Featured Speakers

Brian Daniel is President and CEO of Carroll Daniel, Inc., a construction, and engineering firm based in Gainesville, GA with offices in Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, Greenville, SC and Mobile, AL. Carroll Daniel provides project planning, engineering, procurement, and construction services for industrial and public markets across the Southeastern US. Carroll Daniel is an award winning and nationally recognized industry leader, consistently ranking among the nation’s Top 400 Contractors by Engineering News Record Magazine. Brian serves as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority; Member of the Consulting Contractors’ Council of America, Member of the Associated General Contractors of America Board of Governors, Current Member and Past President of the Associated General Contractors of Georgia Board of Directors, and Past Chairman of the Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors.

Holly Ransom is a global voice on leadership, change, and highperformance cultures—helping leaders lead what’s next.

As CEO of Emergent Global, Holly advises Fortune 500 companies, governments, and trailblazing brands like Microsoft, Virgin, and P&G on how to build future-ready teams, drive cultural change, and lead through complexity.

A globally sought-after keynote speaker, emcee and master interviewer, Holly has captivated audiences in 25+ countries across 6 continents—and is trusted by brands like Coca-Cola, Volvo, Mastercard, and EY to elevate their most critical events.

When Barack Obama visited Australia in 2018, he personally selected Holly to moderate their conversation. Since then, she’s interviewed, leaders and icons including—Sir Richard Branson, Malala Yousafzai, Malcolm Gladwell, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Venus Williams, Brené Brown and Matthew McConaughey—transforming every exchange into a masterclass in leadership through her signature mix of curiosity, clarity, and fearless questioning.

Holly has earned the U.S. Embassy’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Leadership Excellence, co-chaired the G20 Youth Summit, and the UN’s Coalition of Young Women Entrepreneurs. She delivered a Peace Charter to the Dalai Lama and is a Fulbright Scholar from Harvard Kennedy School, Class of 2021.

She is also the co-founder , event designer, and lead moderator of Energy Disruptors: UNITE, the award-winning summit voted Canada’s Best Conference three times.

Her bestselling book, The Leading Edge, is a practical playbook for navigating disruption and unlocking high-performance cultures— used by leaders and teams across the globe.

Offstage, Holly is passionate about mentoring the next generation, championing intergenerational collaboration, and bringing leadership insights to the world of high-performance sport. When she’s not advising global leaders or igniting rooms full of changemakers, you’ll find her on a sunrise run, baking something delicious, or brushing up on her already impressive Spanish.

Janelle Pogodzinski is VP – Chief Human Capital Officer for J.F. Brennan Companies, Inc., bringing more than 25 years of human resources and executive leadership experience across construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. A strategic and results-driven leader, she is known for driving large-scale business transformation, building high-performing teams, and aligning people strategy with operational excellence.

Janelle has led complex organizations through growth and change, modernizing business practices, improving profitability, and fostering cultures rooted in collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability. She holds an MBA from Viterbo University and a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. A sought-after speaker and mentor, Janelle is deeply committed to workforce development, leadership empowerment, and advancing opportunities in the skilled trades.

Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 10 books. His titles, including Soundtracks, Finish and All It Takes Is A Goal, have sold more than one million copies. Named one of Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, he’s delivered keynotes to companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, and Comedy Central. Host of the popular podcast All It Takes Is a Goal, Jon has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to overcome overthinking and finish what matters most. Jon lives outside of Nashville with his wife and two daughters.

From the NFL to the finals of America’s Got Talent, Jon combines world-class magic with an awe-inspiring personal journey. Whether it’s a keynote, corporate event, or conference, Jon delivers your organization’s message through a powerful personal story that moves audiences and keeps them talking for years.

With 14 years in the NFL as a professional athlete, a finalist on America’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent: The Champions, a regular on the ELLEN Show, and a world-class speaker on Fortune 500 stages, Jon shares his inspiring journey from tragedy to self discovery.

It’s an extraordinary and empowering story of resilience, forgiveness, and living a life of purpose in the face of unfathomable obstacles.

He seamlessly incorporates your company’s message through storytelling and world-class magic. Your audience is sure to be motivated and aligned with your organization’s mission by the end of his insightful and inspiring keynote presentation.

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