Virtual Event | February 11–12, 2026 | 250 Sales Reps & Executives
Heidelberg Materials will host its Sales Summit virtually on the Virbela platform, bringing together 250 sales reps and executives.
Goals of the Keynote:
Last year’s keynote featured futurist Mike Walsh; this year’s focus is on actionable strategies, purpose-driven performance, and the future of sales.
Josh Linkner is a five-time tech entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and venture capitalist who has built and scaled companies in highly competitive industries. Today, he’s regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on business creativity and innovation. He has invested in over 100 startups, advised Fortune 500 leaders, and delivered more than 1,000 keynotes worldwide. His books, including Disciplined Dreaming and Big Little Breakthroughs, are used by business schools and organizations as playbooks for sparking innovation and unlocking growth.
Speaking Fee - $25,000 virtual speaking fee
Available for the dates of the event
Speaker Reel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDss3M6bttE
Speaker Video - Big Little Breakthroughs
Speaker Profile - https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/josh-linkner
Speaker Website - https://joshlinkner.com/
Josh Linkner empowers organizations to break free from the status quo and ignite everyday innovation that drives sales growth. He translates creativity from being an abstract concept into a repeatable skill set that sales professionals can use immediately to win more deals. Imagine your reps leaving the kickoff energized with practical tools to spark breakthrough ideas, outmaneuver competitors, and create unexpected value for customers in the sustainable building industry. Josh proves that innovation isn’t reserved for inventors—it’s for every seller, every day.
Josh speaks specifically to the Manufacturing Industry. While there are topics presented below, I encourage you to view his Manufacturing Speaking Page, which specifically addresses your industries challenges - https://joshlinkner.com/automotive-and-manufacturing/.
Some of the Key Trends and Opportunities, as outlined by Josh -
Selling sustainable building materials requires helping customers envision the future while confidently navigating market shifts. Josh is uniquely suited to:
for further customization from Josh
Description: A proven innovation framework to solve problems, accelerate opportunity, and sustain growth. This keynote by Josh Linkner focuses on a 5-step innovation framework for full-organization ingenuity, offering tools for sustainable success. The framework emphasizes agility, creativity, and improvisation over traditional approaches.
Outcomes: Leaders and teams will leave with a model for harnessing ingenuity to solve problems and seize opportunities, innovative strategies for daily results, and the confidence to tackle the unknown and emerge victorious.
Description: This keynote addresses how small, everyday innovations can drive oversized results. It presents a practical approach to unlocking dormant creative capacity, focusing on small, daily creative acts that lead to significant long-term rewards.
Outcomes: Attendees will gain a framework for cultivating a high volume of innovations, inspiring stories demonstrating the power of creative problem-solving, and insights into the habits and tactics of the world's most prolific innovators.
“Josh Linkner delivers a roadmap to help future generations of entrepreneurs and innovators push boundaries and explore the art of the possible. He provides a clear path to help you build an army of everyday innovators and turn ideas into action.” -Steve Case, Co-Founder and Former CEO, AOL, Chairman, Revolution Partners
“In today’s fiercely competitive global marketplace the most important resource any business has is the creative thinking of its people. Josh Linkner lays out a road map that will guide individuals, teams, and companies to higher levels of creativity. It is a journey that will lead to better ideas and breakthrough thinking.” - Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company
Ryan Estis is a former Fortune 500 sales leader turned globally recognized keynote speaker and consultant. As the founder of ImpactEleven, he has built a career advising world-class brands on sales transformation, leadership, and customer engagement. Recognized by Meetings & Conventions as one of the “Top 10 Keynote Speakers in America,” Ryan combines data-driven insights, motivational storytelling, and frontline experience to help sales organizations thrive.
Speaking Fee: $25,000 virtual speaking fee
Available for both date/s
Keynote Speaking Demo Reel: Ryan Estis in Action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EootWMFZlR4
Speaker Profile - https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/ryan-estis
Speaker Website - https://go.ryanestis.com/sales-keynote-speaker?
Ryan Estis helps sales organizations adapt to a buyer landscape where customers spend only 17% of their purchase journey with suppliers. He shows reps how to move from transactional sellers to value-based partners who win customer trust, differentiate on expertise, and sustain long-term growth. Imagine your sales force equipped with the skills to humanize every conversation, deliver compelling value propositions, and create urgency without relying on price. Ryan prepares reps to sell for impact in an economy where relationships are the ultimate competitive advantage.
