Michael J. Durant is the best-selling author of In the Company of Heroes and the inspiration for the movie Black Hawk Down. He was the sole survivor of the helicopter crash caused by a Somali-fired grenade and held as a prisoner of war for 11 days. Prior to his time in Somalia, Durant had participated in combat operations in the Persian Gulf, Panama, and Kuwait. A highly-decorated soldier, his awards include the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Medal. He addresses leadership, teambuilding, growth, and his experience as a soldier and as a hostage.

James Gilmore is an expert on innovative thinking and the experience economy. As co-author of The Experience Economy, James Gilmore advises companies on how to turn their goods and services into a remarkable experience for the consumer. He discusses the concept of mass customization and helps businesses envision new possibilities for engaging customers and finding new sources of revenue.

A creative mind dedicated to helping businesses develop new ways to deliver customer values, Joseph Pine is the co-author of numerous books including The Experience Economy. Pine is a marketing expert who illustrates the importance of creating unique interactions and experiences for consumers in order to drive revenue and growth. He consults with numerous Fortune 500 companies and start-ups around the world, helping them embrace the ideas and frameworks he writes about, develop concepts for creating more economic value, and see those concepts become reality. In his speaking and teaching activities, Pine has addressed both the World Economic Forum and TED and has been a Visiting Scholar with the MIT Design Lab and a Visiting Professor at the University of Amsterdam.

What makes Mark Bryan one of the world’s leading futurists is his proven mastery advising organizations on the trends and tech that will disrupt their industries, and his inventive approaches for adapting to an ever-evolving business environment. He is the senior foresight manager at the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm founded by world renowned futurist Amy Webb. In his role, he supports leaders and their organizations in developing and implementing customized, forward-looking strategies that position them years ahead of their competitors and expedite their journeys to their desired futures. Bryan’s expertise spans across industries — having worked alongside national retail brands, higher education institutions, nonprofits, multi-family developers, and large corporate clients to evolve them from market leaders to market innovators.  

Captain Larry Brudnicki presentation style is fast paced and interesting, striking a perfect balance between humor and real-life drama, as he tells a true story of leadership, teamwork, courage and risk management strategies. He is the real-life Captain of the Coast Guard ship that performed two dramatic rescues during the worst storm in more than 100 years, which became known as "The Perfect Storm" and inspired the book that was on The New York Times best-seller list and the blockbuster movie.

Ken Burns is a PBS documentary director of The Civil War, Baseball, The West, Thomas Jefferson. He has been making documentary films for more than twenty years and the most notable among his work is the PBS series Baseball. Among critical acclaim, Baseball earned Mr. Burns an Emmy, the Clarion Award, and The Television Critics Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sports and Special Programming.

Hal Becker is a nationally known expert on sales, customer service, and negotiating. He conducts seminars or consults to more than 140 organizations a year. His client list includes IBM, Disney, New York Life, United Airlines, Verizon, Terminix, AT&T, Pearle Vision, and Cintas. He is the author of "Can I Have 5 Minutes Of Your Time?" which is now in its 21st printing and used by many corporations as their "Sales Bible."

Alex Sheen is the Founder of because I said I would, the international social movement and nonprofit dedicated to the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. Sparked by the loss of his father, Alex began sending promise cards to anyone who requested them at no cost. Since his father’s passing on September 4, 2012, because I said I would has sent over 8.4 million promises cards to over 150 countries.

Ethan Zohn is a former professional soccer player, cancer survivor, winner of the hit reality television show Survivor Africa, co-founder of Grassroot Soccer and a two-time cancer survivor. As demonstrated by his charitable work, volunteerism, and community involvement, Ethan believes that a better and healthier world can be achieved through education, advocacy and inspiration.