Steven Iwersen
Steven Iwersen, CSP is the President of Aurora Pointe, LLC, an international speaking and leadership development firm. He has been a professional speaker for more than 30 years and has been in active leadership roles since 1981. He is the author of The Porcupine Principles: How To Move Prickly People to Preferred Outcomes and Porcupine Philosophy: 365 Leadership Points to Ponder.
As a Keynote speaker and relational leadership expert, he has spoken to 700+ audiences during the last 12 years on the subject of creating a leadership culture. His expertise is in leading people and organizations through change.
Steven is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) – a designation that only 1200 speakers worldwide have earned. He was the Co-Host of the NSA “Voices of Experience” Audio & Video Magazine in 2015-16.
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.
Amy Dee
Amy Dee is recognized by audiences across the country as a master storyteller and brilliant comedian. She combines her background in standup comedy and theatre with her RN degree and experience as a successful business owner to deliver hilarious stories and valuable content on the brain and behavior. Her message and music rise above the boundaries of gender, age, and occupation. Amy’s hilarious stories coupled with her phenomenal content propels audiences to live, act, and work better. Her authentic spirit and down to earth approach have made her one of the most sought-after speakers throughout the United States. She is truly one of the best speakers in the country at combining message and humor.
Amy’s background is as diverse as her audiences. She once ran a non-profit where she managed five hundred volunteers and organized multiple fundraisers that culminated in an eight-hour telethon.
Amy lived in Norway from 1994-2003, and while learning to speak, read and write in Norwegian, she started a photo calendar business in her home. Her company grew to become Xerox’s largest customer in Scandinavia.
Amy returned to college at age forty-three to obtain her RN degree. She was nominated for Nurse of the Year several times during her nine years as a Psychiatric RN. Amy has been a monthly guest expert on NBC affiliate ND Today. She has written four books and numerous song parodies.
Laura Schara
Nature is our greatest teacher. Laura Schara, TV host of MN Bound on KARE-11 shares stories what it’s like growing up in the wild outdoors. She highlights valuable lessons learned by spending time outdoors which gives us tools to succeed in life, increase happiness & productivity as well as skills we need to thrive in business and entrepreneurship. The wilderness provides way more than basic needs and the teacher appears the minute we step outside.
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.
Ross Bernstein
The best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross Bernstein is an award-winning peak performance hall of fame business speaker who’s keynoted conferences on all seven continents and has been featured on thousands of television and radio programs including: CNN, “CBS This Morning,” ESPN, and Fox News, as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today. Keynoting more than 100 live events globally per year, Ross’ passion is studying just what it is that makes the great ones great – and then translating that to business through his “Champion’s Code” program in order to help people not just win, but to win with integrity.
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.
Cindra Kamphoff
Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., CMPC, is an award-winning keynote speaker and executive coach for leaders, professional athletes, executives and championship teams. Her clients range from Verizon Wireless, Target, and Walmart to the Minnesota Vikings. She has provided mental training for the Minnesota Vikings for 4 years, working one-on-one with the players.
She is the author of an Amazon bestseller, Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High Performance Edge and the corresponding workbook. Her work has appeared in New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and USA Today.
She is the founder of the High Performance Mindset podcast which has over 1 million downloads and ranked in the top 100 podcasts where she interviews thought leaders about mindset. Her work has appeared in New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and USA Today. As a result of Cindra’s speaking and training, people tend to say they have more energy, more control of their inner dialogue and ultimately, perform at a higher level more consistently.
Courtney Godfrey
Courtney Godfrey is a local TV reporter in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her job has taken her all over the country, from San Francisco to New York City. She has reported on major news events, appearing on Fox News Channel and CNN.com. She has interviewed celebrities and sports icons, and covered major events including the police death of George Floyd, the Super Bowl and multiple Kentucky Derbys.
In September 2017, she was involved in a boat accident that resulted in the amputation of her left leg. The recovery was long and painful, but not once did she lose her positivity and drive. With the support of her family, Courtney found the strength to return to all the activities she enjoyed before the accident. Four months post-amputation, Courtney was back on her snowboard. She returned to work, her favorite fitness classes and even got back in her beloved high heels.
She serves on the board of the nationally recognized amputee non-profit, Wiggle Your Toes as well as the board of the Hennepin Healthcare Foundation.
On her own time, she provides one-on-one peer support to new amputees and does frequent hospital visits. She advocates for amputee rights at the state and federal level, lobbying members of the Minnesota legislature and U.S. Congress.
She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and their son, Callan.