Michael E. Kitces

Scott spent almost 10 years as a nightclub promoter in New York City before leaving to volunteer on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, West Africa as a volunteer photojournalist.

Returning home to New York City two years later, he founded the nonprofit organization charity: water in 2006. Turning his full attention to the global water crisis and the world’s 663 million people without clean water to drink, he created public installations and innovative online fundraising platforms to spread international awareness of the issue.

In twelve years, with the help of more than 1 million donors worldwide, charity: water has raised more than $350 million and funded nearly 30,000 water projects in 26 countries. When completed, those projects will provide over 8.5 million people with clean, safe drinking water.

Scott has been recognized on Fortune magazine’s list of 40 Under 40, Forbes’ Impact 30, and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, where he earned the #10 spot. He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and author of the New York Times Bestselling book Thirst.

Scott lives in New York City with his wife Viktoria, son Jackson and daughter Emma.

John DiJulius is the authority on world class customer service. He is an international consultant, keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of three customer service books. His newest book, The Relationship Economy (Greenleaf Books), was released in October. John utilizes his proven methodology with world class companies like The Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Nestlé, Marriott Hotels, PwC, Celebrity Cruises, Anytime Fitness, Progressive Insurance, Harley-Davidson, Chick-fil-A, and many more.

John isn’t just talking about it, he lives it, as a very successful entrepreneur. He is the founder of three businesses: The DiJulius Group, an international consulting firm focused on changing the world by creating a Customer Service Revolution, John Robert’s Spa, a chain of upscale salons in Northeast Ohio which has repeatedly been named one of the top 20 salons in America, and Believe in Dreams, a non profit that helps make dreams come true for deserving children.

John will demonstrate how you can make customer service your single biggest competitive advantage, become the brand customers cannot live without and make price irrelevant!

Patty McCord served as chief talent officer of Netflix for fourteen years and helped create the Netflix Culture Deck. Since it was first posted on the web, the Culture Deck has been viewed more than 15 million times, and Sheryl Sandberg has said that it “may be the most important document ever to come out of Silicon Valley.”

Patty participated in IPOs at Netflix and, before that, Pure Atria Software. A veteran of Sun Microsystems, Borland, and Seagate Technologies, she has also worked with small start-ups. Her background includes staffing, diversity, communications, and international human resources positions.

Currently, Patty coaches and advises a small group of companies and entrepreneurs on culture and leadership. She also speaks to groups and teams around the world.

Patty’s recently released book “Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility” will change how you think about work and the way a business should be run.

Michael Kitces is Head of Planning Strategy for Buckingham Wealth Partners, one of the nation’s largest providers of independent financial planning and turnkey wealth management services.

In addition, he is a co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, and New Planner Recruiting, the former Practitioner Editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, the host of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, and the publisher of the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning. In 2010, Michael was recognized with one of the FPA’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication and work in advancing the profession.

Sandra Joseph is a history-making Broadway star, a bestselling author, and a TEDx speaker. 

Ten years as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera earned her the record as the longest-running leading lady in the longest-running Broadway show of all time. Oprah calls her a Broadway legend and an inspiration.

Sandra has been seen on numerous national broadcasts, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, The Today Show, The View, and Oprah: Where Are They Now?.

She is the author of the #1 international Amazon bestselling book, Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons from 10 Years on Broadway and the coauthor of Your Creative Soul: Expressing Your Authentic Voice with five-time New York Times bestselling author Caroline Myss. 

Recognized for her thought leadership, Sandra is a member of The Transformational Leadership Council, a group of 100 top personal development professionals, founded by Jack Canfield.

www.SandraJoseph.com

Dr. Darshan Shah is a health and wellness specialist, well known surgeon, published author, tech entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Beautologie and Next|Health. Dr. Shah became one of the youngest doctors in the U.S. when he earned his medical degree at the age of 21. As an expert on all body systems, he has performed over 10,000 surgical procedures, including trauma surgery, general surgery and plastic/reconstructive procedures.

Ron Carson is Founder and CEO of the Carson Group, which serves financial advisors and investors through its businesses including Carson Group Coaching, Carson Group Partners and Carson Wealth.

Carson Group Coaching gives financial advisors a coach, a plan and accountability to get organized so they can deliver results for their clients. Carson Group Partners makes the complex simple for financial advisors by handling their marketing, compliance, technology, investment management and operations so they can grow their business.

The financial advisors at Carson Wealth are just as good at explaining investments as they are at making them so clients fully understand what’s happening with their money at every stage of their financial journey.

Jamie Hopkins is the Director of Retirement Research at Carson Group, a national wealth management firm that offers coaching and partnership to financial advisors.

A nationally recognized writer, researcher and educator, Jamie is a regular contributor for Forbes, InvestmentNews and MarketWatch.

