Christopher J. “Chris” Snider, NRP, EMT-P, WP-C, is a paramedic, safety consultant, and educator with 17 years of experience in emergency services and eight years in safety and emergency response consulting. Since first entering EMS in 2002, his career has included high-volume 911 response, Critical Care Transport, industrial medicine and safety, and emergency preparedness.

Chris currently works in the oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin, supporting major infrastructure construction projects with a focus on occupational safety, emergency incident planning, responder integration, and risk management in high-hazard environments. His background combines frontline paramedicine with industrial safety and incident management, giving him a practical perspective on how clinicians and organizations prepare for both everyday emergencies and uncommon events.

As an educator, Chris remains committed to advancing paramedicine and helping EMTs and paramedics develop the knowledge, judgment, and perspective needed to thrive throughout their careers. He teaches continuing education and conference programs focused on clinical and operational considerations, professional development, leadership, and emergency preparedness.

Outside of his professional work, Chris lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with his wife and their three children.

Christopher J. “Chris” Snider, NRP, EMT-P, WP-C, is a paramedic, safety consultant, and educator with 17 years of experience in emergency services and eight years in safety and emergency response consulting. Since first entering EMS in 2002, his care... Show more

Karan Soni is a Digital Forensic Expert with Chandigarh Police, Chandigarh, with operational experience across surface, deep and dark web investigations. His work focuses on dark web threat intelligence, threat-actor profiling, cryptocurrency tracing and data-leak monitoring.

He trains law-enforcement agencies and corporate teams, including Dark Web Operations Training for CISF and Advanced Cyber Threat Training for NCB, and has delivered a keynote on dark web investigations at VGU Jaipur.

Karan holds an M.Sc. in Cyber Security from National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, and is the author of the preprint 'The ₹99 Identity Market' (Zenodo, 2026).

Karan Soni is a Digital Forensic Expert with Chandigarh Police, Chandigarh, with operational experience across surface, deep and dark web investigations. His work focuses on dark web threat intelligence, threat-actor profiling, cryptocurrency tracing... Show more

Ben Linders is an Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality, and Continuous Improvement, based in The Netherlands. Author of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives, Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives, What Drives Quality and Continuous Improvement. Creator of the Agile Self-assessment Game.

As an adviser, coach and trainer he helps organizations with deploying effective software development and management practices. He focuses on continuous improvement, collaboration and communication, and professional development, to deliver business value to customers.

Ben is an active member of networks on Agile, Lean, and Quality, and a well-known speaker and author. He shares his experiences in a bilingual blog (Dutch and English), as an editor for Culture and Methods at InfoQ, and as an expert in communities like Computable, Quora, DZone, and TechTarget. Follow him on twitter: @BenLinders.

For an overview of the presentation and mini-workshops that I have given, visit https://www.benlinders.com/presentations/

Ben Linders is an Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality, and Continuous Improvement, based in The Netherlands. Author of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives, Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives, What Drives Quality and Continuous Improvem... Show more

Felix Schiessl builds AI instead of just talking about it. As co-founder and managing director of FEAZY AI he develops GDPR-compliant AI for public administration and mid-sized companies, hosted in Germany. Before that, he led the world's first GPT-4 integration at a university, reaching more than 150,000 students.

On stage he shows AI live: real demos, real code, real results instead of slides. His talks cover what AI can really do today, how generative AI goes from prompt to product, and how organisations use AI securely and with full data sovereignty, without shadow AI.

Talks in German and English: keynote, short talk, panel or moderation. Based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Felix Schiessl builds AI instead of just talking about it. As co-founder and managing director of FEAZY AI he develops GDPR-compliant AI for public administration and mid-sized companies, hosted in Germany. Before that, he led the world's first GPT-4... Show more

She is a result-driven tech lover, passionate about community building, advocate for women in Information Technology, promoter of gender equality in STEM, Google cloud enthusiast, Program Manager who enjoys traveling and meeting new people, developer advocate in the making and hey! She is a music LOVER.

