Jim Donald – the current co-chairman and former CEO of Albertsons, and the former CEO of Starbucks, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, and Extended Stay Hotels – focuses on innovation, quality, and service. He started his career as a grocer; he was handpicked by Sam Walton to build a supermarket presence for Wal-Mart. He helped Starbucks enjoy record growth and performance and increase its social responsibility commitment. At Extended Stay Hotels, Donald utilizing his reputation for turning around ailing companies. Named one of the “Top 25 CEOs in the World,” he addresses leadership, management, the power of one customer. “The comments about your session were overwhelmingly positive... rarely have we had a speaker do as much research into our members and relate their message so personally. Thanks for a superb presentation!” - F&B Company "The best thing about Jim was that he understood and was so excited about the audience that he catered his presentation to be the most relevant as possible to them.” - Software Company

General Stanley McChrystal is a four-star general, the former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and the former leader of Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees the most sensitive counter-terrorism units. He is widely praised for revolutionizing warfare by fusing intelligence and operations and is credited with the capture of Saddam Hussein and the location and killing al-Qaeda’s leader in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called McChrystal “one of America’s greatest warriors.” McChrystal addresses leadership, teambuilding, and geopolitics.

Erik Weihenmayer is a world-class adventurer, the first blind man to summit Mount Everest, and one of only 150 mountaineers to climb the Seven Summits. His latest and most demanding adventure is kayaking the 277 miles of the Grand Canyon. One of the most exciting and well-known athletes in the world, he never let his lack of vision interfere with his quality of life. Weihenmayer’s feats have earned him incredible press coverage and dozens of awards. He is also the author of two books and addresses leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, motivation, and inspiration. “Erik Weihenmayer was phenomenal! He left our audience speechless, and in tears. We can’t stop talking about him – really amazing. Made me want to quit my job and go see the world!” -Investment Company “Erik Weihenmayer is one of those unique human beings who has the ability to touch everyone personally and inspire all of us to tap the power which lies within. He is a speaker who can transform an event into an unforgettable experience.” - Banking Company

Rear Admiral Scott Moore is the former deputy commander of Naval Special Warfare. From the mountains of Afghanistan to briefings in the Oval Office, he is the man our nation’s leaders trust when failure is not an option. Whether leading a group of men or interfacing with Pakistani military leaders, he directed more than 2,000 missions and was involved in the marquee moments of our nation’s history. His presentations are a nail-biting, adrenaline-pumping glimpse into what it takes to create and lead high-performing teams. “Scott did a great job in interacting with our audience and was very well received – he also did a good job tying in leadership qualities with his speech. I would recommend him for other groups.” - Automobile Association “Admiral Moore was fantastic! Everyone was absolutely engrossed in his presentation and he was the most talked about part of our meeting at the dinner afterwards. He was everything we thought he would be and we are extremely happy with his speech.” - Construction Company

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. "Joan Higginbotham was outstanding! She was confident and told her story with humility and grace. There were a lot of questions from the audience, which indicates that they loved her. I would not hesitate to recommend her to any group." - Insurance Company "Really interesting and motivational talk. Clearly an all-time leader. Loved how she described it from her perspective and then related it to what it means to all of us. It was the highlight of the day for me." - Software Company

One of the true legends of baseball, "Iron Man" Cal Ripken, Jr. broke several professional records during his 21 seasons, but none is as sacred as his consecutive-games-played record. Shattering Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,131 games by more than 500, Ripken displayed perseverance, endurance, and an everyday work ethic that endeared him to fans, transformed him into a national icon, and some argue, even saved baseball at its darkest moment. An inspirational speaker, philanthropist, businessman, and best-selling author, Cal Ripken, Jr. is the personification of leadership, commitment, and excellence. In warm and witty presentations filled with stories from his illustrious career, he shares how his keys to success apply to both the business world as well as the baseball field. "Loved the unique perspective his speech offered. Gives you a great perspective on how others succeeded and gives you the opportunity to relate it to your own motivations." - Agribusiness "He was awesome and the client was absolutely thrilled. Cal is a true pro and I continue to pitch him often to our other clients. Hopefully we land something else soon with him as well." - Sports Media Company

A decorated veteran of the sea, air, land, and outer space, Captain Chris Cassidy is among the leaders of an exclusive and distinguished group of accomplished military astronauts who have made an impact on and beyond this world. Recognized for his leadership and achievements as a United States Navy SEAL and a NASA astronaut, CAPT Cassidy’s various military deployments and spaceflight missions provided the catalysts for an action-packed career where he made the most of every opportunity presented to him, even in challenging and high-stakes environments. “The event was great, and Chris did a remarkable job. He was well prepared, and the discussion was extremely engaging for everyone in attendance. I have received positive feedback from across our company and am extremely happy with how the event turned out.” - Financial Services Company "Chris was great! He did a great job of engaging our audience." - State Police

