Abby Davisson is an award-winning author, speaker, and expert on decision-making and deliberate living. She co-authored Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life’s Biggest Decisions, a book named a top business book and required reading at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and founded the Money and Love Institute to help individuals and leaders make thoughtful, intentional decisions. Before this work, Abby spent over two decades in strategy and leadership roles, including serving as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founding Gap’s employee resource group for working parents. She blends evidence-based frameworks with real-world experience to guide others through career, relationship, and life decisions with clarity and confidence. 

Adam Battersby is an entrepreneur and sports-technology innovator, the creative force behind ProBatter Sports and its revolutionary virtual reality pitching machine that's transforming how hitters train. Drawing on his own background in baseball and wrestling, Adam has built ProBatter into a leader in simulation training across baseball, cricket, softball, and beyond.

His entrepreneurial journey hasn't been without hurdles — navigating the pandemic's impact on operations taught him that diversification can be a survival mantra, and that disruption is an inevitable, even useful, part of any business cycle. On Grand Slam Journey, Adam explores the intersection of sports and technology — how innovation is growing fan bases and sharpening player skills, and why making advanced training tools more affordable can expand the games we love.

Ahmed Moussa is a telecommunications leader with more than two decades of global experience, currently Senior Director of Tech Strategy at Verizon, where he's defining the future of home experience and business connectivity through wireless and fiber innovation. His career spans senior roles at Verizon and a decade at Vodafone — including launching New Zealand's first 4G network nine months ahead of competitors.

Shaped by an upbringing across Kuwait and Egypt and a professional journey from Egypt to New Zealand to the U.S., Ahmed brings a deeply cross-cultural lens to leadership. On Grand Slam Journey, he explores the curious connection between tennis and leadership, the role of curiosity in staying ahead of technological shifts, and the often-overlooked loneliness of leadership — reflecting candidly on empathy, vulnerability, and the parallels between leading teams and competing in sport.

Albert Matheny IV is the founder and CEO of Promix Nutrition, a registered dietitian, and a former elite endurance athlete who has made athlete nutrition his entire career. He competed in track and field and cross country at the University of Florida and later trained professionally in triathlon before turning his expertise toward the food industry's shortcomings.

Albert holds a Master of Science in Human Performance and dual Bachelor's degrees in Exercise Physiology and Food Science & Human Nutrition. He founded Promix in 2011 after being unable to find supplements that met his standards for ingredient quality and science-backed performance, and co-founded SoHo Strength Lab, named Best New Independent Gym by Men's Health. On Grand Slam Journey, Albert unpacks the gaps in U.S. dietary guidelines for athletes, the power of clean nutrition, and why small, consistent changes drive peak performance.

Aleks Salkin is a strength and movement coach, author, and leader in kettlebell and bodyweight fitness. His own journey — from a self-described non-athletic kid to a globally recognized fitness educator — is proof that strength, stamina, and mental toughness are built, not born.

Aleks is the author of The No BS Kettlebell and Bodyweight Kickstart Program and Tamers of the Lost Arc, guiding everyone from beginners to advanced practitioners toward sustainable, enjoyable training. On Grand Slam Journey, he shatters common misconceptions about fitness, blending kettlebell work with bodyweight calisthenics and sharing practical advice on how to start — and stick with — a fitness journey through small, consistent steps, a supportive environment, and finding movement you genuinely love.

Andrew McConnell is an entrepreneur, author, and former competitive long-distance swimmer whose path runs from the pool to law, consulting, and building businesses. A member of the USA Open Water Swimming National Team and an international bronze medalist, he graduated from Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and the University of Cambridge with honors before working as a management consultant at McKinsey.

He is the founder and CEO of Rented.com, which he grew from under $200K to nearly $10M in revenue in under three years, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Get Out of My Head: Creating Modern Clarity with Stoic Wisdom.  

Andrew shares the transformative journey from defining oneself by titles to living by true passion — drawing on stoicism, the discipline forged in elite swimming, and a compelling case for prioritizing effort over talent as the real linchpin of success.

