THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

2024 Speakers

...with more to come!

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Craig Groeschel
Founder and Senior Pastor, Life.Church; Bestselling Author 
Globally recognized as a leader of leaders, Craig Groeschel is the founder and Senior Pastor of Life.Church, rated by Glassdoor as the #1 Place to Work for two consecutive years under his leadership. Known for their missional approach to leveraging the latest technology, Life.Church is the creator of the YouVersion Bible App—installed on more than half a billion unique devices worldwide. He is the host of the top-ranked “Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast.” A New York Times’ bestselling author, his latest book is “Think Ahead: 7 Decisions You Can Make Today for the God-Honoring Life You Want Tomorrow.” 
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Joni Eareckson Tada
Founder and CEO, Joni and Friends; Disability Advocate; Bestselling Author
Joni Eareckson Tada is a respected global leader in disability advocacy, as well as a celebrated Christian author. Although a 1967 diving accident left her a quadriplegic, she emerged from rehabilitation with a determination to help others in similar conditions. Tada serves as CEO of Joni and Friends, which provides support services for thousands of families that struggle with disability. During her tenure on the National Council on Disability, the ADA was passed and signed into law. Tada also served on the Disability Advisory Committee under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The Colson Center on Christian Worldview awarded Joni Tada its prestigious William Wilberforce Award, and she also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Christian Leadership Alliance. Tada is an avid mentor of young people with disabling conditions and an effective communicator, sharing her inspirational message through books, artwork, radio and other media. 
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Marcus Buckingham
Global Researcher; Entrepreneur; Founder of the Strengths Revolution
Marcus Buckingham is the world’s most prominent researcher on strengths, leadership and high performance at work. After spending two decades studying excellence at the Gallup Organization and co-creating the StrengthsFinder tool, he built his own software company focused on helping team leaders excel. Today he leads the ADP Research Institute’s global studies into people and performance at work. Buckingham is the author of two of the best-selling business books of all time, has two of Harvard Business Review’s most circulated, industry-changing cover articles, and has been the subject of in-depth profiles in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune, The Today Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. His latest book, Love + Work, reveals the power of love to pinpoint a person’s true power, and shows how to turn this power into contribution, in life and in work. 
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Jo Saxton
Founder, Ezer Collective; Executive Director, The 25; Podcast Host; Author
Jo Saxton is the founder of the Ezer Collective, an initiative dedicated to investing in women leaders around the world, equipping them to own their voice and boldly step into their calling. She currently serves as the Executive Director of The 25, a leadership development initiative at Bethel University. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London, England, Jo now lives in Minneapolis and co-hosts “The Lead Stories Podcast,” a weekly conversation on leadership and life. Saxton has also written several books, including “Ready to Rise,” “More than Enchanting” and “High Heels and Holiness.”
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Kindra Hall
Storytelling Expert; Bestselling Author
Kindra Hall is a bestselling author and the former Chief Storytelling Officer of Success Magazine. She has become the go-to expert for storytelling in business and beyond. Gartner and Forbes said her debut book, “Stories that Stick,” “may be the most valuable business book you read." Releasing in May 2024, her newest book, “The Story Edge: How Leaders Harness the Power of Stories to Win in Business,” helps leaders to better communicate with and inspire their teams and organizations. Hall has helped shape the stories of global brands including Target, Univision, United Way, USO and Farmers Insurance. She inspires teams and individuals to better communicate the value of their company, their products and their individuality through strategic storytelling. 
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Erwin Raphael McManus
Founder, The Arena Mastermind for Optimal Performance, MOSAIC; Bestselling Author 
Erwin Raphael McManus is an award-winning author and artist. His books have sold over one million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. His creative genius has resulted in consulting work with organizations spanning from the NFL to the Pentagon. McManus has spent the last 30 years advising and coaching CEOs, professional athletes, billion-dollar companies, universities and world-leaders, and he is passionate about helping people destroy their internal limitations and unlock their personal genius. A native of El Salvador, McManus is also recognized internationally as the founder of Mosaic, a faith movement from Los Angeles that has inspired millions across the globe. McManus coaches leaders, entrepreneurs and communicators worldwide through The Arena as well as his groundbreaking work on The Art of Communication. His newest book, “The 7 Frequencies of Communication,” will be released in summer 2024. 
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Carey Lohrenz
First Female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy; Bestselling Author
