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.
Laura Gassner Otting
Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief. She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares audiences to find their voice and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges by helping them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others. Laura’s rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor’s presidential campaign and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss’s definition of success didn’t align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest-growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation’s first female president. (Whomp whomp.) Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. She is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of three books, including Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn’t Feel Like It Should… and What to Do About It, Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life, and Mission-Drive: Moving from Profit to Purpose. Her books have been translated into five languages. Through her own commitment to give back, Laura has helped build a local Montessori school, co-founded a women’s philanthropic initiative, advised a start-up national women’s PAC, grew a citizen-leadership development program, and completed five charity-inspired marathons, projects emblematic of her passions and values. She’s turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can’t seem to shake. She’s an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she’s never met a revolution she didn’t like, just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and troublesome puppy with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.
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.
Simone Giertz
Simone Giertz stands at the forefront of innovation and creativity, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. As an inventor, creator, and all-around maker, she has made a mark in the tech world with her unique approach to engineering and design. Simone’s journey began with intentionally impractical robots, earning her the affectionate title of the “Queen of Shitty Robots.” Her commitment to embracing failure as a part of the creative process has set her apart in the world of makers and inventors. She catapulted to global fame through her YouTube channel, where she shares her adventures in building, breaking, and reimagining robots. With millions of subscribers, her channel has become a hub for those seeking a blend of humor, engineering challenges, and a refreshingly candid perspective on the creative process. Simone’s content has resonated with audiences worldwide, inspiring a new generation of makers to embrace the fun in failure. Her unique blend of humor, storytelling, and engineering expertise captivates audiences across diverse events. Whether you’re organizing a technology conference, a corporate event, or a gathering focused on design thinking, Simone brings a refreshing perspective on innovation, creativity, and the importance of embracing imperfections. Her engaging talks inspire others to think outside the box and embrace the journey of discovery. Simone continues to inspire individuals to break free from the constraints of perfection, encouraging them to experiment, learn, and find joy in the creative process. With a growing list of accomplishments, featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Wired Magazine, and her multi-million-viewed TED talk, Simone Giertz remains an influential figure, proving that innovation is not just about success but also about the adventures and lessons found in the pursuit of the unknown.
Swan Sit
Swan is a contemporary operator sitting at the intersection of corporate economics, digital transformation, and consumer attention. She equally understands the left- and right-brain skills required for a marketer that drives financial impact in the digital world. Swan has led teams focused on digital transformation in her roles as Head of Digital Marketing at Nike, Revlon, and Estée Lauder. Swan held two key roles as a VP at Nike — overseeing Global Digital Marketing during the Emmy-winning “Dream Crazy” campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, and running Digital Operations, Product, Supply Chain and Service for a $2B NA ecommerce business. She led digital at Revlon and Elizabeth Arden, and ran online strategy for the Estée Lauder Companies, increasing its digital footprint to 400+ sites across 50 countries in 5 years. From modernizing hundred-year-old brands and partnering with unexpected influencers like Chelsea Handler, Iris Apfel and Gigi Gorgeous, to launching augmented reality makeovers and driving double-digit growth. She was selected as a Brand Innovators 40 under 40 and Marketing Woman to Watch, and took home both Best Social Campaign and Best in Show at the Glossy Awards. Currently Swan serves as Independent Board Director at publicly traded companies Edgewell (NYSE: EPC) and Novabay (NYSE: NBY) in addition to her role as Operating Partner at AF Ventures and their recently launched SPAC (NASDAQ: AFAQ). She’s the Vice President of Marketing at Ani Energy, a new energy drink company launched by TikTok stars Josh Richards and Bryce Hall. Prior to her career as a corporate executive, Swan was a management consultant at Bain, owned an ad agency focused on emotional branding, and was a product manager at Newell. Swan graduated with a BA in Economics from Harvard and an MBA from Columbia. Swan’s leveraging her breadth of professional experience to advise her +3MM followers on the Clubhouse platform and consulting the companies and leaders of tomorrow. Swan has done speaking engagements around the world. She’s advised a variety of businesses and has sat on the boards of industry and philanthropic organizations including AdWeek’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, L2 Digital Think Tank, Women in Retail, Consumer Goods Technology Council, Impact Network, Foundation Rwanda and Worldview’s space think tank. Having traveled to 87+ countries and counting, her favorites include Antarctica, North Korea, Mongolia, Rwanda, Bhutan, Myanmar and Tanzania for Kilimanjaro. She can often be found smashing a volleyball and chasing restaurant openings, or flying around on skis and horses – her two newest hobbies.
