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.
Jim Johnson
Coach Jim Johnson’s mantra, “dreams really do come true,” came to life Feb. 15, 2006, as the bleachers of Greece Athena High School exploded into cheers after Johnson called in number 52, Jason McElwain, to the final game of the season. Jason — A.K.A., J-Mac — was a student at Greece Athena High School who had a burning passion for basketball, but because of his autism, he had never been able to play. Throughout Jason’s high school career, he tried out for multiple sports teams but never made the cut. But things started to change for Jason when he met Coach Johnson. A coach of numerous high school teams for more than 33 years, Johnson saw Jason’s passion but was unable to land him a spot on his team. Instead, he appointed Jason team manager, a role he gladly accepted. Johnson knew this would be Jason’s best chance to be a part of the sport he loved so much.
The game was against Spencerport, a bitter rival, and with four minutes left in the last period, Johnson stood up and pointed at Jason to sub in. The entire crowd erupted in jubilant cries as Jason stepped onto the court. And, to everyone’s surprise, Jason scored 20 points, eighteen of which were three-point range, leading Greece Athena to the division title. The fans proceeded to rush from the bleachers onto the court, lifting Jason up in celebration. Johnson could only stand and watch in awe as Jason embraced his moment of glory, realizing his dream had finally come true. This inspirational story was awarded the national ESPY by the ESPN Sports Network.
Today, Johnson is a sought-after keynote and workshop speaker who shares not only the amazing story and his remarkable journey with Jason, he shares valuable leadership lessons with audiences all over the country. He is also the author of the book “A Coach and a Miracle: Life Lessons from a Man Who Believed in an Autistic Boy.”
Mike Max
Mike Max is the sports director at WCCO TV (CBS), hosts a nightly radio show on WCOO Radio in Minneapolis and has been on the speaking circuit for 25 years. He draws stories from thousands of interviews over the years that range from Michael Jordan to the captain of the Special Olympics softball team, all offer amazing insights into life. Mike received local and national acclaim for his six days of reporting from the front lines of “Minneapolis Riots” following the death of Gorge Floyd that reached millions of viewers throughout the country, earning him numerous awards but more importantly changing his life because of what he observed and connected with the most inside view of the beginning of an international movement. He owns his own company, Mike Max Productions, and has produced over 1000 hours of television programs with it. He also hosted “Life to the Max”, a magazine show that allowed him to travel the United States seeking out stories of inspiration through common people that did the uncommon. He has served as keynote speaker for companies, education groups and associations all looking for stories that only he can tell, because only he was there. He will make you laugh, make you cry, but most importantly, make you think!
Petra Marquart
Petra Marquart is an inspirational speaker who has received rave reviews at conventions and conferences around the globe. She is currently principal in the global speaking and training firm, Petra Marquart and Associates and president of See ME, Inc., which provides customer-service training for long-term care communities. She is listed in Who’s Who of American Women and the author of the best-seller, The Power of Service: Keeping Customers for Life.
Petra has written customer-service training programs for Mall of America, US Bank, Fairview Health Services, Honeywell Space Systems, Minnesota Department of Administration, US Department of Veteran Affairs, US Department of Homeland Security, The MENTOR Network, Senior Linkage Line, and the Wisconsin Department of Child Protective Services.
Whether speaking on customer service, leadership, personal power, or performance, Petra’s skilled stage presence comes, in part, from her experience working as a performer in Las Vegas with such stars as Elvis Presley, Tina Turner,and some of the most recognized names in the world.
Jerrid Sebesta
For nearly a decade, former TV meteorologist Jerrid Sebesta has keynoted in front of 200+ audiences ranging from CEOs to teachers to farmers – inspiring them to live with more urgency, lead with more dedication and grow with more authenticity. In this transformative keynote, Jerrid Sebesta unpacks the ‘Life Undeferred’ philosophy, demonstrating how living in the present is the most potent tool for personal and professional fulfillment. Drawing from his dynamic life shifts, including the pivotal January 1st, 2022 event, Jerrid illuminates how to live fully in the ‘now’ to create an enriched ‘tomorrow.’
Diane Amundson
As a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) I deliver live and virtual presentations for organizations that want to communicate more effectively with their employees to improve productivity. My expertise is in leadership, team building, conflict resolution and strategic planning. I speak locally & internationally in these areas and am known for my ability to make complex subjects simple to understand and apply. I have worked for General Mills and Pepsi Cola in sales and have taught at Winona State University as an Adjunct Professor of Organizational Behavior. My background also includes working as a General Manager with Express Employment Professionals. I have additional expertise in human resources, sales and training. I work with teams, managers and executives that want to improve their communication skills. I have published a chapter titled “Humility Leads the Way” in a book titled “Success Strategies: A High Achievers Guide to Success”. I believe being humble is one of the key components of a successful leader.
