Blythe is a product marketing executive, focused on SQL Server and database product development. She has more than two decades of success delivering multi million-dollar revenue growth through innovative marketing, product positioning, messaging, and competitive differentiation. She spends her days developing products that Data Pros use every day. She has a background in Microsoft SQL Server, PowerBI and Data Warehousing. She speaks at many conferences and events around the world, helping improve the work lives of DBAs everywhere.

Blythe is a product marketing executive, focused on SQL Server and database product development. She has more than two decades of success delivering multi million-dollar revenue growth through innovative marketing, product positioning, messaging, and... Show more

Christophe Martinot is an international speaker, transformation advisor, and author of SPIRAL UP®, a framework designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations grow stronger through agility and resilience.

A former executive with over two decades of leadership experience in FMCG, pharma, and medical devices, Christophe has held strategic roles at L’Oréal, Danone, Abbott, and Sanofi.

As Managing Director and Co-Founder of SeedingEnergy, he now guides organizations across the USA, UK, and Europe in redefining their ways of working, building cultures that are more agile, human-centered, and purpose-driven.

He is a co-author of the Agile Customer Centricity Manifesto, part of the global leadership group shaping Agile Marketing Manifesto 2.0, and a co-initiator of the Business Agility Hub.

Christophe also shares his passion for agility and transformation with the next generation of leaders, teaching Agile Ways of Working at IED Barcelona and as a guest professor at ESADE.

A pragmatic optimist, he brings energy, empathy, and real-world experience to every stage, inspiring leaders and teams to Spiral Up through every challenge.
He works fluently in English, French, and Spanish.

Christophe Martinot is an international speaker, transformation advisor, and author of SPIRAL UP®, a framework designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations grow stronger through agility and resilience. A former executive with over two de... Show more

Apple Fanboi, Grateful Deadhead, Doctor Whovian, Bimmer Enthusiast, EOS Digitarian.

Apple Fanboi, Grateful Deadhead, Doctor Whovian, Bimmer Enthusiast, EOS Digitarian. Show more

Passionate about Technology, Sociology and Philosophy

Passionate about Technology, Sociology and Philosophy Show more

Amir Shahzeidi is the Director of Demand Generation at Uscreen, an all-in-one video membership platform for creators and brands. Over 8 years, he’s scaled the company from a bootstrapped startup to over $25M+ ARR, building the marketing engine that contributed to a $150M private equity investment. He’s led teams across SEO, performance marketing, content, and lifecycle marketing while establishing the demand gen systems that drive predictable pipeline growth. Classically trained pianist, amateur golfer, based in Lisbon.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Amir Shahzeidi is the Director of Demand Generation at Uscreen, an all-in-one video membership platform for creators and brands. Over 8 years, he’s scaled the company from a bootstrapped startup to over $25M+ ARR, building the marketing engine that c... Show more

Rita Arrigo is a speaker and strategist helping organisations navigate the shift from AI assisting to AI acting. After leading national‑level initiatives at the National AI Centre and delivering her TEDx talk on the human side of AI adoption, she now works with leaders to build AI systems that are trustworthy, accountable, and genuinely useful. Her work sits at the intersection of responsible AI, organisational transformation, and the psychology of trust. Rita brings clarity to a space often dominated by hype, offering practical pathways for scaling AI safely — without losing the human judgement that matters most.

Rita Arrigo is a speaker and strategist helping organisations navigate the shift from AI assisting to AI acting. After leading national‑level initiatives at the National AI Centre and delivering her TEDx talk on the human side of AI adoption, she now... Show more

- Role: Founder and authorized representative of ARTINCELL ( www.artincell.com )

- Expertise: Mobile/server integration, SaaS administration, DNS management, SQL Server, workflow automation.

- Community contribution: Educator and workflow designer, experienced in creating onboarding guides and reusable templates for technical teams.

- Languages: Spanish and English (session delivered in English).

