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< Back To Speakers Jimmie Gardner Inspirational/ Motivational Speaker | Youth Mentor | Judicial Reform Advocate Contact For Booking Dedicated to fighting against wrongful convictions, injustice and inequality. Story of triumph, resilience and never yeilding hope. Jimmie C. Gardner grew up in Tampa, FL, where he developed a great love for baseball uniforms, which made that sport the one he would pursue passionately. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs just after high school and played with them in the minor leagues for 4 seasons. While there, he enrolled in college to study business management. In 1989, while still working towards his business degree, Jimmie was arrested and charged with two separate counts of robbery and sexual assault, as well as burglary and assault-during-the-commission-of-a-felony. Gardner did not commit the crimes and always maintained his innocence; however, he was put on trial in January 1990. Jimmie was found guilty a month later and was sentenced to 110 years in prison. It was not until April 1st, 2016, when Jimmie C. Gardner was finally released. Upon being released, Gardner reunited with his family with whom he had become estranged due to his incarceration. Since his release, Jimmie has become an advocate for other wrongfully imprisoned men and women who have felt the sting of this country's systemic and racial injustices throughout the criminal justice system. He also advocates for prison reform and inmate rights all over the country. Gardner is an active motivational speaker, engaged by high schools, colleges, and universities, including the Georgetown School of Law, churches, community, and civic organizations. Since his release, he has hit the ground running, and he looks forward to completely embracing his new life and living in his calling.

< Back To Speakers Geoffrey Klein TedX Speaker | Visual Storyteller | President & CEO, nine dots Contact For Booking TedX Speaker | Visual Storyteller | President & CEO, nine dots ​ Geoffrey Klein, aka Mr. Purple or the Story Guy, is a Tedx speaker, an adjunct professor and a visual content producer. He helps people and organizations communicate more effectively through the power of story. He currently serves as President & CEO of nine dots, a visual content company that helps businesses share their message through visual communication to connect with their audience. Geoffrey’s diverse professional experience includes working in the film industry, where he worked on films such as the Truman Show, Mission Impossible 2, Legally Blonde and Die Another Day. He also spent 10 years living in Manchester, England where he worked in both real estate and at a creative design agency. As a visual storyteller, Geoffrey’s belief is that the best way to communicate is through telling a story and that the best way to share a story is by making it visual. He produces animation and video to help clients bring their story to life in a dynamic and refreshing way to share your message. Geoffrey has a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a law degree from Temple University. Geoffrey is a gadget & cufflinks enthusiast and Pez dispenser collector, and in his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, whether it’s baking, basketball or board games. Keynote Topics: • The Science of Story • The Inside Story • The Art of Visual Communication

< Back To Speakers Dr. Pam Sitienei Co-Founder & CEO at ONAPS Development Contact For Booking ​ ​ Dr. Pam Sitienei serves as the founder and CEO of ONAPS Development. She brings more than 13 years of multi-faceted experience in government relations, foreign relations, international trade, financial services, energy, commodity trading, and negotiations. Culturally astute, brilliant, and discerning in her approach, Dr. Pam has an extraordinary track record for structuring complex deals worldwide from the halls of Washington, D.C. to double-digit growth areas of Kenya. She has worked with major corporations, governments, and directly with heads of state. To date, she has raised more than $300 million in project investment, which now has more than $1 billion in valuations - making her one of Africa’s most successful global investment players. Dr. Pam recently received The Prince of Wales Business and Sustainability Leadership Certification from Cambridge University in London. The U.S. Government Relations Professionals also certify her for Lobbying and Ethics. Also, she serves as a strategic advisor to several governments, energy companies, and investors throughout Africa and on the board of the Women Global Leadership Institute.

< Back To Speakers Van Moody Author | Senior Pastor | Founder of The Worship Center Christian Church | Speaker Contact For Booking ​ ​ Van Moody has a passion for transforming people, organizations, and the world. With a background in leadership, business and ministry, he is uniquely qualified to position and empowers people for success in every aspect of their lives. From his Ted Talk to The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Van Moody’s compelling voice has been heard worldwide and on various stages. In 2016 Moody became a member of Dr. Oz’s Core Team and has been featured several times on the Dr. Oz Show on ABC. He frequently writes for The Christian Post, Fox News, and his other articles have been featured in Essence Magazine, Investors’ Business Daily, Forbes, American Express Open Forum, Maxim, and many others. With his unique ability to understand and communicate timeless truths in relevant, contemporary ways, Moody challenges and equips his congregation and the world to fulfill their potential and live their purpose. Known for his keen insights, Moody is a strong visionary and a sought-after speaker and leader.

