Jesse Ross
Jesse is an international speaker, executive coach, & a diversity, equity, & inclusion leader, that works with leaders and organizations specializing in personal and professional development. He focuses on transformation from the inside out and believes that everyone he encounters should expect ascension.
Jesse has a keen ability to apply his education, training and certifications, over 15 years of business, nonprofit, and practical experience to motivate others to greatness, increase productivity, and to take their rightful place as a leader. Jesse has delivered over 600 speaking engagements at colleges, conferences, corporate and nonprofit companies, with a large number of Fortune 500 companies.
Jesse offers trainings, workshops, evaluations, assessments, and strategy development for your school, business or organization. Jesse has been engaging his audience with his Morning Minute call-to-actions on his Instagram and LinkedIn social media pages.
Daniel Shannon
Throughout his meteoric rise with top companies in the CPG, Financial Service and Retail industries, Daniel has accumulated nearly two decades of executional and thought leadership experiences. Inspired by his desire to enhance the value proposition of spaces where he has influence, by leveraging his uncommon combination of professional and personal experiences, Daniel has developed an exceptional competency in the areas of B2B sales, marketing, business development, and an UNMATCHED expertise on matters of diversity, equity and Inclusion.
Daniel’s corporate successes translate beautifully into his work as a speaker. Carefully customizing each of his presentations, based on his clients’ specific needs and goals, his approach is reflective of actual experience and proven solutions, rather than theory. On top of that, Daniel is beloved by his audiences for his signature style, combining entertainment with tangible takeaways!
Tony Chatman
Tony has worked with hundreds of corporations and government agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, Chase Bank, Estée Lauder, N.O.A.A. and N.A.S.A. to help people reach new heights of effectiveness by understanding themselves and others better. As a leadership keynote speaker, his passion is contagious, and his message provides practical, usable knowledge that people implement immediately for business and personal success. Tony’s ability to help leaders, team members, and people from every background and diversity adopt empowering mindsets and strategies that allow them to adapt, reinvent, and transform the results they produce both personally and professionally. Recognized for his stage presence and intensity, Tony delivers the kind of results that consistently garner outstanding and enthusiastic reviews. His profound ability to connect with every audience member ensures they come away feeling that he spoke directly to them and impacted by his message.
Tony was only the second African American to receive a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University’s prestigious Paper Science and Technology School. Upon completion of his degree, Tony worked for a number of years as a chemical engineer for a Fortune 500 company. It was during this phase of his life that he had a life changing interaction with an at-risk youth. This moment left such profound impression on him that he left both his corporate career (while nearing the completion of his first patent) and his graduate studies at the University of Chicago to work in the non-profit sector with the desire to make an impact on the communities around him. It was this work, which often included counseling groups and individuals that led Tony to begin studying human behavior with the intent or understanding what makes people tick, excel, and change.
Tony Chatman delivers presentations that are an entertaining and impassioned balance of both science and practical insight. Tony breaks down tough topics such as unconscious bias, change management and leadership. He creates a new, stronger foundation for true leadership. Audiences leave focused and motivated to turn individual differences into business advantages.
Currently, Tony serves as a board member for the Captain Phillips Lane Kirkland Maritime Trust.
Tony recently completed his first book: The Force Multiplier: How to Lead Teams Where Everyone Wins and in 2018 he delivered his first TEDx talk – How to Stop Settling for Less.
Joe Gerstandt
Joe Gerstandt is a speaker, author and advisor bringing greater clarity, action, and impact to organizational diversity and inclusion efforts.
Joe has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, small non-profits, and everything in between. He speaks at numerous conferences and summits. He is a featured contributor for the Workforce Diversity Network Expert Forum and his insights have been published in Diversity Best Practices, Diversity Executive, HR Executive, and numerous other print and on-line journals. He co-authored the book Social Gravity: Harnessing the Natural Laws of Relationships, and serves on the Intersectional Culture and Diversity Advisory Council for the social networking platform, Twitter.
