Power Up-Presenters

Donnie Campbell, Math Teacher and Basketball Coach Who Inspired the Character “Ted Lasso” 

If the word “believe” resonates with you, it means that you are probably a diehard fan of the hit series Ted Lasso,

which portrays a football coach from Kansas who is hired to be the head coach of the English Premier Soccer Leagues AFC Richmond. But did you know that there was a real inspiration behind this award-winning show?

Coach Donnie Campbell is a math teacher and a high school basketball coach from Kansas who was plucked out of 

obscurity when Jason Sudeikis, the American actor and star of the 5-time Emmy Award winning show, revealed to Stephen Colbert on the late show that Campbell was in part the impetus for the lead character he plays with such wit and wisdom. It was back in the late 1990’s when Jason played basketball at Shawnee Mission West and Donnie was his coach. Little did Campbell know that all of the pearls of wisdom he was dropping on Jason and the team would appear years later and make an indelible impression on millions around the world.

Today, Campbell has been busy making appearances on local and national television including ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s The Today Show. In addition to teaching, he is now speaking to organizations and companies about leadership and specifically, how important it is to instill strong values in the people you work with. He credits his leadership skills to his always positive attitude and to his mentors that prepared him for success both in the classroom and as a coach.  

Campbell graduated from Lyons high school in 1980 and attended Kansas State University on a football scholarship and played basketball his freshman year. For the past 36 years, he has coached and taught math, but more importantly he has been building the confidence and character of the young men and women who have played for him.

You can connect with Donnie at https://upsidespeakers.com/

What’s Your MVP? Leadership Lessons from the Coach who Inspired Ted Lasso, Thursday, May 23, 9:15am-10:30am 

Coach Donnie Campbell is not just an inspirational coach, but also in part, the impetus for the wise and ever so cheerful lead character of the Emmy Award Winning show, Ted Lasso. His colorful keynote provides valuable leadership lessons that can be seen on the court, but more importantly applied in the workplace.

At a time when embracing your uniqueness is a rare quality, he shows how to define your core values while forming your mission, values and plan.

This one-of-a-kind keynote is a real treat for the audience as it combines heartfelt storytelling with specific lessons in leadership that are just as successful on the basketball court as they are when applied in the real world. Donnie weaves together his personal stories of inspiration with tactical take-aways that are more than applicable and welcomed in today’s challenging environment.

Donnie’s presentation hits on the following leadership principles and more:

Believe: In a world that seems to be defeating each person in some way,  that there is a reason that people are attracted to kindness and good.

MVP: You are your own most “valuable” player – but it’s important to know your MVP – (mission/values/plan) as it builds the foundation for everything else.

Motivation and Mentoring: if you are open to it, mentors can provide some of the most meaningful lessons, ones that you will carry with you for years (Donnie shares the invaluable advice he learned from others, how he still carries the knowledge with him today and uses it to motivate his players)

Leadership: You continue to learn when you have a leader and then you learn even more when you become one

Confidence: A simple premise in theory, but it really has many layers – Donnie shares how to build it in yourself and others

Know Your Why: When you are a great leader and you are clear on your “why” – the rest will take care of itself and you will get results beyond what you ever imagined.

Success: Many ways to define success – but it all boils down to how you define it and what matters to you.

Note: Throughout his presentation, there are several quick references to the Ted Lasso show and how Donnie feels about being the inspiration for the show.

Takeaways:

• Know how to establish your own MVP. When you have a mission, values and a plan, you can be clear on your purpose, focus and make better decisions. This will help you succeed both personally and professionally.
• Leadership comes in all forms. When you realize what each person brings to the team, you can find ways to motivate each of them individually, while also having them realize the importance of working together to reach their goals.
• Recognize the importance of supporting future leaders as they learn the ropes and form their own set of values. It’s easy enough to tell them to have self-confidence and know their “why,” but you also have to appreciate that it takes years of experience for someone to accomplish this.
• Having a sense of inner humility can positively affect how you lead. It’s not found in big words, but rather it is found in character, how you look at life and how you treat others.
• Developing people first through building character and trust will result in long-term success beyond short-term wins.
• Purposeful and challenging practice builds communication, resilience, and improvement through managed failure.
• Accountability starts from the top: admit mistakes, learn from them, and improve together to move forward.
• A culture of respect, hard work, and teamwork unleashes potential where people value and support one another.

Curtis Hill, Culture of Belonging

In today’s world? DEI&B should no longer just be components in cultivating fair, safe, and effective business environments – they are a must.

That’s where diversity strategist, educator, author, speaker, and trainer Curtis Hill comes in. Curtis brings audiences an empowering message of awareness, culture, and resilience, combined with a potent mix of savvy business skills hones from a lifetime of raw and well crafted experiences.

Growing up in Chicago, Curtis quickly drifted into a life of violence and crime and quickly rose to became one of the city’s most recognizable and notorious gang members. But, while dealing drugs earned him a six-figure per month bankroll, it cost him everything when he witnessed the cold-blooded murder of his best friend and came face-to-face with the immense suffering it caused in his community.

Consequently, Curtis turned to education to springboard his street smarts into solid business acumen. After earning four degrees, including a Master of Arts in Teaching, an M.ED in Administration and Supervision, and he holds a Black Belt in Lean Six Stigma, Curtis now travels the globe working with corporations, associations, and organizations to Create a Culture of Belonging to maximize people, profits and productivity. In addition, his unique way of communicating complex issues like race and division with humor and humanity keeps audiences engaged with laughter while they learn.

