STEVEN LEVITT & STEPHEN DUBNER

Bestselling Authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner walked the red carpet in NYC on April 30th at the U.S. premiere of the Freakonomics documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival!

Variety calls the film “a revelatory trip into complex, innovative ideas and altered perspectives.” IndieWIRE says that “a television series or a sequel could follow without much resistance.” During the film festival, Levitt and Dubner made their rounds in Q&A panels alongside the all-star team of documentary filmmakers who were a part of this project. The film will be released this Fall. Click here to read Steven Levitt's review of the film.

MICHAEL EISNER

Every great institution needs a partnership to really achieve greatness. In his new book, Working Together (to be released in September 2010), Michael Eisner takes an inside look at some of the most successful business partnerships and what makes them tick. In business there are always unique individual achievers, but pull down the veil and you’ll often find someone alongside them. Eisner does just that, using his own successful collaboration with Frank Wells at Disney as a launching point for examining other famously successful and rewarding partnerships; for example, those of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Bill and Melinda Gates, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, among others. Michael Eisner offers a wealth of behind-the-scenes stories and insights from his in-depth interviews with these partners, including what works in business and what doesn’t.

KOFI ANNAN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited our office recently, and we were inspired by his continued efforts on behalf of human rights, international cooperation, and in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Kofi Annan Foundation supports Secretary-General Annan’s efforts to provide inspirational and catalytic leadership on critical global issues, and he is an active member of the Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. One of his campaigns, Tck Tck Tck - Time For Climate Justice, was the biggest and most broad-ranging petition in the run-up to COP15 with over 15 million digital pledges of support. He was also featured in Foreign Policy's list of the "Top 100 Global Thinkers" for "For His Ceaseless Work to Create Africa's Green Revolution."

FRED THOMPSON

Straddling the worlds of Washington and Hollywood, former presidential candidate, Senator, and acclaimed actor Fred Thompson tells his life story and voices the values he was raised on in his new book, Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances (release date: May 11th, 2010). "Your conversation with the Ashbrook Scholars was terrific and even those who wanted to argue with you found it difficult. Your good mind and kind heart put them fully at ease and they enjoyed your company very much." - Ashland University

SHEENA IYENGAR

Dr. Iyengar's fascinating ideas about The Art of Choosing, the title of her new book, are receiving much praise from the media. "Sheena Iyengar offers an insightful, provocative, and downright entertaining look at how we choose." (The Boston Globe, Read Article); "As she tours the science of choice, Ms. Iyengar takes care to be provocative rather than prescriptive." (The Wall Street Journal, Read Article). On May 7th, Sheena Iyengar gave a presentation at the sold-out TEDxEAST event. TEDxEast brings the spirit of the TED conference to New York City -- hosting some of the world's most incredible thinkers, doers and teachers to inspire attendees to create greater impact with their ideas.

CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS

Appearing on Larry King Live, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN's American Morning and Fox and Friends, "Hero of the High Seas" Captain Richard Phillips has been on a whirlwind media tour since the release of his highly anticipated memoir, A Captain's Duty. Watch a video clip from The Daily Show. On April 12th, Captain Phillips was the "surprise" guest speaker for the Network Services Company's trade show, where he engaged 500+ attendees with details of some of the incredibly harrowing moments he experienced during his tense days of pirate captivity. Praise for Captain Phillips includes: "Capt. Phillips gave an outstanding presentation." (ASIS International); "I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew." (President Barack Obama)

ROXANA SABERI

"It was truly a joy dealing with Roxana Saberi." Ms. Saberi received fantastic feedback following her engaging presentation to around 2,000 attendees at the University of North Dakota on April 19th: "Throughout the day and evening, she was extremely generous and warm to students, administrators, faculty and members of the community alike. Her talk to the public was articulate, powerful, and moving. Her intelligence, strength and dignity were on full display." Ms. Saberi's highly anticipated memoir, Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran was released on March 30th. Read Roxana Saberi's May 13th column in the Washington Post: “A chance to stand tall against Iran on human rights."

