PDA Entertainment Search Results

Name Description
Black Life In Corporate America An acclaimed author and dynamic speaker, George Daviscapitivates audiences throughout the country with his motivating message on diversity. His book, Branches, which chronicles the progress of African Americans since the civil rights movement, is being developed into a television series. His best seller, Black Life in Corporate America, has been praised by critics nationwide. His presentation takes an in depth look at social, cultural and personal factors created by racial diversity in public and private sector management.
Frank W. Abagnale Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over thirty years he has lectured to and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world. His rare blend of knowledge and expertise began as a teenager. More than 40 years ago he was known as one of the world's most famous confidence men as depicted in his best-selling book, "Catch Me If You Can." He cashed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries over a five-year period. Between the ages of 16 and 21, he successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in the French, Swedish and U. S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies. Mr. Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over 30 years. He lectures extensively at the FBI Academy and the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998, he was selected as a distinguished member of "Pinnacle 400" by CNN Financial News. In 2006 Mr. Abagnale was selected as one of the 15 Differentiators in Retail by the editorial board of RIS News. Mr. Abagnale's most recent book, "Stealing Your Life", will be released in April 2007 by Random House. He has also written "The Art of the Steal", "The Real U Guide to Identity Theft" and "The Bankers' Document Verification and Currency Transaction Manual". In 2004 Mr. Abagnale was selected as the national spokesperson for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Mr. Abagnale was the subject of a major motion picture entitled "Catch Me If You Can", directed by Steven Spielberg with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
Conrad Adelman Sales expert and trainer, Conrad Adelman is the author of such books as Smarter Not Harder; How to Manage Your Sales Time; and Common Sense the Uncommon Way to Success. He has also produced video tapes on selling technical products and services, on retail sales and on sales management. His lecture topics include, Public Speaking in a Contact Sport; What Makes an Average Salesperson into a Superstar; Stop Selling and Start Helping; Motivation Can't Catch Inspiration; Planning, Persistance and Payoff; and Fate, Faith or Failure.
Tony Alessandra Sales, trainer, management authority, marketing expert and author of Collaborative Selling: How to Gain the Competitive Advantage in Selling; and How to Gain Power and Influence with People.
Wally Amos As the father of the gourmet chocolate chip cookie industry Wally Amos is a household name, first as founder of Famous Amos Cookies in 1975 and now the Uncle Noname Cookie Company. His fame is grounded in quality, substance, and a unique positive mental attitude. A nationally sought-after inspirational author and lecturer, Wally is also a television host on PBS. He has received the Horatio Alger Award and the President's Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence. In addition, he has used his fame to support educational causes. Since 1979 Wally has been National Spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of America. He is also a Board Member of the National Center for Family Literacy and Communities in Schools. He is the author of The Famous Amos Story, The Face That Launched A Thousand Chips, The Power In You, Ten Secret Ingredients To Inner Strength, which is a hopeful, inspirational book sharing Wally's philosophy and life experiences and his most recent book, Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slice of Life, where he uses watermelon as a metaphor for life, sharing his personal path to wisdom, humor, joy and a positive outlook on life.
Oscar Arias Arias was elected president of Costa Rica in 1986 and through negotiations drafted the Arias Peace Plan, which called for internal dialogue, cease-fire, freedom of speech, and free elections in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. This initiative culminated in the signing of the Esquipulas II Accords, or the Procedure to Establish a Firm and Lasting Peace in Central America, by all the Central American Presidents on August 7, 1987. Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. He used the monetary award to establish the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress. Under the auspices of the Foundation, three programs were established: The Center for Human Progress to promote equal opportunities for women and gender equality; the Center for Organized Participation to strengthen the participation and action of civil society in Central America; and the Center for Peace and Reconciliation to work for demilitarization and conflict resolution in the developing world.
Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong became a household name by showing his determination, dedication and strength. The number one ranked cyclist in the world, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Not only did his cycling career seem over, but his doctors game him a 50/50 chance to survive. Armstrong survived and he went on to become the first professional cyclist to win the Tour de France seven times. In the process, he became a leading advocate in the search for a cancer cure and for people living with the disease. The Lance Armstrong Foundation disseminates grants focused on improving the quality of life for cancer survivors and funds research that is not readily fundable from traditional sources. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $9.6 million in research grants. It focuses its funding on cancer survivorship centers and research grants. From the podium, Armstrong delivers lessons of courage from his battle with cancer and his career as a cyclist. He talks about teamwork and what it takes to turn dreams into realities.
Nigel Barlow Nigel Barlow is a keynote speaker on creativity, the innovative management of change and customer service. Since the past 18 years he has been focusing on helping major organisations and industries around the world. Nigel was a founding director of the UK consulting wing of the Tom Peters Group, TPG Partners, and has also established his own international customer service consultancy that specialises in helping clients to deliver high and professional levels of service. Nigel a regular contributor to Customer Service Management journal is also the Author of "Batteries Included": Creating Legendary Service. Nigel a passionate, witty, and dynamic presenter is able to speak to business audiences of up to 1000 delegates, Nigel coaches and provokes senior teams to be more creative and adventurous in the goals. His presentations are well-known for their freshness, challenge and humour, Nigel is always ready to take on the after-lunch slot as a challenge that he can keep his session lively, interactive and focused. His talks are researched based, some of the themes he works with are Creative Approaches to Change, Shaping the Future, Organisational Innovation and Customer Service. He has worked with audiences as diverse as Korean managers, German engineers, BBC researchers and producers, road rescue patrolmen, British bankers and many senior and board-level teams. He is able to communicate serious messages in a highly entertaining way. Nigel helps today's managers to understand cultural change and diversity, globalisation, customer service, corporate innovation, brand management etc. His corporate clients would include: Abbey Life, AGA, Argos, Arthur Andersen, Barclays, BBC, BP, British Council, BT, Ericsson, GKN, Glaxo, Granada, The Highways Agency, Mobil, Nestle, Sainsbury's, SKF, Sun Life, Texaco and Whitbread.
Rick Barrera Marketing consultant, management, sales and personal development expert and author of the business best-seller, Non-Manipulative Selling.
Ken Blanchard Dr. Blanchard has received worldwide recognition for his phenomenal best-selling book, The One Minute Manager, co-authored with Spencer Johnson. Selling more than seven million copies worldwide, The One Minute Manager has been translated into more than 25 languages and is regarded as one of the most successful business books of all time. In addition, Dr. Blanchard has written several other successful books, including five more within The One Minute Manager Library. He also co-authored The Power of Ethical Management, with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. In 1992, he released Playing the Great Game of Golf followed by Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, co-authored with Sheldon Bowles. Dr. Blanchard is chairman of Blanchard Training and Development, Inc., a full-service management training and consulting company which he and his wife Dr. Marjorie Blanchard founded in 1979 in San Diego, California. He is also a visiting lecturer at his alma mater Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees. Ken has received a multitude of awards and honors for his contributions in the field of management and leadership. In 1991, the National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the ?Council of Peers Award of Excellence.? In 1992, Dr. Blanchard was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training Magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and also received the 1992 Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International.
Tova Borgnine A leading entrepreneur and role model, Tova Borgnine is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the TOVA Corporation, a multi-million dollar business in the beauty industry. Tova Borgnine distributes her skin-care, cosmetic and fragrance products via mail-order catalog, direct sales, and the QVC home-shopping channel. She hosts the highly popular QVC program "Beauty by Tova" and is the author of Being Happily Married Forever, a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of maintaining a balanced and loving marriage to her husband, the award winning actor Ernest Borgnine, while pursuing her business and professional career.
Dan Brody Dan, 31, is the founder of Brody Sport, a designer brand of active-wear currently sold in prominent boutique shops and popular department stores. Dan has successfully launched several businesses during his entrepreneurial career beginning with a college venture, NYC Cafe "Grandma's Cookie Jar." This wholesale retail bakery boutique served as one of the earliest bakery suppliers for the city's Starbucks stores. Dan also owned YoCookie, a ready-to-bake cookie-dough brand shelved in more than 30 grocery stores even before "Grandma's Cookie Jar" was successfully sold. Dan's next venture was Swan Hat, one of the only "Made In The USA," headwear companies still in existence today. Swan Hat has a healthy department store base and the company's Straw Headwear division annually outfits the New York State Teachers Union - Labor Day Fifth Ave Parade, as well as other union parades and events throughout the country. Dan is passionate about religion and family and feels that you must make an exerted effort for those you love and give back to those in need
Zbigniew Brzezinski Former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski is an articulate voice on U.S. Foreign Policy, who understands the the new world order and its political effects on global business. A consultant on International Affairs, Brzezinski is author of the best-seller The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives. Zbigniew Brzezinski currently serves as a counselor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and is a professor of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Baltimore, Maryland. From 1977 to 1981, he was National Security Advisor to the President of the United States. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the normalization of U.S.-China relations and for his contribution to the U.S. human rights and national security policies in 1981. Brzezinski is also a member of the National Endowment for Democracy Board of Directors, a Congressionally-funded institution for the advancement of democracy. He serves as an honorary chairman of the AmeriCares Foundation, a member of the Board of Trustees of Freedom House and a trustee of the Trilateral Commission (a cooperative American-European-Japanese forum). A member of the Board of Directors of the Polish-American Enterprise Fund, Brzezinski also chairs the American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee. He is a frequent participant in annual business and trade conventions and the president of Z.B., Inc., an advisory firm on international issues to corporations and financial institutions). Brzezinski was previously a member of the Policy Planning Council for the Department of State (1966-68), a member of the President's Chemical Warfare Commission (1988) and a member of the NSC - Defense Department Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy (1987-88). He has also served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. During the 1968 presidential campaign, he chaired the Humphrey Foreign Policy Task Force and was the principal foreign policy advisor to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 campaign. In 1988, he was co-chairman of the Bush National Security Advisory Task Force. He has also been actively involved with Amnesty International and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has taught at Columbia University, Harvard University and Howard University, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his BA and MA from McGill University. Brzezinski is the author of The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives, Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the Twenty-first Century, Power and Principle: Memoirs of the National Security Advisor, 1977-1981 and The Geostrategic Triad: Living with China, Europe and Russia.
