Midwest Speakers Bureau
2020 Speakers Showcase

8:00am — Registration

8:30-12:30pm — Speaker Showcase

12:30-1:30pm — Lunch With Speakers

#1

Anne Bonney

Anne Bonney is a fun, energetic international motivational keynote speaker and trainer.  She is also an authority on Change Management, best-selling author of GET OVER IT!, podcast host of Igniting Courage Podcast and an experienced leadership workshop facilitator. After 20 years in highly successful corporate and non-profit leadership positions, Anne, now uses her experience, education, and expertise to ignite YOUR courage and empowerment skills to embrace the challenges that transition brings.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • GET OVER IT! Ignite Your Shift
  • Ignite Your Team: Fired Up to Follow Leadership
  • Igniting Your Influence: Firing Up Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
  • Conquering those Challenging Conversations

For more information on Anne click here.

Topics:   

Change Management, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Effective Communication, Presentation Skills

Fee: 

$5000-$7500

#2

Kristen Brown

Kristen Brown powers up your leadership and life as an international keynote speaker and bestselling author who drives growth at organizations like Rodan & Fields, General Mills, Boston Scientific, Cargill, Minnesota Vikings, national associations, and many more.

Named a top 20 trailblazer in the industry by Meetings Today Magazine, she uses her Master’s education and 15-years of corporate leadership and sales experience working with some of the world’s biggest brands to bring researched insights and actionable results to the audiences she serves.

Her certifications and teacher training in Holistic Health, Yoga, and healing modalities also allow her to translate soft skills into solid results for her speaking, consulting, and coaching clients. Plus her personal experiences as a widowed mom add a depth of perspective to her work helping leaders maintain momentum during change and stress.

Kristen has been featured in the national media sharing insights from her bestselling books and research including Live with Kelly, Forbes, CNN, Working Mother, Psychology Today, and many more.

Most Presented Titles:

  • Charged Leadership – Energize your reputation, influence, and impact.
  • The Happy Hour Effect – Minimize stress to maximize work-life success.
  • The Future of People – Unlock your team’s potential for growth.
  • Energy Sells! – Create a powerful presence that magnetizes clients.

Topics: 

Energy Mastery, Leadership, Stress Management, Resilience, Teamwork, Creativity/innovation, Mindset.

Fee:  

$7500-$15,000

For more information on Kristen click here.

#3

Michael Veltri

Michael Veltri is a leadership expert, battle-hardened business executive, and Nationwide Bestselling author. Recognizing that success in business and life is created by the daily decisions we make, Michael elevates teams, fuel-injects leadership, and improves business performance through better decision-making practices.

From ancient Japanese warriors to brain science, from business titans to academic research, Michael tapped wide-ranging resources to develop a groundbreaking model for better decision making that leads to exponential leadership growth and peak performance with balance, not burnout. Simple, elegant, and effective, Michael’s approach has positively impacted some of the world’s most successful organizations, brands, and leaders.

Michael is also a cancer survivor, decorated U.S. Marine veteran, and master-instructor in classical Japanese martial arts. He brings his business savvy, martial arts discipline, and Marine Corps leadership to every keynote speech inspiring, motivating, and educating audiences worldwide.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • Decision-Making Mastery: How To Deliver Stunning Bottom-Line Results
  • Slaying The Sales Dragon: How To Crush The Top Line With Unprecedented Decision-Making Prowess
  • The 5 Decision-Making Secrets: Surprising, Unorthodox Approaches To Powerful Leadership Outcomes
  • The Mushin Way: Achieve Peak Performance With Balance, Not Burnout

Topics: 

leadership, business performance, sales, decision-making, overcoming adversity
Fee: 

$15,000-$20,000

For more information on Michael click here.

#4

Curtis Hill

Curtis Hill brings audiences an empowering message of awareness, culture, and resilience, combined with a powerful mix of savvy business skills honed from a lifetime of both raw and well-crafted experience.

Growing up in Chicago, Curtis easily drifted into a life of violence and crime and quickly rose to become one of the city’s most recognizable and notorious gang members. While dealing drugs earned him a six-figure per month bankroll, it cost him everything when he witnessed the cold-blooded murder of his best friend and came face-to-face with the immense suffering it caused in his community. 

That’s when Curtis turned to education to springboard his street smarts into solid business acumen. After earning four degrees, including a Master of Arts in Teaching, an Educational Specialist in Administration and Supervision, and a Black Belt in Six Sigma, Curtis now travels the globe helping businesses and associations manage the chaos of people, practices, and profits. His unique way of communicating complex issues like race and division with humor and humanity keeps audiences both laughing and learning. 

Whether from a virtual or physical stage, Curtis delivers messages for leaders, sales professionals, service providers, and business professionals with high energy, purposeful passion, and solid strategies that create long-lasting and significant difference in their personal and professional lives. Want to learn how you can integrate more diversity, equity, and strong, effective business skills into your organization?

