Buzz Aldrin
Apollo 11 Astronaut and Rocket Hero; One of the First Two People to Walk on the Moon; Advocate for Space Tourism
A living hero, an American patriot and a space pioneer, Buzz Aldrin is a reminder of the adventurous spirit of our country and stands as one of the bravest explorers of all time. 2008 marked NASA's 50th Anniversary and 2009 marks the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. Several film documentaries and TV series commemorating America's achievements in space and the historic moon landings have already been released with acclaim, and Buzz Aldrin appears in all of these special productions, including: In the Shadow of the Moon (Sundance Film Festival Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award); The Wonder of It All; and the Discovery Channel television series, The NASA Missions: When We Left Earth.
Kurt Andersen
Author, RESET: How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America
; Visionary, media icon and entrepreneur
; Bestselling novelist; Host, public radio’s Studio 360
“It’s the end of the world as we’ve known it,” Kurt Andersen writes in Reset, “but it isn’t the end of the world.” In this smart and refreshingly hopeful new book, Andersen–a brilliant analyst and synthesizer of historical and cultural trends, bestselling novelist, veteran of the New York literati, and host of public radio’s Studio 360–shows us why the current economic crisis is actually a moment of great opportunity to get ourselves and our nation back on track. Andersen explains how we’ve done it before and why we are about to do it again–and better than ever.
Eric Benhamou
Chairman of the Board of Directors of 3Com, Palm and Cypress Semiconductor; Founder, Chairman and CEO Benhamou Global Ventures
Eric Benhamou has enjoyed a meteoric career creating and growing high technology companies. A name synonymous with Palm, 3 Com, Bridgecom, Cypress and Real Networks, Benhamou's companies are leaders in almost all aspects of the world of technology. Having spent nearly 30 years building or running high technology companies, Mr. Benhamou has a long history of figuring out what customers really want and building companies and products that serve those markets. He’s been the featured speaker at the Conference on Education Technology, IDC, the Jordan IT Forum, INET: The Internet Global Summit; and Davos World Economic Forum where he joined other technology industry titans, including Michael Dell, chief of Dell Computer, Nobuyuki Idei, of Sony, and Paul Jacobs, of Qualcomm.
Torie Clarke
Senior Advisor for Comcast Corporation, Present; Pentagon Spokeswoman, 2001-2003; Author, Lipstick on a Pig; ABC Commentator
A Senior Advisor for Comcast Corporation and on-air commentator for ABC, Torie Clarke has advised some of the nation’s best-known executives. Best known to the public as the chief spokesperson for the Pentagon on 9/11 and the beginning of the Iraq war, Torie Clarke has long been respected within the worlds of politics and public relations as one of the most insightful experts on communication in the age of transparency. The architect of the media "embedding" program in Iraq, Clarke has stood on the leading edge of this transformation of the information environment for more than two decades.
Kenneth Cole
Chairman & CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions; Author, Awearness: Inspiring Stories about How to Make a Difference and Footnotes; Chairman, amfAR (The Foundation for Aids Research); Humanitarian, Activist and Philanthropist
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).
Michael Eisner
CEO, Walt Disney Company (1984-2005); Owner and Non-Executive Chairman, The Topps Company, Inc.; Owner, Vuguru, a Multimedia Production Studio
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.
Steve Forbes
Chairman and CEO of Forbes Media; Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine; Republican Candidate for President, 1996 and 2000
As Chairman and CEO of Forbes Inc. and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine, Steve Forbes is front and center on the economic challenges that we all face. Making frequent appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, Mr. Forbes has become the voice of calm in these turbulent economic times.
Roland Fryer
Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics, Harvard University; "One of the Top Young Economists in the World," Economist Magazine ; Collaborator on the Bestselling Book Freakonomics
; Affiliate, National Bureau of Economic Research; Sloan Research Fellow
; Early Career Award from National Science Foundation
Professor Roland Fryer has briskly established himself as an important player in the field of economics. Not only was Fryer named a "Rising Star" by Fortune magazine and featured in Esquire’s "Genius Issue," but his own work has been profiled in The New York Times, Washington Post, and the Boston Globe. A collaborator on the Bestselling Book Freakonomics, Roland Fryer has received praise from an array of sponsors – from Universities and Lecture Series to Insurance and Financial groups – for his seasoned and engaging perspective on an array of economic issues facing the nation.