John Calipari No Coach in Division 1 College Basketball History has won more games in a single season. Caliparis refuse to lose attitude and his us against the world motivational speeches helped inspire his team to the NCAA Championship Game. He is arguably one of the greatest and most innovative college coaches of all time. He is an inspiration to his players both on and off the court, encouraging them to never give up, never back down and to constantly persevere against all odds. He is a great orator who has proved to the world that a little motivation can go a long way. Its the second Naismith award for Calipari after winning in 1996 by leading the UMass Minutemen to the Final Four. This season he led the Tigers to the program's first Final Four since 1985 and their first title game since 1973. Memphis won an NCAA Division I record of 38 games and was ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in national polls for a school-record 16 straight weeks. Calipari is one of five coaches in NCAA Division I history to lead two different programs to a No. 1 national ranking.
Frank Cappiello Well known financial expert, economist and investment authority.
Brian Cashman In a franchise marked by milestones, Brian Cashman has carried on the winning tradition of the New York Yankees. In his first season (1998), he became the youngest GM to win a World Series and went on to become the only GM in baseball history to win world championships in each of his first three seasons (1998-2000). He is also only the third GM in baseball history to win at least four consecutive league championships and was the first to do it in his first four seasons (1998-2001). Cashman is the only general manager in Major League history to guide a team to division or league titles in each of his first eight seasons from 1998-2005. During that span, the Yankees have compiled a cumulative record of 794-498 -- the best winning percentage (.615) in the Major Leagues during that period. According to Baseball America, it is also the highest lifetime winning percentage of any general manager since 1950 (minimum five seasons).
Neil Cavuto Host, "Your World With Neil Cavuto" on FOX News, Cable's #1 Business Show Vice President, Anchor, and Managing Editor for Fox News, Neil Cavuto hosts the number one business news program in America, Your World With Neil Cavuto. He has been named by The Wall Street Journal as the best interviewer in business news, and cited by The Journalist and Financial Reporter as the toughest inquisitor of financial and political types. He has been voted best business TV interviewer for five years running. As vice president, anchor and managing editor at Fox, Cavuto oversees all business programming at the network, including Bulls & Bears, Cavuto on Business, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin’ In. Along with Your World, these represent the top five business news programs and Fox has them all. Before joining Fox in 1996, Cavuto anchored and hosted more than three hours of live daily programming for CNBC, and was a financial contributor on NBC’s Today Show and NBC News at Sunrise. His more than 20 years of financial reporting include stints at PBS’ Nightly Business Report, where he served as New York Bureau Chief, and Investment Age Magazine, where he was a Washington Editor. Cavuto has covered some of the most important business and general news stories of our time, including the September 11th, 2001 attacks on this country and the economic programs of every president going back to Ronald Reagan, including the 1987 stock market crash. He served as an intern in the Carter administration as well. Cavuto’s first book, More Than Money: True Stories of People Who Learned Life’s Ultimate Lesson is both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His second book, Your Money Or Your Life, was released in October 2005.
Kenneth Chenault CEO of the American Express Company and the first African-American to head a Fortune 500 company.
Faye Childs Founder and president of Blackboard African American Bestsellers which publishes the bestselling list of books by or about African Americans and distributes them to bookstores, magazines and newspapers across the country. Topics: African American Identity in the Business World; Was That Racism or Sexism Working Against Me?
Roy Chitwood One of America’s leading authorities on sales and sales training.
Alan Cimberg A leading sales trainer and business speaker.
Max Cleland Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) is a member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). President George Bush nominated Cleland on Nov. 21, 2003. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on Dec. 15, 2003 for a term expiring January 20, 2007. Cleland has a long and distinguished career in public service at the state and national levels in both the executive and legislative branches of government. In 2002, Cleland was appointed to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States to report findings and recommendations to prevent future terrorist attacks. More recently he has served as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor to American Universitys (AU) Washington Semester Program, and as a Fellow in AU’s Center for Congressional & Presidential Studies. Cleland successfully ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Sam Nunn in 1995. He served on four Senate Committees: Armed Services; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Governmental Affairs; and Small Business. Previously, Cleland had the distinction of serving as the youngest Secretary of State in Georgia’s history, and the youngest member of the Georgia State Senate. Under President Jimmy Carter, Cleland became the youngest head of the U.S. Veterans Administration. In that capacity, he instituted the revolutionary Vets Center program that, for the first time, offered psychological counseling to combat veterans to heal the emotional wounds of war. Cleland volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1968. He was seriously wounded in a grenade explosion that year, costing him both legs and his right arm. He was awarded the Bronze Star and a Silver Star for gallantry in action. Cleland holds a master’s degree in American History from Emory University. He majored in history at Stetson University. Both institutions subsequently awarded him honorary doctorate degrees. Cleland grew up in Lithonia, GA.
Herb Cohen Called the "World's Best Negotiator," Herb Cohen has been involved in many of the world's headline dramas, from hostile takeovers to hostage negotiation He is the author of the best selling book, You Can Negotiate Anything.
Ben Cohen Ben Cohen son of Frances and Irving Cohen, is a co founder of Ben & Jerrys, along with Jerry Greenfield. Ben and Jerry met in 1963 in gym class and became close friends in high school. In 1978 Ben Cohen opened Ben and Jerrys Homemade ice cream scoop shop in Burlington, Vermont with Greenfield. They almost opened a bagel shop, but due to the high cost of the equipment that was needed, they chose ice cream instead. He now runs TrueMajority and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities. Cohen is vocal in his support of Democratic candidates. He supported Dennis Kucinich in the 2004 Democratic primaries and endorsed Barack Obama in 2008. As mentioned in the documentary film Super Size Me, Ben underwent a quintuple bypass in 2001 to clear blocked arteries. Cohen was 49 years old at the time. He has many contributions to society, such as creating the Ben & Jerrys foundation. It has donated 7.5 of their before tax profits to organizations such as the Anti Displacement Project Inc. He has also encouraged small scale farming, and doesn't accept milk with rBGH implants, or any other types of implants them. He has also encouraged the spending of more money on childrens rights, and less on nuclear weapons.
Sonia Colin Sonia Colin is an expert of Hispanic media and strategic communications consultant in both public and private sectors of the United States and Latin America. One of her most outstanding achievements includes the successful Hispanic media strategies for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election as the first Hispanic Spokesperson and Coordinator for a Republican Candidate in the United States. Sonia’s success has been built upon 20 years of experience in communication strategies, and the ability to diversify her talents by combining elements of journalism, political strategy, public relations, and media communications in her work. Sonia Colin is a former correspondent and Texas Bureau Chief for Univision Network and News Anchor for the Telemundo Network in San Antonio, Texas. Sonia’s work and unprecedented communications strategies included an extensive media network that led to the most financially efficient public campaign garnering the largest number of Hispanic votes ever won by a Republican candidate in the history of the United States. Sonia Colin’s personal achievements have been highlighted in various articles of The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Univision, Telemundo and many world-wide outlets of Hispanic media. Most recently, Sonia has been a recognized guest speaker at top educational institutions, such as The George Washington University and has given numerous presentations on her work in Miami, Mexico at ITESO in Guadalajara, and the Dominican Republic. Sonia Colin’s most recent projects combine both, the private sector such as triumphing in methods of Hispanic strategic communications that led Tyson Foods, Inc., (in conjunction with Lopez Negrete Communications),to win a hallmark trial against the government of the United States after being exonerated in an Immigration case – as well as the government sector leading successful media campaigns like the one achieved for HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Secretary Mel Martinez once the highest Hispanic cabinet member in the Bush Administration. Sonia’s other current projects include communication strategies in the areas of health and education, as well as several publications including her biographical book “ ¡Si se pudo! El poder hispano en el futuro” Sonia Colin was born in Mexico City. Currently Sonia Colin is Communications and Public Affairs advisor for WDLP TV Channel 22 in Miami, FL., and Media and Public Relations Specialist at Licensing & Promotions Latin America, for the Juan Alien project from Mexico City.
