Scott Burrows is living proof your life can change in an instant. By the age of 19, he was playing college football at Florida State University as a wide receiver and a top-ranked kick-boxing champion, with his last fight broadcast by ESPN. On November 3, 1984, Scott’s life took a dramatic and irreversible turn. He was involved in a serious automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down and diagnosed a quadriplegic.  

Despite his grim diagnosis, Scott refused to be sidelined. He made the decision to take action, to focus on the positives of the experience as opposed to dwelling on the obvious and overwhelming negatives. With the tremendous clarity provided by his singular focus, Scott resolved to thrive in his life by using three principles:  

• Vision helped him see complete success in his mind’s eye first.
• Using Mindset, he let go of the past and focused 100% on what he could control.

• With Grit, he determined to take action and persevere until he succeeded.  

Scott’s application of these innovative concepts boosted and enhanced his recovery, and he achieved results that astonished doctors, therapists, family and friends alike. After graduating from college, he qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table in the insurance and financial industry, a 100% commission-driven award achieved by fewer than 8% of agents worldwide. He also developed into a wheelchair athlete and became a best-selling author with his book, Vision Mindset Grit: How to Stand Up When Life Paralyzes You. Employing his paralysis as a visual metaphor, Scott encourages his audiences to stand up to their challenges—regardless of circumstances—using the dynamic principles of Vision, Mindset and Grit. His presentations are inspirational, focused and enthusiastically received. Scott has presented to hundreds of associations and corporations in the U.S. and around the globe. He has also shared the stage with iconic celebrities such as Rudolph Giuliani, Terry Bradshaw and Neil Armstrong. Speaking to more than 100,000 people a year, he influences the lives of millions as well through his keynote speeches, books, CDs and DVDs.

Dr. Marie Harper holds a master’s in instructional systems from Pennsylvania State University, and a doctorate of business from Capella University. She is the Program Director of the Management program at American Public University. Her experience is in the areas of human resources, instructional design, online learning, management, and more. Some of the organizations that she has been active and held leadership positions include: Society for Human Resource Management, Organizational Development Network, Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, Students in Free Enterprise, and Delta Mu Delta.

Michelle Maldonado is a former corporate attorney turned business professional with 17 years of leadership experience in new business development, strategic planning, and operations across the e-learning, online media and entertainment, and legal industries. She is the creator and editor of The Authentic Leadership Series and serves as Associate Vice President of Corporate and Strategic Relationships for American Public University. Michelle is passionate about the topic of leadership authenticity and its convergence with emotional intelligence, mindfulness and other “conscious leadership” practices that help build successful and sustainable organizations. Michelle’s work has been featured in Chief Learning Officer, Human Capital Insights, Leadership Excellence, and Training magazines as well as through conference and client presentations around the country.

Anthony “AB” Bourke is an F-16 fighter pilot and the founder and CEO of Mach 2 Consulting, a global management training company. Bourke takes the tools he learned in the fighter pilot’s world and applies them to business, having trained more than 50,000 managers and salespeople at companies ranging from established Fortune 1000 businesses to small startups.

Using fighter pilot principles, he addresses the systems that the military uses to achieve success. In his presentations, Bourke discusses communication, leadership, organization, team work, commitment, culture, and selling and debriefing techniques. His talks include state-of-the-art multi-media presentations and can be customized to your business and your goals.

Follow Anthony on Twitter @mach2consulting.

Kyle Maynard is a motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur and athlete. Despite being born with arms that end at the elbows and legs near the knees, Kyle’s wrestled on the varsity of one of the best teams in the Southeast, set records in weightlifting, fought in mixed martial arts, and most recently became the first man to crawl on his own to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

His story has been featured on ESPN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, ABC's 20/20, Good Morning America, HBO’s Real Sports and as a cover story in USA Today. He continues to inspire as the author of his book, No Excuses (2005), a New York Times bestseller.

Follow Kyle on Twitter @KyleMaynard.

Colonel David W. Sutherland is the co-founder and Chairman of the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services (Dixon Center) and actively contributes to numerous national veteran and military family committees and boards. Sutherland speaks in communities at universities, businesses and conferences around the country as a vocal advocate and leader for transformational change. He is a vocal advocate for our service members, military veterans, their families, and the families of our fallen.

Colonel Sutherland culminated his 29 years of service following Brigade Command, as the Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with principle focus on Warrior and Family Support. By visiting hundreds of communities and assisting thousands of organizations, he created a nationwide network of support utilizing grassroots solutions for veterans and their families.

Awards and decorations include, among others, the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman's Badge Second Award and Senior Parachutist Badge. He is also the 2008 Freedom Award recipient presented by the No Greater Sacrifice Foundation, the 2011 Meritorious Service Award recipient presented by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and the 2013 Commitment to Service award presented by Give An Hour for his work on behalf of returning service members, veterans, military families and families of the fallen.

He holds a Bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in History and Economics and a Masters in Strategic Studies.

Team Sutherland’s roster includes Colonel Sutherland, his wife Bonnie and their two sons, Andrew and Patrick.