John Glenn
Astronaut; United States Senator (Ohio), 1974-1999
John Glenn draws upon his extraordinary life experiences – as an astronaut, corporate executive and Senator – to illuminate audiences with the values, leadership and bravery that our age craves.
Al Gore
45th Vice President of the United States; Nobel Peace Laureate; Author, An Inconvenient Truth and Our Choice; Chairman, Alliance for Climate Protection
; Chairman, Generation Investment Management; Chairman, Current TV
The world’s most influential voice on climate change, an advisor to leaders in Congress, and heads of state throughout the world, Al Gore offers a unique perspective on national and international affairs. One of the most powerful champions of environmental awareness in America today, his multimedia presentation, which is a mesmerizing account of the consequences of climate change, was turned into the critically acclaimed documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which won an Oscar Award. In addition to his impassioned efforts with the environment, he has also carved out a considerable business career as Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to sustainable investing; Senior Advisor to Google; one of the Board of Directors of Apple; and is Chairman of Current TV, an Emmy Award Winning network that can be described as a cross between MTV and CNN.
Sheena Iyengar
Author, The Art of Choosing; S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division of the Columbia Business School
Author of The Art of Choosing, Dr. Sheena Iyengar's research has appeared in Fortune, Time Magazine, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and in popular books including The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. Malcolm Gladwell cites her research in his bestseller, Blink, and says, "No one asks better questions, or comes up with more intriguing answers." She has taught on a wide variety of topics at Columbia business school, including leadership, decision making, creativity, and globalization.
VIDEO SPOTLIGHT! Click here to preview a clip from Sheena's TED Talk about how names affect choice; Click here to watch Sheena's 20min presentation at TEDxEAST on The Art of Choosing; and Watch her recent interview on the Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo.
Mae Jemison
First African American Woman in Space; Founder and President of Two Medical Technology Companies
Dr. Mae C. Jemison broke more than the sound barrier in 1992 when she climbed aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour and became the first woman of color to travel into space - she made history! Now, Founder and President of two technology companies, the space flight was just one of a series of accomplishments for this dynamic woman.
Steven Levitt
Bestselling Author, FREAKONOMICS and SUPERFREAKONOMICS; FREAKONOMICS Spent Over 2 Years on The New York Times Bestseller List, With More Than 4 Million Copies Sold Worldwide; The Popular FREAKONOMICS Blog is Hosted Exclusively on The New York Times Website
Co-Author of the Phenomenal Bestselling Business Book FREAKONOMICS, and Winner of the highly esteemed John Bates Clark Medal, as the most influential economist in America under the age of 40, Steven D. Levitt not only discusses the financial crisis in simple terms that anyone can understand, he also works with businesses to apply his FREAKONOMICS approach (combining data, economic theory, and unorthodox thinking) to the business world.
SUPERFREAKONOMICS, the highly anticipated follow-up to FREAKONOMICS was released on October 20, 2009. SUPERFREAKONOMICS offers an entirely new set of lessons to be learned. The book will delve into the biggest issues of our time, such as healthcare, terrorism, global warming, the current financial crisis, and much more. A full-blown media and book tour will begin in October and Steven Levitt, along with co-author Stephen Dubner, will be featured on some of the nation's most watched programs, such as Good Morning America, 20/20, Charlie Rose, and many more, as everyone wants to hear what new wisdom will be revealed in SUPERFREAKONOMICS!
Gianluigi Longinotti-Buitoni
Former President and CEO of Ferrari North America; Author, Selling Dreams: How to Make Any Product Irresistible
Marketing maven and veteran CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, Ph.D. has led some of the world's most prestigious consumer products companies. His broad experience in banking, luxury goods and branded products, along with his comprehensive international business perspective serve as the backdrop for his presentations, where Dr. Longinotti-Buitoni reveals how he transformed products like Ferrari into irresistible brands.
Faith Popcorn
World Famous Trend Forecaster; Bestselling Author
Faith Popcorn removes the mystery from business, helping companies who apply her Trend-based methodology become leaders, not followers, of the future. She has been hailed as “the trend oracle” by The New York Times and the “Nostradamus of Marketing” by Fortune.
John Sculley
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.
