42 Results for
Event Location: Illinois
Teamwork
Business Leaders From Major Brands
Comedians
Female Speakers

Retired NASA Astronaut, Rocket Scientist, Electrical Engineer, & Third African American Woman in Space

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $55,001 - $75,000*
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.

Adventurer, Author, First & Only Woman to Kayak the Amazon River from Source to Sea

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US West: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • Europe: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • Asia: $20,001 - $35,000*
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.

Leadership, Workplace Culture, & Wellness Expert; Chief Wellness Officer, Great Wolf Resorts

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
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.

Renowned Business Leader, CEO of EXOS the Performance Coaching Company, Former President of Equinox, Former Global President of Gatorade, Former Marketing Director at Nike and the Virgin Group

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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.

Fmr. Pres. of the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards, First Female Pres. of a Professional Sports Franchise

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
As the first female president of a professional sports franchise, Susan O’Malley, the former president of Washington Sports and Entertainment, is a pioneer in sports and business. Under her guidance, her company improved its bottom line, as well as its winning percentage, and the Washington Wizards experienced the largest ticket revenue increase and the highest renewal rate in the history of an NBA franchise to date. O’Malley’s illustrious career also included the creation of the MCI Center, which helped revitalize downtown DC. She addresses management, leadership, and marketing.

Co-Chairman of Albertsons, Former CEO of Starbucks, Former CEO of Extended Stay Hotels, & Former CEO of Pathmark Supermarkets

Fees
  • Local: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US East: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*
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.

Renowned Leadership Expert and Colonel, USAF (Ret.)

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $55,001 - $75,000*
Described by Dr. Brené Brown as one of her “leadership heroes and a total badass,” U.S. Air Force retired Colonel, DeDe Halfhill is a proven leader who draws from 25 years of command experience and as a senior advisor to the military’s highest-ranking officials to provide a real-world perspective on the power of embracing humanness and vulnerability in leadership. Twice deployed to Iraq, DeDe’s sought-after leadership insights are grounded in personal experiences commanding and advising organizations through challenging environments — often when lives were at risk and there were no easy answers. As a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, DeDe was a trusted influence in developing solutions to the military’s most-pressing issues. She also served as the military’s lead spokesperson responsible for implementing plans supporting the Department of Defense’s global communications strategy.

First Woman Thunderbird Pilot, Combat Veteran, & Fighter Squadron Commander

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
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.

Former President and COO of Nintendo of America Inc.

Fees
  • Local: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • US East: $75,001 and up*
  • US West: $75,001 and up*
  • Europe: $75,001 and up*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*
An award-winning innovator and disruptor, Reggie Fils-Aimé is a proven expert on transforming companies, re-vitalizing brands, and reshaping industries to solve daunting challenges and achieve ‘the impossible.’ Most recently, he was the president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America – the first American and African-American to hold this position. Revered by business leaders and gaming fans alike, Fils-Aimé helped bring Nintendo’s greatest successes – including the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch – to the global marketplace. Using his personal story as an example, he shares with audiences his principles for effective and innovative leadership, including defining a vision, courage in decision-making, and “irrefutable integrity.”

Business Insights & Strategy Leader, Organization Designer & Builder, & Former Director of Consumer Insights at Netflix

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A visionary, thought leader, and change agent in the arenas of innovation, marketing strategy, organizational design, and team culture enhancement, Nikkia Reveillac has driven success at some of the world’s leading brands by artfully challenging the status quo and thoughtfully asking the questions that others are so often afraid to. Over the course of her diverse career leading research and insight initiatives at top companies including Netflix, Twitter, and Colgate-Palmolive, she has leveraged unending empathy, a pioneering attitude, a deep love of multi-cultural moments, a passion for storytelling, an open-growth mindset, and a proven ability to develop high-functioning teams to shape business thinking and decision-making in ways that unlock pathways for growth.

Leadership & Peak Performance Advisor, Two-time New York Times Bestselling Author

Fees
  • Local: Under $10,000*
  • US East: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US West: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Two-time New York Times bestselling author and sought-after leadership expert Ashley Merryman finds the science essential to understanding what makes people tick — what motivates us, what inspires us. Then she explains how to use these insights to help people discover new ways to succeed. Merryman has taught Olympians and professional athletes how to perform under pressure, advised Fortune 100 executives on building winning cultures, and coached military leaders on institutional change. In her speeches, she offers evidence-based techniques and real-world strategies that leaders can apply at every level of their organization. Her talks are filled with fascinating anecdotes and cutting-edge research. Her presentations are always thought-provoking and inspiring, as she makes complex concepts accessible to a wide audience.

Renowned Co-Founder of World-Class Iconic Brands, Including International Franchise College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving; Author, TV Personality, Thought Leader

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
Nick Friedman is co-founder & visionary of College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving, the largest and fastest-growing junk removal and local moving franchise opportunity in North America. Friedman started the business in college with his childhood best friend Omar Soliman in a beat-up cargo van, and it has grown to over 250 franchises and $300 Million annual sales. He was named among the “Top 30 Entrepreneurs in America Under 30” by INC Magazine and was on the same list as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Michael Dell in a Newsweek article entitled “College Kid to Millionaire.” Friedman is a three-time Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist, and he won the prestigious award in 2018. He has been featured in numerous business books and textbooks, as well as Forbes, Fortune, and many other notable publications. Friedman’s company has appeared every year on the INC. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies and has appeared twice on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Friedman is also a TV personality, having appeared as a guest on shows, including the first episode of ABC’s Shark Tank, Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker, CNBC’s BlueCollar Millionaires, and CBS’s Undercover Boss. He also produced and acted in the biopic Bezos: The Beginning. Additionally, Nick is a Board Member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). As an author, Nick co-wrote a bestselling book entitled Effortless Entrepreneur: Work Smart, Play Hard, Make Millions.