Carey Lohrenz was the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy and has flown missions worldwide as a combat-mission-ready pilot. She is the former President of the Women Military Aviators Association and currently serves as a Board Leadership Fellow for the National Association of Corporate Directors. Lohrenz uses her experience working in fast moving, dynamic environments—where inconsistent execution can generate catastrophic results—to guide others in the fundamentals of winning under pressure, reducing errors and overcoming obstacles. Lohrenz is a bestselling author and has helped brands including Cisco, Raytheon, Dell, Deloitte, Verizon and AT&T. She is currently working on her master's in business administration in strategic leadership.
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Mike Krzyzewski “Coach K”
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Duke University (1980-2022)
Passionate, dynamic, inspiring and coach of Duke University men’s basketball team who led Team USA to three Olympic gold medals, Mike Krzyzewski (known as Coach K) is a master innovator—not only of teams, but of individuals and organizations, spurring them on to succeed beyond their own expectations. Coach K maps out a clear game plan for achieving success through motivating, leading and providing powerful strategies for building confidence, trust, communication and teamwork. Perhaps the most accomplished basketball coach in history, Coach K’s journey has been marked with numerous honors, including the most NCAA Division 1 victories (1,202), most Final Fours (13; five NCAA Championships, second all-time), most Olympic gold medals as head coach (3; 2008, 2012 and 2016) and many more. He is the author of two New York Times bestsellers and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition to being a Co-Founder of the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics, Krzyzewski serves as a Professor of the Practice of Leadership at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke. 
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Michael Jr.
Comedic Thought Leader; Actor; Author
Known as one of today’s most gifted communicators and comedians, Michael Jr. adds more laughter to your life and more life to your laughter. By bringing clarity through his comedy, his versatility has landed him on stages such as TEDx, The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, and in sold-out venues on his current tour: “Funny How Marriage Works.” With a goal to reach one million marriages in the next three years, he and his wife, Ebony, are working together to unlock freedom within marriage and help lower the divorce rate in America. You can also find Michael Jr. in movies such as “War Room,” “Selfie Dad,” “Laughing on Purpose” and “More Than Funny." He is the author of the bestselling book “Funny How Life Works,” which gives a behind-the-scenes look at his life and career and encourages readers to strategically embrace each life event as a part of a setup, leading to their punchline.
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Amy C. Edmondson
Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School; Bestselling Author 
Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021 and 2023. She studies teaming, psychological safety and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Edmondson’s latest book, “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well,” builds on her prior work on psychological safety and teaming to provide a framework for thinking about, discussing and practicing the science of failing well. 
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Will Guidara
Hospitality Evangelist; Restaurateur; Bestselling Author
Will Guidara is the author of the National 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 of the Manhattan restaurant 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. Guidara 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 co-authored 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. 
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Molly Fletcher
Former Top Sports Agent; Podcast Host; Bestselling Author
Molly Fletcher made a name for herself as one of the first female sports agents. During her almost two-decade career as President of CSE, Fletcher negotiated over $500 million in contracts and represented over 300 of sports’ biggest names, including Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, PGA Tour golfer Matt Kuchar, broadcaster Erin Andrews and basketball champion coaches Tom Izzo and Doc Rivers. Today she is a World's Top 50 Keynote Speaker, and her TED Talk “Secrets of a Champion Mindset” has more than one million views. As host of the popular podcast “Game Changers with Molly Fletcher,” she interviews experts and celebrities in every field. Fletcher is the founder of Game Changer Performance Group training company and the author of five books, most recently “The Energy Clock.” Her newest book, “Dynamic Drive,” will be released in September 2024.  
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Arthur C. Brooks
Harvard Professor; Bestselling Author
Arthur C. Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He is also a columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the popular “How to Build a Life” column. Brooks is the author of 13 books, including the 2023 #1 New York Times bestseller “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier” with co-author Oprah Winfrey and the 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” He speaks to audiences all around the world about human happiness and works to raise well-being within private companies, universities, public agencies and community organizations. 
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Dan Owolabi
Executive Director of Branches Worldwide; Author; Pastor
Dan Owolabi is the Executive Director of Branches Worldwide, a fast-growing nonprofit dedicated to investing in high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. Owolabi has nearly 20 years of experience helping leaders develop genuine, effective influence. He has worked with leaders in 18 countries and four continents, helping them clarify their identity and leverage their influence to serve others. Owolabi's latest book "Authentic Leadership" was an Amazon #1 New Release. He holds a graduate degree from Ashland University centering on American Leadership and is completing a doctorate in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.