Keynote Speakers
Tuesday, March 26
Dr. Anabel Jensen
Sponsored by Blackboard
Dr. Anabel Jensen is featured as the opening keynote speaker on Tuesday, March 26 at 9:00 a.m.
Optimism is the metacognitive skill for the 21st Century. Did you know optimists are healthier, live longer, and make more money? Optimists also have more friends, cope better with stress, and achieve greater success. Nor is optimism wishful or fantastical thinking; it is not a "Pollyanna attitude." Instead, optimism is a very specific explanatory style for coping with adversity. Discover how to analyze your challenges and tie them to essential values to combat anxiety and depression. Receive a free learning tool: The Optimism Cube. Playing this game with family and friends will help you understand the value and importance of intrinsic motivation for sustaining and nurturing a positive, problem-solving approach to the daily challenges of life. Turn any hardship into a learning experience and become an ambassador for hope.
Recognized around the world for her work utilizing emotional intelligence, Anabel Jensen co-founded and is President of the nonprofit Six Seconds, known for the "Six Seconds Model," a process for putting the skills of emotional intelligence into action. Anabel earned her Ph. D. in 1976 from the University of California, Berkeley. She has been a full professor in the School of Education and Leadership at Notre Dame de Namur University; Executive Director of the Nueva School; and co-founder and CEO of Synapse School.
The Silicon Valley Business Journal named Anabel one of the “Top 100 Women of Influence” in 2015. She has received numerous accolades including a Kellor Teaching Award from Notre Dame de Namur University; a Gifted Educator Award from the California Association for the Gifted; an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Pocatello Foundation, and Outstanding Teacher Award from Morrisey-Compton.
Author of four books and numerous articles on teaching emotional intelligence, Anabel has trained more than 20,000 educators and leaders around the world. Her career has been devoted to the concept that everyone has the potential to be a change maker for the greater good, and she strives to help people find the best in themselves and each other.
Wednesday, March 27
Will Bowen
Bowen will present on Complaint Free Organizations, a fast-paced and funny presentation on the destructive effects complaining has on health, happiness, relationships, and career. He'll explain what is (and isn't) a complaint, and the five reasons people complain. Finally he'll teach you how to get other people (and ourselves) to stop complaining and be a positive leadership in a negative world. You’ll leave inspired, mindful of own own complaints, and motivated to approach complainers with new, simple and effective strategies.
Bowen is the founder of the Complaint FreeⓇ movement with over 12 million followers worldwide. He's been featured on Oprah, Dr. Oz, Forbes, NBC’s Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, The ABC World News, Fox News, People, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.
In July 2006, Will Bowen handed out 250 purple rubber bracelets inviting people to use them as a tool to stop complaining. Will’s idea EXPLODED around the world and, to date, more than 12 million of his purple Complaint Free bracelets have been distributed to people in 106 countries.
Maya Angelou provided the forward for Will’s #1 International Bestselling book A Complaint Free World, which has sold more than 3 million copies in 30 languages and is required reading
at many universities and businesses.
Will Bowen is a humorous motivational speaker, a #1 International best-selling author, a multi #1 Amazon best-selling author, an award-winning trainer, the 2016 Purdue University Executive in Residence, and he’s the World Authority on Complaining — why people complain, what’s wrong complaining, and how to get ourselves and others to stop.