Big Idea Speakers

Catherine Courage

Catherine’s passion is delivering world-class products and services that drive customer delight, adoption and loyalty. As VP Consumer UX at Google, she is responsible for defining the end-to-end experience across these critical business and user products. Catherine co-authored the book “Understanding Your Users,” and is an active writer and speaker on creativity, innovation and design. She has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Huffington Post and TEDx. She has twice been selected by the Silicon Valley Business Journal – as one of Silicon Valley’s “40 Under 40” young tech leaders, and as one of Silicon Valley’s 100 Most Influential Women. Catherine made Forbes list of “Top 10 Rising Stars at The World’s Most Innovative Companies.”

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Catherine leads a multi-disciplinary product experience team across Google, overseeing the company’s largest properties – Search, Assistant, Geo, Payments, Shopping, Travel and Lens in support of billions of users around the globe.

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Virtual Presentation Clip, on Innovation:

Biography

Catherine’s passion is transforming corporate culture by making customer-focus a driver of innovation and change. She leads Google’s Consumer UX (User Experience) team where her group’s mission is to create world-class products and services for customers, partners and employees that drive adoption and loyalty. Her team is responsible for company-wide product design, training, information experience, and business process reinvention. Prior to DocuSign, Catherine held similar pioneering roles at Citrix, Salesforce.com and Oracle.

Catherine co-authored the book “Understanding Your Users,” and is an active writer and speaker on creativity, innovation and design. She has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Huffington Post, and TEDx. She has twice been selected by the Silicon Valley Business Journal – in 2011 as one of Silicon Valley’s tech leaders, and in 2013 as one of Silicon Valley’s 100 Most Influential Women. Also in 2013, Catherine made Forbes list of “Top 10 Rising Stars at The World’s Most Innovative Companies.” In 2014, the National Diversity Council named her one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology.

Catherine is a board member for the Fortune 500 company, Insight Enterprises, as well as the non-profits California College of the Arts and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She also serves as an advisor for Wootric. She holds a Masters of Applied Sciences, specializing in Human Factors, from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland. When she’s not working, you’ll find her swimming, biking and running in preparation for her next triathlon.

Catherine is a strong advocate of career advancement and a supporter of diversity in the workplace. She has particularly focused on mentoring women in the technology industry. As a senior executive and board member she strives to empower other women reach their potential. In recognition of this, in 2015 Citrix created the “Courage to WIN” award. This tribute is giving annually to a woman who exemplifies the ability to impact the success of others.

Catherine is also a voice in the community to support girls still in school and women who are early in their careers. She has been actively involved with the Clinton Global Initiatives for Girls, TechWomen, TechWomen Canada and has served as a judge for a variety of tech hackathons for young girls (e.g, ChimeHack, Technovation)

Speech Topics

The User Experience

Has the user experience (UX) company significantly advanced over the last decade? We have to ask ourselves why we see so many corporations with dedicated design, innovation and customer success teams, yet their products and services do not reflect this investment. Part of the challenge is that there is an abundance of craftspeople, but we still lack of strong UX leadership to drive culture change. As leaders, Catherine says we need to inspire and ignite a new way of thinking about factors that contribute to exceptional design and develop strategies for achieving this great goal…and most of them have nothing to do with design itself! In her keynote, Catherine will share practical information and advice to aid UX leaders in their leadership crusade.

Other topics:

Innovation
Design
Creativity

Brad Wall

Brad Wall’s legislative and economic achievements during his 10 plus years as Saskatchewan’s premier are many – job growth, population growth, infrastructure creation, a first ever AAA credit rating for Saskatchewan, and so much more. However, these accomplishments benefitted not just his province, but Canada as a whole. As such, he earned a national reputation as a forceful and articulate defender of Saskatchewan’s and Canada’s trade interests, particularly in the areas of energy and agriculture, all the while remaining a passionate advocate for the province’s most vulnerable, often saying that the purpose of pursuing economic growth is to “secure a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan people.”

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Biography

Brad Wall served as the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2018 when he retired from public life.

During Wall’s time in office, Saskatchewan added over 60,000 new jobs and broke population growth records adding over 160,000 citizens through the decade of growth. His government’s growth plan reformed labour legislation and regulatory environments to ensure fairness, sustainability and economic competitiveness.