Jill Ker Conway Dr. Conway is an academic, writer and business leader who is best known for her autobiography The Road From Coorain, an account of her childhood in Australia. She has a Ph.D. from Harvard University, and taught at the University of Toronto from 1964 to 1975, serving as vice-president from 1973 to 1975. She was the first woman president at Smith College, serving from 1975 to 1985. Dr. Conway has received 16 honorary doctorates from American and Canadian universities. She is a director of Merrill Lynch & Co, Colgate-Palmolive Co. Inc. and Nike Inc. and serves as chair of Lend Lease, an Australian-based property and financial services group. She is also visiting professor in the Science, Technology and Society Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Matthew Cossolotto Founder and president, Matthew Cossolotto, has enjoyed a multifaceted communications career that includes eight years as a congressional aide followed by senior-level speechwriting and executive communications positions at GTE, Pepsi-Cola International and MCI, where he served as speechwriter to Chairman and CEO William G. McGowan. Over the years, Matthew has developed speeches and/or coached speakers for a variety of prestigious venues, including the Economic Club of Detroit, the National Press Club, Houston Forum, Cleveland City Club, SuperComm, the Microsoft CEO Summit, and the UN General Assembly. The author of HabitForce! How to Kick the Habits of F.A.I.L.U.R.E. and Adopt the Habits of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Matthew conducts customized “Harness Your HabitForce!” workshops and presentations for a variety of audiences, including corporations, associations, students and at-risk youth, professional and educational organizations, and community groups. His HabitForce!-based, personal change and empowerment programs focus on helping people and organizations recognize, reject and replace the patterns of thought and behavior that hold them back. He is a principal faculty member for the Transformative Leadership Summits sponsored by the Liminal Group. In addition to his HabitForce! and Podium Power presentation skills workshops, Matthew speaks to audiences about the Shakespeare authorship mystery and about ways to reform our democracy. He is currently working on several writing projects, including a new book entitled: "There’s No Such Thing As Public Speaking".
Danny Cox Motivational, sales and leadership speaker and author of Leadership When the Heat’s On and Seize the Day.
Suzanne de Passe African-American businesswoman, entrepreneur and movie producer, Suzanne de Passe was President of Motown Productions and was the recipient of an Academy Award nomination for writing the screenplay for "Lady Sings The Blues." She has also won two Emmy Awards, the NAACP Image Award and in 1990 was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
Dennis Dillion Referred to as the "economic preacher", Rev. Dillon speaks with great authority and has a tremendous command of statistical data relative to urban economics. He is a multifaceted leader who is journalist, lecuturer, author, business owner and a preacher. His oratory style and rhetoric reminds listeners of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many like him to be a modern day Marcus Garvey.
Phil Donahue Former host of televisions's highly regarded program "The Phil Donahue Show."best known as the the creator and star of The Phil Donahue Show, also known as Donahue, the first tabloid talk show. The Phil Donahue show enjoyed a 27-year run on national (U.S.) TV, plus two years of local broadcast in Dayton, Ohio before ending in 1996. His shows have generally focused on issues that often divide liberals and conservatives in the U.S., such as abortion, consumer protection (his most frequent guest was Ralph Nader, for whom he campaigned in 2000), civil rights and war protests. Donahue later hosted a show on MSNBC (2002–2003)
Dan Dorfman Influential financial news analyst.
Esther Dyson A leading authority on computers, the internet and business, Esther Dyson is an investor/commentator on emerging technologies, emerging markets and emerging companies. She is the chairman of EDventure Holdings which publishes the influential monthly computer-industry newsletter, Release 1.0 and is the author of a book on the impact of the Net on individuals' lives, Release 2.0: A Design for Living in the Digital Age.
Thomas Faranda Management consultant, business columnist and author of Uncommon Sense: Leadership Principles to Grow Your Business Profitably.
Peter Fingar Noted e-Commerce expert, Peter Fingar is an internationally recognized author and speaker. He has written and lectured worldwide on business and technology. His new book, Enterprise E. Commerce, describes how the web is transformng business and creating new business structures in a world where nothing is permanent except change. He describes what businesses need to do to survive in the age of the 'agile company', and provides a road map for the emerging digital economy.
Dr. John Hope Franklin Dr. John Hope Franklin is the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History and, for seven years, was Professor of Legal History at Duke University Law School. He is a graduate of Fisk University and earned his A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in history from Harvard University. Widely known for his literature in history, Franklin has produced numerous works such as: The Emancipation Proclamation, The Free Negro in North Carolina, The Militant South and his best known, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African-Americans, now in its seventh edition. Professor Franklin has served on many national commissions and delegations, including the National Council on the Humanities; the President's Advisory Commissions on Public Diplomacy, as well as Ambassadorial Appointments. He currently serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of One America: The President's Initiative on Race, and is the newly-appointed Chair of the National Park System Advisory Board.
Charles Garcia Charles Patrick Garcia is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a highly decorated military officer, a Columbia Law School graduate and a former White House Fellow. In 1997, at the age of thirty-six, he founded Sterling Financial Group of Companies with three people, which has grown to more than sixty offices in seven countries. The company was named the number one fastest growing Hispanic-owned business in the country by Hispanic Business Magazine, and number eight on the Inc 500 list of fastest growing privately-held companies in the nation. For his success across many fields, Garcia was named one of the nation's 100 most influential Hispanics and his leadership abilities have earned him a role in the administration of three U.S. Presidents, a Cabinet Secretary, a Governor and a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Garcia's commentary has been sought by CROSSFIRE, FOX News, CNN, CBS, Univision, Telemundo, CNN en Español and The Cristina Show. During the War in Iraq, Garcia served as Telemundo's military analyst providing daily live-behind-the-desk commentary.
Christopher Gardner Christopher Gardner is president and CEO of the Chicago-based brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co., which he founded in 1987. Prior to launching his own firm, Mr. Gardner worked for several prestigious Wall Street firms. He landed his first job in the securities industry in 1981 with Dean Witter Reynolds, coming out of their training program. Later, he spent four years with Bear Stearns & Co., where he became a top earner. A self-made multi-millionaire, Gardner is intent on giving back to the communities where he conducts business because he has never forgotten his humble beginnings or the odds he has surmounted. Christopher Gardner's accomplishments are extraordinary on their own merit, but are all the more astonishing because of the unimaginable obstacles he encountered on the road to success. Always hard working and tenacious, a series of circumstances in the early 1980's left Gardner homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dream of financial independence, Gardner started at the very bottom of the financial industry ladder and pulled his way up, often spending his nights in a church shelter or a bathroom at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Oakland. The amazing story of Gardner's life will be soon be published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, by Amistad/Harper Collins on May 23, 2006, and will also be the subject of a movie with the same title starring Will Smith as Gardner to be released by Columbia Pictures in December 2006. Born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Gardner never knew his father. He lived with his mother, Bettye Jean Gardner, and her family and, when necessary, in foster homes. Despite a life of hardship and emotional scarring, he always had supreme love and admiration for his mother, who was a trained schoolteacher. His mother taught him some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he follows to this day. When Gardner told her he wanted to be the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis she said, "Son, there's only one Miles Davis and he got that job. So you have to do something else." He understood from that day forward that his job was to be Chris Gardner - whatever that entailed. Bettye Jean also taught him that in spite of where he came from, he could attain whatever goals he set for himself by saying, "If you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." Gardner believed this to be fact, and it allowed him to persevere through the years when and his son were struggling for survival and a better life. Straight out of high school, Gardner enlisted in the Navy, just like his uncles, his role models, had done previously. After the military, Gardner went to San Francisco and took a job as a medical supply salesman. Then he reached a turning point in his life. In a parking lot, he met a man driving a red Ferrari. "He was looking for a parking space. I said, 'You can have mine, but I gotta ask you two questions.' The two questions were: What do you do? And how do you do that? Turns out this guy was a stockbroker and he was making $80,000 a month." That pivotal encounter gave Gardner a clear career goal, but he still needed a way into the world of high finance. Without experience, connections, a degree, or pedigree, Gardner began knocking on doors, applying for training programs at brokerages, even though it meant he would have to live on next to nothing while he learned. When he was finally accepted into a program, he left his job in medical sales. But his plans collapsed when the man who offered him the training slot was fired, and Gardner had no job to go back to. Things got worse. He was put in jail for $1,200 in parking violations that he couldn't pay. Chris Jr.'s mother left and Gardner, despite his circumstances, fought to keep his son because, as he says, "I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children, my children were gonna know who their father was." With a network of offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, GRC has grown by focusing on its commitment to provide quality service and excellent trade executions for clients. The firm executes trades for some of the nations largest institutions, public pension plans and unions. Under Mr. Gardner's directions, GRC has adopted a "give back to the community" program. The Company donates 10% or more of the company's earnings toward school and educational projects in the communities it serves. Chris Gardner's remarkable story of struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism, and fatherly devotion has catapulted him beyond the notoriety he has found on Wall Street. He has been featured on CBS' "Evening News with Dan Rather" and ABC's "20/20," as well as being the subject of profiles in many newspapers and national magazines.
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Acclaimed as an eloquent commentator and formidable intellectual force on multicultural and African American issues, Gates has held additional appointments at Yale, Cornell, and Duke. Born and raised in Piedmont, West Virginia, Gates grew up during a period of racial transition in the 1950s and 1960s. Currently, Professor Gates is Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford African American Studies Center, the first comprehensive scholarly online resource in the field of African American Studies and Africana Studies. He is co-editor with K. Anthony Appiah of the encyclopedia Encarta Africana published on CD-ROM by Microsoft. His latest book is Finding Oprah’s Roots, Finding Your Own, a meditation on genetics, genealogy, and race. His other recent books include America Behind the Color Line: Dialogues with African Americans, African American Lives, and The Annotated Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In 2006, Professor Gates wrote and produced the PBS documentary called African American Lives, the first documentary series to employ genealogy and science to provide an understanding of African American history. In 2007, a follow-up one-hour documentary, “Oprah’s Roots: An African American Lives Special,” aired on PBS, further examining the genealogical and genetic heritage of Oprah Winfrey, who had been featured in the original documentary. Professor Gates is currently at work on a four-hour sequel to “African American Lives,” which is scheduled to air in February 2008. In addition to writing, Professor Gates has had a profound impact on the literary world by authenticated and facilitated the publication of Our Nig, or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, by Harriet Wilson, the first novel published by an African American woman. As well as The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts, dating from the early 1850s and now considered one of the first novels written by an African American woman. Through out his long and decorated career, Gates has been a part of many writing, publishing and editorial endeavors. Professor Gates earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in English literature from Clare College at the University of Cambridge, and his B.A. summa cum laude in History from Yale University. He became a member of Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year at Yale.
