Top 150 Entrepreneurship Speakers
- By Brendan Egan
- Nov 02, 2022
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor estimates the U.S. is home to more than 31 million entrepreneurs. When starting a new business, the average age of an entrepreneur is 42, and more than half of these small businesses have less than $25,000 starting out. More surprising is that 33% start with less than $5,000, which is the perfect example of what being an entrepreneur is about.
With the right motivation, product, or service, entrepreneurship is an achievable goal. Anyone can do it, but not everyone will become a success. One out of five new businesses closes within a year of opening, and that means four out of five will be successful. Our top 150 entrepreneurship speakers share their successes and mistakes to help others gain insight into the things they may be doing wrong (or right) while growing a business or searching for a new career.
1. Daymond John
Talk about a success story! Daymond John founded a clothing company in his mom’s basement, and she even taught him how to sew to get him started. He and a friend started selling fishing hats and t-shirts before his mom mortgaged her house to get him the start-up funding he needed. That was the kick FUBU needed to become a success with more than $6 billion in global sales. His success landed him a personal invitation to become an investor on ABC’s Shark Tank.
Dealing with skin issues that were exacerbated by many of the cosmetics she could find in stores, Jamie Kern Lima created IT Cosmetics in her living room. That skincare brand sold to L’Oréal for $1.2 billion, plus she became the first CEO of a L’Oréal brand in the company’s century-long history. She shares her experience of becoming a successful billionaire entrepreneur with audiences around the country.
3. Safi Bahcall
Dr. Safi Bahcall is the author of Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries . After getting his B.A. at Harvard and Ph.D. at Stanford, Dr. Bahcall took a position at McKinsey & Company, but he left that position and founded Synta Pharmaceuticals, a company specializing in drugs that treat cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. He won the Ernst & Young “New England Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical Entrepreneur of the Year” for his work at Synta.
4. Josh Linkner
Not only is Josh Linkner an entrepreneur, founding ePrize and four other tech companies, but he’s also mentored or invested in more than 100 other start-ups. He’s the founder of Detroit Venture Partners and thrives on creative thinking and problem-solving to come up with new businesses. With two “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards from Ernst & Young, he has many insights to share.
Kevin O’Leary is a noted entrepreneur, and he has grown a lot since the 1970s when he learned some of his important business skills interning and working for Nabisco. He moved on to be the co-founder of an independent production company, but he sold his share and started his new company from his basement. As it was a software publisher and distributor, it did well and led to the acquisition of The Learning Company (TLC). It all brought him to his role at Shark Tank today.
She was the first African-American woman to build a multi-billion-dollar company. ActOne Group is a workforce solutions and staffing company with offices around the world. Janice Bryant Howroyd received the “2022 Women of the Year” award from Black Enterprise and the very first BET Honors “Entrepreneur of the Year.” Entrepreneurship, business, and women’s empowerment are some of her many possible talking points at events.
7. Ed Mylett
Ed Mylett was young when he decided that he wouldn’t waste time and effort working for others. He thought it beneficial to be his own boss. His entrepreneurial goals came from a young age and led to him becoming the founder of a Californian management consulting firm, Ed Mylett Show. Along the way, he’s learned very important lessons that he loves sharing with his audience.
8. Pat McAfee
Following his NFL career, Pat McAfee entered into the world of entrepreneurship with Pat McAfee Inc. He spends time as a stand-up comedian, leading to amusing presentations on his experiences owning his own business, and he’s a WWE announcer and college football analyst. He’s also the founder of The Pat McAfee Foundation, a non-profit that helps children of U.S. military personnel, helping solidify his experience in many aspects of business and media.
Lavinia Errico’s expertise in the world of entrepreneurship expands into workplace and wellness, female-led workplaces, value-driven, and spiritual aspects. She delights in talking to audiences about the best methods for building a business in ways that extend beyond revenues to ensure that you are happy and fulfilled.
10. Ian Siegel
Have you heard of ZipRecruiter? Ian Siegel founded the company in 2010 and continues to lead as the company’s CEO. It’s just one of many companies he’s helped build. He held executive leadership roles with CitySearch, Rent.com, and Stamps.com. He was the CPO at Mylife.com, VIP of Product at Pictage, Inc., and a director with Viva Group. He’s worked for others and created great success as an entrepreneur.
11. Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson holds many honors, including being Canada’s Most Powerful Women “Top 100 Hall of Fame” and Pinnacle Award for “Entrepreneurial Excellence.” You may recognize her from Dragons Den, but she’s also the General Partner of District Ventures Capital and a sought-after public speaker.
You won’t find a better sports and business entrepreneur for your next event or corporate gathering. Dan “Big Cat” Katz hosts the Barstool Sports podcast Pardon My Take. He also partners with Alex Rodriguez at A-Rod Corp and is co-host of The Corp podcast.
13. Raj Sheth
Raj Sheth took his degree in finance and entrepreneurship and worked for EMC Corporation for three years before taking a big step and starting his own company. A few years later, he launched a B2B software company, Recruiterbox, and grew that to over $3 million in revenues before he even considered hiring salespeople. Building on that success, he purchased a failing company and turned it around by rewriting the software product and selling it at a 300% profit. He excels at taking something from 0 to 100 without many resources to help him.
14. Whitney Johnson
She’s been named one of the ten “Leading Business Thinkers in the World.” Whitney Johnson also was a 2020 honoree with Inc. 5000. She’s the CEO of Disruption Advisors and is a popular Harvard Business Publishing lecturer. Her LinkedIn course on “The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship” has more than 1 million views, making her one of the most popular entrepreneur speakers out there.
15. Nastia Liukin
Nastia Liukin is a former Olympic gold medalist turned entrepreneur speaker. She’s the founder of The Muse Collective, a podcast sharing stories from today’s leading entrepreneurs. Those stories share the good and bad, and the mistakes these experts have experienced along the way.
16. Molly Bloom
Molly Bloom went from being a world-class skier, who’d been told scoliosis would end her athletic career, to the creator of one of the world’s most elite private poker games drawing players like Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio. Her entrepreneurial spirit and knowledge have led to her speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and founding One World Group.
17. Vineet Nayar
Vineet Nayar was the CEO of HCL Technologies before founding Sampark Foundation. His company has helped more than 10 million children gain a meaningful education in more than 84,000 schools. Thinkers put him on its “50 List” in 2011 and 2012. He’s also been on Fortune’s “Executive Dream Team.” As an entrepreneur, he strives for social change and putting employees before customers.
