Tom Vander Well is a customer experience researcher, consultant, and storyteller who has spent more than three decades listening to customers—literally assessing over 100,000 phone calls and emails between clients and their customers. He helps organizations learn how to truly hear what customers are saying and deliver what drives satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. Tom is CEO and President of Intelligentics, a customer research provider serving clients in telecommunications, manufacturing,

Lisa Bluder is the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten history. Her University of Iowa women’s basketball team competed in back-to-back National Championship games in 2023 and 2024. Bluder recruited and coached Iowa and WNBA star, Caitlin Clark, who says, “Coach Bluder, in my eyes, she’s the best leader I’ve ever been around in my life. She knows how to build a team. She knows how to get individuals to work together.” Bluder announced her coaching retirement in 2024, finishing 24 years at Iowa,

Jeff Salzenstein is a former Top 100 world-ranked tennis player, two-time Stanford All-American, national champion, and team captain turned sought-after leadership speaker and executive performance coach. He spent over a decade feeling the intense pressure of competing in the cutthroat world of professional tennis on the world’s biggest stages, including the US Open, Wimbledon, and the French Open, practicing and playing with legends like Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Michael Chang, and Pete Sampras.

Ray McElroy, a former NFL player, has spent over 20 years inspiring individuals and organizations through his Life Beyond the Game initiative. Known for his unique blend of entertainment and powerful messages of desire, discipline, and dedication, Ray has impacted thousands across various industries. He’s worked with top organizations like CITGO, Discover Financial, the Chicago Cubs, and State Farm, bringing his expertise to the corporate world. Beyond speaking, Ray is dedicated

Lisa Demmi is a speaker, community builder, and nonprofit founder who understands that strong organizations are built by people who feel seen, valued, and connected to purpose. Lisa’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, mindset, and culture. She speaks to leaders and teams about what truly drives employee engagement, attraction, and retention—and it’s not perks, slogans, or performative culture. It’s clarity, trust, accountability, and the feeling that your work actually matters. Her

On February 21st, 2018, in PyeongChang, South Korea, Jessie Diggins lunged at the finish in an epic, come-from-behind victory to secure a historic first-ever Olympic Gold Medal for Team USA’s Women’s Cross-Country Team. Diggins’ ferocious attack over the closing 100 meters of the race electrified the capacity crowd and a global television audience and will forever be remembered as the defining moment of the 2018 Olympic Games! Jessie’s herculean effort and infectious, positive energy not only won

A seasoned leadership expert, keynote speaker, and author, Phillip Van Hooser is passionate about developing intentional leaders who can effectively engage and empower their employees to deliver powerful results. Early in his career, Phil realized that at the heart of any worthwhile success— large or small —  was the influence and impact of individual leaders. Determined to be a leader who made a difference, he immersed himself in the study of leadership and developed a process that can help

Kim "KC" Campbell is a retired Colonel who served in the United States Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown over 100 combat missions and made split-second life-and-death decisions with potential strategic implications. Most widely recognized for her combat experience in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kim received the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism when the fighter jet she was flying while supporting ground troops was hit with a surface-to-air

With talents that established him as a Fortune 500 leader and professional stand-up comedian, Garrison Wynn, CSP, fuses comic timing and research to deliver motivational business expertise. For 28 years, he has presented at corporate and association events on five continents to clients such as Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, the National Security Agency, the Department of Defense, the FBI, and NASA. He is also an Amazon #1 bestselling author, featured in Forbes and Inc. Magazines. In his teens, he

Rob Shanahan is one of the world’s most sought-after music photographers. For over 30 years, he has been "in the pocket" with the legends of rock and roll, capturing the private, unposed moments that define cultural icons. From private jets with Ringo Starr, to center stage with The Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera, Luke Bryan, and hundreds more, Rob’s lens has captured the heartbeat of the music industry. His journey began as a 10-year-old drummer with a simple rubber practice pad in Norwood,

In 1988, Marc joined the U.S. Nuclear Submarine Force. The U.S. Navy invested $1 million dollars teaching him how to be a leader. Marc put that into use by leading 110 men, average age of 23, to operate a $1 billion dollar nuclear submarine on a variety of missions critical to national security. The Elite Leadership culture and environment that he was exposed to showed him exactly what it takes to build a high-performance team that can operate in a dynamically changing environment. After 6 years

Ever wonder what it is like to hurdle down a mountain on two skis at speeds up to 70 MPH virtually blind, relying on verbal cues from your guide a few feet in front of you? This is what Danelle Umstead does every day. At the age of 13, Danelle was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition where the retina progressively degenerates and eventually causes blindness. She has no central vision and is losing her peripheral vision. Currently, her spotted vision limits her sight to less

Ryan Leak is a dynamic speaker, best-selling author, and strategic advisor renowned for his ability to inspire and transform individuals and organizations. As the CEO of a leadership development firm based in Dallas, Ryan and his team train over 30,000 leaders annually — from Fortune 500 companies to professional sports teams. His unique talent for turning setbacks into opportunities, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the value of learning from failure, makes his teachings impactful and

Joanna Lohman is a force of nature in the world of women’s soccer and a subject-matter expert on impact leadership and performance. A 16-year professional athlete and one of only 270 women in history to have worn the coveted U.S. Women’s National Team jersey, Joanna has racked up 9 USWNT caps and led the U-21 USWNT to multiple international trophies as team captain. At Penn State, she made 101 appearances with 41 goals, garnered Big Ten Player of the Year honors, became a Herman Trophy finalist,

If Dr. Norman Vincent Peale was writing his incredibly popular book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” today he would need to add a separate chapter on John Kriesel. In 2006 Kriesel was nearly blown to shreds by a 200 pound roadside bomb in the parched sands of Iraq, but battlefield angels in army uniforms kept him breathing long enough to reach a field hospital. He died three times and was shocked back to life. Somehow, he survived through four hospitals, 35 surgeries and months of recovery. He