Doug Rauch, a legendary former president of Trader Joe’s, was instrumental in leading the company’s transformation from a 7/11 knockoff to what Fortune magazine called the “hottest retailer in the U.S.” In eye-opening presentations, he shares insights on building a great business based on culture, innovation, leadership, and teamwork. He shows leaders how to push for new and better ways to perform, and audiences walk away with knowledge of how to create a self-sustaining culture of innovation, build a brand in a competitive marketplace, and lead with a purpose.

How do you turn a t-shirt brand that’s sold from the trunk of a rusty car into a global, multi-million dollar business? Johnny Earle transformed Johnny Cupcakes into one of the world’s fastest growing independent businesses. Businessweek named him America’s No. 1 young entrepreneur, and he has been profiled by the New York Times, NPR, MTV, Forbes, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, and INC. By focusing on the customer experience (he wants buying a t-shirt to feel like your birthday), he created such a unique brand that consumers would (and do) line up around the block for his shirts.

At the complex intersection of global politics, economics, investment, and financial markets sits Jeffrey Garten. Few experts can boast such high-level experience in both government and business, as well as a deep knowledge of the global economic picture. He has earned an unparalleled reputation. His experience, from the emerging markets to the dean’s office at the Yale School of Management, has made him a hot commodity for organizations whose survival depends on a clear picture of the state of the global economy and the underlying implications of America’s policies.

Paco Underhill is one of the era’s leading shopping anthropologists and the founding president of Envirosell, a behavioral research and consultancy firm focused on commercial environments. A pioneer and expert in global consumer behavior and trends, Underhill has spent decades researching shopping patterns. His first book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, was an internationally-recognized best-seller and has been published in 28 languages. The success of his three best-selling books and his retail insight makes him a highly sought-after resource, and his columns and editorials have appeared in The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. A highly-regarded speaker, Paco has delivered keynote speeches at conferences, universities, and corporations spanning the globe for over a decade. From buying behavior to consumerism in the modern world, his insightful and entertaining presentations have been lauded worldwide.

Jeff Skiles, the co-pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 (otherwise known as “The Miracle on the Hudson”), is no stranger to intense training, re-training, preparation, and organization. Before the fateful collision with the Canadian geese that caused the plane’s engine failure, Skiles had logged over 20,000 hours in the sky and had worked more than 23 years as a U.S. Airways pilot and first officer. Skiles recounts how he reacted to the crisis and the events that led to the Hudson River landing and addresses leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and the need for training and preparation.

Colin O'Brady is a professional endurance athlete who has achieved four world records. He grew up exploring the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and cultivated a passion for adventure in the outdoors. His success swimming in Oregon led him to Yale University. After years as a professional triathlete, he returned to his first love - the mountains. In 2016 Colin conquered the speed records for the Explorers Grand Slam and Seven Summits, a global mountaineering challenge to climb the tallest mountain on every continent including Mt. Everest and ski to the North and South Poles. In 2018 Colin shattered the speed record for the 50 High Points Challenge when he summited the highest point in each of the 50 states in just 21 days. On December 26, 2018 he became the first person to cross the landmass of Antarctica solo, unaided by kites or resupplies. He accomplished the feat in 54 days, covering more than 930 miles along the way, including more than 77 miles in the final 32-hour window where he went without sleep. Throughout the nearly two-month journey, O’Brady never took a full day off.

Barry Nalebuff is the co-founder of Honest Tea and an expert on using game theory to improve business strategy. In fascinating and engaging presentations, he helps audiences use these concepts to create new, effective solutions for their organizations. The author of six books, including best-selling Thinking Strategically and Co-opetition, he uses a diverse array of case studies about game theory to lead audiences to surprising revelations. With his sharp wit and warm sense of humor, he goes beyond the old rules of competition and cooperation to combine the advantages of both.

Victoria was 11 years old when she came down with a rare viral disease, Transverse Myelitis, with which she battled for five years including four years in a vegetative coma. The disease left her without the use of her legs for nearly a decade. A lifelong swimmer and athlete, Victoria never gave up her childhood dream of competing in the Olympics Games. In June of 2010 she returned to the pool for the first time since her illness and in the spring of 2012 she qualified for the London Paralympic Games in four events. There she won a Gold Medal, and three Silver Medals. Despite missing five years of school during her illness, Victoria graduated on-time with her triplet brothers, from Exeter High School (New Hampshire) in June of 2013. Victoria is now an on-air TV personality with ESPN reporting for numerous programs including X-Games, Invictus Games, The ESPY Awards, espnW, Frozen Four, Special Olympics World Games and Sportscenter.

Professor David Cutler is currently the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics in the Department of Economics and holds secondary appointments at the Kennedy School of Government and the School of Public Health. He has served on the Council of Economic Advisers and the National Economic Council during the Clinton Administration and has advised the Presidential campaigns of Bill Bradley, John Kerry, and Barack Obama as well as being Senior Health Care Advisor for the Obama Presidential Campaign. Professor Cutler is also the author of two books, several chapters in edited books, and many of published papers on the topic s of health care and other public policy topics.

Patrick Sweeney is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and world-record holder. He comes from the blue-collar suburbs of Boston and paid his way through state school, where he discovered rowing. He finished 2nd in the Olympic trials and earned a Top 5 MBA near the top of his class where he caught the entrepreneurial bug. He started three technology companies, sold them for millions, and left it all behind after battling a rare form of leukemia. He has used research to unlock the secrets of feat and peak performance, creating a framework to teach anyone how to achieve the life of their dreams. His mission now is to help people use fear to transform their lives and their organizations. Sweeney’s speeches demonstrate this framework with inspirational examples and actionable tips to power positive change using neuroscience, entrepreneurship, and adventures.

Frances West is an internationally-recognized thought leader, inspirational speaker, strategy advisor, author, and women in technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative through her unique Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint. Her insightful and impactful approach comes from her unique personal background as a first-generation, no-English speaking immigrant to her trailblazing professional path as one of the first women in the technology field and her experience as a global executive in sales, marketing, business development, and research as well as her ground-breaking work in accessibility as IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer. Frances brings a valuable business perspective to this human rights-based initiative. Because of her expertise, she was invited as the sole IT industry representative to testify before the US Senate on the need to pass the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and she holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in recognition of her work in accessibility, research, and digital inclusion.

Dr. Lindsey Piegza is the Chief Economist for Stifel Financial. She specializes in the research and analysis of economic trends and activity, world economies, financial markets, and monetary and fiscal policies. Prior to her role with Stifel, she was the Senior Economist for an investment bank in New York City for eight years consulting clients in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East.