Adrian "AJ" Jones is a two-time widowmaker heart-attack survivor, former financial services executive, and founder of MORE®, a career wellness platform that helps accomplished professionals redefine success and live more fulfilling lives.

After 20+ years in high-pressure corporate leadership roles, AJ left it all behind to focus on what really matters: authenticity, purpose, and impact. He now hosts the podcast Code 3: Life. Reinvented., where he explores the wake-up calls that push us to build lives that feel as good on the inside as they look on the outside.

Through his work, AJ inspires others to turn crisis into clarity and to live with more courage, connection, and meaning.

Founder & CEO of The Writer’s Ally, Ally Machate is a bestselling author and expert publishing consultant who has led serious authors toward success since 1999. Ally leverages a background in “Big Five” publishing and a team of skilled professionals to help authors write, publish, and sell more high-quality books through traditional and independent channels with a variety of services and support.

Chip Scholz is a master at working with executives on a strategic level. Through services including CEO and executive coaching, leadership development, strategic planning and hiring, individual assessments, and educational event facilitation, he strengthens businesses. He doesn’t meddle in production or get lost in political or spiritual weeds. Instead, he relies on a utilitarian approach. Scholz & Associates clients are experts in their chosen fields. He is also a nationally recognized speaker and author of Masterminds Unleashed: Selling for Geniuses, Do Eagles Just Wing It?, and the upcoming Clear Conduct, due to be published later this year.

Christian Hurst is an American author and creative director whose work blends epic science fiction adventure with emotional depth and human insight. 

Hurst began his creative career as a teenage graphic design intern for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and later studied Graphic Design at Harrisburg Area Community College. Over the next fifteen years, he built a career in advertising and brand strategy, leading national rebranding initiatives for companies such as Marriott International before becoming an Executive Creative Director at AARP. His dual experience in art and storytelling informs the cinematic, emotionally grounded quality of his fiction.

A lifelong fan of science fiction, Hurst is best known for The Lily Starling Series, a young adult saga that explores identity, belonging, and the search for hope across the stars. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, their son, and three dogs.

David Ask is an entrepreneur, inventor, and identity coach.

From bringing his invention to over 3,700 retail stores to coaching high-performing leaders through identity-first transformation, David Ask helps people discover who they are before chasing what they do. His mission? To build grit, awaken purpose, and reveal the hidden riches inside every person. 

Ivonne Furneaux is a reformed corporate exec turned speaker and consultant focused on building better workplaces. With deep expertise in organizational change, corporate culture, and communications, she founded emPower Up Consulting in 2025 after decades spent leading communications, employee experience, and diversity, equity & inclusion for world-renowned brands including Target, UnitedHealth Group, WeightWatchers, OfficeMax, and Anywhere Real Estate. 

Jack Calhoun has spent more than three decades building programs and companies that meet people exactly where they are and where the world is heading.

A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Jack joined with his father in the mid-1990s to scale his small investment firm, Capital Directions. Jack ultimately became the majority owner and managing partner of the firm before selling the company in 2015.

What came next was unexpected. With no framework, no roadmap, and no program to turn to for guidance, Jack found his post-career phase more disorienting than intoxicating. 

That experience inspired Jack to found Encore Career Lab in 2023 to help people create amazing Third Acts for themselves beyond the “life of endless leisure” that has always defined the conventional approach to retirement.

Joe Arnao is an "alignment strategist" who helps professionals get clear on who they are, what they need, and where they truly thrive. He has created the 4W Strategic Identity Process, which guides people through a structured self-discovery and decision-making process so they can choose environments, roles, and paths that truly support their growth, fulfillment, and long-term success. 

Joe helps professionals get clear on who they are, what they need, where they thrive, and why it matters, so they can stop chasing success that doesn’t fit and start building a path that actually aligns with them.

With decades of experience in real estate, coaching, and leadership, Joe has opened offices in multiple states, built an in-house brokerage, and helped individuals and organizations make more intentional, values-driven decisions. His approach blends strategy with self-discovery, giving people practical tools to create real clarity and momentum.

Kate Kayaian is an author, speaker, and career strategist for high achievers who want to build lives of impact, purpose, and sustainable success.

A former professional cellist, Kate performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and recitalist. Today, Kate’s work centers on helping accomplished professionals through her 1:1 coaching and her signature group program, the Creatives Leadership Academy. She guides clients to develop clarity, confidence, and the practical strategies needed to lead at the highest level without sacrificing their well-being.

She is the author of "Beyond Potential," a practical guide for high performers navigating the next chapter of their professional lives, and hosts "Tales from The Lane," a podcast exploring the hidden challenges and unexpected joys of success. As a sought-after speaker, Kate delivers keynotes and workshops on leadership presence, mindset transformation, and redefining what’s possible for high achievers across industries.

Merry Korn is the visionary founder of Pearl Interactive Network, Inc., one of the world’s most successful for-profit social enterprise firms. After twenty years of pioneering innovation in social entrepreneurship, Merry now shares her expertise through nationally recognized content, speaking engagements, and advisory services for business owners seeking transformation and those ready to break free from career stagnation.