Our Speakers
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Brian Audia
President and CEO of AUDIA
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Richard Blackaby
President of Blackaby Ministries International
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Jim Daly
Author, Broadcaster, and Host
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Sean Dunn
President at Groundwire
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Jon Frendl
Founder, Cappital Media
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Greg Gilbert
Managing Director, Sr. Partner BlueTrust
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Daniel Hallak
Executive Advisor, Author, Speaker
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José M. Hernández
NASA Astronaut.
President/CEO Tierra Luna Engineering -
Os Hillman
Author & Speaker
Today God Is First -
Greg Leith
Convene CEO
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Patrick Lencioni
President, The Table Group
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Lopez Lomong
USA Olympian, Refugee, Philanthropist and Humanitarian.
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Rob McKenna
Founder and CEO WiLD LEADERS, INC.
Author & TEDx Speaker -
Bradley Metrock
CEO Project Voice
General Partner Project Voice Capital Partners -
Jim Morgan
Former President and CEO of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
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Tom Nelson
Executive Chairman of Made to Flourish
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Cheryl Scanlan
President of Way of Life Coaching
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Cole Short
Professor, Pepperdine University, Graziadio Business School
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John Walter
President, Contact Center AI Association - Attorney
Brian Audia
Brian Audia is an entrepreneur, speaker, executive coach, and specialist in organizational performance. He's an inspirational leader in the movement to promote business as a tool for human flourishing. His purpose is to inspire, equip, and encourage.
Brian is passionate about increasing organizational performance through methodologies that help people engage fully in their work and give more discretionary effort. Organizations with the highest levels of employee engagement will consistently outperform the markets and their competition over time through more significant innovation, higher customer satisfaction, and increased profits. They attract more substantial investment and sell at higher multiples. But above all, highly engaged workplaces are joyful environments where people flourish.
Brian, a successful businessman and former nonprofit executive, has been honored as one of the Top 40 Alumni of Auburn University at Montgomery. This honor recognizes his significant global impact, a distinction he shares with two former Chairmen of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff. Over his career, Brian has guided humanitarian and social service projects in more than 40 countries and numerous cities across the U.S. Known for his skills in building partnerships and managing collaborative enterprises, he has consulted for hundreds of organizations. Under his leadership, his teams have managed tens of thousands of volunteers, raised millions of dollars globally, and made a positive difference in many lives.
Brian is currently the CEO of two successful businesses. The first is Powered By Text, a software-as-a-service (SAAS) enterprise that assists purpose-driven organizations in cultivating connections that create infinite impact. The second is AUDIA, a growth-oriented consultancy offering executive leadership services to enhance the organizational performance of businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations.
He has been married to his wife Melissa since 2000, and they have three boys, Caleb, Joshua, and Silas.
President and CEO of AUDIA
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from Brian Audia and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Richard Blackaby
Spiritual leadership is not an occupation; it is a calling. Christian based leaders must take this calling seriously and be equipped to impact the world and extend God’s kingdom.
Richard Blackaby is one of the country’s leading voices in this space. Richard is president of Backaby Ministries International. He grew up in Canada where he served as pastor and Seminary President. Richard writes and speaks around the world to Christian leaders and has written four powerful books on leadership and business as well as having written or co-authored over 30 other books, including, Spiritual Leadership. Moving People onto God’s Agenda, God in the Marketplace: 45 Questions for Fortune 500 Executives Ask about Faith, Life, and Business, The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence and Called to Be God’s Leader. Richard is married to Lisa and they have 3 children.
President of Blackaby Ministries
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Jim Daly
Jim Daly is an author and broadcaster, president of Focus on the Family and host of its daily radio broadcast, which is heard by more than 6.6 million listeners a week on nearly 2,000 radio stations and has been honored as Program of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters.
Abandoned by his alcoholic father at age 5, he lost his mother to cancer four years later. Daly, the youngest of five children, and his siblings had to fend for themselves after their mother’s funeral. “I am living proof, that no matter how torn up the road has already been, or how pothole-infested it may look ahead, nothing - nothing - is impossible for God.”
Under his leadership, Focus has taken on a major role nationally in encouraging and helping facilitate foster-care adoptions, earning recognition from the White House and Congress for its efforts. The ministry also has reinvigorated its traditional focus on helping couples build strong marriages and raise healthy, resilient kids.