Annie Duke is an author, decision scientist, and former professional poker champion. She writes and speaks on how to make better choices under uncertainty. Annie’s bestselling books include Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts, which blends poker strategy with decision science to help readers assess risk and improve judgment; How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices, offering practical frameworks for clearer decision-making; and Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, a guide to recognizing when quitting is the strategic choice that leads to success. She advises leaders and organizations on reducing bias and improving decision quality in complex environments.

Ben Smith is a fitness and nutrition coach, army veteran, and entrepreneur whose personal journey embodies the essence of holistic health. After transitioning from a decorated military career to civilian life, Ben navigated an identity crisis and found grounding in fitness and nutrition—using physical health as a stepping stone to mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

Now an Integrated Wellness Coach, Ben builds his coaching practice around long-term relationships and creating a safe space for clients to explore new horizons. On Grand Slam Journey, he opens up about leadership, holistic health, and the deeper terrain of therapy, breathwork, and psychedelic therapy—plus the power of daily rituals like journaling and cold plunging in personal growth, authenticity, and connection.

Brett W. Smith is a former world champion boxer turned entrepreneur and coach whose life is a saga of courage, resilience, and an undying spirit. From the heart of Sydney to the depths of the Egyptian seas, Brett's journey has taken him from the rugby field to the boxing ring — and into a deep exploration of mental toughness, past trauma, and personal growth.

His transition from elite athlete to coach illuminates the road less traveled, shaped by hard-learned lessons and hard-won victories. On Grand Slam Journey, Brett shares candid insights on mental health, self-care, and the power of pushing beyond perceived limits — drawing on the drive, discipline, and resilience that carry over from the sporting arena into business and life.

Brian Modoff is the founder and CEO of MC3 Ventures, Advisory Partner at Summit Partners, and former EVP of Corporate Strategy at Qualcomm. Brian's journey spans enlisting in the US Navy at 17, eight years of night school while working full time, and 23 years as one of Wall Street's most consistently top-ranked technology analysts covering the rise of wireless and mobile technology. At Qualcomm, he led M&A and venture strategy, overseeing some of the company's most significant deals. Now through MC3 Ventures, he invests in seed and early-stage companies at the cutting edge of technology, hardware, and AI. Brian is known for his mosaic approach to spotting technology trends before the market catches on, his unfiltered candor, and his unwavering belief that persistence is the single most important human skill.

Christian Ponder is a former NFL quarterback and the founder and CEO of The Post, a community built for athletes navigating life beyond the game. A first-round draft pick out of Florida State, Christian spent six seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, and San Francisco 49ers, and later served as a college football color commentator for ESPN.

After his playing career, Christian experienced firsthand the identity questions, loss of structure, and community void that so many athletes face in transition  challenges that inspired him to build The Post and its "Athlete Operating System." On Grand Slam Journey, he unpacks the mental resilience and leadership forged as an NFL quarterback, the realities of life after professional sport, and his vision for recreating the locker-room environment of vulnerability, ambition, and accountability.

Cole Crawford is a technology entrepreneur and the founder of Vapor IO, an edge computing company building nationwide edge colocation and interconnection infrastructure. He previously served as the founding executive director of the Open Compute Project, co-founded OpenStack, and helped define the U.S. government’s definition of cloud computing. Cole has been recognized among the world’s most influential data economy and edge computing leaders and writes on technology innovation and the future of connectivity. 

Dani Weinstein is a global community-building expert and tennis enthusiast who has spent over two decades transforming communities into engines of customer connection, brand loyalty, and business growth. Across HP, Domo, Kaltura, SAP, and IBM, he has led programs reaching 100M+ users—including IBM's TechXchange Community. He is now Founder & CEO of The Community Architect, advising organizations on community strategy and leadership.