18. Amanda Nguyen
She’s the founder of Rise and was nominated for a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. She was Time’s “2022 Woman of the Year.” Amanda Nguyen is a sexual assault survivor who took her experience to urge the government to heighten laws to protect rape victims, including the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights that she drafted. She’s directed an award-winning documentary, served at both the White House and NASA, and is a two-time Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree.
19. Charlene Li
Charlene Li has written six books on leadership, digital transportation, and customer experiences. She founded Altimeter, a disruptive analyst firm. She’s an entrepreneur specializing in disruption and creativity.
20. Linda Bernardi
Her expertise as an entrepreneur has covered every possible sector. Linda Bernardi strives to help others with business imagination, disruption, and innovation to ensure what seems impossible is turned into a reality. She’s the co-founder and CEO of XdMind Inc., a company that uses AI to blend music with video games. Instead of gamers listening to the same songs over and over and growing sick of them, XdMind finds music that goes with the game and customizes a unique playlist.
21. Randy Hetrick
Randy Hetrick went from being a 14-year Navy SEAL officer to an entrepreneur and inventor. During deployment, he needed a way to stay in shape. He used parachute cables and belts to build the prototype for the bestselling Suspension Trainer and his business TRX. He has more than 30 patents now and the reality TV series Sweat Inc. He’s one of Entrepreneur’s “50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs.”
22. Tan Le
Tan Le is the founder and CEO of EMOTIV. You may not have heard of this company, but you need to. EMOTIV created a line of “brainwear” that’s non-invasive and reads your brainwaves to help you manipulate and control virtual objects. As an entrepreneur, she’s written a book, been named a National Geographic “Emerging Explorer,” and has a portrait in the National Portrait Gallery of Australia due to her contributions to the world.
23. Juliet Funt
Her book A Minute to Think has earned high praise among business leaders. Juliet Funt is the founder and CEO of Juliet Funt Group, a boutique efficiency firm specializing in eliminating busy work. Her tough-love approach has helped many companies develop stronger teams as workers are able to grow and prove their worth without burning out on overtime or pointless tasks.
24. Dan Seewald
He’s a popular TED Talk speaker and innovation thought leader. Dan Seewald strives to get large corporations to act like start-ups. Before founding his corporate innovation advisory and a woman’s health and wellness start-up, he was head of Pfizer’s World Wide Innovation. It was there that he started the Dare to Try™ corporate innovation program. He also has an MBA in political economy and entrepreneurship.
25. Christina Qi
She’s the CEO of the on-demand market data platform called Databento. Before that, she founded a hedge fund that was trading up to $7.1 billion per day. Domeyard was founded from her college dorm with just $1,000. She’s an expert in entrepreneurship and growing your company from practically nothing.
26. Arvid Ali
Arvid Ali was the global managing director for Olympic medalist Shaun White’s company and president of Jordan Belfort’s corporations. By the age of 26, he was able to return. He’s moved on to charitable causes and founded a non-profit for free business and meditation training. He’s also the CEO of the Hiring Strategy Group.
27. Barb Stegemann
After her friend was wounded in Afghanistan, Barb Stegemann became an entrepreneur and launched The 7 Virtues, a company that uses fair trade, organic essential oils from war-torn areas. She started her company in her garage and has turned it into a popular brand sold in stores like Sephora. Her talks as an entrepreneur speaker use humor to keep the audience hooked.
28. Minda Harts
Before starting her own company, Minda Harts was in fundraising. She left that career to found The Memo LLC, a career development company that aids in the career advancement of women of color. She’s also a career advice columnist for Well & Good and the host of the Secure the Seat podcast.
29. David Meltzer
He’s the CEO of Sports 1 Marketing, a sports and entertainment marketing agency. Before that, he was CEO of the world’s first smartphone and then CEO of a sports agency. He’s spoken to audiences around the world about entrepreneurship and is the chairman of the Unstoppable Foundation, an organization dedicated to educating children and communities.
30. Nyjah Huston
He is a six-time world champion and 13-time X Games gold medalist in professional street skating. At age 11, Nyjah Huston became the youngest X Games competitor. He’s a 2021 Dew Tour World Champion and 2021 Time100 Next honoree. As an entrepreneur, he released a signature shoe with Nike in 2018 and then a second signature shoe followed.
31. Lisa Bloom
Lisa Bloom’s path to starting one of the largest civil rights law firms in the country started with undergrad studies at UCLA. She gained her J.D. degree at yale before working in New York. Two of her biggest cases as a young lawyer were to file a child sexual abuse suit against the Roman Catholic Church and to sue the Boy Scouts of America for sex discrimination. She switched to TV where she was a legal analyst for several years, but she founded the Bloom Firm and went on to represent people in high-profile cases, including sexual harassment or sexual assault cases against Bill O’Reilly and Bill Cosby.
32. Rosie Rivera
As an entrepreneur, Rosie Rivera co-hosts The Power of Us podcast with her husband. She was the CEO of her late sister’s company, Jenni Rivera Enterprises. She’s an author and co-host of a couple of Spanish morning shows. She’s also a sexual abuse survivor and travels the country talking about sexual assault, domestic violence, and rape.
For 20 years, Shabnam Mogharabi has specialized in start-ups focusing on television and digital video development, media production, storytelling, news, and social platforms. She was an advisor to Participant, the parent company of SoulPancake (a company she founded with actor Rainn Wilson). Her path to this point started with her role as the youngest editor-in-chief at Hanley Wood Business Media and the youngest winner of the Jesse H. Neal Award.
34. Erik Qualman
He’s a 5x bestselling author and popular keynote speaker on topics like digital leadership and entrepreneurship. Erik Qualman earned an honorary doctorate for What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube, he wrote and produced Social Media Revolution, and he’s the founder of Equalman Studios.
35. Alyssa Petersel
Alyssa Petersel is the CEO and founder of MyWellbeing, a service that connects people with a therapist or coach that fits their needs while also helping mental health providers build their businesses. She’s been named one of Crain’s “New York Business Notable Women” and is on Forbes’ “30 Under 30 2021.” She’s a licensed therapist and author of Somehow I Am Different.
