2025 Conference

13 talks worth watching.

The inaugural TEDx Oconomowoc brought together visionaries from across the country. Watch the talks — they're as relevant today as the day they were delivered.

Entrepreneur · Innovator · Philanthropist

Craig Schiefelbein

"Leading Change Purposefully"

Craig founded Paragon Development Systems (PDS) in an Oconomowoc basement and built it into a $200 Million company with 26 consecutive years of growth. Twice recognized as Ernst & Young 'Entrepreneur of the Year,' recipient of the Ronald Reagan National Leadership Award, and official Motivational Speaker for the Green Bay Packers in 2020. He and his family have built 12 schools and an orphanage in Cambodia hosting 4,200+ students, drilled water wells across Africa, and co-founded numerous Oconomowoc institutions.

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President & CEO — OrgCode Consulting Inc.

Iain De Jong

"An End to Chronic Homelessness"

Iain De Jong is a fierce advocate and unapologetic truth-teller in the fight to end homelessness. With 30 years across government, frontline services, research, and consulting, he has led work in hundreds of communities across Canada, the U.S., and Australia. He is the founder of The Leadership Academy on Ending Homelessness and author of The Book on Ending Homelessness — driven by a single mission: to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.

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CEO / President — Bank Five Nine

Tim Schneider

"Freedom at Work: The Simple Way to Make Lives Better"

Tim Schneider is the President & CEO of Bank Five Nine, a 14-branch, $2.3 billion bank headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He has worked within the banking industry for nearly 40 years, including roles as an agriculture and commercial lending officer and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Bank Five Nine, Tim was a founder and CEO of Investors Community Bank in Manitowoc. A graduate of UW River Falls, he serves on multiple community and industry boards across Southeast Wisconsin.

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Founder / CEO — The New Brave Company

Ellie Bassick-Trovato

"The RSVP Revolution: Emotional Freedom in One Tiny Move"

Ellie Bassick-Trovato, M.Ed. is a bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and emotional breakthrough coach who blends neuroscience, spiritual depth, and practical tools. Her signature Red Zone Invitation™ method helps people catch emotional hijack in the moment and reconnect to calm, clarity, and strength. She is the creator of The Joy Spiral Playbook and founder of The New Brave Co., a global movement built on the belief that when you're free inside, you're powerful outside.

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President / Founder — MMC Ventures

Mark Small

"What is Freedom? Why it May be Worth Dying For"

Mark Small is a global sales and revenue operations leader turned Growth and Go-to-Market Advisor, helping startups and investors achieve scalable, repeatable success. With a track record at top SaaS and cybersecurity companies — including Oracle, McAfee, Proofpoint, and Cofense — Mark specializes in guiding early-stage companies to build winning GTM strategies and high-performance sales organizations.

Founder / President — A3 Performance

Daniel Meinholz

"Breaking Free: How influence shapes us and how we reclaim our true self"

Dan Meinholz is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 35 years of residency in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He founded A3 Performance — a global swimwear brand represented in every Olympic Games since London 2012. Driven by a deep passion for the sport, Dan empowers coaches and athletes worldwide with insights on personal freedom, development, and peak performance.

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MLS — Healthcare Law, BSN, RN, Forensic Nurse Examiner

Jamie Counsell

"Freedom with Purpose"

Jamie has 24 years of healthcare experience with 13 of those years focused on Forensics and caring for victims of crime. She holds a BSN from Western Governors University and a Masters in Legal Studies for Healthcare Law from Oklahoma University Law School. She is the SANE Program Team Lead/Coordinator for Mercyhealth System WI & IL, sits on over 25 committees, and presents locally, statewide, and nationally.

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Co-Founder, CareNavigator® | Physician | Cancer Survivor

Jessica Hernandez, MD MEHP

"Freedom in Your Own Health"

Dr. Jessica Hernandez is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, lifestyle medicine specialist, and cancer survivor. Her own cancer journey — and later losing her husband to cancer — fuels her mission to empower patients with clarity, confidence, and choice. She co-founded CareNavigator.ai, an AI-enabled patient-advocacy platform that helps individuals understand their diagnosis and make informed decisions.

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Founder / Owner — LoveJAAM

John Meng

"The Conversation Is the Relationship"

John Meng is the founder of LoveJAAM, a relationship training company focused on helping people build intimate partnerships that fuel purpose, peace, and performance. A civil engineering executive and Ironman World Championship competitor, John blends real-world leadership with deep personal transformation. His book, The Creed of Authentic Men, offers a clear, actionable path for men to reconnect with themselves and their partners.

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CEO — The Destiny Partnership

Doug Allen

"The Shadow Code: Discipline is Freedom"

Transformational entrepreneur and mastermind architect. From $100K in debt to leading global peer groups and co-authoring books with his daughter, Doug shares how trust, tribe, and personal evolution unlock true freedom.

Co-Founder / Owner — LoveJAAM

Annie Meng

"What I Learned From Being Rejected By My Parents"

Annie Meng is a former Wall Street investment banker and Miss Arizona 2020 for the Miss World pageant. She coaches professionals breaking into high finance careers and teaches at several top investment banks. Together with her husband John, she runs LoveJAAM, which helps singles and couples reignite passion and build extraordinary intimate relationships. She graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Global Authority on Brain-Based Leadership

Dominika Staniewicz, M.S.

"Why the Female Brain Is Built for Leadership"

Dominika Staniewicz is a globally recognized expert in leadership neuroscience, organizational performance, and executive coaching, with clients across six continents. Bestselling author of 'The Magic of Dreaming Big, Acting Small, and Achieving Success,' she is an Elite Brain Coach, a mentor at Amen University, and a founding member of the Neuroencoding Institute — translating neuroscience into actionable strategies leaders can implement immediately.

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Mentor / Speaker / Author

Rimantas Jurevicius

"The Rewarding Journey from Communist Rule to Liberty and Freedom — The American Dream"

Rimantas recently retired as VP from Ultracoat after 32 years and is now an Operations and Development Advisor at Kettle Moraine Coatings in Jackson, WI. Author of 'My Story – 60 Years Of My Life With Hurdles From Lithuania To USA,' his life is a testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome immense challenges. From Soviet-occupied Lithuania to the heart of the American Dream, his journey shaped a profound perspective on freedom and perseverance.

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