Ric Elias

The keynotes by Ric Elias share not business lessons, but rather give insight into what lessons can be borrowed after his near-death experience.

Elias began his career at GE but went on to study for his MBA from the Harvard Business School. Upon graduating he set up Red Ventures, which he turned around from a company that barely survived the dot com bubble to one that was ranked number 4 on the Inc. 500 list. In 2009, Elias was on Flight 1549, which landed miraculously unscathed on the Hudson River -- an event he claims changed his life. Inspired, he wrote a book called 'How Facing Death Changed My Life (And My Business).

As a driven businessman previously stymied by the perpetual struggle for work-life balance, the keynotes by Ric Elias urge individuals to surround themselves with positive energy and 'live in the now.'