- Focus Experience in MAUI: Since July 2024 started to migrate a real Xamarin Apps now using in 6 companys in 3 countries they are expecting to use the new MAUI App this year

- Role: Founder and authorized representative of ARTINCELL ( www.artincell.com ) - Expertise: Mobile/server integration, SaaS administration, DNS management, SQL Server, workflow automation. - Community contribution: Educator and workflow desig... Show more

Leslie Short is the owner of The Cavu Group and the author of "Expand Beyond Your Current Culture." With four decades of experience as a seasoned brand and culture strategist and leadership advisor, she founded The Cavu Group to address critical challenges in building and guiding organizations toward sustainable cultural growth.
Leslie is uniquely skilled at fostering environments that promote continuous evolution and innovation. Her approach emphasizes the importance of listening to and understanding people, whom she recognizes as an organization's greatest asset.
She is deeply committed to creating and maintaining diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive cultures. Leveraging her expertise, she develops inclusive workplace strategies and facilitates transformative discussions that challenge the status quo.
Her work delves into the vital intersections of leadership, culture, accessibility, and social impact, equipping businesses with actionable insights to thrive in today’s dynamic and complex business landscape.

Leslie Short has an accomplished background that includes business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and the arts. Her journey began as a classical ballet dancer, which took her to Europe, where she lived for over a decade. After her dance career, Leslie founded an entertainment business in Japan, which was recognized as the country's best business in 1994.
She held influential roles, including President of Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations at FUBU The Collection, as well as Corporate Operating Strategist at prominent companies both domestically and internationally. Additionally, Leslie launched K.I.M. Media LLC (Keep It Moving) and founded Ascend Bereavement Management, demonstrating her versatility and innovative mindset.

A highly sought-after speaker, Leslie has addressed audiences at prestigious events hosted by Fortune 500 companies, universities, the United Nations, and the European Union, sharing her expertise and insights with a global audience. Leslie is a Chaplain, Certified Mediator, and Conflict Coach.

Leslie Short is the owner of The Cavu Group and the author of "Expand Beyond Your Current Culture." With four decades of experience as a seasoned brand and culture strategist and leadership advisor, she founded The Cavu Group to address critical ch... Show more

Through her signature R.E.S.T.™ framework, Brieanna Lightfoot Smith helps audiences release perfection, reclaim purpose, and rebuild rhythm so they can live and lead from a place of Freedom, Flow, and Fulfillment.

Through her signature R.E.S.T.™ framework, Brieanna Lightfoot Smith helps audiences release perfection, reclaim purpose, and rebuild rhythm so they can live and lead from a place of Freedom, Flow, and Fulfillment. Show more

Driven by a passion for quality, Kanika Vatsyayan is the Vice-President of delivery and Operations at BugRaptors, overseeing all quality assurance initiatives. With over 10 years in the IT industry, Kanika brings a wealth of experience in test leadership and management across diverse sectors. She is committed to result-oriented, business-centric approaches and actively explores emerging technologies to optimize business models. Kanika is an experienced blogger, sharing her automation and manual testing expertise with a wider audience.

Driven by a passion for quality, Kanika Vatsyayan is the Vice-President of delivery and Operations at BugRaptors, overseeing all quality assurance initiatives. With over 10 years in the IT industry, Kanika brings a wealth of experience in test leader... Show more

Alon Schlesinger is a globally experienced executive with over 25 years of demonstrated international business history.
His background spans via the private sector business, from startups to Fortune 100 companies as well as governmental background as Advisor to V. Prime Minister.

Mr. Schlesinger expertise spans various regions including EU, ME and Asia having lived there for 10 years with proven achievements. He operates in the High-Tech and Investment sectors as well as Infrastructure & international projects.
He has previous experience from in the Aviation sector as commercial pilot and high-tech related activities in the sector.

Alon's expertise is in technology investments, Innovation adoption for companies, and strategic global cooperation.

