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WHO KNOW HOW TO LEVEL UP


You’ll hear speakers share real stories of everyday boldness, their struggles, and advice on how they leveled up. You’ll discover your passions, identify goals, and define steps you can take today to accomplish more than you ever thought possible tomorrow.

Keynotes

2022 Summit Speakers

Oct 14 - Daniela Pierre-Bravo

Daniela Pierre-Bravo is the author of The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a woman of Color. She is also a public speaker, MSNBC reporter for Morning Joe, a contributor and producer for NBC’s “Know Your Value” platform and the bestselling co-author of Earn It!. A former Cosmopolitan magazine columnist, Pierre-Bravo has written on career advice, mental health, and financial wellness with an emphasis on women of color. Her work has been featured on the Today Show, Telemundo, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, New York Magazine, and more. She lives in New York City with her rescue dog, Benji.


Dustin York

Oct. 15 - Dr. Dustin York

Dr. Dustin York is an Associate Professor at Maryville University in St. Louis. With clients including Pepsi Co. and Nike, he has experience in public relations and also worked on the 2008 Obama presidential campaign.

He specializes in helping individuals hone their communication skills while understanding digital transformation. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Dr. York shares practical strategies students can use to improve their communication skills.


Dylan Dreyer

Nov. 4 - Dylan Dreyer

Dylan Dreyer is the author of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller Misty the Cloud. She is also a meteorologist for NBC News, a co-host of the 3rd Hour of Today, and the host of Earth Odyssey with Dylan Dreyer.

She’s covered hurricanes with 130 mph winds, but she loves a nice breeze when she walks her dog, Bosco. She’s stood out in six-foot snowstorms (which is taller than her!), but she loves to go sledding with her sons. She’s watched roads turn into rivers during strong thunderstorms, but she loves to splash in puddles.

She’s traveled the country (and been to 49 states!) and the world . . . she’s even been to the North Pole! She loves the weather and thinks the world is a fascinating place. She lives in New York City with her family and their dog, Bosco.

Find her on Instagram and Twitter at @DylanDreyerNBC.


Darryl DMC McDaniels

Nov. 5 - Darryl "DMC" McDaniels

Darryl McDaniels or “DMC” as most of the world knows him, first made his start in the music business as one third of the groundbreaking rap group Run-DMC and quickly became the most popular in terms of fans and influence. He has been in the public eye for the past 20 years, since forming the now legendary, defunct group, RUN-D.M.C with Joseph (Rev. Run) Simmons and the late, great Jason (Jam Master Jay) Mizell. Also one of the founding members of this multi-platinum music group, selling over 30 million singles and albums worldwide, it would be hard to overstate his influence on popular culture. He helped transform Rap and Hip Hop into the most popular music in the world, while building a fan base that rivals the biggest acts in Rock ‘n’ Roll.

As the first and greatest of Hip Hop’s superstars, Run-DMC succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams – their own included – by embodying for the world endlessly creative subculture of young black New York. They were the first rappers to earn a gold album, the first to earn a platinum album, the first to go multi-platinum, the first to have their videos played on MTV, the first to appear on American Bandstand and Saturday Night Live, and the first rap band to grace the cover of Rolling Stone and Spin.

DMC has recently added another list of firsts to his life – his first book entitled “King of Rock: Respect, Responsibility and My Life with Run-DMC” (St. Martins). The book, written by DMC with Bruce Haring with the forward by rapper/actor Will Smith, offers a flavored tale of his rise within the music business while stressing the importance of respect and responsibility in today’s society. It has received rave reviews nationwide. Entertainment weekly called it “strangely compelling, bravely honest… plenty of entertaining anecdotes about life back in the day to keep you turning the pages. Like Will Smith, McDaniels is a born charmer.” Publisher’s Weekly says the book is “hard hitting yet sensitive… he (McDaniiels) argues astutely that ‘very few of the rappers will admit they’re creating a fictional character,’ and thereby create problems for themselves.”

In addition to the new book, DMC released his own musical project entitled Checks, Thugs, Rock-N-Roll.


Panelists

2022 Summit Speakers (2)
Janet Phan

Oct. 15 - Janet T. Phan

Janet T. Phan is the founder and Executive Director of Thriving Elements, a non-profit organization with a mission to create access and opportunities for underserved, underrepresented girls in STEM in order to bridge the gender disparity in STEM fields. The organization focuses on empowerment through mentorship, a topic she spoke about at TEDxZurich in 2020.

