Overcoming Adversity

<p>Sentenced to 65 years in a Texas maximum security prison, Damon West once had it all.</p><p>At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas. After a career-ending injury, drugs helped him manage the pain and the disappointment. After graduation, he worked in the U.S. Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS).

<p>Courtney Clark helps teams adapt to change, embrace resilience and achieve more.</p><p>In her twenties, Courtney Clark was “the luckiest unlucky person in the world.” She survived both cancer and a brain aneurysm and then went on to build two successful businesses and to write three books—<em>The Giving Prescription,</em> <em>The Successful Struggle: Powerful Techniques to Achieve Accelerated Resilience </em>and her most recent <em>ReVisionary Thinking</em>.

<p>Orlando Bowen was a linebacker in the CFL from 2000-04. He began his career with the Toronto Argonauts and ended it while playing for the Hamilton Tigercats. His career was sadly cut short after a severe concussion suffered at the hands of two corrupt police officers. </p><p>In 2004, while waiting to meet friends while in a parking lot, Orlando was approached by two undercover officers who accused him of dealing drugs. The officers then physically beat Bowen who suffered significant injuries to the head.

<p>Captain Sandy is a leader, hero and businesswoman whose exceptional leadership style has helped her to break through every obstacle in her path – from the glass ceilings and near-fatal accidents on land to pirates and fires at sea!</p>

<p>Being misidentified as the perpetrator of a heinous crime is what nightmares are made of. It is a nightmare that became all too real for Ronald Cotton. </p>

<p>Josh Sundquist is a Paralympian skier whose high-energy blend of humor and inspiration motivates audiences to adopt his ski-racing motto: 1MT1MT (One More Thing, One More Time).</p><p>As Josh shares, 1MT1MT helps elevate performance in sales, customer service, quality improvement, leadership, and much more in life.</p><p>The story of Josh losing his leg to cancer and rising to the challenge of ski racing in the Paralympics underscores the importance of being resilient during times of change, maintaining a sense of humor under stressful circumstances, and fac

<p>Bakari Sellers recently released a <i>New York Times </i>Best Seller <i>My Vanishing Country: A Memoir</i>. The book has been described as part memoir, part historical and cultural analysis illustrating the lives of America’s forgotten black working-class men and women.</p><p>Bakari recently expanded his audience with the <i>Bakari Sellers Podcast</i>, a twice-a-week show that is part of The Ringer Podcast Network.

<p>A leader in criminal justice reform, Susan Burton shares her courageous odyssey in overcoming tragedy, addiction, and incarceration to help others like her find a new way of life.</p>

<p>For two decades, Susan has been a leading figure in the criminal justice reform movement. Her award-winning civil and human rights work has been instrumental in raising the visibility of the struggles and barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people, and in changing the narrative of mass incarcerated women.</p>

<p>Melissa Stockwell inspires us to embrace change and find motivation in adversity, as she shares her astonishing journey of leadership, perseverance, gratitude and competitive success.</p><p>At first glance Melissa Stockwell may appear to be the quintessential Mid-western All-American girl, but she is far more.

<p>CeCe McDonald shares profoundly affecting stories from her life as a trans woman of color and hate crime survivor, while inspiring audiences to stand up for acceptance, justice and equality.</p><p>CeCe is a transgender activist and revered icon of the LGBTQ community.