome spectacular odds; the same principles and strategies that can help anyone perform at the highest levels in all walks of life.

JJ is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, husband and father. He has been married to his college sweetheart, Raina, for 30+ years and has 8 children (3 biological and 5 adopted nieces and nephews). He and his family reside in the Phoenix area.

JJ Birden is an engaging communicator, passionate presenter, and a leading authority on helping individuals seize their opportunities in life.

Steve Blank Speaker

Steve Blank

Recognized Thought Leader on Startups & Innovation, Known as the Father of Modern Entrepreneurship

 About

Steve Blank has led one heck of an interesting life. He’s had 3 careers: First, in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years during the Vietnam War. Next, as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur in 8 start-ups in 2 decades (with 4 IPOs). Currently as an academic, teaching at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia, and NYU.

Steve, the Father of Modern Entrepreneurship, has changed how startups are built; how entrepreneurship is taught worldwide; how science is commercialized in the U.S., and how companies and the government innovate.

He is the author of The Four Steps to the Epiphany, credited with launching the Lean Startup movement and the bestselling Startup Owner’s Manual. His May 2013 Harvard Business Review cover story on the Lean Startup defined the Lean Startup movement.

Steve is widely recognized as a thought leader on startups and innovation. Named to the Thinkers50 list of top management thinkers and recognized by the Harvard Business Review as one of 12 Masters of Innovation, Steve is also Senior Fellow for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University.

His Lean LaunchPad class at Stanford, Berkeley, and Columbia is taught in more than 75 universities around the globe. More than 300,000 people have signed up for a free version of the class, offered through Udacity.com.

The Innovation Corps class Steve created for the National Science Foundation is the standard for science commercialization in the U.S.  And his Hacking for Defense class at Stanford is revolutionizing how the U.S. defense and intelligence community can deploy innovation with speed and urgency. Its sister class, Hacking for Diplomacy, is doing the same for foreign affairs challenges managed by the U.S. State Department.

A prolific writer, speaker and teacher, Steve blogs at www.steveblank.com and his articles regularly appear in Forbes, Fortune, The Atlantic and Huffington Post.

His talk “The Secret History of Silicon Valley” has become the standard history of why entrepreneurship blossomed in Silicon Valley while stillborn elsewhere. It has made him an unofficial expert and frequent speaker on the rise of entrepreneurial clusters as well as the role of the U.S. government and military’s influence on entrepreneurship.

From 2006-2013 Steve served as a public official in California as Commissioner on the California Coastal Commission, the public body that regulates land use and public access on the California coast.  He is on the board of the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV); is a past board member of Audubon California, the Peninsula Open Space Land Trust (POST); and was a trustee of U.C. Santa Cruz.

Steve is a frequent commencement speaker. National Public Radio listed his speech at Philadelphia University as "one of the best commencement speeches, ever".

Amy Blankson Speaker

Amy Blankson

Author, and Expert on the Psychology of Happiness

 About

Amy Blankson is the only person to be named a Point of Light by two Presidents (President Bush and President Clinton). She received a Presidential appointment to serve a five-year term on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National Service, and was one of the youngest delegates to the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future.

Amy received her BA from Harvard and MBA from Yale School of Management. She went on to co-found the Future of Philanthropy Conference at Yale University, and in 2007, joined GoodThink on the ground floor to develop and scale the company as it sought to bring the science of happiness to life.

Drawing on over 17 years of management and consulting experience with businesses, foundations, and nonprofits, Amy Blankson brings both passion and practicality to GoodThink. She is currently doing research in partnership with Google to determine how to make positive psychology strategies stick and create sustainable positive change.

Amy is the author of The Future of Happiness: 5 Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era (2017), and the award-winning children’s book Ripple’s Effect (2012), and has three beautiful daughters who teach her about the joy of positivity and the importance of gratitude on a daily basis.

Jeanne Bliss Speaker

Jeanne Bliss

Global Speaker, Author and Expert on Customer Experience & Customer Loyalty

 About

  • Jeanne talks about customer-driven growth earned through creating top-notch customer experience.
  • Audiences leave feeling motivated to use the practical tools Jeanne shares to make business personal and inspire customer loyalty. ,
  • Jeanne Bliss is Former Chief Customer Office at Land's End, Microsoft, Coldwell Banker and Allstate Corporations. She is a best-selling author & Co-Founder of the Customer Experience Professionals Association.
  • Past clients include: AARP, Johnson&Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Krispy Kreme, Loreal, MGM Resorts, and Salesforce.