During the decade of growth record investments were made in provincial infrastructure through direct provincial investment and record municipal funding roads, sewers, highways, schools and hospitals, long term care facilities and the new Mosaic Stadium. Over the decade Wall’s government implemented record income tax reductions and small business tax reductions. During Wall’s time in office Saskatchewan reduced its operating debt by almost $1 billion and earned its first ever AAA Credit rating which it retains to this day.

Wall currently operates his own business and is a special adviser to the national law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP. He is an itinerant columnist for the BOE Report and the National Post and was recently named to the Advisory Board of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

He and Tami still reside in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. They have three grown children and a border collie named Zeke.

Wall may or may not own Waylon Jennings’ 1973 Cadillac Eldorado. To learn more just click here.

Christy Clark

As the longest-serving female Premier in Canadian history, and the only woman in Canada ever to be re-elected as premier, Ms. Clark worked relentlessly to grow the economy, control spending, and create more opportunities in her province. Some of her achievements while in office are astounding: She brought the province from over a billion dollars in deficit to 5 consecutive balanced budgets, approved and started work on the $8 billion Site C dam, moved BC from 9th in economic growth to 1st, while moving BC to it’s best annual job creation record. (First time that’s happened since 1963!) She also signed almost 500 co operation and revenue sharing agreements with First Nations. Ms. Clark is now available for select speaking engagements – and she talks passionately on topics like leadership, women in politics, the economy, and much more.

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Biography

The Honourable Christy Clark led Canada’s third largest province for over six years. Throughout her tenure, Clark demonstrated the strongest performance of any Canadian Premier for economic growth, fiscal management and job creation.

As Premier, Clark earned a well-deserved reputation as a consensus builder both within the Cabinet, and outside it. Her management style was to carefully set out a plan that included hard goals and deadlines for each Ministry and monitor progress through regular reporting to Cabinet and Committees which she chaired.

Her legacy is characterized by her determination to plan for future generations. She left BC with a significantly diversified economy, a greater diversity of markets, a plan for a new, clean energy supply, billions of dollars of new infrastructure, and a dramatic reduction in the burden of public debt that will be borne by future generations of British Columbians.

When she left office, British Columbia had been Canada’s economic leader for three years running – the first time that has happened since the 1960s. BC went from being 9th in job creation to 1st among provinces. And, after inheriting a deficit of $1.2B, Clark’s government went on to balance 5 consecutive budgets. Her last budget included $52B in revenues and boasted a $2.8B surplus. When she retired, BC was on-track to eliminating its operating debt by 2020 – the first time since 1976. BC was also the only Canadian province with a AAA credit rating.  

Clark retired from political life in 2017 as the longest-serving female Premier in Canadian history and the only woman in Canada ever to be re-elected. 

Speech Topics

Leadership Lessons From A Former Premier

In this talk, Premier Clark reflects on her journey as a kid from Burnaby to becoming Premier of British Columbia in 2011, where she governed for 6 years. Through humour, storytelling and never-before-heard behind the scenes insight, Premier Clark shares her biggest takeaways from heading an entity as large and complicated as the Government of British Columbia

Life as A Woman In Politics

As Premier, Christy Clark experienced many adversities and scenarios that would shock and amaze audience members. Many of those centred around her job as a leader in the very male dominatedworld of politics. She talks about the way she was covered differently by media, her political opponents and what being a woman prevented her from actually doing and saying while she was Premier.

It’s The Economy, Stupid

During her time as Premier, Christy Clark took BC from 9th to 1st in economic growth. A strong economy allows governments and organizations to focus on other priorities (i.e. what you can spend money on) – but without it, there isn’t much you can do. Hear first-hand about how Premier Clark oversaw BC’s turnaround and her key principles for how to ensure long-term, sustainable economic growth.

Canada’s Future

As Premier, Christy Clark made it a point to promote British Columbia’s businesses and resources around the world, and not just in the usual places. A report by HSBC predicted that by 2050 – 19 of the 30 largest economies in the world will be “emerging.” For British Columbia and Canada to be properly prepared, it must accept, embrace and strategize for this.

