Marci Rossell is a world-renowned economist and financial expert known for her ability to take complex economic issues, often dull in the button-down press, and make them relevant to people’s lives, families, and careers. Her animated style was honed when she served as the popular and lively Chief Economist for CNBC and Co-Host of Squawk Box, where she became a household name and a must-watch source of financial news. An expert on investing, globalization, and trade, she uses her media and courtroom experience coupled with her expertise in business and government to address the current state of our economy, including economic recovery, restructuring, and revitalization.

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.

When the world’s top companies want to understand what’s next for their businesses and how they can create the next big breakthrough in their industries, they turn to world-renowned futurist Sheryl Connelly. Connelly is a global trends and consumer expert whose mastery at identifying what’s coming around the corner and the potential influences on customer attitudes and behavioral patterns that directly impact business strategy is unparalleled. From 1996-2023, she was a cornerstone presence on Ford Motor Company’s global trends and futuring team, working her way up the ranks at the automotive juggernaut and becoming the company’s chief futurist. Connelly draws upon her business foresight expertise and experiences at Ford to help organizations in any industry identify and analyze global consumer trends in order to lay the groundwork for long-term, future-focused planning and strategy across the entire company, and anticipate the ever-evolving needs and desires of the people they serve.

Josh Kelley is a singer-songwriter who has been a mainstay on the pop music charts since the release of his hit song “Amazing” in 2001. “Amazing” was the most played song of that year on pop radio and rose to number five on the charts. In the more than two decades since his rise to stardom, Kelley has toured the world with some of music’s biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews Band, and Lady A. Kelley’s music has appeared on the soundtracks to some of the most beloved movies and TV shows, and has touched countless lives. His rise to mainstream success is a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, creativity, and dreaming big.

Cassandra “Cassi” Chandler is an innovator, strategist, investigator, and leader who has broken barriers, led diverse teams, and built cultures of motivational leadership and inclusivity at some of the world’s most important organizations, including Bank of America and the FBI. In a career that has included many “firsts” across the U.S. government and financial services industries, she served as the FBI’s first African American female special agent assistant director as well as the Bureau’s first female national spokesperson and director of public and community affairs. In addition to defining the tools motivational leaders need to mindfully build more high-performing cultures, Chandler provides actionable insights on how to move the needle while leading with empathy.

A globally recognized brand-building innovator and a champion both of creativity and challenging the status quo in the workplace, Marisa Thalberg is 1 of only 18 to be inducted into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame. She is considered one of the most dynamic and versatile marketing executives in the field, displaying versatility and adaptability that has led to her being an exceedingly successful leader in a diverse portfolio of industries, ranging from luxury beauty (The Estée Lauder Companies) and fast food (Taco Bell) to big box retail (Lowe’s Home Improvement) and theme parks and entertainment (SeaWorld/Busch Gardens). Her passionate advocacy for women at work led her on the path to social entrepreneurship as the founder of Executive Moms, an organization created to connect and support accomplished women who are both professionals and moms. In this capacity, Thalberg became an early leading voice and supporter for women, and particularly mothers, in the workplace, appearing across a range of media outlets including The TODAY Show, FOX, CNN, NBC News, and many more.

A beauty industry vanguard, Jessie Hayes-Stallings is the founder and CEO of Skinphorea Facial Bar & Acne Clinic who took her passion for skincare and manifested it into the first facial bar and acne clinic in Metro Detroit — a concept that has made waves in the industry. She has set Skinphorea apart by providing customers with medical-grade skin treatments while creating an elevated and personalized, yet convenient relaxation experience. Not only does she create experiences for Skinphorea’s skincare clients, she also creates opportunities for beauty industry hopefuls. As an investor and a mentor, she has partnered with the state to develop an apprenticeship program that offers aspiring estheticians the opportunity to train to earn their esthetic license at Skinphorea before being offered a full-time position at the company.

Acclaimed for her indomitable tenacity and daredevil skills, Olympic silver medalist MyKayla Skinner burst onto the American gymnastics scene when she won the junior individual all-around title at the 2011 American Classic. At 24, she became the oldest U.S. Olympic gymnast since 2004 when she competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she brought the trademark resilience and competitive spirit that have earned her a reputation as a powerhouse performer and model teammate, vaulting her way to a silver medal on the global stage. Her optimism, fire, and flair can be felt throughout the room as she provides an Olympian’s perspective on performing at a championship-level in high-pressure situations, overcoming adversity, and charting your own path to achieving your goals.

Marti Mongiello is a former White House Chef, Private Investigator, Security Expert, Executive Chef, and a GM of the Camp David Resort and Conference Center working with the past five Presidents for 25 years, from H.W. Bush through Trump. He is a disabled and injured military veteran with a 30-year US Navy retired certificate serving in wars across three continents. Marti served as a butler, housekeeper, military aide, and bartender carrying the proverbial, "chalice for his/her majesty to drink from," having been trained by the CIA, USMC, Navy, and Army in specialized courses for nuclear, chemical, and biological attack manning the underground bunker of Orange One as well as bribery and poisoning. When he first received his Top Secret, Yankee White, SCI clearance, he was in the nuclear submarine fleet and had been identified as a polyhistor and polymath. He has an MBA degree and a second Master's from Lenoir-Rhyne University as a Master Certified Food Executive (MCFE). He attained his Bachelor's from the Art Institute, Summa Cum Laude.

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."