A four-time spacewalker on two missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, including the final Hubble servicing mission which has been called the most dangerous and complex mission in space shuttle history, Mike uses humor and his unique storytelling ability to inspire audiences to identify the passion in their work, use teamwork and innovation to solve problems, provide leadership in the face of adversity, and never give up when pursuing a goal. Mike provides insights into the commercialization of space and how advances in technology and automation have changed the space program, and will affect the future of space exploration and private spaceflight.

A 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) wanted to fly military jets from the moment she saw them at her first air show when she was five years old. She achieved that goal – and then some. A leader, a combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, an instructor, a White House Fellow, and an inductee into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, Nicole’s Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams.

Steve Baskis is an inspirational blind veteran and adventurer. Just eight months into his deployment to Iraq, his squad was attacked. A roadside bomb severely wounded Baskis, but, despite his injuries, he amazed his doctors with his recovery and attitude. An “adrenaline junkie,” he was eager to test his potential and push the boundaries of what disabled people are perceived capable of doing. He has since competed in athletic competitions and summited mountains. Baskis addresses motivation, inspiration, overcoming adversity, humanitarian efforts, and pushing the limits of human potential.

In her 15-year career as a professional adventure racer, Robyn Benincasa has competed in close to 40 expedition-length events, biked through jungles in Borneo, climbed Himalayan giants in Nepal, trekked across lava fields in Fiji, rafted rapids in Chile, and racked up multiple world championship titles along the way. In her spare time, Robyn, is a full-time firefighter in San Diego, on the nation's first all-female crew, and has been revered as one of “California’s Fittest Women”.

Charlie Linville is the first combat wounded veteran to summit Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits. Linville's 2014 attempt to scale Mount Everest was cut short after a deadly avalanche. In 2015, an earthquake caused severe damage in the region and led to the cancellation of climbing season; Linville and his team assisted in recovery efforts. Linville lost his foot to a below-the-knee amputation in 2013 after an IED blast in Afghanistan where he was a member of a bomb disposal unit.

Jim has been involved in cave exploration for the last two decades and has participated in many expeditions to remote cave systems. He lives in Ireland where he is only a stone throw away from undiscovered cave passage. He got involved in diving at the age of 12 and from there on he forged a path towards highly technical diving in extreme environments. Jim is thrives on operating in these environments and has developed a methodical approach towards operating in these places. This ability has served him well in many situations including some life or death situations. Jim was one of the main players involved in rescuing the boys’ soccer team who got trapped in a 4km cave system in Thailand in July 2018. Jim also had the responsibility of extracting the team coach out through the complex underwater cave system. He has participated in the making of a feature film depicting the epic rescue due to be released in 2019. Jim also holds the record for completing the longest traverse of water-filled underground cave in Ireland. For his involvement in the cave rescue in Thailand Jim has received the knighthood of the Léopold order from the king of Belgium along with many other awards and honours. Jim has been a keynote speaker on in front of many groups of deferent categories and prides himself in telling his story and the story of the Thai cave rescue so others can be inspired. Operating in extreme environments puts you in a place that brings the worst and best out of people and learning how to handle in these situations teaches anyone how to deal with challenges in life or work.

A testament to the power of the human spirit, Kath Koschel is a survivor who has overcome incredible odds and unimaginable tragedy to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Koschel is formerly an elite cricketer and Ironman competitor whose world came crashing down when she broke her back twice in the span of five years and was told she’d never walk again. Instead, she faced the challenges head-on and defied all medical prognoses by teaching herself to walk again on three separate occasions. Driven by a passion to spread gratitude in the world, she founded Kindness Factory with the goal of encouraging one million acts of kindness and helping people find the light during dark times — just as she has done so many times.

Dr. Leroy Chiao has extensive experience as a NASA Astronaut and prior to that, as a Research Engineer. Chiao is a veteran of four space missions and has logged 229 days in space, earning the honor of commanding the International Space Station. He is also one of one of only 166 people to walk in space and was one of a few Americans to ever co-pilot a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Chiao discusses how commitment, training, and teamwork can produce extraordinary achievement by sharing anecdotes from his career as an astronaut.

Alex Gregory is an Olympic rowing gold medalist for Great Britain and world rowing championship winner. He is passionate about sharing his story and inspiring others to find the strength that lies within themselves. In 2013, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to rowing.

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.

Described by the media as everything from “Superwoman undercover” to “The Pied Piper of potential,” Sarah Robb O’Hagan is an executive, activist, entrepreneur, and founder of Extreme Living — a content platform designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations play to their highest potential. Currently, she is the CEO of EXOS, the leading performance coaching company that gets people ready for the moments that matter most in their work, sport, and daily lives. EXOS clients range from NFL players and Olympians to corporate executives, military personnel, and every day people looking to manage stressors and thrive in the new normal of fast-paced modern-day life. Drawing on her decades experience at some of the world's most influential brands, she shares practical takeaways including how to make failure your fuel, discover your most competitive playing field, get out of line rather than always following conventional wisdom, and bring out the “extreme" in others.

Jessica O. Matthews is the Founder & CEO of Uncharted, an award-winning energy and data technology company that develops infrastructure solutions for communities, facilities, and Internet of Things. The company was founded by Jessica when she was only 22 years old. Jessica’s research and career centers around the intersection of disruptive technology, renewable energy, human behavior, and the psychology of self-actualization. A dual citizen of Nigeria & the U.S., Jessica has a degree in Psychology and Economics from Harvard University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and is listed on over 10 patents and patents pending—including her first invention of the SOCCKET, an energy generating soccer ball, at the age of 19.