Your pain is your gold - your truth finder. It is your superpower. Geoffrey Mount Varner is an ER doctor who has practiced and led in trauma settings and healing environments for over 25 years. In his many years of treating patients in critical life and death situations he has learned this to be true: “pain or setbacks will happen to us all. In fact, they are required lessons for a successful life.” Additionally, he understands that “managing this one emotion allows your ‘setback’ to become your shield.” The setup for your comeback. In his talks, he shares how you can learn to never fail.

In addition to his work as an ER physician, Dr. Geoffrey, is a multi-bestselling author, executive and a split-second decisions expert. His executive leadership includes international crisis work on Ebola, Hurricane Katrina, Chief of a large urban Level One trauma center, and working on the frontlines of Covid- 19 both in hospitals with COVID patients and serving on several governmental committees. Dr. Geoffrey, holds degrees and medical training from Harvard, Hampton, Wayne State, George Washington, University of Maryland – Shock Trauma, and John’s Hopkins Universities. He is the author of the bestsellers, Training Your Mind for Split-second Decisions (2020), and Home Alive: 11 Steps for Surviving Police Encounters (2017 and 2019).

Diandra R. Gordon, Ph.D., J.D., is a visionary, advocate, creative and servant-leader from Columbus, Ohio, who believes in the power of centering humanity to achieve equity. Through her propriety, H.E.A.R.T.™ Framework, Dr. Gordon helps leaders and organizations bridge the gap between dreams and reality through cultural change, merging research, policy, and people. Her ultimate goal is to create sustainable change and inform policy to build an equitable society for people of color.

La Toya Jackson, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from The Ohio State University in 2004 with a BS in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. With her marketing experience, she brings 16 years of business-to-business sales with Fortune 500 companies such as Philip Morris and Michelin Tire Company. In addition, her experience in the real estate industry included $1,400,000 in real estate sales. After relocating to Chicago, La Toya began to invest in real estate to include Fix and Flips, Rentals, Mixed-Use Commercial, Wholesale deals and Airbnb.

It was at this time that she realized the need to secure funding. This journey then led to the emergence of Excel Capital Group. La Toya is the founder and CEO of Excel Capital Group which provides business credit and funding solutions for entrepreneurs looking for capital to start, grow and scale their business.

Erica Battle is a thought partner to leaders in education offering strategies of impact propelling communities forward. The author of Who Are You? A Guide to Help Adolescents Navigate Through the Social and Emotional Issues of Life, she understands that the growth of schools, communities, cities, and nations begins with one person that becomes radically aware of who they are. She is a conversational, witty, and gritty leader who transforms big picture problems into solution focused action items for implementation in the real world.

Erica understands that the challenges that schools face are both unique and yet familiar and she pushes educators to examine their own bias and stereotypes that may be stifling positive outcomes. She utilizes discussions of equity, trauma informed practices and academic data chats to build a blueprint for sustainable success. A featured speaker both nationally and internationally, Erica encourages all to make bold moves by evaluating the now while acting to impact their next.

Constantine Kanakis is a Chicago native and a resident physician at Loyola University Medical Center's Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He is Rush University Graduate College of Health Sciences alum and a board-certified medical laboratory scientist; he is a published writer, patient advocate, and physician-scientist. With a career focus on hematopathology, transfusion medicine, and public health/equity, he has received recognition internationally for his efforts to combat Zika virus in the Caribbean and for being an early voice for accurate, equitable, and reliable COVID-19 testing in the US. From the American Society for Clinical Pathology, he is a 2017 Top 40 Under Forty Award, was named to the 2020 Global Pathologist Power-List, and sits on several committees with ASCP including the Commission for Continuing Education, the Social Media Committee, and Patient Champions Committee. His other committee appointments include the American Association of Blood Banks Education and Accreditation Committee and the Greater Chicagoland Area American Red Cross Auxiliary Board. A TEDx alum, he delivered a 2019 talk about the incredible changes to medical education and practice called "Unrecognizable Medicine."

As an experienced public speaker, patient advocate, and laboratory medicine educator, Dr. Kanakis hopes to break down interdisciplinary barriers in medicine, crush stereotypes, and re-normalize compassion in new ways. From the bench to the bedside, laboratory medicine provides a unique perspective on communication, education, and what it really means to be an advocate. Follow him on social media at @CEKanakisMD