"Courage is not the absence of fear - it is the decision to lean into it." With a career spent guiding Olympians, Major Championship winners, and Fortune 500 leaders, Matt has distilled the essence of high performance into actionable principles. He teaches that growth lives at the edge of discomfort, that stress and excitement are two sides of the same coin, and that true resilience is built not in isolation but in connection.

Matt received his Master of Education from Boston University in Counseling/Sport Psychology and continues to be an active member of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology.

An Olympic fencer, world champion, NCAA champion, and U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame inductee, Iris is no stranger to the pursuit of excellence. She made the U.S. national fencing team before high school, became a world champion before she could drive, and earned a spot on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team - embodying the “grind it out” mentality that defined her early success.

But Iris’s story reveals the hidden cost of living in an all-or-nothing performance culture. Behind the medals was a relentless push to meet external expectations, sacrificing personal wellbeing, relationships, and connection to the sport she once loved. Today, Iris brings powerful insight into what it truly means to achieve sustainable high performance - without burning out.

Dr. Prewitt-White has been featured in Psychology Today, WGN Day Time, Spotlight Chicago, and WGNPlus Radio. Dr. Tanya's advocacy earned her the honor of delivering the keynote address at the 2022 UN Women’s Conference, Victory Over Violence in Sport - a talk she considers her most meaningful to date. She also received the 2020 American Psychological Association (Division 47) Steven R. Heyman Diversity and Inclusion Award for her social justice work in the field of sport and exercise psychology. Dr. Tanya was the keynote for the 2019 National Women’s and Girls in Sport Symposium, an invited speaker at the 2017 & 2015 US Tumbling and Trampoline Convention, the 2015 USA Rugby National Development Summit, and was the 2021 James Madison University’s Dorothy V. Harris Awardee & Keynote.

Dr. Prewitt-White has also written over 30 peer-reviewed publications, co-edited the text, Examining and Mitigating Sexual Misconduct in Sport, and is currently co-editing Reimagining Gender in Sport.

Now, as an executive coach, Dr. Tanya helps high-achieving individuals who, like her, have recognized that professional accomplishments alone will never bring the fulfillment they crave.

Coaching Through Change – Unlocking Organizational Excellence
In today’s landscape of accelerating change - driven by technological disruption, cultural shifts, and economic unpredictability - coaching is no longer a luxury; it is an imperative. It empowers leaders and teams to stay grounded while moving forward, providing the clarity and emotional agility needed to navigate ambiguity and lead with a competitive edge. The ability to adapt and accelerate toward deeper, more meaningful impact is fast becoming the mark of resilient, high-performing organizations.

Leading this timely and thought-provoking discussion is Mantas Marciulaitis, a seasoned leader with over 15 years of experience in both technology and management. With a sharp eye for organisational dynamics and a hands-on approach to solving systemic challenges, Mantas designs and delivers technology-enabled Organisational Excellence programmes that identify bottlenecks, unlock potential, and drive sustainable growth. Drawing from his cross-disciplinary expertise, Mantas will guide participants through the role of coaching as a strategic lever in navigating and leading through change.

Chris Gargano spent 21 years on the front lines of elite sports leadership, overseeing content and storytelling for the Oakland Raiders (2002–2008), San Francisco Giants (2008–2015), and New York Jets (2016–2023). His teams earned 14 Emmy Awards, and he played a pivotal leadership role during the Giants’ three World Series championships (2010, 2012, 2014).

Chris began his career in broadcast journalism after earning a B.A. in Communications from Saint Mary’s College of California, where he also played Division I baseball. Fascinated by human performance and elite team dynamics, he returned to Saint Mary’s in 2015 to earn a Master’s in Leadership Studies. His commitment to leadership development led him to academia, teaching graduate-level leadership courses at New York University and Montclair State University.

His leadership philosophy - shaped by decades in high-pressure sports environments and formal leadership education - centers on self-awareness, intention, skill development, and continuous learning. Through GLG, he works with professionals, teams, and organizations to enhance culture, communication, and influence.

He is the founder of the Gargano Leadership Group, a consultancy dedicated to developing intentional, self-aware, and impact-driven leaders across industries.

A former elite rower, she is a World Rowing Champion, having won a gold medal in the 1995 World Rowing Championships and a bronze in 1996 in the women’s lightweight coxless four.

