Shayla Rivera is an aerospace engineer and former NASA rocket scientist turned salesperson, corporate trainer, and now international keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, radio host, emcee/host, comedian, actor, writer, producer, seminar facilitator, panel moderator and, as of 2017, director of the ENGR[x] program and Professor of Practice with the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. However, none of these labels tells you much about her. She best describes herself as a spiritually irreverent mystic and awareness expert. What many would call a Renaissance Woman.

Denise Hamilton is a nationally recognized Diversity & Inclusion leader, specializing in Ally training. Denise is Founder and CEO of WatchHerWork, a digital learning platform for professional women. She is a highly requested speaker and trainer as well as media personality whose platform has reached and served people all over the world. Denise leverages her 25 years of executive experience with Fortune 500 organizations like AOL and CBRE to provide solutions that support the employees and the bottom line. Clients have said Denise’s superpower is the ability to have the most challenging discussions and come out the other side with solutions and a positive direction. She uses this gift to lead workshops, design education programs, and coach senior leaders. The goal is to empower individuals and teams to mine and close the gender gap, understand differences, resolve conflict, and become better allies.

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.

Vincent K. Brooks is a retired four-star general who was in command of all US Forces in Korea, where he concurrently commanded United Nations Command as well as the Republic of Korea. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he led the 4,000 cadets as the cadet brigade commander or “First Captain.” A history-maker, Brooks is the first African American to have been chosen for this paramount position. He is also the eighth African American in history to attain the military’s top rank—four-star general in the United States Army. Widely respected as a speaker and leader of cohesive, innovative organizations, within and beyond the military, his areas of expertise are: leadership in complex organizations, crisis leadership, and building cohesive trust-based teams, national security, policy, strategy, international relations, military operations, combating terrorism and countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as diversity and inclusion.

With an unwavering commitment to public service, The Honorable Gina Ortiz Jones has continually pushed boundaries, shattered glass ceilings, and left an enduring impact in the realm of national security, politics, and beyond.  She has held several high-ranking titles throughout her career, including becoming the first woman of color and first out lesbian to serve as the under secretary of a military department when she was appointed by President Joe Biden as the 27th Under Secretary of the Air Force in July 2021. Unanimously confirmed by the Senate, the appointment made her the second-highest ranking civilian in the Department of the Air Force, which includes the Air Force and the Space Force. She is a name synonymous with trailblazing leadership and an unyielding commitment to creating positive change.

Internet pioneer, business expert, and best-selling author of five books, Tim Sanders advises Fortune 500 executives on leadership, marketing, and new media strategies to grow their business. Building on his belief that that happy employees and satisfied customers drive business, he focuses on how to build relationships with knowledge, networking, and compassion. Tim is one of the top-rated keynote speakers on the speaking and lecture circuits due to his expertise, passionate delivery, and extensive pre-event preparation process. His highly-customized speeches on leadership development, sales success and collaboration deliver take away value for audience members as well as reinforcing event themes.

Erik Qualman, a #1 best-selling author, top technology and motivational speaker, and futurist, has performed in over 50 countries and reached 25 million people this decade. Erik was voted the "2nd Most Likeable Author in the World" behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling and has been called the "Digital Dale Carnegie" and the "Tony Robbins of Tech." His entertaining, educating, and empowering style is made possible by his revolutionary video-storytelling capability. Qualman is the chairman of Equalman Studios, which has produced film and animation projects for the likes of Disney, Cartier, IBM, and many other global brands. His best-selling business books are used in over 200 universities and have been translated into eight different languages. Qualman was formerly a sitting professor at Harvard & MIT’s edX labs and has received an honorary doctorate for his groundbreaking work. NYU Stern indicated that Erik Qualman is to digital leadership what Deming is to quality and Drucker is to management.

Three-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Darren Woodson is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Dallas Cowboys uniform. The vocal leader of the defense during the Cowboys 1990’s Super Bowl teams, Woodson was one of the most popular players both inside the clubhouse and as an ambassador in the community. Upon retirement, Woodson joined ESPN as an NFL analyst. He appears on NFL Live and SportsCenter, as well as other ESPN platforms throughout the year. Woodson earned a reputation as one of the hardest hitters and most ferocious strong safeties in the NFL during his 13 seasons (1992-2004), all with the Dallas Cowboys. The quarterback of the team’s defense during its three championship runs in the 1990s (Super Bowl’s XXVII, XXVIII and XXX), Woodson registered career totals of 11 sacks, 23 interceptions and 1,350 tackles, the most in Cowboys franchise history at the time of his retirement in 2004. A native of Phoenix, Woodson was a second-round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft (37th overall) from Arizona State University, where he was a converted linebacker. He earned a bachelor of science from ASU in Justice Studies. In addition to his analyst work for ESPN, Woodson is involved in several businesses, and he remains active in the Dallas community, most notably as a board member for the North Texas Chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

For the past decade, Matt has been at the forefront of generational issues, working in various leadership roles at a Fortune 50 company in areas as diverse as marketing, employee retention, and management. Because of this expertise, Matt created his new keynote presentation on generational issues in the workplace, Stop Acting Your Age! An Entertaining Keynote to Help You Avoid Generational Warfare. Matt has quickly become a must-have for any event where audiences want to learn something new while laughing at the same time. You’ll soon learn why one of Matt’s clients has called him “both the funniest and most informative speaker I have ever heard in my life.”