Speaker Showcase
Tuesday, November 17, 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT
FICP’s Speaker Showcase remains one of the most anticipated features of FICP: Reimagined. This unique program offers access to world-class speakers in one venue. First, Elatia Abate explored the future of work and the power of collaboration. Next, Lisa Sun helped us persevere the tough times with gravitas. Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi bookended the Showcase with his inspiring story of determination and chasing the impossible. Attendees could view the short preview videos below to learn more about each speaker and choose the 45-minute breakout session to attend and follow their story.
The Future of Work & the Future of Now: The Path From Where You Are to Where We Are Going
Elatia Abate, Entrepreneur and Chief Explorer
Represented by Washington Speakers Bureau
How we work, how we live, how we are has changed. The disruption of the pandemic has accelerated societal transformations that were already in motion, and is inviting us to create a world that is more collaborative, more inclusive, and more empowering. This dynamic talk explored the shifts, structures and strategies that will help us move forward together.
About Elatia
Elatia Abate is an entrepreneur, future-forward strategist, and Creator of the Future of Now. She partners with organizations that range in size from Fortune 500 to early stage start-ups to help leaders make sense of the ever-growing disruption in our world and channel that disruption into tangible results. Her client and partner roster includes the likes of PricewaterhouseCoopers, UniGroup, Verizon, University of Arizona, and University of Cincinnati.
She is a sought-after speaker and facilitator, with a dynamic and engaging style, who has led from the front of the room at Deloitte, VRBO, SHRM, Stanford, and The University of Chicago, among other places. She has a TEDx talk entitled, “Pioneering the Future of Work.” In a former life she served as Global Director, Talent Acquisition with Anheuser-Busch InBev and Vice President of Human Resources at Dow Jones & Company.
She has been featured in work with Tony Robbins and Trevor Noah, and has been named a leading female futurist by Forbes. She is an instructor in the Continuing Studies Departments of both Stanford University and University of Toronto. She received both her BA and MBA from the University of Chicago.
Managing Through Adversity With Gravitas
Lisa Sun, Founder & CEO, GRAVITAS, Former Associate Principal in McKinsey’s Global Fashion Practice
Represented by Leading Authorities, Inc.
After a professional review left Lisa devastated, she threw herself into reversing the comment from a superior of “lacking gravitas.” Decades later, Lisa has come to understand that discovering her gravitas pushed her to survive and thrive. In this program, Lisa gave a gravitas guidebook to persevere through tough times and come out the other side stronger—not only to survive but thrive in adversity.
About Lisa
What would happen if you let go of fear, got off the sidelines and jumped boldly into the game of life? Lisa Sun, founder and CEO of GRAVITAS, electrifies audiences as she unpacks this vital question in her moving, motivating and empowering talks. Catalyzing confidence and inspiring innovation, Sun seamlessly blends stories from her personal journey with data and experience-driven insights from her 11 years at McKinsey & Company to offer talks that encourage audiences to choose self-confidence, work to harness their “superpower,” and use gravitas to advance personally and professionally.
Sun founded GRAVITAS in 2012, and its origin story dates to her first professional review. The feedback that changed her life? Being told that she “comes across as young and overly enthusiastic at times,” that she “lacked gravitas,” and “should go buy a new dress, big jewelry and great shoes.” With those words in mind, an understanding of the transformative power of clothing, and a determination to create a game-changing company, Sun filed for a global patent to build shapewear directly into dresses. She launched GRAVITAS as a “confidence company” that offers innovative apparel and styling solutions designed to makeover women from the inside-out. Two months after launch, her first collection was featured in O, The Oprah magazine, PEOPLE and The TODAY Show in the same month. Sun and GRAVITAS have not slowed down since; she has been featured on CNN and in Forbes, Fast Company, New York magazine, Elle, Marie Claire, InStyle and more.
The Stars in My Soul: My Unlikely Journey Through Space & Time
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, Astrophysicist, Space Science Education Lead for NASA
Represented by Leading Authorities, Inc.
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi grew up in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the country. As a result, he spent a lot of time inside, reading encyclopedias and watching PBS nature shows. At a young age, he discovered a love of science and space that was inspired by his role model, Albert Einstein. Throughout his childhood and into young adulthood, he was repeatedly faced with circumstances that would make most people give up—a lack of supervision at home, attending his state’s lowest rated school, falling in with the wrong crowd, and failing physics exams when he ultimately made his way to Stanford. But Hakeem never gave up.
Today, as a world-renowned astrophysicist and the Space Science Education Lead at NASA, Hakeem inspires audiences around the world to chase impossible dreams, fight for what they want, refuse to listen to naysayers, and reach out and lend a hand up to those around them. Hilarious, honest and inspiring, Hakeem wowed the audience with a look at his mind-bending scientific research while motivating them with his personal life story.
About Hakeem
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, author of a highly-anticipated upcoming memoir, The Stars in My Soul: My Unlikely Journey through Space and Time, is an internationally-recognized astrophysicist, science TV personality and global education advocate who has had a long, distinguished career in academia and scientific research. Since 2007, he has been a professor of Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology. Currently, he is stationed at NASA Headquarters, where he serves as an Astrophysicist and Space Science Education Lead for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
A former TED fellow, Dr. Oluseyi holds three degrees, eight U.S. patents, four E.U. patents, and co-hosts several shows on Science Channel and Discovery International, including Outrageous Acts of Science, How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, Strange Evidence, You Have Been Warned and Strip the Cosmos. Dr. Oluseyi’s success is even more impressive given his incredible personal background and story. Motivating audiences globally with his message of persevering past naysayers, self-doubt and seemingly immovable obstacles, he is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau.