Meet Our Speakers

Learn About Our Talented, Professional Speakers

SPEAKER FEEDBACK

There are speakers who’s words you hear and then there are those very rare people whose message get permanently implanted in your heart and mind. Merril Hoge is one of those unicorns. His message is so intimate that he seems to be speaking directly to each listener. “Find A Way” isn’t a speech it’s his life story told with raw emotion and humility. Its imprint is indelible to anyone who is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hear it. No one delivers like Merril Hoge.

—Executive Director, HR

I have received the evaluation feedback from the participating faculty and Merill scored a 10/10 (of course!).

• Merril’s journey was a powerful reminder of the patient journey.
• It was the perfect combination of motivation and emotion.
• Merril reminded me that perspective is everything.
• Loved the mindset over circumstances.
• We need more of this!

—Miller Thompson

THANK YOU for all the hard work in helping to create an “appreciation culture” here at Dow. Your passion and enthusiasm are contagious!

—The Dow Chemical Company

Thank you for the amazing wealth of information you provided us this week. I truly enjoyed the information you shared, and your overall approach. It was by far the most motivating and valuable workshop I have ever attended. It was very refreshing to come away from a two-day workshop revived, and I thank you for igniting that enthusiasm in me! I could listen to you speak all day!

—Corporate Trainer

Frankie Russo

Frankie Russo

AUTHENTICITY. IMAGINATION. GENEROSITY.

Frankie Russo is a visionary in adaptability, growth, and AI augmentation. As co-founder of Origin A.I. and founder of 360ia, Russo pioneered software using machine learning and early AI. Russo's expertise has led to collaborations with leading brands, including the healthcare IT sector, helping them adapt and grow through massive change. His companies have made the Inc. 500 list 8 years running, with one achieving 60X growth before acquisition by a Fortune 500 entity. Author of two best-selling books, Russo is a sought-after speaker known for transforming organizational strategies in the age of AI.

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Steve Fredlund

Steve Fredlund

Embrace your adventure and do the “unright” thing

For ten years, Steve’s journey included two parallel paths: a good life that was becoming increasingly unfulfilling and humanitarian trips to east Africa that ended on safari. Like chocolate and peanut butter, Steve’s research into happiness and his experiences leading African adventures blended into something remarkable. He discovered the “Big 5” factors that impact both, becoming the foundation of his approach to life, work and leadership. “The Safari Way” has become a movement increasing the happiness and success of people around the world.

Steve’s best-selling new book, “Do the Unright Thing: Memoir of a People Pleaser” shares his incredible transition from someone focused on doing everything ‘right’ (as defined by everyone else) to finding great joy in doing ‘unright’ things.

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jake-thompson

Jake Thompson

Leadership, Performance, Author, Grit, Compete Every Day.

Jake Thompson is a leadership performance coach and the Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, a brand he started in 2011 by first selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car.
Jake has spent more than a decade working with leaders and organizations worldwide on how to get better results for themselves and their teams.

He has been featured in Forbes, hosts a weekly podcast closing in on one million downloads, and has directly impacted over 80,000 ambitious leaders.
Through his entrepreneurial sales experience, client work, and research, Jake has built a proven C.E.D. framework that helps leaders improve their grit, productive habits, and leadership influence to create a more positive impact as leaders within their organizations.

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michelle-anne-johnson

Michelle Anne Johnson

Speaker, Coach, Consultant, and Hollywood Actress helping people come into their personal power through authenticity, confidence, and purpose.

Empowering Leaders to Shine

"Do the work within to do your work in the world."
This powerful motto encapsulates Michelle Anne Johnson's transformative approach to leadership and personal growth. With a unique blend of Hollywood charisma and corporate savvy, Michelle guides professionals to unlock their full potential and make a lasting impact.

For over two decades, Michelle graced stages and television screens as a versatile actress, appearing in popular shows like Friends, Bones, CSI: Miami, Modern Family, and NCIS. Through her craft, she discovered a profound truth: acting is about authentically connecting with your inner self and finding your essence in every role you play.

Now known as "The Speech Queen," Michelle has channeled her performance expertise into the corporate world. She's facilitated impactful workshops for industry giants such as Lowe's, Deloitte, AbbVie, Amex, Visco, Genentech, and KPMG. As an executive coach, she works closely with senior leaders at major corporations, helping them elevate their presence and effectiveness.

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Rashmi-Airan

Rashmi Airan

Keynote Speaker, entrepreneur, Culture Transformation, Former attorney, Former investment banker

Rashmi teaches leaders and individuals to RISE THROUGH IT™ - to have the courage and resilience to face any challenge and emerge even stronger. Through sharing her own story of overcoming unimaginable hardships, Rashmi inspires others to embrace vulnerability, let go of fear and judgment, and thrive in the face of adversity. Her message of defiant strength in the darkest of times empowers audiences to RISE THROUGH IT™ and continue growing through life's inevitable ups and downs.

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Jonah-Paquette

Jonah Paquette

Keynote Speaker, Author, and Psychologist

Helping individuals and organizations flourish by increasing

emotional fitness and psychological well-being

Unlock the secrets of emotional fitness with Dr. Jonah Paquette, a dynamic clinical psychologist, captivating author, and electrifying keynote speaker who's revolutionizing the way we think about well-being. Imagine transforming your organization with the power of scientifically-backed happiness strategies. That's exactly what Dr. Paquette delivers in his high-energy keynotes and workshops, leaving audiences worldwide inspired and equipped to flourish both personally and professionally.

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derrick-kayongo

Derreck Kayongo

Keynote Speaker & Trainer | Founder/Host of the Talent Development Think Tank Podcast, Conference & Community | Author

Derreck Kayongo's remarkable journey exemplifies the power of combining profit with purpose. As a successful entrepreneur, CEO, and renowned human rights activist, Derreck has demonstrated that businesses can thrive while making a positive impact on the world.

Through his visionary idea of the Global Soap Project, Derreck has shown that creative problem solving and keen observation can lead to innovative solutions that address global challenges. By collecting discarded and unused soap from hotels worldwide and redistributing it to communities in need, Derreck has not only built a successful humanitarian aid organization but has also tackled global health issues in 90 countries. This simple yet effective approach has led to a reduction in hygiene-related diseases and deaths in at-risk communities.

Derreck's inspiring story proves that profit and purpose can go hand in hand. He has leveraged his entrepreneurial spirit to create tangible change in the world, demonstrating that even small ideas can have a massive impact. His success has garnered international recognition, including being named a 2011 CNN Top Ten Hero and a 2014 TED Talks speaker.

In a world where businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of corporate social responsibility, Derreck Kayongo stands as a shining example of how to balance profit with purpose. His tireless efforts to create a better world through entrepreneurship and humanitarianism serve as an inspiration for future generations of business leaders looking to make a difference.

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andy-torch

Andy Storch

Author, speaker, consultant, coach, connector, and facilitator specializing in helping people own their careers.Please meet the distinguished Andy Storch, a keynote speaker whose expertise and engaging presence make him a standout in the world of professional development. With a career marked by leadership roles, Andy brings a wealth of knowledge in areas such as leadership, talent development, and organizational strategy. As a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and host of the "Talent Development Hot Seat" podcast, Andy possesses a unique ability to connect with audiences. His dynamic presentations go beyond traditional boundaries, offering fresh perspectives on leadership, growth, and the future of work. Get ready to be inspired and motivated as Andy Storch takes the stage, sharing invaluable insights that are sure to leave a lasting impact on your approach to personal and professional development.

Many organizations are encouraging their workforce to assume greater responsibility for their professional journeys, encompassing learning, development, and career trajectories. This approach not only fosters empowerment and increased opportunities but also tends to yield heightened engagement, productivity, and loyalty within the organization.
The Own Your Career keynote is designed to inspire and motivate employees to take ownership of their careers and to understand how they can be responsible for their own career growth so that they create a career path that leaves them happier, more engaged, often more loyal and ensures that your company is getting the best from your people.
Andy is the founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank Conference and Community and has a strong network of professionals and learning solutions to help people do the best work of their lives.
Andy works with companies to accelerate leadership development, strategy alignment, business acumen and sales training. He also coaches individuals to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals.
Andy is also the author of the book Own Your Career Own Your Life and the host of three podcasts, including The Talent Development Hot Seat, the Own Your Career Show, and My NFT Journey. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business where he served as President of the MBA program in 2008 and a BS in Information Sciences from the University of Florida.  

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cara-brookins

Cara Brookins

Powerful strategies to become Unstoppable

Cara Brookins is best known as the mom who built her own house with her kids using Youtube Tutorials. With her eager construction crew consisting of her four young children, Brookins laid the block, framed the walls, and even ran the plumbing and gas lines for her two-story house. She shared her story in her #1 best-selling memoir Rise: How a House Built a Family.

In a world filled with economic uncertainty, political volatility, unprecedented developments in technology, increasingly devastating natural disasters, and never-ending challenges, staying motivated can feel impossible. The hard truth is that the overwhelm can be paralyzing for people who haven’t developed the resilience and grit to thrive during adversity.
Set against the backdrop of her real-life story of the desperate times that led her and her children to build their own house using YouTube tutorials, Best-selling author Cara Brookins’ presentation inspires and challenges audiences to go beyond their comfort zones, conquer self-doubt, and turn overwhelm into action.
Her stories, encouragement, and inspiration will give your audience the tools to always get back up (and keep moving forward) no matter the challenge or obstacles in their way. And today, more than ever before, you need a resilient team with the grit to perform under pressure and rise above the chaos no matter what happens in the world.

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Fairplay for Carter Global

Fairplay

Like it or not, there's no script for life. (Actually, we kind of like it.)

Fairplay started life during the Big Bang of the 2020 pandemic with a mission to help people adapt to anything.
We are a team of learning designers, facilitators, researchers, content creators and strategists who share an origin story in the practice of improvisation. Collectively, we've found a better way to help individuals and teams learn how to adapt to change.

