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2023 Keynote Speaker
Dr. Tasha Eurich
Dr. Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, researcher, and New York Times best-selling author. Her life’s work is to help people be the best of who they are and what they do. Having built a reputation as a candid yet compassionate voice in the self-improvement space, Tasha pairs her scientific grounding in human behavior with a pragmatic approach to personal development.
With a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Tasha is the principal of The Eurich Group, a boutique executive development firm that helps successful executives—from early-stage entrepreneurs to public company CEOs—achieve dramatic personal and organizational change.
Her clients include Google, Salesforce, the NBA, Walmart, and the White House Leadership
Development Program. She’s worked directly with tens of thousands of leaders, and spoken live to hundreds of thousands more, on every continent but Antarctica. Tasha’s TEDx talks have been viewed more than nine million times.
Globally, Tasha has been named one of the world’s top 50 coaches (Thinkers50), the #1 self-awareness coach (Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Awards), and both the #1 organizational culture and communication expert (GlobalGurus). She was also chosen from more than 16,000 candidates as one of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s “100 Coaches” to advance the practice of leadership (Dr. Goldsmith is recognized as the world’s most influential leadership thinker).
Tasha’s first book, Bankable Leadership, debuted at #8 on The New York Times bestseller list in,2013. Her most recent book, Insight, delves into the connection between self-awareness and success, where she shares the surprising findings from her “groundbreaking” (per Fast Company) research program on the topic. Hailed as a “bold, exhilarating take on self-improvement” (Success Magazine), “a fascinating read” (The Guardian), and a “compassionate, helpful guide” (Fortune), Insight was named the top career book by The Muse, a top self-help book of 2017 by Business Insider, a top three management book of 2017 by Strategy+Business, and was nominated for 800-CEO-READ/Porchlight’s business book of the year. Brené Brown selected Insight as one of her
“Leadership / Business” books, and famed Wharton professor Adam Grant calls it one of the three books he recommends most often.
Tasha has contributed to Harvard Business Review, TED.com, CNBC, The Guardian, and
Entrepreneur, and her work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, NBC, CNN, the BBC, and NPR, as well as peer-reviewed journals.
She lives in her hometown of Denver, Colorado with her husband. Tasha enjoys travelling, rescuing dogs, and is an unapologetic musical theater nerd.
2023 Panelists
Janelle Riley
Janelle Riley is a co-founder and CEO of Syvantis Technologies. Janelle started her career with 12 years in public accounting as a CPA with the international accounting firms of Ernst & Young and KPMG LLP in Washington D.C. and Minneapolis. While working in public accounting, she consulted in a wide variety of tax transactions, including banking and insurance products and services, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational structure.
In 2000 Janelle decided to leverage her financial and business experience to purchase a small technical services company with her partners. Since that time, Syvantis has grown to sell, service, and support clients throughout the US and in Europe, and is a leader in Microsoft cloud ERP solutions. Janelle is a frequent speaker at Microsoft conferences and events.
Janelle is an active member of numerous community organizations, including Chair of the Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Commission and Chair of the Brainerd Lakes Community Foundation Board. Janelle has also previously served on numerous other boards.
Janelle holds a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Professional Accounting with majors in Financial Statement Analysis and Taxation from the University of Texas at Austin. She has three grown children and works and lives in the beautiful resort country of northern Minnesota with her husband and business partner, Ken, and her dog, Lily.
Allie Bjerk
Allie Bjerk is a visibility strategist, coach and consultant. Allie has helped hundreds of business owners create the visibility strategies and marketing plans behind growing super-profitable businesses for balanced and prosperous lives. Allie has taken her marketing agency experience and used it to lead entrepreneurs towards their goals through her transformational programs.
Allie’s mission is to help entrepreneurs to show up authentically, owning their expertise and not shrinking down from their big dreams. Her focus on inner-work, confidence, consistency, captivation and clarity has set her work apart from other marketers and strategists, who focus on tactics and algorithms over the relationships.
Allie spent 4 years working for corporate web development and Internet marketing agencies before launching her business. She managed the SEO and Social Media departments, teaching marketing and training new agency employees. Allie left her corporate career after the birth of her first baby and a battle with debilitating postpartum anxiety that served as the catalyst for her to transform her life and never look back. She now lives an adventure and travel-filled life based in Northern Minnesota with her husband and three young children.
Mandy Dens
Mandy is a State Coordinator for the Minnesota School Sealant Program. She works with her husband, Dr. Chris Dens (a local dentist) to provide free and reduced cost preventive dental services to students at elementary and middle schools throughout the state. Mandy holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. She taught for four years with Brainerd Public Schools prior to the birth of her first child. Mandy works from home while being a stay-at-home mom with her children, ages three and one, with her third child due in March.
Mandy finds importance in contributing time and talent to the community whenever possible. She is a founder and current Show Director of the Brainerd Ski Loons Water Ski Show Team, and takes great joy in teaching others the disciplines of water skiing. Mandy is also an active member of the Brainerd Jaycees. Currently she is the Chairperson of the 2023 America’s Ice Fishing Tournament, and holds a committee position for the Ice Fishing Extravaganza. Mandy is an avid water and downhill skier and enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and the great outdoors.
Jane Peterson
Jane Peterson is in her 32nd year as the head volleyball coach at Central Lakes College. Coach Peterson is one of the winningest active coaches in the NJCAA. She has been conference, state and region coach of the year numerous times. Her teams have won their division for the past nine years in a row. She was awarded the NJCAA National Coach of the Year in 2000, 200, and 2007; and the AVCA Two Year College Coach of the Year in 2007 when her Raider teams captured national championships.
The Raiders have made 17 national tournament appearances – more than any other Division III program ever. She is one of only ten coaches in the NJCAA to reach 700 wins. Her players have been selected All Americans 30 times. Coach Peterson was inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012. As a player, she is a member of the College of William and Mary's Athletic Hall of Fame. Jane also teaches yoga and other physical education courses at Central Lakes College.