LISA NICHOLS is one of the world’s most-requested motivational speakers, as well as media personality and corporate CEO whose global platform has reached and served nearly 30 million people. From a struggling single mom on public assistance to a millionaire entrepreneur, Lisa’s courage and determination has inspired fans worldwide and helped countless audiences break through, to discover their own untapped talents and infinite potential.

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc. – one of the country’s only publicly traded personal and business development training companies – Lisa has helped develop workshops and programs that have transformed the lives of men and women, and altered the trajectory of businesses throughout the country and across the world.

Lisa is also a best-selling author of six books, and her 7th book ABUNDANCE NOW, published by HarperCollins. In ABUNDANCE NOW, Lisa continues her journey with her fans, providing a clear and practical blueprint for personal success, drawn directly from the life experiences of its beloved author. ABUNDANCE NOW is the follow-up to Lisa’s New York Times bestseller, NO MATTER WHAT.

Lisa’s extraordinary story of transforming her own life from public assistance for her family to leading a multi-million dollar enterprise is the inspiration behind her bold mission to teach others that it is possible to do the same. Today, fans worldwide revere Lisa for her mastery of teaching people how to accomplishing unfathomable goals and tap their limitless potential.

A noted media personality who has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, the Steve Harvey Show, and Extra – just to name a few, is also celebrated for the impact she has on the lives of teens. Through Lisa’s non-profit foundation Motivating the Teen Spirit, she has touched the lives of 211,650 teens, prevented over 3,800 teen suicides, supported 2,500 dropouts in returning to school, and has helped thousands reunite with families.

Among the prestigious awards and honors bestowed upon Lisa for her extensive work are the Humanitarian Award from the country of South Africa, The Ambassador Award, and the LEGO Foundation‘s Heart of Learning Award. The City of Henderson, Nevada named November 20th as Motivating the Teen Spirit Day; and the City of Houston, Texas named May 9th as Lisa Nichols Day for her dedication to service, philanthropy and healing.

Lisa lives, plays and works in the greater San Diego, California area and on stages around the world, working alongside her world-class team committed to Motivating the Masses.

Carol Schwartz’s devotion to the District of Columbia began in 1966, when she came here to teach special education. Carol was first elected to the Board of Education in 1974, where she served until 1982. Subsequently, she was elected four times (1984, 1996, 2000, 2004) to an at-large seat on the D.C. Council, leaving in 2009. Carol, a former Republican and now Independent, ran for Mayor several times (1986, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2014), twice against Marion Barry. As a Republican, she garnered as much as 42 percent of the vote in a city where Democrats have accounted for nearly 80% of the electorate.

On the Board of Education, Carol was elected Vice President a then unprecedented three times and was a champion for educational reform to increase test scores and for the creation of Banneker Academic High School. On the D.C. Council, her many accomplishments included lowering taxes, creating the Department of the Environment, and spearheading sick and safe leave for workers, making D.C. the second jurisdiction in the country to do so. Carol also strengthened D.C.’s Whistleblower Protection Law to become the toughest in the country, and was known for her strong oversight which greatly improved city services. She also unearthed and stopped numerous government “sweetheart deals,” earning her the title of “Best Friend of the D.C. Taxpayer” from Washington City Paper.

Carol has also shown her commitment to public service by contributing her time, her energy, and her voice to a wide array of community causes. Her volunteer work has included serving on the Boards of the Metropolitan Police Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs for 25 years (where she became its first woman President), the Whitman-Walker Clinic (where she was elected Vice Chair) for 17 years, the Hattie M. Strong Foundation for 20 years, and the Community Advisory Board of the Kennedy Center for three decades. In addition, she is currently on the Board of the Humane Rescue Alliance, the National Council of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Advisory Board of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.

For her work on behalf of the District, Carol has received the National Capitol Area Leadership Award from the Human Rights Campaign, the Whitney M. Young Award for Community Service from the Greater Washington Urban League, the Three Decades of Leadership Award from the Washington Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, among many others, and has recently been inducted into the D.C. Hall of Fame. In early 2016, Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed her to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.

Born January 20, 1944, in Greenville, Mississippi, Carol spent her childhood in Midland, Texas, where she attended public schools, worked in the family store, and helped care for her brother and only sibling Johnny, an individual with intellectual disabilities, who passed away in 2004. She graduated from the University of Texas in 1965 with a degree in elementary and special education. She has three adult children, all of whom are proud graduates of the D.C. Public Schools.

