ATD24 Keynote Speakers

Texas native Matthew McConaughey is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. A chance meeting in Austin, Texas, with casting director and producer Don Phillips led him to director Richard Linklater, who launched the actor’s career in the cult classic Dazed and Confused. Since then, he has won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club, appeared in more than 40 feature films that have grossed more than $1 billion, and become an author, producer, and philanthropist with his just keep livin Foundation—all the while sticking to his Texas roots and “jk livin” philosophy. He is co-owner of the Austin FC soccer club and a professor at the University of Texas in Austin. In 2020, McConaughey released his first book, Greenlights, which became an instant New York Times number 1 bestseller and has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. His second book, a children’s book titled Just Because, debuted in September 2023 and was an instant New York Times number 1 bestseller. In October 2023, McConaughey and his wife, Camila, launched their own tequila brand, Pantalones, the first joint venture for the couple. He currently resides in Austin with Camila and their three kids.

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For the last two decades, Daniel Pink’s books have helped individuals and organizations around the world rethink how they live and operate. His deeply researched works on business, creativity, and behavior have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies in the US and abroad.

Pink has written five New York Times bestsellers, including The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward; When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing; To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others; Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us; and A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

Pink was host and co-executive producer of Crowd Control, a National Geographic television series on human behavior that aired in more than 100 countries. His MasterClass on sales and persuasion is one of the most popular courses at that platform. His TED Talk on the science of motivation has been viewed more than 40 million times. He also appears frequently on NPR, PBS, and other TV and radio networks in the US and abroad.

He has been a contributing editor at Fast Company and Wired as well as a business columnist for the Sunday Telegraph. His articles and essays have also appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, the Atlantic, and other publications. In 2007, he was a Japan Society Media fellow in Tokyo, where he studied the country’s massive comic industry.

He earned a BA with honors in linguistics from Northwestern University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a JD from Yale Law School. He has also received five honorary doctorate degrees, including from Georgetown University and the Pratt Institute.

Beyond Resilience: A New Path to a Strong Culture

As the world emerges from the pandemic, organizations everywhere are re-examining their operations and rethinking their priorities. What do they stand for? How should they navigate what comes next? And how might they build cultures where people can do their best work and be their best selves?

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With seven Grand Slam titles, five Wimbledon championships, and four Olympic gold medals, tennis champion Venus Williams is arguably one of the most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports.

Beginning her rise to the top at the age of 14, Williams quickly took the world of tennis by storm, rising to the top-ranked position, breaking countless records, and winning numerous championships.

Encouraged by her mother at an early age to explore her creative side, Williams enrolled in fashion school, where she was instantly drawn into the world of fashion and interior design. True to her bold spirit, Williams parlayed her fine-tuned business acumen with her healthy competitive spirit into two successful design ventures.

In 2002, after obtaining an interior decorator certification, Williams founded V Starr, a full-service commercial and residential design firm. Continuing with her love for design, Williams obtained an associate of science in fashion design, and in 2012, she launched the fashion-forward activewear brand EleVen by Venus Williams. In May 2020, Williams partnered with Credo Beauty to debut an award-winning line of clean, mineral-based SPF products under the EleVen by Venus umbrella. Her entrepreneurship in the health, wellness, and beauty space also includes her role as chief brand officer to Asutra, and in December 2020, Williams launched her plant-based protein company, Happy Viking.

Sticking to her entrepreneurial spirit, in 2009, Williams and her sister, Serena, became the first female African Americans to have a stake in an NFL franchise after joining the ownership group of the Miami Dolphins. The following year, Williams published her motivational book, Come to Win, which reached number 5 on the New York Times bestsellers list.

Most recently, Williams served as executive producer on the Academy Award-winning Warner Brothers biopic King Richard, which details the influence her father and coach, Richard Williams, had on her childhood and career as she became a tennis icon and changed the sport for generations to come.

Throughout her career, Williams has been a steadfast advocate for equality. In 2006, UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural organization, titled her the first Promoter of Gender Equality. In 2007, it was her unwavering fight that led Wimbledon to award women players the same pay as their male counterparts. Most recently, she launched an awareness initiative called the #PrivilegeTax in conjunction with EleVen to bring attention to wage inequality and unveiled a platform of resources for young women to get inspired and address the issue on a grassroots level.

Williams’ achievements throughout her legendary career have merited her a plethora of additional accolades, including being honored as Variety’s Power of Women, Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year, CARE’s Impact Award for Gender Equality, ESPN’s WTA Player of the Year, and Forbes’s Celebrity 100, among others. In September 2009, the Anti-Defamation League honored Williams with the Americanism Award for publicly speaking up for Israeli player Shahar Pe’er, who was barred from the Dubai tennis tournament.

Williams holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Indiana University East and an associate of science in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

A Conversation With Venus Williams

In this moving and personal conversation with legendary tennis icon Venus Williams, she will share her journey to the top of her game and how she has become an inspirational leader both on and off the court. As an athlete and entrepreneur, Williams has overcome barriers through resilience, focus, and innovation, built her brand, and continues to give back. You will not want to miss her unmatched insights in this memorable talk.

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