A NASA astronaut, Joan Higginbotham is a trailblazing electrical engineer who in December 2006, flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery to become the third African American woman to travel into space. Over the nearly 13-day mission, she joined the seven-member crew to continue construction of the International Space Station (ISS), embarking on four space walks and operating the station’s robotic arm. Sharing captivating insights from her 20-year distinguished career with NASA, Higginbotham inspires audiences with her personal journey of breaking barriers into space and beyond. Taking groups aboard the International Space Station and sharing her lessons-learned along the way, she highlights the keys to succeeding in her missions – including preparation, perseverance, and never giving up – and how these tactics can be applied to any endeavor.

Tall and thin, with remarkable onscreen energy and ease, the actor possessed intense malleable features that he used to good effect in both dramatic and comedic roles. Despite this gift, he surprisingly began his career with off-screen pursuits. Jones worked as writer and story editor for NBC's college-set comedy "A Different World" from 1991 to 1992. In 2000, he took on a role in a sports-themed feature set in the recent past in "The Replacements" and in 2002, Jones portrayed a band director out to prove that he has the best band/drumline that the historical black colleges and universities have to offer in the drama "Drumline." Jones has appeared in numerous television series including "Rules of Engagement," "Necessary Roughness," "House M.D." and "Pushing Daisies."

A heavy-hitter in the dugout and on the baseball diamond during his playing career, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker has been a cornerstone presence of Major League Baseball across seven decades and is among the league’s most storied leaders as both a manager and a player. In 2022, Baker led the Astros on a historic run all the way to winning the World Series — becoming part of an elite club of people who have won the World Series as both a player and a manager, and cementing his legacy as a serial winner and team builder who excels when the game is on the line.

Sarita Maybin is an international speaker and communication expert with over two decades of experience and has shared her insights in all 50 states, 10 countries, and on the prestigious TEDx stage. Her universal message has resonated with a diverse range of clients, including the American Dental Association, Million Dollar Round Table, Department of the Navy and the University of California. Sarita is a former university dean of students and has literally written the book on how to respond to the question: “If You Can’t Say Something Nice, What DO You Say?” She continues the conversation in her latest book "Say What You Mean in a Nice Way."