On October 26, 2017, Carol released her autobiography entitled 'Quite a Life!: From Defeat to Defeat … and Back' which is available at caroldc.com, amazon.com and at these local bookstores: Politics and Prose, Busboys and Poets, Upshur Books, Capitol Hills Books, Bridge Street Books, East City Bookstore, Walls of Books, and the Howard University Barnes and Noble.

Samuel has over 25 years experience in museum and historical society institutions. He has served as manuscript curator for some of the most important historical resources in African American history. An award winning curator, writer, editor, lecturer, and researcher Samuel has numerous publications in peer review journals, encyclopedias, books, magazines, newspapers, and has written or edited three books, "Soul Soldiers: African Americans and the Vietnam Era (editor);" "Through the Lens of Allen E. Cole: A Photographic History of African Americans in Cleveland, Ohio (co-author)," and "The Civil War in Pennsylvania: The African American Experience (editor)". 



Samuel serves as the Immediate Past President of the Association of African American Museums and has been a member since 1992. He has also served on the executive council of Association for the Study of African American Life & History (ASALH); and former vice president of the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of ASALH in Pittsburgh. He is a member of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society of Pittsburgh.

Mitch Russo: If you sell or license software, marketing automation, coaching or training programs or have any kind of "transformational" process, Mitch can show you how he creates multi-million-dollar divisions for his clients. His #1 Amazon Best Seller: The Invisible Organization, blueprints the entire process of going Virtual and the benefits of having a virtual company. His expertise ranges from creating virtual organizations and coaching networks to building, growing, running, selling and buying technology companies for the last 3 decades. He was the CEO and President of Business Breakthroughs with Tony Robbins.

Gaylynn Baker is an award-winning writer/director of 25 years. Recently she released her third documentary: We Know Not What We Do, which gained international attention with world-wide distribution by Silicon Beach.  Gaylynn was a keynote speaker for World Film and International Film Festival in Jakarta, and is the writer of the original screenplay Gifts of Gratitude and her second book, We Know Not What We Do, is a companion book to the documentary film. Her other documentaries won awards: THE TRAIL OF PAINTED PONIES, narrated by Ali MacGraw, also shown on PBS, and WHEN BUFFALO ROAM, narrated by Peter Coyote.

Paula Reynolds is the founder of the American Tour Guide Association. She is a Certified Travel Industry Specialist and a leader in hospitality when it comes to tourism.  Paula is passionate about travel and decided to make it her career. She started on the west coast and migrated to the east coast and now serves all 50 states. Paula has traveled to 38 countries and still counting. One of the qualities Paula brings to the industry is custom itineraries based on American themes. American Tour Guide Association won 2017 Best Tour Services in the USA by Lux Hospitality and is nominated for 2018 

Sheryl and Allen Hill have turned  grief into a mission.  They are founders of the only nonprofit working on travel and tourism consumer protections.  They lost their 16 year old son Tyler...but they want to help others be better prepared to bring their loved ones home.

Throughout his lifetime, Dennis Merritt Jones has been on a quest to inspire and lift people to a higher expression of life. His personal vision is to guide people to their purpose, knowing that when one fully awakens to who they are and why they are on the planet, they begin to naturally share their gift with humankind and, in the process, create an enriching life for themselves and the world around them.

Scott Stabile is a writer and actor, known for The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure and Dartss.  Scott's inspirational posts and videos have attracted a huge and devoted social media following. His previous works include Just Love, Iris, and the Li’l Pet Hospital series. A passionate speaker and love advocate, Scott runs daylong empowerment workshops nationally and internationally.  What happens when you fully commit yourself to love? Endless good, insists Scott Stabile, who found that out by overcoming plenty of bad. His parents were murdered when he was fourteen. Nine years later, his brother died of a heroin overdose. Soon after that, Scott joined a cult that dominated his life for thirteen years before he summoned the courage to walk away. In his book Big Love, his insightful and refreshingly honest collection of personal essays, Scott relates these profound experiences as well as everyday struggles and triumphs in ways that are universally applicable, uplifting, and laugh-out-loud funny. Whether silencing shame, rebounding after failure, or moving forward despite fears, Scott shares hard-won insights that consistently return readers to love, both of themselves and others.