Dani credits tennis with teaching him the focus, resilience, and routines that carry directly into professional life. Creator of the MSEE community-building model, he blends strategy, storytelling, and analytics to turn engagement into advocacy and measurable impact. Grand Slam Journey, Dani shares how the mental skills honed in tennis translate to corporate life and offers a nuanced perspective on his home region.

Daniel Gluck is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at GroundForce Capital, a founder-led investment firm backing bold brands, technologies, and services reshaping how people live, eat, and care for themselves. Prior to GroundForce, Dan co-founded Health Warrior, a plant-based superfood company whose debut chia bar became the number one best-selling new bar in the natural channel in 2013 and was acquired by PepsiCo in 2018. Before his entrepreneurial chapter, Dan spent 14 years as a Portfolio Manager, Partner, and Executive Committee Member at Weiss Multi-Strategy Advisers, a multi-billion dollar hedge fund where he personally managed $1 billion in gross AUM across global markets. A competitive tennis player, runner, and mountain biker, Dan brings the same discipline and passion for performance to his investing as he does to his athletic pursuits. He graduated from Colgate University and lives in Mill Valley, California.

David Lindsay is a speaker, entrepreneur, and expert in the intersection of sports and business who helps organizations bring an athlete's resilience and grit into the workplace. Shaped by a competitive life spanning rugby league and martial arts, David turned the mindset forged in sport into a framework for entrepreneurial and workplace success.

His journey has been anything but smooth — overcoming two knee reconstructions and an injury that paralyzed his arm, he knows firsthand the emotional weight of setbacks and identity shifts that follow a sports career. On Grand Slam Journey, David shares his five-step system for workplace vitality — "snap, nap, tap, clap, and recap"— and how the adrenaline and discipline of the sporting arena can energize any boardroom or desk job.

Dre Baldwin is a professional basketball player turned entrepreneur, author, and founder of Work On Your Game University. Over a 9-year professional basketball career spanning 27 countries, Dre developed a system of discipline, strategy, and mental toughness that he has since codified into 43 published books, 4 TEDx talks, and 3,000+ podcast episodes. His Work On Your Game framework has been adopted by executives, athletes, and high-performing teams worldwide, helping them build the structure, accountability, and execution systems that separate the top 2% from everyone else. Known for his relentless consistency and unfiltered approach to personal and professional development, Dre began publishing content online in 2005 — long before it was a career — and built one of the most prolific personal brands in the entrepreneurship and mindset space entirely through showing up every single day.

Eve Psalti is a Senior Executive at Microsoft, where she has spent over 15 years in senior leadership roles spanning AI, business development, public sector, and product management. Originally from Greece, Eve brings over 20 years of experience leading high-performing teams across Fortune 500 companies and startups, including a distinguished tenure at Google Cloud as Head of Strategic Platforms. 

At Microsoft she has driven over $1 billion in revenue growth through strategic AI and enterprise partnerships, and is a featured TEDx speaker on education as the new currency. She serves on the board of WE Global Studios, a women-led innovation platform, and is a passionate advocate for responsible AI, female entrepreneurship, and STEM education. In this episode, recorded during her tenure as Senior Director of Microsoft Artificial Intelligence, Eve shares her journey from Greece to the forefront of AI innovation.

George Mulhern is a corporate executive, board director, and former CEO and Chairman of Cradlepoint. Over nearly a decade at the helm, he led Cradlepoint's transformation from a 70-person startup into a global leader in cloud-delivered 4G and 5G wireless networking, raising $160 million in venture capital and growing revenue 20x before a $1.1 billion acquisition by Ericsson in 2020. Following the acquisition, he served as SVP and Head of Ericsson's Enterprise Wireless Solutions Business Unit. Prior to Cradlepoint, George spent over 20 years at Hewlett-Packard, rising to Senior Vice President and Global Business Unit Manager, and was a General Partner at Highway 12 Ventures. He currently serves on the boards of Inseego Corp, Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, Cambia Health Solutions, and Tracer. A lifelong tennis player, George brings the same competitive mindset and discipline from the court to his leadership philosophy.