Luther Gatling Financial expert and founder and President of Budget & Credit Counseling Services, Inc. Buccs, which was the first credit counseling organization in the country to not only deal with the broad spectrum of consumer debt but also to serve as a kind of laboratory for bank products and their effect on community needs.
George Gendron Editor-in-Chief of Inc. magazine.
Phyllis George Entrepreneur, television personality and former Miss America.
Stedman Graham Noted businessman and entrepreneur, Stedman Graham is the author of You Can Make It Happen: A Nine Step Plan For Success; Build Your Own Life Brand: A Powerful Strategy to Maximize Your Potential and Enhance Your Value for Ultimate Achievement; and You can Make It Happen Everyday. An inspirational and practical program for achieving success and creating a better life.
Greg Gray Nationally recognized as an authority on customer service, relationship building and personal leadership. Greg Gray has co-authored the largest customer service training program in U.S. history - now a standard training video for the U.S. Postal Service. Topics: Desperately Seeking Service: Looking Beyond Satisfaction; Keeping the Main Thing, The Main Thing: A Prescription for Keeping Your Vision in Focus; the 93% rule: a message for the messenger.
John Hennessy The founder of MIPS Computer Systems Inc., is currently serving as the 10th President of Stanford University. He earned his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University, and his Master's degree and Ph.D. in computer science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Hennessy became a Stanford faculty member in 1977. In 1984, he used his sabbatical year to found MIPS Computer Systems Inc. to commercialize his research in RISC processors. In 1987, he became the Willard and Inez Kerr Bell Endowed Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Hennessy served as director of Stanford's Computer System Laboratory (1989-1993), a research center run by Stanford's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments. He was chair of the Department of Computer Science (1994-1996) and Dean of the School of Engineering (1996-1999). Hennessy and David A. Patterson have written two well-known books about computer architecture, Computer Organization and Design: the Hardware/Software Interface (2 editions; latest is ISBN 1558604286) and Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach (3 editions, latest is ISBN 1558603298). They have been widely used as textbooks for graduate and undergraduate courses since 1990.
Robert Holland, Prominent entrepreneur and business man, Holland is the former President and CEO of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.
David Horowitz NBC News consumer advocate.
Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of eleven books."Arianna Huffington is also co-host of "Left, Right & Center," public radio's popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, Arianna Huffington was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
Kwame Jackson Kwame was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Charlotte, NC, which he considers home. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Harvard. True to his entrepreneurial training at Harvard and the bounty of opportunities in the late 90s, Kwame was heavily involved in several dot-com start-ups during his time in business school. However, his Fortune 500 professional foundation includes sales and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble and, most recently, on Wall Street as an Investment Manager for Goldman Sachs. He is most recognizable for his appearance on the first season of the popular reality series, The Apprentice. Kwame competed for the coveted chief executive position of one of Donald Trumps successful companies. He is most recognizable for his appearance on the first season of the popular reality series, The Apprentice. Kwame competed for the coveted chief executive position of one of Donald Trumps successful companies.
Keith Jackson Keith Jackson has also combined his college degree in communications and his professional playing experience to become a broadcast analyst with TNT television for one year, the Oklahoma Sooner football radio network in 1998, Fox Sports Network in 1999 and the Arkansas Razorback Sports Network in 2000. He has become one of the most dynamic and inspirational speakers in the country. His speaking engagements include churches, civic groups, corporations and schools. Keith speaks from one gamut of the spectrum to the next. And when it comes to pleasing the crowd, Keith has a natural knack for doing just that. With his wealth of knowledge and sense of humor, all audiences regardless of age, sex, race or political agenda are completely focused on what he has to say. One conference attendee said, "Your speech was the highlight of the conference for me. I found your stories and your passion for helping those in need to be very inspiring. Most of all, your practical approach to education and self-suffiency was so down-to-earth and refreshing. You inspired me a great deal and put a renewed spark in my efforts to make a difference." Keith speaks from an array of topics such as: Community Building, Teamwork, Education, Sports, Religion, as well as, other motivational topics. If there is someone or an entire group needing uplifting or that extra push to become all they can be, Keith is certainly the one to get them to the next level in their life or business.
Dennis Jaffe Nationally recognized leader in the field of organizational development. Dr. Jaffe is a consultant to major corporations and family businesses on managing organizational change, developing strategic visions, sustaining employee commitment, building value based cultures and designing collaborative workplaces. He is the author of thirteen books including Rekindling Commitment: Renewing Yourself and Your Organization; Organizational Vision, Values and Mission; Empowerment: Building High Commitment Workplaces.
Dr. Kerry L. Johnson Top business, sales, management and leadership speaker, Dr. Kerry Johnson is author of six books including the business best sellers, Mastering The Game; Peak Performance Selling: How to Increase Your Business by 70% in Six Weeks; and Sales Magic.
Nicki Joy Popular sales and motivational speaker, Nicki Joy, called The Bette Midler of sales, has been noted in Selling Power magazine and listed in Entrepreneur as one of one of the nation's top twenty-one sales motivators.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter Internationally known business leader, best-selling author and advocate for business, government and health care reforms.
Paul Karasik Sales and management expert, Paul Karasik after 18 years of research into the secrets of success in sales and management has designed the training show "Winning" which will bring the magic of Broadway to your next meeting or conference. Paul Karasik combines powerful strategies, proven techniques and profound insights with humor, music, visuals and magic. The power of Paul's message and his music will infuse your program with a consistent flow of high energy. The combination of Paul's enlightening concepts and the incredible musical tapestry brings a uniqueness and presence that guarantees that participants will have an exciting, entertaining and illuminating experience.
Henry Kaufman Highly respected economist and financial expert.
William Kennard As the first African American chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from November, 1997 until January, 2001, William Kennard presided over the FCC at a historic time. During his tenure, he shaped policies and created an explosion of new wireless phones, brought the internet to a majority of American households, and resulted in billions of dollars of investment in broadband technologies. At the same time, he implemented bold new policies to bridge the digital divide in the United States and around the world.
Jean Kilbourne Internationally recognized authority on the media, addictions and sex roles in advertising.
Kwame Kilpatrick Since taking office in 2002 as the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city, Kwame M. Kilpatrick has led tremendous growth in the city of Detroit including the biggest housing and commercial construction boom in 50 years, the largest road and infrastructure improvement program in decades, and a $2-billion overhaul of Detroit’s riverfront. After decades of decline, Detroit is experiencing a revival thanks to Mayor Kilpatrick’s leadership that has been recognized by media including the New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and the Financial Times of London.
Dennis Kimbro Entrepreneur, business consultant and best-selling author of Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, Daily Motivations for African-American Success and his newest book, What Makes the Great Great, Dennis Kimbro has written extensively on African American entrepreneurship and success. A PBS special entitled "The Legacy of Achievement with Dr. Dennis Kimbro" was recently aired on Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS). He has appeared on numerous television programs including "Today" on NBC and "Larry King Live" and has been featured in many magazines and newspapers such as Success, Black Enterprise, Essence, The New York Times and USA Today. Dr. Dennis Kimbro combines his vast knowledge of business, contemporary affairs and the vibrant nature of Black America in a motivational and practical lecture on the secrets of success.
Kathryn Leary Noted entrepreneur and businesswoman, Kathryn Leary, was featured on the cover of the of Black Enterprise magazine as "The New Face of American Business". Kathryn is President & CEO of The Leary Group Inc., with 30 years of experience in marketing, advertising and cross-cultural communications. Ms. Leary is a consumate professional, a global visionary, and a thought leader for the new millenium.
Michael LeBoeuf Leading American expert on business practices, productivity techniques, creative problem solving and author of How To Win Customers and Keep Them For Life and Getting Results.
John Lee Top sales, motivational and time management speaker.
Delano Lewis A leading African American business executive and former president and chief executive officer of National Public Radio, the leading public radio network in America. Lewis was chairman of the NPR Foundation and now serves as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.
David Liederman Entrepreneur, founder of David’s Cookies and motivational speaker.