Click Here to Watch Jeanne's Virtual Presentation

Jeanne Bliss helps companies and people become the best version of themselves. She guides them to define, build and live the behaviours and actions that will fuse customers to them - and ultimately create deep and memorable relationships. Creating these enhanced relationships has been Jeanne’s singular mission for over 35 years.

Often referred to as the “Godmother of Customer Experience” - Jeanne is one of the foremost experts on customer-centric leadership. She pioneered the role of the Chief Customer Officer, holding the first ever CCO role at Lands’ End, Microsoft, Coldwell Banker and Allstate Corporations. Reporting to each company’s CEO, she moved the customer to the strategic agenda, redirecting priorities to create transformational changes to each brands’ customer experience. She has driven achievement of 95% loyalty rates - improving customer experiences across 50,000-person organizations.

Her ability to effectively guide leaders and companies to earn customer-driven growth is based on these experiences as a practitioner for over 35 years - working across organizations to unite the C-Suite and organizational silos; as well as guiding over 20,000 leaders around the world to understand that improving lives should be their most important strategic vision.

Jeanne is the Founder and President of CustomerBliss, and Co-Founder of The Customer Experience Professionals Association. She has delivered over 2,000 speeches and workshops for nearly every business vertical in B2B and C2B companies - on how to build the roadmap toward these deep and genuine customer experiences that earn passionate advocates both inside and outside of your business.

Jeanne is also a best-selling author:

  • Chief Customer Officer (Jossey-Bass, 2006) - this groundbreaking book was the first of its kind to address the role of the customer leadership executive. It quickly became a best-seller and has been translated into eight languages
  • Would You Do That To Your Mother? (Portfolio/Penguin, 2018) - this new release is filled with tools you can start applying immediately to turn uncomfortable customer moments into “we got your back” experiences - that would make your mom proud and will win you love and loyalty from your customers
  • Chief Customer Officer 2.0 (Wiley, 2015) - a 5-competency roadmap to build your customer-driven growth engine. This book contains an explicit path and set of actions to unite your Chief Customer Officer and leadership team in leading your customer-driven transformation
  • I Love You More than My Dog: Five Decisions that Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad (Portfolio, 2001) - in this best-seller, Jeanne shares 45 case studies that highlight decisions made by beloved companies that your company can emulate - to earn devoted customers, social media accolades and growth, even in a down economy

Molly Bloom Speaker

Molly Bloom

About Molly Bloom – Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Bestselling Author 

 About

  • Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author
  • Talks about: Molly's Game: The True Story of the Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World, Overcoming Setbacks & Building your Brand
  • Molly’s Game was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name by renowned director, Aaron Sorkin.
  • Appeared on numerous shows and in media outlets such as Ellen, Vice, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, Vulture, and has been asked to speak at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, for companies like Blackrock Financial, SiriusXM Radio, and delivered the 2018 commencement speech at Colorado State University

Molly Bloom is an inspirational keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Molly’s Game. She is best known for her memoir, Molly’s Game, which was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name by Aaron Sorkin. Bloom’s memoir chronicles her journey from college student to LA waitress to building and operating the largest and most notorious private poker game in the world. Her games featured hundreds of millions of dollars and players like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, A-Rod, and Ben Affleck.

Bloom began her career as a world-class skier. While training as a pre-teen she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and had to undergo surgery that the doctors said would end her athletic career. A year later, fully recovered, she was back on the slopes. She later joined the U.S. Ski Team and at 21 years old was ranked No. 3 in North America in moguls, but her Olympic dreams would go unrealized as she left the team to pursue other projects. This led her to what she thought would be a year sabbatical in LA.

Bloom was finishing her degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado – Boulder, and was in the process of applying to top tier Law Schools, when her assistant job turned her into an accidental entrepreneur, running one of  the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world, pulling in as much as $4 million per year. What happened next is where her story truly begins.

