Mike Cessario
Mike Cessario is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Liquid Death, a canned water company with the tagline “murder your thirst.” The drink hit the shelves in 2019, and in 2022, the company’s estimated value hit $700 million. Cessario was inspired to create Liquid Death after attending a Vans Warped Tour in 2009, where he watched concertgoers drink water out of Monster Energy cans to stay hydrated. Cessario wondered why no one had ever marketed water in a similar manner to Monster and began his journey into creating Liquid Death. Cessario has a marketing background, having served as a creative director for agencies such as VaynerMedia, Porter & Bogusky, and Street League Skateboarding. Having always been passionate about health and fitness, Cessario was begrudged that beer and energy drink brands got to do the cool advertising, so he decided to put his own spin on the water market. Now with 14 flavors as of 2024, Liquid Death has merch with punk rock imagery that includes partnerships with Martha Stewart, Bert Kreisher, and many more. Not just another water brand, Cessario is dedicated to limiting single-use plastics by packaging Liquid Death water in cans rather than plastic bottles. Cans, unlike bottles, are infinitely recyclable. The company also donates a portion of its sales to fighting plastic pollution
Christina Tosi
Christina Tosi the two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Milk Bar, with bakery locations across the country, an online care package business, and products in the aisles of the grocery store. She served as a judge on Fox’s Masterchef Junior, host of Netflix’s Bake Squad, and was featured in the hit Netflix docu-series Chef’s Table: Pastry. She is author of the New York Times Best Seller, All About Cookies as well as All About Cake, Momofuku Milk Bar, Milk Bar Life, Milk Bar: Kids Only, Dessert Can Save the World, and for children, Every Cake Has a Story and Just the Right Cake.
Will Guidara
Will Guidara is the author of the NY Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, which chronicles the lessons in service and leadership he has learned over the course of his career in restaurants. He is the former co-owner Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership received four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars, and in 2017 was named #1 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He is the host of the Welcome Conference, an annual hospitality symposium that brings together like minded people to share ideas, inspire one another, and connect to form community. A graduate of the hospitality school at Cornell University, he has coauthored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain’s New York Business’s 40 Under 40, and is the recipient of WSJ Magazine’s Innovator Award.
Kerri Walsh Jennings
Kerri Walsh Jennings is a 5 time Olympian, 3 time Olympic gold medalist, 1 time bronze medalist in beach volleyball. She was a 4 time 1st Team All-American at Stanford University where her teams won 2 National Championships (‘96, ‘97) and finished runner-up in ‘99. Kerri transitioned to beach volleyball after the 2000 Olympic Games where her indoor USA Volleyball team finished 4th. Jennings partnered up with Misty May-Treanor in 2001 and started the greatest run of excellence for any beach volleyball duo in history. Together, Jennings and May-Treanor won 3 consecutive World Championships and 3 Olympic Gold medals over an 11 year period. They accrued a truly incredible 112 match win streak which broke their own record of an 89 match win streak. They were excellent at raising the bar and embodied sustained excellence at the highest level. They transformed the game here in America and globally. Kerri is a very proud mother of 3 beautiful babies and proud wife of Casey Jennings. Together, Kerri and Casey co-founded Platform 1440 & p1440 Foundation, which is dedicated to inspiring, empowering and supporting our nations youth through the transformational power of sport – specifically volleyball. Kerri is part of the ownership group of the Pro Volleyball Federation team in San Diego (San Diego Mojo) and is constantly working toward bettering the opportunities within and around her sport for all stakeholders. Kerri Walsh Jennings officially retired from the Olympic pursuit in 2023 and looks forward to creating and living a beautiful life with her family and to creating a new and golden trajectory for herself, her global community, and for her sport as a whole.