Alon Schlesinger is a globally experienced executive with over 25 years of demonstrated international business history. His background spans via the private sector business, from startups to Fortune 100 companies as well as governmental background ... Show more

Samuel Tolbert is a mindset strategist, leadership development expert, and founder of Elevated Thoughts Academy, where belief reconstruction meets real-world leadership transformation.

With a background spanning college athletics, military service in the U.S. Navy, organizational leadership, and executive coaching, Samuel brings a rare depth of lived experience to every stage he steps on. His journey—from losing a basketball scholarship, to global military service, to navigating homelessness and identity loss—became the catalyst for his life’s work: helping individuals and organizations close the gap between who they are and who they’re called to become.

Samuel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, with advanced training in leadership coaching, mentoring, and organizational change. He is also the author of Potential to Purpose: The Power of Intentional Thinking, a transformational work that explores how belief systems, identity, and internal alignment shape performance, culture, and outcomes.

Through proprietary frameworks such as the Thought Seeking Model (TSM) and the Move & SOAR (MV-SOAR) Model, Samuel equips leaders, students, and organizations to move beyond surface-level motivation into sustainable, identity-rooted growth. His work has been delivered across universities, schools, workforce programs, faith-based organizations, and corporate environments.

Samuel is known for a speaking style that is honest, structured, and disruptive—in the best way. He doesn’t inspire people to try harder; he helps them think differently so leadership, confidence, and clarity emerge naturally.

Samuel Tolbert is a mindset strategist, leadership development expert, and founder of Elevated Thoughts Academy, where belief reconstruction meets real-world leadership transformation. With a background spanning college athletics, military service... Show more

Shana Sumers is a keynote speaker, community builder and former HubSpot leader who teaches organizations and professionals to develop strategic relationship capital that drives career advancement and business growth. Known as "The Mayor" for her ability to connect everyone with anyone, she delivers high-energy sessions on building relationship capital, personal branding and authentic connection. With a track record of scaling communities by 400%, hosting 5 star working events and launching multiple communities in startup and corporate organizations, Shana brings proven frameworks, real-world stories, and actionable takeaways that help audiences turn connections into opportunities.

Shana Sumers is a keynote speaker, community builder and former HubSpot leader who teaches organizations and professionals to develop strategic relationship capital that drives career advancement and business growth. Known as "The Mayor" for her abil... Show more

La Tonya Roberts is a transformative Fractional COO and Human Capital Strategist with 18+ years of experience across 30 countries. Through Harmony Consulting Group, she transforms ambitious businesses into high-performing organizations with exceptional results. La Tonya provides SMEs with actionable strategies to streamline operations and scale efficiently without full-time executive costs. Her innovative approach combines fractional leadership with strategic AI implementation to deliver measurable impact. A champion for people-centric cultures, she equips leaders to build authentic connections and high-performing teams. Her engaging presentations blend strategic insights with storytelling, giving audiences immediately applicable techniques for operational excellence and effective team building.

La Tonya Roberts is a transformative Fractional COO and Human Capital Strategist with 18+ years of experience across 30 countries. Through Harmony Consulting Group, she transforms ambitious businesses into high-performing organizations with exception... Show more

Richelle Gamlam is an international speaker, podcast host, and founder of Move Abroad Coach, where she helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and freelancers create lives of freedom overseas.

Richelle Gamlam is an international speaker, podcast host, and founder of Move Abroad Coach, where she helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and freelancers create lives of freedom overseas. Show more

Dillion S. Phiri is a Zimbabwean-Malawian entrepreneur, filmmaker, and social sculptor based in Johannesburg with 14+ years building creative ecosystems across Africa. As founder of Creative Nestlings, he has cultivated a 100,000+ member pan-African network, directly and indirectly investing $5.4M+ in African creatives.

His work spans co-founding J&B Hive (incubating brands like Bathu and Tshepo The Jeanmaker), serving as Entrepreneur in Residence at I’M IN (facilitating R45M in funding), directing award-winning documentaries (“Seeds of Change,” “Zero to A Hundred”), winning Format’s 2018 photography contest, and documenting 200+ creatives in his “What It Takes” series. Named one of MIPAD’s 100 Most Influential People of African Descent, he launched CRCO in December 2025 a next-generation community management platform for Africa’s creative industries.

