Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media

Steve Forbes is chairman, CEO, and editor in chief at Forbes Media and an internationally respected authority in the worlds of economics, finance, and corporate leadership. With the economy at the forefront of conversation on a global level, Forbes offers long-standing insights that capitalism, free markets, and a flat tax are essential to a healthy economy. This is a message Forbes has been delivering as editor of one of the world’s most successful business magazines for decades, and he continues to be one of the most sought-after speakers on this and other economic issues leading the economic debates around the world.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Steve Forbes received "two standing ovations" from 700+ executives from corporations throughout the Rocky Mountain region at their 2011 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference. His gracious and approachable manner also made the event "a huge success!"

Former Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Worldwide ; Former President of Sony; Founder, The Mottola Company

As one of the most highly regarded and influential executives in the worldwide entertainment business, Thomas D. Mottola most recently served as Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. During his tenure, he transformed Sony and its 18,000 employees into the most successful global music companies in history, expanding its businesses and all of its manufacturing facilities into over 60 countries, while creating one of the strongest management teams in the industry. Under Mottola's leadership, Sony revenues skyrocketed from $800 million to over $7 billion a year, creating the largest sales in the history of the company.

Chairman & CEO, The Walt Disney Company (1984-2005); Owner and Non-Executive Chairman, The Topps Company, Inc.; Founder & CEO, The Tornante Company

Michael Eisner teaches audiences how to develop corporate creativity and strategically invest in innovation, based on his experiences as CEO of Disney and as Founder of The Tornante Company, a fund to invest in and develop companies in the media and entertainment sector. Both Fortune 500 CEO and entrepreneur, Mr. Eisner knows that even large global companies can innovate and adapt to new markets, new economies and new technologies. Through his remarks, he not only inspires corporate innovation, he gives parameters for successful execution such as brand building, establishing strategic partnerships and employee work teams.

Under the leadership of Michael Eisner, Walt Disney Company revenues grew from $1.7 billion to more than $30 billion by focusing on the power of ideas, pursuing the innovative vision, and taking creative risks. As a leader in the media industry for nearly four decades, Mr. Eisner has overseen organizations recognized for their inventiveness and innovation, experienced an explosion of technological advances that have impacted his business and led his companies through the advent of the next big ideas. In his presentations on leadership, he shares his insights on what it takes to run a company that must always grow and change.

First Deputy Managing Director, IMF 2006-2011 ; Co-Director, Aspen Institute’s Program on the Global Economy ; Director, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Advisory Board Member, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) ; Former Vice Chairman, JPMorgan Investment Bank; Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

John Lipsky’s service at the International Monetary Fund coincided with the onset of the greatest economic and financial challenges faced yet by the rapidly globalizing world. Having served as the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director between 2006-2011, as well as Acting Managing Director from May-July 2011, Lipsky helped lead the IMF’s efforts to halt the global downturn, to reestablish economic and financial stability, and to restart growth through unprecedented international policy cooperation in the face of historic market upheavals and systemic disruption.

Over the course of his distinguished career in both the private and public sectors, he has earned the credentials that give him the respect of leaders from both sectors around the world. Lipsky offers a unique insight into how economic policy is being negotiated and implemented today, reflecting the unique challenges and the global realities of shifting relative power in both economic and political arenas.

Founder, Wikipedia; U.S. Internet Entrepreneur and Wiki Pioneer; One of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People”; Wikipedia is the 5th Most Popular Website in the World

Jimmy Wales, the Founder and Visionary Force behind Wikipedia, is one of TIME Magazine’s "100 Most Influential People" and was ranked 12th by Forbes Magazine in their first annual "Web Celeb 25" List. Ten years ago Wales thought if Wikipedia could rank in the top 100 or Top 50 websites that would be pretty good...Today Wikipedia is the 5th Most Popular Website in the WORLD and Jimmy Wales is one of the most sought after visionaries in business and technology! Jimmy Wales' leadership was recognized by the World Economic Forum in 2007 when they acknowledged him as one of the top 250 young leaders across the world for his professional accomplishments, his commitment to society, and his potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. And in May 2008, Wales co-chaired the annual World Economic Forum on the Middle East, the foremost global gathering of political, business and cultural leaders.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT! 2011 Marks the 10th Anniversary of Wikipedia! Read Wales' inspired thoughts on the past decade of Wikipedia in articles from The Washington Post and WIRED Magazine, and watch his interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or his video interview about Leadership!

Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc; Chairman, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS

In 25 years, Kenneth Cole has built a 150 store-strong retail empire, uniting his fashion instincts and business acumen with his philanthropic convictions. Mr. Cole’s influence reaches far beyond the world of fashion – he has been a dynamic advocate for many causes ranging from initiatives for the homeless to his work as Chairman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

Bestselling Author and World Renowned Speaker on Exploiting Business Trends and New Market Opportunities ; Founder and CEO of ChangeLabs™

Peter Sheahan has established a globally recognized brand as a leading expert in how the world's most effective organizations and individuals distinguish themselves from the competition instead of running with the pack. In the space of three years he built a multi-million dollar consulting practice attracting clients such as News Corporation, Google, Coca-Cola, L'Oréal and Ernst & Young.

WATCH SIZZLE REEL! Take a look at the following video compilation to see why meeting planners bring Peter Sheahan to the stage time and time again.  VIEW CLIP.

Chairman of JP Morgan/Brookings Institution Global Cities Initiative ; Director, The Coca Cola Company ; Mayor of Chicago, 1989-2011 ; “Widely Viewed as the Nation’s Top Urban Executive” - TIME

As one of the world’s most celebrated mayors, Richard M. Daley has found ways to spread his message of global commerce though urban innovation since leaving his Chicago post. Recently named senior advisor to JP Morgan Chase and chairman of the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and JP Morgan Chase, Daley brings his tactical experience to audiences around the world. He consistently delivers newsworthy and topical presentations to the world's leading institutions, giving them highly informed perspectives to succeed in today’s economy.

According to TIME Magazine, Mayor Richard M. Daley “is widely viewed as the nation’s top urban executive.” As a city CEO, he earned a reputation - both in Chicago and across the U.S. – for acting proactively and implementing forward looking policies, many of which are emulated around the world. His innovative, community-based programs have tackled many of the fundamental challenges facing America today - strengthening the economy by focusing on jobs and businesses of the future, including green technology and clean energy; bringing new businesses and jobs to the community; and creating education initiatives that provide better job and skill training for a workforce that is ready to work in the new economy emerging from the nation's recession. At the same time, he made it an ongoing priority during his tenure to control government spending, and hold the government to higher standards of accountability and transparency, in order to better serve Chicago's taxpayers. One of the hallmarks of his leadership was pulling the people of Chicago together to "focus on what unites us," challenging the city to work together and put aside politics to focus on shared solutions to Chicago's problems.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT: WHEATON COLLEGE: Mayor Daley reflects on his tenure, as well as his passion for public service. /// ASIA SOCIETY: Mayor Daley addresses education and the importance of multi-lingual and multi-cultural education in today's global cities.

Member of President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (Present); Member of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board (Present); Member of President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (Feb. 2009 - Feb. 2011); National Economic Advisor to President Clinton, 1995-1996 ; First Female Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, 1993-1995 ; First Female Dean, London Business School, 2002-2006; S.K. and Angela Chan Professor of Global Management, Haas School of Business, Present

Dr. Tyson's experience as an established economic advisor, a dean at two top-ranked business schools and a board member of three multinational companies gives her an extraordinary breadth of knowledge to forecast economic trends for specific industry sectors, as well as offer prospects for world trade and international markets.

Dean, Columbia Business School; Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush, 2001-2003

An economic advisor to Presidents, a well-respected Dean and Professor, R. Glenn Hubbard has been the architect of policies that affect millions. His groundbreaking research in the areas of tax policy, monetary economics, international finance and corporate finance has earned him international acclaim as a leader in economic theory and application.  A prolific writer, he rises at 4 a.m. to pen research papers and op–eds that regularly appear in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He’s a frequent guest on such programs as NPR's Marketplace and PBS's Nightly Business Report.

Authors of the Much Heralded Book, Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives

Science Magazine has dubbed co-authors Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler the "dynamic duo." Connected is the winner of a Books for a Better Life Award and has been translated into nearly twenty languages. It was named an Editor's Choice by The New York Times Book Review, and was featured in Wired, Oprah's Reading Guide, BusinessWeek's Best Books of the Year, GOOD's 15 Books You Must Read, and featured as a cover story in the New York Times Magazine.