36. Marita Cheng
Marita Cheng is the founder and CEO of the tech firm Aubot. One of her company’s products, Teleport, is a telepresence robot that allows children with chronic health issues to still attend school. Teleport also helps people with disabilities be able to work, and it helps provide companionship to elderly adults. The robots have also been sold to businesses looking for innovative security technology. She’s been honored several times over the years, including being named the 2012 Young Australian of the Year.
37. Nir Bashan
He’s the author of The Creator Mindset, a book on innovation and creativity. Nir Bashan’s grown a successful business helping others how to grow profits, increase sales, and improve customer service through innovative and creative thinking and measures. He’s helped companies like Ace Hardware and Suzuki, but he’s also helped celebrities like Woody Harrelson become household names.
38. Robert Owens
Robert Owens is a former Air Force Special Ops Pararescueman and one of the first Ironman Triathletes. Always looking for new challenges, he was an athletic chaplain for two decades and a business consultant traveling to more than two dozen countries over the years. After competing in 11 Ironman competitions, he decided to get into better shape by training at SEALFIT. As an entrepreneurship speaker, one of his many talking points is the 20x Principle, which shows you have 20 times more potential than you might believe.
39. Mark Coopersmith
Mark Coopersmith is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, founding many of his start-ups like WebOrder, a start-up acquired by Google. His experience led to him writing a book that details his “7 Stage Failure Value Cycle” and his job teaching innovation and entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley.
40. Lewis Howes
Lewis Howes is a survivor of sexual abuse and bullying due to his learning disability. He went from living on his sister’s sofa to finding success with his book The School of Greatness. He’s overcome obstacle after obstacle and uses the lessons he’s learned to become a popular keynote speaker, lifestyle entrepreneur, and business coach.
41. Anthony Frasier
ABF Creative is a Webby award-winning podcast network and production company. Anthony Frasier is the founder and CEO. Since launching the platform, more than 5 million downloads and streams have taken place. Going back to his roots in Newark, he has an amazing story to tell of how he went from the streets to his success in Silicon Valley and his popularity as an entrepreneurship speaker.
42. Dale Moss
Dale Moss is the first bachelor to get the final rose on The Bachelorette during the 4th episode. He’s a media personality, model, ex-NFL player, celebrity spokesperson, and entrepreneur. Among his successes are producing campaigns for brands like Cadillac, Nike, and United Airlines. He’s also on the board of The Lonely Entrepreneur, an organization that assists minorities, women, and former athletes with vital business skills.
43. Bedros Keulian
Fit Body Boot Camp has been named to Entrepreneur’s “500 Fastest Growing Franchises” twice, and it’s a company Bedros Keuilian founded. His specialty is helping businesses, celebrities, sports personalities, and entrepreneurs brand and market themselves.
44. Jay Acunzo
Jay Acunzo excels in creative thinking, leadership, and start-ups. He worked for Google as a digital media strategist. He was Head of Content at HubSpot and the VP of Brand and Community at NextView Ventures. Through all of this, he also created an award-winning podcast, Unthinkable, founded Marketing Showrunners, and co-founded Boston Content, the largest community of content creators and marketers in the northeast.
45. Alana Stott
She’s the author of She Who Dares and calls herself a “one-woman media machine.” Alana Stott founded and developed Wolfraven Omnimedia, but she was also Mrs. Scotland, the CEO of a security firm, a bodyguard, a consultant to non-profits, and Close Protection Officer. That’s just a small list of the organizations she’s headed, helped, or created.
46. Dag Kittlaus
Many people use one of Dag Kittlaus’ first products. If you’ve ever used Siri, you’ve interacted with one of his first products. He founded Siri while he was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SRI. He founded his second AI company, Viv, in 2012, intending to bring AI worldwide to allow people to talk to everything.
47. Brent Gleeson
Brent Gleeson is the founder and CEO of TakingPoint Leadership, a workplace consulting firm. He’s a former SEAL Team 5 member and co-founder of Internet Marketing Inc. His consulting practice has helped many companies and led to awards from both Brand Diego and Entrepreneur. He’s a popular keynote speaker and leads workshops on team-building and entrepreneurship.
From his days as the CEO of Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Coors Brewing Company, Frits Van Paasschen has broadened his horizons and strives to help others by sharing his insights. He’s the author of The Disruptors’ Feast and now travels the globe talking to audiences about the keys to evolving a business and thriving even as situations and environments change.
49. Lora DiCarlo
Some of the best entrepreneurships start by solving a personal issue. Lora DiCarlo came up with a women’s sexual health product and had to work hard to normalize sexual health. She won an award for her innovative technology, only to have the Consumer Technology Association take away the award due to her product being taboo. It sparked a conversation about gender equity and led to her getting the award reinstated. Her products are improving lives and breaking barriers.
50. Brad Yasar
Brad Yasar is the founder of Beyond Enterprizes, a firm focused on advisory, strategic leadership, and technical leadership in the development and use of blockchain. As a knowledgeable entrepreneur, he also mentors, advises, and invests in more than 100 companies through his company Yasar Corporation. He co-founded Blockchain Investors Consortium and is the CEO of EQIFI.
51. Darren Prince
Barely into his teens, Darren Prince founded a mail-order company selling baseball cards. He’d travel around the nation attending trade shows. He sold that company at the age of 20 and focused on private signings for sports and celebrity memorabilia. He started Prince Marketing Group in 1995 and landed Magic Johnson as his first client. He’s grown his company into a multi-million-dollar business with more than $200 million in deals.
52. Laura Dixon
Laura Dixon’s company Pro Sports Assembly is an association for professional sports business leaders. In addition to this company, she’s the founder of Long Game Ventures, a firm that invests in and consults with businesses that impact lives through sports. As a guest speaker, Laura’s expertise is in entrepreneurship, leadership skills, equitable practices, and strategic thinking.
53. Demarcus Ware
Demarcus Ware retired from the NFL in 2016 and became a pass-rush consultant in 2018. He’s an entrepreneur speaker who strives to help people find their focus and drive, develop a winning mentality, and build a strong foundation for success.
54. Heather Monahan
Not only is Heather Monahan a Glass Ceiling Award winner, but she’s also Thrive Global’s “2018 Limit Breaking Female Founder.” She’s the creator of the Creating Confidence podcast, author of Confidence Creator, and founder of Boss In Heels.