Daly encourages parents to realize that they, like their children, aren’t perfect and don’t need to be - they’re called to do their best in Christ, knowing that God works through all the messy family situations that are a normal part of this life. Daly and his wife, Jean, have two sons and live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Author, Broadcaster, and Host
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned author Jim Daly and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Sean Dunn
President at Groundwire
The calling on my life is to "Contend for a Generation." Groundwire offers the opportunity to take the truth of Jesus Christ into the heart of the media that has proven to be destructive to the faith and formation of so many lives.
WIth my family standing by my side, I have given my life to the pursuit of broadcasting hope to every student. I realize "every" sets the bar high. I realize it is an improbable goal, but I will not stop until all have heard.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from Sean Dunn and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Jon Frendl
Founder, Cappital Media
The age of AI is marked by the idolatry of artificial relationships and convenience at the expense of genuine connection. Jon Frendl warns against lukewarm leadership and Christianity and the impending consequences of AI.
Jon is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 21 years of experience in web and mobile app design and development. He has built two successful web and mobile app companies which developed 220+ customer solutions over 21 years. Cappital clients include startups, Fortune 500 and non-profit firms.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Managing Director, Sr. Partner
BlueTrust
Greg Gilbert
Greg Gilbert serves both the Private Wealth division and the Professional Athlete Division of Blue Trust in Atlanta, Georgia and is a senior partner of the company.
As managing director, Greg oversees the day-to-day operations, growth, and expansion of the office in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his leadership role, Greg works with individuals, families, and businesses, using his objective perspective to help them make wise financial decisions to experience clarity and confidence and leave a lasting legacy. His goal is to help clients focus on the things that matter most to them. Greg and his team integrate financial planning, investment management, and trust services into financial plans tailored to his clients’ needs.
As a senior financial advisor with the Professional Athlete Division, Greg serves athletes and their families, helping them navigate the financial, marital, and personal pitfalls that athletes face today. The Professional Athlete Division of Blue Trust employs a customized service model geared to the unique needs of the athlete in their specific sport. Services include coordination of tax and legal counsel, bill paying, cash flow management, financial and estate planning, trust services, and philanthropic strategies. Blue Trust serves over 100 active and retired players and coaches across the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, NASCAR, and the NCAA.
Greg has over 20 years of experience in the area of investment management and financial advisement to clients and is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) and a Certified Wealth Strategist® (CWS®). Prior to joining the company, Greg worked with clients developing custom estate and investment strategies. He also assisted portfolio managers, where he gained first-hand exposure into the money management industry.
Active in his community, Greg is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA®). Greg is also on the board of directors for Plywood People, a company with a vision to make Atlanta a center for social innovation, and he serves as chairman of the board for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the University of Georgia.
Greg and his wife, Lisa, currently live in Atlanta, Georgia with their three children.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Dr. Daniel Hallak
Executive Advisor, Author, Speaker
Nothing gets Dr. Daniel Hallak more excited than the opportunity to build authentic relationships and intentionally develop leaders. As an executive at WiLD Leaders, Daniel focuses on making psychology and organizational science accessible to leaders on the job. His Ph.D. is in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, the science of making work better.
Daniel is a TEDx speaker and has been featured in Forbes and Psychology Today. His upcoming book, Don’t Lead Alone, teaches leaders how to surround themselves with relational investors who bring stretch, support, and strategy.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Dr. Daniel Hallak and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
José Hernández
NASA Astronaut.
President/CEO Tierra Luna Engineering
José M. Hernández wanted to fly into space ever since he was a young boy. One of four children, he grew up in a migrant farming family from Mexico. One evening, after telling his Dad he wanted to be an astronaut, his father sat him down at the family kitchen table and shared the leadership essentials he would need to make it into space. Years later, after being turned down eleven times for astronaut training by NASA, Hernández was selected to be a NASA astronaut and flew into space at age 47. “To think a mere 30 years or so, I was picking fruits and vegetables,” he said.
At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he worked on the X-ray laser project and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography system for the earlier detection of breast cancer. He represented U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. Today, José is the CEO of Tierra Luna Engineering. He founded the José M. Hernández Reaching for the Stars Foundation. Their mission is “to inspire youth to find passion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education, establish a family commitment to education, and develop a support network through community engagement.”
José owns a 20 acre vineyard near Lodi, California, near the fields his father worked in and where José’s dreams began taking shape. Dr. Hernandez holds a Master’s of Science from University of California, Santa Barbara and has been honored with eight Doctorate Degrees. His life story is the subject of the movie biopic A Million Miles Away. He is married to his wife, Adela and has five children.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from José Hernández and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Os Hillman
Os Hillman is a pioneer in the faith and work movement. He is the author of 24 books and a recognized authority in the role that faith and ethics play in the marketplace. He is the Founder and President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries, training people to fulfill their calling in and through their work life and to view their work as ministry.