CEO, Executive Chairman & Lead Portfolio Manager of AIC Advantage Fund since 1987

From young, unemployed Jamaican immigrant to the cover of Forbes' Billionaires Edition, Michael Lee-Chin is the Executive Chairman of AIC Limited (a Canadian mutual fund), and Chairman of the National Commercial Bank of Jamaica. Under Mr. Lee-Chin's management, AIC has grown to more than $8 billion in assets. Mr. Lee-Chin was honored by TIME Magazine as one of Canada's Heroes and has been one of the country's most intriguing and inspiring citizens.

Counselor to President George W. Bush, 2001-2002; Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, 2005-2007; Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller

Karen Hughes is a senior strategist helping business leaders strengthen their corporate/CEO reputations, achieve business goals through effective communications and shape positive public and stakeholder perceptions. She has also been described as "the most powerful woman ever to serve in the White House" (Dallas Morning News) and "the most powerful public diplomacy czar in decades" (The Boston Globe). As Under Secretary of State, she traveled to more than 50 countries, meeting world leaders and reaching out to international audiences.

ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT: Karen Hughes Remembers the 9/11 Terror Attacks

Chairman, Institute for Large Scale Innovation; Chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Advisory Council on Innovation ; Bestselling Author, Innovation Nation and Jamming: The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity; Innovation Consultant to Public and Private Sector Leaders Worldwide

John Kao has made a career out of helping organizations go from “getting” the importance of innovation to “getting innovation done.”

Dubbed “Mr. Creativity” by The Economist, John is Chairman of the Institute for Large Scale Innovation, whose i20 group is an association of 30 national ‘Chief Innovation Officers.’  He is considered a leading authority on the subjects of innovation, organizational transformation, and new media. He is author of the best-selling Jamming: The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity, a BusinessWeek best-seller that has been published in a dozen languages, and Innovation Nation: How America is Losing its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do To Get It Back.  

Kao’s life and career are a study in innovation: he focused on philosophy and social science at Yale where he earned his BA; he spent a summer as a keyboard player with Frank Zappa (he’s an accomplished jazz pianist); and he graduated Yale Medical School with a specialty in psychiatry. He did his residency at Harvard, where he then earned his MBA and stayed on for 14 years to teach as a Harvard Business School professor. His elective, "Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Organizations" drew some 2,000 MBA students, and the executive program he developed and taught, "Enhancing Corporate Creativity," attracted top executives from companies such as Merck, Merrill Lynch, and Saudi Aramco. He is this year's Chair of the World Economic Forum's (Davos) Global Advisory Council on Innovation.

It is the eclectic quality of Kao’s knowledge and experience that make his insights so useful and unique.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT: View a video clip of John Kao speaking at the Tides Momentum Leadership Conference. In a presentation that mixes speech, music, and audience input, Kao talks about the meaning and importance of innovation, how we innovate, and the future as a design problem. 

John Kao explained why innovation is the key to America's future in a recent CNN special report, Restoring the American Dream: How to Innovate. View video... In addition to his appearance, Kao contributed a special article to CNN,"Defining Innovation."

Former CEO of Snapple; Leading Brand Strategist & Innovator; Chairman of INOV8 Beverage Company

Mike Weinstein is the beverage guru. Having engineered and led the spectacular turnaround of Snapple and served as the COO for A&W Drinks, he is an expert in branding and innovation in the beverage industry. Mr. Weinstein loves to share the secrets and story of how he reversed Snapple’s waning fortunes, and made it one of the most successful drink companies around.

Acclaimed Business Advisor; New York Times Bestselling Author of Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

For 35 years, Ram Charan has coached some of the worlds’ most successful CEOs, working behind the scenes at companies like GE, KLM, Bank of America, DuPont, Novartis, EMC, Home Depot, 3M and Verizon. Ram is a favorite among executive educators and was selected as one of Business Week’s top ten resources for in-house executive development programs. Ram is known for his practical, real world perspective. :

Founder, The Corcoran Group; Chairman of Barbara Corcoran Inc.; Bestselling author, Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business

Barbara Corcoran is one clever lady. A well-known figure in the world of New York real estate, she gives all the credit to her beleaguered Mom's teachings. Hailing from a cash-strapped New Jersey family loaded with kids, love, and life lessons, Corcoran parlayed $1,000 into a multibillion-dollar real estate firm. In her speeches she tells her rags-to-riches story. Unafraid of sounding silly, this joyous workaholic passes on her inspiration with real humility and motivates her audience along the way.

