Actor, singer, and certified wellness coach Debra Wanger has performed in theaters, cabarets, and screens from New York to Los Angeles. She’s a sought after speaker who’s given workshops at university theater programs and corporate groups across the country, and an author whose book The Resilient Actor: How to Kick-Ass in the Business Without it Kicking Your Ass was an Amazon bestseller. The Resilient Actor’s Workbook & Planner was just released. While working at Creative Artists Agency, she helped guide the careers of many top names, including Halle Berry and Antonio Banderas. Debra lives in San Diego with her three children and her dog. Her album, Driving My Own Heart, is available on Amazon and iTunes.
Nita Patel is a speaker, author, and artist who believes in modern etiquette as a path to becoming our best selves.
Schooled in London and a veteran of corporate America, she has 20+ years in technology and healthcare leadership and nurturing teams toward confidence and impact.
She is currently pursuing studies in psychology at Harvard while exploring the intersection of mindfulness and manners, empowering people to discover self-confidence and success through the lost art of etiquette. She is the author of the new book Boss Vibes: Self-Esteem, Success, and the Art of Etiquette. For more, visit Nita-Patel.com.
Jeff DeGraff is both an advisor to Fortune 500 companies and a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. His simultaneously creative and pragmatic approach to making innovation happen has led clients and colleagues to dub him the “Dean of Innovation.”
He has written several books, including Leading Innovation, Innovation You, and The Innovation Code. Jeff’s thoughts on innovation are covered by Inc., Fortune, and Psychology Today. He has a regular segment on public radio called The Next Idea. His new book, The Creative Mindset, brings 6 creativity skills to everyone.
Peter Kozodoy is the award-winning author of Honest to Greatness, an Inc. 5000 serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and business coach who works with organizations and their leaders to help them overcome self-limiting BS and use honesty to achieve greatness. His articles on leadership and entrepreneurship have appeared in Forbes, Inc., HuffPost, PR Daily, and more. He holds a BA in economics from Brandeis University and an MBA from Columbia Business School and lives outside New York City with his wife and their spoiled dog. To strike up an honest conversation, visit PeterKozodoy.com.
Motivational Speaker, Comedian, Award-Winning Storyteller, One-Woman Show in Theaters "Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale"
Genevieve Piturro founded the hugely successful national non- profit Pajama Program when a six-year-old girl's question almost 20 years ago changed her life forever. After a career in television marketing, she jumped off the corporate ladder. Today, her Pajama Program has delivered seven million Good Nights filled with magical gifts of pajamas and books to children throughout the US. Genevieve is now a professional speaker and consultant, sharing life and leadership lessons she learned through her Pajama Program journey. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, CNN, and Fox & Friends and has been featured in O magazine, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Parenting magazine, among others.
Riggs Eckelberry doesn’t look like a bomb-thrower. And yet, he’s driving the disruption of a trillion-dollar industry that has fallen behind the times and is affecting the health of millions. That industry is Big Water. Simply, those billion-dollar centralized water systems aren’t coping with demand, and water quality is getting worse. Riggs Eckelberry is the founder and CEO of the innovative water technology company, OriginClear, which is delivering water solutions for industrial customers worldwide.
Maya Hu-Chan is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, author, leadership educator, and Master Certified Coach. She specializes in global leadership, cross-cultural management, diversity, and Inclusion. Ranked Top 8 Global Solutions Thinkers by Thinkers50, World Top 30 Leadership Gurus, and Top 100 Thought Leaders in Management & Leadership, Maya has worked with thousands of leaders from Global Fortune 500 companies around the world. Maya is the founder and president of Global Leadership Associates, a global consultancy that partners with organizations to build leadership capabilities and enable profound growth and change.
Her book “Global Leadership: The Next Generation” was a Harvard Business School Working Knowledge book. Her new book “Saving Face: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust” was published in 2020 (Berrett-Koehler). She is a contributing author of 10 business books and a columnist for INC.com.
Born and raised in Taiwan and living in San Diego, California, Maya is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and B.A. from National Chengchi University in Taiwan. Maya has lectured at the Brookings Institution, University of California, San Diego, University of Chicago, University of Southern California, and Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Part CEO, part personal development wonk, and part biohacker info geek, Thom King is a self-confessed serial entrepreneur. While his favorite book list contains many success oriented and personal-development classics, the traditional definition of achieving success (e.g. make a lot of money) is not what inspires or motivates King. He follows more of a “you aren’t doing well unless you’re also doing some good” line of thinking. King’s company has been built around the simple principle of “do the right thing.” In 1999, Thom’s personal passion for food and his concern over the explosion of metabolic disease led him to found Steviva Brands, now known as Icon Foods, with a mission to help food manufacturers replace unhealthy sugars in their products with natural options. With 20 years of R&D work, Thom has helped hundreds of manufacturers improve the
quality of their products. In recent years, his passion for food and optimal health have intersected with his embrace of a ketogenic (low carb, high fat) diet.
