2026 Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Chris Singleton
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Chris Singleton is a former professional athlete drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017. Following the loss of his mother in a racially motivated mass shooting, Chris has now become an inspirational speaker and best-selling author who has shared his message of unity and racial reconciliation with NFL and NBA teams as well as multiple Fortune 500 companies across the country. He shares with over 100 organizations and over 50,000 students annually and resides with his spouse Mariana and 3 children in Charleston, SC.
Keynote Speaker
Tony Melendez
Originally from Rivas, Nicaragua, born without arms and a clubbed foot due to the drug, Thalidomide. Tony's mother was prescribed this drug for morning sickness by her doctor and had no idea how it would affect her unborn son. At the age of one Tony's family immigrated to the USA so Tony could have corrective surgery on his left foot in order for him to walk.
Tony grew up in a home where mom protected and cared greatly for him and at the same time had a father who encouraged and pushed him to do things on his own. As he had no arms Tony had to learn to do almost everything with his feet and at the age of sixteen taught himself how to play the guitar with his toes. As he grew proficient at his guitar playing, he also matured as a singer and composer. In 1987 he was selected by the youth of Los Angeles to be their gift to Pope John Paul II. It was this internationally broadcast event that set Tony's career in to high gear, now more than 39 years later Tony has traveled to all fifty states and more than 44 foreign countries.
Tony has been on shows such as Good Morning America, Arsenio Hall, 700 Club, Jerry Lewis Telethons, and prime time network specials for Variety Clubs and Very Special Arts. In June of this year Tony was on the 1st episode of Gifts of Hope on EWTN, a new series. As one of the main presenters at the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis Tony gave an inspiring presentation in the main arena where over 60 thousand Catholics came from all over the USA and beyond.
Tony travels with his brother Jose and together they share with young and old their message of hope, encouragement, and faith. Tony's message and story are presented with music and his personal life stories. As they continue to travel they focus on young people by going into elementary, Jr. high schools, high schools, colleges and universities. Tony presents himself as a victim of drugs and the harm they can cause. Tony and Jose also include in their program how important self esteem is to young people and incorporate how any kind of substance abuse is dangerous. They also talk about how they deal with issues such as Disability Awareness, Cultural Awareness and Family Support. Todays most troubling issue is bullying and both Tony and Jose share their stories of overcoming this issue through changes in attitude and discipline.
Tony has recorded 6 albums, Never Be The Same, Ways of The Wise, El Muro se Callo, Cup Of Life, Hands In Heaven and Hope/Esperanza! He also has his autobiography, A Gift Of Hope, published by Harper and Row!
Tony is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including special commendations from President Reagan, State of California, The City of Los Angeles, and countless other civic and charitable organizations, as well as the first annual Inspirational Hero Award from the NFL Alumni Association at Super Bowl XXIII in Miami.
Tony moved from California and now resides in Branson with his wife Lynn and two kids, Marisa and Andres. Despite all the travel over the last 38 years, Tony continues to resist the siren song of stardom, hoping only to develop his musical career and share his God given gifts. " I don't feel like a celebrity," he says with a smile, " I just feel like me!"
Breakout Speakers
Andy Arquette
Andy Arquette is an experienced business leader with a career focused on building, scaling and transforming entrepreneurial companies.
As a Founder and Chief Financial Officer of fairlife, Andy was part of the small leadership team that built the company from its entrepreneurial beginnings into one of the most successful growth stories and businesses in the food and beverage industry. During his tenure, fairlife grew into a multi-billion-dollar consumer brand and became a wholly owned business of The Coca-Cola Company.
Prior to fairlife, Andy served as CEO and CFO of HomeMade Pizza Company and held senior leadership roles with several entrepreneurial and technology businesses. He began his career with Arthur Andersen and Kraft Foods, gaining experience across finance, marketing and operations.
Andy currently serves as President of the Kelly T Arquette Family Foundation and as an advisor to Beyond Hunger. Andy has served on other corporate and nonprofit boards.
Andy holds a B.S. from Miami University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and is a CPA.
Mike Bell
Mike is the former Mayor of Toledo 2010-2013, former State Fire Marshal - State of Ohio, former Toledo Fire Chief and first African American, as well as the youngest person ever to lead the department. He has served multiple community-related civic organizations, volunteering his time and serving on such boards as the Boys & Girls Club, Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, and Salvation Army just to mention a few.
Brady Fineske
Brady has served as a trusted adviser to helping individuals, families, and closely-held business owners for more than 20 years. His passion for helping high-net-worth families connect their wealth and purpose through the integration of investment, tax, financial planning, estate planning, and charitable planning is evident in each meeting. In his role as President and Family Wealth Strategist at TFO Wealth Partners, Brady brings a disciplined approach to ensuring his clients’ long-term focus is at the forefront of every conversation and enjoys empowering his client families to identify the purpose for their wealth and develop custom strategies designed to help achieve that purpose.