Peter Sheahan
Bestselling Author and World Renowned Speaker on Exploiting Business Trends and New Market Opportunities ; Expert in Gen Y Trends
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'Oreal 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
J. Craig Venter
Pioneering Scientific Researcher; Founder, Chairman and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute; Founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics Inc.
Most well-known for his visionary contributions in sequencing the first draft of human genome, Dr. J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his invaluable contributions in genomic research. From positively impacting human health and better treating disease to enabling a better understanding of the environment and potentially creating new biological sources of energy, Dr. Venter illuminates how the field of genomics has the power to transform the world around us. Dr. Venter was awarded the 2009 National Medal of Science from President Obama. In 2007 and 2008, Dr. Venter was named one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People” in the Scientists and Thinkers category and was also listed among Foreign Policy’s “Public Intellectuals.”
Jimmy Wales
Founder, Wikipedia; U.S. Internet Entrepreneur and Wiki Pioneer; One of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People”; Wikipedia: Ranked Among the Top Ten Most-Visited Web Sites Worldwide
“Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge...To create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language-That’s who I am. That’s what I am doing. That’s my life goal.” -Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, was ranked 12th by Forbes Magazine in their first annual “Web Celeb 25” List and named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
Wales created the first open-source online encyclopedia truly by the people and for the people. Wikipedia's articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and nearly all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the Internet. Having steadily risen in popularity since its inception, Wikipedia currently ranks among the top ten most-visited web sites worldwide. In May 2008, Jimmy Wales co-chaired the annual World Economic Forum on the Middle East, the foremost global gathering of political, business and cultural leaders. In 2007, The World Economic Forum recognized Wales as one of its “Young Global Leaders.” This prestigious award acknowledges the top 250 young leaders across the world for their professional accomplishments, their commitment to society, and their potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. In an address to the forum, Mr. Wales declared that the internet will act as a catalyst in the promotion of democracy. “We do not hear much from everyday people; the Internet can change that. It is going to change political dynamics.”
Harvey Weinstein
Oscar Award-Winning Producer; Founder and Co-Chairman, The Weinstein Company; Founder, Miramax Films
Whether you are a film buff or not, Harvey Weinstein’s experience-based insights on innovative thinking and risk-taking can take any start-up business and catapult it into multi-million dollar status.
Mike Weinstein
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.
Robert Ballard
President, Institute for Exploration Mystic; Professor of Oceanography, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of R.I.; Director, Institute for Archeological Oceanography, University of R.I.; Founding Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientist, JASON Foundation for Education Waltham, MA
The man who made some of the most startling undersea discoveries in recent years, Robert Ballard, describes what it was like to locate the Titanic and other significant shipwrecks. World-famous for his discovery of the Titanic and the German battleship Bismark, Ballard leads audiences on a journey to plumb some of history’s greatest mysteries.
Ballard’s adventurous spirit is matched by a practical and hugely successful approach to goal setting, team building and execution. The skills that led to his headline-grabbing accomplishments are the same skills that now lead people from all walks of life toward a realization of their dreams.
Daniel Burrus
Leading Technology Forecaster and Business Strategist
Daniel Burrus is one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists, and is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed Technotrends, which has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology driven trends to help clients better understand how technological, social, and business forces are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities. The New York Times has referred to Daniel Burrus as one of America's top three business "gurus" in the highest demand as a speaker.
Jim Carroll
Futurist, Trends and Innovation Expert; Author ; Columnist
Organizations worldwide have turned to Jim Carroll for his unique insight into the key innovation strategies to ensure they can capitalize on fast emerging opportunities and achieve transformational growth despite economic challenges. BusinessWeek recently named him as one of the four world's leading sources for innovation insight and he has been featured as an innovation expert on the global CNBC series, The Business of Innovation. For over 15 years, Jim has been studying how companies can identify and exploit trends to anticipate and manage change, instead of being reactionary.
Ram Charan
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.
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Cheryl Currid
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.
John Deutch
MIT Professor; Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency; Former Undersecretary, U.S. Department of Energy; Board of Directors, Cheniere Energy
Former Undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Energy, John Deutch is world renowned in studies on energy and the environment. Mr. Deutch has published over 140 technical publications in physical chemistry, as well as numerous publications on technology, energy, international security, and public policy issues. In his speeches Dr. Deutch brings his academic training and government experience to cover topics as diverse as world security, technology and energy.
