Thought Leaders Making An Impact In The World

The world needs people that think differently and do differently. It needs it for innovation. new ideas, breakthroughs in various areas that make the world a better place for us all. In this article we celebrate some wonderful and ambitious individuals from all over the world.

Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich 

Grant Van Ulbrich is pioneering the transformation of personal and organizational change management in a unique way to be truly successful.  From serving in the US Navy to becoming homeless twice and nearly dying due to a skiing accident, and then surviving bankruptcy from medical bills; he is a master at embracing and championing change success. Since then, he’s the first to complete a master’s and doctorate in leading sales transformation. In Dr Grant’s global research and sales transformation practice, he has created the 1st bespoke personal change model called SCARED SO WHAT.

His main role is leading global sales transformation for Royal Caribbean International.  London based, Dr. Grant champions change and sales transformation through science and psychology of sales and change.  He has also formulated his own company called SCARED SO WHAT Ltd and together with his partners, they have created the SCARED SO WHAT app and account management system giving organizations the ability to see change management data that leads to inclusive change success.  Dr Grant’s TEDx Imperial College talk in London was in April of 2023.  His talk posted live in August of 2023 and has since received over 1 million views. Follow Dr. Grant at www.scaredsowhat.com.


Tara LaFon Gooch 

With a vision centered around catalysing positive transformations within companies and teams through impactful keynote speaking and immersive workshops, Tara LaFon Gooch aims to be a catalyst for change in 2024. Her goal is to empower leaders, and organizations to reach new heights of success and fulfilment. Through dynamic and engaging presentations, her focus will be on fostering empowerment, gratitude, emotional intelligence, and confidence development.

Her keynote speeches inspire a renewed sense of purpose and confidence among team members. By weaving together, the principles of empowerment, gratitude, and emotional intelligence, these talks aim to create a workplace culture where every individual feels valued and motivated to contribute their best.

Workshops serve as interactive platforms for skill-building and personal development where participants engage in practical exercises designed to enhance emotional intelligence, boost confidence, and cultivate gratitude within the workplace. The goal is to equip teams with the tools they need to navigate challenges, communicate effectively, and foster a collaborative and empowered work environment.

Ultimately, Tara’s vision for 2024 is to leave a lasting impact on companies and teams, driving positive change and cultivating a culture of excellence. Through these endeavours, she will contribute to the success and well-being of individuals and organizations alike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuq-HJb_Qds
Jacine Greenwood 

For Jacine Greenwood, CEO of Roccoco Botanicals 2024 is all about sustainability and expansion.  The brand has already started the change with a rebrand with sustainable and refillable packaging which is expected to launch approximately early May.   12 months of research to find the right supplier to partner with so they could embrace their sustainability goals.  Roccoco is beginning the process of carbon auditing to have a baseline for their company this year.  Jacine Greenwood said, “Without these measurements how do we know how well we are doing”.

Roccoco started its first refillable option with its award-winning Ruby Crystal Cleanser in 2023.  The product is anhydrous, so the risk of contamination from refilling was negligible.  Embracing sustainability for the rest of the range wasn’t as an easy a task.

Australia’s most innovative brand is set for expansion into another 2 countries this year with Canada and India set on its horizons.  The brand is anticipated to launch into Canada in July, with many consumers and professional aestheticians patiently waiting for the brand to come.  “We have been getting begged for years to come to Canada”, Jacine said.  Roccoco will then be in 5 countries, something as a founder I never imagined possible when I started.

www.roccoco.com

Dr. Kim Brown 

Dr. Kim Brown is a renowned heart-centered NLP facilitator and world-class coach, recognized for her dedication to empowering conscious leaders. With a profound commitment to personal and professional growth, Kim’s transformative approach to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) has earned her widespread acclaim. 

Drawing upon her extensive background in health science and coaching, Kim specializes in guiding individuals to unlock their full potential and become impactful leaders in their respective fields. Her unique blend of empathy, intuition, and expertise enables her to connect deeply with clients, fostering a supportive environment for growth and development. 

Through her coaching practice, Kim empowers clients to cultivate self-awareness, overcome limiting beliefs, and harness their innate strengths. Her holistic approach to leadership development emphasizes authenticity, mindfulness, and compassionate communication. 

As a passionate advocate for conscious leadership, Kim is dedicated to fostering positive change in organizations and communities worldwide. She believes in the power of individuals to create meaningful impact and strives to support them on their journey towards personal and professional fulfilment. 