Daniel Hannan – Lord Hannan of Kingsclere

Daniel Hannan, former MEP, now in the British House of Lords, is known in the U.K. press as “the man who brought you Brexit”, having founded the Vote Leave campaign. He wants to use Brexit to galvanize the world trading system and sees new opportunities for countries on every continent. Dan has been a member of the European Parliament for 17 years, and is an author and journalist, advocating passionately for free markets and trade. In fact, once Brexit becomes a reality, Dan will have succeeded in eliminating his own job. However, in 2018, recent political event in the U.K. are threatening to undo Brexit, and Dan may indeed have to return to work.

Dan’s keynote presentations are customizable; he discusses the global and European economy, trade, politics, and what is happening both in Britain and around the world since March of 2020.

Lord Hannan has spoken at events around the world, and will fully customize his talk for your country. He especially loves to speak in the US and Canada.

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Biography
Speech Topics

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Biography

Daniel Hannan is a writer and journalist. After 17 years as a Member of the European Parliament, campaigning for British withdrawal from the EU, he succeeded in abolishing his job in the Brexit referendum on 23 June 2016.

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist. He serves on the UK Board of Trade and is a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party responsible for its international relations. He teaches at the University of Buckingham and the University of Francisco Marroquín. He has written nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Inventing Freedom: How the English-Speaking Peoples Made the Modern World. He sat as a Conservative MEP for 21 years, and was a founder of Vote Leave. He writes regular columns for, among others, The Sunday Telegraph, The Washington Examiner and Conservative Home.

Denise Lee Yohn

Denise believes: Your brand is not what you say – it’s what you do and how you do it. Intimate, emotional connections are the key to brand loyalty. If you don’t develop greatness among your employees, they won’t deliver greatness to your customers. Your customer experience is your most powerful marketing. To be great, you need to know when to say no. Your brand can’t just be a promise, it must be a promise delivered.
She inspires and teaches business leaders to realize the full potential of their organizations. Blending a unique perspective, over twenty-five years of experience with world-class brands including Sony and Frito-Lay, and a talent for energizing audiences, Denise is a leading authority on building great brands and exceptional organizations.

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Biography

Denise Lee Yohn delivers fresh ideas and clear-cut tools to build a breakthrough brand. She inspires and teaches business leaders to realize the full potential of their organizations. Blending a unique perspective, over twenty-five years of experience with world-class brands including Sony and Frito-Lay, and a talent for energizing audiences, Denise is a leading authority on building great brands and exceptional organizations. As an author of the bestselling book What Great Brands Do and the new book FUSION, she cracks the code on how to achieve brand leadership.

Speech Topics

Brand Leadership: How to Build a Rock Star Brand

You know how great brands dominate their fields. You experience it every time you pay a premium for a certain type of jeans, or see a line of people camping out to catch the newest smartphone release. Denise shows you how to achieve rock star brand status. Drawing from case studies, analyses, and interviews with brand leaders from the world’s leading brands, she shows you what great brands do and how to achieve the kind of brand leadership that everyone — from customers to employees to investors — wants a piece of.

THE FUSION FORMULA: Brand + Culture = Results

Forget everything you think you know about workplace culture! You don’t need perks and parties. You need engaged employees who produce the right results and help you build a great brand. Denise shows you how to infuse your culture with your core brand values and align your people with your unique brand identity, so you produce a healthy organization and a valuable brand. Based on her new book, FUSION, Denise shares the secrets behind the world’s greatest organizations and lays out the leadership playbook for achieving the brand-culture fusion you need to power your performance and future-proof your business.

IGNITE EXPERIENCE: Fuse Customer Experience and Employee Experience to Drive Your Growth

Customer experience is the new competitive battlefield where customer loyalty is won or lost. And among employees, the war for talent is intensifying. How do you win on both fronts? Denise shows you how to align and integrate your employee and customer experiences—and unleash their combined power to fuel your growth. Learn how to design and deliver employee experiences that fully engage your people and translate into customer experience excellence. Denise lays out the complete game plan you need to win the hearts and minds of customers and employees.

Extraordinary Experiences: How to Win Customers’ Hearts and Dollars

How do some companies break through the clutter; compete with bigger, better-resourced competitors; and manage to grow and thrive when so many others fail? They earn customer love and loyalty through extraordinary experiences. Denise gives you the complete blueprint for creatively designing and consistently delivering customer experiences that win over customers for life. Learn how to get the edge that everyone else wants and excel at customer experience.