The film Molly’s Game, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, stars Jessica Chastain (as Molly), Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Brian d’Arcy James, and Chris O’Dowd. Bloom has appeared on numerous shows and in media outlets such as Ellen, Vice, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, Vulture, and has been asked to speak at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, for companies like Blackrock Financial, SiriusXM Radio, and delivered the 2018 commencement speech at Colorado State University.

Lisa Bodell Speaker

Lisa Bodell

Globally Recognized Futurist and Expert on Simplification and Innovation

 About

  • Talks about disruptive trends and ideas, and how to apply them to develop new business concepts
  • Teaches audiences action-based tactics that use small, incremental innovative changes to create huge ripple effects on business
  • Bestselling author of Kill the Company and Why Simple Win, and taught innovation at both American University and Fordham University
  • Past clients include: IBM, Merck, Microsoft, Novartis, Procter & Gamble

FutureThink CEO Lisa Bodell ranks among the Top 50 Speakers Worldwide and is the best-selling author of Kill the Company and Why Simple Wins. She’s a global expert on simplification and innovation, who inspires audiences to stop their old ways of working so they can do more work that truly matters.

A thought leader and serial entrepreneur, Bodell's transformational message has inspired executives at top-ranked organizations such as Google, Novartis, Citigroup, LinkedIn, and CVS/Aetna.  Her provocative yet practical approach enables leaders and their teams to eliminate the unnecessary complexity and time-sucks that hold them back and make simplicity their competitive advantage.

Bodell is a monthly contributor to Forbes and has frequently appeared in Fast Company, WIRED, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and more. She's been featured in many major books such as Warren Berger’s A More Beautiful Question, Adam Grant’s Originals, and After Shock, the 50-year celebration of futurist Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock

Bodell has taught at both American University and Fordham University and has a TED talk on the topic of simplification. She's served on the board of advisors of several organizations, including the Global Agenda Council for the World Economic Forum, the United States National Security Agency, the Association of Professional Futurists, and the Novartis board of Culture, Diversity & Inclusion.

Rene C.W. Boender Speaker

Rene C.W. Boender

Author and Keynote Speaker on Marketing, Change & Innovation

 About

René C.W. Boender is a renowned and inspiring speaker - capturing his audience right from the start. He began his career in marketing and advertising in his early twenties. The U.S.-based agency McCann discovered his talent - and immediately threw him into the deep end of the international advertising market. He was responsible for their largest accounts: Black & Decker, Coca-Cola, CNN, L’Oréal, H&M, and Levi’s. In the late-80's, people called him the “Rainmaker on Madison Avenue” - the Best New Business Driver in Advertising.

In the early 90's, René Boender started his own successful agency: BBCW. After ten more years in business he then started to give talks at international conferences - and worked as a guest lecturer - and continues to be involved in innumerable high profile projects.

From 2012 to 2014, René Boender was named the Best Foreign Speaker in the USA with his keynote “The Chance to Change is now.” As the author of the best-selling Great to Cool - René Boender shares his knowledge, his experiences and vision. He focuses on increasing business happiness - and believes that everything hinges on the power of communication. Furthermore, he is an expert on Gen Z and published a best-selling book on this target group, which made it to number one on the Top 100 Management Books list - twice! Again a big success, René Boender’s third book, Cool is Hotalso rose to number one!

René is an innovator with professional vision and energetic communication skills - that enable him to give exciting talks and connect with his audience. René Boender speaks on various topics. He looks at the way one deals with difficulties - and helps you to start with yourself and take the reins. His keynotes are about pushing boundaries and the courage to change.

Kris Boesch Speaker

Kris Boesch

Founder & CEO of Choose People, Author & Keynote Speaker 

 About

  • Kris talks about how when people feel good about coming to work, they show up not only as better workers but as better people for everyone in their lives.
  • Audiences learn how to renew their commitment to teamwork and one another by developing common ground and creating profound accountability and a strong sense of "our work" through a shared identity and vision.
  • Kris has been featured as a workplace culture expert in Inc., Entrepreneur and Forbes and was recently named one of the “Top 100 Leadership Speakers” in Inc.
  • Past clients include: Petsmart, SE Johnson, SHRM, PMI, IPMA and Magnolia.

Kris Boesch is the CEO and Founder of Choose People, a company that transforms company cultures, increases employee happiness and boosts the bottom-line. The Choose People 360° Culture Audit is based on over 1000 hours of research conducted with the Industrial Organizational Psychology Department at Colorado State University.