With her unwavering commitment to empowering conscious leaders, Kim continues to inspire transformation and elevate the standard of leadership excellence across the globe. 

www.drkimbrown.com/7-day-nlp-course

Sewanti Limaye, Sendurai Mani & John Tarantino

Sewanti Limaye and Sendurai Mani are not only the founders of Iylon Precision Oncology, LLC and its charitable subsidiary, Iylon Foundation, but they are also world leaders in this medical field.  In 2021, they started Iyon because they are committed to better care and treatment of cancer patients around the world and they knew that offering precision oncology consultations and recommendations to treating oncologists would improve care and treatment by leaps and bounds. They started with a small group of highly skilled academic precision oncologists to serve as advisors and consultants for Iylon and will soon have more than 50 such precision oncologists around the world, adding to their numbers every day, and further expanding not only their geographic reach, but their range of services.
 Dr. Limaye is a world-renowned oncologist who trained at some of the most prestigious academic universities and medical centers in the United States, including serving as faculty at Harvard and Columbia. She now gives back to her home country by providing treatment to her many patients in India and also, she is working with Iylon to provide precision oncology services around the world.

 Dr. Mani is one of the world’s foremost and highly cited cancer researchers. He was trained at prestigious academic centers in India and the United States, including IISc, MIT and MD Anderson Cancer Center. He currently heads the Mani Lab at the Legorreta Cancer Center and serves as a tenured professor and Associate Director for Translational Oncology at the Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School Legorreta Cancer Center.

In September 2023 Iylon relocated from Houston, TX to its new US headquarters in Providence, RI.  John Tarantino joined Iylon as its new CEO. John has a long career as a distinguished lawyer, business leader and philanthropist, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to Iylon. In October 2023, this team formed the Iylon Foundation and received generous grants to start a pilot program to provide free precision oncology services to patients in Rhode Island who cannot afford to pay for them, and it hopes to soon expand its grant funding to provide even more services to those who cannot otherwise afford these services.

 Dr. Sewanti, Dr. Mani , and Mr. Tarantino are committed to working together with the Iylon team to change cancer care and treatment as we know it.

The future of cancer care is here today, and it’s called Iylon Precision Oncology.

www.iylon.com 

Greg Zlevor

Greg Zlevor, a distinguished authority in executive leadership development and education, has honed his expertise over a remarkable career spanning 25+ years. As the President and Founder of Westwood International, Greg has guided numerous companies across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia, empowering their leaders to achieve unparalleled success.

With a portfolio of seven Amazon best-selling books to his name, Greg’s insights and strategies have garnered widespread acclaim and recognition in the industry. His thought leadership and extensive experience make him the go-to expert for organizations seeking transformative leadership development.

Beyond his professional achievements, Greg’s visionary approach extends to philanthropy. Through Westwood International, he leads a noble mission to support not-for-profit organizations dedicated to uplifting homeless children and at-risk youth across the United States, Mexico, Thailand, India, and South America.

Join Greg on a transformative journey, where you will unlock your leadership potential, create a lasting impact on a global scale, and become a driving force in today’s ever-evolving business landscape.

www.westwoodintl.com

Emilio Justo  

Emilio M. Justo, M.D.’s life is an inspiration. Born in Cuba, he fled as a refugee with his parents to the U.S., overcame poverty and discrimination, and achieved super success as a Physician, Medical Director, Cosmetic Surgeon, two-time international TEDx speaker. Now he’s added author, master teacher, and visionary to his legacy. His Quantum Sustained Success Strategies will unlock your potential for sustained super-success. Dr. Justo’s teachings are proven, inspirational and lasting.

Dr. Emilio Justo is not your ordinary eye surgeon. After spending the last 35 years professionally becoming a renowned cataract and oculoplastic surgeon in the Phoenix, Arizona (USA) metroplex and having performed over 50,000 surgical procedures. Although still practicing eye surgery full time, Dr. Justo has continued to evolve his life’s mission to inspire and motivate youth, young adults and even parents to personal and professional levels of unparalleled success.

