Watts Wacker is one of the most celebrated and influential minds in modern business. Mr. Wacker -- lecturer, best-selling author, political commentator and social critic -- is one of the world’s most respected futurists. His uncommon versatility and vision has allowed him to help the world’s top corporations and organizations navigate the sea of change that is taking hold in the new millennium. He has been the futurist at SRI International, the legendary Menlo Park think tank, and spent ten years as the resident futurist at the preeminent social research organization, Yankelovich Partners.
As founder and director of FirstMatter LLC, Mr. Wacker has focused his attention on creating a new kind of think tank and he describes himself as a twenty-first century alchemist as well as… "a cross between James Brown and the unknown comic, (the hardest working nobody in the business.)" His speaking style has created many references to Mr. Wacker as being one of the best storytellers alive today. His book, The 500 Year Delta was an international bestseller has been translated into ten languages, and was an "editor's choice" top five selection on the Amazon.com book list for 1997. It was also selected for the NASA library. Watts' second book, The Visionary's Handbook is required reading at many of the world's finest business schools and received outstanding reviews.

Lynn Berry
Field Manager,
Atlantis Health Plan

"I couldn't be more proud of the work I do now: helping people find health insurance coverage that they can finally afford, saving people lots of money."

Paul Borgese
Associated Press Digital Division Emerging Markets Group; Author and Consultant

Paul Borgese is an international speaker, consultant and best-selling author on topics including leadership, sales, marketing and global business strategy. Paul consults to entrepreneurs, emerging-growth companies and global organizations that are trying to figure out how to generate more clicks, more customers and more cash as quickly as possible by implementing more effective digital marketing strategies.
Paul serves as a managing partner at EyeCatcher Interactive, a digital strategy and marketing firm. He currently manages the Emerging Markets Group of The Associated Press Digital Division, which includes online video, social networks, digital signage, interactive TV, Spanish-language, Web 2.0, and online advertising initiatives.

Adele Chodorow
Director,
Education & Training Assistance Program,
JPMorgan Chase

Adele Chodorow is the Director of the Education & Training Assistance Program at JPMorgan Chase. The Program, a valuable component of JPMorgan Chase's Career Services, is designed to help employees increase their effectiveness and marketability. Adele oversees all Program operations and manages a team of education advisers and a support staff. She designs and delivers career management workshops and works individually with people whose goal is to enhance their communication, presentation, and interview skills.
Adele has twenty years of management, training, career development and sales experience in the staffing and IT consulting services industry. As a Branch Manager and Regional Manager for several major New York City firms, Adele has hired, trained and managed hundreds of sales reps, recruiters and consultants. Prior to her management career, she was a highly successful sales representative.

Josephti Cruz
Financial Adviser,
Smith Barney

Josephti Cruz helps her clients understand, manage, and appreciate their wealth. She is optimistic about the future, getting her first taste of the market’s highs, and ensuing lows, during the dot.com craze 10 years ago. “The economy tends to change direction right around the time public opinion has concluded the current climate will last forever.” She believes today’s environment offers potential opportunities for those who manage their money wisely and are willing to brave the storm.
Ms. Cruz joined Smith Barney in 2008 after gaining nine years of experience in management, client service, marketing, and operations at AllianceBernstein, a leading asset manager. In her last role, as VP- Relationship Manager, Defined Contribution, she helped implement large-scale investment and regulatory solutions for Fortune 500 401(k) plans. She began her career at Wilshire Associates, best known for the Wilshire 1000 index, as an analyst. Josephti holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, from the University of California, Los Angeles.

John DiPietro
Author, Speaker, Marketer

John DiPietro is an author, speaker and marketer. He is the author of YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE GREAT, which chronicles his work with Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Garth Brooks, The Harlem Globetrotters and even the clowns from The Greatest Show on Earth. He is an award-winning salesperson who led his company in sales for more than a decade. DiPietro is a featured contributor to the newest Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Inside Basketball. His humor laden presentations have taken him all over the United States speaking to corporations and associations about the power of the individual and his/her impact within the corporation.