55. Adam Bremen
Adam Bremen was born with cerebral palsy and has spent his life in a wheelchair. He decided not to let his wheelchair be his excuse for being overweight and used a keto-based diet to lose weight. That was his path into entrepreneurship. He founded CanDo and released the Keto Krisp, a keto-friendly snack bar. He shares his message that no obstacle is too much to overcome.
After taking her daughter shopping and realizing there were no dolls with realistic proportions, Jodi Bondi Norgaard founded her own company, Dream Big Toy Company, and created Go! Go! Sports Girls. She’s a founding member of The Brave Girl Alliance, a group of female empowerment experts, and co-chair of the Toy Association Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
57. Abraham Ancer
Abraham Ancer is a professional Mexican golfer on the PGA Tour. When he’s not playing, he owns two businesses. He co-founded Flecha Azul Tequila and Black Quail Apparel, a company that makes luxury clothing.
58. Alden Mills
At the age of 12, Alden Mills was told his asthma would keep him from playing sports. He refused to let his health stop him and became a nationally-ranked rower, gold medalist, and U.S. Naval Academy captain of the freshmen and varsity teams. He went on to become a Navy SEAL platoon commander. He also became an entrepreneur and founded his company Perfect Fitness, reaching $95 million in sales within three years.
59. Brandon Copeland
He’s an NFL linebacker, a professor at UPenn, and a Wharton School of Business alumni. Brandon Copeland is also an entrepreneur with his company Beyond the Basics, Inc., a company that empowers the youth. That’s not his only company. He and his wife run two real estate firms, including one that focuses on flipping properties and one that is for rental properties.
60. Nick Symmonds
As an entrepreneur, Nick Symmonds builds on his experience as a 2x Olympian and popular athlete. He’s working to complete a challenge climbing the highest mountain in all 50 states and wants to climb the 7 Summits. He co-founded Run Gum, a caffeinated energy gum company, in 2014.
61. Corey Mays
Before his work as an entrepreneur, Corey Mays was a professional football player. He’s an angel investor specializing in start-ups. He’s also a 100 Black Men of Chicago mentor and HeadsUp ambassador for the NFL and USA Football.
Lauren Sesselmann is an Olympic bronze medalist and professional soccer player. While she’s recently retired, she amassed a number of awards in her career, including a gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games. She mentors soccer players, hosts the NFL podcast About the Game and is in the movie Little Angels.
She’s the founder of SmartGurlz, a robotics company with action dolls and robots that teach girls how to code. She’s sold more than 30,000 products and appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank to land a deal with Daymond John. She’s one of Inc. Magazine’s “2021 Female Founders 100.”
64. Ryan Howard
He became a partner at SeventySix Capital, a venture capital fund, in 2017. That’s just one of the many projects Ryan Howard, a former MLB player, is involved with. He’s the founder of The Big Piece Foundation, an investor in NRG Esports, and an investor in several real estate projects. He also wrote the children’s book series, The Little Rhino, with his wife.
65. Charles Mann
Charles Mann won two Super Bowls with the Redskins and one with the San Francisco 49ers. After a long NFL career, he founded Good Samaritan Foundation, an organization that helps youth receive the training and skills necessary in the Student Training Opportunity Program. He’s also the founder and CEO of Charles Mann Enterprises and Charles Mann Ventures.
66. Stephanie Cartin
Launching a business takes determination, and Stephanie Cartin had that drive. She quit a lucrative career to launch her digital and influencer digital marketing agency, Socialfly. She also helped create and launch Markid, a marketplace for sales of gently-used baby and children’s products. All of that is enough to keep her busy, she’s the co-host of the Entreprenista Podcast and received the “Women Run Workplace of the Year” Stevie Award.
67. Mike Saunders
He’s a digital guru and popular TEDx Talk speaker. His experience in social media marketing has helped some of South Africa’s largest businesses, plus he’s assisted in the creation and launch of several start-ups. Mike Saunders is an award-winning speaker with expertise in entrepreneurship and digital and social media marketing.
68. Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer went from being a decades long Pro Bowl and NFL quarterback to a successful entrepreneur. He broke John Elway’s records and is a College Football Hall of Fame member. He’s also the co-founder of ReadyList Sports.
69. Adam Bremen
Adam Bremen is the creator of Keto Krisp, a keto-friendly snack bar he created after finding a lack of suitable snack bars meeting his nutritional needs. He was born with cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair for life. That led to weight gain that he wanted to correct, and he found a keto-based diet was successful. He’s used that as his stepping stone to his product and company CanDo.
70. Craig Siegel
Many celebrities endorse him and he’s been featured in Entrepreneur for his expertise in changing your mindset to reach your full potential. Craig Siegel is the founder and CEO of Cultivate Lasting Symphony, a firm specializing in business and performance coaching. He excels in leadership development, life coaching, and brand consultancy as an entrepreneur.
71. Angela Ruggiero
Angela Ruggiero is a 4x Olympic Ice Hockey player, winning the gold with Team USA. She’s in the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, Hockey Hall of Fame, and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. She’s also an entrepreneur as the co-founder and CEO of Sports Innovation Lab and Chief Strategy Officer for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics bid.
She’s referred to as “The Queen of Bitcoin. Margaux Avedisian is the co-founder and CEO of Beyond the Runway, an online shopping platform using virtual avatars for custom-fit clothing. She relaunched Tradehill, an American Bitcoin exchange, in 2021 and founded Alphapoint and Monetago. She’s helped hundreds of entrepreneurs connect with experts that can help their start-ups grow.
73. Pedro Adao
Crush It With Challenges is one of Pedro Adao’s successful businesses. He’s also the founder of 100x Academy. Both help business owners and entrepreneurs establish themselves as leaders and find the right people to help them grow their businesses.
74. Anthony Trucks
Anthony Trucks went into foster care at the age of 3 and was adopted by an all-white family at 14. He became a professional football player only to have to leave the sport due to a shoulder injury. He opened a gym, but it didn’t thrive. He ended up with a failing marriage and near bankruptcy, but he didn’t let that stop him.
He’s conquered every obstacle put in his way and uses that insight and personal experience to help others find their way. He talks to audiences around the world about his path to becoming an entrepreneur and the things he learned competing on the field, in American Ninja Warrior, and through his podcast.
75. Zach Piester
Zach Piester is an award-winning keynote speaker with expertise in Blockchain, remote work, remote teams, and the Future of Work. He has more than 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, change and innovation, and venture partnerships.