Irina Lykina is a CPA and Managing Director & Head of Fund Accounting at Oak Hill Advisors, specializing in alternative investments and asset management — with earlier audit roles at KPMG in the Cayman Islands and Deloitte. Originally from Kazan, Russia, she played lines 1 and 2 for the University of Oklahoma's women's tennis team from 2003–2007, reaching a career-high NCAA D1 singles ranking of #63 and earning All-Big 12 honors. As a junior, she was ranked top 300 in the world and #1 in Russia in the 16-and-under division.

Irina has kept her passion for tennis alive through USTA tournaments and exhibitions, winning Cayman Islands doubles championships. On Grand Slam Journey, she shares how the mindset forged in competitive tennis shaped her professional career — exploring resilience through injury, the power of fear-setting, teamwork, and trusting the journey toward purpose and passion.

James de Lacey is a strength and conditioning coach, sports scientist, and founder of Sweet Science of Fighting and Lift Big Eat Big — one of the most knowledgeable voices in sport-specific strength training. He holds a Master of Sport & Exercise Science with published research in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, and spent a decade applying his expertise in professional and international rugby league and union before specializing in combat sports and athletic performance across tennis, rugby, and beyond.

James has built a reputation for cutting through training myths and delivering practical, science-backed principles that work at every level. He breaks down what athletes really need to know about building strength, speed, power, and resilience — from the role of intent and maximum effort to why consistency is the single most important factor in long-term development.

Jeanette Irekvist is a global technology leader and Chief Commercial Officer at Ovzon AB, formerly President of Ericsson Canada. Originally from Sweden, Jeanette brings over 25 years of global leadership experience, including nearly 15 years at Ericsson where she held senior roles spanning Sweden, the US, and Canada — including VP of Enterprise Solutions and Emerging Business, VP Sales and Head of Northeast Region, and numerous other leadership positions. Known for her calmness under pressure, multicultural awareness, and deeply human approach to leadership, Jeanette has built a career at the intersection of technology, sales, and people-first leadership. She is a passionate advocate for women in leadership and believes that when diverse teams are trusted and empowered, they deliver extraordinary results.

John M. Madura is a mechanical engineer, two-time USA Rowing National Team member, and robotics innovator now working as a Systems Engineer at Applied Materials. Previously a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Dexterity, he built physical AI and autonomous robots at the frontier of hardware development. His path runs from the rowing tanks of Worcester Polytechnic Institute to representing the United States at the 2012 and 2015 World Championships, and from a PhD at UC Berkeley to the cutting edge of autonomous robotics.

Discovered by rowing almost by accident—recruited over pizza in a college lunch line—John built an elite athletic career on the same discipline and long-cycle patience that define serious hardware engineering. On Grand Slam Journey, he shares candid insights on performance, teamwork, and why hardware is what makes AI real rather than theoretical.

John Neville is a telecom industry leader, tennis enthusiast, and champion of sustainable innovation, with a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in sales and commercial leadership. He has held senior executive roles across the industry—including Executive Vice President at Ericsson, VP Enterprise Sales at Verizon Business, and Chief Revenue Officer roles at Adtran and FogHorn Systems—and has helped build and scale companies through multiple acquisitions by names like IBM, Verizon, and Johnson Controls.

Now focused on executive advisory and contributing to a more sustainable future, John brings a rare blend of commercial acumen and human-centered leadership. On Grand Slam Journey, he shares warm, practical wisdom on how tennis shaped his mindset, the value of versatility and balance, building teams grounded in trust, and finding fulfillment through every stage of a long and evolving career.

Jonathan Oe is a designer and entrepreneur, the visionary founder and CEO of Leorêver, a luxury activewear brand redefining compression garments for men and women. Growing up in Venice, California, Jonathan's path led him to work with elite organizations like the LA Lakers and the LA Chargers before launching his own fashion label.