From a virtual or physical stage, Curtis delivers messages to senior leaders, HR professionals, sales professionals, service providers, and educators with high energy, purposeful passion, and solid strategies that create a long-lasting and significant difference in their personal and professional lives. Want to learn how to integrate a Culture of Belonging and strong practical business skills into your organization?

The Culture of Belonging, Thursday, May 23rd, 11:00am-12:00pm

Josh Roberts, Wisconsin CU League

Josh is responsible for promoting credit union service and outreach and fostering opportunities for credit union growth. You can also find Josh helping Wisconsin’s small credit unions with operational consulting, provides strategy assistance by facilitating Strategic Planning Sessions, and providing various training for credit union leaders, staff, and boards. Additionally, is the League Liaison for the Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation and oversees its operations.

Josh has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, having served credit unions as a vice president, controller, and compliance officer.  He is a graduate of CUNA Management School, where he served as Class President, and a 2016 graduate of the Credit Union Development Educators (CUDE) program.

Josh currently serves on the Executive Committee of the CUNA Lending Council and the Executive Committee of the American Association of Credit Union League’s State Credit Union Foundation Network.  In addition, he is engaged in the community, serving as Board Chair for the Milwaukee Area Technical College Accounting Advisory Board, and as a member of the Milwaukee Area Technical College Banking and Finance Advisory Board. He has previously held positions and volunteered with local neighborhood associations, the American Red Cross, and local environmental organizations.

You Can’t Serve Your Community, Unless You Know Your Community
Thursday, May 23, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Jeff Terry, Account Executive, Trustage

At TruStage™, your account executive is the primary point of contact for helping you achieve your credit union’s strategic objectives. Work with your TruStage team to ensure the best solutions for your business, your members, and your community.

With over 20 years’ experience in the credit union industry, Jeff is equipped to support your credit union from day one. He is excited to provide customized solutions to ensure that the needs of your credit union and your members are met in order to achieve financial security.

Jeff holds life, health and property and casualty licenses in Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Virginia. For 11 years, he served as member of the board of directors for a $21 million credit union in Wisconsin.

Puzzle Solving Deep Dive 
Thursday, May 23, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Thriving small credit union leaders embrace a puzzle-solving mindset, seeking to generate fit between MARKET, IDENTITY, STRATEGY, STAKEHOLDERS, and THE BALANCE SHEET.

Learn more about each piece to the thriving credit union puzzle and how this framework can be applied to your credit union.

Juan Bendana, Speaker, Trainer, and Entrepreneur.

Juan Bendaña is a renowned speaker, trainer and entrepreneur. Every year, he delivers electrifying keynotes at conferences and trainings internationally. He speaks to over 100,000 people annually, helping them discover the strategies for lasting engagement and inspiration. He empowers high performing leaders to build confidence for the future ofwork.

Bendaña is the creator of the Confidence Cycle — a science-backed framework to build enduring self confidence and engagement. He has built leadership programs for organizations such as Disney, Sotheby’s International, Sony Pictures, and the Siegried Group. He has coached entrepreneurs, actors, and Olympians on building confidence.

Bendaña uses the art of storytelling, interactive activities, and humour to create an unforgettable experience. Going beyond the standard keynote presentation, he creates a customized experience that will have your audience leaving energized and inspired.

With over 10 years of experience on countless stages, Bendaña has honed his skills and knows exactly what is needed for each event. His dynamic presentation style is tailored to the needs of your audience, whether it is a keynote in an arena for 10,000+ or a deep-dive training for an executive leadership team of 20.

Hesitation to High Performance, Turn Doubt Into Confidence & Burnout Into Energy
Thursday, May 23, 4:15 – 5:00 p.m.

Understandably, people today are exhausted and teetering on burnout. In the US, 69% of workers experience fatigue. This costs companies $136 billion annually. Most of us are burnt out, tired and doing too much, all at once. But what if there was another way? What if energy wasn’t limited in supply? What if we were able to generate energy on demand? In this engaging, evidence-based, hilarious keynote experience, Juan shares science-backed insights on how we can feel more energized and deal with burnout regardless of what is happening in our lives. The more energy we have for our work and lives, the more effective we will be at creating an engaged and connected community. After this high-energy presentation, your audience will leave with the tools to be more engaged and inspired to share that energy with the people who need it most.

Juan will share actionable strategies to generate more energy in both personal and professional life.With humour, science and engaging stories, he will help the audience realize that they are in control of their energy while giving them the tools to feel more engaged every day. To get the most out of life, we must demand the most out of our energy. Juan gives the roadmap of how to maximize energy, minimize burnout, and live a high impact life. In addition to sharing actionable strategies for generating more energy, Juan also dives into the underlying causes of burnout and fatigue. He helps the audience understand why we feel drained and overwhelmed, and provides solutions that address these root causes. With his signature blend of humor and science, Juan inspires his audience to take control of their energy and reclaim their lives. Whether you’re a busy executive or a new employee, this keynote will leave you feeling motivated and empowered to make positive changes in your life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS OFTEN INCLUDE:

• Minimize burnout and feel more engaged in your work and life
• How to NEVER feel tired again (seriously)
• The three fundamental factors influencing your level of energy & engagement
• A science-backed system to generate energy (even when you’re tired)
• Effective strategies for dealing with fatigue at work and in life
• Easy-to-use tools to take care of yourself and re-charge
• How to contribute to a culture of engagement and enthusiasm

John Cosgrove’s Comedy Trivia
Thursday, May 23, 8:00 – 9:30 p.m.

John Cosgrove has been an outstanding master of ceremonies and trivia game show host for live events for the past 18 years.

This Irishman uses his quick wit, sense of humor and great voice to create a fun atmosphere where everyone has fun from start to finish.

Bring your knowledge and humor and join us for comedy trivia!