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A groundbreaking leader during her 35-year career in the U.S. Navy, Admiral Michelle Howard was the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral and the first woman to be appointed to the position of vice chief of naval operations. Now retired, she will be appearing on CNBC’s Halftime Report for their annual Veteran’s Day Special. This year’s Halftime Report Veteran’s Day show will be a live taping at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on November 8^th.

CEO of Belfor, a disaster recovery company, APB speaker Sheldon Yellen has been making headlines for the gratitude he shows towards his 9,200 employees. Yellen recently shared that he personally writes birthday cards to each of his staff members. In an interview with Business Insider, Yellen explained that he has been handwriting birthday cards to his friends and employees at Belfor since 1985, when he was hired by the company. He went on to say, “It got people talking, we started to communicate more."

Founder of the mega-popular dietary program The Whole30, APB speaker Melissa Hartwig Urban is releasing a new cookbook on October 15^th entitled The Whole30 Friends & Family: 150 Recipes for Every Social Occasion. The idea for the 30-day elimination diet program that became the Whole30 was born through a friendly post-workout dare to cut out sugar, alcohol, and processed food. Melissa had no idea it would completely change her life, and the lives of so many others. Today, the Whole30 is one of the most established and influential nutrition programs in the U.S.

Less than two weeks after stepping down as president at Combs Enterprises, APB speaker Dia Simms has made a solo move into the cannabis industry. Her distribution firm, called BRN Group, will be a “first of its kind, privately-held, global brand development, management and distribution company that licenses, manages and distributes superior cannabis brands worldwide.”

Author of Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and I Almost Forgot About You, APB speaker Terry McMillan is releasing her newest book, It’s Not All Downhill From Here, in March 2020. The novel focuses on a group of women who went to high school together, but later went down different paths. However, after a loss, they reunited. McMillan illustrates the many challenges these women face and how they pull themselves up through the power of friendship and forgiveness.

From offices to naval ships, today’s workplaces are doing more with fewer people. The trend will continue with the advancement of AI. “As complexity increases, as technology spins the world into vaster webs of interconnected systems in which each only sees a small part, organizations will need a different kind of employee,” says David Epstein. “They’ll need people with range.”

“I want my kids to know when you’re chasing big dreams, you may fail, but if you get back up again — that’s how you fly.” Thirteen-time best-selling author and APB speaker Brad Meltzer appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the release of his two new children’s books: I am Walt Disney and I am Marie Curie. “I was tired of my kids looking at people who are famous for being famous and thinking that’s our hero,” said Meltzer, on what inspired him to write the children’s biography of Walt Disney.

The Jeopardy! record holder for most correct responses on average and longest winning streak, APB speaker Ken Jennings, is launching  Half-Truth, a trivia game that transcends rote recall and makes trivia accessible to everyone.

Veteran journalist and APB speaker John Quiñones of ABC’s What Would You Do? recently received John F. Hogan Award from the RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association) for his continuous contributions to the profession of journalism. During his 36-year tenure at ABC working as a reporter, news anchor and television personality, Quiñones always found ways of “adding context and clarity” for viewers, RTDNA chairman Jerry Walsh said. 

Speaker Wil Haygood’s book, Tigerland, is a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a prize that recognizes the power of literature in promoting peace and reconciliation. An acclaimed biographer, Pulitzer finalist and award-winning author, Haygood is known for telling the story of America through the lens of history, politics, sports, race and the lives of change-making African Americans.