Vince Lombardi, Jr. Motivational speaker and son of the legendary Green Bay Packer head football coach.Vince Lombardi, Jr. has a clear and inspiring message to share about the qualities and commitment found in high-performance people. It is a message which stems from a lifetime of experience and observation. As the son of the late Vincent T. Lombardi - remembered as one of the greatest football coaches in history - Vince's early years were spent in an atmosphere full of personal power and achievement. He moved on to politics and, in 1975, made the jump to professional football when he joined the head office of the fledgling Seattle Seahawks. He later led two United States Football League teams as president and general manager. In all of his pursuits, Vince Lombardi, Jr. has shown the remarkable ability to put people ahead of an organization, allowing each individual to do what he or she does best without losing sight of team goals.  Five Keys to a Winning Team  The Power of Choice: Change, Growth, Improvement  Power Negotiations
Chris Lowney Chris Lowney, formerly a Jesuit, was named a Managing Director of J.P. Morgan & Co. while still in his thirties and held senior positions in New York, Tokyo, Singapore and London. He served on Morgan's Asia-Pacific, European and Investment Banking Management Committees, accumulating a wealth of multinational experience at a company regularly ranked one of "America's Most Admired Companies" by Fortune magazine. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Lowney was a Jesuit seminarian for seven years. During that time, he taught and studied at Jesuit institutions in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Fordham University, where he also received his M.A. and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He is holder of honorary Doctoral degrees from Marymount Manhattan University and from the University of Great Falls. Lowney serves on the Board of Directors of Nativity Middle School and on the Board of Regents of St. Peter's College. He lives in New York, where he serves part-time as Special Assistant to the President of the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), the leading U.S.-based Catholic charity providing health care programs and services to people in need around the world. He has travelled to Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and India to help launch CMMB's major initiatives targeted at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. At least twenty percent of Lowney's royalties from the U.S. editions of his works are donated to charities providing education and health care to impoverished children in the developing world. Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company that Changed the World was the #1 ranked bestseller of the CBPA and was named a finalist for a 2003 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord magazine. Now available in paperback after four hardcover printings, it has already been translated into more than a half-dozen foreign languages. A Vanished World, recently published by Free Press/Simon & Schuster, has been awarded a starred review by Publishers Weekly. Mr. Lowney is a popular speaker on topics as varied as leadership, business ethics, and inter-religious dialogue, with engagements in some two-dozen U.S. cities and in non-U.S. locations as diverse as the Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, Colombia, and Spain.
Peter Lynch America’s number one money manager and author of the best-selling books, One Up On Wall Street and Beating the Street.
Mar Mar Mar Mar is internationally known as an expert in the area of negotiating training. Her wealth of knowledge and experience in the art of negotiating led her to become the only Latina that teaches negotiation worldwide. As an author, columnist and a public speaker, both passion and energy are the driving force behind all aspects in her life. In October 2004, she received the Latina Entrepreneur of Year 2004 award from the Latin Business Association (LBA) and in July, 2005, she received the Entrepreneurial award from the National Latina Business Women's Association - OC.
Bill Marriott Leading businessman and chairman of the Board of the Marriott Corporation.
Morris Massey Expert on conflict resolution, human behavior and diversity issues, known for his program, “Flashpoint: When Values Collide.”
Fernando Mateo A leading Hispanic entrepreneur, community activist and philanthropist, Fernando Mateo is a real American hero. In a classic “rags to riches” story, Mr. Mateo built a small carpet business into a multi-million dollar operation. Eager to repay society for his good fortune, he established an effective job training and placement program for drug-free prison inmates nicknamed “M.I.T.” (The Mateo Institute of Training). Concerned about community violence he then launched an overwhelmingly successful gun swap program, Toys for Guns, which received national attention from the government, the press, and private business.
John C. Maxwell One of America's foremost authorities on leadership, John Maxwell is the author of numerous bestsellers on the topic of leadership, including Developing the Leader Within You; and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. In his new book, Running with the Giants: What Old Testament Heroes Want you to Know About Life and Leadership, Maxwell helps his audience rediscover the ancient heroes of the Bible - and the timeless advice for life and leadership.
Jewell McCabe Founder and Chair of the National Coalition on 100 Black Women which was established to meet their career needs and facilitate their access to mainstream America. With wide-ranging experience in both the public and private sectors, Jewell Jackson McCabe is a businesswoman who serves as director on a variety of board and as a consultant to major corporations.
Gerald C. Meyers Business consultant, management expert and former chairman of American Motors.
Martha Montoya Martha Montoya is the Founder and President of Los Kitos and a Board Member of the Latino Business Association. Montoya built Los Kitos Entertainment LLC, which focuses on syndication of the Los Kitos bilingual cartoon strip to over 300 Spanish language newspapers in the U.S., the licensing of the characters to over 25 licensees, and LKELLC, which offers U.S. Hispanic market entry services to a variety of organizations. The Los Kitos cartoon strip can be read daily in newspapers worldwide, on the Internet, and heard in America and abroad through a weekly radio broadcast. Montoya has received many honors, including the Film Advisory Board Cartoonist of the Year Award, the National Hispanic Publications Cartoonist Award, Latin Business Association Latina Entrepreneur of the Year, Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year for 2002 by California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Hispanic Business 2002, and Hispanic Magazine 2003 honoring her as one of the 100 most influential people in the U.S. market. Montoya earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of La Salle, Bogota, Colombia.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. A consultant to businesses and goverments worldwide, she is the author of World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy; Rosabeth Moss Kanter on the Frontiers of Management; When Giants Learn To Dance; The Change Master; and many other books.
Patricia Neighmond National Public Radio’s health policy correspondent.
Jill Nelson Author of the provocative serio-comic memoir, Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience, a funny, sassy and sad book about a contemporary woman trying to reconcile the worlds of work and self. An award winning journalist for The Washington Post, Jill Nelson is a contributor to Ms. magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Her new book is entitled, Straight No Chaser.
Chris Nguyen A leading entrepreneur and businessman who was honored by Venture Magazine as “Entrepreneur of the Year” and awarded the “Grand Prize for Creativity” at the 2nd Annual World Symposium on Business Achievement. Nguyen, who came to this country from South Vietnam in 1966, started an egg roll company in 1972 while working on his MBA. Through his use of humor and innovative marketing concepts, he has brought his company’s sales up to $10 million with almost no advertising budget. Nguyen speaks on such topics as creativity, marketing, sales and business.
Chin Ning Chu One of the most extraordinary thinkers of our time, Chin-Ning presents the warrior philosophy of Asia as the premier vehicle for mastering strategic thinking within the political arena and the corporate world as well as in daily life. Chin-Ning fuses timeless wisdom and spirituality with practical business tactics into dynamic tools for solving life's ever-shifting challenges. The most successful American author in Asia today, Chin-Ning is the author of such books as The Asian Mind Game; Do Less, Achieve More; and Working Woman's Art of War.
Suze Orman Suze Orman a financial advisor, writer, and television personality. Orman launched a segment on The Suze Orman Show called "Can I Afford It?" During the segment viewers call in to the show and tell Orman what they want to buy Other publications: Orman also has a Q&A advice section in Oprah Winfrey's popular monthly magazine O, alongside Dr. Phil's advice section. She also writes a biweekly column (as of Jan 2007) on Yahoo!'s Finance page. Telecasts: She also hosts a weekend financial planning show for the CNBC cable television network called The Suze Orman Show.[6] Orman hosts another TV program on QVC called Suze Orman's Financial Freedom. Orman had recently celebrated her fifth year on The Suze Orman Show on CNBC. And also celebrated her tenth anniversary on QVC with Suze Orman's Financial Freedom.
Alan Parisse Popular business and motivational speaker.
Judea Pearl Pearl received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, Israel, in 1960, a Master degree in Physics from Rutgers University, U.S.A, in 1965, and a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, U.S.A, in 1965. He worked at RCA Research Laboratories on superconductive parametric and storage devices and at Electronic Memories, Inc., on advanced memory systems. He then joined UCLA in 1970, where he currently works. In 2002, his son Daniel Pearl was killed in Pakistan, leading Judea and the other members of the family and friends to create the Daniel Pearl Foundation.
Thomas J. Peters Business consultant and author of the best-selling book, In the Search of Excellence.
Dr. Jo Ann Pina Inspiring Leadership and Personal Success Dr. Jo Ann Pina is a Professional keynote speaker who has inspired thousands of people to take charge of their lives, realize their dreams and live up to their full potential though leadership development programs and motivational speaking engagements. Participants who have attended Dr. Pinas seminars and presentations rave about the wealth of knowledge and inspiration as well as the authentic way she connects with her audience Motivational speaker: No one exemplifies the idea of success over adversity better than Dr. Jo. She is a success specialist and shows you how you can achieve it! One of the few women of Hispanic heritage with advanced degrees in psychology and counseling, Dr. Jo also excels in cross-cultural communication, gender communication, and cultural diversity training --to enhance understanding between cultures and the sexes.