With Heidelberg’s focus on innovation, sustainability, and seller confidence, Ryan is a natural fit to:
Customer expectations and behavior are evolving faster than most sales organizations. B2B buyers considering a purchase now spend only 17% of that time actually meeting with potential suppliers, and if comparing multiple suppliers, the amount of time spent with any one sales team shrinks to 5%.
This reality requires a fundamental shift in go-to-market strategy and an evolution in seller skill and competency. Sales teams not only have to earn customer access from a position of expertise but also use a new value-based, deeply customized approach to earn customer partnerships that can sustain growth into the future.
Ryan Estis is a former Fortune 500 CRO and sales transformation expert who teaches sales teams how to leverage this defining moment of transformation and change as a catalyst to create compelling differentiation in the customer decision journey to capture more market share.
Sellers will understand how to earn more customer access, position value over price, elevate customer confidence from a position of expertise, and drive decisions to close.
Inspired by compelling stories and actionable insights, each participant will leave acutely aware of how to humanize the sales process to build high trust/high-value relationships that create partnerships for life.
“It’s often said that people remember how you make them feel more than what you say. On behalf of the entire team at CDW I want to thank you for making each and every person feel in control of their success, in charge of their emotions and responsible for the next action step in their journey to success. You were memorable, relevant, energizing and authentic. Thank you for bringing your best self to CDW!” - CDW
Ryan led us to some new critical thinking, and he challenged all of us to form a new blueprint for how we will work and live in the future. He is a dynamic and energetic speaker. As you listen, he makes you want to stand up straight up, push your shoulders back and glow with confidence and energy. It was infectious and eye opening. Ryan not only speaks well and commands his audience, but he always backs up his words with solid research, metrics, facts, and logic that settles your uncertainties. - Mazars USA
Seth Mattison is an internationally renowned business strategist, futurist, and leadership advisor who helps organizations thrive at the intersection of technology, disruption, and human potential. As the founder and CEO of FutureSight Labs, Seth has spent two decades advising Fortune 100 companies, including IBM, Mastercard, and AT&T, on how to navigate change and build cultures of trust and adaptability. Known for his dynamic stage presence and deeply researched insights, Seth is a sought-after voice on the future of leadership and the evolving world of work. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fast Company, cementing his reputation as a leading voice for business transformation.
Speaking Fee - $20,000-$25,000* virtual speaking fee
Available [as a 2nd hold] for the date/s
*to be confirmed
Speaker Reel + Demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED8CqDIQHd8
Speaker Profile - https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/seth-mattison
Speaker Website - https://www.sethmattison.com/
Seth Mattison helps organizations build future-ready sales cultures capable of thriving through disruption. He combines research, case studies, and electrifying storytelling to show professionals how to embrace uncertainty, cultivate trust, and seize opportunities in a rapidly changing market. Imagine your sales reps leaving the kickoff with renewed confidence, armed with strategies to anticipate buyer needs, future-proof their client relationships, and win business even when conditions are volatile. Seth doesn’t just inspire—he gives your team a roadmap to compete and lead into the future.
Seth speaks specifically to the Manufacturing Industry. While there are topics presented below, I encourage you to view his Manufacturing Speaking Page, which specifically addresses your industries challenges - https://www.sethmattison.com/manufacturing.
Some of the Key Industry Challenges, as outlined by Seth -
Heidelberg is competing in an industry that’s evolving rapidly, with customers demanding sustainable solutions and sales reps navigating shifting buyer expectations. Seth is the perfect fit to:
*for further tailoring by Seth
As we find ourselves propelled into the age of artificial intelligence and hyper change, it's easy to think that tools will define our trades and machines will dominate our work. With jobs evolving faster than people, thriving in this era requires unlocking the power of both technology and human potential. While machines can replicate tasks, they can never replicate the heart and soul behind the work.
As technology commodifies competitive advantages, organizations must innovate and shift from mere efficiency to true augmentation. By blending Al with human creativity, empathy, and complex problem-solving, businesses can achieve a synergy that drives unprecedented growth and engagement. Let's harness new tools to drive efficiency and scale while amplifying the human touch that makes us unique.