Most Presented Titles: 

  • Managing The Chaos Of Leadership
  • Managing The Chaos Of A Multigenerational Workforce
  • Managing The Chaos Of Leading Millennials and Gen Z
  • Managing The Chaos Of Sales

Topics:   

Diversity, Inclusion, Leadership, Sales, Culture & Climate

Fee: 

$7500-$10,500

For more information on Curtis click here.

#5

Jack Stahlmann

Jack Stahlmann’s entertaining and informative presentations are built around his experiences in Los Angeles as an actor, producer, director — and of course, a waiter.

In Hollywood, he launched his own production company which created several films that enjoyed international success and was an Assistant Director for the Margaret Cho stand-up show, Cho Revolution.

As an actor, his shining moment came in a co-star role on the CBS drama Cold Case, where he played a wimpy park ranger. He also appeared on Days of Our Lives and several commercials.

Jack has been a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and currently resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Most Presented Titles: 

  •  The Intangible It: Bottle the “It” factor of a movie star.
  • The Upside: In a world with so much downside, you can always up yours.
  • Vantage Point: True leadership is seeing through the eyes of others. 

Topics:   

Leadership, Customer Service, Personal Brand, Communication and Teamwork

Fee: 

$7500-$10,000

For more information on Jack click here.

#6

Kris Covi

After winning the Great American Comedy Festival as an amateur, Kris has won several comedy contests, placed second at the inaugural Presidential Comedy Festival, and was a finalist out of 450 comics in the World Series of Comedy in Las Vegas.  He performs at clubs and festivals all around the country but most of his shows are for corporate events and fundraisers. He has an irrational fear of model trains. Not really, but we’re just checking to see if you are still reading this.

Kris entertains audiences of all ages with jokes about being a 6’8″ married father of three who, surprisingly, did not play basketball (so please don’t ask). His clean comedy is perfect for any group and he customizes each show for the particular industry/audience.

Topics: 

Comedian, Entertainment, Humor, Emcee

Fee: 

$1500-$3500

For more information on Kris click here.

#7

Andrew Busch

Andrew Busch was the first Chief Market Intelligence Officer (CMIO) for the U.S. government at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As CMIO, he was charged with improving and enhancing the government’s understanding of the markets. Andy provided briefings to White House, US House and US Senate staffers on a wide range of issues including extreme market volatility, China’s influence on the global commodity markets and the impact of Fintech & virtual currencies on market dynamics.

Mr. Busch created and directed a new research group, Market Intelligence Branch (MIB), for the agency. As CMIO, his job was to provide objective research on the financial markets to the CFTC, SEC, US Treasury and Federal Reserve. Energy, agriculture, interest rates and technology (Bitcoin, blockchain, AI) were some of the areas of research covered by the team. Each week, he led the agency on a market and economic roundtable discussion with the staffs of the White House, the US Treasury, the SEC, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Federal Reserve Board.

Prior to joining the CFTC, Mr. Busch was CEO and founder of a boutique financial markets and policy research firm, Bering Productions, Inc (BPI). Before BPI, he was the Global Currency and Public Policy Strategist for Bank of Montreal (BMO) in Chicago. He is author of the book “World Event Trading” covering large crises like infectious disease outbreaks and their impact on the markets.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • Chaos to Confidence During Times of Covid Economic Stress
  • 2020 US Presidential Election: impact on economy, jobs and lives
  • Post-election Crystal Ball: what to expect from the outcome

Topics: 

Economy, COVID impact on business, Election Impact on business/economy

Fee: 

$10,000-$15,000

For more information on Andrew click here

#8

Keynote Speaker Matt Havens

Matt Havens

Matt Havens is not your typical speaker. His uncanny ability to provide real-world solutions in a relatable and humorous way have made him one of the quickest up-and-coming speakers in the industry.

Matt’s signature style began in corporate America, where by 25 he pitched the C-suite boardroom of a Fortune 25 company on his plan to lead enterprise-wide transformations to capitalize on the “Millennial” opportunities present in the marketplace and the workforce. Matt’s work soon caught fire, and he began speaking to audiences all over the country, subsequently catapulting up the corporate ladder and leading teams in areas as diverse as marketing, sales, and customer retention. Matt has been at the forefront of driving massively-scaled change efforts, started new sales departments, and ran contact centers in 5 different U.S. locations. In short, his approach is baked in reality instead of hyperbole.

Matt now brings his simple yet profound solutions to companies, associations, and small businesses across North America. His stated mission is to put perspective into action – both professionally and personally – by unpacking our true motivations, and specifically how our answers relate to the meaningful relationships and connections we create. The versatility of his experience and expertise is why he’s frequently called upon to address a variety of topics ranging from generational differences, leadership, culture, communication, sales and building successful teams.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • The Human Way: The 4 Truths to Making Your Business Human
  • Stop Acting Your Age: An Entertaining Keynote to Help You Avoid Generational Warfare
  • You’re Not An Acronym: A Practical Approach to Leadership

Topics: 

Leadership, Generational issues, Culture, Workplace Engagement

Fee: 

$10,000-$12,500

For more information on Matt click here.