In 2022, Janet published Boldly You: A story about discovering what you’re capable of when you show up for yourself, a memoir and self-help book looking at her hardships and life lessons through the lens of resilience and strength. Janet currently works as a Senior Technical Product Manager for Amazon’s Project Kuiper with a mission to bridge the digital divide. She previously held roles at Microsoft, The Boeing Company, and PwC.

She would love to connect with you so connect with her on LinkedIn and IG @janet.t.phan @thrivingelements @boldly-you


Jennifer Hazzard

Oct. 15 - Jennifer Hazzard

Jennifer Hazzard is a professional life coach and strategist who works with individuals and groups to help them maximize their strengths and reach their full potential. Jennifer leads a variety of coaching and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) workshops where she provides tools to increase confidence, motivation and achieve goals. She worked on leadership coaching with executives and groups. She also works with people one on one to help them find balance in their lives, improve their relationships, work more effectively, clarify and obtain their goals and be the best version of themselves. 

Jennifer’s decades of working in the hospitality industry have led to her acquiring an arsenal of skills that have helped people get on their desired life path. She strives to guide and lead others to their truth and freedom through self-discovery, emotional awareness and mindset development.

Determined to help as many people bridge the gap between their unconscious and conscious mind, she became certified in Life coaching, Motivational Coaching, Social and Emotional Intelligence Coaching and also earned a certification in Advanced NLP Communication from the Society of NLP with Richard Bandler. In addition to being a certified Life Coach, Jennifer recently became a certified Transcendental Meditation teacher. She also is currently studying Ontological Coaching with Accomplishment Coaching to become certified with the International Coaching Federation. She has received priceless information and knowledge that she willingly shares with others in hopes of bettering their lives. 

Raised in Orange County, Ca and currently living in New York City, Jennifer is said to have the relaxed approach to life mixed with the go-get’ um energy of her beloved city.  When Jennifer isn’t coaching, she can be found meditating in Central Park, hitting up a Pilates or yoga class, strolling the city with her dog, whipping something up in the kitchen, trying the newest face mask or creating playlists on Spotify! She also spends a lot of her time volunteering with NY Cares and working with children and the elderly.

Beatrice Weber

Nov. 5 - Beatrice Weber

Beatrice guides people whose voices have been silenced to connect with their own inner worthiness and lead joyful lives through her Fearless & Fulfilled Framework. 

Beatrice was born and raised in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Community, married off to a Rabbi at the age of 18, and never had the opportunity to graduate high school. After 22 years and 10 children, she left the marriage with her four youngest children, despite severe opposition from her family and community. 

Now, Beatrice shares her story to people from all backgrounds to embrace their inner worthiness and step confidently into lives th

Oneika Mays

Nov. 5 - Oneika Mays

Oneika Mays (LMT, E-RYT, Reiki Practitioner) transitioned to yoga and meditation from a career in corporate retail over 10 years ago. Oneika used that experience to support social justice non-profits and teach meditation and yoga inside jails. At Liberation Prison Yoga she co-facilitated training for teachers and practitioners interested in serving incarcerated populations.

At Transformation Yoga Project she supported a team that has served over 10k people and leads yoga teacher training inside prisons. Today, Oneika is the first Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. At Rikers she works one-on-one with incarcerated folks in a therapeutic/medical setting. Sessions are a combination of modalities and are infused with compassion. These sessions are meant to help people cope with the stress of jail and foster resilience for when they return to the community. Oneika also facilitates workshops, training and retreats around the country cultivating resilience and compassion through meditation and other mindfulness practices.

Oneika believes that meditation and mindfulness practices can forge a path to freedom. Oneika is passionate about supporting all humans on their path.


MC/Facilitator

Tom

Oct. 14-15 & Nov. 4-5 - Tom Krieglstein


After starting his first business in college that grew to $1.5 million in annual sales, Tom went on to be the Founder and Lead Facilitator of Swift Kick. Since 2004, Tom has trained over half a million leaders around the US and the world including England, South Korea, Indonesia, and Bermuda on how to build a Culture of Connection within their organization.

