Ellen MacArthur

In her keynotes, Ellen MacArthur draws on her own experience as a record-setting sailor and her role as a non-profit leader to tackle crucial issues of the times such as environmental and economic sustainability.

MacArthur is probably most well known as a long-distance solo sailor who broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the earth in 2005. Although the person who held the previous record managed to set it again in 2008, MacArthur's skill and almost superhuman determination is nonetheless inspiring.

After her retirment from professional sailing, MacArthur set up the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The work this organization does is nothing less than noble. The foundation takes youth between the ages of 8 and 24 recovering from serious illnesses such as cancer and leukemia on sailing trips to reinvigorate their sense of confidence and self worth. In her life and in her keynotes, Ellen MacArthur encourages others to follow their dreams not as distant hopes but as measurable goals.