English is the official language of the 2026 MDRT Top of the Table Annual Meeting.
Sharing his inspirational personal story of rising above immense obstacles, Maynard explains how he strove to do more, learn more and push harder. He believes that there are no worthy excuses, and that no matter how challenging your difficulties may seem, we all possess the ability to overcome them.
Manley Feinberg is an award-winning international keynote speaker and business leader, bestselling author, published outdoor adventure photographer and professional musician. Leveraging more than 30 years of business, professional speaking and adventure experience, he helps professionals develop a deeper drive for commitment, connection and momentum. During his 11 years with Build-A-Bear Workshop, Feinberg’s leadership direction helped take the revolutionary retail concept from 42 stores to 425 worldwide, realizing revenue growth from $55 million to over $474 million. He delivers practical and proven strategies to help organizations maximize their opportunities and develop their most valuable asset: their employees.
How do you recruit, retain and reengage a talented team amid constant disruption, continually inspiring them even when they can’t afford to wait for conditions to improve? Feinberg shares what it takes to make decisive progress through daily chaos and build (and rebuild) momentum no matter how many setbacks you face.
Sarah Wells is a keynote speaker and expert on the pursuit of excellence who helps leaders, teams and organizations build cultures of excellence, elevate performance and thrive through change. An Olympian, Wells doesn’t just talk about overcoming adversity; she hurdled it on the world’s biggest stage, and even raced across deserts, mountains and international airports on “The Amazing Race,” proving that grit, adaptability and a little bit of laughter go a long way. She believes that when you dare to break the blueprint, chase crazy ideas and focus on doing the small things exceptionally well, excellence becomes contagious.
Excellence isn’t reserved for a select few, Wells says; it’s a mindset that anyone can adopt, no matter who you are or where you begin. She explains how we can all cultivate excellence in ourselves and in our organizations, utilizing the power of belief in yourself, the courage to do things differently and the resilience to rise from setbacks.
Suneel Gupta is the founding CEO of RISE, a wellness company that helps people personalize their physical and mental health journeys while connecting with certified nutritionists and trainers at an affordable price. As a bestselling author and Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, Gupta helps people reset, reignite and find meaning in their work by bolstering emotional resilience and engagement. He encourages leaders and teams to build the capacity to meet today’s relentless demands without sacrificing their well-being while equipping them with science-based tools to prevent burnout, sustain energy, sharpen focus, and improve professional and personal performance.
The pace of change has outgrown our ability to plan, Gupta says, requiring us to take action and then let courage catch up along the way. He offers a timely reset for how progress actually happens when certainty is unavailable, replacing hesitation with movement and helping people reconnect with the energy and agency needed to move forward when the world no longer waits until we feel ready.
Eric Termuende is co-founder of NoW of Work. As one of American Express’s Top 100 Emerging Innovators, he positions organizations to navigate change and build thriving cultures. An award-winning speaker on leadership, culture and the future of work, and author of “Rethink Work,” Termuende’s research into the DNA of top-performing workplaces reveals the secrets of exceptional leadership and building resilient, forward-thinking teams. He has worked with brands such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, IBM, Zoom and Toyota, and his expertise has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and Inc., cementing his reputation as a global thought leader shaping the future of work.
Instead of trying to forecast the future, the most effective teams are building the capacity to adapt to it. Termuende introduces the concept of one-degree shifts — small, intentional changes that compound into massive competitive advantage over time, providing a practical blueprint to help you move faster, collaborate better and stay resilient in the face of constant change.
Tripp Crosby is a comedic host, inspirational speaker, filmmaker and founder of Very, Very Video, an agency that provides fresh ideas for companies like Zoom, Snowflake, Monday.com, Coca-Cola and Ford to engage their target audiences, increase their brand awareness and generate new leads via shareable, oftentimes hilarious video ads and social content. Connecting people to important ideas using humor and authenticity is what Crosby does best. Through telling his own story, teaching basic improv techniques, and sharing key principles for effective brainstorming and collaboration, he continues to help teams and individuals realize their own creative potential.
Emcee for Friday Main Platform
Emcee for Thursday Main Platform
Emcee for Wednesday Main Platform
Gregory B. Gagne, ChFC, was MDRT President in 2024 and has served in multiple roles on the MDRT Executive Committee since 2021. He previously served as Top of the Table Global Council Member and Advisory Board Chair in 2020 and as Program Development Division Global Council Member in 2019. He also has served on the Board of Trustees of the MDRT Foundation, for which he is an Excalibur Knight and a member of its Inner Circle Society. Gagne is the founder of Affinity Investment Group LLC, which provides wealth management and distribution-planning services.
Gagne shares practical and easy to implement strategies and tactics for effective leadership.
Maryam Rasouli-Habibi is co-founder and partner of Perennial Legacy LLC. With more than 17 years of experience in the financial services profession, she specializes in life insurance, retirement planning and advisor development, helping professionals build scalable, purpose-driven practices rooted in authenticity and human connection. Before co-founding her firm, Rasouli-Habibi held leadership and training roles that shaped her passion for mentoring others. She frequently speaks on business structure, mindset, and integrating AI to enhance client relationships and growth.
How can you integrate AI into your practice to deliver exceptional client experiences without losing the human touch that drives loyalty and referrals? Leledakis and Rasouli-Habibi show you how to create and deploy AI chatbots, voice agents and AI avatars to streamline your practice.