Tom has spoken to leaders at some of the largest companies in the world such as Coca Cola, Pfizer, Disney, US Navy, and UCLA. Through his speaking, he holds an unprecedented 6 National Speaking Titles from APCA. He is a TEDx speaker, held a Guinness World Record, and sat on the board of the NYC Entrepreneurs’ Organization for five years.

In his "free time" Tom leads Forums for the Entrepreneurs' Organization, is an Executive Accountability Coach for business owners, and he co-authored the Amazon.com bestselling book, "First Year Student To First Year Success." Tom is currently working on his highly anticipated second book that digs deeper into his award-winning training, Dance Floor Theory, on how to build a Culture of Connection to increase employee engagement.

On a personal note, Tom has been featured in almost every major publication from USA Today, Fast Company, NY Times, MTV, and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in New York City, is an avid runner, was named after a cat, and loves peanut butter.


Facilitators

Neil Khaund

NEIL KHAUND

Neil Khaund is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the nation’s largest leadership honor society.  With over 700 chapters, the NSLS currently has 1.4M members nationwide and is expanding and transforming their nationally accredited leadership programs to the corporate education sector.  Prior to joining NSLS in December 2021, Neil served as CEO for Livius Prep from 2015.  Livius Prep is one of the nation’s leading providers of college preparation programs. As CEO for Livius Prep and Board Member since 2017, Neil led the transformation of this 35-year-old, center-based, college prep franchise business into a profitable online education company with multiple high growth verticals including online services and B2B.

Rebecca Heiss-2

Dr. Rebecca Heiss

As a stress expert, Dr. Rebecca Heiss is dedicated to helping us overcome our instinctual limitations – the ancient, often subconscious fears that hold us back from our optimal performance and our happiest lives. Her research has been designated “transformative” by the National Science Foundation and it is waking up audiences around the world.


Author of Instinct, founder and CEO of the 360-review mobile app icueity, and highly sought-after professional speaker, Rebecca has found her calling in helping others live more, fear(less). She lives in SC with her two spoiled rotten dogs, Guinness & Murphy *(and her beloved husband).


www.rebeccaheiss.com
@drrebeccaheiss
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaheiss/
www.icueity.com
www.yearofhappy.com"

Dr. Stacey Malaret

Dr. Stacey Malaret

Dr. Malaret is originally from Orlando, Florida and attended The University of Southern Mississippi for her B.A. degree in Psychology. She then graduated in 1998 from The University of Central Florida with a M.A. in Student Personnel and in 2007 with her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She has worked in the student development field since 1999. Dr. Malaret has served as the faculty advisor for the NSLS at UCF since 2004 and has received numerous honors from the NSLS including serving on the Learning Guild and receiving Distinguished Advisor of the Year.


Samar Issa

Samar Issa

Samar Issa is an Assistant Professor of Finance, Business Analytics, and Leadership at the Department of Business Administration at Saint Peter’s University, New Jersey, USA. She received her PhD in Economics, with a focus on econometrics and financial economics. She formerly completed an MBA with a focus on leadership, and an MA and MPhil in Economics and Finance. She is an expert on financial modeling and data analytics and possesses a good track record of research success with published articles and international conference presentations. Samar worked for over a decade at U.S. corporations, the United Nations, and overseas as a project manager and leadership development trainer. She consistently strives to create a challenging and engaging learning environment in which students become life-long learners and leaders.


2022 Summit Speakers-1

Rod Sánchez

Rod Sánchez is an award-winning visual communication designer, artist, and filmmaker. He is a lead user experience/user interface designer at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and has designed and illustrated book covers for Penguin Random House and Scholastic. Rod has directed and designed campaigns for Disney, Nickelodeon, and Baruch College–CUNY, and received design awards from the New England Book Show and the Create Awards.

Rod’s artwork has been exhibited internationally, displayed on billboards in New York City, and published in The Guardian, United Nations Academic Impact magazine, HuffPost, El País, Thrive Global, and Time Out New York. Rod is the illustrator of the award-winning book on intercultural communication How to Communicate Effectively with Anyone, Anywhere (Career Press), which received the Axiom Business Book Award and the Nautilus Book Award.

