Speakers 2025
Angela Burgess: What You Don’t Know About Nonprofits
Angela Burgess is the President & CEO of Broad Oaks Consulting, a nonprofit consulting firm transforming the way organizations fundraise and lead. She is also the best-selling author of Are You on the Right Bus? Navigating Change on the Road to Success, a compelling memoir to making meaningful, measurable change—starting with yourself.
Before founding Broad Oaks, Angela spent a decade in wealth management, helping financial advisors grow and scale their businesses. But her true calling emerged when she pivoted to the nonprofit sector, bringing the same strategic rigor to mission-driven work.
Angela brings real-world insight, results-driven strategies, and a dash of Iowa pragmatism to her work. Originally from Iowa City, IA, she now lives in Houston, TX with her husband and their dog, Enzo. She’s an avid traveler, passionate cook, and never misses her daily workout.
Ryan Benz: Why Being Yourself Takes Courage—and How to Find It
In a world full of noise, comparison, and pressure, being yourself has never been harder—or more necessary. In this powerful and deeply personal talk, Ryan Benz reveals a trail-tested truth: authenticity isn’t something you find—it’s something you practice—and it takes courage every step of the way.
Through lessons learned on a 2,000-mile journey along the Appalachian Trail, he challenges all of us to slow down, reconnect to who we are, and start walking the path that’s truly our own—so we can live and lead with greater clarity, courage, and connection. Are you ready to hike your own hike?
Ryan Benz is a speaker, author, and authenticity strategist who helps individuals and teams reconnect to who they truly are—so they can walk their own path, build resilience, and inspire growth in life and work.
Before redefining his life’s direction, Ryan spent over a decade working as a brand strategist in the corporate world, helping companies uncover what made them unique. It wasn’t until his personal life began to unravel—prompting him to step away from his career and everything familiar—that he realized: the most important brand you’ll ever build is the one inside yourself.
Louis Bezich: Unleash Your Emotional Force to Live Healthy and Happy
There is an emotional force within us all with incredible power to conquer one of the greatest challenges to our health and happiness, changing behavior. This TEDx Talk reveals how a merger of science and humanity offers a new model for anyone looking to enrich their lives, and a nation struggling to close a growing gap between its lifespan and healthspan.
An executive for over 40 years in the public and private sectors, Louis Bezich currently serves as Senior Vice-President and Chief Administrative Officer with Cooper University Health Care and is an adjunct professor in the Graduate Department of Public Policy and Administration at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University. He also sits on various public and non-profit boards, including the Coriell Institute for Medical Research.
Bezich is the author of Crack The Code: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50, and a forthcoming book Living A Kick-Ass Life. He is a contributing author to Corporate Lawbreaking and Interactive Compliance, edited by Jay A. Sigler and Joseph E. Murphy, a contributing writer on men’s health for PhillyVoice.com, and a regular guest on the video podcast This Is It TV with Cheldin Bartlatt Rumer.
Bezich holds a master’s degree in public policy from Rutgers University, a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Tampa, and a graduate of Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He resides in Haddon Township, NJ, with his wife Maria, has two adult sons, Anthony and Stephen, and two grandchildren, Luca and Brayleigh.
Mark Lenhard: Re-envisioning Aging Successfully
Mark Lenhard will propose a transformative shift in understanding what it means to “age successfully.” Moving beyond the traditional quantitative markers of senior healthcare, Mark will emphasize the importance of qualitative aspects of quality of life. He will explore how both traditional and unexpected partners can collaborate with senior living providers to reframe aging as positive, natural experience. By taking a “hopefully contrarian” approach to questioning and re-examining traditional methods, this presentation will chart a course towards innovative practices that challenge stereotypes and create and environment where aspiration for life can continue at any age.
With nearly 30 years of experience in senior living, Mark Lenhard is a dedicated servant leader committed to the ministry of caring for others. His extensive leadership and management background includes multi-site senior living operations, financial oversight, fundraising, project development, strategic planning, team building, and public policy.
Mark Lenhard was appointed President & CEO of United Methodist Communities (UMC), a faith-based nonprofit senior living provider serving NJ seniors and their families, in 2022. Prior to joining the UMC team, Mark served as President & CEO of The Wesleyan in Georgetown, Texas. Mark has held various volunteer leadership roles with local chambers of commerce, advisory boards, and industry groups such as Leading Age Texas. Additionally, he has been a panelist and presenter for LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware and LeadingAge National conferences.
Mark has been a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) since 1996 and holds a Master of Science in Gerontology with a concentration in Management of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy from Baylor University.
Dan Wenker: Over the Edge - Where Your 'What Ifs' Can Take You
Dan Wenker is an author, speaker, outdoor enthusiast, avid mountaineer, former REI outdoor experiences guide, and sales/marketing consultant. His book, Staying on Guard, tells the harrowing tale of his near-death 60-foot fall into an underground ice moat while descending the Grand Teton in Wyoming and how his mountaineering journey has positively impacted him physically, mentally, and spiritually. For more information on Dan Wenker, visit StayingonGuard.org