Profiles in Leadership

Hacia Atherton is a globally recognised and award-winning voice in workplace culture reform,known for helping organisations turn burnout and bias into retention and results. She is the founder ofthe non-profit Empowered Women in Trades, which supports women in male-dominated industries andpromotes inclusive workplaces. She currently serves on Victoria’s Our equal state reference group, advising the state’s gender equality strategy, and on the La Trobe Business School Advisory Board. With a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology from The University of Melbourne (specialising in Positive Organisational Scholarship) and as a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Hacia brings depth to leadership consulting, blending human insight with strategic execution. Through her keynote speaking and executive coaching, she equips leaders to elevate culture and psychological safety, and in turn yield tangible results. Author of Billion Dollar Blindspot

SimoneKnego is an international speaker, award-winning author, and confidence expert who helps high achievers reconnect with their worth and lead more meaningful lives. Her best-selling book, The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You and her globally ranked podcast, Her Unshakeable Confidence, which she co-hosts with her daughter, have inspired audiences around the world. A two-time TEDx speaker featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Entrepreneur, and Yahoo News, Simone is also the creator of the REAL Method—a framework for building lasting confidence from the inside out. Her upcoming book, REAL Confidence, launches in February and offers a practical guide to quiet self-doubt and lead with clarity and self-respect. From summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro to raising six children and navigating the beautiful chaos of everyday life, she brings authenticity, perspective, and heart to everything she does.

DEBRACLARYis a leadership strategist, researcher, and executive coach with over four decades of leadership experience at some of the world’s most iconic companies, including Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana. Relying on her doctorate in Leadership and Organization Development and her inquisitive approach to every facet of life,Debrahas inspired hundreds of executives and teams to achieve business success guided by the principle that curiosity is not a soft skill—it’s a superpower for growth. Today, after forging a path as a leading curiosity expert,Debraadvises Fortune 500 companies and mission-driven teams on how to harness the power of curiosity to encourage transformation and foster connection. Whether leading billion-dollar brands, advocating for women’s leadership, delivering a viral TEDx talk, or performing a sold out one-woman off-Broadway show,Debrais guided by her mission to ask bold questions and follow wonder. Her upcoming book,The Curiosity Curve, is the culmination of years of research and real-world experiencecoaching hundreds of leaders through transformation, and empowering individuals and organizations on their unique journeys to success.

Ryan Rottman is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of AthleteAgent.com, a groundbreaking sports tech platform. In his role, Ryan oversees business operations, strategic partnerships, and platform development, helping expand the site’s reach across professional leagues and enhance its database of verified athlete and team contacts.Before stepping into the tech and sports business world, Ryan built a successful career in entertainment, starring in films such as Billionaire Boys Club, The Open Road, and a variety of Hallmark originals, as well as television series like 90210(CW), The Middle (ABC), and The Lying Game (ABC Family). His background in production and storytelling has been instrumental in shaping AthleteAgent.com’s user experience and brand identity. Ryan combines business acumen with creative vision, bringing a unique edge to the intersection of sports, media, and tech.

Mitch Matthews is a success coach, keynote speaker, and the creator of the top 1% podcast DREAM THINK DO. Through the podcast and his coaching - Mitch helps high-achieving leaders and entrepreneurs dream bigger, think better, and do more of what they were put on the planet to do. He’s been honored to interview some of the most influential thinkers on the planet — from bestselling authors like Brendon Burchard, Michael Hyatt, and Jamie Kern Lima to Oscar winners, elite athletes, and world-class entrepreneurs.As a speaker and elite success coach, Mitch has also spent two decades working with leaders from organizations like NIKE, NASA, Disney, and United Airlines - helping leaders clarify their purpose and lead with impact.Mitch is also the creator of The Authority Bridge™ - a high-touch coaching experience that helps seasoned professionals build a coaching and speaking business that’s aligned, strategic, and legacy-worthy.Mitch lives a highly-caffeinated life in Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife Melissa and they have two wildly creative sons.

Kendra Dahlstrom is a transformational executive coach, keynote speaker, and host of The Unworthy Leader PodcastTM. With over two decades of experience guiding senior executives at Amazon, VMware, and other Fortune 50 companies, Kendra helps high-achieving leaders stop performing and start leading—from a place of presence, clarity, andpower. Her work is rooted in the belief that imposter thoughts, self-doubt, and vulnerability aren’t weaknesses—they’re data. Through her signature frameworks—Your Doubt is Your DataTM, Your Failure is Your FuelTM, and Your Vulnerability is ViralTM—Kendra has helped hundreds of leaders turn silent suffering into strategic clarity. She brings a proven, bulletproof process that demystifies what’s really happening behind theleadership mask. Her insights—including the 2 Hidden Brand Liabilities affecting executive presence, 6 Revelations about Imposter Thoughts, and her proprietary 4-Step framework to transform inner conflict into action—challenge conventional leadership models and unlock a more human, sustainable approach to influence. Kendra doesn’t just talk about authentic leadership. She lives it. This isn’t theory—it’s lived truth, earned insight, and a revolution in how leadership gets done well.

Tim Rexius is proof that grit beats privilege—every time. From sleeping in his car and heating ketchup packets for soup, to building an international brand now sold in over 6,000 retailers across 13 countries, Tim is a serial entrepreneur who’s cracked the code on scaling with zero outside investment. He's the powerhouse behind four companies, including the booming Omaha Protein Popcorn Co., a snack brand created to serve the 95% of people overlooked by the health food industry—kids, parents, and people who just want to eat better without sacrificing taste. With 20+ years of experience in health and nutrition, international sales, and brick-and-mortar retail, Tim now brings his passion to stages across the country, delivering 30+ keynotes a year to students, entrepreneurs, and business leaders hungry for real-world, no-BS advice. What sets Tim apart? He doesn’t just talk the talk. He balances it all—four companies, six kids, a thriving marriage, and speaking engagements that light up high schools, boardrooms, and convention halls alike.