Cara Brookins, a well-known authority on the science of motivation, empowers audiences to deal with change, take initiative, and develop resilience by sharing stories from her unusual building site. As she placed the block, framed the walls, and even ran the gas and water lines for her 3,500-square-foot home, Cara gained firsthand experience with resilience. In her #1 best-selling novel Rise:... read full bio
David Nurse is the ultimate driver for innovations; he is not your average keynote speaker. Nurse offers a genuinely unique experience to every audience by fusing his background as one of the leading experts in mindset optimization with the vigor of a stand-up comedian and the accuracy of a performance coach. He specializes in helping great performers overcome obstacles, enter... read full bio
As the Chief Encouragement Officer of Compete Every Day, a company he founded in 2011 by initially selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car, Jake Thompson is a leadership performance coach. For over ten years, Thompson has been advising leaders and organizations worldwide on how to improve their ability to compete and cooperate together in order to obtain a... read full bio
"Keynote speaker" has no direct equivalent in his native Korean, as Jerry Won frequently reveals from the stage. Won never imagined that he could turn speaking into a career to support his family because he is an immigrant and his parents had high expectations for him academically. But as life took some unexpected turns, he came to see that his... read full bio
Following two decades of playing professional soccer for teams like Burnley, Norwich City, Tottenham Hotspur, and others, Paul McVeigh accomplished a noteworthy feat: he became the first soccer player in the Premier League to obtain a master's degree in psychology. McVeigh skillfully combines his in-depth knowledge of psychology with his on-field prowess, drawing on his extensive background in competitive sports. He... read full bio
Chad Lauer is the host of The Lauer Power Podcast, co-owner of The Gilroy Group, a Medicare and group health brokerage, and president of the Lauer Media Company, a digital marketing firm. Lauer uses his experience of living and thriving with cancer syndrome to inspire others and feed his own passion for life. Lauer, who is no new to triumphing... read full bio
As a CEO, human rights campaigner, international affairs specialist, knighted diplomat, and international columnist, Penny Abeywardena's readership is expanding quickly. She has gained extensive knowledge of how and why political and social development occurs (or does not) as a government leader with a worldwide portfolio and a board member of many high-impact organizations, particularly before and after politicians and judges... read full bio
After 22 years of service, David is now a retired captain in the New York State Police. He oversaw all State Police activities in the County of Westchester, New York, which received between 400 and 500,000 911 calls annually on average. David was named New York State Police Investigator of the Year in 2007 after winning New York State Trooper... read full bio
Renowned speaker and animal champion Lee Asher founded The Asher House, a nonprofit organization devoted to saving and caring for high-risk animals for the rest of their lives. Lee, who has a strong voice for animal welfare, has enthralled audiences with his inspirational speeches in which he discusses the value of improving the world and his own story of overcoming hardship... read full bio
For almost 20 years, Allyson Apsey has led schools at every level, from elementary to high school, and has won numerous awards. In northern Michigan, Allyson had the privilege of assisting in the opening of a very successful charter school, where she rose from teacher leader to school leader. Beginning with 300 K–6 kids, the school gained a grade each... read full bio
Despite his physical limitations, Lloyd Bachrach has never allowed anything to stop him from realizing his goals. From the moment of his birth, Lloyd was up against a steep slope. By succeeding in a range of sports and then sharing his knowledge and confidence with others looking for a good message and life strategy, he transformed his struggle into a... read full bio
Heman Bekele is a scientific researcher and inventor of Ethiopian American descent. He won awards from several science contests, such as the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, for creating a soap prototype that would administer cancer-fighting therapies. Because of Ethiopia's high rates of sun exposure and lack of access to inexpensive healthcare, he started... read full bio
Top CEOs, Olympians, actors, and Fortune 100 leaders all turn to Juan Bendana as a speaker, coach, and businessman. Juan and his team created custom training for industry-leading businesses like Disney, Fidelity, American Express, Nationwide, Sony Pictures, and Zillow when he founded his first leadership development company more than ten years ago. The author of Confident By Choice is Juan. Drawing... read full bio
The Chief Creative Officer at TDW+Co and an award-winning creative leader, Bernice Chao is well-known for her influential work with international brands. She inspires the AANHPI community as one of the few Asian American women creative executives. She established Asians in Advertising, a worldwide nonprofit organization that provides events, mentorship, podcasts, and scholarships. A sought-after speaker, Bernice is the author of... read full bio
Christine, one of the most popular comedians in the world, puts on a lively, fast-paced show that is full of memorable jokes and timely material. She and her teachings are unforgettable because of her seamless ability to captivate any audience with her extraordinary insights on everyday issues. She is a Certified Virtual Presenter and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). One of... read full bio
Ryan, who was raised in a seaside town in Australia, found his passion—flying—at a very young age. The young Australian's life would revolve around aviation, which would offer both incredible and traumatic, life-changing events. Ryan worked a variety of after-school jobs to pay for his flying lessons when he was 14 years old and obsessed with becoming a pilot. Shortly later,... read full bio
Kim Ann Curtin founded the global executive coaching and leadership development company The Wall Street Coach and is the author of Transforming Wall Street: A Conscious Path for a New Future. Through mindfulness, Kim and her team help C-Suite leaders become as successful on the inside as they are on the outside, accelerating their personal and professional success. Since 1999, Kim... read full bio
After experiencing homelessness, Magie, a Latina entrepreneur, founded Maggie's Salsa, LLC, a fresh salsa and dips firm, with $800. The company was later sold to Campbells Soup alongside Garden Fresh for $231 million. She is currently pursuing her passion by assisting teams and entrepreneurs in uncovering their latent personal potential so they may boost sales and expand steadily. Magie developed thinking... read full bio
As the first female student accepted into the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's neurosurgery residency program, one of the biggest and most prominent in the nation, Dr. Katrina Firlik created history. After then, she worked as a neurosurgeon in private practice in Greenwich, Connecticut, for six years. She also taught clinical medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. As an entrepreneur,... read full bio
Dave Eggers was born in Boston and is the author of the memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, the book You Shall Know Our Velocity, the story collection How We Are Hungry, and the novel What Is the What. He is the editor of the yearly The Best American Nonrequired Reading series, as well as co-editor of the Voice... read full bio