Dr. Justo’s first talk at TEDxCherryCreekHS titled “Delayed Gratification: Your Superpower to Success” has garnered over 4 million views to date. His second talk at TEDxWesternU titled “Unleashing the Drive Within: The OBSESSION Advantage to Unprecedented Success” was just recently delivered with the video pending for publication.

https://www.dremiliojusto.com

Richard Vague 

Richard Vague is the author of The Paradox of Debt, which presents a new view of macroeconomics, The Case for a Debt Jubilee, a policy exploration of debt relief, An Illustrated Business History of the United States, the story of our nation’s business progress, A Brief History of Doom, a chronicle of major world financial crises, and The Next Economic Disaster, a book with a new approach for predicting and preventing financial crises.

Richard also serves as managing partner of Gabriel Investments, an early-stage venture capital company, and president of Widehall LLC, a Washington, DC based, globally engaged strategic communications and events consulting firm. He is also Vice Chair of the board of the Public-School Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in Pennsylvania.

He previously served Secretary of Banking and Securities for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. as Chair of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and as board trustee for the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System.

He was co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Energy Plus, an electricity and natural gas supply company, and co-founder and CEO of two consumer credit card banks, First USA, and Juniper Bank. He currently serves as chair of the boards of several venture-backed firms.

Richard currently serves on the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees, along with the Board of Penn Medicine and its Executive Committee. In 2012, Mr. Vague established the Richard W. Vague Endowed Professorship in Immunotherapy to provide financial support for a professorship in the field of immunotherapy at the Perelman School of Medicine. At the same time Mr. Vague established the Richard W. Vague Pancreatic Cancer Immunotherapy Research Fund to provide financial support for work in pancreatic cancer performed at the Abramson Cancer Centre.

He is chair of the advisory board of the University of Pennsylvania Press, and chair of the Innovation Advisory Board of the Abramson Cancer Centre. He also serves on the Governing Board of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, the board of the University City Science Centre, and the board of the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia. He is the founder of the economic data service Tychos (tychosgroup.org), which specializes in analysing private debt trends, and the email newsletter service Delanceyplace.com, which focuses on non-fiction literature.

Tony Martignetti

Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Change Management, Executive Coaching, and Conference Speaking

Tony helps leaders stay grounded in chaotic times

Tony is a leadership advisor, best-selling author, podcast host, and speaker. Tony brings together over 30 years of business and leadership experience and extreme curiosity to elevate leaders and equip them with the tools to navigate through change and unlock their true potential. Tony has been recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the Top Voices in Leadership and by LeadersHum as one of the Biggest Voices in Leadership.

Before becoming the founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Inspired Purpose Partners, Tony was a finance and strategy executive with experience working with some of the world’s leading life sciences companies. Along his journey, he also managed small businesses and ran a financial consulting company.

Tony hosts The Virtual Campfire podcast and is the author of Climbing the Right Mountain: Navigating the Journey to An Inspired Life and Campfire Lessons for Leaders: How Uncovering Our Past Can Propel Us Forward. Tony has been featured in many publications, including Fast Company, Forbes, Life Science Leader, CEOWORLD, and CEO Today.

Naveen Athresh

Naveen Athresh is a TEDx speaker, a Forbes India 2020 Top 100 Leader/Manager, and the founder of Liquidmind AI.

Liquidmind AI envisions a future where customer empathy/trust leveraging technology platforms transcends mere transactional activity making it a force for positive transformation through commerce and financial inclusivity. Their mission is to harness AI and ML/neural networks in the realm of Digital Commerce and Fintech.

Their journey has been fuelled by over 23 years of experience in building successful ‘bias for execution’ focused 0 to 1 start-ups through sound product management and interaction design. They have prior experience building world-class teams across India, USA, Japan, and ASEAN, driven by a singular purpose: delivering impactful products and platforms to customers and businesses, covering industries from high technology to Fintech, telecom, and omnichannel retail.

Naveen believes that customer obsession lies at the bedrock of Liquidmind AI’s first principles innovation strategy. Liquidmind AI believes in meaningful IP creation and weaving technology into the fabric of human/societal well-being, whilst shaping the global digital commerce and Fintech landscape.

Naveen regularly engages with audiences at IITs, IIMs, and regional technology institutions/B-schools, spreading the message that technology, when wielded with a sense of purpose, can be a beacon of progress to create good to great and lasting companies.

You can watch Naveen’s impactful TEDx talk here: https://youtu.be/Gbr19NqGt-A?si=1EaYqbdXAPDzY6rr

Beth Egan 

My passion lies in creating connections. I have focused that passion on creating connections between brands and people through creating meaningful experiences. I now show others how to get to an understanding of the meaning behind brands and how that connects to the people they serve. The complexity of the media landscape and how it brings us together today makes this an imperative.