Robert Hellmann
Career Coach,
The Five O'Clock Club

Robert Hellmann's passion for career coaching prompted him to become certified as a Five O'Clock Club coach, and he is currently VP, Associate Director of the Five O'Clock Club Guild of Career Coaches. He maintains a thriving private practice, and during his years as a coach he has developed a track record of success helping clients reach career goals. His clients span industries and markets across the United States. Rob has over 20 years of experience in Marketing and Career/Organizational Development, serving organizations in various capacities, including Corporate Vice President, consultant and founder of a successful marketing and communications company. Rob is also an adjunct Professor at NYU, teaching career development courses to management-level professionals. Organizations that Rob has worked with and for include the Audubon Society, 1-800-flowers, JP Morgan Chase, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and American Express.

Robert Levin
Publisher,
NY Enterprise Report

Robert Levin founded The New York Enterprise Report in 2003 to serve the needs of the small business community with which he has worked so closely throughout his professional career. Available both in print and online, NY Report is the only media that caters exclusively to decision makers in the New York tri-state area’s small business market. Featuring award-winning "how-to" articles written by experts, each issue of NY Report provides critical knowledge that makes it a must-read for those looking to grow their businesses. In addition to its print and online properties, NY Report also produces events for business owners as well as hosts the annual Small Business Awards.

Andrea Nierenberg
President,
Nierenberg Group

Called a "networking success story" by The Wall Street Journal, Andrea Nierenberg is founder and president of The Nierenberg Group. With a stellar 25 years as a leader in sales and marketing, Andrea is an in-demand business expert both at home and abroad. Her company partners with an array of the world's leading businesses in diversified industries.
Andrea is the author of three bestselling books - all of which have become essential reading for businesses worldwide. Her first, Nonstop Networking: How To Improve Your Life, Luck and Career, is used by companies as a business development textbook and is a top seller at Amazon.com. Her second book, Million Dollar Networking, has become a textbook for corporate training clients and has received worldwide media coverage. Andrea's most recent book, Savvy Networking: 118 Fast & Effective Tips For Business Success, is a critical tool for professionals looking for simple ways to boost their business.

Susan Onaitis
President,
Global Learning Link

Prior to forming Global Learning Link in 1996, Susan Onaitis was Vice President of Sales Training for the Knoll Group, at the time the office furniture division of Westinghouse, where she was responsible for all sales, management, technical, and marketing training in North America. Susan also spent 8 years with Avon Products, first as a Division Sales Manager, then as a Manager of Sales Training.
In her current position as President of Global Learning Link, a New York-based company that helps corporations improve the performance of their sales people and managers. Susan has trained audiences all over the world including Asia, South America, Europe and North America for companies such as Associated Press, Colgate Palmolive, Goldman Sachs, Lenox, The Bank of New York Mellon, Chanel, Time Warner and Prudential.

Nancy Ploeger
President,
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Nancy Ploeger is President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. Enhancing New York City's economic growth and advocacy for small businesses has been Nancy's goal for the past 15 years. Since joining the Chamber in 1994 as the Executive Director, Nancy has represented the business community on a wide range of critical issues, most notably those involving health insurance for SMEs, MWBE certification, government procurement, small businesses globalization, diversities and business resources for services sectors, among other issues.

Susanne Rhow
Career Coach,
The Five O'Clock Club

Susanne Rhow selected Five O'Clock Club Coach certification as a key credential for building her private practice. She specializes in the delivery of career coaching with a particular focus on implementing and managing career transitions. She has worked with clients from diverse industries and backgrounds, including: Retail, Financial Services, Law, and Technology. Susanne maintains an active full-time private practice for individuals and corporations in the areas of job search, career management, executive coaching, and Asian-American leadership development. She has worked with many Fortune 500 firms, facilitating leadership management seminars for their high potential Asian-American employees.
Her most recent corporate position was Vice President at Sotheby's Auction House in New York City. Susanne's previous executive positions include such companies as Estee Lauder International, Cisco Systems, and Saks Fifth Avenue. She has moved seamlessly between multiple roles and industries throughout her corporate career.