John Dvorak
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."
Steve Farber
President, Extreme Leadership, Inc.; Best-Selling Author
Coaching and inspiring Extreme Leadership at all organizational levels is Steve’s passion, and he does so with a style that is part strategist, part social commentator, part comedian, and all energy.
Richard Florida
Best-selling Author, The Rise of the Creative Class: And How Its Transforming Work, Leisure Community and Everyday Life
Currently the Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, Richard Florida is the founder and principal of two companies: the Creativity Group, an innovative communications and strategies team and Catalytix, a strategy-consulting firm.
Stephen Goldsmith
Chairman Emeritus, Manhattan Institutes Center for Civic Innovation; Two Term Mayor of Indianapolis; Chairman, Corporation for National and Community Service; Daniel Paul Professor of Government at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government
Overall, American governments from the White House to City Hall are enduring their worst fiscal crisis since World War II. According to Stephen Goldsmith, two term Mayor of Indianapolis and noted expert on privatization of government services to get and keep costs under control, this time the crisis is permanent. On one side are skyrocketing costs for health care, Social Security and pensions. On the other is opposition to tax increases.
In his speeches, Goldsmith offers a clear, step-by-step roadmap for change, offering concrete solutions drawn from his experience leading America’s 12th largest city and advising public institutions.
Adrian Gostick
Best-Selling Business Author
; Nationally Recognized Speaker
Adrian Gostick is the author of several successful books on employee engagement and retention. The Carrot Principle by Simon & Schuster has been a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and The 24-Carrot Manager has been called a “must read for modern-day managers” by Larry King of CNN. In 2006, The Invisible Employee, from John Wiley & Sons also made the New York Times Best-seller list.
Peter Guber
Founder & CEO, Mandalay Entertainment
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.
Gary Hamel
"The World's Reigning Strategy Guru," The Economist; Author, Leading the Revolution
Fortune magazine labels Gary Hamel “the world’s leading expert on business strategy.” The Economist calls Hamel “the world’s reigning strategy guru.” Recently, the Journal of Business Strategy listed Hamel as one of the 20th century’s 25 most influential business thinkers, along with business pioneers such as Henry Ford and Bill Gates. For the past three years, Executive Excellence magazine has ranked Hamel as the world’s most influential management speaker.
Jeffrey Hayzlett
Social Media and Marketing Expert; Chief Marketing Officer & Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company, 2006-2010; Bestselling Author, The Mirror Test
Jeff Hayzlett characterizes big thinking. From creating innovative marketing strategies to appearing on NBC’s hit television show, Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump, Hayzlett reaches for the stars, in his career and personal life. Former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the iconic Eastman Kodak Company, Hayzlett is a much sought-after speaker on topics ranging from worldwide business growth, communications, marketing, social networking and mobile marketing. He has become a "Celebrity CMO" according to Forbes Magazine, and organizations around the world are interested in the insights of this social media and marketing expert.
Mark Johnson
Chairman, Innosight
; Author, Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal
Mark Johnson is Chairman of Innosight, a strategic innovation consulting and investing company. He has consulted to the Global 1000 and start-up companies in a wide range of industries—including health care, aerospace/defense, enterprise IT, energy, automotive, and consumer packaged goods—and has advised Singapore’s government on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Dewitt Jones
Legendary National Geographic Photographer; Author, The Nature of Leadership
Where do we find the vision to take our lives to the next level? How do we summon the passion to keep “raising the bar”? How can we make our life less of a struggle and more of a joy? For photographer and creativity expert, Dewitt Jones, the answers to these questions lie in the images we hold about ourselves, our future and our individual growth.
Terry Jones
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.
Scott Klososky
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.
Ray Kurzweil
Renowned Inventor; Called “The Restless Genius” by The Wall Street Journal
TIME Magazine writes, “Kurzweil’s eclectic career and propensity of combining science with practical – often humanitarian – applications have inspired comparisons with Thomas Edison.”
William McDonough
Award-Winning Architect and Designer; Time Hero of the Planet
William McDonough established himself as a leader in the sustainable development movement since its inception. Recognized by Time magazine as a Hero for the Planet, his vision of the hopeful, positive, and inspiring possibilities of an environmentally and economically intelligent future by design has made him a highly sought-after speaker for a wide range of audiences both internationally and in the U.S.
