Widely respected as an innovator in unlocking high performance in teams and individuals, Dr. Wendy Borlabi possesses expert-level understanding of the mental aspects of peak performance and works alongside the world’s top athletes to help them reframe their mindsets to reach their full potential. She is the sport psychology consultant for the Chicago Bulls where her mindset-centered philosophy to mastering your field is embedded in the team’s success and prevalent at all levels of the organization and its culture. A leading sports psychologists and performance coach, Dr. Borlabi is also an independent consultant with the NBA and is the founder of performance psychology firm Borlabi Consulting, through which she advises organizations in any industry on teamwork, elevating mental toughness, and inspiring unwavering confidence in their teams. Previously, she served as senior sports psychologist for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), preparing the country’s top athletes for dominant performances at two Winter Olympics and one Summer Olympics.

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.

An adventurer, record-setter, and boundary-breaker, Darcy Gaechter is best known as the first woman - and member of the first team - to kayak the Amazon River from source to sea. The journey required her crew to paddle over 4,000 miles across the widest part of South America, a voyage that took 148 days to complete. She is also the author of The Kayaker’s Guide to Ecuador and Amazon Woman, an adventure memoir detailing her Amazon River expedition and the life challenges she faced to get there – the rights of which have been purchased to turn her story into a movie. Gaechter inspires audiences with her personal journey of overcoming obstacles and making the impossible possible – sharing useful tactics to take on even the most daunting of challenges and demonstrating how a strong belief in yourself and in your goal are key ingredients to any success.

Amy Purdy had a typical childhood until losing her legs at 19 as a result of Meningitis, which has led to an adulthood of extraordinary accomplishments. Amy is the top ranked adaptive snowboarder in the US, a three-time World Cup Para-Snowboard winner, the 2014 Paralympic Bronze Medalist, and the 2018 Paralympic Silver Medalist. She is the co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports (AAS), a non-profit organization which helps disabled youth, young adults, and wounded veterans get involved with action sports, and the author of the New York Times best-selling book, On My Own Two Feet. Amy has evolved into a powerful inspirational and motivational speaker who has been seen by millions of people and invited to share her story to audiences around the world.

Ever since 2002, as chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company — where she became the first African American woman CEO among the top five of the Black Enterprise 100s largest black-owned companies — Linda Johnson Rice has shone a ray of positivity on the black community with her strong and resilient leadership.

Jennifer Shahade's accomplishments are a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication. She made history in 1998 as the first female to win the U.S. Junior Open, and later won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 2002 and 2004. She holds a degree in comparative literature from New York University, and her writing has been featured in prominent publications such as the LA Times, The New York Times, Chess Life, and New In Chess.As an accomplished poker player, she won the TonyBet Open Face Chinese Poker Live World Championship High Roller Event in 2014. Jennifer hosts the award-winning poker podcast The GRID and has served as the women's program director at the U.S. Chess Federation, bringing chess programming to thousands of girls across the country. Her journey and advocacy continue to inspire and empower individuals worldwide.

Born and raised in Monterey, California, it was only natural that Alpana Singh would develop a deep-rooted interest in wine. At 26, she passed the final level of the Master Sommelier exam—a feat achieved by only 269 people in the world. She's the first Indian woman and the youngest female ever to do so. She went on to serve as a Sommelier for highly-acclaimed restaurants in Chicago before opening three of her own. In lively, fun, and informative talks, Alpana shares her inspiring story of rising from the daughter of Fijian immigrants to becoming a successful entrepreneur and TV personality all while navigating a male-dominated profession. She give audiences a glimpse into the life as a Sommelier as she teaches them how to taste wines “blind,” purchase bottles like a professional, and pair with meals for any occasion.