Leorêver's garments blend performance and design — reducing fatigue, improving circulation, and building confidence — with applications ranging from professional athletes to demanding fields like the CIA and FBI. On Grand Slam Journey, Jonathan shares his journey from designing for pro sports to building his own brand, the creative process behind his Monte Carlo and Roma collections, and how he's breaking stigmas and pushing boundaries in fashion.

Josh Payne is a technology entrepreneur, innovator, and founder of Coframe, an AI platform redefining digital experiences and website optimization. He previously co-founded Autograph, a company that raised over $200 million and earned unicorn status with backing from a16z and Kleiner Perkins, and AccessBell, which was acquired by Tata Group. Josh was part of the founding team of Marlin Protocol and started the Stanford COVID-19 Response Lab. A Stanford alumnus with multiple AI, quantum computing, and infosec patents and publications, he also created notable tools like GPT-Migrate and co-created the AI project Coffee. Beyond tech, Josh is a musician who has performed with orchestras and jazz ensembles and guest lectured at Stanford University. 

Josh Simons is a musician, songwriter, entrepreneur, and CEO of Vinyl Group, Australia’s only ASX-listed music technology and media company. Formerly the frontman of indie band Buchanan, Josh transitioned from touring artist to founder and executive, building platforms at the intersection of music, technology, and business. He is known for his work supporting creators and shaping sustainable careers in the creative industry.

Jurgen Arts,  a senior finance and business leader at Ericsson, where he spent nearly three decades in global leadership roles across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Over his career, he held positions including Vice President and CFO for multiple regions, led large-scale finance transformations, and played a key role in major mergers and acquisitions, including post-merger integrations. Jurgen a former tennis player, is known for his cross-cultural leadership, strategic perspective, and ability to lead organizations through complex change in the telecom and technology sectors.

Lee Zohlman is a sports, motorsports, and sponsorship leader who currently serves as Director, Americas at Formula E, and is the founder of Universal Multisport, a strategic consultancy in sports partnerships, marketing, and athlete representation. Formerly Chief Commercial Officer of Juncos Hollinger Racing, he has spent his career building partnerships across Formula E, IndyCar, and Formula 1 — negotiating multiyear deals with some of the world's biggest brands, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Gatorade, Audi, Samsung, SAP, and the NFL.

A former endurance athlete with a love for triathlon, marathons, mountain and ice climbing, and Jiu-Jitsu, Lee has coached top Olympians and Ironman champions, and applies the discipline and attention to marginal detail of endurance sport to everything he builds.

Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD, is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many books on happiness, including Habits of a Happy Brain and Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs Politics, and hosts The Happy Brain Podcast.

As a teacher and a parent, Loretta wasn't convinced by prevailing theories of human motivation — until she learned about the brain chemistry we share with earlier mammals, and everything made sense. Her work has helped thousands of people worldwide manage their "inner mammal" and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She explores the biology of unhappiness, how neuroplasticity lets us rewire our brains, and how our primal instincts for status and belonging shape our happiness.

Maciek Szcześniak — known as "Magic" — is a channel and go-to-market leader with over 25 years helping tech vendors, distributors, and resellers succeed in the SMB and Mid-Market space. His career spans senior global and EMEA roles at Compaq and HP—where he directed marketing, alliances, and small-business strategy across 60+ markets—and culminated in leading a $2.3B global segment as Global VP and GM at HPE.

Today he advises executives on future-proofing their business models, moving from volatile product sales toward recurring, service-led, and AI-as-a-Service revenue. He is Founding Program Lead of the "Business-as-a-Service Academy" at Kozminski University and an Industry Advisor to the University of Houston's Human-Centered AI Institute. On Grand Slam Journey, Maciek shares candid insights on SMB growth, the manager-to-leader transition, recognizing team strengths, and how generative AI can help businesses redefine their core operations.

Mandy Marquardt is a professional track sprint cyclist, 27-time US National Champion, and 5-time US National Record Holder representing the USA Cycling National Team. She proudly represented Team Novo Nordisk, the world's first all-diabetes professional cycling team, for 15 years, and her career includes competing at the Pan American Games, UCI World Cups, and UCI World Championships. 