Currently, he also serves as Responsible AI Fellow at the Stimson Center and Community Lead at BetterShared, continuing to bridge creativity, technology, and strategic foresight to empower African innovation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Dillion S. Phiri is a Zimbabwean-Malawian entrepreneur, filmmaker, and social sculptor based in Johannesburg with 14+ years building creative ecosystems across Africa. As founder of Creative Nestlings, he has cultivated a 100,000+ member pan-African ... Show more

Arun is founder and CEO of Tipsora, where he provides Fractional CTO services to organizations that lack a dedicated CTO. With a passion for technology and a deep understanding of the industry, Arun is committed to helping organizations unlock their full potential through data-driven insights and informed decision-making.

Arun is founder and CEO of Tipsora, where he provides Fractional CTO services to organizations that lack a dedicated CTO. With a passion for technology and a deep understanding of the industry, Arun is committed to helping organizations unlock their ... Show more

Ejieme Eromosele is a senior customer experience, AI, and growth executive who builds and scales high-performing Customer Experience, Customer Success, and Account Management organizations in B2B SaaS. She currently serves as VP of Customer Growth at Quiq (an AI for CX SaaS platform), where she leads retention and expansion across a multi-million-dollar enterprise portfolio, designing AI-powered engagement models that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Ejieme is known for her work at the intersection of customer experience, AI strategy, revenue growth, and organizational design, helping companies evolve from reactive service models to intelligent, customer-led growth engines. She works closely with executive teams on AI adoption, customer engagement strategy, and modern GTM design.

She is the founder of Success in Black, a global community advancing Black talent in Customer Success, and a trusted advisor to founders and leaders building the next generation of AI-enabled customer organizations.

Ejieme Eromosele is a senior customer experience, AI, and growth executive who builds and scales high-performing Customer Experience, Customer Success, and Account Management organizations in B2B SaaS. She currently serves as VP of Customer Growth at... Show more

Mr. Ben Duan is the Founder and CEO of Wentech Inc., a boutique consulting firm on Strategy and IT. He is also serving as the Strategic Advisor to NIRA Inc., an IT service provider to US Federal agencies. Before starting his own consulting business, Dr. Duan had served as the Chief Technology Officer at Precise Software Solutions, Inc. from 2017-2024. In this capacity, he was responsible for driving Precise’s technology strategy and roadmap, building new capabilities, leading innovations, and advising IT Strategy, enterprise architecture and technology implementation for Precise customers. Before joining Precise, Mr. Duan held leadership positions in Oracle, CSRA and Nielsen. Mr. Duan holds a Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from Old Dominion University, and an MBA from University of Maryland.

Mr. Ben Duan is the Founder and CEO of Wentech Inc., a boutique consulting firm on Strategy and IT. He is also serving as the Strategic Advisor to NIRA Inc., an IT service provider to US Federal agencies. Before starting his own consulting business, ... Show more

I like organizations and the complex mechanisms that govern them. From business architectures to processes, from words to behaviors, I deal with business change. As an Agile Coach, I combine the Agile Manifesto principles with specific expertise and experience in medium to significant realities and transformation processes. I am pragmatic and concrete-oriented. I believe that:
- People can change; they do not oppose change but offer their vision. To be respected.
- Needs are the basis of behavior; if I want to help, I must allow them to be expressed clearly. And I must be the first to state my needs.
- Ideological battles are meaningless; it matters more to understand the problem and what can be done to solve it.

I like organizations and the complex mechanisms that govern them. From business architectures to processes, from words to behaviors, I deal with business change. As an Agile Coach, I combine the Agile Manifesto principles with specific expertise and ... Show more

Ceri is an interactions specialist, chaologist and trainee neuroscientist, adept at helping teams at all levels to work together more effectively. With a background in teaching, she is here to make evidence-based research accessible and useful to technical professionals.