Chairman and CEO, Mandalay Entertainment Group

A passionate, humorous, and tireless motivator and speaker, Guber has dedicated himself to coaching current and future leaders about the importance of telling purposeful stories to propel their business success. Guber is the sponsor of e2e: A Day of Generosity, an annual conclave in which top business story telling experts and leaders share story telling best practices, brainstorm, and collaborate on bringing the MAGIC of telling purposeful stories to the people of enterprises everywhere.

Founder and Former CEO of Travelocity.com

The story of the entrepreneur in the garage is well known. But how does one build a startup inside a huge corporation? How do you successfully innovate in large and sometimes bureaucratic organizations? Terry Jones started Travelocity.com as a department inside the multi billion dollar Sabre Corporation. Starting with an idea and a team of ten, he grew the department into a three billion dollar public company with over 35 million members and 1200 employees.

Former President and CEO of Pepsi; Former CEO of Apple Computer; High-Tech Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist; Named "CEO of the Decade" by Financial News Network

John Sculley shares the business secrets that he used to catapult Apple and Pepsi to the most recognizable brand names in their categories.  John Sculley draws from his boardroom experiences to offer valuable insight into leading change, the new global marketplace and the innovative concepts companies are developing to transform business.

Top Business Strategist; New York Times Business Bestselling Author; Director of Research, MediaPost; CEO, NFI Research

Bestselling author and Business Strategist Chuck Martin has had his pulse on the latest management trends since first authoring Managing for the Short Term. Sharing the stage with President Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Dr. Phil, and Lance Armstrong, Chuck Martin advises audiences and companies on how to best cope with today’s business challenges. CEO of international market research powerhouse, NFI Research, Martin overseas a global idea exchange and research engine with a network base of 2,000 senior executives from more than 1,000 companies in 50 countries, including: AT&T, GE, American Express, Deloitte & Touche, Microsoft, and IBM.

President, Co-Opportunities; Author, Ready, Blame, Fire: Myths and Misses in Marketing

In demand as a corporate consultant, Ira Blumenthal has counseled clients such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Exxon, Wal-Mart, McDonald's, United Artists, Delta Airlines, Kroger, Home Depot, and others ... a celebrated writer and the recipient of the coveted "George Washington Honor Medal" for literary excellence ... a high-content public speaker who annually delivers over 100 keynotes around the world on topics related to business development.

Personal & Professional Transformation Expert; Author ; Consultant

Ona Brown delivers delicious recipes for success, which surpass the appetites of hungry, engaged & inspired clients. She specializes in identifying the missing ingredients that are required in order to manifest a yummy life!

President, Currid and Company

As one of America’s most respected computer industry analysts, Cheryl Currid offers a rare blend of business and technical insight. With many years of hands-on management and executive experience, she also brings in-depth knowledge of the inner-workings of computer and communication technologies. Her understanding of past, present and future technology trends gives her a unique position as a highly successful trend forecaster. Her ability to explain the importance of technology is unparalleled.

Internationally Licensed Columnist, PC Magazine; Vice President of Mevio Entertainment

John Dvorak has been a major technology industry columnist for fifteen years. Today he's a one-man column factory and he's on radio and television as well. People read him for his biting wit, his inside intelligence and his sense of humor - unparalleled in an industry not known for laughter. The edge.com wrote, “If I were pitching his story to a Hollywood studio, I would describe him as Don Imus meets David Letterman."

Technology Expert

Scott is a thought leader that specializes in helping leaders see the world in new ways. He has used innovation, velocity, and future vision to build his own companies, and to advise clients. He speaks to audiences across the market spectrum and never fails to send them home with at least three new ideas that can be applied right away. Scott is one of very few people that can translate where technology and trends are going with a high level of flair. It is also rare to find someone that has his combination of both "over the horizon" vision, and "in the trenches" experience. He is about TRANSFORMING, not informing.

Founder and Chairman, LifeAnswers, Inc.; Author, Customer Creation and The Winning Sales Call; Former Faculty Member, American Management Association

Touted as the “$100 Million Salesman,” Sean McArdle is a master motivator and speaker in the areas of sales, negotiation, strategic planning and personal development. His advice about what makes for a successful life and career come directly from his own experiences. His stories will take you on his personal journey from living under a bridge at 25 to negotiating some of the largest printing contracts in the publishing industry at 28.

