Justine Adelizzi
Justine Adelizzi is an award-winning speechwriter, executive communications strategist, and the founder of FEARLESScomms—a communications, coaching, and consulting firm dedicated to creating more fearless storytelling. Justine serves as a trusted advisor to executives and communicators at the highest levels of the public and private sector, writes for national and international audiences, and has prepared speakers for events like SXSW, Aspen Ideas, and the World Economic Forum. She prides herself on helping people find their voice and become the most confident, authentic, and effective versions of themselves.

Felicity Barber
Felicity Barber is founder of Thoughtful Communications and host of The Friendly Ghost, a podcast all about the weird and wonderful world of speechwriting. She writes speeches, coaches executives in storytelling, and trains the next generation of speechwriters in the art of persuasion. Prior to starting her own company, she spent more than a decade writing for the CEOs of BlackRock, Lloyd’s of London, and two Federal Reserve banks. She hails from London, but home is New Jersey where she lives with her husband, two children, and two cats. 

Cheril Clarke
Cheril Clarke is a multi-faceted writer whose work encompasses a unique blend of creative and business writing. She began her career 20+ years ago as a novelist, poet and playwright. Now, Clarke is the Founder of Phenomenal Writing, an executive communications agency that provides speech and ghostwriting services to executives and entrepreneurs worldwide. Her clients have included GE, UPS, Cox Enterprises, University of Wisconsin-Madison, AmeriHealth Caritas, City National Bank and more. She has been featured in The Philadelphia Women’s Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Washington Post and many other publications. Learn more at PhenomenalWriting.com.

Kari Matalone
Kari Matalone is an executive communicator with over a decade working with C-suite leaders in the technology industry. Based in the Bay Area in California, she develops communications strategy aligned to the goals and realities of business, technology, and the market. Kari authors “Standard Practice”, a column dedicated to demystifying executive communications for early career professionals and those new to the field.

Tom Schmitz
Tom Schmitz is a veteran executive communication professional whose previous stints include Staff VP and Executive Speechwriter at Centene Corporation, Principal, Executive Communications at Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Senior Communications Consultant at Kaiser Permanente. Tom began his career as a reporter at the San Jose Mercury News.

Pete Weissman
Pete Weissman is a communications coach and strategist to leading CEOs and organizations.  With 25 years of experience from the West Wing to the Fortune 500, Pete’s helped leaders win when they face high stakes.  His firm, Thought Leader Communications, establishes clients as Thought Leaders and helps corporations, foundations and associations achieve their business goals through creative communications.

Jerry Wohletz
Jerry Wohletz is Senior Director of Executive Communications at Walmart where he’s head of speechwriting for Doug McMillon, the company’s president and CEO. He also leads a team of speechwriters who support Walmart’s CFO, CPO and CTO, among others. Previously, he was speechwriter to the CEO of Walmart International. Before joining Walmart in 2019, Jerry held speechwriting and communications roles in the healthcare and education industries in Chicago, D.C. and Rochester, New York. He got started in communications while working on his family’s Kansas farm, where his strategic approach helped grow 6 tomato plants into a thriving local agritourism business.