What Great Salespeople Do

If you’re worried about how the role of sales and selling is changing, you need to know what the best salespeople do to succeed in this new business environment. Denise shows you that great salespeople do what great brands do. She explains how to innovate — not imitate, how to create extraordinary experiences that embody your brand, and how to cultivate strong, emotional connections with customers. You’ll be inspired to engage with clients in new ways that cut out competitors and create long-term business success. Learn why and how the most effective salespeople operate as brand evangelists — and how you can too to win the new sales game.

Brand-Building Isn’t Just for the Big Guys

It’s true! You don’t have to be big to be great. Even if you’re an entrepreneur who’s short on time and money, you can build a brand that stands out and has a big impact. Denise shows you what you need to beat the big guys at their own game. She reveals the Minimum Viable Brand (MVB) framework and how to lay the foundation for getting traction in a crowded, cluttered marketplace. Learn the 6 “What’s” that every start-up and small business must answer — and how the most successful entrepreneurs have built powerful, profitable brands.

Workshop: Build a Breakthrough Brand with a Clear Competitive Positioning

A clear, definitive competitive brand positioning is essential to brand building. It defines who you are selling to, what your business scope is, and what you do to create value for your customers. It provides strategic guidance on product development, pricing, messaging, and more. In this hands-on workshop, Denise shows you how to craft a competitive brand positioning, including:

– the most effective way to identify and define your target segment(s)

– how to determine an appropriate competitive frame of reference

– three strategies to establish meaningful and lasting differentiation

– the sources that achieve brand credibility among today’s savvy customers

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About Us

Chip Eichelberger, CSP

Chip Eichelberger will be THE energy source for your event!

Formerly Tony Robbins international point man, Chip is a proven pro that will do the homework necessary to customize his message with your theme and business model. He specializes in customized, high energy, engaging, humorous and interactive opening, after meal and closing presentations. Watch his demo and other videos on this page.

Chip’s presentations are an interactive experience, not a one-way speech! Your people will be engaged and actively participating, not snoozing. Using an interactive customized handout, he works with the audience to look at what they’re doing now, find more effective options, and commit to change-change that creates productivity and value for your organization.

Chip has “Switched On” over 1000 conventions for companies like Apple, Hyatt, Astra Zeneca, GM, Equitable and RE/MAX. A proven pro, he has been making meeting planners look like a genius for over 27 years. Chip will be THE energy source for your event and bring a positive energy that will resonate with your audience.

His highly interactive sessions engage people at a deep level and gets them involved in his presentation. He shows individuals how to get Switched On and be the best version of themselves. He does NOT DO A SPEECH!

Chip understands audiences are NOT craving another speech. They are craving the energy and engagement that he brings to EVERY presentation. Chip’s contagious energy will change entire atmosphere of the room! Chip’s talks are customized to fit the theme of the meeting and the business situation of the client.

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Biography

Formerly Tony Robbins International point man, Chip has “Switched On” over 1000 conventions for companies like Apple, Hyatt, Astra Zeneca, GM, Equitable and RE/MAX. A proven pro, he has been making meeting planners look like a genius for over 27 years. Chip will be THE energy source for your event and bring a positive energy that will resonate with your audience.

His highly interactive sessions engage people at a deep level and gets them involved in his presentation. He shows individuals how to get Switched On and be the best version of themselves. He does NOT DO A SPEECH!

Chip understands audiences are NOT craving another speech. They are craving the energy and engagement that he brings to EVERY presentation. Chip’s contagious energy will change entire atmosphere of the room! Chip’s talks are customized to fit the theme of the meeting and the business situation of the client.

“I was SHOCKED by the amount of energy Chip was able to instill in our group of manufacturers reps. You delivered on your brand promise: you ARE the energy source!”

Anita Samatas, MR Program Manager, Motorola Solutions

Chip always does his homework, interviewing key employees, researching your company, industry, and marketplace so his material is relevant and reinforces your conference message.

Chip is consistently told by the organizations that hire him that most speakers were a “rental” and that he was a true partner in making their event a success!

Chip began his career after 4 successful years as a sales rep for Jantzen Sportswear he was let go after the second company buyout. His career soon took an exciting turn. He went to work with the world-renowned Tony Robbins in San Diego where things really took off. He was Sales Leader of the Year each year on the road. He hired, trained and led sales teams around the U.S. and became Robbins’ international point man planting the Robbin’s flag in Australia and the UK.

