Bruce J. Himelstein was previously the SVP, Sales & Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC and is currently Himelstein is Executive Vice President at Zimmerman Advertising and heads their new Hospitality, Travel and Tourism group. An award- winning 30 year veteran of the hospitality industry, Bruce J. Himelstein is a recognized authority on innovative brand marketing and creation of a luxury lifestyle image for the highest quality services and consumer products. As a speaker, his range of experience qualifies him to cover a range of topics from the importance of developing a culture of service, sales intensity and brand innovation.

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.

Chris suffered a spinal cord injury while playing football at Luther College (Iowa). The doctors gave Chris a 3% chance of moving anything below his neck again. Four years later, he defied the odds and walked across stage at his college graduation. The video went viral twice, garnered 300 million+ views, and caught the eye of the country’s top media outlets (Good Morning, America, TodayShow.com, NBC Nightly News, CBS, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, etc.).

Sika Henry is a Corporate Analyst for Ferguson Enterprises and a Professional Triathlete and Ultramarathoner based in Newport News, VA. As a collegiate high jumper and sprinter, Sika became an NCAA All-American in Track and Field while earning her degree in Economics from Tufts University. After recovering from a traumatic bike accident that left Sika with significant injuries in 2019, she made history when she became the first African American Woman to qualify for her pro card in triathlon in 2021. Sika was named Athlete of the Year as part of the 2020 Outspoken Women in Triathlon Awards for her work to advocate for and make positive change in the sport of triathlon. In 2022, Sika broke the Virginia State 100K Road Record (the 10th fasted time by an American woman that year) and was inducted into the National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame.

Tony is a former career intelligence officer, senior defense executive, and retired U.S. Navy Commander. He’s a seasoned field practitioner who serves as a professionally certified executive leadership coach, team trainer, and trusted advisor with a focus in leading people, managing systems, and designing organizations to deliver leveled-up performance. He’s supported leaders in U.S. and allied governments, U.S. Navy SEAL teams, academia, commercial business, security and law enforcement, and the health industry to deliver decisive competitive advantage under the most challenging operational environments.

Lisa Gable is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the award-winning book, Turnaround: How to Change Course When Things are Going South, and is recognized worldwide as a turnaround mastermind. As CEO of several organizations, and as a former Presidential appointee, US Ambassador, UN Delegate, and advisor to Fortune 500 companies, Lisa has orchestrated and executed the successful turnarounds of well-known private and public organizations in all industries and sectors. Lisa most recently served as the CEO of FARE, the world’s largest funder of food allergy research. In 2004, she was appointed by President George W. Bush as the first woman in World’s Fair’s 150-year history to direct the U.S. Pavilion, a 100 percent non-federally funded $33.7 million operation with more than 70 employees. She held personal rank of Ambassador.

A political powerhouse with a reputation for building consensus where it was deemed impossible, The Honorable Stephanie Murphy is widely regarded as an impactful legislator who cuts through the partisan gridlock to create meaningful results for our nation. In 2017, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Florida’s 7th congressional district in a remarkable tenure that concluded in 2023. A leader among the moderate Democrats, during her three terms in the House, she was consistently named one of the most effective and bipartisan members of Congress — working across both sides of the aisle to address key issues ranging from trade to national security policy. Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed her to the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, and she co-led the Select Committee’s seventh hearing alongside Representative Jamie Raskin. With extensive public service and private sector experience under her belt, Murphy is a widely respected strategic advisor to government officials and senior business leaders alike.

Shaquem Griffin became the first one-handed player to be drafted and to play in the NFL. When he was just 4 years old, he had his left hand amputated due to a painful condition called amniotic band syndrome, which prevented his hand from developing normally. He has never used his lack of two hands as a reason to feel sorry for himself or to give up when he was faced with a challenge. It actually fueled his desire to prove skeptics and haters wrong, pursue his dream of playing football at the highest level and inspire millions along the way. Shaquem was born just minutes after his twin, Shaquill. At an early age, they made a pact to always stay together, to be inseparable. Both boys went on to become standout athletes at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg and college at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where Shaquem was Conference Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead UCF to an undefeated, national championship season. He even received a vote for the Heisman Trophy given to the most outstanding college football player in the country. After college, Shaquem and Shaquill were remarkably both drafted by the same NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks, where they played together for three memorable seasons (2018 - 2020). Shaquem's most memorable on-the-field highlight was sacking current NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers during the playoffs in 2020. He signed with the Miami Dolphins for the 2021 season and then retired in 2022 to pursue his "Plan A" of making a positive impact in the world full-time.

What do you stand for? And let’s be clear here. The question isn’t: What would you like to stand for? What do you actually stand for? What do you represent? Or to ask it more bluntly: when you die, what will people remember you for? For twenty years now, Brad Meltzer has written best-selling thriller novels. And non-fiction. And comics books. And starred and produced his own TV shows. Indeed, it is tough to find anyone being so successful in so many different mediums of the popular culture. But why does Brad Meltzer thrive in all these different professions? Yes, it’s because he puts out quality (President Bill Clinton was one of his earliest fans). And yes, it’s because he fills his books with incredible research (President George HW Bush recently told USA Today, “All of Brad’s books are a fascinating read. He is a master storyteller who keeps all of us on the edge of our seats.”) But still, of all the fiction authors out there, why did the HISTORY Channel decide to give Meltzer a TV show—and why do nearly two million viewers tune in for each show—making him one of America’s most accessible historians? Because people know EXACTLY what Brad Meltzer stands for. “I believe ordinary people change the world,” Meltzer says. And that is Brad Meltzer’s core belief. He doesn’t care where you went to school. Or how much money you make. That’s nonsense to him. Brad Meltzer believes in regular people and their ability to effect change in this world. And it is that core belief that runs through every one of his projects.

JOSHUA HARE is Chief Sciences Officer, Senior Associate Dean for Experimental and Cellular Therapeutics, Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI), and Louis Lemberg Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Hare is a practicing cardiologist with board certifications in cardiology and advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation. During his research career, he has pioneered the use of allogenic adult cell therapy for multiple disease areas. Under his leadership, and in partnership with many faculty across the University of Miami campus, ISCI developed cell-based therapy programs in cancer biology, cardiology, aging, neonatology, skin diseases, bone diseases, neurologic diseases, ophthalmology, and a program devoted to the ethics of stem cell therapy.

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.

Losing his successful football career at 35 to a serious injury, Joe Theismann learned firsthand how to think, analyze and reinvent in the face of adversity and change. The most successful quarterback in the history of the Washington Redskins, Joe Theismann is also a world-class entrepreneur whose positive, high-energy presentations provide audiences with strategies for handling trying circumstances and dealing with unforeseen change. Theismann always goes the extra mile to inspire your team to excellence, showing how passion, leadership and teamwork all combine to create a comprehensive game plan for success. A successful businessman, he always challenges audiences to recognize the potential that lies within—as individuals and as members of a team. Voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and twice named both the Pro Bowl’s Most Valuable Player and the NFL’s Man of the Year, Theismann led his team to the Super Bowl XVII championship. Known for his long-standing community service efforts, Theismann currently sits on the Sports Advisory Board of the St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Theismann was an Emmy award-winning analyst for two decades on ESPN’s critically acclaimed, Sunday Night and Monday Night NFL broadcasts.