Tasha Schuh
A Must-Have for Your Next Corporate Event or Conference! When Tasha Schuh comes rolling in your door, you will get a lot more than just a story. A healthy meal of inspiration and hope, sprinkled with a layer of laughter and topped off with a few tears will leave people clamoring for more. Emotional, uplifting, and life changing are just a few ways to describe Tasha’s message.
Unique Story. After a tragic theater accident left her paralyzed from the chest down, Tasha discovered invaluable lessons that resonate with audiences of all demographics. Since 2007, she has been traveling across the country inspiring and challenging her listeners to overcome, no matter what life throws at them.
Recognized Speaker. Tasha received her first bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Winona State University and has been speaking ever since. Averaging 50-70 engagements every year, she has inspired thousands while creating a vast client list ranging from Mayo Clinic to IBM.
Relevant Message. A fit for all audiences, Tasha will inspire, empower and instill a renewed zest for life. Her clientele spans corporations, annual conferences, women’s conventions, education and healthcare.
Chris Norton
Whether I’m inspiring people to change their lives, or helping them access recovery resources through my foundation, my purpose is to help others overcome any challenge they face. Life isn’t about getting knocked down – it’s about getting back up. Stand in the face of adversity. Stand for an idea. Stand to empower the world.
Chris suffered a spinal cord injury while playing football at Luther College (Iowa). The doctors gave Chris a 3% chance of moving anything below his neck again. Four years later, he defied the odds and walked across stage at his college graduation with his fiancé, Emily Summers. The video went viral twice, garnered 300 million+ views, and caught the eye of the country’s top media outlets (Good Morning, America, TodayShow.com, NBC Nightly News, CBS, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, etc.).
Three years later, Chris attempted another incredible feat – this time, perhaps the most important walk of his life – down the aisle with his wife, Emily. As with his Graduation Walk, Chris prepared relentlessly, spending four hours per day in the gym. Chris and Emily joyfully conquered the challenge – and walked seven yards down the aisle after their wedding ceremony. Seven yards symbolized the seven-year anniversary of his injury. Their beautiful story once again captured the heart of the world, with coverage ranging from nearly all of the top-tier U.S. media outlets to media in Germany, Italy and London, to name a few.
Chris is a well-respected motivational speaker and speaks at numerous events across the country. He was named to the ITA Group’s Hottest Keynote Speakers List, alongside Michael Strahan, Magic Johnson and Mark Cuban. Chris’ message focuses on the fact that we all face challenges, but our circumstances don’t define us – we do. With inspiring anecdotes and positive action steps, Chris connects with his audience in a genuine, entertaining and impactful way. His message resonates with all of us: adversity is universal, but we all have the Power to Stand. Additionally, Chris has written a book; he and Emily are working on their second book; and a documentary is being made about them.
Chris’ story is now on Prime Video and AppleTV! “The world watched as I took ten impossible steps on my college graduation day. That was just my beginning. 7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story shares my story of how I battled unbelievable odds with a faithful determination to discover that life’s lowest moments can be our greatest gifts. This film will redefine your outlook on how to overcome adversity with strength and resilience, but also the importance of family and friends. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we all have the Power to Stand.”
Tim Gard
Humorous Keynote Speaker, Corporate entertainer and Stress Reduction Authority. Energize, unite and inspire your attendees with a Hall of Fame tears-in-your-eyes-laugh-out-loud keynote speaker who teaches how to be more resilient and inspires employee enthusiasm and creativity both virtually and at in-person events.
Talented, Innovative and Memorable, TIM provides amazing take-home value delivered with his one-of-a-kind presentation style. Becoming more resilient is not about telling jokes or laughing at everything. Instead of making light of serious issues, Tim shines a light on unseen possibilities for solutions to difficult situations. He demonstrates how to be professional, yet light-hearted throughout all his programs. Tim is an internationally recognized authority on stress reduction and conflict resolution, and his easy-to-implement techniques provide ways to diffuse, deal with, and even avoid intensely stressful encounters. Tim “walks his talk” as a successful business owner himself for more than 20 years. Before starting his business, he worked in the Sales Industry, as well as State and Federal Government in Human Services, as a fraud investigator and is a navy veteran. Recognized as a pioneer in humor based training, Tim’s down-to-earth style and real-life humor leaves a lasting impression that you will benefit from for years to come. His skillful use of ordinary items in extraordinary ways and extraordinary items in everyday ways make him one of the most popular main stage speakers on the platform today.