“Chip is a friend, an excellent communicator, and a man committed to constant and never-ending improvement. His experience, energy and engagement will make a difference for any company.”

Anthony Robbins, Entrepreneur, Author & Peak Performance Strategist

Leveraging that success and unique speaking experience, Chip decided to launch his own brand. He has spoken in every state in the US and Australia, every Province of Canada and eight countries.

He has prepared and delivered over 1,000+ high-energy presentations for organizations like State Farm, Hyatt, DOW, Harley Davidson, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, RE/MAX, Smoothie King, Honey Baked Ham, Mass Mutual, Wells Fargo, Campbell’s Soup and Blue Cross/Blue Shield and over 100 associations.

Perfect to position Chip to OPEN and/or CLOSE your event. He often does both and “bookends” your program with his opening customized keynote and then closes with his famous Board Break Experience.

Chip is one of only 7% of the members of the National Speakers Association to earn the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional designation. He has created numerous audio, video and printed products. He newest book is The Smart Guide To Accomplishing Your Goals.

Speech Topics

GET SWITCHED ON! Reevaluate and Recharge

The ability to ‘Get Switched On’ and be at your best consistently is essential to compete and excel in todays marketplace. This high-energy, interactive session challenges everyone to acknowledge the difference between good and GREAT. This is an interactive experience, not a speech!

They will reevaluate their long team vision, game plan, mindset and what is really important. Chip challenges people to take a hard look at their attitude and current results. This program will get you plugged back in and switched on! How can you be a catalyst and bring your “A Game” consistently to perform at your best. When it is “show time” you need to be “show ready.”

Getting switched on is about energy and impact. The goal for the session is to have each person pursue their work and life with renewed tenacity and contagious energy. This is NOT a speech. This is an interactive, high-energy, challenging experience that will get you involved and engaged.

OWN IT! Take Charge of Your Performance

Chip shows how taking ownership of your results, beliefs and attitude will ignite tremendous performance improvements. “Own It!” taps the hidden potential inside each member of your team. It helps people confront the brutal facts about their current situation and take action on the implications immediately.

This program inspires accountability, personal responsibility, growth mindset, and a long-term view of success. Many companies have chosen OWN IT as the theme for their event.

Even if you’ve settled for less in the past, or your company hasn’t gotten the results it wants, you’ve got what it takes to make it happen. Small individual decisions can lead to a greater sense of ownership and big results; bigger changes can lead to innovation and revolutionary change. Let Chip show you and your team how to Own It!

BREAKING BARRIERS The Board Break Experience

Chip is famous for this one-of-a-kind experience. How will you close your next event in a memorable way and send the audience out the door charging? The board break is an intense, emotional and climatic physical metaphor dedicated to breaking through barriers and pushing your team spirit to new and lasting heights.

This is the BEST activity to get a large group involved in a compelling physical activity that they will always remember. When people and the team breakthrough their barriers and limiting beliefs, the impossible becomes possible! Watch the video to see for yourself! Often added to other keynotes to create an extraordinary half-day presentation.

Testimonials

“Thank for being a key part of the James Hardie Contractor Summit. The energy in the room was awesome. Our 400 customers and JH employees left the session excited about have a better plan to be more effective selling in the home with testimonials and helping turning their customers into their salespeople.”

Jeff Kemerley, Director Repair & Remodel, James Hardie

“Chip helped get our team motivated and Own It. He was enthusiastic and had high energy the entire time he spoke to our sales force. I was impressed by his thorough research of our company upfront. He set the tone for our meeting of “Own It” and how we each need to be accountable for our own results or go back into our studios for improvement. Chip’s messages were themes that we can took back into our lives both professionally and personally. Chip helped energize our sales team and reminded us that we can and we will prevail.”

Jim Sterbenz

VP Sales, Campbell Soup Company, US Retail

“Chip set the tone about attitude, enthusiasm, challenging yourself and putting yourself in position to win. He did a phenomenal job putting together a interactive presentation effectively customized for your annual MGoBlue Day. The Board Break Experience was great to show what is possible when you encounter difficulty and fear and still breakthrough. Chip is as good as anyone I have ever seen.”