As a qualified coach, and a team dynamics consultant with a decade of hands-on experience, Ceri finds joy in creating lightbulb moments and turning assumptions on their heads, as well as reading everything she possibly can (because ADHD).

Tea in hand, Ceri works alongside leaders and teams globally and is continually delighted to speak with audiences worldwide, mostly about the beautiful intermingling of behavioural science and agility.

Ceri also loves brains - once a nerd, always a nerd...

Ceri is an interactions specialist, chaologist and trainee neuroscientist, adept at helping teams at all levels to work together more effectively. With a background in teaching, she is here to make evidence-based research accessible and useful to tec... Show more

Many of us are exhausted when our nervous systems carry more than they were ever designed to hold, while the world still expects peak performance. Farhan Zahid steps into that gap and turns all of that pressure into a doorway for sustainable power, clearer thinking, and real breakthroughs in personal and professional wellness.

Farhan is the founder and CEO of KNKO, a concierge wellness company for high-performing leaders, teams, and member communities based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before KNKO, he spent years as a Chartered Accountant, Big 4 Internal Auditor and Head of Risk at a global investment firm. That experience means his keynotes and workshops connect wellbeing directly to performance, outcomes, and impact, helping individuals and organizations create tangible, measurable shifts instead of simply “feeling better.”

Alongside his corporate career, Farhan has trained as a clinical hypnotherapist, Master NLP practitioner, yoga teacher, massage therapist, and has worked as an auxiliary nurse in both clinical and psychiatric settings. He combines body-mind science, behavioral change, and practical tools into sessions that help people immediately regulate stress, deepen rest, and cultivate their energy in real-world conditions.

With 20+ years on stage, Farhan has spoken at organizational and industry conferences, board meetings, executive off-sites, company all-hands and private members clubs. Whether he is working with a leadership team, a full organization, or an individual, his aim is simple: to help people who carry a lot on their shoulders move through the world with more clarity, calm, sustainable power...and the capacity to perform at their best when it truly counts.

Many of us are exhausted when our nervous systems carry more than they were ever designed to hold, while the world still expects peak performance. Farhan Zahid steps into that gap and turns all of that pressure into a doorway for sustainable power, c... Show more

Boaz Ziniman is a Principal Developer Advocate at Amazon Web Services. He raises customer awareness of AWS services and, in particular, helps customers understand the benefits that the AWS Cloud can deliver. Boaz has many years of experience with web development and operations, architecture, IT management, and cloud. Prior to joining AWS, Boaz worked with a variety of key Israeli startups—managing development and operations teams as well as leading cloud adoption and partnerships with major cloud vendors.

Boaz Ziniman is a Principal Developer Advocate at Amazon Web Services. He raises customer awareness of AWS services and, in particular, helps customers understand the benefits that the AWS Cloud can deliver. Boaz has many years of experience with web... Show more

Fauwaz is the Sr. Director of B2B Strategy with 15 years of experience in electronic payment technology, specializing in ERP integration, payment security, and sales. He has a strong background in leading software sales teams at Nodus and EVO Payments, contributing significantly to strategic acquisitions. With expertise in various ERP systems like Microsoft Dynamics, Acumatica, Sage, and SAP, Fauwaz excels in driving partner success and customer satisfaction in the payment industry.

Fauwaz is the Sr. Director of B2B Strategy with 15 years of experience in electronic payment technology, specializing in ERP integration, payment security, and sales. He has a strong background in leading software sales teams at Nodus and EVO Payment... Show more

Jenna has worked in the competitive Silicon Valley recruiting industry for the past 13 years and works as an embedded resource within organization such as Netflix and Cisco Meraki to build strong, diverse technical teams. Her true passion lies in building recruiting organizations that set up early stage start-up companies for success.

A frequent presenter, Jenna is passionate about bringing a data-driven approach to best practices around hiring, recruiting, and DEI&B by incorporating findings from her research studies with over a decade of industry experience.