A strong advocate for resetting the diversity and inclusion conversation, Joe sees this work as poorly understood and often misunderstood. His keynote messages and interactive workshops bring greater clarity, action, and impact to existing and new organizational diversity & inclusion efforts.
Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Since her first National Keynote at age 14, Ashley Rhodes-Courter has shared her story with thousands in the United States and in over 7 countries.
Ashley Rhodes-Courter, MSW, is the quintessential American success story. Born in 1985 to a single teen mother, by the age of 3 she was in Florida’s foster care system where she spent almost ten years being shuttled between 14 homes—some quite abusive—before being adopted from a Children’s Home at the age of twelve.
Despite her ordeal, she excelled in school because she believed that, “my education was the one thing nobody could take from me.” Early in her life she felt compelled to advocate for herself and the other children she lived with, particularly in the abusive foster homes.
Her efforts and academic achievements landed her Eckerd College’s Trustee Scholarship where she graduated with honors and ahead of schedule earning a double major in Communications and Theater and a double minor in Political Science and Psychology. Ashley then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California.
During her undergraduate studies, she was one of 20 college students selected for the USA Today All-USA Academic Team and was named one of GLAMOUR Magazine’s Top Ten College Women. She was also selected as one of the four Golden BR!CK Award winners for outstanding advocacy for community change by DoSomething!. As part of their campaign, she was featured on 25 million bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.
By the age of 22, Ashley had become a New York Times Bestselling Author. Her first book, “Three Little Words” is now an International Bestseller and has been published in at least 4 countries. Her second book, “Three More Words” debuted at #1 on Amazon Bestseller’s List. Both books are used in classrooms across the country in various community and First Year Experience Collegiate programs.
Ashley has received State, local, and National awards for her speaking, advocacy, and philanthropy. She has spoken on Capitol Hill and has been invited to the White House twice. “Three Little Words” is now being made into a major motion picture.
Amy S. Tolbert
Amy S. Tolbert, Ph.D., CSP develops multicultural organizations and individuals by bringing you cutting-edge topics, such as, multicultural and diversity initiatives, leadership competency development, managing to style, and creating breakthrough teams. She is principal of ECCO (Energizing Cultural Change in Organizations) International, which specializes in increasing individuals’ productivity and organizations’ profitability through virtual and facilitated learning.
She is well authored with 4 books, many articles, validated assessment tools, asynchronous course offerings, active blogs and author of a video based global communications training to develop intercultural communication skills called Open Mind, Open World. Her offerings include actionable tools, processes and practice – a paradigm shifter with her stories and examples.
She earned her Certified Speaking Professional designation with the National Speakers Association. The CSP is the speaking profession’s international measure of speaking experience and skill. Fewer than 10 percent of the speakers who belong to the International Federation for Professional Speakers hold this professional designation. She was awarded the Mark LeBlanc Award for excellence in the speaking industry and was inducted into the MN Speakers Hall of Fame. Dr. Tolbert earned her doctorate in Human Resource Development, focusing on international/cross-cultural and diversity education/training, from the University of Minnesota. As an esteemed part of the Carlson Executive Faculty, Carlson Executive Education Center, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Dr. Tolbert earned her doctorate in Human Resource Development, focusing on international/cross-cultural and diversity education/training, from the University of Minnesota. She continues to support her alma mater by serving as adjunct faculty for several annual programs at Carlson Executive Education.
Karith Foster
Karith is a Diversity Engagement Specialist whose signature programs are impacting lives at academic institutions, organizations and corporations across America in a time when humor, understanding, acceptance and respect are so desperately needed.For over two decades Karith Foster has taken her passion for entertaining and critical thinking nationwide- from the airwaves to organizations; from universities to corporations creating a seismic shift in mindsets and revolutionizing the way we address issues of diversity and leadership.
The former co-host of controversial radio personality Don Imus and former Fortune 500 human resources executive administrator brings the perfect blend of humor, knowledge and experience when conveying the ever-present need to address diversity & inclusion, effective communication, leadership and self-care. Karith leaves her audiences feeling engaged, connected, inspired and encouraged to commit to the journey of mutual respect, acceptance and a greater sense of belonging.
