Alan Berdahl
Community Outreach Coordinator Dakota Lions Sight & Health
Alan Berdahl is an organ donation advocate and a bilateral cornea transplant recipient. Alan's background as an educator allows him to connect with drivers education students, as well as adults, about the importance of donation. As the Community Outreach Coordinator with Dakota Lions Sight & Health, his efforts have helped to raise awareness of organ donation and increase the number of designated donors in South Dakota dramatically.
Eleanor Turner
Author and Baby Naming Expert
Eleanor Turner is a best-selling author of 18 books and a dozen articles on baby names. Born in the UK, she now lives in Sioux Falls with her husband and four children, where she loves the community but will never get used to the winters.
Community Designer & Creative Counsel
Hugh Weber is a community organizer, network theorist, story discoverer, civic rider, design advocate, and small-town kid from Milbank, SD. As Creative Counsel to design leaders and visionary executives, Hugh leverages the power of connection and relationships of influence to reveal the rich stories, vibrant cultures, thriving networks, and the infinite possibility that often lays hidden in the communities, organizations, and people we love most.
Husband. Father. Storyteller. Author.
Even in this modern world, the most powerful teaching device is still the story. Stories are easy to remember and have the ability to get to the subtle points of life in a way that facts and figures can’t reach.
An observer of life, Jeff Gould often notices things that can benefit and instruct, and most often they are encased in a story. Jeff is not rich or famous, and does not wish to be. He is married, with a wife, four daughters and a mortgage. He is an everyday man who has met some remarkable people and learned some things that just may be helpful to you, if you have the time to learn
Ophthalmologist Surgeon
John Berdahl M.D. is an Eye Surgeon at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has performed over 25,000 surgeries He was recently named the #3 ophthalmologist in the world under age 50. He co-invented the MKO melt and has started 4 companies Astigmatismfix.com, Equinox, and ExpertOpinion.md, but what drives him is the trust patients, family, and friends place in him.
Director of the Center for Diversity and Community at University of South Dakota
Laura Renée Chandler, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Diversity and Community at the University of South Dakota. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor of History at South Dakota State University, specializing in US history, women’s history, and African American Studies. Chandler has a BA in political science from Macalester College and MA and PhD in history from Rice University. She currently serves as the Director of the South Dakota African American History Museum located in downtown Sioux Falls at the Washington Pavilion.
Dr. Chandler educates students about the histories of marginalized groups to foster solidarity, empathy, and self-empowerment. In addition to writing and teaching, she frequently presents on issues dealing with race, social justice, and social movement history.
Founder of Heal With Hypnosis
Rebecca Wiener McGregor is a hypnotist, mindset coach, and creator of the Whole Life Happy Method. Rebecca helps visionary women leaders, coaches, and healers break through their limits without sacrificing their passion or true purpose. What sets her apart is her ability to connect with clients on a deep spiritual level to uncover and release their blocks and step into their truth. She is the founder of Extraordinary Life Mastermind where she helps women leaders connect, support, and encourage one another while sharing mindset strategies to create an extraordinary life. She is the host of Fear is a MotherFer(but it's not the enemy) Podcast which she uses as a vehicle to bring awareness to all the sneaky ways fear shows itself in our lives and how to deal with it.
Founder of Write Now, LLC & Executive Producer of the Girl In Space Podcast
Sarah Rhea Werner is a professional writer and podcaster who loves to help other creators find confidence and success. She is a contributor to Forbes and creator of the Girl In Space and Write Now podcasts. She currently lives in the Midwest city of Sioux Falls, SD, with one husband, two rescue cats, and a ceiling full of spiders. Find Sarah at sarahwerner.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @SarahRheaWerner.
Freshman Academy Director
Dr. Todd Novak has led the Freshman Academy at Washington High School (WHS) in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2008. An avid thinker and tinkerer, he has had the privilege of partnering with educators to make WHS a great place to be a freshman. His amazing wife and two adult children have survived - thus far - his bent toward educational experimentation. He reads about presidents, writes letters, and thinks maps are awesome. (www.ToddNovakedu.com)
Dr. Todd Novak has led the Freshman Academy at Washington High School (WHS) in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2008. An avid thinker and tinkerer, he has had the privilege of partnering with educators to make WHS a great place to be a freshman. His amazing wife and two adult children have survived - thus far - his bent toward educational experimentation. He reads about presidents, writes letters, and thinks maps are awesome.
Co-Founder at Think 3D
Vaney Hariri is a motivational speaker and the Co-Founder of Think 3D which is a consulting company that focuses on organizational culture and leadership development. By working through their 3 dimensions of a healthy work culture(Personal, Professional, and Potential) they are able to create customized solutions for their clients that help them address some of the most pressing issues facing businesses today like attrition, low engagement, and millennials.