Os writes a daily newsletter called TGIF: Today God Is First which is read by hundreds of thousands of subscribers in 104 countries. Before starting Marketplace Leaders, Os owned and operated an ad agency serving national clients. He has won many awards from the direct marketing industry, such as the International Echo Award, direct marketing's highest achievement for excellence.
Os attended the University of South Carolina on a golf scholarship and was a golf professional for three years before going into business. Os is married to Pamela and lives in Atlanta.
Author & Speaker
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Greg Leith
Convene CEO
Greg Leith is a CEO to CEOs as he stewards the role of CEO at Convene Corporation, which has served thousands of Christian CEOs over 25 years. He was born in Canada and lived in all four corners of North America. His career spans over 45 years of senior leadership roles in corporate, nonprofit, and academic sectors, including as Director of Strategic Alliances for 13 years at Biola University in California, where he helped architect and lead a $180 million capital campaign.
Greg has served the persecuted church with food, brought relief and long-term jobs to Orissa, India, assisted mission agencies in China with strategy, and helped envision a School of Journalism in Haiti. He and Shelley, his wife of 41 years, have crisscrossed Canada for over a decade speaking on marriage and parenting for FamilyLife, helping thousands of marriages. Greg was a senior executive for 20 years with the $9 billion ServiceMaster company, serving in various leadership capacities. He was Vice President of Arrow Leadership Development for Christian leaders and organizations in the world. Greg and Shelley have raised five thriving young adults.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Patrick Lencioni
President, The Table Group
The Wall Street Journal calls Pat, “one of the top 5 business speakers in America”. Pat is a devout Christian and he has written 13 books which have sold 8 million copies, such as The 6 Types of Working Genius, The Ideal Team Player and The Five Disfunctions of Teams. Pat will appear virtually and will speak about being READY as leaders with courage, humility and wisdom as we stand ready to represent Christ in the marketplace.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Lopez Lomong
USA Olympian, Refugee, Philanthropist and Humanitarian.
Lopez Lomong is one of the “Lost Boys of the Sudan” and he has run for his life from the killing fields of the Sudan all the way to the Olympic Games stadium representing team USA. He has outrun evil and achieved the impossible through faith, diligence and the desire to give back. Lopez was born in Kimotong, Sudan. At age 6 his childhood ended as he was separated from his parents and forced into a rebel prison camp where his captors intended to turn him into a child soldier. He escaped through a hole in the fence and began running for his life. Covering 60 miles in 3 days, he ended up in a Kenyan refugee camp where he lived for 10 years. One day, in the refugee camp, Lopez got to watch the Olympics on television and his dream to run as an athlete was born. By the time he arrived in the USA at the age of 16, he had already learned more about tragedy, loss, perseverance, and hope than most people learn in a lifetime. Lopez is a 2X Olympian and a 6X National Champion. His fellow Olympians voted him the honor of carrying the American flag into the stadium during the opening ceremonies in Beijing. In 2013 he set the American record in the indoor 5000m.
Lopez has partnered with World Vision to improve the lives of innocent casualties of the Sudanese Civil War, offering a better future to families in South Sudan in the areas of clean water, education, health care and nutrition. In 2012 Visa named him Humanitarian of the Year.
He enjoys cooking African food and spending time with his wife, Brittany, who works with NATO in Belgium.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Rob McKenna
Founder and CEO WiLD LEADERS, INC.
Author & TEDx Speaker
Dr. Rob McKenna has been named one of the top 30 I-O Psychologists alive today. He’s passionate about developing leaders and transforming the way we see the people in our organizations. He’s an author, company founder, TEDx Speaker, and has been featured in Forbes and Psychology Today. Dr. McKenna is focused on developing a generation of courageous and sacrificial leaders who bring thoughtfulness, conviction, hope, resourcing, strategic thinking and deeply rooted care to the institutions and people they serve.
Rob brings approachability, authenticity, expert knowledge, and humor to his talks. If “real” were a language, Dr. McKenna speaks it. He’s subtle catalyst, a data-backed realist, and a real-life disruptor. The models he uses are based on decades of research on leadership, team functioning, organizational health, and individual development.