Dave Brandon – Former Athletic Director University of Michigan – Current CEO Toys “R” US

“Thank you for 3 great performances. We have not had outside speakers for a number of years due to disappointing and lackluster performances that just did not connect with nor energize our people. I must say you won over the most jaded nay-sayers amongst us and hit the ball out of the park, bases loaded, every time! You were a pleasure to work with on all levels and we would all agree that you were the best guest speaker we have ever had. Thanks again for helping us to “Own It!” and for getting us all “Switched On” to achieving greater levels of personal and professional performance.”

National Training Director, Furniture Row Companies

“The effort that you put forth in preparing for the presentation was evident. Taking your car to a local Meineke shop, talking to a number of Meineke managers, visiting our dealer website, attending several seminars during our conference and spending time with us in advance of your presentation all resulted in a message that was on target exciting, motivating and relevant.”
Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc.

Joel Cohen

Emmy-winning Writer/Producer of The Simpsons.
Enlightening, and funny, Joel takes you inside the innovation process and team dynamics that have made this the most successful TV show in history. In his fascinating and wonderfully humorous presentations, he provides vibrant stories and key lessons to the show’s sustained creative process, group dynamics and culture of innovation. A hilarious speaker, Cohen draws links between running a business and keeping a hit show fresh. This most certainly will be the best time you will ever have at a speech.

As the Emmy award-winning writer and producer for The Simpsons, the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in history, Joel has been a key part of the show’s success. Since its debut on December 17, 1989, The Simpsons has broadcast more than 600 episodes, and was named by Time as “The greatest TV show of the 20th century.”

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Biography

As the Emmy award-winning writer and producer for The Simpsons, the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in history, Joel has been a key part of the show’s success. Since its debut on December 17, 1989, The Simpsons has broadcast more than 600 episodes, and was named by Time as “The greatest TV show of the 20th century.” It has won dozens of awards, including 31 Primetime Emmy Awards, 30 Annie Awards, and a Peabody Award.

A graduate of the University of Alberta (B.Sc.) and York University (M.B.A.), Joel Cohen found success in the corporate world before making a completely illogical career move into comedy writing. Cohen’s experience as both a “creative” and a “suit” has not only left him with a puzzling resume, it also gives him a unique perspective to discuss innovation and its place in business. “The same factors that allow creativity to arise, to live or to die for writers are also present and relevant in corporations and even individuals.”

In addition to writing for several movies, TV and online projects, Joel is also the author of the new book How to Lose a Marathon: A Starter’s Guide to Finishing in 26.2 Chapters. This hilariously chronicles Joel Cohen’s step-by-step journey from being a couch potato to being whatever type of potato can finish a marathon.

In his fascinating and wonderfully humorous presentations, he provides vibrant stories and key lessons to the show’s sustained creative process, group dynamics and culture of innovation. A hilarious speaker, Cohen draws links between running a business and keeping a hit show fresh. This most certainly will be the best time you will ever have at a speech.

Joel has been invited to keynote more than a hundred events worldwide, including Merrill Lynch, AOL, Oklahoma State University, International Interior Design Assn., Accenture, Canadian Home Builders Assn., Colorado State University, Red Hat, Training Magazine, InnoTown, Illinois State University, Communique, Brightworks, Savannah College of Art and Design, Eli Lilly, Desire2Learn, Colorado State University, CropLife Canada, DDB Group Asia Pacific, Envirotec, Beckman Coulter, Arido, Google, Canadian Produce Marketing Assn., Institute of Communication Agencies, Chick-fil-A, Mexico Corporate Leaders Summit, Compass Group, Canadian Construction Assn., Aptean, The Economic Club of Grand Rapids, …and many more.

Speech Topics

The Simpsons: There’s no “I” in “Innovation” (oh wait, there’s actually two of them)…Lessons in innovation from the most successful show in TV history.

Joel Cohen is an absolutely hilarious, deadpan, quick-on-his feet speaker…perfect for any group that needs to enhance their innovation culture, but who prefer to laugh a little (okay, a lot) while learning how. Armed with inspired anecdotes and clips, he takes you into the fabled writer’s room at The Simpsons to draw the links – and there are many – between maintaining a hit show and running a successful company. He asks, and then brilliantly answers, questions essential to the success of any industry. How do you manage group dynamics to get the best from your talent? How do you find, evaluate, implement, and even discard, new ideas? How do you chart a renewable path to innovation? And how do you overcome creative log jams? (Note: for actual, literal logjams, Cohen recommends a chainsaw…or even better, hiring a guy with a chainsaw).