She is also the author of Culture Works: How to Create Happiness in the Workplace. Prior to Choose People, Boesch was the CEO of Exodus Moving & Storage.

Kris’ journey into workplace culture started when she became the CEO of Exodus Moving & Storage.

Where many saw just another moving company Kris recognized quickly that if her employees felt good about coming to work, they would take better care of customers. In turn, this meant the financial health of the company would prosper.

The catch was the deck was stacked against her.  The company was struggling to cover payroll.  Turnover was high and culture toxicity even higher.  And on top of all of that she didn’t have industry experience nor earned respect to demand behavioral changes. In short, the common approach of a boss-centric leadership style wasn’t going to cut it. She knew she was going to have to earn every inch of authority and return every penny of respect she gained to breakthrough.

So, she went to work to find another way, a way that put the focus on the only real leverage she had – her team.

She discovered that when people feel good about coming to work, they show up not only as better workers but as better people for everyone in their lives.  Step-by-step she cultivated ways to create a culture where her team did feel good about coming to work.

Under her leadership Exodus became the largest mover in Northern Colorado with a turnover rate of 40% less than the industry average and a bottom line twice that same average.

But most notable of all – the workplace experience of her team went from being one of misery to one of joy.

From there,  Kris’ life work truly began.

Kris has been featured as a workplace culture expert in Inc., Entrepreneur and Forbes and was recently named one of the “Top 100 Leadership Speakers” in Inc. Kris's past clients include Petsmart, SE Johnson, SHRM, PMI, IPMA and Magnolia.

 

Liz Bohannon Speaker

Liz Bohannon

Founder & CEO of Socially Conscious Fashion Brand Sseko Designs, Bestselling Author

 About

Liz Bohannon is the Founder and CEO of socially conscious fashion brand Sseko Designs, which she founded in 2008 as a way to provide educational and economic opportunities for women in East Africa. Liz shares the lessons learned from her 10-year journey growing Sseko from three women under a mango tree, into a successful international fashion brand that provides employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities to thousands of women across the globe.

Her story is filled with lessons for success that are grounded in the principle of having a beginner’s mind, which Liz sums up in her new book, Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now. In it, as in her presentations, she shares uncommon ideas toward success like, Own Your Average, Stop Trying to Find Your Passion…Create It, and Dream Small so you can do big things. Liz continues to channel her inner beginner as she manages 100s of employees across multiple continents, and her mindset sets her apart as a courageous, creative and effective leader.

The Sseko story has been featured in dozens of publications including, Vogue Magazine, Redbook Magazine, O Magazine, Inc., Fortune and others. Sseko has appeared on national broadcasts including ABC's Shark Tank and Good Morning America.

Among other notable honors, Liz was named a Top Three Transformation Leader by John Maxwell, Forbes listed her as a top 20 public speaker in the U.S. and Bloomberg Businessweek named Sseko as a top social enterprise to watch.
Liz now splits her time between Uganda and Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband Ben run Sseko Designs and raise their two young sons.

Eric Boles Speaker

Eric Boles

Consultant and Speaker on Leadership, Peak Performance, and Change Management

 About

  • Speaker on Leadership and Peak Performance
  • Talks about: Leading Change in the New Reality & Moving to Great
  • Former NFL Widereceiver for the New York Jets & Green Bay Packers
  • Past clients include: Dunkin’ Donuts, Nationwide Insurance, AVIVA Insurance, Alaska Airlines, State Farm Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, USAA, MetLife, Novo Nordisk

Click Here to Watch Eric's Virtual Presentation

Eric Boles is the president of The Game Changers Inc., a training and development company dedicated to maximizing the human asset. Through assessment, consulting, coaching and corporate training, The Game Changers Inc. has set the standard for helping organizations enhance their culture and develop greater levels of commitment and performance.

Eric Boles is also a highly acclaimed keynote speaker and consultant for some of the most recognized and respected organizations in the world. His insights on Leadership, Peak Performance, Team Dynamics, and Managing Change has been shared with clients such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Nationwide Insurance, AVIVA Insurance, Alaska Airlines, State Farm Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, USAA, MetLife, and Novo Nordisk . Eric also speaks to a variety of organizations and associations, including those in sales, education, government, healthcare, manufacturing and financial services.