She is a result-driven tech lover, passionate about community building, advocate for women in Information Technology, promoter of gender equality in STEM, Google cloud enthusiast, Program Manager who enjoys traveling and meeting new people, developer... Show more

After a traumatic brain injury changed my life, I had to relearn things I once took for granted. There were years of feeling disconnected, struggling with fear and hopelessness, and wondering how I was going to move forward.

At my lowest point, I turned to God. Through prayer, Scripture, and the practical strategies I developed along the way, walking daily with the Holy Spirit, I began to see that healing wasn't about pretending the pain wasn't there. It was about learning how to move through the pain without letting it define me.

Over the past 14 years, I've taught those strategies to others and continued developing them into what is now the Miracle Power Activation System™ - a faith-anchored approach to helping people build courage, clarity, and resilience through difficult seasons.

Today, I bring this work to veterans, first responders, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, trauma survivors, and burned-out leaders, as well as the organizations and communities that serve them.

My work combines 26 years of lived and teaching experience, 14 years of clinical practice as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, biblical truth, and practical resilience strategies.

I work with organizations through:

→ Keynote Speaking
Helping audiences understand resilience, healing, and the beliefs that can either keep us stuck or help us move forward.

→ Workshops & Facilitation
Interactive experiences that give teams practical strategies they can apply beyond the room.

→ Consulting & Group Programs
Helping organizations and communities build a more intentional approach to resilience, healing, and personal growth through my proprietary Miracle Power Activation System™

→ 1:1 mentorship - for those ready for personalized, in-depth support

My belief is simple: What you've been through does not have to define what comes next.
If you're looking for a faith-centered approach to resilience, healing, and transformation for your organization, event, or community, let's connect.

Learn more at elizabethinspires.com

After a traumatic brain injury changed my life, I had to relearn things I once took for granted. There were years of feeling disconnected, struggling with fear and hopelessness, and wondering how I was going to move forward. At my lowest point, I ... Show more

Cassandra Chin has given keynotes at Devnexus, JFokus, Devoxx Belgium, Devoxx Morocco, and GIDS. Her latest book, Raising Young Coders, is published by Apress and helps parents to inspire their kids to love technology. She has been teaching technology kids workshops at international conferences since she was 13 years old and is passionate about helping allow women, minorities, and underprivileged students to learn about technology. She is also Content Chair of CNCF Kids Day and is helping to run AI Engineer Kids Day. Her books have been featured at international events like Kubecon + CloudNativeCon and in popular technology shows like theCUBE and Techstrong TV.

Cassandra Chin has given keynotes at Devnexus, JFokus, Devoxx Belgium, Devoxx Morocco, and GIDS. Her latest book, Raising Young Coders, is published by Apress and helps parents to inspire their kids to love technology. She has been teaching technolog... Show more

Lalit is an Microsoft Azure MVP,MCT & Author of the “Azure Interview Q & A ” book. He likes to share his knowledge through his blog (https://azure4you.com/ ) & manage and share his technical skills in AzureTalk Community, (https://t.me/azuretalk), BITPro & Azure User Meetup group . He has written a number of articles on Microsoft Azure.

He has changed many lives from his articles and his hands-on training programs and workshops. He is Speaker and delivered the session on big platform including MS Global bootcamp, Expert Live India & other events.

Moreover, and to his credit, he has delivered 500+ training sessions to professionals worldwide in Microsoft Azure technologies and other technologies including SCOM, Windows Server. In addition, he provides Instructor-led online training, hands-on workshop.

His technical prowess and capability of exploring new frontiers of technology & imparting them to his aspiring team members are his trademark. His execution is priceless & bringing forth his personal approach will help you realize your dreams, goals, and aspirations into reality.