Ruth Robbins, MBA
Career Coach,
The Five O'Clock Club

M.B.T.I. Certified Ruth K. Robbins has been a member of The Five O Clock Club Guild of Coaches since its inception. She is a career coach with strengths in transition coaching, job search, writing and career development. Since 1992 she has been in private practice, specializing in career exploration, self-assessment, job search strategies, on-the-job effectiveness and written communications in support of job search. She led weekly job-search strategy groups for ten years both at the Grand Central Branch and earlier at Workforce America in Harlem. During her prior work with a national consulting agency, she specialized in transitional career coaching and job search assistance for trailing spouses of relocated employees throughout the country. Ruth holds an M.B.A. in marketing from Fordham University and a certificate in Adult Career Planning and Development from NYU. She was M.B.T.I. certified in 1995 and has taken numerous workshops sponsored by The American Psychological Type Association. She has conducted résumé training and Myers Briggs workshops in the Project Strive network, a program serving the marginally employed and youth at-risk.

Judy Shaffer
Financial Adviser, Morgan Stanley

Judy Schaffer is a Financial Adviser with Morgan Stanley who specializes in working with women to take them from "financial phobia" to financial empowerment. In her practice she focuses on helping women create, maintain, and distribute wealth. Whether they're going through a major life change such as divorce, or becoming widowed, or they just need to get their financial lives in order, Judy takes them through the process to help identify and reach their goals.

Pamela Skillings
Author

Pamela Skillings is a successful entrepreneur, a certified career coach, and the author of Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams, a career guide for entrepreneurs and other renegades. Pamela walked away from the security of a six-figure job and a twelve-year corporate career to start her own business in 2005. Her company, Skillful Communications, provides consulting and coaching on communication and career development issues for organizations and individuals. Pamela also frequently writes and speaks about career topics. She is a regular contributor for About.com and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times and other publications. She has been quoted as a career expert in Newsweek, Forbes, Investors Business Daily, CNN.com, The Miami Herald, and on ABC News.

Jacqueline Wales
Founder,
Fearless Fifties, LLC

Jacqueline Wales is known the world over as "The Fearless Lady". As the Founder and CEO of Fearless Fifties, LLC, her unique programs have helped women around the glove visualize goals, overcome adversity, develop confident communication skills, and achieve meaningful success.

Karol Ward, L.C.S.W.
Psychotherapist, Author, Coach

Karol Ward, L.C.S.W. is a licensed psychotherapist, nationally recognized speaker and executive presentation coach. She is the author of Find Your Inner Voice: Using Instinct and Intuition through the Body-Mind Connection. Karol teaches people how to link their hearts and their heads when communicating, making decisions and creating personal and professional goals. She has been featured on MSNBC.com, AOL.com, YourBusinessChannel.com and featured in: Cosmo, CosmoGirl!, Experience Life Magazine, Reader’s Digest Canada, New Living Magazine, IDEA Fitness Journal and Best Body Magazine. Appearances include WGBB, Turning the Tide; WTRC, Voice America with Dr. Pat; WOR, WARL, WBNW, WPLM, WNLK, TalkZone Radio; HotRadio125, and the Lisa Birnbach Radio Show. Karol is a regular contributor to the websites IntegrativePractitioner.com and DivineCaroline.com

Mitchell York
President,
E2E Coaching, Inc.

Mitchell York is a Professional Certified Coach specializing in career change, entrepreneurship and Emotional Intelligence. His 20+ year corporate career included senior executive positions with leading companies in the media and e-commerce industries, including LendingTree Inc., where he was president. He received his B.A. from Northwestern University and M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School.