Prior to becoming an authority on high performance, Eric learned many principles of team dynamics and leadership from his experience playing in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers. While in the NFL, he had the privilege of being coached and mentored by some of the finest coaches and players in the game.

Eric is an avid sports fan, golfer and reader. He is married to his wife Cindy, and they have two daughters, Taylor and Madison.

Walter Bond Speaker

Walter Bond

Former NBA Athlete, Author and Speaker on Mentorship, Leadership, Teamwork & Motivation

 About

  • Speaker on Mentorship, Leadership, Teamwork & Motivation
  • Talks about: No One Can Stop You & The Best Team Always Wins
  • NBA shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, and the Detroit Pistons & Host of Food Network’s Giving You the Business
  • Past clients include: Accenture, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, The Dwyer Group, Allianz, Amway, GNC, Hilton, Medtronic, UPS Store, Radio Shack, Red Robin

Walter Bond is recognized as one of the world's preeminent experts on sales, motivation, high performing teams, and leadership - and has been helping people turn self-limiting beliefs into self-empowering strategies for more than a decade. Like many young men growing up in Chicago, Walter dreamed of becoming an NBA athlete. Facing injuries and other challenges with unusual determination, he rose from being a reserve player coming off the bench - to become the first rookie free agent to start for the Dallas Mavericks. This astonishing journey provides the foundation for the powerful principles Walter teaches today. Walter's stories give listeners a roadmap they can follow to reinvent themselves - and recover the confidence they need to level up in their professional lives. Drawing on lessons learned in the trenches both in sales and as an entrepreneur, Walter's presentations open up new ways of looking not only at business challenges - but also the world.

Walter's stories are rich with humour, emotions, and authentic breakthroughs. His inventive phrasing, mannerisms, body language, pacing, and wisdom exert a powerful effect on his audiences - making his message memorable for months and years to come.

Walter has impacted hundreds of thousands of people in his rapid rise to the top of the speaking industry. Through his keynotes, workshops, books and CDs - Walter teaches that when you learn to eliminate excuses, understand the power of mentorship and control your mindset - that confidence and success are possible for all who desire it.

Walter creates an experience that audiences have enjoyed worldwide - and never forget. His dynamic and compelling programs provide both the motivation and the strategies to excel in business and in life.

Book Your Next Great Speaker in 5 Easy Steps Speaker

 About

Did last year's speaker knock your socks off? Not sure where to go next? Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker. 

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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.

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

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Futurist Keynote Speaker Mike Walsh at The Sweeney Agency Speakers Bureau

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.

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Roger Bootle Speaker

Roger Bootle

British Economist and Weekly Columnist for the Daily Telegraph

 About

Roger Bootle is one of Britain's best-known economists and Chairman of Capital Economics, one of the world’s largest independent macroeconomics consultancies, which he founded in 1999. Roger is also an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. He was formerly Group Chief Economist of HSBC and a Visiting Professor at Manchester Business School. Under Chancellor Kenneth Clarke he was appointed to the Government’s panel of Independent Economic Advisers, the so-called “Wise Men”. From 1997 to 2017, he was a Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Committee. In 2012, Roger was named Economics Commentator of the Year and, together with a team from Capital Economics, he won the Wolfson Prize, the second biggest prize in Economics after the Nobel.

Roger Bootle studied at Oxford University and then became a Lecturer in Economics at St Anne’s College, Oxford. Most of his subsequent career has been spent in the City of London.

Roger has written many articles and several books on economics. His latest book, Making a Success of Brexit and Reforming the EU, is the 4th edition of The Trouble with Europe. This book follows The Trouble with Markets and Money for Nothing, which were widely acclaimed. His earlier book, The Death of Inflation, published in 1996, became a best-seller and was subsequently translated into nine languages. Initially dismissed as extreme, The Death of Inflation is now widely recognized as prophetic. Roger is also joint author of the book Theory of Money, and author of Index-Linked Gilts. Mark your calendars for Sep 5, 2019, the anticipated release date of Roger's upcoming book The AI Economy: Work, Wealth and Welfare in the Robot Age - in which he examines the economic implications of Artificial Intelligence and addresses the concerns of both businesses and ordinary people about how the future will look as robots and AI proliferate. In contrast to much of the literature on robots and AI, this book is profoundly optimistic about what they imply for the human condition.