Prior to joining the TFO Wealth Partners team in 2011, Brady spent 10 years as an investment adviser with Savage and Associates. Today, as President of our firm and lead strategist, Brady leads the long-term vision of TFO Wealth Partners and is also a member of both the firm’s executive and investment committees.
Brady and his wife, Katie, share six children and reside in Monclova, Ohio where they are active in their parish. Brady also started Catching Up With Jack, an annual event to remember his son, Jack, and raise money for pediatric cancer research and help local families. Established in 2016, Catching Up With Jack has raised over $1,200,000 to help researchers and institutions find a pediatric cancer cure.
Matt Knaggs
Matt Knaggs graduated from St. Francis de Sales in 2002. While there, he performed in musicals and choir, and was also the school mascot his senior year. He has a bachelor's degree in Spanish and International Business from the University of Toledo, and a Masters in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University. Matt is currently a Regional Sales Director for Zilliant, and has held several leadership roles in a variety of fields throughout his 20 year career. He has also taught a class that focuses on leadership and public speaking for 15 years. He and his wife Amber have three children and live in Perrysburg, OH.
Christina Rodriguez
Executive Director - Mom's House of Toledo
Jeff Smith
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Jeff Smith is once again glad to be doing what he loves in a place he adores. Jeff is originally from the Toledo area. He grew up in Temperance and Sylvania. He graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School and is an alumnus of Indiana University, Bloomington. Because of his local roots, Jeff makes it a point to give back to the community. Over the years he's been involved in activities and programs at his former high school and is at the beck and call of those who knew him back when and need help from him today. In 2008, Jeff took his love for journalism and education to his alma mater (St. Francis) - and began teaching a journalism class and moderating the production of the school's newspaper. He’s also taught at BGSU where he received a Master’s in Strategic Communication in 2020. Jeff’s journalistic journey started 1995. He spent two years in northern Michigan at WPBN/WTOM (Traverse City). He lived in Gaylord, Michigan, as a bureau reporter – responsible for 500 square miles stretching from Grayling to Alpena to Cheboygan … from the Soo Locks to Petoskey and Charlevoix. In addition to his work behind the desk, Jeff has been a producer, reporter, photographer, and editor. In September of 2008, Jeff, along with three co-workers, spent a week in Houston covering the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. He's an award winner for reporting and has been involved with numerous presidential visits. He once traveled with the Coast Guard during an 11-hour trip across a frozen Lake Michigan to deliver fuel oil to a struggling island (It had been a long, hard winter). That trip during the summer takes 30 minutes!In his spare time, Jeff loves to cook, find his old albums on Spotify, and coach baseball. Jeff is married to Lisa (Key Realty) and is the proud father of daughter, Parker Jayden (P.J.), and sons Dugan Jeffrey (D.J.), and Keaton James (K.J.).
Jay Updegraff
Jay Updegraff is a 1986 graduate of St Francis de Sales HS. While at St Francis, Jay played on the Knight football that won the State Title in 1984, the baseball team, and was a 3-year member of the Quiz Bowl team. Jay is a former Boy Scout and also served as a Troop Master as an adult. He has attended both a National Scout Jamboree, and Philmont Scout Ranch as an adult Scout Leader.
After SFS, he attended the US Air Force Academy, commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1990. Upon completing USAF pilot training, Jay completed his MS in Engineering Mechanics at The Ohio State University in 1994. Jay served 24 years on active duty in the Air Force, retiring in 2014 with the rank of Colonel. Highlights of his career include serving as an Evaluator Pilot in the KC10 Extender air refueling aircraft, Instructor Pilot in the C5 Galaxy cargo aircraft, and a Staff Officer at US Northern Command, in Colorado Springs. Jay served as a Squadron Commander while at McGuire AFB, NJ and served as Interim Commander of Civil Air Patrol-USAF, at Maxwell AFB, AL. Jay’s military deployments include Operation Southern Watch, Global War on Terror, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Joint Guardian (Kosovo), and Unified Response (Haiti earthquake relief in 2010). He is a combat aviator, flying 21 missions in the C5 into Iraq. He was a Distinguished Graduate of Squadron Officers School and Air Command and Staff College, and also a graduate of the US Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies, and the Air War College. During his military service Jay was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, five Air Force Meritorious Service Medals, and four Aerial Achievement Medals.
After retiring from the Air Force, Jay was hired by FedEx Express Airlines, where he continues to fly as an MD11 First Officer. Jay has been married to his wife Rebecca of 35 years, and they have two adult children. They currently live in St Augustine, Florida where they enjoy traveling and attending college football games.
