David McLain
BLUE ZONES
David earned his chops the old-fashioned way—by shooting feature-length assignments around the world for National Geographic Magazine. The stories varied, but the mandate was always the same: work with every kind of person, under any kind of condition, and create timeless yet contemporary images for his clients with the highest visual standards on earth. His assignments took him to six continents and often required 200 days on the road each year.
People often think the best part of being a National Geographic photographer is the exotic travel, but what he has always valued most is the time spent with people whose lives are completely unlike his own. A lifetime in other people’s worlds continues to be his greatest professional gift—it keeps him curious and continually strengthens the empathy that defines his work. Because he genuinely cares, people sense that he deserves their trust. That trust allows them to open up and be vulnerable, and that vulnerability creates the authenticity at the heart of all of his work. You can’t fake this or learn it quickly—true authenticity isn’t a goal; it’s a byproduct of these things.
He is interested in original reporting that explores complex issues in the context of real people and their everyday lives. His work spans seven National Geographic Magazine features, the #1 New York Times best-selling Blue Zones Kitchen (now a top-20 best-selling cookbook of the century), campaigns for major brands like Sony, and the SXSW-premiered documentary Bounce and a 10-part series on health equity in America. At the core of it all is attentiveness—to others, his craft, and his clients.
He lives with his wife, artist Anne McLain, in a 220-year-old Maine farmhouse with a post-and-beam barn where they share studio space. Their children, Finn and Myla, grew up in Maine—one is becoming a builder in Maine, the other a teacher in San Francisco. His family, his home, and Maine ground him and fuel the boundless sense of possibility and hope he brings to his work. He continually marvels at how endless the opportunities are. Now is the time to start exploring them.
www.bluezones.com
Jodi Wellman
FOUR THOUSAND MONDAYS
Jodi Wellman is a speaker, author, executive leadership coach, facilitator, and founder of Four Thousand Mondays, a professional and personal coaching practice that empowers people from all walks of life to not just live longer, but live with greater urgency, passion, and intensity. She is the author of the book, You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets.
Mixing personal development with professional coaching, Wellman teaches her followers, readers, clients, and audiences how to work well and live even better. She spent 25 years in Corporate America (most recently as Senior Vice President of Operations at a leading health and lifestyle organization) before the untimely passing of her mother forced Wellman to come to terms with her own impending mortality. Wellman was jostled awake from her glazed over life and realized that she needed to break free, seize the moment, and start helping herself and others learn to live with zero-regrets. She practices what she preaches, making big life changes over the years and actively working to build more vitality and meaning into her life.
Wellman has a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also an Assistant Instructor in the master’s program and a facilitator in the Penn Resilience Program. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. She travels across the country speaking to corporations, associations, conferences, team meetings, and summits with her powerful and inspiring message of life improvement. Her TEDx talk, “How Death Can Bring You Back to Life” has been viewed over 1.3 million times. In addition to being a regular contributor to Psychology Today, she has been featured on Fox Business, Forbes, and many other media outlets.
Thom Bond
NON VIOLENT COMMUNICATION
Thom Bond is best known as the creator and leader of The Compassion Course, a comprehensive online training, that has served over 32,000 participants and been translated into 19 languages in over 115 countries. Thom is the author of The Compassion Book, the creator of “The Exercise – Shifting Toward Compassion“, and “64 Days for Peace” an open source, online, self-led small-group introductory curriculum. He is a founder and the Director of Education for NYCNVC, (The New York Center for Nonviolent Communication, a United Nations Civil Society Organization) and the founder and Director of Education for Bushfield Farms (a demonstration farm,and educational center, focused on sustainability and social reform). He is a former member and Advisory Board Member for the Communications Coordination Committee for the United Nations (CCCUN).
Thom’s decades of experience in the practical application of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Transformational Technology, and compassionate thought, combine to create a practical, understandable, at times humorous, and potentially profound approach for learning and integrating skills that help us experience more compassion and understanding. He is described as concise, inspiring, sincere and optimistic, applying transformational and spiritual perspectives to real-life challenges. He has been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Vogue, Yoga Magazine, and is a regular guest on podcasts throughout the internet. Thom’s work is based on his years studying and teaching with Marshall Rosenberg and is greatly influenced by Werner Erhard, and his relationship with Albert Ellis. In his book and in his course, Thom has been able to articulate and share the underlying consciousness of Rosenberg’s work, known as Nonviolent Communication (NVC) along with the wisdom of both Transformational Technology and REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy). From this “recipe for making life more wonderful”, Thom has created a curriculum, and comprehensive, step by step method for learning compassionate thinking and living that continues to grow in popularity, and is changing lives, throughout the planet.
Katy Bowman
MOVE YOUR DNA
Katy Bowman, M.S. is a biomechanist, bestselling author, and founder of Nutritious Movement. She has written many books on the importance of a diverse movement diet including Move Your DNA, Rethink Your Position, and My Perfect Movement Plan. Named one of Maria Shriver’s “Architects of Change,” Bowman is changing the way we move and think about our need for movement. She has been featured by national media like The New York Times, NPR, and TODAY, and has worked with companies like Patagonia, Nike, and Google as well as a wide range of non-profits and other communities, sharing her “movement as nutrition” message. She is the host of the Move Your DNA podcast and lives in Washington State.
Ryan Hurst
GMB FITNESS
Ryan Hurst is an internationally-known expert in physical autonomy and fitness education, serving as the Head Coach and Program Director at GMB Fitness. With a career in martial arts and gymnastics that spans over four decades, Ryan brings a depth of knowledge that few can match. He’s the creative force behind GMB’s flagship program, ‘Elements,’ which The Guardian recognized as one of the best home workouts on the market.
Ryan’s coaching wisdom has been featured in Men’s Fitness and Esquire, solidifying his reputation as a thought leader in the fitness industry. With a global client base exceeding 110,000 individuals, his influence is undeniable. He’s conducted seminars in over a dozen countries, training a diverse range of people—from kids to elite paramilitary operators. Yet, his true passion lies in helping everyday adults—those juggling families and jobs—become strong, agile, and pain-free.
Ryan is particularly known for his expertise in handstands, wrist and hip mobility, and ‘animal’ locomotor exercises. His philosophy, ‘Training for a Healthy Life,’ has become a guiding light for those disenchanted with the mainstream, one-size-fits-all fitness culture.
Stay Tuned For More Presenters Being Added This Spring…
OUR PREMIER PARTNER
OUR SPONSORS