After successfully building her business over the last twenty-plus years, Marcia Moran thought she had life by the tail. Little did she know what was in store.
Marcia has written over fifty business plans and helped entrepreneurs strategize over how to differentiate their companies in changing environments. After helping other entrepreneurs start their companies, she decided to found her own business consulting practice, Performance Architect, in 2012 and co-founded Positive Business DC that same year.
She suffered a major stroke in 2014. Marcia applied her skills in planning and strategy as she strived to become whole. She never gave up. Over time she learned to walk again, but Marcia struggled with aphasia, a language disorder. She joined Toastmasters International® hoping to regain her speaking abilities. It helped some, but in August 2017 she discovered a technological breakthrough that minimized her speaking disability.
She then pushed beyond her comfort zone to become a Toastmasters International Club Officer in 2017, then Area Director in 2019.
Marcia created Stroke FORWARD because she felt there is a need to share hope to stroke survivors and their caretakers. Learning to become her own health advocate one step a time and exploring holistic methods for healing are keys to her recovery. Marcia speaks and shares her message of hope, inspiration, healing, and a way forward as she goes across the country. She welcomes new opportunities to help individuals affected by major health crises move ahead.
Mike Robbins is the author of We're All In This Together; Bring Your Whole Self to Work; Nothing Changes Until You Do; Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken; and Focus on the Good Stuff, which have been translated into 15 languages. A sought-after speaker, consultant, and thought leader, Mike works with a diverse group of clients throughout the world, including Google, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Gap, and the Oakland A’s. Mike is a regular contributor to Forbes and the host of a weekly podcast called We’re All in This Together. His work has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, The New YorkTimes, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist, as well as on NPR and ABC News, among many others.
In a past life, Ann was "The Godmother of Attraction Marketing"...an expert in building and KEEPING a loyal following that buys from you again and again for years!
When she took her skillset online, things just exploded: not only an ultra-successful affiliate marketer, Ann was also the mastermind behind the Renegade System - responsible for creating an untold number of 6, 7, and 8 figure earners.
But even after generating over $20,000,000.00 in online sales, she wasn't done. Ann took her list of 400,000 or so subscribers and created the E-Commerce Business School...the premier e-commerce training platform on the internet.
From training beginners in local retail arbitrage to organizing sourcing trips to China, Ann's marketing mindset served her well in creating a new generation of E-Commerce sellers at any age!
Ann's focus through the E-Commerce Business School is to provide a results-driven entrepreneurial mentoring community.
Joel Berman offers lessons in entrepreneurship, innovation and business from 25+ years of experience with several start-ups to Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Amazon.com, Pearson Education, Lenati, Wonder Forge, Ravensburger, Avanti Markets, One Foot Productions and more. By working across diverse industries – publishing, education, online learning, software, technology, e-commerce, unattended retail/vending, food and beverage, entertainment, games and other consumer packaged goods – Berman is able to draw from a range of topics and experiences. Berman joined Avanti Markets, Inc. in 2018 to build a new division and launch Smart N Go, a cutting-edge, smart vending innovation in the on-the-go refreshment space. In early 2019, Berman took on the role of Head of Sales & Customer Success for Avanti Markets, where he leads the sales, business development and account management, and customer service practices for the organization, while continuing to oversee the management of Smart N Go. Berman earned his MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, and his BA from UCLA. Berman also taught Entrepreneurship (Creating a Company) at the Buerk Center of Entrepreneurship for the Foster School of Business (2017-2018).
Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, author, speaker, and consultant who “makes work relationships work”. For the past 20 years, he’s improved numerous businesses, schools, government agencies, and non-profit organizations by helping them:
https://www.appreciationatwork.com/
http://www.drpaulwhite.com/
Opera singer Sara Duchovnay has turned a lifelong obsession with vintage and antique fine jewelry into a multifaceted dual career as a fine jewelry curator and owner of Songbird Sara Jewelry. While performing lead roles with opera companies around the country and traveling alongside her opera singing husband, Sara is able to make personal connections within the jewelry industry and source heirloom fine estate jewelry from all over the world. This unique opportunity allows her to offer her customers some of the most exquisite vintage and antique fine jewelry pieces available today and allows them to bring true operatic glamour and history into their everyday modern lives.
Stacey Blume is an experienced fashion entrepreneur and inventor with a proven track record of developing innovative designs from inception to mass market adoption through licensing. Stacey invented an ingredient brand called ElastaFuse Technology (EFT). EFT re-engineered a classic sweatband to be a functioning piece of elastic in order to capture sweat, prevent chafing, and maximize comfort. This revolutionary elastic is patented in multiple categories including activewear, underwear, and accessory bags. Noble Titan is a consumer-facing brand conceived as a ‘proof of concept’ for EFT. The men's underwear category is currently selling online at Walmart.
David's stated mission is to impact an entire generation of leaders. He does this by Helping Executives Realize Their Vision & Create Sustainable Change Through 3D Coaching.