**MCT & Azure certification**

Certification Link: https://www.youracclaim.com/users/lalit-rawat/badges

Microsoft Certified Trainer Link: https://www.youracclaim.com/badges/d6a15997-b82d-4a91-86f1-8b653b0a4125

MVP Link: https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/PublicProfile/5003540?fullName=Lalit%20Rawat

**Achievements**

1. He is awarded Azure MVP Azure Master of the months -2017
2. India mentor Award
3. Authored a book on Microsoft Azure - “Azure Administrator Interview Q & A“
4. Delivered multiple sessions on cutting edge technologies in India and abroad.
5. Wrote 60+ articles on the cutting edge technologies.

Lalit is an Microsoft Azure MVP,MCT & Author of the “Azure Interview Q & A ” book. He likes to share his knowledge through his blog (https://azure4you.com/ ) & manage and share his technical skills in AzureTalk Community, (https://t.me/azuretalk),... Show more

Priti is an instructor teaching courses like public speaking and information systems, leveraging microlearning to break down complex topics into manageable, impactful lessons while enhancing her own expertise. She actively experiments with AI and ML in areas such as accessibility and developer productivity. As a Computer Vision Research Lead at Women in AI Canada, she also leads a Google Developer Group, driving key initiatives in AI and ML.

Priti is an instructor teaching courses like public speaking and information systems, leveraging microlearning to break down complex topics into manageable, impactful lessons while enhancing her own expertise. She actively experiments with AI and ML ... Show more

Dr. Edwin Mathieu is a higher education leader and scholar committed to advancing opportunity, access, and belonging across campus communities. He earned his Doctor of Education in Leadership and Administration in Higher Education from St. John's University, a Master's in History and Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the City College of New York, and a Bachelor's in Africana Studies and Communication Arts from New York University.

As a professor, Dr. Mathieu has taught courses in African American history, U.S. history, and world civilizations. He is passionate about mentoring students and integrating technology to foster inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments.

Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, Dr. Mathieu brings a global, justice-driven lens to his work at the intersection of leadership, education, and history.

Dr. Edwin Mathieu is a higher education leader and scholar committed to advancing opportunity, access, and belonging across campus communities. He earned his Doctor of Education in Leadership and Administration in Higher Education from St. John's Uni... Show more

Aparna Rae has spent fifteen years inside more than 100 organizations, from construction sites and call centers to global foundations, finding the real problems behind disengagement, burnout, and stalled change. Her core argument: most organizations don’t have a culture problem. They have a power problem, in who decides, who knows what, and who gets heard.

Aparna has built three companies, including Moving Beyond, a strategy and evaluation firm whose clients included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nordstrom, and Premera Blue Cross, and Future for Us, which grew to 20,000 women of color in 18 months. Her work has helped secure $4M in wage increases for frontline workers and redirect $300M to Global South and community-based organizations.

She is a Forbes and Nonprofit Quarterly contributor, a five-time SXSW speaker, and host of the Love Letters to Troublemakers podcast and newsletter. Her sessions say what everyone at work is thinking, then give leaders practical ways to fix it with the resources they already have.

Aparna Rae has spent fifteen years inside more than 100 organizations, from construction sites and call centers to global foundations, finding the real problems behind disengagement, burnout, and stalled change. Her core argument: most organizations ... Show more

Debby Spitzer is an international speaker, literacy specialist, educational consultant, and historical fiction author with more than 25 years of experience in education and publishing.

Debby speaks at education conferences throughout the United States, as well as international literacy and early childhood education conferences. Her presentations focus on the Science of Reading, early literacy development, phonemic awareness, phonics, play-based learning, and social-emotional development. Known for her engaging, interactive presentation style, Debby brings research to life through hands-on activities, practical strategies, and real-world classroom applications that inspire educators and provide ideas they can immediately put into practice.

In addition to her work in education, Debby is passionate about history and storytelling. She is the author of The Girl Who Rode in Secret, a young adult historical novel set in the Netherlands during World War II. Inspired by more than 20 years of historical research, visits to the Netherlands, and interviews with individuals connected to the Dutch Resistance, her writing explores courage, resilience, and the extraordinary contributions of ordinary people.