Roger appears frequently on television and radio and is also a regular columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

Sean Bott Speaker

Sean Bott

Keynote Speaker, Entertainer, Mentalist

 About

After spending much of his early life growing up in Saudi Arabia, Sean Bott developed a scorching sense of humor. He began his journey into the delicious art of magic at the tender age of 12 by learning and then performing hypnosis, psychology, and stagecraft at his local library. One quirky magic shop, a degree or two, and more than three pounds later, he can now say he’s been blowing minds, making people gasp and laugh, all while eating curly fries, for over 15 years. Sprinkle on some pit stops at Second City in Chicago to keep his funny skills on point and you’re left with a one-of-a-kind mind reading experience. As you can imagine, all of that heat combined with some childhood trauma, a birth Mom still at large (maybe the rain forest?), and two really weird stepmoms, has given him some anxiety. He has studied cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and self-compassion, feeding his interest in the world of clinical mental health counseling. As that journey continues, Sean combines that knowledge, personal experience and mind-reading, to show us how to create warm connection with other humans quickly and authentically.

Whether building deeper relationships as a leader, working with clients, onboarding new employees, or retaining great talent, the tools he provides, creates spaces of belonging faster and easier than ever before. When Sean engages with your people, from start to finish, his focus is on understanding their pain points and working together towards your desired outcome.

Working with over 1,500 associations, corporations, and universities worldwide including companies like Dell, Google, and Disney, Sean has brought curated content, mind-blowing moments, and bucketfuls of laughs (not chicken) to thousands.

“Through my study of empathy, psychology, mentalism, and comedy, I provide positive skills and awareness for others to create connection and belonging. I draw on best practices in cognitive behavioral therapy, self-compassion research and social psychology to create an applicable, cohesive tool-set that is actionable, and implementable."

At home, Sean is owned by two cats, two kids, and a spouse. He’ll walk on a treadmill - sometimes - and he eats hot soup in the summer.

Anthony Bourke Speaker

Anthony Bourke

Former F-16 Fighter Pilot, Popular Speaker on Peak Performance, Leadership, Communication & Sales

 About

  • Anthony talks about how the difference between the winners and the "also rans" comes down to execution.
  • Audiences leave equipped with simple, actionable tools to improve execution and drive better results as individuals and as teams.
  • He is a highly accomplished and decorated F-16 fighter pilot, founder, President & CEO of Afterburner, author & keynote speaker on Peak Performance.
  • Past clients include: Ernst & Young, GE, Cisco, Boeing, Bridgestone, AT&T, Charles Schwab and The Home Depot

Click Here to Watch Anthony's Virtual Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

AB’s keynotes typically align to the following groups:

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

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

Andy Boynton Speaker

Andy Boynton

Dean of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, Speaker on Innovation & Leadership

 About

Andy Boynton is Dean of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, one of the world’s leading business schools, the author of several books and Co-creator of DeepDive™, the world’s preeminent methodology for helping leaders harness the power of teams to significantly improve problem-solving speed, innovation and results.

Prior to joining Boston College, Boynton was a professor of strategy at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) - in Lausanne, Switzerland for 10 years. At the IMD he led a faculty team and was program director of one of the world’s top ten Executive MBA programs - as recognized by Business Week.

Boynton has recently launched new research projects to explore how distinguished experts from a variety of knowledge-domains work with ideas to achieve professional success and improve their effectiveness in social networks. His latest book, The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen (Jossey-Bass), is based on this research and is co-authored with Bill Fischer and William Bole.

He has also published extensively on factors underlying high-performing teams across a variety of disciplines - including art, science, exploration, and design. His previous books include Virtuoso Teams: Lessons from Teams That Changed Their Worlds (Financial Times-Prentice Hall) and Invented Here: Maximizing Your Organization’s Internal Growth and Profitability (Harvard Business School Press).

He is a 1978 graduate of Boston College. Boynton earned his MBA and PhD at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has served on the MBA faculty at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business and at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.

In addition to his publishing career and role as Dean of the Carroll School of Management, Boynton has over twenty years of experience speaking - and designing powerful executive education sessions and seminars for firms around the world. He is often utilized by organizations looking to build more innovative and effective teams - and his articles in this area have appeared in elite management journals such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, and The California Management Review.