Connect with Rod:  
LinkedIn
Twitter: @GlobalCommNYC 
Instagram: @connecting_globally 
Website: www.globallycommunicate.com


Raúl Sánchez

Raúl Sánchez

Raúl Sánchez is an award-winning clinical assistant professor and the corporate program coordinator at New York University’s School of Professional Studies. He has designed and delivered corporate trainings for Deloitte, Bloomberg, Anheuser-Busch, and the United Nations, as well as been a writing consultant for Barnes & Noble Press and PBS. Raúl was awarded the NYU School of Professional Studies Teaching Excellence Award and specializes in intercultural communication, linguistics, and business communication.

He contributes to Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Quartz, Yahoo! News, Fast Company, HuffPost, Business.com, openDemocracy, and Thrive Global, where he writes about the intersection of global business communication, leadership, and intercultural communication. Raúl is the co-author of the award-winning book on intercultural communication “How to Communicate Effectively with Anyone, Anywhere” (Career Press), which received the Axiom Business Book Award and the Nautilus Book Award.

Social Media:

LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Website


Dan Bullock

Dan Bullock

Dan Bullock is a language and communications specialist/trainer at the United Nations Secretariat, training diplomats and global UN staff. He also serves as professor of intercultural business communication, linguistics, and public relations within the Division of Programs in Business at New York University. Dan was the director of corporate communications at a leading NYC public relations firm, and his corporate clients have included TD Bank and Pfizer.

He contributes to the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Quartz, Yahoo! News, and Fast Company, where he writes about the intersection of global business communication, intercultural communication, and professional development. Dan is the co-author of the award-winning book on intercultural communication "How to Communicate Effectively with Anyone, Anywhere" (Career Press), which received the Axiom Business Book Award and the Nautilus Book Award.

Connect with Prof. Dan Bullock:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram


LaShaundra Randolph-1

LaShaundra Randolph

LaShaundra Randolph, is the Education Administrator & Instructor for the National Society of Leadership and Success, formerly serving as the Coordinator for Campus Life and Leadership at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City (MO). She previously served as the Coordinator for Student Activities and Director of the Kangaroo Food Pantry which was developed under her leadership. In the past, she served as a Residence Hall Director at Stony Brook University (NY) where she also taught first-year orientation courses and has been a peer instructor for Sexual Assault Facts and Education (SAFE).

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Missouri Western State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with professional certifications in Diversity Education and Inclusion in the Workplace, Nonprofit Fundraising/Grant writing, and Community Economic Development.

She is passionate about “Changing the Narrative” and firmly believes in lifting as we climb by inspiring anyone she encounters to thrive and make their mark in this world. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering, facilitating workshops, mentoring, traveling, spending time with loved ones, and motivational speaking. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.-Leavenworth Alumnae Chapter serves on both regional and national committees.


Her favorite quote is “When the world tells you to shrink, expand” ~Elaine Welteroth

LinkedIn


Arlene Ganess

Arlene Ganess

Arlene Ganess currently serves as the Co-Advisor for the NSLS Chapter at Saint Peter's University. At St. Peter's, she is the Director for Sexual Violence Prevention where she oversees a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. In her role, she also work with the Center for Leadership & Engagement where she advises student leaders and assists with campus wide programming. On the weekends, Arlene is a Course Instructor at Hudson County Community College where she teaches an event planning course for international students! 

Arlene earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Marketing in 2017, and her Master's in Business Administration in 2020 and she is currently advancing to candidacy in my Doctoral of Educational Leadership in Higher Education program. As she begins her research, she will be conducting a qualitative study identifying the impacts of student involvement on Second-Generation Immigrant Minorities (better known as Children of Immigrants). 

In her free time, she loves to cook, bake and spend time with her 2-year old dog Bella! She also loves to craft and started selling her own personalized crafts such as mugs, t-shirts, Starbucks cups, and more!


Corey Andrew Powell

Corey Andrew Powell

Corey Andrew Powell wears many hats — copywriter, content producer, and podcast host/interviewer. Having earned his bachelor’s in media arts, Corey’s work experience includes art direction, video production, video editing, music writing, and producing on-air promos. He’s also a Grammy voting member of the Recording Academy of Music.


As a Content Manager for the NSLS, Corey contributes to the organization’s marketing initiatives and corporate communications. He also utilizes his love of thoughtful conversation as the current host of the popular NSLS podcast, Motivational Mondays.