Ryan Holiday
Few writers have done more to bring ancient, timeless wisdom and cutting-edge marketing strategies together than Ryan Holiday. His philosophically driven bestselling books have sold over 10 million copies and spent more than 200 weeks on bestseller lists. His books are taught in colleges and marketing programs around the world, including Trust Me I’m Lying, which revealed the massive vulnerabilities (and opportunities) in the global media system in 2012. He has directly influenced Super Bowl-winning teams like the New England Patriots, NBA Champions like the San Antonio Spurs, and Olympic Gold Medalists, as well as sitting Senators, military leaders and some of the biggest and most important companies in the world like Google, Twitter and Microsoft. At the core of Ryan’s teachings is Stoicism, popularized through his NY Times Bestselling books including Obstacle is the Way, Stillness is the Key, Ego is the Enemy, and his latest, book Right thing, Right Now. What is Stoicism? The idea that while we don’t always control what happens to us in life, we always control how we respond. Illustrated vividly with stories from the greats (and not-so-greats) of history, Ryan provides a framework for overcoming obstacles, scaling new challenges and battling both the ups and downs and life. Profiled by the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and ESPN, Ryan counts among his clients and followers some of the biggest names in business, tech, culture and professional athletics. Ryan lives in Austin, TX where he does his writing in between raising cattle, donkeys and goats.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and serves as the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia, and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends. Gary is considered one of the leading global minds on what’s next in culture, business, and the internet. Known as “GaryVee,” he is described as one of the most forward thinkers in business. He acutely recognizes trends and patterns early to help others understand how shifts in consumer attention impact the realities of the business world today. Gary’s approach sits at the intersection of business and pop culture. He keenly understands how to bring brand relevance to the forefront. He is a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase, and Uber. This year, Gary will unveil two new books: his seventh book “Day-Trading Attention” (published on May 21, 2024). In this latest work, he provides fresh insights into navigating the modern social media landscape. Gary’s expertise guides readers on harnessing underpriced attention channels in the digital age. He emphasizes mastering storytelling in these arenas and highlights the “TikTokification of Social Media,” where content relevance surpasses follower counts. Businesses can leverage this shift to enhance their brand and boost sales. Gary’s book equips readers with essential skills to succeed in today’s dynamic digital world. Gary also announced his first children’s picture book based on Vaynerchuk’s VeeFriends characters, the debut picture book titled “Meet Me in the Middle” is set to be published on July 16, 2024. The book will prominently feature two VeeFriends characters, Eager Eagle and Patient Pig – this picture book delves into the emotional elements essential for nurturing children’s empathy, a crucial skill for their future success. Gary is an entrepreneur at heart — he builds businesses. Today, he helps Fortune 1000 brands leverage consumer attention through his full-service advertising agency, VaynerMedia, which has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Mexico City, London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. VaynerMedia is part of the VaynerX holding company, including Eva Nosidam Productions, Gallery Media Group, The Sasha Group, VaynerSpeakers, VaynerCommerce, and Tingley Lane Trading. Gary is also the Co-Founder of VaynerSports, Resy, and Empathy Wines. Gary guided Resy and Empathy to successful exits — which he later sold to American Express and Constellation Brands. Gary is the Co-Founder of VCR Group, Co-Founder of VaynerWatt, and Co-Founder of ArtOfficial. He also owns a Major League Pickleball team called the 5s. He is part owner of a Big3 basketball team and an investor in the revival of the SlamBall League. Gary is also the founder and creator of VeeCon – a contemporary super-conference that converges business and pop culture with innovation and technology. In addition to running multiple businesses, Gary documents his daily life as a CEO through his social media channels, which have more than 44 million followers and garner over 300 million monthly impressions/views across all platforms. His podcast, ‘The GaryVee Audio Experience, ‘ ranks among the top podcasts globally. Gary serves on the board of MikMak, Bojangles Restaurants, Global Citizen Forum, and Pencils of Promise. He is also a longtime Well Member of Charity: Water. Gary’s life ambition is to buy the New York Jets.
Dominique Dawes
Owner of the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academies, Dominique opened the gyms to continue her commitment to developing a healthy and compassionate culture in the sport of gymnastics. Her first academy opened in the midst of a global pandemic, in July 2020, her second location opened in 2023, and she will be opening her third Academy in 2024 located in Columbia, MD. Dawes holds minority ownership of the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League, and she also became part of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons ownership group as a Limited Partner in 2024. Dominique served as the co-chair of the President’s Council for Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition under the Obama administration alongside Drew Brees. Alongside LeBron James and Maverick Carter, she served as Executive Producer of the Peacock docu-series “Golden”, the journey of USA’s elite gymnasts on the road to the Tokyo Olympics, which was nominated for a Sports Emmy. Dawes holds her degree from the University of Maryland and was inducted into UMD’s prestigious Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2024, her hometown of Montgomery County, Maryland honored her career and legacy with a life-size statue to continue inspiring the next generation to follow in her footsteps. As a wife, mother of four, Olympian, and business owner, Dominique Dawes has transcended the world of sports, politics, entertainment and culture.