In 2007, Dr. Michael Sorrell faced a life-altering decision. He was part of an ownership group that was on the verge of purchasing the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and he would serve as the team’s president following the completion of the deal — a dream come true for him. At the same time, he was approached by Paul Quinn College, a failing institution, to serve as the historically Black college’s president in the interim while they sought out a permanent appointment to take over the role — a search that was proving difficult as the school continued to falter. Dr. Sorrell accepted the role, hoping it would be a brief side quest on his journey to becoming an NBA executive. In reality, it marked the beginning of a transformative and innovative era for the school that continues to this day. Dr. Sorrell has spearheaded one of the great turnaround stories of our time — leading Paul Quinn’s evolution from one of the worst in the nation to a higher education powerhouse. As the longest-tenured president in the college’s history, he has instilled a “WE Over Me” mentality in students, faculty, and the community at large and has been revered throughout his historic tenure for his ability to reimagine organizations to better serve the needs of the people that depend on them. He is a testament to the power of purpose and vision. Dr. Sorrell’s talks center on why the simplest approach to leadership is often the most effective one. As he engages the audience with the experiences that led him to Paul Quinn College, and the turnaround that followed, he introduces them to his “Four Ls” for leading with impact.

Early on in my career, when my company was in the aftermath of a $5B acquisition, I almost quit. Fueled by frustration and stress, I found myself on the precipice of walking out of the office and never coming back. Had I done so, I would have become another statistic. Yet another African-American female departed from a STEM-driven industry. Top talent voluntarily resigning during a time of significant organizational shift. Another change victim. But I didn’t. Instead, I woke up one day and decided to view those feelings as a signal that I was sitting in a moment of opportunity. An opportunity to transform that chemistry, that feeling into something better. To choose every day to do something, say something, behave in some way that would move the needle of my work experience towards a better feeling. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was cultivating a teachable strategy to inspire anyone to become enthusiastic about change, to find their unique power of resilience during turbulent times. Today, I help organizations disrupt ‘change as usual’. Through a practical and repeatable framework, I show them how they can transform their culture from surviving change to growing through change.

Ambassador Ron Kirk is the former United States trade representative (USTR) who was a pivotal member of the president’s economics team. With nearly 20 years in politics, he has been a Dallas mayor, U.S. Senate candidate, a lawyer with international reach. Boisterous and entertaining, Kirk analyzes the current political environment and offers audiences a glimpse behind the curtain in Washington and into what the president is really thinking. He also addresses trade, jobs, the economy, and doing business in China.

An internationally recognized thought-leader on leadership, mindset, and generational dynamics in the workplace, Ryan Jenkins is a trusted advisor helping organizations of all sizes in any industry build mission-led, high-performance teams through connection, communication, and purpose. Jenkins’ insights have played a vital role in reshaping the DNA of some of the world’s most admired companies and kickstarting future-focused workplace transformations designed to enhance individual achievement in support of collective success. In his uniquely memorable presentations, he draws from his own research and analysis of emerging workplace trends to provide audiences with actionable and customized strategies for working, communicating, and leading across generations; attracting, retaining, and engaging top talent with diversity and inclusion in mind; and strengthening team connection and workplace happiness to inspire industry leading teams and equip them for the future of work.

Don is a former Apple and Kodak executive and a successful and revered Silicon Valley entrepreneur. The mind behind the world's first consumer digital camera, Strickland rose from an engineer at Kodak to a top executive leading a team of 15,000. He left to become Apple's Vice President of Imaging and Publishing before founding and eventually selling his own start-up, PictureWorks Technology.

Dan Bartlett, the former counselor and key advisor to President George W. Bush, was responsible for strategic communications, policy formulation, and the implementation of the administration’s agenda. His experience serving in the highest levels of state and federal government and helping lead two successful presidential campaigns gives him a unique perspective in shaping public opinion and reputation management. Currently the executive vice president of corporate affairs for Walmart, Bartlett addresses politics, strategic communications, and life in the West Wing.

---What is it that pushes us to perform at our best? Which people on our teams thrive in high-stress/high-stakes environments and which are always cool, and calm under pressure? Why does this matter and how can you use it to drive peak performance? After 3 years of interviewing more than 200 people including professional athletes, military officers, poker players, and psychologists, Rafi Kohan offer insights into the psychology of gamesmanship and how mental stress can be used to drive performance and behavior. This work, which culminated into the lively and hilarious read Trash Talk, The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn’t Total Garbage, offers anecdotes from some of the world’s top competitors and the mind games that push them to outperform their opponents.

The Right Honorable Jean Chrétien is the former prime minister of Canada and is one of the most respected world leaders of the last 25 years. His career spans more than 40 years in public service, and under his leadership, his party won three consecutive majorities in the House of Commons. Queen Elizabeth appointed Chrétien to the Order of Merit, an award given to “individuals of exceptional distinction in the arts, learning, sciences, and other areas such as public service.” He addresses global / geopolitical matters, such as globalization, the economy, security, and social issues.

Matthew Dowd is a well-known and respected cultural commentator and strategist. For the past 30 years, he has helped shape strategies and campaigns for CEOs, corporations, foundations, governments, candidates, and presidents. Most recently, he served as chief political analyst for ABC News where he appeared on This Week, Good Morning America, and Nightline. He was the chief strategist for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign, earning the title “strategist of the year.” He is also the author of the best-selling Applebee’s America. Dowd addresses politics; running winning campaigns; and demographic, commercial, and political patterns.

Ram Charan is a world-renowned business advisor, author, and speaker who has spent the past 35 years working with top companies, CEOs, and boards. He is the best-selling author of 17 books – including Boards that Lead and Execution – that have sold more than two million copies He discusses growth, innovation, corporate governance, succession planning, and leadership; and has been called a “top 10 resource for in-house executive development” by BusinessWeek. A sought-after advisor for his ability to guide boards and CEOs, Charan provides practical, take-home strategies.

Throughout his career, Mr. Oczkowski has worked at the intersection of where product development meets data science to forecast, predict, and analyze commercial markets and American elections. Prior to his work at Data Propria, Mr. Oczkowski also served as Head of Product for Cambridge Analytica where he most notably ran the team of embedded technical specialists inside the Trump Campaign that led to the scientific understanding of the eventual outcome of the election - a scenario that pundits missed. Using tactics from the worlds of: behavioral science, growth hacking, machine learning, sentiment analysis, and NLP, Mr. Oczkowski successfully connects behavioral dots together to make informed decisions about groups of people.

Olympic skier, best-selling author and CEO of The Goal Acceleration Institute, Vince Poscente masters life in the fast lane with electrifying energy and entertaining style. Vince uses his signature wit and wisdom in telling his unforgettable story as a recreational skier turned Olympian in just four years. Vince teaches teams to sell more, lead better and produce more, and will help companies move past obstacles to achieve success.