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About the event
Public Works Summit 2025
Event Name: United Contractors Public Works Summit
Date: May 28, 2026
Location: Anaheim, CA
🎯 Keynote Goals
- Kick off the Public Works Summit with energy and insight.
- Inspire and set the tone for a full-day agenda of subject matter panels.
- Offer value to a diverse audience from construction contractors, public agency partners, and labor unions.
- Blend inspiration, leadership, and practical relevance—especially within the construction and infrastructure industries.
🎤 Keynote Slot Details
- Timing: Morning keynote (~8:30am)
- Length: Up to 1 hour
- Format: Solo keynote (not panel or fireside chat)
- Content Focus:
- Leadership within construction or related industries
- State of infrastructure or large-scale public works
- Broader business or leadership frameworks with relevance to contractors
- Inspirational or visionary take with California or regional tie-in (ideally)
👥 Audience
- Construction industry professionals
- Government and public agency representatives (e.g., Caltrans, water agencies)
- Labor union leaders
- Approximate attendance: ~250 attendees
Achieving Extraordinary Success Through Goal-Driven Leadership
Keith Abraham is a globally respected expert on goal achievement, leadership momentum, and high performance. With 28+ years of experience, he has inspired over 1.7 million people across 43 countries through his powerful GoalDriver™ Formula. Keith helps teams and leaders identify what truly drives them and channel that into meaningful, measurable outcomes. He has worked with clients such as WSP, Home Group, and the Queensland Local Government Association, delivering leadership programs tailored to construction and infrastructure organizations. A bestselling author of five books and trusted by leading global brands, Keith is known for delivering energetic, actionable keynotes that move audiences from intention to execution.
Fee: $15,000 + $3,000 flat travel fee
Gravity Profile: https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/keith-abraham
Website: https://keithabraham.com/
“Keith has a unique and invaluable ability to transfer enthusiasm and empathy while keeping business goals in focus.” - John Roca, Managing Director, Sydney City Lexus & Toyota
“I’ve used Keith across two decades, two industries and two countries. Whenever I need to focus a business on clients, he’s the solution irrespective of the challenge.” - Ian Blair, Managing Director, New Zealand, WSP
“Keith leaves our people truly inspired and has the ability to shift their thinking and motivate lasting change.” - Anne Petracca, CEO, Lorraine Lea
Speaker Highlights
Why Keith Abraham Is a Good Fit
- Globally recognized keynote speaker with over 28 years of experience inspiring leaders and teams in 43 countries
- Extensive experience speaking to construction, infrastructure, and public works audiences, including:
- Queensland Local Government Association – Leadership Conference
- WSP (Australia & New Zealand) – Led senior executive leadership sessions and business development programs for a leading infrastructure firm delivering government-backed projects
- Home Group – Trained leaders from one of Australia’s top home-building companies, constructing over 1,000 homes annually
- Specializes in goal-driven leadership, high performance, and meaningful team momentum—highly relevant to contractors and agency leaders managing complex operations
- Creator of the GoalDriver™ Formula, used by top companies to align purpose with performance
- Known for his dynamic, high-energy delivery—ideal for energizing and setting the tone for a full-day summit
- Helps organizations strengthen team connection, manage change, and elevate results in industries that rely on collaboration and trust
Recommended Keynote:
Accelerate Your Business: Unprecedented Growth
Drive exponential growth in your business by aligning leadership, strategy, and momentum. In this keynote, Keith Abraham shares how leaders can create clarity, focus, and discipline to fuel unprecedented results.
This session focuses on three critical areas:
1) DYNAMIC DIRECTION
- Creating a compelling goal for growth.
- Lean into the work you are avoiding.
- Decide on what 10X growth looks like.
2) DETERMINE DRIVERS
- Understanding the 8 drivers of your people.
- Applying the 10x10x10 growth formula.
- What do you need to do vastly different to accelerate?
3) DETAILED DEVELOPMENT
- Defining your non-negotiable daily habits.
- Identifying the discipline required for success.
- Creating the 1 hour / 1 day / 1 week / 1 month roadmap
OUTCOME:
- Each Leader will define a goal that energizes, enthuses and empowers their Team to go beyond
- Each Leader will know how to leverage their efforts by using the power of GoalDrivers within their Team.
- Each Leader will create a set of daily non-negotiable growth habits that form an implementable growth momentum roadmap.
From Scaling Startups to Building Sales Giants: A Playbook for Limitless Growth
Frankie Russo is a high-impact speaker and futurist who helps leaders thrive at the intersection of innovation, resilience, and workforce transformation. He has delivered keynotes to some of the world’s most essential industries—from construction to labor to utilities—working with clients like the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, IBEW, and Florida Power & Light’s 35 Mules Innovation Hub. Known for his high-energy style and deeply practical insights, Frankie equips organizations to lead in high-stakes environments where safety, precision, and collaboration are critical.