Her manuscript was shortlisted for the 2026 Historical Novel Society First Chapters Competition (Children's & YA) and was a finalist in the 2025 Writers' League of Texas Manuscript Contest.

Whether speaking about literacy, early childhood education, or history, Debby brings research, storytelling, and practical insights together to engage and inspire audiences.

Debby Spitzer is an international speaker, literacy specialist, educational consultant, and historical fiction author with more than 25 years of experience in education and publishing. Debby speaks at education conferences throughout the United St... Show more

Himanshu Rajak is a Project Associate at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Mohali, and an AI/ML researcher with a background in Computer Science and Engineering. His experience spans the foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to emerging deep-tech areas including Generative AI, Computer Vision, Graph Neural Networks and Quantum Machine Learning.

His technical work covers the AI/ML pipeline, from mathematical foundations, data processing and classical machine learning to deep learning, Large Language Models, multimodal AI and hybrid quantum-classical machine learning. He has hands-on experience with Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Qiskit and PennyLane, and has worked on research and projects involving medical imaging, graph-based learning, generative models and intelligent AI applications.

Alongside his research and technical work, Himanshu currently mentors a postgraduate certification program in Artificial Intelligence at C-DAC. The program is a six-month, national-level certification course focused on developing practical and industry-relevant skills in AI and Machine Learning. He actively teaches and mentors learners across programming, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative AI, LLMs and emerging AI technologies.

He is particularly interested in bridging the gap between fundamental AI concepts and cutting-edge deep-tech research, making complex technical ideas accessible through practical demonstrations, experimentation and hands-on learning.

Himanshu Rajak is a Project Associate at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Mohali, and an AI/ML researcher with a background in Computer Science and Engineering. His experience spans the foundations of Artificial Intelligence ... Show more

Magesh T. Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA, is Vice President for Research & Innovation at Prairie View A&M University, where he leads the university’s research, innovation and economic development enterprise. His leadership has focused on expanding research capacity, strengthening faculty competitiveness and creating pathways that connect students to research, mentorship and workforce opportunities. Under his leadership, PVAMU achieved Carnegie R2 classification, expanded undergraduate and graduate research opportunities and developed programs such as Faculty RISE and Panther RISE to support faculty scholarship and student engagement. Dr. Rajan is a licensed Professional Engineer, professor and higher education executive whose work centers on building institutional systems that strengthen research excellence, student success and long-term public impact.

Magesh T. Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA, is Vice President for Research & Innovation at Prairie View A&M University, where he leads the university’s research, innovation and economic development enterprise. His leadership has focused on expanding research ... Show more

Analytical thinker driven by fast-paced learning platforms in higher education with a significant experience of over five years in statistical modeling and quantitative data analyses utilizing R, SPSS, Excel, Tableau, Power Bi, MPlus, AMOS, Dbeaver, and SAS

Experienced in qualitative research methodologies including leading and participating in multisite collaborations and liaison responsibilities

Analytical thinker driven by fast-paced learning platforms in higher education with a significant experience of over five years in statistical modeling and quantitative data analyses utilizing R, SPSS, Excel, Tableau, Power Bi, MPlus, AMOS, Dbeaver, ... Show more

Wanda Suila Ruth is a finance professional, community development leader, digital inclusion advocate and the Founder of Wanda's Legacy Foundation, a youth led organization dedicated to advancing menstrual health, gender equality, and digital dignity for girls and women in Cameroon.

Since 2020, she has led programs such as One Girl, One Sanitary Pad and the LEVEL UP trainings, reaching over 7,000+ people across the Center, Littoral, South West, and North West regions of Cameroon. Her work also addresses technology-facilitated gender-based violence and promotes safe digital spaces for young women.
Under her leadership, Wanda's Legacy Foundation was awarded the REDVOCATE Award 2025 from the International Menstrual Hygiene Coalition.

Wanda believes that, when girls are empowered and informed, the entire community rises, and she works daily to make that a reality in Cameroon.

