Speakers 2022
stay tuned for 2022 Lineup
Katie Armstrong
Katie is a part-time graduate student at Bentley University and the graduate winner of the 2022 TEDx BentleyU competition. Her main industry experience is in automotive and semiconductor applications. She is looking forward to seeing how the newfound focus in American manufacturing will effect these industries in the future. When not working, Katie enjoys hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, and anything else outside in the mountains.
Matt Banks
Matt Banks (Pronouns: they/them/theirs/Mx.) is a justice, equity, diversity and inclusion educator with over ten years of experience in training, advising and supporting the needs of historically underserved populations on college and university campuses. Currently the Associate Director for Diversity & Inclusion at Bentley University, Matt has lived across the United States and seen how stories and environment directly influence people's comfort and engagement with identity and anti-oppression work. Matt's philosophy utilizes storytelling to help us understand our differences in order to interrogate and disrupt oppressive attitudes, beliefs and systems.
Ranjoo Herr
Ranjoo S. Herr is a Professor of Philosophy at Bentley University, MA, U.S.A. Her areas of research are comparative philosophy, feminist philosophy, and political philosophy. Her TED presentation is based on her 2016 article, “Confucian Mothering: The Origin of Tiger Mothering.
Michael Thorne
Mike Thorne is an executive coach and personal growth mentor. Using his "Personal Trust Community" model to unleash greatness in people. Mike helps leaders find belonging; build toward their greatest dreams; and believe in themselves, their work, and others. He has held numerous executive leadership positions, including President of Team Sports at Russell Athletic and President of the Wholesale Division at Yankee Candle. In 2020, he decided to step away from the C-Suite to further his mission of spreading the value of trust and vulnerability in leadership. He leads workshops and one-on-one sessions to coach leaders and executives toward greater performance and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. He believes outside of I love you, the 3 most powerful words in life are I NEED HELP.
Roberta (Bobby) Pellant
Dr. Roberta (Bobby) Pellant is an international bestselling author, Professor, Consultant, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker looking to transform leaders one business at a time. Most recently, Bobby founded The Business Success Institute, which was developed as a holistic approach to business. While profits drive the majority of business endeavors, people ultimately, are at the core of the business. Bobby has 25 years teaching as a Professor in Higher Education, including international lecturing, across 4 departments: management, marketing, human resources, and communication. She is the owner of Roberta Pellant Consulting, which helps Fortune 500 leaders with strategic planning in management, marketing, and other unique projects. She is a professional development trainer and is sought after for her executive leadership coaching.
Sia Goel
Sia is currently a sophomore at Bentley University and is majoring in Data Analytics with a Liberal Studies Major in Global Perspectives as well as a minor in Business Studies. He is originally from Farmington, Connecticut, and was a very involved member of the local Farmington community by leading and participating in initiatives with the Board of Education, Town Council, and the school district’s administration. Coming to Bentley University, he has carried that same sense of passionate leadership and has been a very involved student leader on campus. Some of his involvements on campus include Student Government Association, Delta Sigma Pi, Orientation Leader, Model United Nations, and Habitat for Humanity. Sia believes in the mental power and capabilities of each individual to accomplish their dreams. He is a charismatic and strong-minded leader at Bentley, and he hopes to continue to learn from life experiences and empower others around him to be their authentic selves.
Roger Grannis
Roger Grannis is a keynote speaker and expert in the field of influence, persuasion, and sales. Roger has improved business performance at some of the biggest names in business: GE, PepsiCo, Symantec, Vertex, Wells Fargo, Underwriters Laboratories. Prior to forming GrannisGroup, in 2004, Roger spent 17 years at Gartner. He built Gartner Sales Academy, helping grow revenues from $22 million to $850 million. Eagle Scout, creative writer, and family man, Roger is known for his energetic, educational, and entertaining speaking style.
Christie Lindor
Christie Lindor is a Workplace Culture & Inclusion Strategist and the CEO of Tessi Consulting, a Certified B Corporation focused on creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces for mid and large-size organizations. A keynote speaker, adjunct professor, and bestselling award-winning author, her work on workforce inclusion and culture has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. She lives in Boston with her husband and kids.
