John C. Maxwell For decades, John’s leadership principles have shaped organizations, transformed cultures, and impacted millions of leaders around the world. His influence is woven into the DNA of Live2Lead, and we’re honored to have him once again serve as part of this year’s experience. 📚 Get to Know John C. Maxwell • #1 New York Times Bestselling Author • Author of more than 90 books with over 34 million copies sold worldwide • Founder of Maxwell Leadership® • Recognized as the world’s most influential leadership expert • Named the #1 leader in business • Has trained tens of millions of leaders in every nation • Trusted advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs, national leaders, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations • Speaker, coach, teacher, and leadership pioneer whose work has impacted generations of leaders John’s commitment to adding value to people and developing leaders continues to inspire individuals and organizations across the globe. His timeless wisdom and practical leadership principles remain as relevant today as ever.

Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author (or author) of six beloved business books: Switch, Made to Stick, Decisive, The Power of Moments, Upstream, and his latest, Reset, which debuted in January 2025. His books have been translated into 35 languages and have sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Writing honors include recognition as one of the best nonfiction books of the year (Amazon), one of the best audiobooks of the year (Apple), and the Owl Award for Best Business Book of the Year. Dan also hosts a Top 5 Apple Careers podcast, "What It's Like to Be…" — interviewing people from a wide range of professions each episode. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Texas at Austin, and is based in Durham, North Carolina.

Stephanie Chung, author of Ally Leadership: How To Lead People Who Are Not Like You, is a force of strategic innovation, a beacon of change, and a titan in the world of business growth and human capital management. With over 30 years of experience, Stephanie has cultivated a reputation for turning challenges into opportunities and transforming growing businesses into thriving hubs of success. As a former Chief Growth Officer for Wheels Up, Stephanie spearheaded a growth strategy that not only elevated revenues but also fostered market expansion, resulting in a significant increase in diverse membership. Prior to her tenure at Wheels Up, Stephanie blazed trails as the first African American to helm a private jet company, JetSuite. Under her visionary leadership, JetSuite evolved from a mere service provider to a symbol of luxury and excellence, garnering accolades such as being named one of the Best Places To Work by the Human Rights Campaign and Dallas Business Journal’s 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies. Stephanie's illustrious career also includes pivotal roles at American Airlines, Flexjet, and Bombardier Aerospace, where she engineered revenue generation strategies that achieved remarkable success. Stephanie's impact extends into the boardroom—beyond her professional achievements, she serves on the corporate advisory board of XTI Aerospace, is a dedicated advocate, serving on the Make-A-Wish Board and also serves on the Advisory Council for the National Business Aviation Association. She is a member of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), collaborating with senior national security leaders to address complex challenges facing the nation. These achievements and more have earned her recognition as one of Adweek’s "Women Trailblazers”, Ebony’s Power 100, and Robb Report's "23 Black Visionaries Who are Changing the Luxury World." She has appeared on ABC, CNBC, CBS and other national tv outlets and has been celebrated in publications such as Forbes, Barrons, Worth, Essence, and D CEO Magazine. Her insights have also graced the pages of Inc. and Black Enterprise Magazine. A captivating keynote speaker, Stephanie's influence transcends borders. Her work has been translated into 60 different languages and seen in 101 countries. Her journey is a testament to the power of strategic thinking, resilience, and unwavering dedication to excellence.