Dr. Travis Bradberry Speaker

Dr. Travis Bradberry

World-Renowned Expert and Speaker in Emotional Intelligence, Author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0

 About

  • Travis talks about how leaders can learn to capitalize on their emotional intelligence to develop new and powerful ways to manage, adapt, and strike out ahead of the pack.
  • Audiences learn how our brains are hard-wired to make EQ a critical skill and how to increase your EQ using a step-by-step process.
  • Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and the co-founder and President of TalentSmart, as well as a a world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence who will inspire your audience, spark discussion - and motivate change.
  • Past clients include:  Intel, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Boston Scientific, NY Life, Fortune Brands, Salesforce, and Fortune Magazine.

Dr. Travis Bradberry, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned speaker on today’s competitive world, where each of us is looking for new and powerful ways to manage, adapt - and strike out ahead of the pack. He empowers audiences and leaders to do so by capitalizing on emotional intelligence - a skill set that’s responsible for 58 percent of job performance. Dr. Bradberry is a world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence who will inspire your audience, spark discussion - and motivate change.

Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and the co-founder and President of TalentSmart® - the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His best-selling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. His groundbreaking new book is Emotional Intelligence Habits which offers an abundance of practical strategies that will teach you how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the micro behaviors that will take your EQ to new heights.

Dr. Bradberry is a LinkedIn Influencer and a regular contributor to Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, The World Economic Forum, and The Huffington Post. He has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, Time, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.

Dr. Gary Bradt Speaker

Dr. Gary Bradt

World-Class Speaker, Author, Change and Leadership Expert

 About

  • Expert on Emotional Intelligence, Change & Leadership
  • Clinical Psychologist and Author of the bestselling book, The Ring in the Rubble
  • Leadership Consultant & Strategist to numerous Fortune 500 companies
  • Past clients include: American Express, Blue Cross Blue Shield, eBay, IBM, Marriott, Merrill Lynch, NASA, Visa, Xerox

Click Here to Watch Gary's Virtual Presentation

More than ever before, change and unrelenting disruption are causing employees to feel emotional fatigue, burnout, stress, anxiety and myriad emotions that strip them of creativity, productivity and overall joy. Providing employees with more strategies to adapt to change with a growth mindset and resilient spirit are critical competencies that Dr. Gary Bradt has been teaching C-Suite leaders in Fortune 500s for 25+ years. 

Today, he is being called upon by leading corporations to share his practical and actionable tools for change with employees at every level, so they can embrace change and create a positive path forward both professionally and personally. 

Dr. Bradt's unique background and perspective make him a one-of-a-kind speaker on emotional intelligence, change and leadership. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Bradt shares relevant research from neuroscience and positive psychology to help leaders and people at every level approach change with a positive perspective. 

As a business owner with 25+ years of experience coaching C-level executives, Dr. Bradt passes on practical strategies and tactics that businesspeople quickly comprehend and apply. As a thought leader on change and leadership, he is a contributing writer to Forbes.com and the author of three books on change. 

Most importantly, however, Dr. Bradt is a father, who speaks from the heart about the tragedies, triumphs, and lessons he's learned from raising a child with a chronic life-threatening heart condition. 

It is no wonder, then, that the late Spencer Johnson asked Dr. Bradt to be the leading speaker worldwide for one of the bestselling business books of all time, Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese? More than 300 keynotes and twenty-years later,  Dr. Bradt is as passionate as ever about helping people find the opportunity that change always creates. He will inspire and empower your audience to change and win today

Peter Bregman Speaker

Peter Bregman

Best-selling Author and Top-ranked Global Speaker on Leadership & Personal Growth

 About

  • Peter teaches leaders how to lead with emotional courage by increasing their confidence, ability to connect with others and embrace change
  • Audiences leave with the tools to engage on with their teams on an emotional level to guide change and support performance
  • Peter is an author and contributor to more than 16 books, and a regular contributor to Bloomberg Business Week, Forbes, Fast Company and The Financial Times
  • Past clients include: Allianz, American Express, Brunswick Group, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, FEI, GE Capital, Merck, Clear Channel, Nike, and UNICEF

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ian Bremmer Speaker

Ian Bremmer

President of Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm; senior fellow at the World Policy Institute and columnist for the Financial Times.