Wanda Suila Ruth is a finance professional, community development leader, digital inclusion advocate and the Founder of Wanda's Legacy Foundation, a youth led organization dedicated to advancing menstrual health, gender equality, and digital dignity ... Show more

Sean Bugler leads innovation and experience efforts for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, reimagining how teams work, share, and get things done. With a background in collaboration tech and passion for untangling legacy constraints, he works with teams to move past the status quo and toward smarter, more human ways of working. An alum of Arizona State University’s Technological Entrepreneurship & Management program, he now helps shape its future as an industry advisor.

Sean Bugler leads innovation and experience efforts for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, reimagining how teams work, share, and get things done. With a background in collaboration tech and passion for untangling legacy constraints, he work... Show more

Jazmin Johnson is a higher education professional, supervisor, and leadership educator with experience in residence life, student leadership development, fraternity and sorority advising, and organizational effectiveness. She currently serves as a Residence Life Coordinator at the University of South Carolina, where she oversees residential communities, supervises student staff, manages crisis response, and designs educational initiatives that help students build the skills needed for success both inside and outside the classroom.

Passionate about developing emerging professionals, Jazmin enjoys creating engaging presentations that bridge theory and practice. Her sessions focus on supervision, managing up, accountability, leadership development, communication, and building healthy workplace cultures. She is particularly interested in equipping entry-level professionals with practical strategies for navigating organizational dynamics, advocating for themselves, and leading effectively regardless of their title.

Outside of her professional role, Jazmin advises collegiate members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., mentors emerging leaders, and combines her background in software engineering with student affairs to create innovative systems that improve organizational operations and engagement.

Whether facilitating a conference session, leading a workshop, or mentoring one-on-one, Jazmin strives to create learning experiences that are interactive, actionable, and immediately applicable. Her goal is for every participant to leave with greater confidence, practical tools, and a clearer understanding of how to lead with authenticity, purpose, and impact.

Jazmin Johnson is a higher education professional, supervisor, and leadership educator with experience in residence life, student leadership development, fraternity and sorority advising, and organizational effectiveness. She currently serves as a Re... Show more

As an Assistant Director of Residence Life, Corey helps provide direction and leadership in the daily operations of housing and residence life alongside the other Assistant Directors. He directly supervises the Residence Life Coordinators and Assistant Residence Life Coordinators in Osprey Fountains, The Flats at UNF and Osprey Ridge Residence Hall. He also serves as a member of the Housing and Residence Life Senior Leadership team.

As an Assistant Director of Residence Life, Corey helps provide direction and leadership in the daily operations of housing and residence life alongside the other Assistant Directors. He directly supervises the Residence Life Coordinators and Assista... Show more

Dr Andrea Kennel studied computer science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and added a PhD in computer science. In her more than 25 years of professional experience, she has always combined practice and teaching. Since 2014, Andrea is a lecturer a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Brugg/Windisch (www.fhnw.ch), where she is responsible for database lectures in computer science and data science. She also supervises bachelor theses and project teams that implement customer projects. In addition, she runs her own company, which she founded in 2005 (www.infokennel.ch). In this function she worked and still works mainly in Oracle DWH projects as Lead Data Architect and as developer or project manager. She regularly gives presentations at conferences and writes articles.

Dr Andrea Kennel studied computer science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and added a PhD in computer science. In her more than 25 years of professional experience, she has always combined practice and teaching. Since 201... Show more

Natalie Crüe is a cultural producer, consultant, Global Hip-Hop connoisseur, and activist. Natalie sees arts and culture as a vehicle for social change - spearheading various cultural, brand, and social impact initiatives around the globe that aim to foster civic engagement, spark dialogue, and amplify communities.

She co-developed the Metaverse Music Festival aka MVMF, the first global music festival rooted in the metaverse; Co-produces Huellas Festival in Southern Spain; and contributes to a number of DAOs and creative communities in the Web3 ecosystem. Recently, she founded Web3 Uncut -- a dynamic tech lab building micro experiments to support creators on chain and a newsletter centering Web3 arts & culture.

You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @NatalieCrue.