Regis McKenna
Marketing Guru of Silicon Valley
Considered the marketing guru of Silicon Valley, Regis McKenna is a well-known technology marketing consultant, advisor to entrepreneurs, venture capitalist and author. McKenna advised a number of entrepreneurial start-ups and their founders during their formation years including: America Online, Apple, Compaq, Electronic Arts, Genentech, Intel, Linear Technology, Lotus, Microsoft, National Semiconductor, Silicon Graphics, 3COM, and many others. He helped launch some of the most important technological innovations of the last thirty years including the first microprocessor (Intel Corporation), the first personal computer (Apple Computer), the first recombinant DNA genetically engineered product (Genentech, Inc.), and the first retail computer store (The Byte Shop).
Geoffrey Moore
Managing Director, TCG Advisors; Venture Partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures; Bestselling Author, Dealing With Darwin: Great Companies Innovate At Every Phase of Their Evolution
Recognized as a leading business consultant to large companies facing formidable strategic challenges, Geoffrey Moore has made the understanding and effective exploitation of disruptive technologies the core of his life's work.
Peg Neuhauser
President, PCN Associates
As a speaker and consultant, Peg Neuhauser offers practical tips for actions to create a more innovative and adaptive organization. Her focus is on increasing collaboration in cross-functional teams, improving relationships among work colleagues, avoiding burnout, and strengthening the organization’s culture to focus on its goals more effectively. Her stories, case examples, and humor illustrate each idea in a way that is both entertaining and easy to remember. Peg Neuhauser is also the author and co-author of several books about corporate culture and conflict resolution.
Christopher Noxon
Author; Journalist; Cultural Commentator
An esteemed cultural commentator, Christopher Noxon has developed unique perspectives on our nation’s shifting demographics and how institutions can adapt to a new generation.
Don Peppers
Founding Partner, The Peppers and Rogers Group ; Acclaimed Author, The One To One Future
One of the foremost experts on customer relationships, Don Peppers shares his insights on customer relationship management, B2B, e-commerce strategy and Branding.
Mark Plotkin, Ph.D.
The Shaman’s Apprentice ; Time Magazine “Hero for the Planet”; The Skoll Foundation's 2008 "Social Entrepreneur of the Year"
World-renowned explorer and spell binding story-teller, Mark Plotkin is a Time magazine “Hero for the Planet,” and star of the Academy Award nominated IMAX documentary, Amazon. Respected and revered for his work in the Amazon Rainforests, Plotkin’s fascinating adventures inspire audiences to dream big, take risks, overcome adversity, and look beyond the obvious or expected, pushing the limits of commonly accepted concepts. Over the course of his 20 year journey deep in the jungles, Plotkin has endured some of the most bizarre encounters with nature. Whether sleeping in a tiny thatched hut, suffering from vampire-bat bites, eating delicacies like boiled rat, or nearly being electrocuted by a giant eel, Plotkin continues to race against time in saving the rainforest, the ancient knowledge of its shamans and its enchanted and endangered existence.
Kevin Roberts
CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Worldwide Kevin Roberts is a radical optimist, a celebrated author, a motivator, a visionary and an evangelist for the power of world-changing ideas. A champion of unconventional thinking and assumption disruption, Kevin has a formidable record of success as a business leader. Teams he leads revere him for his energy, his uncompromisingly positive and inspirational management style and his extraordinary ability to generate ideas that cut to the heart of any problem. Using multi-media from Saatchi & Saatchi to engage and provoke his audience Kevin is not just a speaker, he is an emotion-in-motion experience in what it takes to succeed. As President of Pepsi in Canada after his team blew away Coke and took Pepsi to number one in the market for the first time ever, he celebrated by machine gunning a Coke vending machine on stage at a sales conference. As COO of Australasian brewer Lion Nathan, he shook up analysts by bringing a real lion on a chain to one of his first briefing meetings.
Martha Rogers
Founding Partner, Peppers & Rogers Group; Co-author, The One To One Future
As an Adjunct Professor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Dr. Martha Rogers has helped to spearhead the "Managing Customer Value" coursework at the MBA and Exec Ed level. She is also the co-director of the Teradata Center for Customer Relationship Management at Duke.
Jack Shaw
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.