Rachel Tipograph
Rachel Tipograph considered herself amongst the digerati since the moment she became an eBay power user at 13. Forbes listed Rachel as one of its “30 under 30 Who Are Changing The World,” Marie Claire named her one of “The 50 Most Influential Women in America,” Fast Company named her one of “The Most Creative People in Business, AdAge named her one of “The Most Creative People of The Year,” AdWeek named her one of “The Young Influentials Shaping Business and Culture,” Entrepreneur named her one of the “50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs,” Inc named her to the “Female Founders 100,” Business Insider named her one of “New York Tech’s Coolest People,” Refinery29 named her one of its “Rising Female Tech Stars,” The Wrap named her one of “The 11 Change Agents Disrupting Hollywood,” and LinkedIn named her one of its “Next Wave: Top Professionals 35 & Under.” After being the Global Director of Digital and Social Media at Gap where she oversaw strategy, implementation and measurement, Rachel traveled the world for 100 days and then founded MikMak, an eCommerce marketing platform for multi-channel brands.
Avery Akkineni
A pioneer in digital marketing and innovation, Avery Akkineni spearheads brand strategy, content, events, and communications as Chief Marketing Officer at VaynerX. In six years at VaynerX, Avery has catalyzed exponential growth by launching new companies and leading international expansion. She built VaynerMedia APAC from the ground up to over 150 employees in two years, opened key Asia Pacific markets like Singapore, Bangkok, Sydney, and Tokyo. During her tenure, VaynerMedia APAC was awarded Marketing Interactive’s Agency of the Year. In 2021, Avery founded Vayner3, an innovation consultancy focused on emerging technologies like AI and Web3. Under her leadership, Vayner3 achieved significant industry acclaim, and she was named an Ad Age Web3 Trailblazer, and an AI Thought Leader by Business Insider. Her proven ability to identify and leverage leading-edge channels to drive growth for Vayner and her brand partners has landed Avery recognition on advisory boards of top platforms including Salesforce’s AI Council, Meta’s Creative Council, and Tracer. Based in Miami, FL overseeing VaynerX’s regional presence, Avery continues to push boundaries in marketing. She is a sought-after speaker on modern marketing and digital innovation, who empowers teams and companies to embrace new opportunities.
Claude Silver
Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, believes that showing up with heart and humanity is the key to unlocking greatness in people. As a leader, she sees it as her job to infuse empathy into every aspect of the organization. As a speaker, podcaster, industry trendsetter, and LinkedIn influencer, she’s now inspiring other leaders to do the same. Claude has proven time and time again that empathy plays a role in fueling growth. With her as Chief Heart Officer, Vayner has grown from 400 people to a global team of 2000 with offices in 11 countries. Claude also helped lead VaynerMedia, Vayner’s foundational company, to be named the Breakthrough Media Agency of 2022 by Adweek. At a young age, Claude was repeatedly told she thinks too much with her heart — something she has now learned is her superpower. This has evolved into what she calls “emotional optimism,” a concept that is key to her heart-first leadership style. Thinking with her heart led Claude to start an outdoor adventure and surf company in San Francisco, becoming an Outward Bound instructor, and spending years of training in transpersonal psychology, positive psychology, and the study of Buddhist and other spiritual traditions. She was also a global advertising executive at JWT London, JWT San Francisco, Publicis London, along with other agencies. Claude has received the Campaign US’s “Female Frontier Award” and Adweek’s “Changing the Game Award” and speaks at major national and international conferences and corporate events. She has been interviewed on dozens of leading podcasts and quoted or featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and the Wall Street Journal.
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.
Amy Landino
Amy Landino is the bestselling author of Good Morning Good Life and award-winning host of the massively popular YouTube series AmyTV. As founder of GATLUW (pronounced “GAT-loo”) House, and with her new book, 365 Days of Good Morning Good Life (arriving January 2023), she continues to shine bright in the world of business, marketing and entrepreneurship. Amy inspires ambitious women around the world to chase their full-time freedom and go after the life they want. It all started when Amy dropped out of college during the 2008 financial crisis. Now, not many folks would have taken that path, but Amy knew that what was ahead of her could not only change her life, but help change others as well. When her creative juices began to flow, YouTube and speaking to so many others with a connection that was needed, she found her passion. That passion brought skills, knowledge and inspiration to everyone around her. For over a decade, Amy has been a leading authority on getting digital attention and has been trusted by global brands including Adobe, Oracle, Audible, Twitter, Skillshare, Linkedin, Facebook, YouTube, Intuit Quickbooks, Wonderful Pistachios, Lenovo, HP, Acer, and many more. In her second book, Good Morning Good Life, Amy shares the importance of starting every day on your terms. Discover how to master your mornings with the 3 Ms: Movement, Mindfulness and Mastery, so that you can upgrade your life. And no, you don’t have to be a morning person to do it! In her newest book, 365 Days of Good Morning Good Life, Amy offers the advice you need to get in the right mindset necessary for taking on the day’s challenges. An internationally renowned motivational speaker, Amy travels worldwide to teach businesses how to leverage digital tools to promote a positive image that uplifts and motivates their communities. Her work has impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and has been featured by prestigious publications such as Business Insider, Fortune, Entrepreneur, and Inc. Reach out to Amy directly on Instagram & Twitter, @Schmittastic, or find more information at amylandino.com.