Natalie Crüe is a cultural producer, consultant, Global Hip-Hop connoisseur, and activist. Natalie sees arts and culture as a vehicle for social change - spearheading various cultural, brand, and social impact initiatives around the globe that aim to... Show more

Mumshad Mannambeth is the founder of KodeKloud, a pioneering EdTech platform dedicated to teaching Cloud Native and DevOps technologies. His approach has empowered millions of students worldwide to master essential skills in cloud native. Mumshad is committed to advancing Cloud Native education and fostering a community of continuous learning and innovation.

Mumshad Mannambeth is the founder of KodeKloud, a pioneering EdTech platform dedicated to teaching Cloud Native and DevOps technologies. His approach has empowered millions of students worldwide to master essential skills in cloud native. Mumshad is ... Show more

Jack Qian is the founder of AI Man Jack, a Dallas company that runs hands-on AI training for business teams. He teaches non-technical employees and leaders to use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude and Grok on work they already do, with clear rules for checking the output and keeping sensitive data out of AI tools.

In 2026 he hosted six community AI sessions in Dallas and Plano (309 sign-ups), ran a 37-person AI hackathon, and was the invited featured speaker at a DFW IT Association fireside chat. By day he is a business planner at a Dallas semiconductor company, so every workflow he teaches is one he runs on his own job first. He also writes Real Agent Use Cases, a weekly newsletter on the AI agents working professionals actually use.

Jack speaks in English or Chinese, onsite in Dallas–Fort Worth or online.

Jack Qian is the founder of AI Man Jack, a Dallas company that runs hands-on AI training for business teams. He teaches non-technical employees and leaders to use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude and Grok on work they already do, with clear rules f... Show more

Yev Malichevskyy is a Lisbon-based impact facilitator, event host, and founder of Evolution Tribe (https://evolution-tribe.lovable.app/).

With over 8+ years of experience and having designed and facilitated more than 300+ dialogue workshops, men's circles, team buildings, and retreats (running weekly for over 2.5 years straight), Yev specializes in transforming conversational friction and social isolation into psychological safety, team clarity, and collective ownership.

Operating at the crossroads of human well-being, technology, and intentional culture, Yev speaks and facilitates on:
• The Attention Diet: Reclaiming human depth and focus in an age of algorithmic burnout and digital overstimulation.
• Psychological Safety & Tension-to-Clarity: How leadership teams navigate difficult dialogues without avoidance.
• Intentional Living & Culture Alignment: Moving from reactive hustle into grounded presence and sustainable high performance.

Yev brings an electric, vulnerable, and grounded presence to conferences, executive retreats, and founder summits across Europe.

Yev Malichevskyy is a Lisbon-based impact facilitator, event host, and founder of Evolution Tribe (https://evolution-tribe.lovable.app/). With over 8+ years of experience and having designed and facilitated more than 300+ dialogue workshops, men's... Show more

I build systems for curriculum management, program approvals, and academic operations. Thirteen years inside a public college taught me where those processes break, and the last three and a half have gone into rebuilding them on the Microsoft Power Platform.

Most of that work is in Dataverse and model-driven apps, taken from discovery and data modelling through to build, deployment, and ultimately governance in the Power Platform admin centre.

I run Busilla Business Solutions, a consulting practice for colleges and universities.

I build systems for curriculum management, program approvals, and academic operations. Thirteen years inside a public college taught me where those processes break, and the last three and a half have gone into rebuilding them on the Microsoft Power P... Show more

From Dirt Road to Mental Health Priest: Turning Pain Into Purpose and Adversity Into Success

Dr. Patrice Shavone Brown is a dynamic motivational speaker, mental health leader, accomplished entrepreneur, author, and founder and CEO of Restoring Bodies and Minds LLC, a nationally accredited mental health services organization based in North Carolina.

Her extraordinary journey from poverty, single motherhood, and humble beginnings on a dirt road to becoming a successful business owner, author, and real estate investor is a powerful example of resilience, faith, determination, and personal transformation.