#9

Holly Hoffman – Emcee

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Marie Robinson

Holly Hoffman was the last remaining member of the Espada Tribe and the last woman standing on Season 21 of CBS’ hit reality show “Survivor Nicaragua”. Through that experience, and others throughout her life, Holly was inspired to share her message of survival.

A professional motivational speaker and the author of Your Winner Within and Write Yourself a Note, Holly acknowledges that life is made up of challenges, and we are oftentimes faced with situations that seem insurmountable. But within each of us is an ability to focus our thoughts, emotions, and energy to succeed—if only we have the knowledge, tools, and discipline to do so.

A native of South Dakota, Holly’s writing and speaking not only offer encouragement and optimism but a roadmap for self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment. Readers and audience members alike walk away inspired to light the fire of successful living within themselves.

Today, Holly is a member of the National Speaker’s Association and a recipient of the Certified Speaking Professional designation, and travels across the country and internationally, speaking to a wide variety of corporations, associations, universities, schools and women’s organizations.  Holly inspires her audiences to take opportunities and focus on faith, attitude, determination, confidence, desire and perseverance.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • Lead Simply
  • The Survivor Way
  • Write Yourself a Note

Topics: 

Adversity, Attitude, Leadership, Women in Business, Motivation

Fee: 

$6000-$8000

For more information on Holly click here.

#10

Deadra Stanton

Deadra is known as one of the top humorists and motivational speakers in the Midwest. An award-winning speaker who spent 43 years in the classroom while raising two kids and chasing an entrepreneur husband around, she brings a unique brand of energy, comedic story-telling, and heart-tugging stories to every audience she engages.

Her humorous stories about everyday life will stick with you and the next time you find yourself chasing a skinny rabbit or speeding through life too fast, you will remember Deadra’s message to slow down and enjoy life.

Over the years, she has presented to thousands of attendees at international conferences, chambers of commerce, banking, educational, insurance companies, and Fortune 500s, and is a favorite at women’s conferences around the globe.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • Don’t Shoot Skinny Rabbits
  • Fines Double In Road Construction
  • Working with Porcupines

Topics: 

Attitude, Life Balance, Humor, Communication

Fee: 

$2000-$5000

For more information on Deadra click here.

#11

Nate Bailey

Nate Bailey is an expert in Leadership, Success Strategies, and Personal Development. He believes that BIG impact starts with imperfect action, showing up in all areas of your life with intention. Every. Single. Day.

From a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom to a seasoned entrepreneur – and the many paths in between – Nate found his true calling is helping others achieve greatness for themselves.

In Nate’s own quest to expand his personal physical limits, he has completed Sealfit Kokoro (52+ hour event lead by Navy SEALs), run several 50k’s and 100k’s, and the Kettle 100 – a 100 mile solo run – all while being a successful entrepreneur inside three different businesses and enjoying life with his wonderful wife and 3 awesome kids.

In addition to speaking, live events, and coaching, Nate is the founder of the 5 Day Unleash The Leader Within Challenge & Championship Leadership 24 Hr experience, host of the top rated “Championship Leadership Podcast”, and author of 100 Mile Mindset: Discover The Power Of Being Your Word.

Nate shares stories and lessons learned in the Army, in Business & Life and as an Extreme Athlete on how to be a Championship Leader – helping teams come together during uncertain times and rise to the top.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERSHIP: Success strategies that Champions use to lead in their teams, as a company, and in their lives.
  • LEADERSHIP LEGACY: Learn how to lead your team to high-performance, high-integrity, and high-satisfaction in everything they do.
  • THE PATH: A proven step-by-step system for designing a life of results.

Topics: 

Leadership, Personal Development, Success, Business, Military, Motivation

Fee: 

$3500-$6500

For more information on Nate click here.

#12

Steve Bench

Steve customizes keynote presentations and training sessions that deliver engagement strategies for attracting and retaining Millennials, empowering Generation X, capturing Boomer wisdom and cultivating future leadership by leveraging the strengths of each generation. Steve has shared his message with audiences across the country.

Steve is also the creator of “The Pitch!”, a non-profit business contest that puts the next generation of workforce talent in charge to create a start-up company and make the perfect sales pitch! Teenage students learn business concepts, practice soft skills and networking and compete for prizes! When not in a classroom, Steve spends his time in gyms around the Midwest coaching AAU basketball.

Most Presented Titles: 

  • Attracting Tomorrow’s Talent with Today’s Leaders
  • Generational Differences at Work: The Millennial Mindset
  • Surviving Generation Z

Topics: 

Generational Differences, Talent Attraction & Retention, Leadership

Fee: 

$2500-$5000

For more information on Steve click here.