Jenna has worked in the competitive Silicon Valley recruiting industry for the past 13 years and works as an embedded resource within organization such as Netflix and Cisco Meraki to build strong, diverse technical teams. Her true passion lies in bui... Show more

I'm Sonja Alushi, Co-Founder of Lumina Project, Albania's first AI consulting company and AI Product Developer at Lufthansa Industry Solutions. This summer, I will serve as Course Assistant at MIT for "LLM Applications and Agentic AI" with Professor David Martinez, and I am developing my own AI course to launch following this experience.

My professional journey exemplifies the evolution of modern software engineering, from enterprise Software Engineer developer to AI strategist and thought leader in practical AI adoption. At Lufthansa Industry Solutions, I specialize in building enterprise microservices with Java, Spring Boot, and Quarkus for aviation systems while leading AI transformation initiatives across the organization.

My career progression includes serving as AI Strategist and AI Product Manager at By The People Technologies in New York, where I developed RAG systems, built MCP servers, and created AI implementation strategies for financial services, private equity, venture capital, and pharmaceutical sectors. The technical work was essential, but what truly transformed organizations was training their teams to integrate AI into their workflows. Research processes that required three days were completed in three hours once analysts understood how to collaborate effectively with these systems.

As an AI educator and strategist, I design and deliver comprehensive workshops on AI implementation, prompt engineering, and workflow automation for businesses, foundations, banks, and government institutions. Through Lumina Project, I have trained over 100 professionals across Albanian government ministries, financial institutions, and enterprises in practical AI adoption.

I hold a MIT Executive Education certification in "AI Strategies & Roadmap: Systems Engineering Approach to AI Development & Deployment" and was a speaker at the National Research Conference (READ), where I presented "Artificial Intelligence in Albanian Business: Navigating Implementation Complexities and Market Limitations." My research examined why AI projects fail in emerging markets, revealing challenges that prove universal across developed and developing economies alike.

I also have served as Programming Coach at SDA Albania, where I mentored aspiring developers and guide them through the fundamentals of software engineering and AI integration.

What distinguishes my approach is the recognition that technical capability alone does not drive successful AI adoption. I have witnessed this truth across Wall Street trading floors, government ministries in Tirana, and manufacturing facilities in Europe. Organizations invest in sophisticated AI tools but struggle with implementation because they underinvest in training their workforce. The most advanced AI system delivers zero value if people cannot use it effectively.

My mission is to bridge this gap between AI capability and organizational competence. I build production-ready intelligent systems while simultaneously ensuring that teams understand how to deploy, maintain, and continuously improve them. Through hands-on training workshops, strategic consulting, and practical implementation support, I help organizations move beyond proof-of-concept projects to achieve measurable business outcomes.

I am passionate about making AI accessible to enterprise developers and business professionals, demonstrating that successful AI transformation requires equal investment in technology and people.

I'm Sonja Alushi, Co-Founder of Lumina Project, Albania's first AI consulting company and AI Product Developer at Lufthansa Industry Solutions. This summer, I will serve as Course Assistant at MIT for "LLM Applications and Agentic AI" with Professor ... Show more

I’m an extrovert with over 10 years of multi-industry experience, skilled in Digital Marketing, Semantic SEO, Technical SEO, E-commerce management, customer service, and Amazon/eBay store operations. I plan and execute complete marketing and social media strategies, including budget management, content planning, and campaign implementation. I also have hands-on expertise in Google PPC, Bing PPC, and Amazon PPC.

I’m an extrovert with over 10 years of multi-industry experience, skilled in Digital Marketing, Semantic SEO, Technical SEO, E-commerce management, customer service, and Amazon/eBay store operations. I plan and execute complete marketing and social m... Show more

Dilara Zagitova is a Senior Talent Sourcer at Veeam Software, specializing in recruiting top tech talent across different programming languages and countries.