She has since built a 20+ year career guiding high-impact individuals through growth, change, and deep personal transformation. As the founder of Whitney Otto Coaching, she has worked with an impressive range of leaders - from Fortune 500 executives and managing directors to nonprofit visionaries, Olympic athletes, and top physicians - helping them pursue ambitious goals while reclaiming their well-being and inner alignment.

With a BA from Brown University, a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University, and professional coach certification from The Coaches Training Institute, Whitney’s background is as rigorous as it is diverse. She blends the depth of psychotherapy, the precision of leadership science, and the intuition of a seasoned coach. Her work integrates cutting-edge methods including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and advanced embodiment practices - creating transformational spaces where leaders can do the real work of breaking old patterns and stepping into more authentic power.

Most recently, Whitney co-authored Body Image Inside Out: A Revolutionary Approach to Body Image Healing with Deb Schachter. Published by Sheldon Press, the book is being hailed by clinicians and readers alike as “liberating,” “life-changing,” and “deeply healing.”

Coach Dan Lange - a true icon in the world of track and field, and one of the most accomplished throws coaches in American athletics history. With a coaching career that spans over 35 years, Dan has shaped generations of throwers at the collegiate, national, and global levels, cultivating excellence through both elite performance and a deep commitment to the human side of sport. From the NCAA stage to the Olympic Games, Dan’s legacy is unmatched:

• 1 Olympic Champion
• 6 U.S. National Champions
• 10 NCAA Champions
• 75+ All-Americans
• 35+ Conference Champions
• Athletes in 6 Olympic Games and 10 World Championships

For 33 years, Dan served as the legendary throws coach at USC, building one of the most dominant collegiate throwing programs in the nation. His athletes have set 13 school records and claimed 29 Pac-12 titles, with at least one Trojan hammer thrower earning All-America honors for 21 consecutive seasons (1993–2013). Today, he continues to coach at the highest level as a volunteer coach at Cal State University Northridge (CSUN), where he currently works with elite athletes.

A hallmark of Dan’s coaching is his holistic philosophy. He prioritizes character development, athlete well-being, and the intrinsic joy of throwing, cultivating an environment where athletes rediscover their love for the sport - often at the peak of their careers. His process-centered approach emphasizes mastery, purpose, and sustainable excellence over short-term performance pressures.

Dr. Groppel was the co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute. He is an internationally recognized authority and pioneer in the science of human performance and served as an Adjunct Professor of Management at the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University for several years.

Dr. Groppel is the author of The Corporate Athlete. He developed the Corporate Athlete concept for his training program while serving as an associate professor of kinesiology and bioengineering at the University of Illinois helping both businesses executives and athletes increase performance levels. In 1992, he combined his program with Dr. Jim Loehr to form the Human Performance Institute, formerly LGE Performance Systems, Inc.

A fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine, Dr. Groppel is also a board certified nutritionist in the American College of Nutrition and a former Research Associate to the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He served for 16 years as the Chairman of the National Sport Science Committee of the United States Tennis Association. The Human Performance Institute is the leader in Energy Management technology.

Currently, Senior Advisor & Executive Coach at Evolve Leadership.

Adam Hjerpe brings decades of executive leadership experience, including officer and director roles at UnitedHealth Group in health benefits, health services, new business development, and as Enterprise Chief of Staff. His early tenure at GE Capital laid a strong foundation in business acumen and operational discipline, honed through a decade of progressive responsibility.

Adam offers deep expertise in business development, P&L ownership, client engagement, corporate governance, operating performance, organizational culture, customer-centric strategies, and advancing inclusion - always grounded in the belief that leadership begins with valuing people and serving critical needs, one individual at a time.

As Board Chair of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games - the largest sporting event in the United States that year - Adam is a passionate champion of inclusion. His role is profoundly personal as a father to a Special Olympics athlete, driving his mission to support 3.1 million athletes in discovering self-worth, growth, and potential through the power of team sports.

With over 30 years of operating experience in Fortune 5 companies, Adam now coaches and advises founders, entrepreneurs, and senior executives on how to build healthy, high-performing businesses - whether at launch, scaling, turnaround, or next-level growth. His leadership has helped organizations navigate their most complex challenges and transformative opportunities.