At first glance Melissa Stockwell may appear to be the quintessential Mid-western All-American girl, but she is far more. She is an American war hero who has triumphed over personal tragedy to achieve greatness, World Champion status, and she has dedicated her life to chasing remarkable accomplishments while giving back to others, particularly those who face challenges similar to her own. In 2002, Melissa graduated from the University of Colorado and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. In March 2004, she deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. Just three weeks later, a blast from a roadside bomb struck Melissa’s Humvee causing the loss of her left leg above the knee. After enduring numerous infections and surgeries, Melissa was medically retired from the Army. She is the first female soldier to ever lose a limb in active combat and has been awarded both The Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. Following her accident, sport become the road to recovery for Melissa. In April of 2008, she became the first Iraqi War Veteran to qualify for the Beijing Paralympics. She competed in three swimming events and was honored by her fellow Team USA athletes to be selected to carry the American flag in the closing ceremony. After Beijing, Melissa turned to the sport of Paratriathlon and is now a three time World Champion. She was named USA Triathlon’s female Paratriathlete Of The Year for two consecutive years and was twice nominated for an ESPY award.

With an exceptional track record of sparking brilliant leaders and turning soft skills into hard results, Jackie Insinger combines relatability and humor with her data-driven, results-focused approach to teamwork and leadership. Equal parts captivating and motivating, Jackie inspires immediate action that leads to inevitable transformation. By leveraging the latest research in neuroscience and positive psychology, Jackie designs simple, actionable strategies that individuals can use right away to spark their team’s brilliance - taking them beyond “good to great” and transforming them from “great to extraordinary.” As a best-selling author with degrees from Duke and Harvard and a certification in Neuroscience for Business from MIT, Jackie’s ideas have been a game-changer for thousands of people and businesses worldwide.

Jenny Wood is the author of the upcoming book, WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want and Get It. She is also a former executive at Google who ran a large operations team that helped drive tens of billions of revenue per year. She is the founder of Own Your Career, one of the largest career development programs in Google’s history with tens of thousands of people benefitting worldwide. Jenny’s writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Forbes. Wood climbed from entry-level to executive in her 18 years at Google and founded the company’s largest career development program in its 25-year history, Own Your Career, which is loved by tens of thousands of employees globally. Penguin Random House has WILD COURAGE slated to be one of their biggest professional development releases of 2025, and it’s already being translated to Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Portuguese, and Polish. When WILD COURAGE was announced for preorders, it instantly became the #1 new release in the Careers category and the Leadership and Motivation category on Amazon.

Award-winning keynote speaker and bestselling author of eight books, Laura Stack is a noted expert in employee and team productivity. She is best known by her moniker, “The Productivity Pro®.” Her engaging personality, combined with over 25 years of experience helping organizations achieve RESULTS, have made her one of the most sought-after experts and keynote speakers in her field. Funny, engaging, and full of real-life strategies that work, Laura will change mindsets and attitudes—so your team can maximize its productivity, increase market share, strengthen performance, increase sales, and get the job done right!

World-renowned red carpet and television host, Giuliana Rancic delivers the same charm to live audiences as she does interviewing some of Hollywood’s biggest stars by sharing stories that will delight and inspire from the perspective of a female entrepreneur and cancer survivor. As a young girl, Giuliana, who emigrated with her parents to the U.S. and learned English by watching TV, could only have dreamed that she would grow up to be one of entertainment television’s most recognizable faces. Giuliana Rancic’s life is a testament to the American dream. Viewers will know her best as the one behind the microphone on the red carpet during some of the most dazzling Hollywood moments of the past 15 years as a host on E! News. Now live on stage she shares how she built a clothing line and restaurant franchise at the same time that she battled both breast cancer and infertility, all while in the public eye. As a woman who has excelled in business and as a survivor and advocate for so many others, Giuliana Rancic’s life is a model for those of all backgrounds. Now a mother to a beautiful little boy, audiences will enjoy getting to know someone whom they recognize first from the red carpet, but who in many ways reminds them of the strong women in their own lives, and inspires them to live their best possible lives.