He has been published in dozens of financial, educational and legal journals, and he’s the media’s go-to expert on retirement income planning and tax law.

Having built countless relationships with individuals and families all over the country, Paul holds the leadership role as Managing Partner of Carson Wealth.

“Working with people to help them achieve their lifelong dreams and financial goals excites me every day. Guiding our clients to make sound financial decisions all while serving as an Executive Leader of the Carson enterprise allows me an unprecedented opportunity to be bifocal – and it’s this perspective that makes my role in our organization so enjoyable and fulfilling.”

Inside the Carson enterprise, Paul is the former Managing Director of Carson Coaching. This role allowed Paul the ability to help both emerging and established advisors in many areas of their practice. It also led him into the current role he serves by advising clients of Carson Wealth, as well as serving as an Executive Leader for the enterprise.

Before joining Carson Wealth, Paul was both an owner and senior executive at a niche-focused RIA advising clients and spent more than nine years in leadership positions at a large broker/dealer where his responsibilities included branch development, recruiting, retention, technology, consulting and operations.

Paul received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and earned his MBA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Paul and his wife, Courtney, have three children, twins Cecilia and Liam, and son, Louie. Paul enjoys golf, traveling, working out and rooting for the Huskers.

Avery Johnson was introduced as Alabama’s 20th head men’s basketball coach on April 7, 2015. Johnson, who led the San Antonio Spurs to the 1999 NBA title as a player and was named the 2006 NBA Coach of the Year, came to the Capstone after a successful career in the NBA.

Johnson has turned many heads in the college basketball world during his three seasons at Alabama, as it didn’t take long for fans and student-athletes alike to heed his motto “Buckle Up” in reference to the excitement he expects his tenure will offer. Johnson owned an NBA career coaching record of 254-186 (.577) after spending four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks (2004-08) and two-plus seasons with the Brooklyn Nets (2010-13). Johnson, along with his wife Cassandra, are both very involved in the Tuscaloosa community. Johnson, who was ninth in a family of 10 kids, was raised in the New Orleans’ Lafitte Housing project.

As a result of his success, Johnson is known for his impactful and motivational speeches, bringing as much passion into his speaking engagements as he does into the game of basketball. Johnson’s passion extends to the ministry and mentoring of today’s youth. Through his involvement with the nonprofit organization “Just Say Yes”, Coach Johnson’s mission is to make a positive impact on middle and high school youth.

In October 2005, he was co-host of the Katrina Rescue Ride to benefit the Salvation Army and the Red Cross’ relief efforts of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, Johnson wrote his second book, “Aspire Higher: Winning On and Off the Court with Determination, Discipline and Decisions” (Collins), an essential game plan for anyone looking to reach their goals.

Dr. Darshan Shah is a health and wellness specialist, well known surgeon, published author, tech entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Beautologie and Next|Health.

As an expert on all body systems, he has performed over 10,000 surgical procedures, including trauma surgery, general surgery and plastic/reconstructive procedures. As a health and wellness specialist, he has advised thousands of patients on how to optimize their well-being and extend their lifespan, culminating in the creation of Next|Health, the “Apple Store” of Health and Wellness offering healthspan and lifespan extending technology and treatments in a beautiful, welcoming environment.

Dr. Darshan Shah started his training at an accelerated MD program at the age of 15 at the University of Missouri and earned his medical degree at the age of 21, becoming one of the youngest doctors in the United States. After surgical training in central California, Dr. Shah then continued his training at the Mayo Clinic, one of the most prestigious medical institutes in the county. After earning his board certification, he went on to open medical/surgical centers throughout California, as well starting innovative tech companies, creating patented medical devices, as well as advising dozens of startups in medicine, finance, and tech. Dr. Shah’s belief in continual education and self-improvement has earned him alumni status at Harvard Business School, Singularity University and other prestigious institutions.

Dr. Darshan Shah is the oldest of three children. He is very close to his family and attributes his success to the values of hard work, passion for everything you do, and relentless tenacity taught to him by his parents. He lives in Malibu, California with his wife, and two children and loves to travel, exercise, and has a passion to continuously educate himself and others.

Michael Kitces is a Partner and the Director of Wealth Management for Pinnacle Advisory Group, a private wealth management firm located in Columbia, Maryland that oversees approximately $1.8 billion of client assets.

In addition, he is a co-founder of the XY Planning Network and New Planner Recruiting, the former Practitioner Editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, the host of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, and the publisher of the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

In 2010, Michael was recognized with one of the FPA’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication and work in advancing the profession.

Mira Wilczek is President and CEO of Cogo Labs and a Senior Partner at Link Ventures. She serves on the Board of Directors at EverQuote, CareDash, and Hopjump, and the Advisory Board of Vestigo Ventures. She is also a Co-Director at the Brahe Educational Foundation.