Scott Mann is a master storyteller and former Green Beret who inspires leaders to build trust, manage change, and foster psychological safety through the power of storytelling. After confronting his own struggles of war, Scott discovered storytelling as a path to healing and human connection. Now, he talks to leaders about how they can leverage storytelling to create trust in an increasingly fast-paced world. Drawing on high-stakes leadership experiences, Mann advises organizations of all kinds — from Fortune 100 corporations (including Capital One, Walmart, Raymond James, and Fannie Mae) to local small businesses — on how to mobilize their teams, forge deeper connections with their people, and gain a more complete understanding of the opportunities that exist to create high-trust, high-performance cultures. “I don’t think we could have picked a better person to close out this year’s convention. Scott has a fresh and approachable perspective on leadership that resonated with everyone in the room — not to mention, he almost had the audience in tears. Our Vice President of Government Affairs told me that he thought Scott was the best keynote speaker he has ever seen.” - Real Estate Company "Scott was one of the best speakers we have had in several years! Everyone raved about how good he was. In fact, many of the panels and speakers that came after him referenced take aways they had gotten from his presentation. He really pulled on the heart strings too! Lots of rapid blinking holding back tears… He gets a 5 star ++++ rating. I came home and bought his book!" - Storage Company

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. "Such an inspiration! Darcy is an amazing storyteller. Her presentation was perfect. It was so refreshing to hear her candor account of the journey, yet she finds the perfect opportunity to inject motivation and inspiration. Wishing her to keep her spirit and love for adventure for decades to come!!!" - Association "Darcy was phenomenal! I had the opportunity to hear her entire keynote and she was very inspiring!" - Software Company

Chris Fussell is a former Navy SEAL Officer and the current President at McChrystal Group, a premier leadership and management consulting firm founded by General McChrystal and fellow SEAL David Silverman. Fussell leads the company’s sales, branding, and client relations teams, bringing his Special Operations experience and his expertise in cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing within large, dispersed organizations. “I am extremely pleased with our speaker, Chris Fussell. He exceeded my expectations for a relevant and captivating talk. Our participants rated Chris extremely high--in fact his overall evaluation was one of the highest scores a speaker has received in the 5 years of this annual meeting.” - Healthcare Company “Everything went terrific! Chris did a fantastic job and related well with the physician group. I would definitely recommend Chris as a speaker for any organization who works with teams.” - Physician Group

Dr. Ivan Joseph inspires and coaches people and teams to maximize their potential. An award-winning coach, educator, and leader, Joseph has spent his career leading cultural transformation, helping people believe in themselves, and creating cohesive teams. He speaks about self-confidence, embracing the “grit” to persevere in spite of setbacks, and leading teams to success, drawing from the lessons he’s learned from a life in sport. Dynamic and engaging, Joseph always leaves audience with a memorable experience that adds value long after the presentation ends.

A board-certified physician, award-winning speaker, and nationally recognized wellness expert, Dr. Romie Mushtaq is on a mission to transform mental health and wellness in the workplace. She is the founder of brainSHIFT Institute and advises Fortune 500 leaders, professional athletes, and global associations on performance, leadership, and mental health for individuals and teams. She combines more than two decades of authority and leadership in neurology, integrative medicine, and mindfulness to deliver cutting-edge programs and create tangible cultural change. In addition to founding brainSHIFT, Dr. Romie is the first chief wellness officer for Great Wolf Resorts, where she spearheads programs and initiatives designed to build a wellness-focused culture for more than 10,000 employees, as well as curate unique wellness experiences for guests. As one of the faces of the movement toward a new, more effective concept of workplace wellness, she has been featured in NBC, CBS, FOX, Forbes, NPR, Inc., and Huffington Post, as well as dozens of other national media outlets. "WOW!!!! That pretty much sums it up. Dr. Romie is absolutely incredible. She is one of the most pleasant keynote speakers we’ve ever worked with and it’s refreshing to have such pleasant interactions with someone of her caliber." - Accounting Company “The event was a huge success! We had 189 attendees and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from those that responded to the survey (>100 in fact!). It was great working with Dr. Romie and we will definitely look for additional opportunities to bring her back!” - Healthcare Company