Scott Shuster
ABC News Foreign Correspondent; Producer of NPR's All Things Considered; Consulting Editor, The McGraw-Hill Companies and Business Week
With a remarkable background including nine years as an ABC news foreign correspondent, producer of All Things Considered, editorial director of Business Week and the ongoing chairman of many McGraw-Hill industry-specific conferences, Scott Shuster's prodigious skills onstage make him the an excellent choice to serve as facilitator for the most challenging events. Scott brings a completely new method to onstage presentation at business events. More than a moderator, he is a leader of discussions, giving direction to your meeting's content on a minute-to-minute basis for the entire duration of your gathering. Armed with an MBA and extensive globe-spanning experience as a leader of business discussions, Scott Shuster prepares meticulously for every event, ensuring that he is ready for off-the-cuff discussion of the most detailed industry, policy or company-specific issues. Recent events Scott has moderated include: The US-Africa Business Summit, The 2005 HIMSS Thought Leader Summit, The World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress, The Aspen Technology Enterprise Operations Management Executive Forum, The WIPRO Strategyms (US & UK): The 40-institution Committee of Donor Agencies for Small Enterprise Development conference, The McGraw-Hill Companies Top Firm Leaders Forum and The MCI CIO Forum.
Bill Stone
High-tech Explorer; Renowned Expeditionary Caver; President, Stone AeroSPACE (1998-present) ; Chairman, Shackleton Energy Company (2007 – present); President, Piedra-Sombra Corporation, Inc. (2001-present); President, U.S. Deep Caving Team, Inc. (1980-present); Engineer; Author
Engineer and daredevil explorer Bill Stone is obsessed with discovery. After years of crawling through the deepest unexplored caves on the planet, he’s building robots to go where he can’t. His company Stone Aerospace built DepthX, an autonomous robot, which descended 1,099 feet down Mexico’s deepest watery sinkhole. By 2008 he’ll send an enhanced machine through the ice of Lake Bonney in the Antarctic. But that’s just a test for the real mission, building a probe with Nasa to bore through miles of ice on Jupiter’s moon Europa, then swim through the buried Europan sea in search of alien life.
David Thomson
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?
Michael Treacy
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.
Chris Trimble
Executive Director, William F. Achtmeyer Center for Global Leadership; Author Building Breakthrough Businesses Within Established Organizations; Author Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators – from Idea to Execution
Chris Trimble is an expert on innovation and execution. He has been warmly received as a speaker by audiences at such forums as the Business Week CEO Forum and the Conference Board’s Innovation Conference. He tackles challenging innovation concepts with an engaging speaking style that includes a comfortable blend of storytelling, illustrations from real companies, and clear insights.
Robert Tucker
Author of Driving Growth Through Innovation and Managing the Future; President, The Innovation Resource
Tucker is a much sought after speaker at conferences and company convocations. Clients range from Fortune 500 companies to national and international trade associations. He has been a consultant to Taiwan's Economic Development Ministry and the Japan Marketing Association and has traveled to every continent to share his ideas and strategies with global business leaders.
Mike Vance
Former Director of Idea and People Development for Walt Disney Productions, Disneyland and Walt Disney World.; Former Dean of Disney University; Chairman, Creative Thinking Association
Because of his exciting style and unique content, Mike Vance is a distinguished name in speaking and communicating. His fast-paced delivery, sprinkled with good-natured humor, makes him one of the most stimulating speakers and sought-after teachers. USA Today named Mike as one of the most requested speakers in the United States.
Watts Wacker
CEO, Futurist; FirstMatter LLC
Watts Wacker is one of the most celebrated and influential minds in modern business and one of the world’s most respected futurists. He has been the resident futurist at SRI International the legendary Menlo Park think tank, and spent ten years as the resident futurist at the preeminent social research organization, Yankelovich Partners.
Jay Walker
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.
Andrew Winston
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.
Simon Woodroffe
Founder, Owner and creative driving force behind YO! Sushi.; UK entrepreneur of the year
Simon Woodroffe is a charismatic and engaging speaker with a very personal story on how he has built up YO! Sushi. His common sense approach is of practical use and his entertaining style leaves audiences feeling inspired.
Sergio Zyman
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.
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Jimmy Wales proved to have the Greatest Buzz Factor at this year’s ad:tech San Francisco event, which draws thousands of attendees seeking valuable strategic advice from some of the industry’s foremost digital marketing experts. Read More...
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