Theme: Togetherness

Great speakers from Clarksville TN and surrounding area

Clarksville Customs House and Cultural Center
211 s 2nd st
n/a
Clarksville, Tennessee, 37040
United States

Brendalyn Carpenter Player

CEO & Founder, Brendalyn Player Communications

Brendalyn Carpenter Player is an author, speaker, and strategic communications consultant. She is a retired Army Civilian Public Affairs Director with more than 20 years of experience supporting local, international, key-leader and media engagements for the Department of Defense. Although proud of her esteemed accomplishments, she never imagined a career in positions of high visibility, influence, and impact. She credits exceptional mentors, time in the field, and discovering her introvert superpower as the keys to success. Brendalyn is passionate about helping others develop assertive confidence as well as enjoy guilt-free solitude, a time to relax and recharge.

Cory Gipson

Head Men's Basketball Coach APSU

In his inaugural season, Coach Gipson propelled APSU to a league best 10 win season. Coach Gipson cultivates relationships as well as lives by his creed: Servanthood, brotherhood, and unconditional love.

Dr. Bill Burgose

Former Head Strength Coach Orlando Magic

Dr. Bill Burgos, former Head of Strength and Conditioning for NBA teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks, brings a unique blend of expertise to his positions with over 13 years of military service and 15 years of experience in sports. He holds a Doctorate in Health Science and two Master of Science degrees and serves as an adjunct professor at Mississippi State University and Austin Peay State University. He is also on the Advisory Board for the Booz-Allen Tactical Leadership Council.

Dr. Dwayne Estes

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Southeastern Grasslands Institute

Dwayne Estes is the co-founder and executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, a conservation organization based at Austin Peay State University that is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Southeast’s native grasslands. In addition to his role as executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, Dwayne is a Full Professor of Biology and Principal Investigator for the Center of Excellence for Field Biology at Austin Peay, where he teaches courses in botany and ecology. He directs a team of nearly 50 dedicated staff and is on a mission to elevate the profile of America's grasslands like never before.

Dr. Rashidah Leverett

Author, Speaker, Teacher, and Certified Coach.

Dr. Rashidah Leverett is an Author, Speaker, Teacher, and Certified Coach. She served in the United States Army from 1992-1999 as a Unit Supply Specialist and was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant. After leaving the Army in 1999, Dr. Leverett worked for Walmart Stores, Inc. from 2001 to 2010, where she began as an overnight cashier and rose to Assistant Store Manager. Dr. Leverett left Walmart to pursue a career in Logistics with Lockheed-Martin, Inc. where she traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2011, Dr. Leverett began her career in higher education as an Adjunct Professor for Miller-Motte Technical College in Clarksville, TN. She was promoted to Director of Education in 2015 at the Madison, TN campus. In 2016, Miller-Motte closed its campuses so Dr. Leverett focused on completing her doctoral dissertation while starting her online coaching business.

Emily Hawarah

Seasoned designer

Emily Hawarah is a seasoned designer with over 20 years of experience managing marketing and graphics projects for diverse retail, automotive, and engineering brands. Currently pursuing a master's degree in Data Analytics and Visualization, she is delving into women's clothing sizes for her capstone project, aiming to revolutionize the shopping experience through data-driven insights. With a keen understanding of audience-centric graphic design and a knack for solidifying messaging with facts, Emily is poised to make significant strides in bridging the gap between data analytics and consumer behavior.

Josh Ward

VP of Industrial Development

Josh Ward is a Nashville native with a background in recruitment, commercial real estate, and economic development who moved to Clarksville after graduating from MTSU with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He helped countless businesses find office, retail, and warehouse space during his role as Commercial Property manager with Millan Enterprises from 2017 to 2021 and has supported IDB economic development efforts as director of Economic Development since joining the team in October of 2021. Josh was named VP of Industrial Development in July of 2023.

Laurina Lyle

Writer, Biologist and Naturalist

Laurina is a biologist, naturalist, and writer. As the author and contributing author of numerous books, articles and presentations, Laurina seeks opportunities to communicate about the natural world, especially water. Starting her career as a biologist, she found her greatest impact to protect and preserve the environment has been through writing. She was the visionary and lead writer of a large, permanent exhibit at the Wade Bourne Nature Center in Clarksville, Tennessee. Her latest publication, A Child’s First Bird Guide: An Interaction book of common birds in Eastern North America (2024), co-authored with Karen Lyle. When not writing, she likes to hike, camp-out, and play the classical guitar.

Nick Nicholson

President and CEO of SIE Global Enterprises LLC

Nick is a native of Clarksville, TN, and is an inspirational speaker, author, and entrepreneur. He has authored two books, “Dancing On The Razor’s EDGE,” and “Thoughts Of An Inspired Mind,” In his leisure time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, writing, sports, listening to music, and flying.