With 25+ years of experience in the advertising media business combined with my research and teaching as an Associate Professor of Advertising at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University I bring this unique approach to students and businesses alike. It is critical to lead our students in the continuously evolving digital media landscape, programmatic advertising and ensure they’re grounded in sound strategic decision making.

I am also the author of Media Planning Essentials (https://home.stukent.com/join/165-1D5), the first online, digital-first media planning textbook combined with Nielsen’s Commspoint Influence channel planning optimizer. This text offers students and entry-level folks alike a roadmap for creating their own integrated, engaging advertising experiences.

As a researcher, I am focused on identifying how consumers engage with and interpret branded content through psychophysiological measures. I am also working with folks to apply a machine learning approach to television ratings data to identify predictors of ad retention.

I have been a leader in providing strategic communications solutions built on sound business analytics, the understanding of deep consumer insights, a solid grounding in the holistic business situation and delivering creative, unique approaches to engaging consumers. I am passionate about these areas and available to share expertise for your company or your publication. Feel free to reach out here on LinkedIn.

Meena Srinivasan

My passion for transforming education began well before I co-founded Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL). For me, education is the vehicle for building a more compassionate and equitable world. During my 20+ year career, I’ve always been an educator-activist where Mindfulness and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) are ever present. I spent five and half years working in partnership with CASEL to implement SEL systemically in the Oakland Unified School District. During this time, I saw that implementation of SEL was ultimately ineffective unless we had leadership that embodied Emotional Intelligence, this led to the founding of TEL, a first-of-its-kind Fellowship program for educational leaders that centers on cultivating inner personal development in service of outer systemic transformation. At TEL we are creating a Beloved Community of educational leaders who are seeds of radical change in their communities and centre the voices of Educational Leaders of Color in the work we do (teleadership.org).

I speak and write on the importance of SEL and Mindfulness in Education as well as Emotional Intelligence and Belonging. I regularly connect with leaders across industries and have done keynotes with audiences of over 2000 and lead workshops in intimate small group settings. I’ve been practicing meditation and yoga for over 25 years and trained to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at UMASS Medical School, am a student of Ramchandra Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson) and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Thich Nhat Hanh. I’m on the Board of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation and was on the Advisory Board of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum’s exhibit, Yoga: The Art of Transformation, the first major exhibition to explore yoga. I’m also a National Board-Certified Teacher, hold a Clear Administrative Services Credential with the State of California and was a 2014 Hemera Foundation Contemplative Education Fellow.

I’ve written a number of publications including Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom, SEL Every Day: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning with Instruction in Secondary Classrooms, and Integrating SEL into Every Classroom Quick Reference Guide.

Bringing together my extensive experience teaching and leading in the fields of Mindfulness and SEL with an equity focus I’ve also created two online courses to help educators and educational leaders receive practical support on their journey to implement SEL into the classroom, schools, districts and beyond.

Learn more at www.meenasrinivasan.com

Kamales Lardi

Kamales Lardi stands as a beacon of innovation and strategic foresight in the realm of digital and business transformation. With over two decades of rich, cross-industry experience, she embodies the spirit of a visionary leader, recognized globally for her profound influence on digital transformation. Her philosophy, deeply rooted in leveraging the symbiotic power of technology and human ingenuity, has propelled her to the forefront of her field, earning her accolades as one of the “Top 10 Global Thought Leaders in Digital Transformation.” As the architect of Lardi & Partner Consulting, Kamales’s expertise spans a vast array of emerging technologies, including blockchain, AI, virtual and augmented reality, and more, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to driving meaningful change. Her work, underscored by the belief that diversity of thought is paramount in creating universally beneficial technology solutions, is not only transformative but also deeply human-centric. Kamales’s leadership is a testament to the potential of digital innovation to enrich lives, advocating for a future where technology and humanity converge to unlock exponential possibilities. Additionally, Kamales Lardi is a dynamic and engaging keynote speaker, renowned for her vast international experience. She has graced stages across the globe, captivating audiences with her insightful perspectives on digital transformation, innovation, and the future of technology, making her a sought-after speaker for conferences and corporate events worldwide. Kamales presented an highly successful talk at the TEDx Geneva in 2023 about “Revolutionizing the Technology Industry with a Values Contract”.

https://www.lardipartner.com/