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.

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.

In an illustrious career that reads like a chronicle of global impact, The Honorable Raj Panjabi has spearheaded groundbreaking policies and programs that have transcended borders on a quest to protect the health of people around the world. Recognized by TIME as one of its “100 Most Influential People in the World,” Dr. Panjabi is a renowned physician and entrepreneur who led President Joe Biden’s pandemic office at the White House National Security Council. Operating at the center of the Covid-19 pandemic response, he played a pivotal role in steering the ship of American health security back on course and helped orchestrate the largest global vaccination campaign in history. Dr. Panjabi’s transformative impact and ability to drive results serve as an effective blueprint for how leaders in any industry can work within their teams to develop solutions to the most pressing challenges they face in their organizations and industries.

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.

Annie Duke is a former professional poker player where she has learned and refined the concepts of strategic decision making and she has learned to apply them to all facets of her life. She is an engaged activist and philanthropist and was one of the top poker players in the world for two decades. Annie writes, coaches, and speaks on a range of topics such as decision fitness, emotional control, productive decision groups, and embracing uncertainty. A regularly sought-after public speaker, she addresses thousands in keynote remarks at conferences for organizations ranging from the Investment Management Consultants Association to the Big Ten Conference.

Cy Wakeman is a dynamic international keynote speaker, drama researcher, New York Times best-selling author, and global thought leader and business consultant with over 25 years of unparalleled experience who is recognized for cultivating a counter-intuitive, reality-based approach to leadership. Grounded in reality, Wakeman’s philosophy has helped organizations and individuals all over the world learn to ditch the drama and turn excuses into results. Named one of the “Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow” on Twitter for seven years in a row, Wakeman’s influence continues to build. She was also recognized as #23 on the Global Gurus 2019 list of the World’s Top 30 Leadership Professionals around the world for 2019. Her programs are consistently ranked by participants as the single most impactful training they have ever received.

Matt began his career in 1995 hacking into systems for the US Department of Defense and Intelligence Community and over the past twenty-five years has emerged as an established thought leader in the cyber and security domains. A successful entrepreneur, he has founded several companies including FusionX & the Terrorism Research Center, played a key leadership role in a handful of successful start-ups, and served as an advisor to DoD, a professor at Georgetown and Columbia Universities, and a member of the Black Hat review board. Matt’s unique approach to technology, business, and security issues is driven by a technique he calls “HACKthink” – applying a hacker mindset to analyze and dissect complex problems and develop innovative solutions.

Jean Chatzky, award-winning journalist, best-selling author and sought-after motivational speaker, has created a global platform that is making significant strides to help millions of men and women battle an epidemic with a devastating impact - debt.

On a crusade to reduce stress, improve communication, and put the heart back into business, Amanda Gore helps her clients get more out of life. Stressing the importance of creating joyful corporate communities that bring people together productively and profitably, Gore discusses how to develop relationships that work at work.

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.

Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky is a presidential historian and expert in the cabinet, presidential history, and U.S. government institutions. She is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential History and she teaches on the American Presidency at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. She is the author of the award-winning The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, which was published by Harvard University Press in April 2020. Chervinsky has been published in the Washington Post, TIME, American Heritage, USA Today, The Hill, CNN.com, and numerous others; Her new book, An Honest Man: The Inimitable Presidency of John Adams will be published by Oxford University Press in 2024.

Henna Pryor, PCC is a highly sought after Workplace Performance Expert and an award-winning 2x TEDx and global keynote speaker, executive facilitator, and coach. Her clients call her their “secret weapon for impossible change,” an honor she wears proudly. She’s known for her science-backed approach to improving the performance, habits, and actions of hungry high achievers - in her fun, no-nonsense, no-jargon way - to move them from their first level of success to their next one.