Agenda

Avish grew up in "exotic" Poughkeepsie, NY and now makes his home in Philadelphia, PA. Though he performed all through high school, he decided to stop performing when he went to college to “focus on his studies” (his parents were very proud of this decision).

That resolve lasted only a few months, as the first time he saw an improv comedy show he fell in love (his parents were slightly less proud). One week later he auditioned for the campus improv group, got in, and the rest is history. After graduating, he started Polywumpus Improv Comedy, which performed regularly in and around Philadelphia for seven years. Avish closed up Polywumpus to focus on the speaking and training side of the business – using improv comedy as a tool to teach valuable business skills such as creativity, innovation, and adaptability.

Weaving together humorous stories, jokes, audience interaction, and improv comedy games, Avish keeps the audience engaged while imparting a key lesson: Planning is Important, but Improvising is Essential! No matter how well you plan, things will go wrong, surprises will arise, and the Universe will throw you a curveball. Your success and sanity are directly related to how you respond these challenges. By the end of one of Avish's presentations you will have key tools to flow with all that life throws at you. Avish has spoken to the very creative (actors and directors), the very un-creative (accountants), the very casual (college students), and the very business-like (sales professionals). The end result is always the same - smiles, laughs, and a new way of looking at life and business.

Avish is the author of "Improvise to Success!" and the Amazon best-selling, "Say 'Yes, And!'" (And yes, his parents are once again very proud.)

Wellington Hepburn is the Senior Manager of Training and Development for Commonwealth Bank Ltd. in Nassau, Bahamas. In this role, he leads succession planning, performance management, training, development, talent analytics and career pathing initiatives.

Mr. Hepburn is also the President of The Bahamas Society for Human Resources Management (BSHRM). BSHRM is the national association representing all Human Resources and Talent Management Professionals in The Bahamas, of which many individuals are actively involved.

Mr. Hepburn is also the President of Wellington Hepburn International (WHI), which is an international consulting company facilitating HR Freedom Workshops, HR Freedom Speakers Bureau, DisruptHR Nassau and Grand Bahama, international presentations and customized corporate workshops.

Wellington has earned the following designations: Global Talent Management Leader (GTML), Senior Professional of Human Resources International (SPHRi), Project Management Professional (PMP), Leadership Development and Succession Strategist (LDSS), Certified HR Manager (CHRM), Certified HR Analyst (CHRA), to name a few. As a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), Top 40 Under 40 Recipient and book author, Mr. Hepburn has delivered hundreds of presentations in The US, Canada, The Bahamas, Malaysia, Spain, Africa and Europe.

Wellington is married to his lovely wife Rose Hepburn, and they have three children: Sienna, Myles and Caleb.

Katie Goodman is an award-winning musical comedian, speaker, author and life coach. Her show, "Broad Comedy," recently ran Off-Broadway at the Soho Playhouse, and is currently touring around the country raising money for Planned Parenthood by performing at their events and fundraisers. She has been seen on Showtime's The Green Room With Paul Provenza, on Current TV as a pundit, and on TruTV. She recently signed with Comedy Dynamics, North America's largest independent record label, and her new album "Halfway Closer To Dead" is available on Itunes, her books on Amazon, and her comedy music videos can be seen, having amassed 3 million hits on Youtube and Facebook. Katie is also a featured blogger for The Huffington Post, has contributed to O, The Oprah Magazine and is the author of Improvisation For The Spirit and the funny children's book, The Night Our Parents Went Out. Katie graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a nationally touring keynote speaker and has taught over 10,000 people the art of bringing the tools of improvisational comedy into their work and everyday life. Her solo show plays in New York City where she received a Time Out New York Critic's Pick for Best Cabaret. Katie was nominated for The EPIC Award from The White House Project and was also nominated for the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant for their extensive work in theatre.