Tim is a certified speaking professional (CSP) & a member of the Speaker Hall Of Fame, an elite honor held by fewer than 150 speakers worldwide. The author or co-author of Just Plane Funny, My Policy Manual, Motivational Leaders he also is an inventor of stress reduction office products that are marketed and enjoyed worldwide . In his 23-year career as a professional speaker, Hall of Fame Speaker Tim Gard has spoken worldwide at more than 2500 events. Audiences from Texas to Tasmania and everywhere in between love him and his easy to implement ideas.
Damien Horne
Damien Horne is an international recording artist who uses music to share life lessons to encourage, motivate, and inspire others
Steve Patterson
Steve Patterson is a veteran entertainment television and radio show host, whose energy and quick wit keeps audiences engaged from beginning to end! His ability to read a room and go off the cuff, combined with his skill to smoothly execute a show flow sets him apart as a truly unique talent.
Patterson hosts the long-running afternoon TV show Twin Cities Live, in addition to co-hosting the Donna and Steve radio show on MyTalk 107.1FM. He’s gained national recognition for his numerous appearances on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, where his subzero weather reports have gone viral. Before coming to the Twin Cities, Steve spent 4 years working for Hubbard Broadcasting in Los Angeles, California and Albuquerque, New Mexico for the company’s entertainment cable news network REELZ. During his time there, Steve served as a correspondent and anchor for the network’s daily entertainment news program, interviewing many of the biggest stars in Hollywood along the way.
Steve enjoys writing in the third person. He doesn’t think anyone actually reads an entire bio. So if you haven’t given up on this just yet, kudos! You done good, kid.
Simon Keith
Simon Keith is the first person in the world to play a professional sport after undergoing a heart transplant, having received the heart of 17-year-old welsh boy in 1986. Their story has been well chronicled including an ESPN E:60 feature, “A Change of Heart”.
Simon Keith is not just a former professional soccer player and one of the longest-living organ transplant recipients in the world, Simon is world renown speaker, having shared his remarkable story at the Whitehouse, as well as the British and Canadian Parliaments, and with audiences around the world. Captivating audiences with his incredible story, Simon challenges people to find their “moments of truth” and dares them to live.
After receiving the gift of life at just age 21, and in the middle of a remarkable soccer career, Simon resumed his soccer career at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), playing two seasons with the Rebels and garnering many honors, including being named Student-Athlete of Year for the Conference as well as being voted as the USA’s Most Courageous Athlete. After his senior season, Simon was named the Most Valuable Player at the Senior Bowl and was drafted #1 overall into the Major Indoor Soccer League. Simon was drafted #1 overall into the USA’s Major Indoor Soccer League just three years after his surgery.
In 2011, he founded The Simon Keith Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing organ donor awareness and supporting and educating transplant recipients. In 2018 The Simon Keith Foundation sponsored every child in the USA and Canada to attend the Transplant Games in their country.
His autobiography, Heart for the Game, details his unique life-journey, and he directs the proceeds from his book sales toward providing athletic training for other transplant recipients who undertake an active and healthy lifestyle.
In addition to his philanthropic efforts and professional soccer career, Simon is a successful entrepreneur who successfully built and sold 4 different companies over a span of 15 years. Most recently Simon served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Nevada Donor Network, a federally designated not-for-profit Organ Procurement Organization, leading the organization from a ranking of 53rd (out of 58) in the USA in 2011 to #1 in the USA from 2015-2019 (and the world) in terms of number of organ donors & organs recovered for transplant per capita.
Now one of the longest living organ transplant recipients in history, Simon has signed a major movie deal about his life with Kennedy Marshall Entertainment and the legendary movie producer Frank Marshall (Jurassic World, Jurassic World; The Fallen Kingdom, The Jason Bourne movies: Identity, Supremacy, Ultimatum, Legacy, Jason Bourne, Sully, Back to the Future 1, 2 and 3 , Raider of the Lost Ark, and many, many more).