Celia Williamson and Anna Schramm
Dr. Celia Williamson has been engaged in anti-trafficking work for over 30+ years. She founded the first anti-trafficking program in Ohio in 1993 and directly worked with victims in Toledo, Ohio for several years. Dr. Williamson possesses two doctorate degrees, one in social work and an honorary doctorate in social justice. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Human Trafficking and Social Justice institute at The University of Toledo.
As a macro-level social worker, Anna Schramm coordinates the International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference. Over the last nine years under her guidance, the conference has grown exponentially to welcome thousands of attendees from 69 countries, including all 50 U.S. states. Anna also coordinates the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars (GAHTS), which is a diverse community of researchers, survivors, and advocates whose mission is to combat human trafficking by moving the knowledge base forward.
Brandy Wimberly
Brandy Alexander is an enterprise digital strategist, entrepreneur and marketing agency leader with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations build brands, accelerate growth and navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Her experience spans business development, integrated marketing, ecommerce, social media, video, digital product development and emerging technology, working with organizations ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to high-growth startups. She specializes in connecting business strategy, creative, media and technology to develop integrated solutions that drive measurable growth.
Throughout her career, Brandy has led multidisciplinary teams responsible for digital strategy, performance marketing, social media, brand development, ecommerce, UI/UX, CRM and marketing automation, enterprise websites and custom digital products. She has also built and led sales and account teams, overseeing new business development, revenue forecasting, strategic partnerships and complex enterprise engagements.
Increasingly, her work has focused on the convergence of video, social media, commerce and paid media. She helps brands use video not simply as content, but as a powerful storytelling and commerce channel—connecting short-form video, creator content, live shopping and shoppable media with ecommerce, retail media and performance advertising. Her work reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior as social platforms increasingly influence how people discover, evaluate and purchase products.
A recognized thought leader in digital marketing, technology and entrepreneurship, Brandy has been published in Fast Company, Inc., VentureBeat, Women 2.0 and TechCocktail and has presented at industry events including SXSW and Cannes Lions.
Today, her work is focused on what comes next in digital commerce: the intersection of social, paid media, ecommerce, AI and emerging technology and how brands can connect these channels to create stronger customer experiences and sustainable growth.
Clint Longenecker, Ph.D.
Clinton Oliver Longenecker, Ph.D., an award-winning educator, is one of “America’s leaders in creating high performance leaders and organizations” and is a Distinguished University Professor of Leadership Excellence Emeritus of The College of Business and Innovation at The University of Toledo.
His teaching, research and consulting interests are in high performance leadership and creating great organizations. He has been the recipient of over sixty (60) outstanding teaching, service and research awards and numerous industry awards including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Toastmasters International Leadership Award, The Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service, and numerous “Best Professor” recognitions. In addition, he has also been recently recognized by The Economist as one of the Top Fifteen Business Professors in the World. In 2017, Clint was recognized as one of the top three University Professors in the USA as a Finalist for Baylor University’s Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching and as one of the top thirty (30) “transformational leaders” in America by The John Maxwell Organization.
He has published over 200 articles and papers in leading academic and professional journals including the Sloan Management Review, Industrial Management, Business Horizons, European Business Review, and Organizational Dynamics among others. He is a frequent media source and his research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, MSNBC, NPR, and a wide variety of media outlets. Clint is also a critically acclaimed professor in The Great Courses Critical Business Skills Series – Organizational Behavior Course released in 2015. His newest book, The Successful Career Survival Guide is a chronicle of best practices and key research findings designed to help readers improve their personal effectiveness and career trajectory. He is also the co-author of two best-selling leadership books, Getting Results: Five Absolutes for High Performance and Two-Minute Drill: Lessons for Rapid Organizational Improvement from America’s Greatest Game.
Clint is an active management consultant, educator, and executive coach whose clients include a wide variety of Fortune 500 firms and entrepreneurial organizations including: Harley-Davidson, ConAgra, SSOE, ProMedica Health Systems, Whirlpool, Eaton Corporation, Cooper Tire, Dana Corporation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and O-I Inc. among others. Clint has been described by Career Publications as, “one of the top motivational speakers in the U.S. who can blend cutting edge research, common sense, humor and conviction into a real and inspiring call for better performance that can help us all!”
Dr. Longenecker has also served as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of the West Indies Barbados and has also lectured extensively in Poland, Hungary, and Russia. He holds a B.B.A. in marketing, an M.B.A. in management, both from the University of Toledo, and a Ph.D. in management from The Pennsylvania State University.
Clint is an active community servant, a committed member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, and an active Bible study leader and Christian speaker. He has spent extensive time working in the country of Haiti managing missionary school and hospital construction projects. Clint is very happily married to the former Cindy Breese, and they have three children: Clinton Charles, Shannon Marie, and Stephen Lorenzo.