Testimonials

“Just a brief note to again thank you for a great presentation at IBM’S IMPACT Conference in Orlando. All of the feedback’s been extremely positive. It was great to work with you and I hope to do it again soon. Thanks again for a job well done.” IBM & Drury Design Dynamics

“Joel was great and better still he is a lovely guy. His presentation was to an audience of about 800 people and he was well received. So much so that I believe he was considered the best speaker of the two day event…which meant DDB was also shown in a good light.” DDB Group Asia Pacific

“Everyone had a great time and very much enjoyed your time with us. Thank you for making an otherwise boring sales meeting very much brighter. ” AOL

Kevin O’Leary

Top Business Speaker, Respected Investor, Author, Venture Capitalist, and Judge on ABC’s Shark Tank and CNBC’s Money Court Reality Show

Kevin O’Leary, aka “Mr. Wonderful” on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank”, is one of the most dynamic speakers in the world – especially when it comes to money and the markets.

Money and marriage; money and entrepreneurship, money and investing; talking to your kids about money; money and taxes; money and why capitalism works. And most importantly, what it takes to Make Money.

What many don’t see on Shark Tank is that Kevin is also an expert commentator on the global financial markets. His latest venture, “O’Shares Investments” reflects his investing DNA: Buy stocks that pay dividends. Although – he has been known to discuss cryptocurrencies as of late, having as much as 20% of his portfolio invested in them!

Entertaining, fun, brutally honest and brilliant – Kevin’s keynote speeches are always a hit. Plus he’ll take the time to customize his keynote to suit your industry or organization. Call us to book Kevin for your next event – you will not be disappointed!

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Biography

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Biography

Kevin O’Leary was born on July 9 th , 1954. As the son of a United Nations ILO official, he had the opportunity to live and be educated in Cambodia, Cyprus, Tunisia, Ethiopia, France and Switzerland.

Kevin attended the University of Waterloo where in 1977 he received an Honors bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and Psychology. He attended the Ivey Business School where he received his MBA in 1980.After working briefly as an assistant product manager at Nabisco Brands, he left to pursue a career in television production and became a founding partner in Special Event

Television, an independent production company that produced original sports programming such as “The Original Six”, “Don Cherry’s Grapevine” and “Bobby Orr and the Hockey Legends”.

Kevin co-founded SoftKey Software in 1986. SoftKey was the first software company to apply the principles of consumer goods marketing to the software industry. SoftKey grew quickly as the price of personal computers declined and millions of North American families began to buy software for family education and entertainment.

In January of 1994, SoftKey became a catalyst of consolidation in the software industry, raising over $ 1 billion in a series of debt and equity financings and completing the first trans-border three-way pooling, merging with Spinnaker Software and WordStar International. As a result of this merger the company moved its headquarters to Boston, Massachusetts. In late 1995, SoftKey acquired Compton’s New Media and The Learning Company. In early 1996, SoftKey completed the acquisition of the Minnesota Educational Computer Company. In late 1997 and early 1998, the company acquired three more of its competitors, Creative Wonders, Mindscape and Broderbund making SoftKey the world leader in the development of educational, reference and home productivity software and the world’s second largest consumer software company with annual sales over $800 million, two thousand employees and subsidiaries in 15 countries.

In 1996 SoftKey changed its name to The Learning Company. In early May 1999, The Mattel Toy Company acquired The Learning Company for $4.2 billion. In 2003 he became co-investor and a director in Storage Now, a leading developer of climate-controlled storage facilities. Through a series of development projects and acquisitions, Storage Now became an owner/operator of storage services with facilities located in eleven cities serving such companies as Merck and Pfizer when it was acquired by the In-Storage REIT in March 2007 for $110 million.

In July of 2007 Kevin became a founding SPAC investor and Director of Stream Global Services Inc., focused on the growing outsourcing business services market.

Kevin O’Leary is the Chairman of O’Shares ETF Investments and Beanstox an automated internet-based investment advisory service. He also holds investments in over 30 private venture companies across a wide range of sectors. He is a member of Boston’s 120-year-old Hamilton Trust, the oldest investment club in the US. He is a contributor to CNBC, ABC News and Good Morning America and an entrepreneur/investor co-host for the Discovery Channels Project Earth series that explores innovative ways man could reverse global warming implementing large scale geo-engineering infrastructure projects. He is also an investor/host of ABC Television’s four-time Emmy Award winning venture capital reality programs “Shark Tank” and “Beyond the Tank” produced by MGM/Sony/ABC.