JIMMY WALES

"Insightful," "interactive," and "funny," are just some of the glowing adjectives we received from the host following Jimmy Wales' presentation in the 4th Annual Festival of Media event that took place in Valencia, Spain on April 19th, which was hosted by C Squared Communications, Ltd. The Festival is a global gathering of the world's leading media and marketing professionals. The host said, "Jimmy founded Wikipedia, the world’s largest advertising-free website. Our audience of global advertising professionals and marketers should’ve hated him for taking away their consumers attention into a non-advertising environment. But his wit, wisdom and sheer openness and engaging style meant that he won them over."

STEVE & COKIE ROBERTS

"Steve & Cokie were perfect." Cokie and Steve Roberts were invited to launch Triangle Community Foundation's new annual event last week, What Matters, which was "a smashing, sold-out success." With 500 in attendance, Steve and Cokie answered questions relating to the 2010 theme, What Matters is: A Diverse and Engaged Community, on such topics as immigration, political races and public financing, entrepreneurship and innovation, and more. The host went on to say, "They were easy to work with, friendly to our guests, and provided insightful comments for which we are still receiving compliments from folks who attended the event."

STEVE FORBES

Steve Forbes' insight into the current economic landscape continues to receive rave reviews from our sponsors, including, "It was a fantastic evening with a receptive full-house — a respectful and grateful crowd. Mr. Forbes received a standing ovation." We received this comment from Young America 's Foundation, who hosted Mr. Forbes on April 27th for a speech and book signing of Mr. Forbes' newest book, How Capitalism Will Save Us. Read more about this event... On April 12th, Mr. Forbes was the first keynote speaker for the 1st Annual Capital G Private Wealth Conference: "It is because of your participation that this event was such a success. As you know these types of events are only as good as the speakers and we chose you for your knowledge and expertise. We were rewarded with an overwhelmingly positive response from participants on your contribution to the conference."

MARTIN SHEEN

Last week, Martin Sheen engaged an enthusiastic audience in a 3,000 seat theater at Indiana University's Collin's Lecture Series. The University reported that "he was phenomenal" and "extremely generous with his time." Mr. Sheen often receives incredible praise on the lecture circuit: "Martin was absolutely fantastic and major success in Brussels." (Energy Globe Gala); "Martin was a HUGE hit!" (ACLU of Michigan); "Martin Sheen was awesome! Truly a great man." (J. Walter Thompson Worldwide); "His passion was amazing." (Parris Communications); “Mr. Sheen is an amazing person." (Shelter Network).

PETER GROS

Wildlife Expert and Co-host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Peter Gros, is one of HWA's newest exclusive speakers whose popular live presentations highlight his many adventures with a mix of video clips and bloopers while introducing friendly exotic animals to audience members, and telling inspirational stories dealing with issues of conservation, travel, and wildlife filming. Peter's fascinating stories have been thrilling and educating audiences across the country for years. Showcasing his dynamic stage presence, humor, and his undeniably infectious love for animals, Peter's presentation can be customized to meet your next event or meeting.

SENATOR BILL FRIST

Senator Bill Frist addressed "a sold out event of around 400" on April 7th for San Antonio Medical Foundation, who reported, "We received excellent media coverage, print, radio as well as TV. I have received many positive comments about his program regarding both content and delivery. I would highly recommend him to any group wanting an update on health care reform." Earlier this month, First Lady Michelle Obama announced Senator Frist will serve as a Vice Chair for her childhood obesity foundation, Partnership for a Healthier America. "As childhood obesity continues to threaten the health and future of all American children, the time has come for meaningful, measurable solutions to solve this crisis," said Dr. Frist. "I look forward to working to mobilize leaders across this country to take action and improve the health of our nation."   

DANIEL GILBERT

"Dr. Gilbert was great - a very interesting and entertaining speaker!" Harvard psychologist and bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert addressed 130 attendees on May 4th for J.P. Morgan Asset Management's 12th Annual Wealth Management Symposium. His prior engagement with the Insured Retirement Institute received "overwhelmingly positive feedback" from members of an audience of 500. The host thanked him warmly for his contribution: "Our success was due in large part to your participation and expertise on a program that was both highly educational and incredibly entertaining." To see why The Wall Street Journal calls Gilbert "a leader in the burgeoning study of affective forecasting," view video clips of him speaking at the TED Conference, The Royal Society of London, or his appearance on The Colbert Report.