76. Fredrik Eklund
Fredrik Eklund is a top broker at Douglas Elliman with more than $2 billion in residential sales. He’s the star of Bravo’sMillion Dollar Listing New York, and the bestselling author of The Sell: The Secrets to Selling Anything to Anyone. Fredrik also founded Scandinavia’s most high-end residential real estate brokerage and founded the top-producing team at Elliman.
If you’ve seen the movie Pretty Woman, you may be intrigued to learn that Katherine MacLane, founder of KP MacLane, helped the hotel transition to a Four Seasons Hotel. She’s a busy entrepreneur and specialist in live and virtual experiences that help companies and their employees transform and thrive.
78. Marc Forgione
Marc Forgione won The Next Iron Chef in 2010, and he was the show’s youngest winner at the time. He became one of the seven Iron Chefs. He started his career working in his father’s kitchen, but he turned that start into a thriving career as an entrepreneur owning Peasant and co-owning Khe-Yo.
79. Ali Maffucci
Ali Maffucci’s transition into entrepreneurship started when she’d just had enough. She quit her corporate job and started her blog Inspiralized.com, which turned into a thriving business focused on the Inspiralizer, a vegetable noodle maker. She gets more than 1.5 million unique views each month and more than 50,000 daily views. Plus, she started a motherhood/lifestyle blog after having a child. She’s been called a “digitally savvy millennial entrepreneur” and is the author of three cookbooks in addition to her business ventures.
80. Rania Hoteit
She’s an award-winning entrepreneur and founder and CEO of ID4A Technologies. Under her leadership, ID4A Technologies has been named “2016 Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” and “Best Automated Manufacturing Technology Company in the USA.” That’s just two of many awards. Rania Hoteit’s company believes in sustainable practices and has helped reduce labor exploitation in production, helping around 2 million worldwide workers in the process.
81. Brendan Egan
Brendan Egan is an award-winning tech, entrepreneur, and marketing expert. He’s been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and The Huffington Post. He owns a digital marketing agency and is a co-founder and CMO/CTO of Engage.
82. Radha Agrawal
Radha Agrawal has founded or co-founded several businesses in wellness, including THINx, menstruation underwear products, and Daybreaker, a global dance and fitness “move-ment.” Her recent launch, DOSE, is part of Daybreaker and is a science-backed program involving the use of movements to connect to the “8 Virtues of Joy.” MTV calls her “one of eight women who will change the world,” and she’s won several entrepreneurship awards.
83. Kien Vuu
Dr. Kien Vuu is the founder of VuuMD Performance and Longevity. He’s also a bestselling author and practicing physician for more than 14 years. When he was just an infant, he contracted dysentery while traveling on a boat for close to a year as his family traveled as refugees to the U.S. As an adult, high blood pressure and diabetes became challenges. He’s gone on to study nutrition, spirituality, and longevity medicine. He’s a board-certified doctor in anti-aging and regenerative medicine.
84. Baron Davis
As a former NBA player, Baron Davis has seen plenty of success on the court and continues to thrive as an entrepreneur. He’s the founder of Baron Davis Enterprises where he manages a portfolio of companies including BIG, The Black Santa, No Label, and Sports and Lifestyle.
85. Mel Abraham
He’s the author of The Entrepreneur’s Solution: The Modern Millionaire’s Path to More Profit, Fans & Freedom . Mel Abraham is a CPA, entrepreneur, and the founder of Thoughtpreneur™ Academy & Business Breakthrough Academy. There, he helps budding entrepreneurs grow their businesses and develop the life they desire.
86. Anthony Bourke
The path that Anthony Bourke took to become an entrepreneur is a story in itself. He was a decorated F-16 pilot and one of the first in the airspace over NYC after September 11th. He used the lessons he learned in the military to become a successful mortgage banker. From there, he had the chance to join a start-up and quickly grew the company’s revenues from $500,000 to $65 million in three years. He’s the founder of Afterburner Seminars, a training company, and he's the founder and CEO of Mach 2 Consulting, which helps businesses around the world with management training.
As an entrepreneur, Courtney Spritzer has two companies to her name. She’s the co-founder and CEO of a social-first digital marketing agency, Socialfly, and she’s the co-founder of Entreprenista Media. She co-hosts Entreprenista Podcast and also invented DigiCards during the pandemic to help people find effective ways to communicate during video calls. Her most recent project has been the WorkRobe, a line of business robes women could wear during work meetings while working from home.
88. Amy Volas
Amy Volas is one of LinkedIn’s “Top Sales Voices”. She’s the founder of Avenue Talent Partners, specializing in growing SaaS start-ups, and the co-founder of Thursday Night Sales, “The #1 Weekly Virtual Sales Happy Hour.” In her 20+ years in start-ups and sales, she’s closed more than $100 million deals.
89. Chantal Pierrat
Chantal Pierrat left the field of medical device manufacturing to find work that focused on her passion for living an inspirational, impactful life. She founded Emerging Women, a global leadership and media platform. She strives to help women find their voice when it comes to their future and their business.
90. Cheryl Mobley
She’s the founder and CEO of reCalibrate, a firm that helps business leaders and executives create a supportive environment that is also profitable. Before stepping out on her own, Cheryl Mobley was a hospital president and helped grow profits, lower expenses, and keep employees engaged and happy.
91. Amobi Okugo
Amobi Okugo is a professional soccer player and also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded the online financial media platform A Frugal Athlete to teach athletes of all ages to make advantageous financial and career decisions that ensure they make money, manage money, and grow money responsibly. He’s also the founder of The Ok U Go Foundation to help children from low-income families find opportunities.
92. David Burke
He’s the only American to win the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplôme d’Honneur. David Burke also won Japan’s Nippon Award for Excellence, the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence, and two James Beard nominations. He’s one of the nation’s most successful and talented chefs. As an entrepreneur, he opened several restaurants with the owner of Smith & Wollensky steakhouses and founded DB Global and David Burke Hospitality Management. He’s often seen on Top Chef, has nine of his own restaurants, and wrote two cookbooks.
93. Mike Sarraille
Mike Sarraille took his experiences as a Recon Marine, Scout-Sniper, and U.S. Navy SEAL Officer and turned them into a thriving business as an entrepreneur. He’s the founder and CEO of Talent War Group, a management consulting and executive search firm. In addition to his business, he founded a charitable organization, VETTED Foundation, an executive-level transition program for veterans.
94. Steven Bartlett
Steven Barlett dropped out of college to found his first company, Wallpark, and used social media to market it. This led to the idea for his second and third companies, Social Chain and Media Chain, built from his bedroom and worth £200 million when they went public a few years later. He’s a bustling entrepreneur and expert in disruption and social media marketing.
95. Keri Glassman
She’s the bestselling author of five books on diet and healthy living. Keri Glassman founded The Nutritious Life Studio, an educational platform for online learners interested in health and wellness. She’s also been on the advisory board for Women’s Health Magazine and is often featured on Rachel Ray and the Today Show.
96. Sophie Jaffe
Sophie Jaffe founded her wellness company, Philosophie, to help people find ways to optimize their health and wellness in easy, tasty ways. She’s a certified raw food chef and Yoga teacher who has helped many people, including George Clooney, embrace a healthier lifestyle through her superfoods and cleanses.
97. Jared Milrad
He’s an award-winning filmmaker, inclusion and social change advocate, and entrepreneur. Jared Milrad is the founder of A Show For A Change and Movikarma, a non-profit that empowers underrepresented filmmakers. Through Movikarma, a monthly, digital-first film festival was established to help distribute award-winning films from around the world. He’s also the host of the podcast Rewriting Hollywood.
98. Melissa Agnes
Melissa Agnes is the founder and CEO of Crisis Ready Institute, a crisis management agency that provides training and certifications to professionals who need to protect their people, brands, or economies during a crisis. Her company has assisted many companies and government agencies.
99. Sterling Hawkins
He’s the founder of the #NoMatterWhat movement to help business leaders achieve positive growth and innovation. He’s also the co-founder of CART and helps companies embrace technology. He’s helped mentor more than 1,000 companies and entrepreneurs.
100. Lauren Hasson
During the day, Lauren Hasson is a senior engineer and leader of a Core Apps team in a payments company. When she’s not at work, she’s the founder of DevelopHer, an award-winning tech career development and female empowerment platform.
101. Darren Heitner
As the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., Darren Heitner specializes in sports and contract law. He’s assisted many professional athletes with their contracts. In addition to his law firm, he was a lead contributor for Forbes’ “SportsMoney” section and Inc’s sports business section. As an adjunct professor in Sports Law, he was awarded “Outstanding Young Alumnus” and named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2015 to 2019.
102. Brian Moran
With more than three decades of experience as an entrepreneur, consultant, business coach, CEO, and corporate executive, Brian Moran has a lot of insight to share with budding entrepreneurs and business professionals. As a consultant, he’s assisted companies like Coldwell Banker, New York Life, and Tiffany & Co.
103. Matthew Knowles
Matthew Knowles has personal experience helping grow the careers of musicians, including his daughters Beyonce and Solange. He has a Ph.D. in business administration and an MBA in strategic planning and organizational culture. He’s also the head of Music World Films & TV and the author of five books, including two bestsellers.
104. Jay Acunzo
Jay Acunzo is a digital media strategist who gained experience with companies like Google, HubSpot, and NextView Ventures. He’s the creator of Unthinkable and the co-founder of Boston Content. He’s the founder of Marketing Showrunners, a firm that helps brands create original content and looks for brands that put people and communities before profits.
105. Sarah Gibson Tuttle
Sarah Gibson Tuttle is the founder and CEO of Olive & June, a Beverly Hills nail salon she established after working for a decade at JP Morgan & Morgan Stanley in NYC. After leaving New York City, she realized the West Coast was missing affordable, luxury salons for nail care and had a new vision.
106. Al ‘Bubba’ Baker
Al “Bubba” Baker was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1978. He’d make it onto three Pro Bowl teams and is well-known for the sacks he completed. He had 23 in just his rookie year. After retiring from the NFL, he became a successful entrepreneur with a Southern BBQ catering business. He secured a deal with Daymond John on Shark Tank and won Cleveland Magazine’s Silver Spoon Award for “Best Barbecue Restaurant” and “Best Ribs” for four consecutive years.
107. Rico Suarez
Rico Suarez has been seen in many TV shows and music videos, including his appearance in Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and Maroon 5’s Cold. He’s also a model, Instagram celebrity, and entrepreneur. By the age of 24, he owned more than ten businesses and was firmly entrenched in the real estate industry.
108. Marian Bacol-Uba
Marian Bacol-Uba is a keynote speaker, Certified Meditation Teacher, bestselling author, Conscious Business Coach, and founder of Thriver Lifestyle. Her expertise in helping entrepreneurs succeed in both business and life. She reached this point after a near-death experience following an overdose helped her realize her need to change. She tackled her mental health issues as she took a second chance to transform herself. As an entrepreneurship speaker, she shares her “Survivor to Thriver” story to help others find their way to success.
109. Eric W. Davis
He’s a Super Bowl champion and 3x All-Pro selection. Eric W. Davis is a 2x Pro Bowl selection, too. Off the field, Eric proves his generous nature by helping several charitable causes. He’s also the co-founder of the Athlete Brandguard career and life skills playbook and training program alongside his partner Marc L. Watts.
110. Adam Mendler
Thirty Minute Mentors is a podcast sharing insights from today’s top CEOs, celebrities, and leaders. It’s hosted and created by Adam Mendler, the co-founder and CEO of The Veloz Group. He’s an entrepreneur, educator, and expert on leadership and business management.
111. Jeremy Bloom
He’s the co-founder and CEO of Integrate, a marketing tech firm that helped companies like Dell and HP modernize their marketing plans. He’s also the founder of Wish of a Lifetime, a non-profit organization granting the wishes of the elderly. Jeremy Bloom is an 11x World Cup gold medalist, 3x World Champion, and 2x Olympian with experience under pressure. He’s an Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" finalist and is on Forbes' “30 Under 30 List for Tech Innovation.”
112. Dr. Jennifer Monti
Not only is Dr. Jennifer Monti a critical care physician and cardiologist, but she’s also an entrepreneur with experience in innovative thinking and solutions in the field of public health and medicine. She’s the co-founder and CSO of Hemos, LLC. She founded Virtual Supermarket, a company that delivers groceries to food deserts in Baltimore City.
113. Jeff Henderson
Jeff Henderson is one of Forbes’ “20 Speakers You Shouldn’t Miss.” He’s a bestselling author and works to help companies find the balance between profits and positive purpose. His experience as an entrepreneur has led to his founding Champion Tribes, Preaching Rocket, and the FOR Company. He also helped launch North Point Ministries’ North Point Online.
