Neil Pasricha demonstrates that nurturing a positive mindset is essential to personal and organization success. A Harvard MBA, New York Times best-selling author, award-winning blogger and one of the most celebrated TED speakers in the world, Pasricha is a pied piper of happiness (The Toronto Star) who captivates audiences with concepts and frameworks that catapult organizational happiness and engagement. He... read full bio
Michelle Gielan is a former national CBS News anchor, now focusing her efforts on positive psychology research. She penned the book Broadcasting Happiness, which describes the science of igniting and sustaining positive change. In the book, Michelle shows you how changing your broadcast changes your power by sharing compelling stories and impressive research. Her simple research-based communication habits have been... read full bio
Charles Best is a recognized visionary businessman and philanthropist who founded DonorsChoose.org and made significant contributions to the field of education. Charles Best, the founder and CEO of this ground-breaking platform, has permanently altered how people interact with and support public education. His impact can be seen in classrooms and communities all over the country. Under Charles Best's visionary leadership, DonorsChoose.org... read full bio
Get ready for an uplifting experience! We're thrilled to welcome the amazing Dr. Natalie Stavas to our event. As the Program Director for Child Protection Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, she's not just a healer and educator but a beacon of inspiration. Dr. Stavas gained national acclaim for her bravery during the Boston Marathon bombings, earning accolades... read full bio
Joe Faugno, the head master baker and mixer at Carlo’s Bakery, heads the brand’s Research & Development department, overseeing recipe creation, as well as product quality assurance at each location. Joe is married to Grace Faugno, the eldest of Buddy’s sisters, for almost 20 years. When he's not at the bakery, he works as a firefighter, often coming straight from... read full bio
Famous as a series regular on the popular TLC reality culinary program Cake Boss, Mauro Castano serves as right-hand man to Buddy Valastro at Carlo’s Bakery. The pastry chef oversees the architecture of large-format cakes, as well as confection decorating. Originally from Italy, Castano worked in construction before being introduced to the bakery by the late Buddy Valastro Sr. He... read full bio
Legendary Rodney Mullen is widely known as The Godfather of Skateboarding. His skating videos have accumulated over 50 million views, and millions have also seen his TED talks. He is recognized for inventing some of the most popular skateboarding tricks, such as the flatground ollie, kick flip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-flip, among countless others. Mullen holds a background in science... read full bio
"Especially well known for his time on the hit TV show Say Yes To The Dress, Randy Fenoli works as the fashion director for Klienfield Bridal, a wedding dress store in New York. Randy’s love for fashion started at an early age. He learned how to sew at the young age of 9 years old. Later in life, he... read full bio
Futurist Nick Bilton is a special correspondent for Vanity Fair, where he covers the areas of technology, politics, business and culture. He is also a contributor to CNBC and a former columnist/ reporter for The New York Times. Bilton is the best-selling author of Hatching Twitter, as well as the newly released American Kingpin. Hatching Twitter chronicles the turmoil and... read full bio
jD Shapiro is an award winning writer/director. He has sold over a dozen screenplays to almost every major studio, including Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, New Line, Miramax, and Twentieth Century Fox. He served as a creative consult on several movies that became major blockbusters. He's had TV deals with Fox, Big ticket and Spelling Entertainment. He... read full bio
Dr. Scott Parazynski is an expert in leadership under adversity, and deriving the very best from multidisiplinary teams. He has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and innovation under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet. Your audience will be left... read full bio
Tracy Repchuk is a 7-Time International Bestselling Author and Online Marketing and Social Media Strategist and speaker. She has won many awards including the Senate, Assembly, and the Presidential white house award from president Obama, and has been an entrepreneur since the age of 19 when she started a software company directly out of college, and with over 30 years of... read full bio
From a farm boy to a self-made millionaire by the age of 26 and a former United States Congressman from two different States, Texas and New Mexico, Ed Foreman is not a "reporter." He has lived his message of health, wealth, and happiness that is helping business leaders from around the world get more meaningful living out of life,... read full bio
In addition to being a renowned coach, Pat Williams, a well-known name in basketball, also holds the position of Senior Vice President of the Orlando Magic. His path to success has included a wide variety of events that have molded his extraordinary career. Pat entered baseball after serving the United States Army for seven years, playing for the Philadelphia Phillies for... read full bio
Eric O’Neill is a distinguished cyber security expert, whose story is the inspiration for Universal Studios’ feature film, Breach. He played a crucial role in capturing the most notorious spy in U.S. history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the few months prior to Hanssen’s arrest, Eric was selected to work with the spy within the newly established information assurance division, built... read full bio
Above all else, Vinh Giang is one of the top businesspeople and entrepreneurs in the world. When he was in his 20s, he established an online business with two close friends; they all decided to leave their careers in accounting and pharmacy to make their dream of building a successful business a reality. The result is an online platform called... read full bio
Leah Busque is the founder and former CEO of TaskRabbit, an innovative online/ mobile marketplace that connects small job or task seekers to others in their neighborhood. The company is distinguished as the top on-demand service marketplace in existence, having raised over $50 million in venture funding. Through TaskRabbit, Leah has influenced thousands of startups to launch in the collaborative... read full bio
Through the ROTC program, Jack Jacobs joined the American Army as a Second Lieutenant. He was an executive officer of an infantry battalion in the 7th Infantry Division, a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division and the commander of the 4th Battalion 10th Infantry in Panama. Jacobs was a professor at the US Military Academy where he taught comparative politics... read full bio
Gary Grice, better known by his stage name GZA a.k.a. The Genius, is an American hip-hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. Within the group, he is known as the “spiritual head,” being both the oldest and the first to receive a record deal. Steve Huey of Allmusic has called him “one of the... read full bio
As a part of Simon Sineks Start With Why team, David Mead speaks and puts on workshops inspired by Simons simple, yet powerful mission to inspire people to do the things that inspire them. With the belief that every individual deserves to wake up inspired to go to work and feel safe while theyre there, David helps business leaders nurture... read full bio