With more than 14 years of leadership in the mental health industry, Dr. Brown has dedicated her career to helping individuals overcome emotional challenges, identify barriers to success, establish meaningful goals, and restore their lives. Under her leadership, Restoring Bodies and Minds LLC has maintained national accreditation since 2013, providing services that promote mental wellness, recovery, personal independence, and community integration.

Beyond the mental health industry, Dr. Brown has built an impressive entrepreneurial portfolio that includes ownership of more than 15 real estate properties. She is also the author of seven books, including Secrets of a Crazy Mental Health Counselor and Restoring Bodies and Minds: By Identifying the Issues and Setting Goals. Through her writing, she explores mental health, family relationships, personal struggles, spiritual healing, and the importance of setting goals to achieve lasting success.

As a speaker, Dr. Brown combines personal storytelling, professional mental health experience, humor, authenticity, and practical strategies to inspire audiences to transform their lives. Her signature presentation, "From Dirt Road to Mental Health Priest," reveals how she overcame financial hardship, societal expectations, family challenges, and personal adversity to build a meaningful career and lasting legacy.

She is especially passionate about empowering women, single mothers, entrepreneurs, mental health professionals, and individuals who have experienced rejection, setbacks, or difficult beginnings.

Her presentations challenge audiences to move beyond survival, recognize their worth, strengthen emotional resilience, develop confidence, and take intentional steps toward personal and professional achievement.

Dr. Brown is available for keynote presentations, mental health conferences, women's leadership summits, corporate wellness events, entrepreneurship conferences, educational institutions, and community empowerment programs.

Her message is powerful and universal:

"Your past may explain where you started, but it does not have the authority to determine where you finish. Identify the issue, set the goal, and restore your life."

Dr. Patrice Shavone Brown — Credentials, Honors & Speaking Experience

Academic and Professional Credentials

Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology

Bachelor's Degree in Psychology

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Qualified Professional (QP) — Mental Health

Mental Health Leader and Life Transformation Coach

Founder and CEO, Restoring Bodies and Minds LLC

Leadership of a CARF International-accredited behavioral health organization

Awards, Honors and Recognition

2019 Women Worth Watching Award Winner — Healthcare Leadership

2026 P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized) — Mental Health Care recognition and membership

2026 VoyageRaleigh Magazine — Featured Entrepreneur and Mental Health Leader

Recognized in a published mental health coaching industry feature

Selected Speaking Engagements

Girls Who Brunch — Guest Speaker

Everything Girls — Guest Speaker

She Rises for Women — Women's Empowerment Speaker

Fat Girls Conference — Confidence and Empowerment Speaker

The BookFest, Spring 2021 — Mental Health and Physical Wellness Panelist

Professional Accomplishments

Founder of Restoring Bodies and Minds LLC, established in 2011

Mental health service experience dating to 2003

Author of seven books

Founder of the Confident Fat Girls Movement

Entrepreneur and real estate investor with a portfolio of more than 15 properties

Areas of Speaking Expertise

Mental Health and Wellness | Women's Empowerment | Leadership | Entrepreneurship | Body Confidence | Resilience | Personal Transformation | Healing and Goal Setting

From Dirt Road to Mental Health Priest: Turning Pain Into Purpose and Adversity Into Success Dr. Patrice Shavone Brown is a dynamic motivational speaker, mental health leader, accomplished entrepreneur, author, and founder and CEO of Restoring Bo... Show more

Edney "InterNey" Souza has worked in technology since 1990 and is one of the leading voices on Artificial Intelligence in Brazil. In 2026 he was named one of the 30 most influential voices in AI in Brazil by the Pulso 2026/2027 study.

He is a professor at ESPM, Insper, PUCRS, USP and IBGC (Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance), where he teaches AI for boards of directors. He writes a column for InfoMoney and is the author of the Amazon best seller "Engenharia de Prompts na Pratica" (Prompt Engineering in Practice).

