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Jonathan is a young professional and former student-athlete with desire to use his adversities and life experiences to influence holistic development of current student-athletes. His strategy engages students with hands on interactive sessions, and offers tangible application. The result, students leave with individual insight that serves as a personal resource helping them prepare for future transitions through life post graduation. 

By meeting students where they are, uncovering their passions, and arming them with applicable tools to individual success, Jonathan seeks to empower individuals to use their gifts and fulfill their purpose. Understanding the future feels uncertain, and may create fear in our future leaders, Jonathan works to ultimately reveal how to not only overcome self limiting barriers, but to strategically surpass one's expectation of self, and then pay it forward to  our communities. 

jonathanjonesspeaks.com >>>

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After a successful career that started at the NBA League Office, and led to senior management positions with a number of professional sports teams, Eric’s mental health took a sudden and rapid decline.

Due to unresolved personal life traumas he failed to appropriately address at a younger age – life experiences he was unaware were affecting his mental health – Eric developed a severe bout of PTSD, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression. This fall came essentially “out of nowhere” and left him almost permanently in bed, and with severe cognitive impairment, for just over two and a half years. Once he found a way to climb out of his abyss, he vowed to spend the rest of his life focused on changing the global conversation through mental health advocacy.

It wasn’t until he met practitioners who taught him methods to actually heal his body and central nervous system, that he began to improve and get his life back. He is determined to spread his message: that EVERYONE in the world is affected by life’s inevitable traumas and stresses. We can’t escape them, as they are part of the human experience and they impact us on many levels. Mental health exists on a continuum, with some simply experiencing more severe declines than others over varying periods of time in their lives (and/or being more genetically predisposed to such declines). Because of this, his view is that we should all be open and accepting of those who need help, because we’re one community in this “crazy” world, all fighting our own unique, but often similar, battles.

samehereglobal.org >>>

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The career advisor for the College of Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management at Chico State, Art has been in the business of helping students find their career path since 2011, after decades of success in multiple fields: as a multimillion-dollar small business owner, regional sales manager for a large manufacturing firm, and in sales, marketing and management in the insurance industry. 

The mix of different business environments he worked in has helped Cox get a gauge on what hiring managers are looking for in potential candidates, and that work guides in him his current position as career advisor for Chico State’s College of Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management at Chico State. Staying in touch with former students who he has aided in the career search process helps him not only stay current with hiring trends and practices, but also to continue to build relationships to place even more students in roles where they are best-suited.

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Charlotte Clymer is a transgender military veteran who grew up in Texas in a conservative environment. In an era in which people are so easily siloed into their particular corners, she’s a woman of intersections. In this talk, she illustrates her personal journey and makes the case for why authenticity and visibility are most essential to advancing society and bringing Americans closer together.

Clymer is the former press secretary for rapid response at the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) equality. 

She also serves on the D.C. Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Board for the Center for Law and Military Policy, the Military and Veterans Advisory Council for Outserve-SLDN (Servicemember’s Legal Defense Network), and the Advisory Councils for Running Start and the Lone Star Parity Project, organizations working toward gender parity in elected office.

She is also a Political Partner in the Class of 2019 at the Truman National Security Project, which works to bring together leaders with national security backgrounds to deliver concrete solutions to pressing global challenges for leaders at the local, state, and national levels.

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A regular panel member on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, Alonzo Bodden has been making audiences around the country laugh for more than 20 years.

In August 2019, Alonzo starred in his fourth stand-up special, Alonzo Bodden: Heavy Lightweight, which premiered exclusively on Amazon Prime. In the special, he touches upon a range of topics from slavery, cell phones and the #MeToo movement, to millennials, Kanye West and Taco Bell.

Alonzo’s first big comedy break came when he was on the “New Faces of Comedy” showcase at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. However, it was as the season three winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing, where Alonzo was first introduced to America. Since then, he has starred in two comedy specials for Showtime, appeared on a variety of television shows and has shown hosted or contributed to multiple shows as a cars and motorcycle aficionado.

alonzobodden.com >>>

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Alisha Valavanis is currently CEO and General Manager of the four-time WNBA Champion Seattle Storm and Force 10 Sports Management, LLC; a sports management firm that creates world-class sporting events in Seattle by providing operations, revenue generation, communications and marketing expertise. Valavanis has expanded the Force 10 Sports Management portfolio that has included the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament, USA Basketball, Seattle ProAm, Seattle Reign FC (NWSL) and the Seattle Seawolves (MLR).

Valavanis is the architect behind the last two championships for the Seattle Storm, starting with a rebuild that led to a 2018 WNBA Championship and most recently, the second championship over a three-year period, with the 2020 WNBA Championship.

A native of Valparaiso, Ind., Valavanis came to the Storm with a strong history in women’s basketball. She played four years at Chico State, finishing her career as the program’s all-time leader in three-pointers. Valavanis went on to coach for the Wildcats, and later, the University of the Pacific.

A highly-sought after public speaker, she is passionate and focused on the dynamics and culture of high performing teams. As well as, committed to conversation around the intersection of business, sport and community as a space for positive social change.

storm.wnba.com >>>

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Born in Sierra Leone, Kei Kamara spent his childhood days like most African youngsters - playing soccer. By 1990, his mother left for the US and the country he so loved was in the middle of a bloody civil war. Fearing for their lives, Kamara and his family fled their home, eventually seeking refuge with his mom in 2000 in LA. After high school, Kamara starred at Cal State Dominguez Hills and after three years as a Toro, was drafted 9th overall by the Columbus Crew. Entering his 16th season in MLS, he has since become one of the league's all-time leading scorers, where he ranks fifth. Kei leverages his successes on the field to give back to his homeland, and in 2012 founded the HeartShapedHands Foundation.

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