 About

  • Ian talks about international politics and its impact on global markets, with a focus on the challenges facing international organizations.
  • Audiences leave with insights into geopolitics and finance and how this intersection will affect global business and economics.
  • Ian Bremmer created Wall Street’s first global political risk index, is the President of The Eurasia Group, is a best selling author, and a regular guest on CNBC, Fox, Bloomberg, and CNN. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.
  • Past clients include: UN General Assembly, SAP, Davos, TEDx, and PPI Management.

Ian Bremmer is a political scientist who helps business leaders, policy makers, and the general public make sense of the world around them. He is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the world's leading political risk research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is an independent voice on critical issues around the globe, offering clearheaded insights through speeches, written commentary, and even satirical puppets (really!).

He is the host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, which airs weekly on US national public television. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, and many other television stations around the world.

Ian is credited with bringing the craft of political risk to financial markets, creating Wall Street's first global political risk index (GPRI), and for establishing political risk as an academic discipline. His definition of emerging markets—"those countries where politics matters at least as much as economics for market outcomes"—has become an industry standard. "G-Zero," his term for a global power vacuum in which no country is willing and able to set the international agenda, is widely accepted by policymakers and thought leaders.

A prolific writer, Ian is the author of ten books, including the New York Times bestseller “Us vs Them: The Failure of Globalism” which examines the rise of populism across the world. He also serves as the foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.

Ian earned a master's degree and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University, where he went on to become the youngest-ever national fellow at the Hoover Institution. He received his bachelor's degree in international relations from Tulane University.

Ian established Eurasia Group with just $25,000 in 1998. Today, the company has offices in New York, Washington, San Francisco, London, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as a network of experts and resources in 90 countries.

Dr. Harry Broadman Speaker

Dr. Harry Broadman

Renowned Economist and Speaker on Global Economic Outlook

 About

  • Dr. Broadman talks about the elements that shape the operations of successful firms pursue that allow them to grow rapidly, excel at remaining more competitive than rivals, reduce exposure to risks and constantly innovate.
  • Audiences leave with insights about how market and policy dynamics impact Boards, C-Suites, and workers enterprise-wide, and how they’ll alter the fortunes of today's businesses in ways few ever could have predicted.
  • Dr. Harry Broadman is  a genuine thought leader on the transformation of world markets long before the term "globalization" was ever uttered, an author & keynote speaker.
  • Past clients include: Cotton Council International, AMG Bank, Institute for Private Investors, U.S. International Trade Commission, Sentinel Risk Advisors and Share-Vu Capital.

At the vanguard of his generation, 36 years ago Harry Broadman began building a career that epitomizes present-day 'serial entrepreneurs’ as a practitioner in high growth emerging markets of international finance, global business growth and risk-mitigation strategy, corporate governance and anti-corruption compliance practices, and the nature and pace of innovation.

Re-inventing himself multiple times in a truly interdisciplinary fashion across greatly differentiated senior roles in the private sector, interspersed with stints as a high-level policy maker and regulator, Harry emerged as a genuine thought leader on the transformation of world markets long before the term "globalization" was ever uttered.

His professional journey—the imprints of which color his thought-provoking speeches—has been driven by his intense personal inquisitiveness about the elements shaping the operations successful firms pursue to grow rapidly, excel at remaining more competitive than rivals, reduce exposure to risks and constantly innovate.

Harry brings to audiences a unique combination of fundamentally insightful yet pragmatic views about how market and policy dynamics impact Boards, C-Suites, and workers enterprise-wide, and how they’ll alter the fortunes of today's businesses in ways few ever could have predicted.

He has the rare ability to frame speeches about the impacts of the most salient business issues from a prospective vantage point rather than conventional rear-view mirror extrapolation, and do so through a prism that recognizes the intrinsic non-linearities of market changes.  And, all done in a highly entertaining mode and infused with Harry’s infectious sense of humor.

Harry has authored several books and numerous professional articles published in a wide array of peer-reviewed economics, law, and foreign policy journals. His most recent books are: Africa's Silk Road: China and India's New Economic Frontier; From Disintegration to Reintegration: Russia and the Former Soviet Union in the Global Economy; and The State As Shareholder: China's Management of Enterprise Assets.