Cecilia Hermawan
Cecilia went to Bentley University for her undergraduate degree and is on her way to completing her MBA in entrepreneurship from Babson College. She built her career in the apparel and footwear industry and then moved on to technology start-ups. Combining her entrepreneurial spirit and her passion for building community within the start-up ecosystem, she caught the start-up bug. She is a founder of Vico Style, a pre-loved fashion start-up. As a single parent, she likes to encourage others to pursue their aspirations by taking steps towards their goals.
Laura Uguccioni
Laura is a lead data scientist at Digital Lighthouse, KPMG’s Center of Excellence for Advanced Analytics. The focus of her work is statical modeling and Natural Language Processing. She joined this company after completing her M.A. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences at Columbia University. Laura also worked as a senior researcher at Sampark, an NGO based in Bangalore, focusing on poverty relief and human rights protection.
2016 Lineup: IGNITE
Adam served as host of the 2015 TEDxBentleyU conference and has been part of Bentley University community for over 12 years, where he currently a professor in the Management department. At the University of Pennsylvania, Adam is in the dissertation phase of his doctorate in organizational leadership and learning. As a musician, he has collaborated with Artists all over the globe, and lends his writing, production and vocal talents to projects across many genres including producing and composing
Beth Monaghan is the CEO of InkHouse, one of the fastest growing PR firms in the nation. Named a “Top Woman in PR,” Beth’s advocacy for workplace innovation and women’s equality has led to her being featured in Fortune Magazine, Harvard Business Review, NPR, and more. In 2014, Governor Deval Patrick appointed her to the Women in the Workplace Taskforce. Today, she sits on the boards for the Alliance for Business Leadership, and the Massachusetts Women’s Forum.
With an MBA in finance already under his belt, Sanjay is currently enrolled in a dual degree program – simultaneously completing his marketing MBA alongside an MS in marketing analytics at Bentley University. Passionate about management, business, and analytics, he has a special interest in branding and advertising, with international work experience from India. Sanjay is a fervent reader and frequent blogger – spending most of his free time amidst the company of friends, books, articles, and mu
Adam served as host of the 2015 TEDxBentleyU conference and has been part of Bentley University community for over 12 years, where he currently a professor in the Management department. At the University of Pennsylvania, Adam is in the dissertation phase of his doctorate in organizational leadership and learning. As a musician, he has collaborated with Artists all over the globe, and lends his writing, production and vocal talents to projects across many genres including producing and composing
2015 Lineup: COALESCENCE
Named America’s #1 Young Entrepreneur by BusinessWeek, and recognized 4 years in a row for making it into the Inc. 500 | 5000 fastest growing independent companies in America, Johnny Earle started his business by selling t-shirts out of the trunk of an ’89 Toyota Camry when he was 19. Since that time, the Johnny Cupcakes brand has grown out of his sedan, and into the multimillion dollar apparel company it is today.
Julian “J.R.” Jackson is the founder of JRSportBrief – a YouTube channel which has accumulated over 74 million views and 1600 videos since 2009. By turning a love for sports, media, and the internet into a fulltime career, J.R. built a strong online brand for himself. As a result, J.R. is now a frequent contributor for CBS Sports and HLN TV, reporting on major sports events and interviewing celebrities such as Kobe Bryant, Manny Pacquiao, and Kevin Hart.
Don Khoury is a nonverbal communications expert, and adjunct professor of marketing at Bentley University. Over the past 10+ years, he has used his expertise in non-verbal communication to formulate an algorithm that can predict high-profile elections with 93% accuracy. Don’s skills have been sought by numerous clients – including Guardian Financial, the Bank of Nova Scotia and Royal LePage– to develop training programs in nonverbal communication, team building and strategic planning.
Named America’s #1 Young Entrepreneur by BusinessWeek, and recognized 4 years in a row for making it into the Inc. 500 | 5000 fastest growing independent companies in America, Johnny Earle started his business by selling t-shirts out of the trunk of an ’89 Toyota Camry when he was 19. Since that time, the Johnny Cupcakes brand has grown out of his sedan, and into the multimillion dollar apparel company it is today.