He delivers keynotes and in-company training for Vivo, Bayer, Vale, JBS, Pirelli, MetLife, Volkswagen and SAP, spoke on the main stage of RD Summit 2025 for 5,000 people and leads executive delegations to SXSW and VivaTech. He collaborates remotely with STURM und DRANG (Hamburg) and Start2 Group (Munich). Talks in English, Portuguese and Spanish on AI for business, AI governance, AI productivity, data culture and cybersecurity for leaders.

Edney "InterNey" Souza has worked in technology since 1990 and is one of the leading voices on Artificial Intelligence in Brazil. In 2026 he was named one of the 30 most influential voices in AI in Brazil by the Pulso 2026/2027 study. He is a prof... Show more

Badra Abd El Qader is the Principal of Al-Zahraa Elementary School in Al-Tayyiba Triangle and a PhD Candidate at the University of Murcia, Spain. She has more than 30 years of experience in education and has served in a variety of teaching and leadership roles, including teacher, homeroom teacher, teacher mentor, assistant principal, principal, and lecturer in teacher education.

She holds a bachelor's degree in science, mathematics, and computer science education, a master's degree in school administration, and a second master's degree in mathematics education. Her doctoral research focuses on school leadership and inclusive education, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), professional readiness, institutional support, and monitoring practices.

Her professional and research interests include educational leadership, inclusive education, and the development of equitable learning environments that promote meaningful participation and learning opportunities for all students.

Badra Abd El Qader is the Principal of Al-Zahraa Elementary School in Al-Tayyiba Triangle and a PhD Candidate at the University of Murcia, Spain. She has more than 30 years of experience in education and has served in a variety of teaching and leader... Show more

DeAnna Pellecchia is a professional dancer, choreographer, educator, and Founder and Artistic Director of Boston-based KAIROS Dance Theater. For more than 25 years, she has built a career in professional dance—an industry defined by rejection, financial uncertainty, physical risk, public exposure, criticism, and constant change. Along the way, she founded KAIROS Dance Theater from the ground up, building an organization, an ensemble, an audience, and a body of work without a roadmap or any guarantee that the next risk would pay off.

A faculty member at Boston University and New England Conservatory, Pellecchia has performed and taught internationally, developing an interdisciplinary practice rooted in collaboration, somatic awareness, and human connection.

For more than two decades, she has also danced with horses, exploring the extraordinary relationship between fear, trust, communication, and the limits of control. Working with a thousand-pound animal demands presence, clarity, adaptability, and the willingness to respond to what is actually happening rather than what we expect or intend.

Today, Pellecchia brings these experiences to audiences through three presentations: Dancing With Fear: The Courage to Move Before You're Ready, Collaboration in Motion, and Deep Listening & Leadership. Drawing on a lifetime of creative risk-taking, organizational leadership, and embodied practice, she offers a distinctive perspective on navigating uncertainty, strengthening communication, building trust, and finding the courage to act before the outcome is known.

DeAnna Pellecchia is a professional dancer, choreographer, educator, and Founder and Artistic Director of Boston-based KAIROS Dance Theater. For more than 25 years, she has built a career in professional dance—an industry defined by rejection, financ... Show more

With over 20 years of enterprise Java experience, Frederieke has seen (and probably debugged) it all, from legacy monoliths to reactive messaging systems and the occasional front-end adventure. She’s especially interested in how Domain-Driven Design and reactive principles can help teams build systems that are both robust and adaptable.

Frederieke enjoys helping people grow, whether that’s through mentoring, improving team practices, or just asking the right questions. Outside of work, she’s an active contributor to the Java Meetup in Groningen (NL), where she shares ideas and learns from colleagues in her local community.

When she’s not coding or speaking, you’ll likely find her out on a trail. She once hiked the Grand Canyon and is always looking for the next adventure.

With over 20 years of enterprise Java experience, Frederieke has seen (and probably debugged) it all, from legacy monoliths to reactive messaging systems and the occasional front-end adventure. She’s especially interested in how Domain-Driven Design ... Show more