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
Wednesday songs are like quilts. It is a compilation of short stories, a patchwork of American southern portraits, a half-memory, and a collection of random events that strangely fit together. A scholar of people and one-liners, Karly Hartzman, the project's lyricist, vocalist, and guitarist, is as much a tale collector as she is a storyteller. The new and greatest album... read full bio
TORRES is aware of the shadows. Mackenzie Scott, who is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, waits until something—a memory, a feeling, or an idea—gnaws at her and tears at her throat and fingers before letting it out in song. Like a wild-eyed horse, her velvety voice struggles against its human biological limitations, yowling about envy with startling intensity on one end... 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
Christen Brandt grew up surrounded by women who supported one another while the males in their lives destroyed them. This had a profound effect on how she saw the world. It's what has led her to become a passionate supporter of girls' rights and has enabled her to form close bonds with the women and girls she encounters while traveling... read full bio
Former Chief Executive and IndustryWeek magazine editor-in-chief and publisher John R. Brandt is the founder and CEO of The MPI Group and a seasoned executive, entrepreneur, journalist, author, and researcher. NINCOMPOOPERY: Why Your Customers Hate You—and How to Fix It, his most recent award-winning book, is based on ground-breaking research on performance excellence and leadership in over 50,000 firms. Nincompoopery... 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
Michael Easter is a New York Times bestselling author who has spent his career touring the world in search of new and practical solutions to help people live healthier, happier, more productive, more amazing lives. His study has led him to conflict zones, the Arctic, and the most distant parts of Bolivia's rainforest. Michael's work has been accepted by significant organizations,... read full bio
Dr. Owais Durrani is a board-certified emergency care physician in Houston who advocates for STEM education and works as a medical analyst, TV host, speaker, and practitioner. He often contributes to print media as a medical expert and regularly appears as an independent medical expert on CNN, MSNBC, the BBC, CBS, NBC, and other networks. As a member of the advisory... read full bio
Ellen Galinsky was elected President of the Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN) and President of the Families and Work Institute. She is also the School Superintendent Organization's senior research advisor. Prior positions include faculty at Bank Street College and Chief Science Officer at the Bezos Family Foundation. Work-life balance, child and adolescent development, youth voice, childcare, parent-professional relationships, and... read full bio
International businesswoman Soraya Fouladi is in charge of a multinational team that works to fulfill Jara's mission of providing high-quality education to children in underserved regions at any time and from any location. An electrical engineer by profession, Soraya brought a diverse perspective to the start-up industry that is founded on enhancing the lives of those in need via concrete... read full bio
Chad E. Foster is a Red Hat/IBM sales and finance leader, inspiring change agent, and motivating keynote speaker. In addition to being featured by NBC, CBS, Forbes, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA Today, and Chief Executive Mag, he was the first blind executive to graduate from Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development. Chad began working at Accenture after losing his... read full bio