Rob believes we have the tools at our fingertips to invest in our people the ways that are meaningful to them and will get the results we need. He is the author of several books, including Dying to Lead: Sacrificial Leadership in a Self-Centered World. His most recent book, Composed: The Heart and Science of Leading Under Pressure.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Bradley Metrock
CEO Project Voice
General Partner Project Voice Capital Partners
Bradley Metrock has been named one of the top 10 leaders in Conversational AI, a space slated to generate $6 billion in revenue for global business. He’s referred to as ‘the gravitational force of the tech universe.’ He leads the main conference for conversational AI and voice technology in the United States, Project Voice 2023. Metrock and his team are a hyper-powered engine and a focal point for the entire voice community. He wrote, “if you’re not delving into the AI waters, you’re falling behind. You have no hope of understanding how voice search is working now and will work in the future.”
Bradley is the CEO of Project Voice, which uses content and community to accelerate adoption of conversational AI. Metrock hosts the most listened to podcast on AI, This Week in Voice, and he writes the popular Substack newsletter This Week in Voice VIP. He’s also the General Partner of Project Voice Capital Partners, a venture capital fund identifying and investing in top-tier early-stage conversational AI companies.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Jim Morgan
Former President and CEO of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
When Jim Morgan arrived at Krispy Kreme he stepped into an unhealthy culture. For this turnaround, Morgan said it was not going to be just about selling more doughnuts to get the business back on its feet. “Let’s find a vision bigger than selling doughnuts,” he told the Krispy Kreme team. This led to the creation of their current mission and statements, “Our mission is to touch and enhance lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme. Our vision is to be the worldwide leader in sharing delicious tastes and creating joyful memories.” Jim says, ‘the employees just needed someone to to love them like Jesus does, so I did my best to love them.” By 2013, Krispy Kreme had made a significant turnaround as a company. All of this, Morgan noted, was a testament to culture change within the company rooted in his approach to creating a Christ glorying culture that values people.
Morgan resolved to but Christ in the center of his approach to business. He implemented Faith, Family, and Community Days in which employees were encouraged time to nourish their faith, spend time with family, and serve the community.
Jim Morgan, is the retired chairman and chief executive of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., and invests his time as the founder’s chair of Leighton Ford Ministries in Charlotte. Morgan has led six different companies, including as chairman and chief executive of Wachovia Securities. He also served on the boards of Coco-Cola Consolidated Inc., Lowe’s Cos. Inc., The YMCA of Greater Charlotte and Youth Commission International.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Tom Nelson
Executive Chairman of Made to Flourish
After years of pastoral ministry, Tom Nelson realized he’d spent the majority of his time preparing Christians in his church for Sunday mornings, neglecting the rest of their lives as workers. Tom realized he’d committed “pastoral malpractice,” neglecting to disciple his congregants in the world of their lives. He realized that worked needed a new story. Nelson and a team of church, business, and private sector partners launched Made to Flourish in order to “empower a growing network of pastors” to better engage, equip, and encourage each other as they integrate a more robust theology of faith, work, and economics into their churches. Closing the gap between Sunday and Monday is why Made to Flourish exisits.
Tom is the author of Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work and The Economics of Neighborly Love. Tom is also the senior pastor of Christ Community Church in Kansas City. He is on the Board of Regents of Trinity International University. He holds a Master’s of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Tom and his wife, Liz, have two grown children and reside in Leawood, Kansas.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Cheryl Scanlan
President of Way of Life Coaching
Cheryl Scanlan has coached leaders for over 10,000 hours. Of the 20,000+ coaches in the world, she’s one of the 4% certified as a Master Certified Coach. She has helped thousands of leaders achieve aggressive personal and team goals that revolutionize how they lead at home and at work. Cheryl is President of Way of Life Coaching, a coaching firm focused on the professional and personal development of its clients. She’s personally trained over 1,000 coaches and is the former executive of a $30 million dollar firm. She was raised in the Midwest and graduated from Pace University. Today Cheryl resides in North Carolina with her husband. Together, they’ve raised two boys.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker Richard Blackaby and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
Professor, Pepperdine University, Graziadio Business School
PhD, Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Dr. Cole Short
Dr. Shorts’ research article, "The Artificially Intelligent Entrepreneur” appeared in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights.
How can you use generative AI to write your next entrepreneurial pitch? What is prompt engineering and how can you do it?
Dr. Short will discuss key advantages, limitations, and unintended consequences of AI-generated content for entrepreneurs looking to use generative AI tools.
Experience the transformative power of Convene 2024, where brilliant minds unite to inspire, educate, and empower. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from Cole Short and other exceptional speakers who will share their insights and expertise. Register now and be part of an unforgettable experience!
President, Contact Center AI Association - Attorney
COO, ZMAXINC, Customer Service Outsourcing
Host of the CX, AI, and Outsourcing Podcast
John Walter
John frequently writes about how AI is transforming the customer support industry, the role devices play in shaping customer experience and how companies and customers will interact through these devices.