As the co-host of the podcast "HR-HR and Deploy" Dilara bridges the gap between HR and Tech, sharing unique insights into the IT industry. Her recruitment blog on LinkedIn covers talent sourcing, recruiting and tech topics both for HR professionals and programmers.

Dilara Zagitova is a Senior Talent Sourcer at Veeam Software, specializing in recruiting top tech talent across different programming languages and countries. As the co-host of the podcast "HR-HR and Deploy" Dilara bridges the gap between HR and T... Show more

For the last 12 years, I have been helping organisations use stories in valuable communication with customers and employees. Before that, I worked as an IT project manager and consultant for 20 years. That role involved a lot of talking, presenting and coaching. At the same time, I developed my creative side by taking classes in drama and improvisational theatre.

I got infected with the storytelling virus

The turning point came in 2006 when I saw a remarkable performance by an Amsterdam storyteller - I was overwhelmed. A few years later, I accidentally discovered that the art of storytelling has a huge impact in business too. Storytelling turned out to be a tool to facilitate change and greatly improve communication in organisations. Since then, I use storytelling every day as an effective and fun business tool.
Nowadays, I give inspiring presentations and training courses to entrepreneurs, managers and teams. I am co-founder of the Storytelling Guild in the Netherlands.

In my interactive keynotes, I demonstrate the power of storytelling when it comes to:

* leadership
* change
* teamwork
* corporate culture

You get a unique talk that is entertaining as well as inspiring. Because the talks are full of recognisable short stories, your audience will not be able to stop listening. The content of the presentation is always tailored to your audience. The audience will discover how the power of storytelling can make their (work) lives happier and more meaningful. They leave the room full of inspiration and with practical tips they can apply the same day.
This is not a Sit and Listen presentation. Your audience is engaged and given the chance to experience the power of storytelling for themselves.

For the last 12 years, I have been helping organisations use stories in valuable communication with customers and employees. Before that, I worked as an IT project manager and consultant for 20 years. That role involved a lot of talking, presenting a... Show more

Mani Erfan is a chemical engineer, international entrepreneur, and industrial executive with more than 33 years of experience in the global catalyst sector. Based in Houston, Texas, he has founded and led companies in catalyst manufacturing, purification, and recycling. He launched a catalyst company from the ground up and expanded it into a global enterprise with cumulative product sales exceeding $700 million before its sale in 2020. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of a catalyst-recycling business generating approximately $8 million in annual revenue.

Erfan was born in Iran in 1966. His father was a commercial pilot who recorded around 38,000 flight hours throughout his career. In 1983, at the age of 17, he moved to the United States and quickly adapted to a new culture and education system. He began his studies in Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida in 1984, completing 157 credit hours in less than four years. He graduated in August 1988 with high honors and a GPA of 3.88.

Erfan began his professional journey in Texas as a Process Engineer, evaluating chemical operations and recommending improvements. In 1990, he joined a Danish catalyst firm as a Sales Engineer responsible for a 26-state region. Within three years, he increased annual sales from $1.4 million to over $6 million and was promoted to Sales Manager, becoming the youngest to hold that role at the time.

In 1993, he became International Sales Manager at a Houston-based catalyst recycling company. Under his leadership, international revenue rose from $1 million to $11 million annually as operations expanded into new global markets. In 2000, he founded a new catalyst company with $50,000 in startup capital, growing it to peak annual sales of $40 million before its $38 million sale in 2020. He also established a consulting and industrial solutions firm that, by 2021, operated in more than 10 countries with annual revenue between $7.5 and $8 million.

Since 1992, he has led ministry efforts across several countries, founding a nonprofit organization, an online Bible college with 4,500 students, and support platforms reaching underserved communities. He has contributed several million dollars to charitable causes, donating $200,000 to $300,000 annually. Mani Erfan continues to lead in both industry and ministry.

Mani Erfan is a chemical engineer, international entrepreneur, and industrial executive with more than 33 years of experience in the global catalyst sector. Based in Houston, Texas, he has founded and led companies in catalyst manufacturing, purifica... Show more