Kathryn McLay is the former president and CEO of Walmart International and Sam’s Club, a members-only warehouse club and division of Walmart Inc. She announced her departure from Walmart in January 2026. Until then and beginning in 2023, Kathryn served as president and CEO of Walmart International, where she led a team of 500,000 associates serving 80 million customers per week across 18 countries. During her time in International she drove a growth agenda, leading growth and revenue profit. As the world’s leading international omnichannel retailer, Walmart International significantly contributes to the long-term growth for Walmart and its stakeholders, helping people save money and live better. Prior to leading Walmart International, Kathryn was president and CEO of Sam’s Club, which employs more than 100,000 associates across 600 clubs in the United States and Puerto Rico. During her nearly four-year tenure at Sam’s, revenues grew by 43 percent to $84 billion in fiscal year 2023, and the clubs added millions of new members. The success led to plans for opening new clubs for the first time in more than five years. Throughout her tenure at Walmart, Kathryn held a number of leadership roles, beginning in 2015 as vice president of U.S. Finance & Strategy. Her first role was driving the transformation of the Walmart U.S. business through oversight of a set of strategic, cross-functional initiatives called Legacy. In 2016, she moved to Supply Chain, where she redesigned the way product moved from supplier to shelf, created an integrated end-to-end Walmart U.S. supply chain and led operations of the imports and reverse networks. In 2018, she was named executive vice president of Neighborhood Markets for the Walmart U.S. business, where she led nearly 700 of the small-format stores across the country. Kathryn began her career in 1992 at Deloitte as an undergraduate and worked in both internal and external audit and later at Qantas Airlines. In 2001, Kathryn joined Australian retailer Woolworths in corporate audit and completed her professional studies as a Certified Internal Auditor. Kathryn was then appointed head of audit reporting to the CEO and the audit committee chair. Throughout her 15 years at Woolworth’s, she held many leadership roles from corporate development through to Supply Chain. Kathryn served as a member of the Global Board of Directors for the U.S.-India Business Council. She is past president and chairwoman of the Institute of Internal Auditors and served as a board member of ECRA, an industry board comprised of retailers and suppliers. She also served on the American Red Cross, Flipkart and Walmex boards. A native of Australia, Kathryn has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Technology in Sydney and post graduate studies in organizational psychology.

Rory Vaden is the 2x New York Times bestselling author of Take the Stairs and Wealthy and Well-Known: Build Your Personal Brand and Turn Your Reputation into Revenue. He is also an 8 Figure Entrepreneur, and the youngest American in history to be inducted into the professional speaking Hall of Fame. His expertise is in studying the psychology of influence – which he defines as the ability to move ourselves, and others, to take action. His insights have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, Entrepreneur, Inc, and on Good Morning America and Fox News national television. His TEDx talk has been viewed over 5 million times and he has been hired to speak for organizations like Google, Keller Williams, the Million Dollar Round Table, Leadercast and the Global Leadership Summit. While his first 2 books are about influencing ourselves to take action, in recent years he’s done a lot of work around helping people build influential personal brands and inspire mass movements. In fact, he’s been hired as a private coach by many of the world’s biggest personal development influencers including: Lewis Howes, Ed Mylett, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Amy Porterfield, Trent Shelton, Codie Sanchez, Eric Thomas, Natalie Ellis, John Maxwell and several others. Learn more at: http://RoryVaden.com

Dr. Lynette Thrasher serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Momence Community Unit School District in Kankakee County, where she leads curriculum, instruction, assessment, strategic planning, and organizational improvement initiatives. Her professional experience spans education, government, politics, and the corporate sector, providing a unique perspective on leadership across diverse organizations. Prior to entering education, Dr. Thrasher served as Leadership Assistant to the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, managed a congressional campaign, and held positions with Fortune and Global 500 companies. She later transitioned into education, where she has served as a teacher, reading specialist, instructional coach, assistant principal, curriculum director, and district administrator, leading initiatives focused on instructional excellence, organizational improvement, and strategic change. A frequent presenter at regional and national conferences, Dr. Thrasher speaks on leadership, emotional intelligence, organizational culture, artificial intelligence, change management, and building high-performing teams. Her presentations combine research with practical strategies that help leaders build trust, navigate difficult conversations, and create environments where people and organizations thrive. Dr. Thrasher earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Ball State University. She is passionate about helping leaders understand that emotional intelligence is not simply a "soft skill," but one of the most powerful predictors of effective leadership and lasting organizational success.