David holds a doctorate in strategic leadership, which he puts to good use in his coaching practice. He is a force multiplier for executives who want to hit their stretch goals fast. He partners with C-level executives and their leadership teams, increasing accountability, clarity, and focus. He's the principal of Arrington Coaching and is a much sought-after coach, speaker, and leadership trainer. He and his team launched ArringtonTraining.com to make his practical teaching style and proven methodology available to more leaders, teams, and organizations.
Since 1980, Eileen McDargh has helped organizations and individuals transform the life of their business and the business of their life through conversations that matter and connections that count. She has become known as a master facilitator, an award-winning author, and an internationally recognized keynoter and executive coach.
She draws upon practical business know-how, life's experiences, and years of consulting to major national and international organizations that have ranged from global pharmaceuticals to the US Armed Forces, from health care associations to religious institutions. Her programs are content-rich, interactive, provocative, and playful—even downright hilarious.
In 2019, Global Gurus International, a British-based provider of resources for leadership, communication, and sales training, also ranked her FIRST as one of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals following a global survey of 22,000 business professionals. She is also a Certified Virtual Trainer. Eileen has written six books and her seventh book Burnout to Breakthrough: Building Resilience to Refuel, Recharge, and Reclaim What Matters will be published by Berrett-Koehler.
Bill Protzmann’s mission is to raise awareness of the power of music as self-care. He is the world’s leading advocate and educator on the power of music for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, holds magna cum laude degrees in piano performance and creative writing, and has led a successful IT consulting practice for more than 30 years. In 2011, Bill launched Music Care Inc, a for-purpose corporation to teach and advocate for practical ways music can be used for your self-care. He was recognized by the National Council for Behavioral Health with an Award of Excellence in 2014 – the industry equivalent of winning an Oscar.
At age seven, Nina wrote and illustrated her first book. As far as she can remember, the story was about a princess in distress, a knight, and a horse. A modest profit was achieved as the limited and signed edition of ten was sponsored with a parental grant and sold at fifty cents apiece. Today the book remains out of print.
Nina has seen it all from the early days on independent features, to big national TV commercials, corporate mega-shows and many documentary films, including one she wrote, directed, and produced about Muslim kids in New York, called Abraham's Children. In short, there’s no film- and video- production scenario she hasn't taken care of.
Along the journey, she’s met many, many awesomely wonderful people and a few bad-asses. All of them worth great stories.
She has worked with stars like Sophia Loren, John Malkovich, and Wynton Marsalis, interviewed Fortune 500 CEO’s, worked on Emmy award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentaries, and produced hundreds of videos for uber-corporate shows.
She has negotiated with teamsters, clients (big and small), actors, crew, children, police officers, a few dogs, and one snake.
Now, Nina Enables Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs to Grow their Business with Consistent Video Content through 1-on-1 Coaching & Peer Learning.
Tom Wise spent over 30 years in the TV selling business. He worked as a host and Director of On-Air Talent on HSN and, as a vendor, has appeared as a guest on HSN and QVC. He has imported millions of dollars worth of products that were sold on live TV and he worked as the VP of Production for Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington. He is the inventor and patent holder of the "4-in-1" Kerry Kart and part-time stand-up comic.
Don Snellings is an AdTech Veteran of 15 years, Avid Endurance Athlete (Marathoner and soon to be Ironman) and Co-Founder of FICS NYC which is a fitness recovery and wellness studio. In addition Don lives in New York City with his wife and French Bulldog and spends his free time training in Central park while seeking all realms of mental and physical well-being.
Erica started off as a blogger back in 2013 before the era of Instagram - eventually, she was able to make blogging her full-time job in 2016. Around that same time, she created a course for other bloggers looking to monetize their influence, when there was nothing else like it on the market, called BossPitch - and that’s all about teaching others how to pitch and politely persist their way to their dream brand partnerships with brands as bloggers. In 2019 Erica created the Thrive podcast to help her lady listeners go from simply surviving to thriving in everyday life, and her first book, Caffeinate Your Soul: 52 Monday Mantras, just came out in May 2020!
Hilary DeCesare is an award-winning entrepreneur, Executive Coach, CEO of The ReLaunch Co., featured speaker in the Silicon Valley and women's conferences nationwide, as well as a philanthropist in The Bay Area. She's made it her commitment to help people reach new heights in life, their career, and relationships. Having faced several setbacks herself, she has a unique understanding of how to help others by providing actionable steps to successfully ReLaunch.
You might have caught Hilary on ABC's The Secret Millionaire or you have seen her speak on major news outlets such as CBS, ABC, Fox, Huffington Post, and Yahoo. She redefined hybrid learning with her transitional coaching/classes offered by The ReLaunch Co. and The ReLaunch Collective. As a mother to 3, step-mother to 2, and wife to her amazing husband, life is filled with an abundance of joy for Hilary. You can find out more about her at http://www.therelaunchco.com