Keynotes

Steve Lerch, Innovation Evangelist

Tuesday, November 18 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

In this high-energy, insightful, and fun exploration of innovation, Steve Lerch, a former Google Executive and Innovation Evangelist, reveals the strategies driving the most innovative organizations, and how those strategies can be applied to any business, regardless of size, industry, or budget.

Lerch emphasizes that innovation is not about technology; it's about empowering every individual to contribute by voicing their unique perspectives and ideas. It’s about moving fast, learning as you go, and always iterating. Through captivating stories and real-world examples, he’ll challenge your assumptions about what’s possible, for yourself, your teams, and the world.

This keynote is truly an interactive experience filled with humor, inspirational stories, pop culture, and thought-provoking questions that will leave you feeling energized and ready to transform your organization's approach to innovation.

Steve's Innovation Leadership is the key to unlocking your organization and your team’s true potential.

About the Speaker

Steve Lerch is an award-winning international public speaker, consultant, and former Google Executive who has established himself as a respected authority in digital strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, and innovation. During his nine-year tenure at Google, he served as a digital strategy advisor to major brands like GoPro and Roku, nonprofits including the YMCA and Save the Children, and government branches such as the Census and FEMA, helping hundreds of organizations better understand their customers, craft compelling narratives, and strategically utilize data. Additionally, as a Culture and Innovation Evangelist at Google, he introduced hundreds of new employees to the cultural foundations driving innovation and Google's success. Now, Steve offers independent consulting services to companies of all sizes across various industries, providing external perspectives on vision and strategy, challenging organizations to evolve beyond outdated approaches, and guiding brands in embracing a digital-first world.

DeeDee Trotter, Three-Time Olympian

Wednesday, November 19 | 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Join Olympic Gold Medalist DeeDee Trotter for a game-changing motivational experience that’s ignited audiences around the world. As one of the fastest women on the planet and a fierce competitor on the world’s biggest stage, DeeDee knows exactly what it takes to turn pressure into power — and now she’s handing you the blueprint.

In this electrifying session, DeeDee pulls back the curtain on the mindset, discipline, and inner drive that propelled her to Olympic glory. You’ll learn how to harness your own internal force to break limits, elevate your career, deepen relationships, and crush goals that once felt untouchable.

This isn’t inspiration — it’s transformation.

If you’re ready to turn life’s challenges into gold-medal victories, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for!

About the Speaker

DeeDee Trotter, a three-time Olympian in track and field, has amassed an impressive collection of three Olympic medals—two gold medals in the 4 x 400-meter relay and a bronze in the 400-meter individual event—throughout her distinguished career. Her athletic prowess began at the University of Tennessee, where she became an NCAA champion, SEC champion, regional champion, and record holder, ultimately becoming the first female athlete in any sport to turn professional before completing four years of sports eligibility. Despite a devastating knee injury in 2008 that threatened to end her 13-year professional career, DeeDee transformed failure, loss, fear, and doubt into power, creating a winning formula that propelled her to her greatest successes both in sports and life. Her remarkable journey of perseverance, determination, and overcoming obstacles has evolved into a powerful motivational message that she has shared at over 200 events across more than 20 countries worldwide—a testament to her comeback story and embodiment of true championship spirit.

Adam Braun, Business Insider 40 Under 40 and Wired's 50 People Who Will Change the World

Thursday, November 20 | 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

How do the world’s most successful leaders navigate uncertainty in a rapidly changing world? Through a teachable four-step framework, Adam will show you how great companies anticipate tomorrow’s reality, today. In this call-to-action of a talk, Adam shares enlightening examples of how others have navigated through unprecedented rates of change to find enduring success, the emerging trends that will shape where we’re headed next, and how to embolden your team to take the concrete actions that will unlock their next big breakthrough.

Drawing from two decades of research and first-hand experiences that come to life in this riveting talk, Braun will have you on the edge of your seat and ready to take action so that you too are prepared for where the world is headed next.

Audience takeaways:

• Learn the science of how organizations and individuals best navigate change
• Discover how to make bold, calculated decisions to enhance trust and success
• Remove fear and restore a sense of optimism in your people
• Define a course of action rooted in anticipation of what’s next

About the Speaker

Adam Braun is a 3x award-winning entrepreneur, New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and world-renowned keynote speaker on leadership and innovation whose talks have been watched more than 3 million times. As CEO of Clarasight, a sustainability technology company serving clients representing over $1T in market capitalization, and Chairman of Pencils of Promise, which he founded with just $25 and has since built more than 600 schools worldwide, Braun has developed a unique, teachable framework called "Build For Where The World Is Headed." His journey across 75 countries studying how exceptional leaders navigate uncertainty has made him a sought-after speaker at venues including The White House, Stanford and Harvard Business Schools, and numerous Fortune 500 companies. His international bestseller, "The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change," reached #1 on What Corporate America Is Reading, while his accomplishments have earned him recognition on Business Insider's 40 Under 40, Wired's 50 People Who Will Change the World, the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award, and the Jefferson Award, the United States' most prestigious honor for public service.