In 2017 Mira was named Top 40 Under 40 by the Boston Business Journal. Prior to joining Cogo, Mira was founder and CEO of Red Panda Security, Principal Investigator under the DARPA CFT program, and Director of Business Development at Lyric Semiconductor, where she garnered industry recognition including TR50, Silicon 60, and an EE Times ACE Award and led the successful sale of the company to Analog Devices.

She started her career as an ethical hacker at IBM, architecting their first automated penetration testing platform. Mira holds patents both granted and pending in the fields of cyber security and sensor data fusion. She has an S.B. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, as well as an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Founder and CEO – Dollar Shave Club (DSC) Michael Dubin is a passionate, creative entrepreneur, executive and trailblazing brandbuilder with a unique style and an engaging voice that clearly resonates with male consumers. Under his leadership, DSC now boasts millions of members and was acquired by Unilever in July of 2016, making it the top exit in Los Angeles and one of the largest deals in ecommerce history.

The company has been recognized with several prestigious designations and awards including two Webbys, a CLIO Image Award, several Internet Retailer Excellence Awards, and an American Business Award. Dubin has been recognized by Ernst & Young as the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year, in Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and in Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative People in Advertising. DSC was also selected to Ad Age’s Marketer A List alongside major established brands such as Under Armour and Kohl’s, and previously won their “Best Out of Nowhere” Video Award. In addition to their successful razor products, DSC now offers nearly 30 unique grooming products across five different categories.

Dubin began his career as an NBC page, followed by an editorial stint at MSNBC news. He then transitioned into Digital Marketing, developing custom content for brand advertisers including Gatorade and EA and on behalf of properties such as Time Inc. and SI.com. Just before DSC, Dubin worked in the video seeding space, creating and driving engagement to branded content made by the likes of LG, Ford, Capital One, Taco Bell and other major brands.

Dubin is passionate about content, comedy and entertainment, having studied Improv and Sketch for over eight years at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York. He has a BA in History from Emory University and lives happily in Venice, CA but misses the thunderstorms of the East Coast.

Two-time World Champion skier Chris Davenport is widely regarded as one of the premier big mountain skiers in the world today. Among his many ski mountaineering achievements, in 2007 Chris became the first person to ski all fifty-four of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks in less than one year.

He has numerous first descents of peaks around the globe under his belt, and recently guided and skied on Mt. Everest Chris has been featured in more than thirty ski films by Warren Miller and Matchstick Productions. He is also a TV commentator for ESPN, ABC sports, and Outside Television, Chris is an Olympic (2010) and World Cup announcer for ski racing events. He most recently did live show for Squaw Valley USA World Cup races and the 2017 FIS World Cup finals at Aspen.

Chris is the author of two beautiful coffee-table books that celebrate North America’s mountains, Ski The 14ers and Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America. He was recently named one of ESPN’s “10 Greatest American Freeskiers of all Time”. Chris is an honored member of the USA Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame.

Chris serves as a Director of non-profits Protect Our Winters, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) the Aspen Valley Ski Club, and New Hampshire’s Holderness School. When not traveling the globe Chris resides in Aspen, Colorado with his wife and three boys.

Jeremy Siegel is the Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and currently serves as Senior Investment Strategy Advisor of WisdomTree Investments, Inc., consulting the firm on its proprietary stock indexes.

He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1971 and spent one year as a National Science Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard University. Prof. Siegel joined the Wharton faculty in 1976. He has written and lectured extensively about the economy and financial markets, and appears frequently on CNN, CNBC, NPR and others networks. He is a regular columnist for Kiplinger’s and Yahoo! Finance and has contributed articles to The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, The Financial Times and other international news media. He is currently the academic director of the U.S. Securities Industry Institute.

Prof. Siegel has authored numerous professional articles and three books. His best known, Stocks for the Long Run, was named by the Washington Post as one of the ten best investment books of all time. His latest, The Future for Investors, was published in 2005 and named one of the best business books of the year by Business Week, Financial Times, and Barron’s.

Colonel Athens is the Director of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership and a member of the Academy’s Senior Leadership Team.

Colonel Athens retired from the Marine Corps in July 2008 with over 30 years of combined active duty and reserve service. As a Marine Officer, he commanded units in the 3rd and 4th Marine Aircraft Wings, served with the U.S. Space Command and instructed at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1, the Marine Corps’ equivalent of the Navy’s Top Gun School.

Additionally, he was a White House Fellow under President Ronald Reagan; the Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident; the Executive Director of OCF, a worldwide non-profit organization helping military personnel integrate their faith and profession; the Commandant of the United States Merchant Marine Academy; and the Naval Academy’s first Distinguished Military Professor of Leadership.