114. Marques Ogden
After retiring from the NFL, Marques Ogden founded a construction company. It grew fast but collapsed after losing about $2 million in 90 days. He used this experience to start over. He became a part-time custodian before writing two books and becoming a business coach and consultant. He’s also the host of the Authenticity With Marques Ogden podcast.
115. Nil Zacharias
He founded Eat For The Planet, an impact media and consulting firm. Nil Zacharias is also the co-founder of 80/20 Plants, a health and wellness platform, and co-founder of Spire, an event production company. Before this, he founded One Green Planet. Nil is an expert in many fields, including law, management consulting, and advertising.
116. Steve Stewart
For 20 years, Steve Stewart has been in music. He was the Stone Temple Pilots’ manager and helped them generate over $1 billion in revenues. He’s the founder and CEO of Steve Stewart Management, a company that has secured contracts for more than a dozen artists. He’s also the co-founder of a music-driven tech platform that helps artists, labels, producers, publishers, and writers get royalties directly from their fans. What makes him a stand-out entrepreneurship speaker? He’s held top positions with many tech start-ups and excels in venture funding and business development.
117. Gina Trimarco
Her training with Second City makes her a personal, funny speaker on leadership, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship topics. Gina Trimarco is a Master Trainer specializing in Improvised Intelligence™. She teaches others how to use improv to boost communication skills. She’s the founder of Carolina Improv Company and Pivot10 Results. She’s the co-host and producer of the Women Your Mother Warned You About podcast.
118. Rodney Woods
Rodney Woods is the founder, board chairman, and CEO of Diversity in Promotions, a strategic marketing firm. His specialty as a business owner and marketing expert is in minority-owned and women-owned business development, management, and relationship building. His company has worked with companies like Adidas, Converse, Toyota, and Victoria’s Secret PINK.
119. Alison McCauley
She’s an expert in blockchain technology and Web3. Alison McCauley is the author of the bestselling Unblocked, a book focusing on the benefits of blockchains in business. She also runs her company Unblocked Future, a strategy firm specializing in thought leadership.
120. Bruce Turkel
Turkel Brands is a global brand consultancy firm that’s helped Bacardi Limited, Discovery Networks, and Jewish Health Systems. It’s a company founded by Bruce Turkel, an entrepreneur, author, and speaker specializing in branding, creative solutions, and innovation.
121. Sanya Richards-Ross
Sanya Richards-Ross is a 4x gold medalist, 2x World Athlete of the Year, and Athlete of the Decade. She’s an amazing Olympic champion, but she’s also an entrepreneur in motherhood, lifestyle, empowerment, and advocacy. That’s plenty to keep her busy, but it didn’t stop her from founding The Sanya Richards-Ross Fast Track Program and talking to audiences about her accomplishments and tips for entrepreneurs.
122. Rashan Ali
One of her goals is to encourage girls to become successful in non-traditional sports. Her organization, Sports Girls Inc. helps with this. She’s also the creator and host of The Cool Soror Podcast and host of Sister Circle TV.
123. Tessica Brown
Tessica Brown went viral when she sprayed her hair with Gorilla Glue and didn’t realize she’d be unable to get it out. After seeking help from a Beverly Hills doctor, she used her experience to launch Forever Hair, and within 12 hours she’d sold out of her hair growth oil. She expanded that hair care line into skincare and cosmetics.
124. Morra Aarons-Mele
Morra Aarons-Mele calls herself an “extremely anxious overachiever.” She’s a strong speaker on mental health, but she’s also a busy entrepreneur having founded Women Online. She created The Anxious Achiever podcast, wrote a book on developing leadership superpowers, and consulted with many start-ups, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she worked in digital marketing and politics.
125. Ina Bhoopalam
Ina Bhoopalam is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and keynote speaker. She specializes in empowerment, not letting barriers stop you, and following your dreams. At the age of 20, she founded Dream Equal, a non-profit designed to empower people of all ages, genders, and races to achieve their dreams.
126. Deborah Metts
Deborah Metts holds degrees in fashion merchandising and business administration. She’s worked with several big fashion and retail brands over the years and is exceptionally knowledgeable at helping start-ups with SaaS, scalability, and innovation. She has more than a decade of experience in management, e-commerce, and marketing.
127. Tyler Wood
Tyler Cohen Wood is a thought leader with more than 21 years of experience. She’s the co-founder of Dark Cryptonite, the founder and CEO of MyConnectedHealth Inc., and she has a talk show sharing her insights into cybersecurity, fintech, and health tech. Before striking out on her own, she worked for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and AT&T.
128. Greg Vogt
Greg Vogt’s experienced several losses, from his favorite teacher’s suicide to his best friend’s death resulting from a car crash. He’s overcome depression and his own suicide attempts and gained a degree in entrepreneurship and marketing. He wrote a memoir about his struggles and is now a mental health speaker with Active Minds. He’s also on the board of California’s Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
129. Alexandria Agresta
What is the “sweet spot” between your money and your purpose in life? Alexandria Agresta is a Purpose Pioneer and co-founder of Purpose Pioneers, a firm that helps entrepreneurs find the balance between achieving life fulfillment and necessary income. She’s given TEDx talks and has spoken to entrepreneurs around the world about her Purpose-First Movement.
130. Brandy G. Robinson
Brandy Robinson was a musical prodigy as a child and was one of the youngest in her field at 24. Her expertise in corruption, discrimination, and waste investigation led to her becoming a professor next and then a United Nations Delegate for Human Rights. She’s a TEDx speaker and expert in talks on strategy, organization, business consulting, management, and R&D in start-ups and non-profits.
131. Ssanyu Lukoma
She’s one of the nation’s younger entrepreneurs. Ssanyu Lukoma founded Brown Kids Read at the age of 13. Her non-profit strives to raise awareness and promote more diverse fiction to younger readers, especially children of color, including a picture book she wrote called Suubi’s Sunny Smile. She also established The Brown Reads Bookshelf, an online and pop-up bookstore, The Book Junkie podcast, and two other businesses. All of this, and she’s not even 18 yet!