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16, a doctor told her she would never compete at a high level again. She proved them wrong. In 2024, Mandy was recognized by the United Nations for Diabetes Advocacy and Leadership through Cycling. Off the bike, she is a passionate speaker, mentor, and advocate for everyone affected by diabetes, showing that no challenge is too great to overcome. 

Mona Pretorius de Lacey is a six-time karate world champion, CrossFit Games competitor, Commonwealth Games medalist in Olympic weightlifting, and mindset coach. Her journey spans nearly two decades of elite competition across multiple disciplines — culminating in an 18-year pursuit of a Commonwealth Games medal that tested every ounce of her resilience, discipline, and mental strength.

From the karate mat to the Olympic weightlifting platform, Mona has lived one of the most extraordinary multi-sport journeys you'll ever hear, and her message is clear: train your mind with the same discipline you train your body. On Grand Slam Journey, she shares raw, honest wisdom on resilience and never giving up—covering the transformative power of strength training for women, the impact of the menstrual cycle on performance, mindset and visualization, and why obstacles are opportunities for growth.

Dr. Nicole Wieberneit is a GTM executive, Doctor of Economics, and co-founder of Scalelium, with 25 years of experience building repeatable, scalable revenue in complex B2B ecosystems across Microsoft, SAP, and enterprise partner networks. 

At Microsoft she grew MarTech ARR from $1 million to $150 million, accelerated Low Code to $800 million ARR, built $250 million in pipeline in 18 months for AI-led solutions, and led the CDP GTM launch to 205% of global target — the second best product launch in Business Applications history. She created Microsoft's first global cross-solution GTM playbook, multiplying ASP 4x and accelerating deal velocity 3x. 

Currently VP and Global Head of Microsoft Partnerships at Valtech, Nicole is also a former competitive downhill skier from the German Alps who brings the same precision and obsession with performance to her leadership as she did to the slopes.

Noah Sturm is a seasoned sales and business leader and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Sales and Revenue at Augment, where he drives commercial strategy, revenue growth, and market expansion for AI-powered relationship technology. He has built high-impact sales organizations across companies, including R.R. Donnelley, N3, and Accenture, becoming a vice president early in his career through a focus on execution, resilience, and authentic customer engagement. Noah brings a human-centric approach to leadership, advocating for empathy, trust, and long-term relationships as essential elements of success in an AI-driven business landscape.

Paul F. Austin is a leading voice on the use of psychedelics for personal growth, creative insight, and professional transformation. An entrepreneur, author, and coach, he sees psychedelic use as a skill—cultivated through clear intention, supportive mentorship, and courageous exploration.

Paul is the founder of the Third Wave, a platform providing research-based psychedelic education and access to vetted providers, and the Psychedelic Coaching Institute, which trains a new generation of psychedelic coaches. He is the author of Mastering Microdosing and founder of the Microdosing Collective nonprofit. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and The Economist.

Paul shares his personal journey with psychedelics and candid insights on intention, set and setting, and integration — plus how complementary practices like breathwork and meditation support lasting transformation.

Peter Linder is Head of Thought Leadership Americas at Ericsson, ranked the #1 technology expert on LinkedIn in 2022, and a 35-year veteran shaping the global narrative around broadband, 5G, AI, and sporting events.

Born in Anderstorp, Sweden — a town of 5,000 people with 300 companies and a Formula One racetrack — Peter's passion for technology was sparked in the paddock of the Swedish Grand Prix. A competitive skier and tennis player, he learned grit early, including one year where he lost 46 tennis matches in a row, zero wins, and still came back.

That mindset carried him through a 35-year career at Ericsson spanning five continents, every corner of the business, and the full arc from broadband to 5G to AI. Today, he is one of the industry's most compelling storytellers, bringing technology to life for audiences from Wall Street to global sports stages.