< Back To Speakers Dustin Tavella Inspirational | Magical | Life-Changing Contact For Booking "YOU'VE NEVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS!" ​ In 2018, Tavella began performing magic professionally. In 2021, he auditioned for season sixteen of America's Got Talent. He made it to the finals, performed with Mat Franco and Rico Rodriguez, and consequently won on September 15, 2021. Beating out nine finalists for the million dollar grand prize, Tavella is the third magician to win the show, after Franco and Shin Lim. In 2022, Tavella began headlining America's Got Talent Live, at the Luxor Las Vegas on the Strip. His own magic show, Here Comes Trouble, incorporates his musical talent. In August 2022, Tavella performed during the first live season 17 Qualifier Results Show, alongside Sofía Vergara and assisted by Sarah Hyland. Topics: TRUE LEADERSHIP When it comes to bringing about the change we are looking for, its far too easy to wait on someone with more influence, more power, more money, or more resources. But, what if YOU already have all that you need to bring about the change this world is waiting for? After befriending a homeless man who was "begging for change", it turned out Dustin was the one who needed "change" the most. Dustin is passionate about sharing personal, compelling stories that shifted him from WAITING for the answer to BEING the answer. TRUE CONNECTION In an era when we are supposed to be the most "connected", we have all struggled with feeling quite the opposite. And if it isn't us who is feeling disconnected, it's someone within our reach who is waiting for someone (YOU) to reach out and pull them back in the boat. Dustin has spent years working with people struggling with everything from apathy to addiction. In the end, simple human connection is ALWAYS part of the formula for bringing us back into the fullness of our callings. TRUE CHANGE When it comes to leadership, Dustin is passionate about challenging people to lead in a way that adds value to others. We want to lead in a way that makes people WANT to follow. Being able to keep sight of what truly matters helps us know how to empower people best... even when life gets messy. We can't always control what life throws our way, but a true leader knows how to find the magic in life's messiest moments.

< Back To Speakers Sheri Riley Empowerment Speaker | Life Strategist | Award-Winning Author | Leadership Contact For Booking ​ ​ Sheri Riley is a wife, mother, daughter, and entrepreneur. We know this is not easy, but she’s figured out how to make it simple. After spending 20 years creating marketing strategies for global superstars and companies like Usher, WarnerMedia, and Converse, she now serves as an empowerment speaker, high performance life coach/strategist, and award-winning author. She helps high performers grow personally and dominate professionally. She speaks and trains at companies like the NBA, The Coca-Cola Company, and JP Morgan Chase on how to implement her 9 Principles of Exponential Living to enhance personal/professional development, leadership, and productivity. Her book, Exponential Living® - Stop Spending 100% of Your Time on 10% of Who You Are (Penguin Random House), is a Porchlight Books Business Bestseller, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, garnered several self-help “Book of the Year” awards, and has been translated to Romanian and Vietnamese. John Maxwell featured an excerpt from Exponential Living in his 2019 Best Seller, LeaderShift and interviewed her for his 2020 Best Seller, The Leader’s Greatest Return. She has been featured on national media outlets like The Marie Forleo Podcast/MarieTV, The Steve Harvey Show, NPR, Huffington Post, and Essence.

< Back To Speakers Chinwe Esimai Forbes Contributor | Award-Winning Lawyer | Speaker | Citi Chief Anti-Bribery Officer Contact For Booking Executive Presence in Women & Business Leaders Don’t let any of your differences stop you from bringing your full self. Chinwe Esimai is a Nigerian-born, Harvard-trained lawyer who is passionate about inspiring generations of women leaders. The first African appointed to a global role at Citigroup. She is currently Managing Director and Chief Anti-Bribery, Corruption Officer, overseeing a comprehensive compliance program across all of Citi’s business lines and in more than 160 countries where the company does business. A recognized thought-leader on global bribery and corruption, she has made a significant impact on how corporations handle those issues. She has presented at the United Nations, MIT, Columbia, and numerous professional organizations as well as articles in Forbes and the prestigious Current History journal, which has featured writers such as George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, and Condoleezza Rice. In addition to being a thought-leader in the legal and corporate sectors, she is also, a thought leader among women, immigrant women, and economic development in Africa. She is an Executive Council Member of Elevate Network, a global professional women’s network, and co-founder of the northern New Jersey chapter of the system. She is the President of the Board of Harambee USA Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting education and economic development in sub-Saharan African nations.