Randal Pinkett Randal is the first African American candidate to be hired on national television through the US version of The Apprentice, a television reality show starring Donald Trump. (There have been black candidates hired in the South African and British versions of the programme before Pinkett was hired.) Pinkett was hired on national television during the season finale of season four. Pinkett is the President and CEO of BCT Partners [1], a management, technology and policy consulting services firm. Over the course of the season, Pinkett had the best record as project manager, with an undefeated 3-0 record. Pinkett's competitor in the finale was Rebecca Jarvis, a journalist from Chicago. For his final task, Pinkett met with Outback Steakhouse executives and the CEO of Autism Speaks in order to coordinate his most difficult task of the entire series, a charity fundraiser for Autism Speaks. Pinkett planned a celebrity softball game, but the game was rained out. Pinkett was criticized by Trump's associate Carolyn Kepcher for lack of a detailed back-up plan and for failing to monitor the weather after an early forecast put the chances of rain at 30%. Pinkett arranged a last-minute auction in an undecorated white room, which raised nearly $11,000. Trump criticized Pinkett for not spotlighting the celebrities in attendance, who intermingled with the auction crowd. In an unusual twist, when Pinkett was hired by Trump, Trump asked Pinkett if he should also hire Jarvis. Pinkett replied, "I firmly believe this is 'The Apprentice,'" and that "there is one, and only one 'Apprentice' and if you're going to hire someone tonight, it should be one." He added that the show was called "The Apprentice" and not "The Apprenti" Trump said he "could have been convinced," but opted to agree with Pinkett and "leave it at that." Trump then dropped the subject, but many viewers were left with the impression that he had hoped to hire both Pinkett and Jarvis. (The fourth season of The Apprentice regularly saw Trump playing havoc with established procedures, including multiple firings.) Pinkett firmly stood by his decision, which was subsequently both praised and panned and sparked debate well after the finale aired. Pinkett later gave his version of the events in an interview with blackenterprise.com. He stated, "I'm satisfied with the decision I made and I'm pleased with the arguments I presented. As I said last night, 'in a competition there is only one winner.' You wouldn't ask the gold medalist in the Olympics to share with the silver medalist. Unfortunately for those that wanted to see a double hiring or see Rebecca win, I ended up being the bearer of bad news. However, at the end of day all I did was give Mr. Trump my recommendation. It was ultimately his decision to not hire Rebecca."
Howard Putnam Former CEO of Southwest Airlines Howard Putnam’s ultimate objective is “bottom line improvement.” He believes that cultures that place “people” as their #1 priority have the greatest long-term impact and success. Howard was raised on an Iowa farm and learned to fly out of a pasture in his Father's J-3 Piper Cub. He entered the airline business as a baggage handler at Midway Airport in Chicago for Capital Airlines at age 17. Capital was soon merged into United and Howard held thirteen different positions in sales, services and staff assignments in several cities, before being named Group Vice President of Marketing for United Airlines, the world's largest airline, in 1976. In 1978, Howard was recruited to become President and CEO of fledgling Southwest Airlines in Dallas, TX. While at Southwest, Howard and his team tripled the revenues and tripled profitability in three years. They also successfully guided Southwest through airline deregulation and Southwest was the first air carrier to order the Boeing 737-300 which later became the largest selling aircraft ever for Boeing. Howard led the visioning process at Southwest as well as further developing the "fun" culture and excellent customer service that Southwest is still known for today. Southwest has been profitable in every quarter for over twenty-five years, a record unsurpassed by any airline. In 1981, Howard was recruited by the board of directors of Braniff International to come aboard as CEO and save and/or restructure the financially failing airline. He was the first airline CEO to successfully take a major carrier into, through and out of Chapter 11. Braniff flew again in 1984. He is the author of "The Winds of Turbulence" on leadership and ethics. Harvard University wrote a case study on his experiences at Braniff, "The Ethics of Bankruptcy" as a model as to how to handle stakeholders in crisis. He has since been an entrepreneur, the Chairman of a startup investment company and in 1998, the co-founder and chairman of AIR, a commercial airline seat refurbishment company. Howard and Krista have two children, Michael, a commercial airline captain and Sue, in public relations and marketing.
Bill Rancic Winner of NBC's The Apprentice Bill Rancic is one of the world's youngest and most successful entrepreneurs. Award winning TV personality, financial correspondent and best-selling author, Bill regularly lends advice to everyone from Donald Trump to the local professional with a dream and an idea. And he does it with style and sophistication. In addition to regularly appearing in The Board Room on the popular NBC prime time show The Apprentice. Bill has been a premier guest on NBC's Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,CNBC and quoted in every major national and daily newspaper outlet. Most recently, Bill completed his second book, titled Beyond the Lemonade Stand which was written to help educate and motivate young people around the world about the value of money and how to leverage your skills, talents and abilities at an early age. Beyond the Lemonade Stand Is the follow up to the New York Times best-selling book in 2003, titled You're Hired: How To Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of The Apprentice, which chronicled Bill's successful life, experience and proven advice. Bill Rancic founded the successful company, cigarsaroundtheworld.com eight years ago in a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment. Today, it is a thriving multi-million dollar national operation. The son of educators, he is a true entrepreneur, who originally earned his way through college by starting a boat wash and wax business in the Chicago area. In his spare time, Bill enjoys skydiving and scuba diving and travels the world speaking to students at universities and businesses around the country.
Tony Robbins For more than a quarter of a century, Anthony Robbins has served as an advisor to leaders around the world. A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, organizational turnaround, and peak performance, Tony Robbins has been honored for his strategic intellect and humanitarian endeavors. His non-profit Anthony Robbins Foundation' provides assistance to the homeless, elderly and inner-city youth, and feeds more than one million people in nine countries every year through its international holiday Basket Brigade. Robbins has directly impacted the lives of nearly 50 million people from 80 countries with his best-selling books and audiotape products, public speaking engagements, and live appearances. World Peace Negotiator & Humanitarian Anthony Robbins currently serves as Vice Chairman of Health, Education, and Science for the United Nations/Research Center for the International Council for Caring Communities ICCC) NGO. Anthony Robbins has worked with political and business leaders in diverse world communities such as South Africa, England, Indonesia, Cuba, Venezuela, and the United States of America. Through his strategies for Leadership in Times of Crisis and his systems for Indirect Negotiations, Anthony Robbins has participated in negotiations that have broken the patterns of violence and de-escalated the rhetoric that invites it. Anthony Robbins has worked on teams that not only help mitigate further devastation and facilitate peaceful decision-making among conflicting parties, but even inspire conflicting parties to create a mutually beneficial and compelling vision that is aligned with their respective values and raises the standards by which they live.
Cavett Robert One of the top business speakers in America in the field of human engineering and motivation.
Wess Roberts Business and management consultant and author or such well known books as The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun and Make it So: Leadership Lessons from Star Trek, The Next Generation.
Anita Roddick Founder and CEO of The Body Shop, environmentalist, human rights activist and an advocate of socially responsible business practices.
Buck Rodgers Top business executive and marketing expert
Richard Rodriguez Rodriguez is an important American essayist, known for writing about the intersection of personal life with some of the difficult cultural issues facing America today. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed books Hunger of Memory (an autobiographical memoir read in many high schools and colleges), Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father and Brown: The Last Discovery of America. As a journalist, Rodriguez worked with the Pacific News Service in San Francisco and was a contributing editor with Harper’s Magazine and the Sunday “Opinion” section of the Los Angeles Times. In 1993, Rodriguez was given the Frankel Medal (now renamed “The National Humanities Medal”), the highest honor the federal government gives to recognize work done in the humanities. In 1997, his televised essays on American life, featured on PBS’ “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” were honored with a George Peabody Award.
Peter Schiff Peter Schiff is one of the few non-biased investment advisors (not committed solely to the short side of the market) to have correctly called the current bear market before it began and to have positioned his clients accordingly. As a result of his accurate forecasts on the U.S. stock market, economy, real estate, the mortgage meltdown, credit crunch, sub prime debacle, commodities, gold and the dollar, he is becoming increasingly more renowned. Mr. Schiff has been quoted in many of the nation's leading newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Investor's Business Daily, The Financial Times, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, The Miami Herald, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Arizona Republic, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Christian Science Monitor, and appears regularly on CNBC, CNN, Fox News, Fox Business Network, and Bloomberg TV. Wiley & Sons published his best-selling book, Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse, in February of 2007. His second book, The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets: How to Keep your Portfolio Up when the Market is Down will be published by Wiley & Sons in 2009. Peter Schiff began his investment career as a financial consultant with Shearson Lehman Brothers, after having earned a degree in finance and accounting from University of California, Berkeley in 1987. A financial professional for over twenty years he joined Euro Pacific in 1996 and has served as its President since January 2000. An expert on money, economic theory, and international investing, he is a highly recommended broker by many leading financial newsletters and investment advisory services. He is also a contributing commentator for Newsweek International and served as an economic advisor to the 2008 Ron Paul presidential campaign.
Robin S. Sharma Best selling author The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and professional speaker, Robin S. Sharma will teach you powerful leadership lessons, how to thrive on rapid change, ways to boost your business productivity perfomance and passion. Learn the importance of working with deep commitment and relentless innovation while attaining wisdom for greater personal fulfillment and life balance.
Tavis Smiley Host of PBSs Tavis Smiley Show and popular voice on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tavis Smiley is also the author of six books, including the acclaimed Hard Left: Straight Talk About the Wrongs of the Right and the autobiographical What I know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America. He is founder of a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage, empower, and enlighten black youth, and is a correspondent and regular contributor to ABC News. Smiley discusses current events from a perspective not often heard in the media, and speaks about everything from politics to sports to education and the need for cultural and racial harmony. He also offers insight into some of the unique figures he has interviewed, including Fidel Castro, Pope John Paul II, and the recording artist Prince.
Joshua Smith Leading Black entrepreneur and education advocate, Joshua Smith is Chairman and CEO of Maxima, a highly successful computer systems firm. A self-made millionaire, he shares his search for excellence in a powerful motivational lecture.
Lionel Sosa Leading Latino entrepreneur and founder of the largest Hispanic advertising agency in the United States. Lionel Sosa is the author of The Americano Dream: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Successful Latino Entrepreneur in an Anglo Business World.
