Education

Opening Keynote

Erin King
The Energy Expert

The Energy Instinct: Tap Into Your Natural Power for Transformative Leadership
Leadership in today’s complex and ever-changing world demands more than strategy and execution—it requires connection, influence, and the ability to ignite the best in others. But what if the secret to transformative leadership lies not in doing more, but in aligning with the natural energy dynamics that drive you and your team?

In this groundbreaking keynote, Erin King, acclaimed researcher and creator of The Energy Exam®, introduces leaders to a revolutionary approach to energy management that goes beyond self-care—it’s about harnessing their radically unique “energy instinct”. Backed by insights from a study of over 10,000 professionals, Erin reveals the five distinct energy types—Kinetic, Generative, Rigorous, Responsive, and Synergistic—and how leaders can use this framework to inspire action, create buy-in, and empower thriving teams.
This isn’t just about personal energy; it’s about energetic compatibility. By understanding what charges and drains you and your team, you can create a leadership culture that is productive, deeply harmonious, and resilient. Whether leading through high-stakes challenges, driving innovation, or managing a multi-generational workforce, The Energy Instinct offers a fresh, actionable roadmap to elevate your leadership impact.  

Keynote

David “DJ” Johnson, CAE, IOM, FASAE
Award-winning Nonprofit Volunteer Leader

The Connected Mindset: Leading People and Projects with Clarity, Empathy, and Purpose
Association success has always depended on people — staff, volunteers, and members working in harmony toward a shared mission. But today’s environment demands a new kind of partnership: one grounded in trust, clarity, emotional intelligence, and an understanding of how humans actually think, connect, and collaborate. Building off of 25+ years of experience in volunteer development and membership strategy — and informed by insights from neuroscience, group identity research, and wellbeing science — this energizing plenary explores what it truly takes to build a unified, mission driven team.

Whether you work directly with volunteers or lead internal staff teams, you’ll learn practical ways to strengthen relationships, improve persuasion and influence, and create conditions where people feel empowered, aligned, and ready to contribute their best. Leave with actionable tools to elevate their leadership, deepen team cohesion, and cultivate a culture where staff, members, and volunteers succeed together.

Emcee & Closing Keynote

Melissa Boggs
Cautious to Courageous

From Cautious to Courageous: A Live Roller Skating Journey (that Will Move You)
From Cautious to Courageous is a dynamic keynote designed to spark creativity, confidence, and bold action in the face of uncertainty. Using a four-stage framework - Cautious, Curious, Courageous, and Audacious - Melissa teaches the audience how to move through their journey of personal growth, innovation, and real transformation. Roller skating choreography makes this an unforgettable experience. Through storytelling, humor, and tangible takeaways, this talk helps mission-driven professionals reconnect to their “big ideas” and rediscover the energy that brought them to the work in the first place. The program is as fun as it is deep, and serves as the perfect closing for a multi-day experience. 

You will leave this keynote with the clarity to recognize the internal script that has been quietly shaping your choices—and the confidence to rewrite it with intention. Rather than avoiding discomfort, you'll learn to see it as evidence of growth, not a signal to retreat. Ultimately, this experience empowers leaders to guide themselves—and those around them—with curiosity instead of control, creating space for braver thinking, stronger leadership, and meaningful change.