< Back To Speakers Lisa Kelley Global CEO Executive Advisor | Mentor at Lisa Kelley Speaks | Partner at Sales: Creative LLC | Motivational Speaker Contact For Booking ​ ​ Lisa has spent the past 15+ years focusing on her personal development. She overcame some major childhood obstacles and took the initiative to explore the other parts of her that stopped her from her dreams. Kelley overcame her self-sabotaging behaviors, and in doing so, it provided her a passion for helping others do the same. She has a heart for helping others find their light through her coaching and consulting. She allows individuals to go deep within their souls to discover the blocks that stop them from reaching their greatness. In the end, they overcome them and find their voice, just like Lisa rediscovered hers. When organizations and non-profits that focus on helping women and young girls call on Lisa to speak to them, she jumps at the chance to do so. She shares her life experiences, the need to be hopeful in life and tells them that they can achieve anything they put their heart and soul to. She meets people right where they are and inspires them to move into a new phase of their journey. As a Certified Master Coach, she has many skills and insights that she has learned over the years and loves to share.

< Back To Speakers Charisse Lillie Speaker | Author | Consultant | CEO of CRL Consulting LLC Contact For Booking Corporate Social Responsibility Charisse builds confidence in the vision that people hold for their lives. Charisse’s career includes serving as department vice president at Comcast, the second-largest communications company in the world. She became a partner at Ballard Spahr Andrews and Ingersoll, LLP, which The American Lawyer ranked as one of the largest firms in the United States. She served as solicitor for the City of Philadelphia, was the first African American woman to chair the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia board, and was a trial attorney at the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Moving to Comcast gave Charisse new territory where she could help others. She collaborated on the development of initiatives focused on diversity, community service, and digital literacy. During her tenure, she worked with business leaders like Brian Roberts, who is still CEO, and Steve Burke, currently president of Comcast and CEO at NBCUniversal. Charisse has been an advisor for the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT). She was appointed to the MOVE Commission alongside Bishop Audrey Bronson, influenced programming for minorities and girls at the Franklin Institute of Science and Technology, and received the National Bar Association’s Gertrude Rush Award.

< Back To Speakers Keith Ferrazzi Serving Moments of Change | Author | Thought Leader Contact For Booking ​ ​ Keith’s keynotes go beyond the ordinary by tapping into the hearts and minds of attendees and challenging them to cut down silos and open up to the change at hand through inclusive collaboration. By deeply connecting everyone in the room, Keith Ferrazzi facilitates the risk-taking and candor that ignites action and paves the way for the innovation and agility needed for sustainable organizational change in today’s radically interdependent world.

< Back To Speakers Thomas E. Smith Entrepreneur | President and Co-Founder of The Thomas E. Smith Foundation | Keynote Speaker Contact For Booking ​ ​ Thomas Smith is a highly sought after speaker. The power of Thomas’s story, combined with the actionable strategies he presents for overcoming adversity of all types, has resulted in Thomas being invited to speak for numerous corporations, professional and amateur sports teams, colleges and universities, hospitals, as well as public and private high schools around the country. The same energy, drive, and passion enabled Thomas to beat paralysis three times energize and inspire audiences at Thomas’s speaking events. Those in attendance leave both inspired and better equipped to overcome their challenges — whether in the workplace, sporting arena, classroom, or personal life. Thomas Smith’s life has been filled with challenges that few people can begin to comprehend. However, his ability to not only overcome adversity but reconfigure his obstacles as opportunities is genuinely awe-inspiring. His speeches are designed with careful cognizance of the specific audience’s unique qualities and needs. What remains constant is Thomas’s ability to be personal, vulnerable, and honest with audiences, thus creating an unforgettable and enlightening experience. Since his second accident, helping people overcome adversity has been and continues to be his purpose. Thomas is most fulfilled when speaking to audiences about his ongoing journey and describing the lessons he has learned in a manner that empowers people to overcome adversity, both personally and professionally.

< Back To Speakers Gary Waters Author | Head Coach Contact For Booking Legacy through character, character though commitment. The value structure has changed drastically within our society today, character examples are badly needed. Gary Waters believes in the importance of building character off the court first; because then an individual can truly win in all areas of their lives. By perfecting these principles in his own home, living them out daily, he was able to take them authentically to his players and staff, helping to achieve greatness over the years. As wonderful as these awards are, though, Coach Waters finds his reward in the lives he’s touched and the impact he’s had on each individual he has had the privilege to mentor. Now he shares his passion and wisdom as a professional coach and public speaker and has an upcoming powerful book aimed at helping parents, mentors, advisers, and coaches guide young men and women in developing character in business, school, sports, and life in general. 10 Principles of a Character Coach offers pragmatic advice set within the context of Coach Waters’ 43 years of experiences, beginning in his home and flowing seamlessly onto the basketball court.