Marianne Camille Spraggins A leading African-American business woman and the first Black female managing director on Wall Street and one of Wall Street's most prominent Black executives, most recently CEO of W. R. Lazard and formerly Managing Director of Smith Barney. Marianne Spraggins is the author of Snow White...and Don't You Forget It: A Survival Guide for the Black Woman in Business.
Bart Starr Legendary Green Bay Packers football superstar and motivational speaker.
Ben Stein Ben Stein is probably the closest any man comes these days to being a true renaissance man. His financial and economics work was cited in the efforts of the recent Nobel prize winner in Economics, George Akerlof. He is also the host of the long running comedy quiz show on Comedy Central, Win Ben Stein's Money, a show that has won seven Emmies. He has written hundreds of thousands of words about financial fraud and investment policy, but two words made him a household name: "Bueller" and "Anyone, Anyone." ( From his iconic role in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off.") He has written novels that the New York Times describes as "stunning," but what you have probably heard him talk about recently are "dry eyes, red eyes, and clear eyes." He worked and demonstrated and struggled for voting rights for African Americans, and he also was a speech writer for Richard Nixon and for Gerald Ford. He introduced the world to complex concepts of the politics of culture, but he also introduced the world to Jimmy Kimmel and made possible The Man Show. Lawyer, teacher, actor, comic, economist, father, novelist, essayist, expert on finance, meet Ben Stein!
David Stillman Generation Xer David Stillman is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison with B.A. degrees in both communications and sociology. He completed the Michigan State University Mass Media in Britain program in association with the British Broadcasting Company, and worked for ABC television in New York City as an intern for Prime Time Live. David then embarked on a round-the-world trip that included stints as a roving reporter for CBS radio, covering such topics as the end of apartheid in South Africa and the fall of the former Soviet Union. Upon his return to the United States, David joined Integrated Strategies Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as creative director. He oversaw the development of computer-based training programs for such companies as 3M, American Express, Carlson Companies, Lutheran Brotherhood, and Norwest Bank. In 1995, David went on to found his own firm, DAS Creative, a company that developed interactive multimedia tools for Fortune 500 companies. His cutting-edge creative work won him numerous accolades, including Worldfest-Houston medals, the New York Film Festival Award, and the much-coveted Clio Award.
Kathrine Switzer Kathrine Switzer is a dynamic and effective speaker. She is a woman who has pioneered an obscure activity into global movement, has made positive change in women's lives around the world, and has parlayed her success as an iconoclastic athlete also into successful careers in corporate sports marketing, public relations, as an author, fitness expert and TV sports commentator. Switzer is also in demand as a personality, with compelling and inspirational stories to tell. She has been featured in publications around the world and on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including Oprah, Today, Good Morning America, Tonight, Nightline, HBO, NPR, BBC and CBC. She is popular with the media and garners excellent publicity for her clients and their events. Whether business, sports or health, Switzer is sought after to speak to corporate, university, association, convention and sports groups because she is a fit, authentic success herself, and conveys high energy in the following topic areas:
Ephren Taylor Ephren Taylor Mogul Activist An Evening with Ephren Taylor At twenty-three, Ephren Taylor has had more business success then most people have in a lifetime. Already a history maker, Ephren is the youngest African-American CEO of a publicly traded company. His empire oversees over $100 million in assets and growing. A hip hop generation, self-made multi-millionaire, financial engineer, real estate investor, ordained minister, and venture capitalist, Ephren is the CEO of City Capital Corporation and owns three other companies. From Wall Street to South Central, Ephren’s diverse client list includes stock market day traders to Hip Hop icons such as Snoop Dogg. Ephren started his historical journey at the age of twelve by rejecting the misconception that young people are powerless. Like most young men, Ephren enjoyed playing videogames; however, his parents lacked the financial means to purchase them. So young Ephren began making videogames and later formulated a company to house his operation. By the age of sixteen, Ephren owned his second company, which became a multimillion dollar enterprise GoFerretGo.com. This innovative website connected high school and college students with employers. Today, Ephren is still making connections—he connects individuals, corporations, and churches to wealth. Beyond his unprecedented accomplishments in the financial industry and real estate market, Ephren is an ordained minister, an author, and public speaker. In his ministerial duties, Ephren talks about vision driven wealth, maintaining faith, and regularly consults with churches to help them plan and finance projects that further their mission. Ephren has authored five e-books and is currently penning his first bookstore release, which is an autobiography. As a speaker, Ephren connects to audiences with an energetic, humble, and interactive style that inspires audiences to expand their visions and move to action. Recently, Ephren expanded beyond the financial field into the entertainment arena. He currently owns a record label and is working on projects with a number of urban premier entertainers. Additionally, Ephren invest in a number of community redevelopment projects including the Kansas City Historic Jazz District revitalization. A true wealth engineer, Ephren is becoming for the hip hop community what Warren Buffet is for baby boomers, the premier financial expert for a generation.
Susan L Taylor Susan L. Taylor has been the driving force behind one of the most celebrated African American owned business success stories of the past three decades. She is the senior editorial executive at the venerable communications company and writes the popular In the Spirit column each month. She is currently working on her newest book, All about Love: Favorite Selections from in the Spirit on Living Fearlessly. The book draws from the 25 years of her In the Spirit column. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Taylor was the founder of her own company, Nequai Cosmetics, before becoming Essence fashion and beauty editor and, in 1981, its Editor-in-Chief. She is the author of three books: In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor, Lessons in Living and Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives, the latter coauthored with her husband, Khephra Burns. She is also a greatly sought-after speaker, delivering inspiring messages of hope and possibility that encourage us to reclaim and reorient our lives and society and create peaceful, productive, sustainable communities. In 1999 Taylor became the first African American woman to receive The Henry Johnson Fisher Award from the Magazine Publishers of America, the magazine industry's highest honor. In 2002 Taylor was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame, which celebrates the career-long records of excellence, creativity and impact of a select group of highly influential magazine journalists. Taylor's visionary leadership was acknowledged when NAACP President Bruce presented her with his first President's Award in 2006. She is an avid supporter of a host of organizations dedicated to moving the Black community forward. Her passion and focus are on creating equity in education and turning around the nation's failing schools, which, she says are "the pipeline to prison." Taylor has received more than a dozen honorary degrees from numerous colleges and universities, including Lincoln University, Spelman College, Dillard University, Bennett College for Women, the University of Delaware and her alma mater, Fordham University. Most recently Taylor has been focusing her attention on the Essence Cares initiative. She launched this call to action to the African American community at the 2006 Essence Music Festival. It is a massive mentoring campaign that asks every able adult and our leadershipelected and appointed officials, educators, business, religious and secular leaders and college students to rally their communities to guide and secure our vulnerable children who are crying out for help. The goal is to create the largest mentoring campaign in the history of the nation and increase high school graduation rates among African American students by 10 percent annually. Taylor is also a cofounder of The Future PAC, the first national political action committee devoted to providing progressive African American women opportunities to hold more federal and state political offices by creating a network of support and funding. In addition, Taylor and Danny Glover co-chair a capital campaign to raise money to build housing in the rural areas of South Africa. She serves on the board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, DC, and is an official on the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which she joined to assist the devastated people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.
Donald Trump Chairman of The Trump Organization and star of The Apprentice As Chairman of The Trump Organization, Donald Trump sets the highest standards of excellence in real estate, gaming, and entertainment. He was named the "Visionary of the Century" by the UJA Federation and is the author of several best-selling books, including The Art of the Deal and How to get Rich. Trump stars in the very successful reality TV program, The Apprentice, earning rave reviews making history in its ratings. Trump is most famous for several large skyscrapers he developed in Manhattan and named after himself. Starting with Trump Tower, he developed Trump World Tower along the East River and then began construction of the Trump Place Apartment complex along the Hudson River that same year. His nickname of "The Donald" was given to him by ex-wife Ivana Trump. He is often known as "A Schoolboy's Dream" and "A Competitor's Challenge," as he is rarely afraid of defining the ways of a prolific American business executive, and thus became an example of one.
Jim Tunney Highly respected NFL referee, business consultant, educator and motivational speaker.
Walter J. Turnbull Named one of the "15 Greatest Men on Earth" by McCall's magazine, Dr. Walther Turnbull is the founder of the internationally acclaimed Boys Choir of Harlem. Over the past 25 years, he has developed a successful formula for educating inner city children. He has redirected the lives of thousands of young men from Harlem with his philosophy and discipline. Dr. Turnbull has great vision and a successful record in motivating and educating inner city youth.
Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American media mogul and philanthropist. He is perhaps best known for founding CNN and Turner Classic Movies and his $1 billion pledge to the United Nations. Turner served as vice chairman of Time Warner Inc., a position he assumed in October 1996, following the merger of Time Warner Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. As vice chairman, Turner oversaw the Time Warner cable networks division, which consists of the assets of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., including the domestic and international arms of Cable News Network (CNN), Cartoon Network, Headline News, TBS Superstation, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Turner Network Television (TNT), as well as Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO), Cinemax, Warner Bros. International Networks, and Time Warner's interest in Comedy Central and Court TV. He also oversaw New Line Cinema and the company's professional sports teams-Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves, National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks and the Thrashers, Atlanta's National Hockey League expansion team. In January 2001, he became vice chairman of AOL Time Warner subsequent to the merger between Time Warner and AOL in 2000 - a position he retained until he resigned in May 2003. Turner's media empire began with his father's billboard business which he took over at the age of 24 after his father's death. Purchase of an Atlanta UHF station in 1970 began the assemblage of the Turner Broadcasting System. His Cable News Network (CNN) revolutionized news media, coming to the forefront covering the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 and the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Years later he originated the "superstation" concept, transmitting the station's signal to cable systems nationwide via satellite. Turner has made his mark as one of the most influential philanthropists in the US. Originator of the Goodwill Games in 1985, he is also president of the Turner Foundation, the Turner family's private grant-making organization, which focuses on population and the environment. Turner is also chairman of the United Nations Foundation, a charitable organization he founded to support UN causes, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Turner, the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, is an active environmentalist and has received numerous civic and industry awards and honors, including being named Time magazine's 1991 Man of the Year and Broadcasting's Man of the Century in 1999, he was also inducted into the Cable TV Hall of Fame in 1999. In 1995, Turner accepted, on behalf of the team, the Atlanta Braves' first World Championship trophy, and in August 2000, he was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame. In January 2002, Turner opened the first Ted's Montana Grill, which specializes in bison burgers, in Columbus, Ohio with his partner, George W. McKerrow Jr., founder of the Longhorn Steakhouse chain and several other successful restaurants. Ted's Montana Grill expects to open up to forty more restaurants in the next few years.
Stuart Varney A legend in business journalism, this Peabody-award winning economist is one of the most respected names in financial reporting. Varney, now with Fox News, joined CNN upon its founding in 1980. His broad range of expertise offers an insider’s view of the latest economic trends and news headlines, unraveling the complexities of the business world, from Wall Street to Main Street. Varney’s talk will encompass the most pressing developments in domestic and international business and the advantages--and--dangers of the new global economy. He helps audiences benefit from the fluctuations in the financial markets and make better decisions regarding investments, real estate, retirement, taxes and family finance.
Dennis Waitley Business and management expert and author of The Psychology of Winning.
Dennis Walcott Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development Dennis M. Walcott is the Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development. In that capacity, he oversees and coordinates the operations of the Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development, as well as maintains liaison with and reviews the activities of the New York City School Construction Authority, City University of New York, City University Construction Fund and the New York City Housing Authority. Walcott is also responsible for maintaining liaison with community-based organizations citywide and coordinating policies concerning youth programs and adult education. He serves as Co-Chair of the Mayors Commission for Construction Opportunity. A product of the New York City public school system, Walcott received a Masters of Social Work from Fordham University and a Masters of Education from the University of Bridgeport.
Robert Wallace Business consultant, entrepreneur and author of Black Wealth: Your Road to Small Business Success, Robert Wallace is a recognized authority on the topic of minority entrepreneurship and economic empowerment and is a top motivational speaker. He has been profiled on ABC News, Black Entertainment Television and is a regular guest on numerous radio and television programs.
George Walther George Walther is an acknowledged expert at boosting your communication effectiveness. People who manage, sell, collect past-due accounts, negotiate, serve customers, and seek to project a more positive image, regard his PHONE POWER book, seminars, and audio/video tapes as classic guides. His second book, POWER TALKING, shows people in every walk of life how to be more positive and persuasive, in every conversation. UPSIDE-DOWN MARKETING, his newest book and speaking topic, focuses on maximizing profit leverage opportunities. George Walther is one of less than 100 professional speakers to hold the National Speakers Association's highest award for platform excellence, the "CPAE," as well as the highest professional speaking designation, the "CSP." He earned an MBA in Marketing from UCLA, and a Bachelor's degree in Speech. George Walther's work is published around the world by Putnam, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster, Nightingale-Conant, and Berkley Books, with many foreign language editions.
J.C. Watts Former Congressman J.C. Watts serves as a political contributor and Republican strategist on CNN's The Situation Room. In addition to serving as a CNN contributor, Watts is the chairman of the J.C. Watts Companies, implementing business development and public affairs strategies for many leading corporations. Watts was elected to the U.S. Congress from Oklahoma's fourth district in 1994. In 1998, he was elected chairman of the Republican Conference, the fourth-ranking leadership position in the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this capacity, he provided daily counsel to the speaker of the House and participated in bi-weekly meetings with the U.S. president. Since leaving Congress, Watts has continued his civic involvement by leading a U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Conference on Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia at the request of President George W. Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell. He also joined Bush on his historic trip to Africa. Watts co-founded and co-chairs the Coalition for AIDS Relief in Africa and serves on the board of the Corporate Council on Africa. He also serves on the boards of the Boy Scouts of America and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and is a Distinguished Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is also the chairman of GOPAC and created the J.C. and Frankie Watts Foundation to focus on urban renewal and other charitable initiatives. Watts graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. While at the University of Oklahoma, Watts was quarterback for the Sooners, leading them to two consecutive Big Eight Championships and Orange Bowl victories. He was voted the Most Valuable Player in the 1980 and 1981 Orange Bowls. From 1981 to 1986, he started for Ottawa and Toronto in the Canadian Football League and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Grey Cup, the CFL's Super Bowl, his rookie season. In addition to careers in politics, athletics and business, Watts has served as youth minister and associate pastor at Sunnylane Baptist Church in his home state of Oklahoma.
Xu Wenli One of China's most recognized pro-democracy advocates, Mr. Xu spent 16 years in prison for his activities as a dissident. He was a leader in the Democracy Wall movement from 1979 to 1981, edited the samizdat-style journal April Fifth Forum, and played a major role in establishing the Beijing-Tianjin branch of the China Democracy Party. Mr. Xu's health suffered while in prison. In reaction to his declining condition, international human rights groups, the U.S. ambassador to China, and Western officials called for his release. The Chinese government finally relented and released him on medical grounds in December 2002. He and his wife left China immediately for the United States to be reunited with their daughter, Xu Jin, who lives in Rhode Island.
C. Alexander West African American entrepreneur and businessman who is the chairman and CEO of the highly successful company, Dynamic Functions, Inc., a firm that specialized in acquisitions and mergers. C. Alexander West is the author of such books as: How to Secure Up to $5,000,000 Without Bank Borrowing; Tonight You Can Be in Business For Yourself;and Black Enterprise, Inc.: Case Studies of a New Experiment. Topics: The Need for African American Entrepreneurship; Creative Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurship in a Global Market.
Phillip Wexler Leading sales, management and personal growth speaker and co-author of the book, Non Manipulative Selling.
Somers White Sales, management, negotiating and financial expert.
Armstrong Williams A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. He is the host of The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. He is the author of Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier. A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Williams is Chief Executive Officer of Graham Williams Group, an international public relations firm based in Washington, D.C. Clients of the Graham Williams Group include corporations and individuals from the business community, entertainment industry and political arena, such as Century 21, Computerland executive Terry Giles and poet laureate Maya Angelou. Williams is also a former partner in Premier Limousine, Garden Grove Toyota and Onyx Travel.In addition, he hosts The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. For The Right Side, Williams was voted into Vanity Fair magazine's 1996 Hall of Fame as one of the most visible radio voices in America. The show was also on television on the National Empowerment Television Network, which featured interviews with many of the same stimulating guests and topics broadcast on the radio. Past guests of the programs have included former Vice-President Dan Quayle, Hollywood "Mogul" Norman Lear, Presidential Candidate Malcolm S. Forbes, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and Reverend Robert Schuler. Williams has appeared on a number of acclaimed television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Crossfire, Firing Line with William Buckley, America's Black Forum and The Today Show, and is a frequent guest on several shows on networks such as CNN, CSPAN, ABC, CBS, FOX and CNBC. His book Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier was published by Free Press in May 1995. Williams is also the author of Letters to a Young Victim: Hope and Healing in America's Inner Cities, a moving account of the relationship between Williams and a fellow inner-city youth named Brad. Together, through correspondence, they broke down the dependency barriers that restrain many of us from achieving our goals. A third-generation conservative Republican with a long history of political involvement, Williams has worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Strom Thurmond and served as a confidential assistant to (now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court) Chairman Clarence Thomas of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Congressmen Carroll Campbell and Floyd Spence.Highly opinionated in print, Williams is a syndicated columnist with The Los Angeles Times Syndicate and is read in many major newspapers across the country including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Boston Globe and his hometown newspaper, The Marion Star-Mullins Enterprise. Additionally, he is a frequent guest columnist for USA Today and Reader's Digest.Williams is a native of Marion, South Carolina, and a 1981 graduate of South Carolina State College. His views and opinions continually raise the American conscience as he discusses issues such as the abolishment of welfare, the restoration of morality in today's society and the key to "Right Living."
Walter Wriston Respected economist and former chairman and CEO of Citicorp.
Stephen Wynn Creator of Experience-Oriented Las Vegas Resorts Through his entrepreneurial brilliance in real estate and his vision of a desert city that could become a haven for people seeking an entertaining escape from daily life, Steven Wynn raised the standard for resorts and leisure living around the world. When his flagship property, the Mirage, first opened in Las Vegas, it ignited a $12 billion building boom and transformed the city into the fastest growing metropolis and most popular tourist destination in the country. Creator of such groundbreaking, experience-oriented Las Vegas resorts as the Mirage, the Bellagio, Treasure Island, and Mississippi’s Beau Rivage, Wynn now brings his masterly vision, his entrepreneurial skill, and his practical know-how to audiences around the country. Wynn offers an inspiring tale of success, full of anecdotes from the worlds of business and entertainment – and challenges everyone to raise their own standards of achievement, and then to surpass them.