Kevin O’Leary is an active photographer, watch collector, guitarist and author of three number #1 best selling books “Cold Hard Truth”, “Men, Women and Money” and “Family Kids and Money”.

Conrad Black

Author. Historian. Columnist. Investor. Intellectual Force. Founder of the National Post. Television Host. Member of the British House of Lords. There is only one man who could possibly fit all these descriptions, and it is one of Canada’s most distinguished figures: The iconic Lord Conrad Black.

Having just published his most recent books, “The Political & Strategic History of The World, Vol.1” in 2023, as well as “Forgotten History – Civil Rights in Canada”, “The Canadian Manifesto” in 2019, “Donald J. Trump: A president like no other” in 2018 and in 2016, “Backward Glances”, a collection of his articles and essays spanning his entire career, – on topics such as politics, culture, economics, and more – Lord Black is a must hear keynote speaker.

Whether the topic is judicial reform, geopolitics, or overcoming adversity in business and life, Lord Black is sure to inspire, educate and yes, entertain. He says exactly what he thinks, does not mince words, pulls no punches, and will defend his opinions with tenacity. A keynote or Fireside Chat with Lord Black could best be described as a talk about current events that blends in geopolitics mixed with historical perspectives, infused with a global point of view.

His latest endeavor in this regard is the “Scholars & Sense” show, a brand new bi-weekly podcast where he shares the mic with legendary conservative voices Victor Davis Hanson and Bill Bennett.

UPDATE! Lord Black is now available for live and in person events in the United States.

Videos

Biography

CONRAD BLACK is a financier and author and columnist in a large number of publications in Canada, the US, and the UK, including the National Post and National Review Online (New York). He is the author of biographies of Maurice Duplessis, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Richard M. Nixon, a strategic history of the United States (Flight of the Eagle), and Rise to Greatness, the History of Canada from the Vikings to the Present. His most recent books are “Forgotten History: Civil Rights in Canada” and “The Political & Strategic History of the World, Vol.1” both just released in 2023, “The Canadian Manifesto” in 2019, “Donald J. Trump: A president like no other” in 2018, and before that, a collection of his columns and essays titled Backward Glances, just published by Random House-McCLelland & Stewart. He was the publisher of the London (UK) Telegraph newspapers and Spectator from 1987 to 2004, and controlled many other newspapers including the Chicago Sun-Times, the Jerusalem Post and the National Post, which he founded. He is honorary chairman of Conrad Black Capital Corporation and has been a member of the British House of Lords as Lord Black of Crossharbour since 2001, and is a Knight of the Holy See. Lord Black has also recently become the “Historian in Residence” at The Democracy Fund in Canada.

You can find Lord Black’s columns in the National Post, The New York Sun, The National Review Online, American Greatness, The Epoch Times, The Hill, The Brussels Signal in Europe, and his writings are often syndicated in other publications around the world. He continues to be a guest on a number of news outlets offering commentary, and has appeared on the BBC, CTV, FOX News, CBC, Rebel News and countless podcasts. He is a regular guest on America First with Sebastian Gorka, and participates in a monthly podcast called “Scholars & Sense” with two legends of American conservatism, Bill Bennett and Victor Davis Hanson, where they try to make sense of the news of the day. To learn more click here.

Speech Topics

The Criminalization of Addiction and Poverty

Drawing on his experiences in Florida as a three year “Guest of the US government”, Lord Black uses statistics and analysis to break down how drug laws are making this problem worse; and how the “war on drugs” has been a massive failure. He says the focus must move away from criminalization towards rehabilitation, and he says – all drugs must be legalized! Find out why in this hard hitting and eye opening presentation. Lord Black is a judicial reformer and helped his other federal “Guests” matriculate while working to clear his name. This is as moving a presentation as it is eye opening.

Call us here to find out about other topics; Lord Black can customize his talk to suit your event or industry. UK clients, please don’t hesitate to contact us to find out when Lord Black might find himself back in London, or what we can do arrange a live presentation in the UK when possible. Lord Black is now available to do live events in the United States, and loves to discuss US politics, geopolitics, American History, as well as current events.