2021 SPEAKERS
Stephen Barrett, DPM
Diabetes affects millions of Americans with often debilitating consequences. While surgery is available for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy patients, many suffer with severe symptoms, unaware something could be done for them. If providers would hit their reset buttons and make this resource known, a lot of patient’s lives would be improved and many saved.
Rain Bennett
Separate yourself from any and all competition with your unique perspectives and experiences. I see many TED talks discussing how to become proficient or expert in certain fields, but none showing people how to build a business around who they already are. Many people may possess your skills and expertise, but only one person has your unique story. Learn to leverage it, and open a world of opportunity.
Wahida Clark
Accepting mediocrity can be seen as a selfish choice of settling for less than optimal in your personal life and professional life. Wahida’s story and idea are proof that no matter where you start from, even if it’s at rock bottom, you can rise to the very top with courageous dedication and true grit.
Shiraz Dalal
Sometimes taking a step up and seeing the world from 30,000 is the best way to adapt to a changing world! Lessons from the cockpit as a military and commercial pilot have taught Shiraz to adapt and overcome the challenges life presents, including this past year. With almost 20 years experience flying throughout the world and over 400 combat flights, there are many lessons pilots learn that can be applied outside the cockpit.
Morgan Davis
We live in a world that believes you are and encourages you to be a machine. Our focus when it comes to being “well” is how long and hard we can work and how much we can take on without needing rest. A movement has begun to redefine wellness in a more human way. Cannabis legalization is part of that movement and the beginning of a much larger conversation about personalized wellness. But cannabis legalization is not just common-sense or topical, it is a moral imperative. The past two years has clearly show us that we can no longer allow antiquated laws and perspectives to exist – especially when they result in the harm of others.
Matthew A. Gilbert
There are 4.6 million “opportunity youth” in the United States between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and not working. With limited economic options, these at-risk individuals cost taxpayers $93 billion annually — $1.6 trillion over their lifetime — in lost revenue and increased use of social services. But the reality of these individuals can be reset by redirecting them towards a path of possibility through entrepreneurship education. “Inspiring Innovation Mindsets in Opportunity Youth” shares how to ensure high school graduation, encourage college attendance, improve career or military readiness, incubate economic independence, and strengthen self-esteem in these individuals with unlimited potential.
Kendra Leonard
We are not going to be here forever. We all have an expiration date. We are all not only creating our own experiences, but as a collective, we are creating this world in which we live. And we all have a choice to be healthy, positive, compassionate, and understanding; or we can live unhealthy lives, swirl in the negative, pass judgement on others, or be stuck in our current situation. These are our choices. Each moment is a chance to take a step in a new direction. Just because you have done something your whole life does not mean that you need to continue doing it. These last two years have been a time of recreating, reinventing, rebirth, revolution, and ultimately what I am looking forward to, the renaissance…
Kashinda Marche
We all have had experiences in life, also known as curveballs, that caused us to realign our steps. These experiences may differ in their details; however, the one constant is the point of reset.
I decided to lean into my gift of creativity, first by recognizing I had such a gift and then sharing it with the world. This mindset is a new for me. I speak freely from my wheelchair about the challenges I faced while living with HIV and how the stigma surrounding the diagnosis keeps many people living with it from becoming better versions of themselves. This talk will allow you to reflect on your challenges and activate your desire, ambition, and willingness to become your own champion.
Christine Ramsay
In this talk, we discover the myth behind the normal brain as an assumption that masks many of the hidden superpowers of neurodivergent humans and reimagines long-stigmatized neurological conditions as wondrous and beautiful human variations. Without an intentional focus and empowerment of neurodivergent humans, we risk diminishing the incredible value this rapidly growing population can bring to our future and losing out on extraordinary innovation that only neurodivergent humans can offer.
John Samuel
In today’s world, you hear a lot of buzzwords around diversity and inclusion. More recently, the spotlight is shining on inclusion, suggesting that companies shouldn’t just focus on numbers of women or people of color. Rather, they should focus on whether people feel like they’re part of a community. That they belong.
As a blind person, for a long time, I felt I didn’t belong in many parts of my life. With that in mind, I want to introduce a new acronym to your vocabulary. Instead of just D and I…I’d like you to learn IDEA: “I” stands for inclusion, “D” stands for diversity, “E” stands for equity, and “A” stands for accessibility.
Mike Young, PhD
The challenges of the past year have shone a light on many aspects of our lives. Perhaps the greatest spotlight has been on our health and wellness. While the world scrambled to find solutions to a public health crisis, one of the most obvious and readily available medicines was largely overlooked. This same medicine has an almost universal positive impact on many diseases that face us today and has no known negative side effects. That medicine is movement. The physiological effect of exercise on everything from quality of life to mental health to resiliency against the worst global pandemic of our lifetime is profound, evidence-based, and without drawbacks. In this talk, Mike will share why we should start thinking of movement as the single, universal medicine to address the health and wellness issues we face today.
Boris A. Zhukov
Static inventory and lack of consumer flexibility within a rapidly digitalized economy are stale automotive industry doctrines. What if you could submit your own car prices with instant results? Boris and his team have invented mathematical models to solve traditionally complex automotive supply and demand mapping problems and fundamentally change the optics of the industry to focus on buyers rather than chasing leads. As a result, buyers call the shots on pricing, while dealers maximize profits by anonymously discounting their inventory.