In a world where societal disconnection, business uniformity, and Al-induced role uncertainty converge, we face a profound crisis: individuals feel isolated and purposeless, brands grapple to differentiate and stand out, and professionals fear the diminishing essence of their work and identity.
In the wake of these changes a new strategy emerges for humans and organizations to thrive by embracing our most unique and powerful human asset love. Not love as an emotion of connection but love as an energetic force of creation, the innate desire to build, create, express, and innovate. To put love to work by creating brands, products, and experiences that deeply resonate with customers and employees. Through captivating stories and actionable insights, we delve into a profound realization shared by high-performing groups: love is more than a feeling; it's a tactical advantage.
“Seth's work with the agency has had a big impact. A number of leaders have continued to reference the session and how much of an impact the ideas have had on their thinking as it relates to leading digital transformation at the agency.” - Jane Datta, Chief Human Capital Officer, NASA
“As we navigated our own transformational journey, Seth’s research and insights provided a spot-on and powerful framework to help our executive team challenge the assumptions they've made and the beliefs they carry about who they are and how they're showing up in the world as leaders.” - Susan Cisco, Head of HR & Employee Experience, MassMutual
Heather McGowan is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading voices on the future of work and human adaptability. A strategist, author, and thought leader, she has helped Fortune 100 organizations, global manufacturers, and innovative startups navigate rapid disruption. Named among Forbes’ Top 50 Female Futurists and described by Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist Thomas Friedman as “the oasis” for insights into the future of work, Heather delivers more than research—she delivers roadmaps. She is the co-author of two influential books, The Adaptation Advantage and The Empathy Advantage, which shape how leaders prepare teams for a marketplace defined by constant change.
Speaker Fee - $20,000 Virtual Speaking Fee
Heather is available for the date/s.
Speaker Reel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7gLE-9R34M&t=13s
Speaker Profile - https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/heather-mcgowan
Speaker Website - https://heathermcgowan.com/
Heather McGowan helps organizations embrace adaptability as their ultimate competitive edge. She doesn’t just predict what’s next—she teaches leaders and sales teams how to thrive in it. Through powerful storytelling, provocative insights, and concrete frameworks, Heather gives professionals the courage to face disruption with confidence. Imagine your sales reps walking away knowing that change isn’t something to resist, but the very fuel for innovation, growth, and customer connection. She empowers organizations to unlock human ingenuity, reframe challenges as opportunities, and build cultures where curiosity and collaboration drive bottom-line success.
Your sales team is selling sustainable building materials in an industry at the intersection of tradition and transformation. Heather speaks directly to this challenge. She will connect the dots between global disruption, sustainability, and the evolving expectations of your customers—giving your reps practical tools to adapt and succeed. For 250 sales reps and executives, Heather’s keynote will:
Think organizations can't change quickly? History proves otherwise.
When naysayers said "it can't be done," humans accomplished the impossible—in weeks, not years. Each pivotal moment reminds us of humanity’s most underestimated asset: our ability to adapt in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
In this perspective-shifting keynote, Heather challenges the myth that we resist change using unforgettable stories about a mop, a burrito, and a hermit crab to demonstrate how we can tap into our natural curiosity and hardwired drive to collaborate to see and shape what’s next.
Drawing from her bestselling books “The Adaptation Advantage” and “The Empathy Advantage,” Heather reveals how leading organizations thrive when they place adaptability at their core, allowing them to find breakthrough opportunities where others least expect them.
A keynote that reframes change as opportunity, giving sales teams the courage and tools to innovate.
In an era of unprecedented social division, our professional success hinges not on discussing politics at work, but on mastering the tools of constructive dialogue—active listening, intellectual humility, and genuine curiosity—to create environments where diverse perspectives transform friction into fuel for innovation.
The ability to bridge divides through emotional intelligence and skilled communication may be our most valuable professional competency in today's interconnected world. When organizational purpose aligns with human potential, extraordinary things happen.
In this inspirational keynote drawn from Heather’s most recent book, The Empathy Advantage, Heather reveals how purpose can become your organization’s most powerful performance driver.