Founder & CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.com

Jim McCann is the Chief Executive Officer of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. He is often sought after to speak on topics of entrepreneurship, marketing, and the Internet.

Highly Acclaimed Corporate Consultant; Professional & Motivational Speaker

Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., is an internationally sought-after speaker, organizational psychologist, and business consultant who has been described as “catching what is right in the world and playfully sparking people and businesses to grow toward the extraordinary.”

Partner, Sculley Brothers, LLC; Author, B2B Exchanges: The Killer Application in the Business-to-Business Internet Revolution

The New Economy has sparked a revolution in the way that business buy and sell products from each other. In his speeches, Arthur Sculley analyzes the nature of the revolution that is occurring in B2B transactions and how technology continues to revolutionize the procurement, pricing, and distribution of goods and services.

Author, Surviving the Digital Jungle and Doing Business in the Information Age

The author of two influential books on e-business, strategy, processes, and technology - Surviving the Digital Jungle and Doing Business in the Information Age - Jack Shaw helps organizations increase revenues, cut costs, improve service, and maximize productivity by using technology to enable winning business strategies.

Author, Blueprint to a Billion: The 7 Essentials to Achieve Exponential Growth

Microsoft, Google, eBay, Staples, Genentech, Starbucks, Nike, and Harley-Davidson . . . these are just a few examples of an elite group of companies that have managed to turn billion-dollar ideas into billion-dollar businesses. What did these and other high-growth companies do to achieve such a goal? What blueprint do they follow to produce such results?

Leading Authority on Corporate Strategy and Business Transformation; Author of The Discipline of Market Leaders and Double Digit Growth: How Great Companies Achieve It, No Matter What

Michael Treacy has been an expert in market leadership for more than 25 years, aiding the senior management of many companies with their greatest strategic challenges.

Entrepreneur and Technology Pioneer; President, Walker Digital; Founder, Priceline.com

Jay Walker is a technology pioneer who turns new ideas into BIG opportunities. Whether it’s changing the way consumers buy groceries and airline tickets (priceline.com) or changing the way old line companies approach their businesses, Walker and his team have invented over 600 proprietary business systems that solve problems in industries ranging from travel to defense to retail to restaurants to vending to publishing to gaming and entertainment.

Former Chairman and CEO, GE Capital Services

Since turning “Outsourcing to Gold” for General Electric, Gary Wendt has traveled the world teaching other companies how to hit the mother lode by taking advantage of today’s global business opportunities and trends. Considered a leading turn-around expert, Gary Wendt is widely credited with transforming GE Capital into a financial services giant. Wendt was praised by Fortune magazine as "one of the shrewdest people at GE, with an eye for spotting trends and an ability to move fast." He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

Founder of Winston Eco-Strategies; Author, Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage; Director of the Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale’s Environment School

As director of the Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale’s Environment School, Andrew Winston studies companies like BP, Toyota, IKEA, GE and Nike who are achieving both environmental and business success. In his speeches Winston puts this knowledge to work by showing companies how to create an “eco-advantage” in the marketplace as traditional elements of competitive differentiation fade in importance.

Co-founder, Grassroot Soccer; Public Speaker; Television Host

The winner of Survivor: Africa and professional international athlete, Ethan Zohn established himself as a champion for social change in Africa through his involvement with Grassroot Soccer, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to mobilize the global soccer community in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Global Political-Economic Expert ; Professor at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago; Author

"All politics is local," former House Speaker Tip O'Neill once famously remarked and the adage holds true for economics as well, even in the era of globalization, according to Marvin Zonis, global consultant and University of Chicago professor. In a world where local markets are increasingly interconnected, events in one small country can easily snowball to have a worldwide impact and while powerful corporations may be able to plant their flags around the world, they still need to deal with the locals. Factors like political corruption or ethnic conflicts can undermine a country's chances for prosperity, but they can be countered by strong leadership and stable institutions. In order to "do globalization better," business leaders need to recognize the importance of local political dynamics.

Former Chief Marketing Officer for Coca-Cola; Bestselling Author

“Selling more stuff to more people more often for more money more efficiently™” defines marketing success for Sergio Zyman, the man who put the fizz back in Coca-Cola’s fortunes, founded a preeminent marketing strategy firm, and authored four books, including two international bestsellers.