Rani Yadav-Ranjan is a technology executive, innovation leader, and author with extensive experience driving transformation across AI, telecommunications, and digital platforms. She serves as Chief AI Officer at Graycloud AI and previously led technology and innovation initiatives at Ericsson, where she guided strategy, product development, and data analytics efforts. Rani has been recognized for her contributions to technology leadership, holds multiple patents, and has advised organizations on scaling AI, data systems, and emerging tech responsibly. Her work reflects a commitment to resilience, ethical innovation, and the empowerment of diverse voices in tech.

Skip Bowman is a leadership expert, organizational psychologist, and author who coaches and consults leaders at some of the world's largest organizations. Growing up in Perth, Australia — where his father, a well-known Australian tennis player, coached legend Margaret Court — Skip's path wound from Master Scuba Diver and Instructor to the study of organizational psychology and the frontier of leadership development.

He is the author of Safe to Great: The New Psychology of Leadership, which introduces his "Dolphin" leadership metaphor for building environments of genuine psychological safety. On Grand Slam Journey, Skip explores the revolution of tennis in the '60s and '70s, how scuba diving and cross-cultural immersion unlock a growth mindset, and the roles curiosity, reflective capability, and strong relationships play in helping teams — and leaders — reach their full potential.

Stephen Rose is CEO of Render Networks, former Managing Partner at Nokia Bell Labs, and General Manager of Global Industries at IBM. A 25-year telecommunications and technology veteran, Stephen has built and led multi-billion-dollar businesses across four continents. His journey began in the British Army 5 Airborne Brigade before spanning entrepreneurship, global enterprise leadership, and now leading Render Networks — the construction management platform powering America's fiber and electric infrastructure buildout. Stephen holds a Master's degree in Strategy and Organizational Leadership from the University of Oxford and is based in New Jersey.

Trevor McLaughlin is a wireless industry veteran with 30+ years of leadership and technical expertise across the telecommunications world—including roles at T-Mobile, Ericsson, Samsung, Dell, and Meta. He currently serves as Board Chair and President of the Open Device Alliance, an industry body driving collaboration to advance independent private 4G/5G network connectivity, and leads networkfx, which focuses on private network enablement and deployment.

His career spans wireless deployments, network design, and private network strategy, including work on private LTE and international private 5G as a Technical Project Manager at Meta. Trevor brings both deep sector knowledge and a healthy dose of cold realism to the conversation on the future of connectivity — from satellite-to-cell technology and enterprise private networks to the real difference between 4G and 5G, and how these shifts may reshape how we connect.

Vanessa Jupe is a founder and advocate for investing in women. She is the founder and CEO of Leva, a company built around supporting working parenthood — one of life's most common inflection points — and the host and researcher behind 101 Ways Out, a research-led storytelling project documenting the "Great Exit" from corporate life. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Clearcover, H&R Block, and USAA, spanning digital products, insurtech, and financial services.

On Grand Slam Journey, Vanessa draws on her own journeys through career, culture, and parenthood to explore how we navigate life's transitions — from starting new roles to raising kids in an AI-shaped world. She highlights the power of curiosity, celebrating small wins, and asking simple questions to unlock growth through change.

Waqar Shaikh is an accomplished tech executive and endurance athlete with 25+ years of experience across leading technology companies including T-Mobile, Google, Databricks, and Accenture. He now advises clients on digital transformation and building SaaS businesses through his own practice, EndureMomentum Consulting. As VP of Digital at T-Mobile for Business, he led a team of 200+ and a $100M+ budget; earlier, as Head of Technical Sales at Google Cloud, he built teams that helped major enterprises like Nike and Nordstrom adopt AI, ML, and cloud technologies.

Shaped by experiences on both the client and partner side, Waqar brings deep empathy for customer needs alongside a proven record of driving revenue growth. From the bustling streets of Karachi to the corridors of Silicon Valley, his story shows how sports principles translate into professional success. He connects the discipline of endurance running to lasting success in career and life.