Through compelling research and real-world examples, she demonstrates how a shared vision can create the trust, belonging, and motivation needed to transform individual potential into collective impact—through increasing engagement, reducing turnover, and unleashing performance.
By getting clear on purpose, we don't just adapt to change—we shape the future.
Perfect for uniting your sales force behind Heidelberg’s sustainability mission and turning it into measurable results.
"Heather McGowan is outstanding at her craft, tailoring her presentation for maximum impact. She will leave your audience with clear imperatives and fired up to race into action!" -President, Abbvie North America
"Heather’s presentation style connects to the audience regardless of how your brain is wired. A broad coalition of colleagues found immediate, actionable application of her message" -Erin Watkins, SPHR, VP Transformation, Travelport
Smiley Poswolsky is an internationally renowned workplace belonging expert, bestselling author, and keynote speaker who helps organizations unlock human connection in times of rapid change. With over a decade of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, associations, and global brands, Smiley has become one of the most trusted voices on building inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing workplace cultures. His TEDx talk has been viewed over two million times, and his books on workplace culture and belonging have been translated into multiple languages. Known for his mix of humor, storytelling, and actionable frameworks, Smiley energizes audiences to embrace change while fostering stronger connections across teams.
Speaker Fee - $17,500
Availability to be confirmed
Speaker Reel - https://vimeo.com/852683375?fl=pl&fe=vl
Speaker Profile - https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/smiley-poswolsky
Speaker Website - https://www.smileyposwolsky.com/financial-services-keynote-speaker
Smiley Poswolsky helps organizations succeed by putting people at the center of transformation. At a time when disruption is constant, Smiley shows sales and leadership teams how to stay grounded in what matters most: collaboration, trust, and human connection. Imagine your sales reps leaving the kickoff inspired to embrace change with confidence, while also having the tools to strengthen relationships across the company and with customers. Smiley equips organizations with strategies for belonging, communication, and resilience—so they can thrive in the future of work, together.
Your industry is experiencing massive transformation, but success ultimately depends on your people. Smiley will:
The Manufacturing Industry in 2025 is navigating significant challenges including supply chain disruptions and tariffs, labor shortages for skilled workers, technological advancements and automation with AI and robotics, and shifting economic and regulatory dynamics. Auto, manufacturing and construction leaders are innovating to invest in workforce development to attract and retain top talent, with a focus on people-first leadership and human connection to improve worker safety, increase trust, and foster workplace connection in a high-demand high-risk industry. Flexibility, curiosity, empathy, listening, and emotional intelligence skills are paramount to engage the multigenerational workforce, navigate complex economic and regulatory environments, and prioritize well-being, mental health, and relationships in the age of overwhelm.
Auto, manufacturing and construction leaders have a critical role in the Age of AI and Automation: to harness the power of human connection to drive profitable growth, business innovation, and worker satisfaction. To build a future that brings people together. Connection is the most valuable currency in manufacturing. Culture isn’t just HR’s job. Culture is every leader and shift manager job’s, from the C-Suite to the factory floor. Culture is everyone’s job.
In a nonstop, disengaged, overwhelmed workplace; with wall-to-wall Zoom meetings, 24/7 Teams messages, AI agents, and the rapid adoption of GenAI & ChatGPT; the value of meaningful human connection increases exponentially and business is about building belonging for your people, your team, and your community. High-levels of employee belonging create a 56% increase in job performance, lead to a 50% drop in turnover risk, and can save a company $52 million a year.
Smiley’s practical keynotes provide an actionable toolkit for manufacturing leaders and teams to drive positive cultural transformation, attract and retain Gen Z talent and talent across generations, deepen customer relationships, build trust, engage high-performing teams, and create connection at our plants and factories, offices and buildings, and in the communities we serve.
*for further tailoring by Smiley
In a lonely, uncertain, overwhelmed workplace; as time spent face-to-face has been replaced with wall-to-wall Zoom meetings, 24/7 Teams messages, and the rapid rise of AI agents and ChatGPT; workplace connection has withered. 40% employees don’t feel a sense of connection to their coworkers, 40% don’t trust their coworkers, and 20% don’t even have one friend at work. As the war for skilled talent grows more competitive and employees spend less time face-to-face than ever before, workplace culture expert Smiley Poswolsky makes the case that the future work is human connection.
