Speakers & entertainment

Chris Singleton is a former professional athlete drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017. Following the loss of his mother in a racially motivated mass shooting, Singleton has become an inspirational speaker and best-selling author who has shared his message of resilience, racial reconciliation and embracing love over hate with NFL and NBA teams, multiple Fortune 500 companies and over 100,000 students and educators. He resides with his spouse, Mariana, and their three children in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.

In 2013, 25 million people worldwide rooted for Diana Nyad as she reached the Florida shore, at long last achieving her 35-year quest of becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida.

Speaking the words “never ever give up” to the wildly cheering crowd on a Key West beach on September 2, 2013, Nyad demonstrated to the world the power of the human spirit. Nyad’s amazing record: 110.86 miles in 52 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds.

A prominent sports journalist, filing over 30 years for National Public Radio, “The New York Times” and others, Nyad has earned her place as one of our most compelling storytellers. Her memoir, “Find a Way,” has earned worldwide praise. Her groundbreaking piece on her childhood sexual abuse for “The New York Times” drew a passionate response from around the world.

“NYAD” — a feature film starring Annette Bening as Nyad — was released in November 2023.

Also, a uniquely entertaining and inspiring public speaker, Nyad fulfilled the lifelong dream of bringing her performance of her play “The Swimmer” to the storied off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theater in 2019.

Nyad and her best friend and Cuba swim expedition leader Bonnie Stoll have further collaborated with their nationwide walking initiative EverWalk, sparking America to become a nation of walkers. In turn, EverWalk has recently launched yet another initiative, OceansCommit, hosting walks along our shorelines and asking individuals and businesses to reduce single-use plastic.

Nyad has been inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, among other Halls of Fame and awards of distinction. President Barack Obama invited Nyad to congratulate her in the Oval Office and then asked her to accompany him on his peace visit to Havana in 2014. Oprah Winfrey chose Nyad’s interview for her SuperSoul Sunday broadcast as the first to be extended to two hours.

Nyad has written four books and speaks three foreign languages fluently.

A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S., Zozobra Event Chair Ray Sandoval has been building and burning Zozobra since childhood. In 2013, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe appointed him the event chair of this New Mexico tradition, and he has been reappointed to the position every year since. Over the past 10 years, annual attendance at Zozobra has increased exponentially while the event remains affordable and family friendly.

Sandoval’s concern for keeping Zozobra fresh and vibrant led him to create the Zozobra Decades Project, a 10-year educational journey through Zozobra’s existence — leading to the gala 100th anniversary on August 30, 2024. Sandoval is actively involved in all aspects of Zozobra events, including construction, historical accuracy, fundraising, financial management, marketing and promotion. In 2020, Sandoval’s planning and leadership allowed this tradition to be conducted safely, as New Mexico’s only live event, even during the pandemic. The gloom of that year was burned away with an international audience of over 300,000 people watching. 

In 2015, then-Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales tapped Sandoval to create the inaugural New Year’s Eve on the Santa Fe Plaza. With the notion of raising something in celebration — in this case, New Mexico’s Zia sun symbol — Sandoval created an event specific to America’s oldest capital city. In just eight years, Santa Fe has become known as one of the best places in the U.S. to usher in the new year.

In 2022, Sandoval created the City Different Dia de los Muertos. By partnering with community members and New Mexico cultural organizations, Sandoval and his team brought to life an event specifically intended to celebrate the state’s Mexican community and educate New Mexicans and visitors about the amazing culture of our southern neighbors.

In 2018, Sandoval was appointed director of corporate communications for the state’s largest utility, the Public Service Company of New Mexico.

Anne Bonney is a fun, energetic international motivational keynote speaker and trainer.  She is also an authority on change management, author of two books on embracing the discomforts of change, host of the “Dancing in the Discomfort Zone” podcast and an experienced workshop facilitator.

After 20 years in corporate nonprofit leadership positions, Bonney uses her experience, education and expertise to ignite courage, confidence and resilience in the face of change. This “ball of fire” will light you up with fun and relevant stories, time-tested knowledge and immediately applicable strategies to make a difference for you, your team and your organization. 

Bonney shares business lessons from her crazy life experiences, which arm her with relatable and hilariously memorable stories from growing up overseas, running international marathons, animal training, morale-building tours to the military in Iraq, volunteering at an elephant sanctuary and singing opera at a performing arts school.

A mindset-shifting motivator, Bonney fires people up to catalyze powerful change in their lives, their teams and their organizations.

In 2006 Trey Mock created Blue, the official mascot of the Indianapolis Colts. Mock has captured the hearts of fans with his performances and commitment to positivity. Through his motivational speaking career, Mock empowers individuals to embrace their true selves and foster meaningful connections with those around them, leaving a legacy of inspiration that will endure for years to come. He was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2020 and is currently entering his 19th season with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Sara Al-Zubi is a first-year resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. She recently completed her medical degree at Harvard Medical School and master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Al-Zubi grew up in the U.S. but is originally from Jordan. She joined Key Club in ninth grade and was elected her club’s president in her junior year. She also served as lieutenant governor for Ohio Districts 12 and 13. Al-Zubi attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, U.S., and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Human Capital Management and Leadership and French minor.

Al-Zubi is passionate about global health work in the Middle East. This work has led her to start her own nonprofit, the 3Sisters Foundation, which is currently working on a healthcare initiative in Yemen. She is also the former U.S. Ambassador for Humanitarian Affairs to the United Nations.

While at Harvard Medical School, Al-Zubi was awarded the Martin Prince Award for Student Innovation in 2022. She was also the winner of the US$25,000 Runner-Up Health and Life Sciences Innovation Challenge in the 2022 Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge. She is the vice president for operations for a nonprofit called SONA Global, which is expanding access to wound vacuums for war conflicts and injured civilians.