132. Benji Backer
Benji Backer is on the list of ABC News’ “Five Young Climate Activists You Need to Know.” As an entrepreneur, he founded the American Conservation Coalition while at the University of Washington. He’s spoken about climate change to Congress, is a board member for several organizations including BridgeUSA, and he’s on the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Climate Change Commission.
133. Nada Lena Nasserdeen
Nada Lena Nasserdeen has been a college professor for more than ten years, and she’s a former education corporation executive. She’s the founder and CEO of Rise Up For You, a leadership and career confidence coach, TEDx motivational speaker, and bestselling author. In 2021, she received a Woman of Influence Entrepreneurship award.
134. Don Loren
He’s been a national, international, and homeland security expert for more than 45 years. His roles in the government have been many, including a presidential appointment as the Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary. Before that, Don Loren was the president and CEO of Old Dominion Strategies and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security Integration.
135. Jeremy Jeffress
Jeremy Jeffress played professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs, the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays. He’s pitched more than 400 innings and made it to the 2018 National League All-Star Team. He’s plenty busy, but that didn’t stop him from becoming an entrepreneur. He launched JJ’s Bread and Butter food truck in 2019.
136. Amber Zenith
As a stay-home mom, Amber Zenith and her partner, Emily Nelson, realized something was missing in the world of fitness. Together, they self-funded their business High Fitness using the money they received teaching classes to get their start-up money. Despite having no background in business or web design, they’ve grown HIGH into a well-known brand with thousands of followers and participants.
137. Amy Wenslow
Amy Wenslow used her talents to make things and turned them into a thriving jewelry design business. She trained in goldsmith and jewelry design and then boosted her knowledge by learning sales, manufacturing, and marketing. She’s the founder of Products to Profits, an organization focusing on strategic planning, brand consulting, product development, sales, and marketing.
138. Andy Seth
As an entrepreneur, Andy Seth has founded nine businesses, raised millions for charity, and helped thousands get out of poverty. He’s the founder of Apprentix, Flow Marketing, and Ravience, and co-founder of LotusGroup Advisors.
139. Ethan Pierse
Ethan Pierse is an entrepreneur and specialist in Web3. He hosts The Web3 Economy News, Startup Stories With Scaleway, and French Tech News. He’s the founder of Borderless Ventures and created $ETHAN.
140. Darius Baxter
Memorable success stories often start with the most unbelievable circumstances. Darius Baxter was raised by a single mother. His father was murdered, and Darius spent time homeless. He could have given up, but he took that and strived to build ladders out of poverty. He graduated with a degree in Globalization and Poverty. He founded the GOODZone to give a chance for hundreds of families in low-income communities.
141. Jason Tino
Flawless Evolutionz is a company Jason Tino founded over a decade ago. In 2019, he added another business to his list of successes. Daily Dose TEA, a company that shows others how to make time for TEA: Time for Yourself, Enjoying Your Life, and Appreciating Everything. Without making sure you take care of yourself, there’s no chance your business can become everything it should be. Despite not having a formal education and climbing the ranks in an auto body shop, Tino has built a successful career that inspires others.
142. Roy Castro
Roy Castro’s path to entrepreneurship may surprise you. At the age of 20, he was serving time in federal prison. After his release, he realized he was ill-equipped for the working world and was ready to return to the crimes that landed him in prison. Instead, he discovered a non-profit that helps formerly incarcerated men and women get out of poverty and find employment for livable wages. This helped him land a job at Edy’s Ice Cream and brought him to his role at D.M. Ice Cream Corp, an ice cream sub-distributor.
143. David Andrade
He’s won Emmy, Thea, and VES awards through his work in game design and animations. David Andrade founded Theory Studios and has done work for Disney Imagineering, Korn, Sesame Street, and Universal Studios. He’s also a volunteer with the U.S. State Department teaching animation and game design around the globe.
144. Cameron Herold
Not many people can boast about owning a company at 21 and hiring more than a dozen employees at that age. In just 14 years, Cameron Herold had built two $100 million companies. It was 1-800-GOT-JUNK that many people will remember. By the age of 42, that company had revenues topping $106 million. He’s an expert in coming up with winning ideas and growing businesses from the ground up.
145. Rebecca Balyasny
It’s hard to deny that the pandemic has changed lives. For Rebecca Balyasny, she started to miss in-person workouts and the connections she had with her fitness instructors and friends. She took those feelings of loss and created Bande, a virtual barre class led by one of her favorite instructors. Suddenly, she had the connections she was missing from the comfort of her home. She’s a newer entrepreneur, but her vision has impacted lives around the world.
146. Jane Wenning
4-Pillars Health came from Jane Wenning’s experiences as a child. She was bullied and body shamed and suffered from depression and an eating disorder. She took those traumatic experiences and became a Certified Medical Technologist and athletic trainer. Her wellness program uses body positivity and self-love to make lasting changes.
147. Dirk Ahlborn
Dirk Ahlborn is the founder and CEO of JumpStarter Inc., a web portal that helps businesses grow using crowdsourcing. He’s also the co-founder and CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Over the years, he’s founded several companies in Europe, one of which was sold to a global alternative energy conglomerate. He’s a noted entrepreneurship speaker on topics like management, manufacturing, product design, setup, cost controls, marketing, etc.
148. Debra Giunta
From the ages of three to ten, Debra Giunta was a competitive dance performer, but at age 14, she was clinically depressed. Her time spent in the performing arts helped her find a path to empowerment and healing. In high school, she focused her attention on teaching dance to her peers. She left college and started Design Dance, a dance education company that focuses on social-emotional wellness, working in collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, and several other Chicago organizations. She also founded Prismatic and The Groove.
149. Ross Reiter
Ross Reiter is a New England Patriots long snapper, even though he went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft. Football isn’t his only achievement. He’s the founder and CEO of a start-up storage company at Colorado State University.
150. Gary Coxe
Born in Jamaica, Gary Coxe’s family had been a fixture in the country for more than 100 years. His dad owned a coffee farm, but his mother filed for divorce and brought Gary to the U.S. where she remarried. When her new husband died of cancer and left her in financial ruin, Gary vowed to never let that happen to him. He started his first business at the age of 11 and was making $100,000 by the age of 17. He’s made it a goal to teach the same business skills and life lessons to others to help them learn how to achieve their dreams.
The smallest of ideas can lead to great success. Don’t let the lack of finances keep you from your dreams. Arrange a talk with one of the 150 top entrepreneurship speakers to get their insights and insider knowledge.