“If you can laugh at it you can get through it,” is not only her motto, but the invaluable lesson she seeks to instill in others. As a speaker, humorist, TV & radio personality, author, entrepreneur, wife, and mother Karith’s sense of duty, service, along with her riotous sense of humor, have made her a positive force of change. The words “no” and “impossible” are not in her vocabulary as evidenced by her career path, life challenges, chosen adventures and desire to help others. She is a featured comedian in two hit documentary films, “Can We Take a Joke?” and “No Safe Spaces” which have garnered accolades in The Washington Post and TIME Magazine, as has her TEDx Talk “The Art of Defying Stereotypes: Learning to be True to Your Voice” from TEDx LincolnSquare Risk Takers and Change Makers in New York City.
Joe Nayquonabe
Joe Nayquonabe, Jr. is an American Indian business professional that has spent his career reimagining and reinventing how American Indian tribal economies grow and prosper.
He spent over a decade as a marketing executive growing the Grand Casino brand before ascending to CEO of the Mille Lacs Band’s Corporate Commission where he created several companies including Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, which manages the entire business portfolio of the Mille Lacs Band; 2020 Brand Solutions; Maadaadizi Holdings; Wewinabi Inc., and Makwa Global. He has also kept Grand Casino at the forefront as one of the most valuable brands in Indian Gaming.
In addition to his work, Nayquonabe is a member of YPO (formerly Young Presidents’ Organization). He also serves on several boards including: the National Diversity Advisory Board for the University of Minnesota, the American Indian Advisory Board for St. Cloud State University, Herberger School of Business Advisory Board for St. Cloud State University, the American Red Cross Minneapolis Region, the Initiative Foundation, Visit Saint Paul, Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation, Great River Passage Conservancy, Metropolitan State College, the Minnesota Historical Society, Mille Lacs Health System, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – Advisory Council.
Nayquonabe has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Cloud State University, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and a master of tribal administration and governance degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
He and his wife, Chris, live in Onamia with their daughters, Bella, Phoenix-Rose, and Xiana. In his spare time, Joe enjoys running marathons, studying the Ojibwe language, and reading.
Kelsey Tainsh
Kelsey Tainsh has been through more in her 30 years than most will endure in a lifetime. Successfully overcoming a brain tumor at only 5 years of age, Kelsey went on to be a happy, healthy kid and a champion athlete. 10 years later, at 15, it all came crashing down when the tumor returned followed by a crippling stroke. Her friends had disappeared, her right side didn’t function and she became paralyzed with fear and self-doubt. Despite her significant physical challenges, she worked hard to pull herself up and charged back into life graduating magna cum laude from the University of Florida and going on to work for one of the most recognized companies in the world.
Today, this remarkable young woman has become a champion for the rest of us. An acclaimed professional speaker, Kelsey travels the country speaking to colleges, organizations and corporations about the power of persistence and perspective. Her clients include: The Coca-Cola Company, Harvard Medical School, Automotive Training Institute, Atrius Health, Society For Pediatric Anesthesia, INBOUND, HubSpot and more.
Kelsey Tainsh has also been featured in BYOU Magazine, Coca-Cola Journey, the Orlando Sentinel, Our Town Magazine and Home Magazine and National Speaker’s Association (NSA) Speaker Magazine.
Chris Heeter
Selected as a Top Ten Speaker by MeetingsNet, and as the highest rated speaker of Meeting Professional International’s 2014 World Education Congress, Chris Heeter is out to create a Wild revolution in the workplace. A wilderness guide since 1984 and professional speaker since 2001, Chris has led and worked with a diverse array of teams, both canine and human!
Featured on The Discovery Channel’s “National Geographic Today,” she brings decades of leadership experience indoors, to conferences and offices, working with teams and leaders, helping us recognize that leadership, teamwork, and inclusion don’t have to be so complicated.
Combining business expertise with hilarious stories from her sled dog team and from guiding whitewater trips, Chris challenges and inspires organizations and individuals to be Wildly Present, Wildly Original, and Wildly Welcoming