Overcoming Adversity

<p>As an expert in change management and applying a “fighter pilot state of mind” to business, Lt. Col. (ret.) Waldo Waldman helps organizations navigate change to build more resilient, collaborative cultures of trust and courage in even the most competitive, turbulent conditions.</p><p>Lt. Col.

<p>Long known as a speaker who inspires with narratives that demonstrate the power of one, Kerry Kennedy addresses sustainable investments, social change, and the capacity of the human spirit to thrive despite overwhelming obstacles.  </p>

<p>Rocky Bleier’s story - a gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam - has held audiences in rapt attention for years.

<p>Born in Canada, Michael J. Fox is an award-winning television and film actor whose enduring career as a performer has made him an icon to countless fans around the globe. In 1991, at age 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, news he shared with the public in 1998. In 2000, to help advance scientific progress toward a cure for Parkinson's disease, he established The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.</p>

<p>Jennifer Thompson is the Founder and President of Healing Justice, which aims to address the collateral human damage of wrongful convictions to all involved. Jennifer founded Healing Justice based on her experience with a failed criminal justice process that sent an innocent person to prison and left the true perpetrator free to commit additional crimes. </p><p>Jennifer’s ordeal with the criminal justice system began in 1984, when she survived a brutal attack as a college student in North Carolina.

<p>Gain a new and humbling perspective of success, adversity, leadership and perseverance as John Bul Dau reveals his story from South Sudanese refugee to prominent human rights advocate and entrepreneur.</p><p>Born in war-torn South Sudan, John was just 13 when he faced starvation, disease and violence as one of 27,000 boys driven from their villages during the country’s brutal civil war in 1987. Bravely leading displaced boys across Sudan for hundreds of miles, he eventually arrived in Kenya, and immigrated to the United States in 2001.

<p>Keynote speaker Mike Schlappi has an inspiring message for every American, young or old: “Just because you can’t stand up, doesn’t mean you can’t stand out.” </p><p>As president of Mike Schlappi Communications, and confined to a wheelchair, he is spreading that word to audiences ranging from students to chief executive officers, from rookies to Olympic champions, and from small gatherings to major conventions.</p><p>At the age of 14, Schlappi was student body president, had been awarded his Eagle Scout and was a competitive athlete when he was involved in a

<p>From the basketball court to the board room, former NBA star Walter Bond motivates audiences by sharing his life story of trials and triumphs. Growing up in Chicago, he always dreamed of playing in the NBA but lacked the natural athletic gifts of many of his peers.

<p>Oprah Winfrey calls Amy Purdy her inspiration. As a young girl, Purdy dreamed of sailing through fresh powder restrained only by a snowboard attached to two feet. Above all, she dreamed of freedom, of the chance to craft a personal narrative of her own choosing.

<p>Actor, musician, activist, and feminist Jackie Cruz currently stars as “Marisol ‘Flaca’ Gonzales" on Netflix's critically-acclaimed series, <i>Orange Is the New Black</i>. </p>