Bethany VanBenschoten York

Bethany VanBenschoten

Bethany has been at Utica since July 2011, has a Master's Degree in Higher Education from Syracuse University and a Bachelor's Degree from Le Moyne College. She is passionate about her work and loves connecting with new people.  Bethany chartered and has since been advising the Utica Chapter of the NSLS in 2014 and is staff advisor for the Student Government Association.  She loves cooking and hosting parties, redecorating and renovation, bowling and mini golf, road-tripping with husband Jason, son Teddy, and daughter Lucy, and enjoys the country life.


Daniel Castro

Daniel Castro Jimenez

Colombian academic, father of Juanita and Julian and husband of Tatiana, his sources of motivation. He studied Economics and his Master's Degree in Social Protection at the Universidad Santo Tomás in Bogotá. He is currently studying for his PhD in Management Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. As a researcher he is the author of three books and several articles in peer-reviewed journals. His research interests are Economic Sociology, Social Protection and Social Responsibility. As a professor he has worked in several universities in his country, among them, Universidad Piloto de Colombia, Universidad EAN, Universidad Santo Tomás and Universidad Nacional de Colombia. As a lecturer in his country he has been invited on several occasions by different institutions of higher education, such as the University of Antioquia, the University of San Gil, the Universidad Libre, to name the most recent ones. Internationally, he has been at the University of Panama, the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and the University of Chile. 


In his professional practice, he has been a consultant to the United Nations, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and has held management positions in companies mainly in the solidarity sector. He is currently the Dean of Faculty of the American Society for Leadership and Success (NSLS) in Colombia and peer evaluator of the International Agency for Quality Education AICE.

Marcela Montoya

Marcela Montoya Escobar

Marcela is a Leader Professor of NSLS Colombia. She has a Bachelor's degree in business administration; she completed two master's degrees, one in human resource management and the other in international business. Marcela is currently a Ph.D. candidate in organizational studies. She has approximately 12 years of experience working in universities and 5 as a higher education professor.

John Moreno-Escobar

John Moreno-Escobar

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝."

With over ten consistent years of significant leadership experience as an Executive Director, I have come to find that my passion lies in cultivating meaningful partnerships and profitable relationships with constituents, government agencies, and enterprise clients while achieving quality results in fulfilling critical organizational goals.

Throughout my professional career, I have earned a reputation for establishing multiple non-profit organizations and driving business growth. I am passionate about deploying specialized expertise to support an organization's mission while providing counsel and advice concerning various aspects of its work.

This philosophy has held its weight in the organizations I have served. It includes driving improvements and skyrocketing growth by understanding business initiatives to build end-to-end processes while maintaining conscious social responsibility. 

Other highlights from my career include the following:

Equipped with unmatched leadership and decision-making capabilities to execute 100+ sales deals and nurture $1M worth of partnerships. 

Imparted success in K-12 and higher education, government affairs, and corporate social responsibility to a reputable organization. 

Created and maintained multi-sectoral partnerships and high-level relationships based on the collective impact model.

My Key Skills include College Admission Process, Social Impact Ventures, Marketing Planning, Social Media, Not For Profit Management, Program Management, Strategic Partnerships, Management, Strategic Programming, Fundraising & Development, Leadership Development, Immigrant Education, Education Technology, Start-Ups, Public Policy, Colombian Policy, Spanish & Minority Research.

Dawn Vanniman

Dawn Vanniman


WHO WE ARE

At The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), we build leaders who make a better world. The NSLS is the nation’s largest leadership honor society with over 700 chapters and more than 1,000,000 members nationwide. Candidacy is a nationally recognized achievement of honorable distinction, and upon completion of the program members receive their leadership certificate, and use their affiliation to elevate themselves for the rest of their lives. In addition to building leadership skills, benefits also include scholarships & awards, exclusive on-campus events, employer recruitment, and discounts on computers, textbooks, car insurance, grad school prep courses, and so much more.

 

2022 LEADERSHIP SUMMITS

Join us across the country for an incredible 2 days that will inspire, motivate, and equip you with all the tools you need to take your leadership to the next level. Each session is packed with insights and information on key topics surrounding our central theme for 2022: Level Up Your Leadership.

We’ll teach you skills to embrace your fears and break through your limits as you train to become a stronger leader. You’ll hear from speakers on what led to their success, and the struggles they overcame. You’ll get to collaborate and meet new friends in breakout sessions. You’ll discover yourself, learn from each other, and dream together. But most of all, you’ll have fun doing it!