Jermaine Davis
Before receiving the prestigious College Instructor of the Year Award, Dr. Jermaine Davis worked in corporate America for IBM, Keebler Cookies, and Frito-Lay in sales and management. In 2003, Dr. Jermaine started Snack Attack Vending of Minnesota. After six-years of continuous growth, Dr. Jermaine sold his company and devoted his life to full-time speaking, teaching, facilitating, and writing. Now, he’s an award-winning Professor of Communication Studies at Century College and Organizational Leadership at St. Kate’s University in Minnesota. Dr. Jermaine has authored 10 books including, Get Up Off Your Butt & Do It NOW, Leading with Greatness, and Leading and Working with an Inclusive Lens. He is known across the United States for teaching his popular 3 C’s Approach: Dr. Jermaine helps teams thrive and flourish with effective Communication, Cooperation, and Collaboration.
Dr. Jermaine was raised in a drug- and gang- infested area on the West Side of Chicago. After the tragic loss of six family members to violent deaths, he enrolled in college to change the direction of his life. Dr. Jermaine holds a BA and a MA in Speech Communication, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Dr. Jermaine specializes in helping leaders, teams, and organizations develop healthy work environments so ALL employees can thrive and flourish.
Dr. Jermaine is an international speaker, leadership, and communication coach that engages audiences with his unique style of speaking and facilitating known as – EDUTAINMENT – a fun combination of education and entertainment. Prestigious organizations like 3M, Allianz, Best Buy, Sam’s Club, Prudential, Wells Fargo, West Point Military Academy, John Deere, Medtronic, Land O’ Lakes, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car regularly seek out Dr. Jermaine’s expertise in the areas of increasing employee engagement, leadership development, communicating with influence, and overcoming workplace burnout.
Most importantly, he still loves to eat his grandmother’s homemade Mac ‘n’ Cheese AND all-you-can-eat crab legs.
Kim Hodous
KIM HODOUS, THE HAPPINESS SPEAKER… is an award-winning entrepreneur, a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker and one of the happiest people you will ever meet. Kim is on a mission to make the world a happier place and has committed herself to helping 12 million people become happier. She is the creator of The One Minute Happiness Habit™and is a Certified Speaking Professional by the NSA – a designation less than 10% of their members attain.
She is on a mission to help companies, regardless of size or industry, embrace the habits of happiness so their people will be more engaged, more productive and stay longer. The crux of her work is the One Minute Happiness Habit™, based on the most current research and her own life experience, which distills all the data and proves that the pursuit of happiness is a legitimate path to more meaningful work and joyful living.
KIM LEARNED HER LESSONS IN THE REAL WORLD… Kim Hodous is an expert on happiness, not because she’s researched it in a lab or received a psychology degree from a prestigious university. She’s an expert on happiness because she has experienced one of life’s greatest tragedies and lived to embrace genuine happiness once again. It was navigating her way back to finding some semblance of joy after the death of her two-year-old daughter, that she personally discovered the ways in which we can find happiness – regardless of circumstance.
Lea B. Olsen
Growing up in poverty in a racially-blended family created social dilemmas for Lea at a young age. She learned that when your family doesn’t fit the mold, you have to get comfortable breaking the mold. It was one of her first Wins in Life.
Lea began her basketball career in the junior year of high school and, after only two years, went on to play Division I basketball at the University of Minnesota. Surrounded by coaches and teammates while doing what she loved was transformational. She developed an appreciation for the critical role process plays in achieving your goals.
Lea’s unique perspective on Winning in sports, business, and life has given her a game plan on how to Win with purpose and passion. As a speaker and thought leader, she thrives on helping people and businesses find their Wins while staying true to their core values and beliefs.
Laurie Brown
Laurie Brown has over two decades of experience as
a speaker, coach and trainer helping her audience improve their presentation, communication and customer service skills. In that time she has earned a reputation as a highly engaging, fun and effective professional, whose work gets results for her clients.
She has designed, delivered and facilitated virtual programs for years on many virtual platforms. Laurie has received kudos for her ability to provide facilitation that is engaging and effective.
A key asset that Laurie brings to her work is her range and depth of experience. She has an international clientele, having worked on four continents and numerous countries including the UK, Panama, Japan, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Australia and Thailand, and throughout the United States and Canada. Laurie has worked with culturally diverse audiences at all corporate levels, and her clients have included Fortune 500 companies, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and small family-owned businesses. Her clients include Bayer, Accenture, IBM, KPMG, Great American Insurance, Ford Motor Company, among many others.