In 2018 Simon fell ill, as his heart and kidneys began to fail. (Heart transplants average longevity is just 10 years). In an astounding twist of fate, in March 2019, Simon underwent a second heart transplant, as well as kidney transplant. Against all odds, due to a complicated immune system, Simon stood less than a 1.75% chance of ever receiving the critical lifesaving gifts needed to save his life and continue this already, remarkable, story.
Simon belongs to the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2015 was named Canada’s Humanitarian of the Year.
In addition to Simon sharing his incredible story, Simon is considered an expert in leadership development, organizational culture, and entrepreneurship.
Jason Lauritsen
Jason Lauritsen is a keynote speaker, author, and consultant who will challenge you to think differently. He is an employee engagement and performance management expert who passionately believes that work can and should be a fulfilling experience for every employee.
Jason uses a blend of research, practical experience, and storytelling to empower managers to have a more positive impact on their people.
As both a former corporate executive and entrepreneur, Jason has always been dedicated to creating organizations that are good for both people and profits.
Jason also led the research team for Quantum Workplace’s Best Places to Work program for three years. There, he studied the employee experience at thousands of companies to understand what the best workplaces in the world do differently than the rest to engage their employees.
Jason is the author of the books Unlocking High Performance: How to use performance management to engage and empower employees to reach their full potential and Social Gravity: Harnessing the Natural Laws of Relationships.
Matt Booth
When Matt speaks to your organization, the audience won’t be listening to another talking head with a boring power point. They will be participating in an interactive experience that will engage, educate and entertain while inspiring them to act!
Matt’s humor, quick wit, and ability to connect with people creates meaningful attitude changes. Matt has enjoyed getting to share his message throughout the United States and with international audiences around the world.
Matt grew up on a farm in Southwest Wisconsin in the heartland of America. He lives in Dubuque, Iowa on the banks of a small creek that feeds into the mighty Mississippi with his lovely wife Joie and their sons Carter and Graham. Matt enjoys hiking with his family, fishing with his boys, and taking his wife out for dinner.
Matt received his undergrad at University of Wisconsin and then graduated with his Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of Dubuque. Most recently Matt was awarded the highly esteemed CSP, Certified Speaking Professional. The CSP designation is conferred by the National Speakers Association (NSA) only on those speakers who have earned it by meeting strict qualifying criteria. The letters CSP following a speaker’s name identify that speaker as a speaking professional with a proven track record for understanding and delivering value from the platform.
Annie Meehan
Annie Meehan is committed to transforming achievement from good to great by teaching people to rewrite their excuses into successful accomplishments. Speaking internationally as an expert on living an Exceptional life, she will motivate, inspire, and activate your audience to remove the road blocks that stand in the way. Your audiences walk out with a “WOW” factor that includes practical tools to immediately impact their lives both professionally and personally.
Having corporate, associations, and non-profits as clients, Annie provides actionable strategies to manage change, recognize the power of words in customer/employee experience, and eliminate excuses that keep people from attaining their goals. Her passion and engaging presence inspire people to take action.
Prior to becoming a speaker, Annie worked for a financial investment company for 9 years, compiling multiple promotions. After leaving the corporate world, she then owned and operated 2 fitness franchise locations, grew and led a direct sales team of 250+ people, and began speaking on the topics of health and wellness. Annie is a National Speakers Association (NSA) board member and a past president of the NSA -Minnesota chapter.
Annie is an author of 5 motivational books that includes her award winning book
“Be The Exception”. Her latest book, “Pineapple Principle”, offers a sweet journey to empowerment.
Annie has three adult children and lives in a southern suburb of Minneapolis with her husband and two dogs (Peanut & Leo). She loves volunteering in the community, traveling with family, and walking (or being walked) with the puppies.
Lisa Ryan
As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an award-winning speaker and author of ten books, Lisa Ryan works with her clients to develop employee and client engagement initiatives and strategies that keep their top talent and best clients from becoming someone else’s.
Lisa’s expertise includes: strengthening workplace culture, improving employee engagement, increasing customer retention, and initiating gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) for personal and professional benefit. Lisa’s participants enjoy her high energy, enthusiastic delivery, and quick wit and they leave the session with ideas they are committed to acting on immediately to make positive workplace culture changes.
Lisa costars in two films with other experts including Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” She is the Past-President of the National Speakers Association, Ohio Chapter, and holds an MBA from Cleveland State University.