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garry-golden

Garry Golden

Future of Work, Future of AI

AI is changing the world faster than ever before. Garry Golden’s uncanny sense of AI, what will hit—and what won’t—can be seen and heard in his international keynotes and corporate leadership seminars. His insights on how to align talent development to coming industry and market transitions around AI and tech have been shared with and implemented by such organizations as the McGraw-Hill Companies, Goodyear, S&P, and Reliant Energy.
Garry is a professionally trained futurist who writes, speaks, and consults about issues that will shape society and business in the 21st century. He is the co-author of the inspiring book Designing Your Future, and author of the upcoming book titled The Age of Adaptive Experiences.
Garry attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his Futures Studies degree from the University of Houston. He is a past board member of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) as well as an aspiring collector of street art (which will likely be huge in the year 2040.)

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rocky-romanella

Rocky Romanella

Rocky Romanella was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey in an Italian family. He began a 36-year career with UPS on June 15, 1976 as a part-time loader and unloader. From there, Romanella climbed the ranks to become President and General Manager of UPS Supply Chain Solutions and President of Global Retail Operations, where he led one of the largest re-branding initiatives in franchising history: The UPS Store, revolutionizing the $9 billion retail shipping and business services market.

After retiring from the largest transportation and logistics company in the world, Romanella went on to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Director for UniTek Global Services, a mid-cap telecommunications solutions company.

His experience in operational management, business integration, telecommunications, franchise development, supply chains, and leadership development led to founding 3SIXTY Management Services, LLC.

Utilizing over 40 years of experience, Romanella embarked on writing Tighten the Lug Nuts: The Principles of Balanced Leadership, which explores the ways a true leader can add value as a trusted advisor, mentor, and visionary who uses a process approach to lead the organization and its people to new levels of success.

Rocky holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from St. John’s University.

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ryan-frederick

Ryan Frederick

Innovator, author, strategist: How PLACE drives our overall well-being and healthy longevity

Ryan unpacks the dynamics that are creating fundamental changes in our lifespan and the key implications for organizations across a wide variety of fields ranging from health care to real estate to financial services to investment management to technology to consumer products and beyond. He can also take deeper dives with workshops to help groups better understand how to specifically take advantage of opportunities through incremental and disruptive innovation.

Experts expect that 50% of babies born today in developed countries will live to at least 100 years old. Moreover, scientists believe we are on the cusp of breakthroughs in genomics and other technologies that may lead to even more significant gains in longevity within the next decade. The problem is that living longer is not enough; we must live better for longer.
The work we do everyday holds the key to unlocking the potential of increased longevity: place. One of the most important decisions in life is where to call home. Our place shapes our sense of purpose, social networks, physical well-being and financial-being. Our homes speak to our physical, psychological, and emotional needs. The challenge and opportunity is that many of our places could do more to enhance human flourishing while at the same time the field could better navigate people to their right place for each chapter in life. With this reframing, we can understand that is the Opportunity of a Lifetime

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sarah-moshman

Sarah Moshman

Since she was a teenager, Sarah has been madly in love with the camera and believes it is the greatest tool at her disposal to make sense of the world and reflect our experiences back to audiences worldwide. Her work has been featured on various platforms, including Upworthy, Marie Claire, PBS, Hulu, CNN, Netflix, and Good Morning America.

Since she was a teenager, Sarah has been madly in love with the camera, and believes it is the greatest tool at her disposal to make sense of the world and reflect our experiences back to audiences worldwide. Her work has been featured on various platforms, including Upworthy, Marie Claire, PBS, Hulu, CNN, Netflix, and Good Morning America.

Prior to her focus on documentaries, Sarah worked as a field producer on popular TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC) and various programs on NBC, MTV, Lifetime, Bravo, and the Food Network. She also engages in story producing for premium doc series on networks like A&E, HBO, and Showtime. Sarah directs branded content for various brands, including EllenTube, Tastemade, Mattel, AT&T, Samsung, Stayfree, SPANX, and more.

In addition to her filmmaking career, Sarah is an inspiring public speaker, author, and adjunct professor in documentary film, dedicated to empowering the next generation of storytellers.
She is passionate about telling stories that uplift, inform, and inspire, particularly showcasing strong female role models on screen and the complexity of motherhood.

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yossi-hnds out

Yossi Ghinsberg

Adventurer, author, entrepreneur, humanitarian.

Meet Yossi Ghinsberg, a captivating storyteller, adventurer, and inspirational figure whose life's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Yossi's gripping tale revolves around his survival in the Amazon rainforest, an experience that became the basis for the best-selling book and subsequent film, "Jungle." As a renowned motivational speaker, Yossi draws on his riveting adventures to deliver powerful messages about resilience, adaptability, and the indomitable human spirit. With a unique ability to connect with audiences, Yossi Ghinsberg takes listeners on a transformative journey, offering profound insights into facing adversity, embracing change, and discovering untapped reservoirs of strength within ourselves. Prepare to be enthralled and inspired by Yossi's remarkable stories that transcend the boundaries of survival and resilience.

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