In this timely, inspiring, and highly actionable presentation, Smiley will share how leaders can attract and retain top talent across all generations, reignite human connection, and increase team and customer engagement by creating a culture of belonging. Smiley will share actionable tools for fostering employee engagement and supporting our people, customers, and clients, with the challenges of the new world of work including generational differences, hybrid work, well-being, and the impact of AI. At the end of this presentation, your team will have an easy-to-use action-based toolkit to create a culture of human connection for your people, your customers, and your company, and become an industry leader in the future of work.
“Your presentation on belonging in the workforce was phenomenal, and we received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our attendees. The information you shared as thought-provoking and will guide us as we move forward in equipping employees and leaders with the skills of today—and tomorrow—here at MetLife.”— Head of Global Technology and Operations, MetLife
Alex Banayan is the youngest bestselling business author in American history. His groundbreaking book The Third Door chronicles his seven-year journey of interviewing icons like Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, and Steve Wozniak to uncover the mindsets that fuel extraordinary success. Named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” Alex is a celebrated keynote speaker whose adventurous storytelling captivates global audiences.
Speaking Fee - $20,000 virtual speaking fee
Available for both date/s
Growth and Perseverance Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author of The Third Door - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alJNKEu-3CU&t=89s
Speaker Profile - https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/alex-banayan
Speaker Website - https://alexbanayan.com/
Alex Banayan helps audiences adopt the Third Door mindset—the belief that there’s always another way forward. Through riveting stories of bold persistence and once-in-a-lifetime encounters, he shows professionals how to transform fear into courage and setbacks into opportunities. Imagine your sales reps leaving the kickoff energized, knowing they have the tools and mindset to find their own “third door” to every deal, every customer, and every challenge ahead.
Heidelberg’s sales force must push past resistance, embrace resilience, and take bold action to sell into a rapidly evolving marketplace. Alex is the perfect fit to:
*for further customization from Alex
We all face rejection. We all deal with fear. At times, it can feel like there are dozens of obstacles holding us back from achieving our biggest goals.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are certain mindsets and tools that can clear the obstacles along your path and add rocket fuel to your success. After spending fifteen years researching and interviewing the world’s most innovative leaders, bestselling author Alex Banayan’s widely acclaimed Third Door™ framework can help any organization achieve its goals and radically accelerate its growth.
In this high-energy keynote, Banayan takes audiences on an unprecedented adventure, from hacking The Price is Right to chasing Larry King through a grocery store to the multi-year quest to learn from Bill Gates and Lady Gaga. Alongside these larger-than-life stories, Banayan takes the insights from his bestselling book The Third Door to a whole new level, making them practical and applicable for organizations of all sizes.
This wildly entertaining keynote is packed with tools and lessons guaranteed to supercharge your mindset—to the point where growth becomes inevitable.
The pace of change in the business world is faster than ever. With the surge of AI and other seismic technological disruptions, it has never been more critical to an organization’s survival for teams to cultivate a DNA of perseverance and solution-oriented problem-solving.
In this empowering keynote, bestselling author Alex Banayan decodes the most critical insights needed for any organization to cultivate the mindset of resilience and optimism, particularly during times of rapid change and uncertainty.
After interviewing Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, and dozens more of the world’s most iconic leaders, Banayan uncovered the fundamental skills that every organization needs—but that most people don’t talk about—to achieve their biggest goals during disruptive times.
If you care about elevating your business—if you care about your employees being more resilient, more courageous, and more capable of making bold, innovative decisions—this keynote is what you’ve been waiting for.
“The Third Door is a favorite book of many employees in our company, so having Banayan speak at our headquarters was an amazing experience. The keynote was both down to earth and kept everyone wanting more. Banayan also stuck around after to meet and connect with each and every person. Having Banayan speak at our company was a giant success and employees ask, to this day, when we can have him back.” — Justin Copie, CEO, Innovative Solutions
“Alex Banayan was the best speaker we’ve ever had. He brought a whole new element to our leadership offsite, unleashing the energy of our team in a way I’ve never seen before. His messages resonated deeply with our team, enabling us to continue to grow in the midst of uncertain times. I can’t recommend him enough.”— Jeff Oberbillig, Senior Director, Red Hat