After years of homelessness and drug addiction, motivational speaker Mark Lundholm found himself living in a halfway house. Finding that poking fun at his lifestyle helped him cope with his struggles, he quickly emerged as an incredibly talented and energetic entertainer and comedian. Since his recovery, he has performed in five countries and 49 states, appeared on Showtime and Comedy... read full bio
Mark Herzlich is a former NFL linebacker and Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants. His football and life journeys have been distinguished by great perseverance and a dedication to making a good effect off the field. While playing football at Boston College, Herzlich received sad news: he had Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Undaunted by this... read full bio
Avery Brooks is a prolific actor and supporter of African American success. He was the first African American to get an MFA in directing and acting from Rutgers University. For his role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Brooks was the first African American to hold the role of captain on a Star Trek production. He was also only the... read full bio
Accomplished writer Barbara Feldon is known as Agent 99 from the Emmy Award-winning television show Get Smart. She reprised the role twice, in '89 for the made-for-tv-movie Get Smart, Again and in '95 for the short lived reboot of the series. For her role as Agent 99, she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Acgress in a Comedy... read full bio
Lindsay Mendez is a Broadway actress and singer known for her role of Elphaba in the Broadway show Wicked. She has also appeared in Godspell, Everyday Rapture, and Grease. She played the role of Rose Fenny in the off-Broadway performance Dogfight, for which she was nominated for the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, the Outer Critics Circle Award for... read full bio
Tony-Award nominated singer and actor Will Chase currently portrays country superstar Luke Wheeler on ABC's Nashville, but he rose to stardom on the Broadway stage. His broadway career began as the Roger under study for the 1998 production of Rent. He eventually portrayed Roger in the show's final Broadway run. Additionally, he has played in Miss Saigon, The Full Monty,... read full bio
As the first openly non-binary person to be approved and considered by the Academy for both Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress for their roles in the feature film Confessions of a Womanizer, Kelly Mantle recently made Oscar history. Presently, Kelly is starring as Sheila, a beloved character from the popular OutTV/Amazon series The Browns. Among the many network television programs on... read full bio
Bangz started rapping at the age of 15, due in part to witnessing his mother struggle as a single parent; using his mother's pain as motivation for his music. He attends Prairie View A&M University and is majoring in mass communications. His first single debuted at number ninety-seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It has since peaked at... read full bio
She possesses one of the most memorable, distinctive voices ever heard in popular music. She's an accomplished singer/songwriter who etched herself into music history with her smash hit song, the female anthem, Superwoman. That song made international waves, selling over a million units, being certified Gold and named the Billboard R&B Song of the Year in 1989. She IS a... read full bio
From Vancouver, Canada came comedian Lachlan Patterson. Lachlan’s comedic style is unique to the comedy world. His laid-back style has gained him an uncommon stage presence that has charmed audiences all over the country. Lachlan moved from Canada to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. Lachlan’s television career began to blossom. He made his American... read full bio
Known professionally as Kenna, he is a philanthropist, musician and technology creationist. His track Say Goodbye To Love" was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 51st annual Grammy Awards. Kenna's second album, entitled Make Sure They See My Face, was released to appease his waiting fans. In Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink, a portion of one chapter focuses on the... read full bio
LaRussell Thomas also started Good Compenny, a group that helps Bay Area musicians who are just starting out get their names out there. LaRussell was born and reared in the northern Vallejo neighborhood of California, a place known for its abundance of independent hip-hop artists. He started rapping when he was eight years old, but his early education did not... read full bio
Kayce Freed Jennings is co-founder and executive vice president of The Documentary Group, an independent production company. Formerly married to the late journalist Peter Jennings, she is also a coeditor of the recently published biography Peter Jennings: A Reporters Life. With deep connections to the nonprofit world, Jennings has worked with The Coalition for the Homeless, Teach for America, Jazz... read full bio
Negotiate Like the Pros Never pay too much, settle for too little, or give in too soon again. John Patrick Dolan teaches powerful negotiation skills that everyone can use. Sales Professional, Legal Professionals, and Business Leaders rave about the practical, effective and easy to use content of Dolan's compelling presentations. He comments on weird statutes, ridiculous verdicts, and extraordinarily bizarre... read full bio
Kare Anderson is a former Wall Street Journal and NBC reporter who won an Emmy. She is currently a Forbes columnist, speaker, and book on connected conduct and quotability. With over 2.2 million views, Anderson's TED presentation, The Web of Humanity: Be an Opportunity Maker, has gained significant attention. The Skoll Foundation, Novartis, Salesforce, and other diversified companies are among... read full bio
Speaking on business, baseball, and the instructive overlap between them, Jonah Keri reveals the essential difference between winning and losing strategies. On stage, he draws on his bestselling books Up, Up, and Away and The Extra 2% to deliver an expert and practical keynote, charged with the minute-by-minute excitement of watching a no-hitter unfold. He provides a timeless look at... read full bio
Tony Award-winning broadway actress Laura Benanti has a fluid career that spans theatre, film, television, and recordings. Her broadway roles include Liesl in The Sound of Music, Swing!, Cinderella in Into the Woods, Louise in the revival of Gypsy, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Julia Sullivan in The Wedding Singer, and Claudia in the revival of Nine... read full bio
Julia Murney appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked after playing the role on the national tour; for which she received an Acclaim Award. Other New York credits include Lennon, Andrew Lippas The Wild Party (Drama Desk nomination), Falling (Drama Desk nomination), The Landing, The Vagina Monologues, A Class Act, Saved, Crimes of the Heart, Queen of the Mist, Closer... read full bio
Alfie Boe is a British singer. Boe moved to London from a small town in England and studied singing at the Royal College of Music, the National Opera Studio and the Royal Opera House's Vilar Young Artists Programme. He was featured as the ""opera dude"" on albums by The Clint Boon Experience, led by the former organist of the... read full bio
Jessica Holmes, a favourite on CBCs Royal Canadian Air Farce, has brought the house down opening for such comedians as Jerry Seinfeld and Leslie Nielsen. She is a successful comedian, writer, actress, and speaker and always leaves audiences in stitches with her interactive humour and vivacious energy. ... read full bio
