Our Speakers

MICHAEL "PINBALL" CLEMONS

CFL LEGEND AND TORONTO ARGONAUTS CEO

A national icon of sporting excellence, community leadership and personal character and integrity. He's considered to be one of the most likable, respected (and of course, talented) individuals to ever put on a sports jersey in this country. But his legacy may well lie with the thousands of people he has inspired, both on and off the field. As one of the most electrifying, in-demand public speakers in Canada, he motivates audiences, talking with passion about the power of teamwork, and of putting your heart into everything you do in life.

Clemons stands only 5 feet 6 inches and 170 pounds. Despite this -- because of this -- he has led a spectacular twenty year pro football career, setting CFL records and winning Grey Cups with the Argonauts, as both a player and their head coach. He is now their CEO. His thoughts on his new role encapsulate perfectly the powerful message about perseverance, commitment and leadership he shares with audiences across Canada. "It is now my job to continue to give direction and vision to this organization. Vision without action is dangerous; action without vision is a nightmare. What you want to do is be able to put vision into action. My job is to provide the vision."

Michael "Pinball" Clemons exhibits a commitment to community --especially to youth -- that is unparalleled in Canada. One of his latest projects is the Stop the Violence campaign, which encourages grassroots support, business sponsorship and the active participation of communities, schools and government in educating youth and curbing increasing gun violence in the Toronto area.

A dynamic personality, he exhibits a quiet dignity on stage. With boundless energy, he cracks jokes, engages audience members, and delivers an unforgettable, often emotional speech that touches on the potential in all of us to achieve anything we set our minds to.

DR ROBERT BUCKMAN

WORLD RENOWNED COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT

A world-class expert on interpersonal communication, at home and at work, the irrepressible Dr. Robert Buckman is one of the funniest speakers in the world. He combines a mischievous sense of humor with communication training that has set the standard for personal and professional development programs. Dr. Buckman's skills have been honed in some of the most challenging settings imaginable. A medical oncologist, his techniques are taught at hospitals and medical schools around the world.

In his talks, Dr. Buckman teaches you how to become a better communicator and a more effective champion of your company's products and ideas. Based on years of research and practical experience, his S-A-L-E-S approach to communication is ideal for salespeople who need to win the hearts and minds of their prospects and customers. But it's also perfect for human resources professionals, administrators, managers, and other key staff - basically, anyone who needs to learn more effective communication skills at the office.

He shows you how to combine Setting, Agenda, Listening Skills, Emotion, and Strategy into a highly effective and easy-to-learn approach to communicating with others. Tailored to your audience, he illustrates each of the steps with demonstrations, anecdotes and examples. This practical approach provides you with concrete tools you can use the next time you have to communicate an important message to a group or an individual. Blending deadpan humor with his unerring sensitivity, he ensures that you will, by the end, learn the "how" of effective communication.

JEREMY GUTSCHE

THE TREND HUNTER

TrendHunter.com is one of the largest, most influential trend-spotting websites in the world. Its founder, Jeremy Gutsche, relentlessly tracks and finds The Next Big Thing -- that valuable but elusive commodity -- for a global audience that generates over three million views a month. The Guardian calls him "a new breed of trend-spotter" -- a creative, globe-roaming individual with a broad appeal that stretches from The Economist, which has sourced him, to MTV, which places him at "the forefront of cool."

With phenomenal speed, Gutsche has grown Trendhunter into a trusted showcase for "what's next" in marketing, design, technology, and other categories. The site's been featured or cited in over 40,000 articles, and Gutsche has appeared everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the BBC. He's also sought out by leading companies to speak on cool-hunting, innovation, marketing strategies, The Next Big Thing and its relevance to their business. In bold, interactive keynotes, he delivers a blend of viral new trends, strategic frameworks, and a contagious enthusiasm for innovation. He possesses a unique perspective on innovation in the business context, and draws on his background in both corporate strategy and Web 2.0 to provide you with inspiration and tools to generate ideas, stimulate creativity and unlock potential.

At 28, as one of Capital One's youngest Business Directors, Gutsche led his team to grow a billion dollar portfolio of market leading products. And as a Management Consultant for the Monitor Group, he advised Fortune 50 clients on top level strategy. He holds an MBA from Queen's, is a CFA, and studied innovation at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.