Fee: $15,000, plus a $2,000 Buyout [covers RT Airfare, RT Ground, Meals and Incidentals], plus Hotel Accommodations
Gravity Profile: https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/frankie-russo
Website: https://www.frankierusso.com/
Frankie is based in Florida.
"Frankie’s 'Love Your Weird' presentation offered our team transformative insights and practical strategies for creating a culture of Continuous Growth. His impact is long-lasting." - John Zeigler, Chief Marketing Officer, Sinclair Inc.
"Innovate South attendees loved Frankie's talk on 'Love Your Weird.' He inspires true leadership and a Growth culture." - Destin Ortego, Innovate South Conference
"Frankie’s speech was the highlight of our annual event, offering actionable inspiration and insights for their organizations." -Louise Leopold, Executive, Digital Dealer Conference
Speaker Highlights
Why Frankie Russo Is a Good Fit
Frankie is known for blending high-energy inspiration with practical, immediately usable strategies. His expertise bridges the gap between emerging technologies like AI and the on-the-ground realities of industries where precision, safety, and teamwork are paramount. He connects deeply with contractors, union leaders, and infrastructure executives, helping them embrace change and lead effectively in high-stakes environments.
Key strengths Frankie brings to infrastructure and public works audiences include:
- Expertise in AI and innovation applied to construction and labor industries
- A proven track record with leading organizations in infrastructure and utilities
- A dynamic and relatable presentation style that inspires action
- A focus on collaboration, resilience, and workforce development
Relevant Experience
- Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) – Delivered a keynote on leadership, growth, and the New World of Work in the home building and construction sector, including how AI is reshaping the industry.
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) – Spoke to union leaders and members on leadership, workforce development, and navigating change in labor-driven industries.
- Florida Power & Light / 35 Mules Innovation Hub – Engaged utility and infrastructure leaders on breakthroughs, resilience, and practical adoption ofAI and new technologies in legacy industries.
Core Themes for Infrastructure Audiences
- The New World of Work – How AI, technology, and workforce shifts are reshaping industries
- Leadership in High-Stakes Environments – Inspiring leaders where safety, precision, and execution are critical
- Resilience & Growth – Thriving amid disruption and change
- Collaboration & Workforce Development – Equipping leaders and teams to work together effectively across labor, contractors, and infrastructure projects
Why He’s the Right Fit for Your Audience
Your group operates in environments where safety, execution, and collaboration are non-negotiable. Frankie’s message resonates directly with these realities. Attendees will leave with renewed inspiration to lead in complex, high-risk environments, practical tools to integrate AI and innovation into daily operations, and stronger alignment across labor, contractors, and leadership teams.
Frankie can tailor his keynote to align with the priorities of your infrastructure leaders.
A Change Navigation Strategist & Organizational Transformation Expert
Jay Kiew is a Change Fluency™ expert and keynote speaker who has developed over 500 public works leaders across North America. With more than 15 years of experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, he has driven $2B+ in transformational impact for 400+ executives across the public and private sectors. A half-blind cancer survivor and Future50 honoree by the Project Management Institute, Jay blends powerful personal resilience with deep professional insight to help organizations lead through change with confidence and clarity. He’s worked with clients such as the National Safety Council, Concrete Ontario, WorkSafeBC, and the Public Works Association of BC.
Speaking Fee: $15,000 + $2,000 flat travel + Hotel
Note: This range reflects the typical fee for speakers of this caliber. I understand your budget is in the $5K–$10K range and will do my best to negotiate within it wherever possible, based on factors like location, timing, and speaker interest.
Speaker Profile: https://www.gravityspeakers.com/speakers/jay-kiew
Speaker Website: https://www.changefluency.com/
Based in Vancouver, Canada
"Jay Kiew delivers an energetic, thought-provoking, and highly engaging keynote on AI, breaking down barriers to adoption and inspiring new perspectives on technology. His deep knowledge, humor, and dynamic presentation style keep audiences captivated, regardless of their AI expertise. Jay makes AI practical and accessible, sparking curiosity about how it can be leveraged in the workplace. His session is insightful, entertaining, and packed with valuable takeaways, making it a must-see for anyone looking to embrace the future of AI." - National Safety Council
"Definitely makes you think about innovation in a different perspective for the construction industry. Engaging, inspiring, educational. Excellent presentation. Amazing speaker, engaging and made it relevant to the group Upbeat, engaging, relevant. Jay was althought provoking and charismatic speaker. Love how Jay invited us to drivechange by thinking differently." - Concrete Ontario
"It's been truly amazing to see how the Citizen centric team has contributed to shaping Richmond's Public Works andParks supervisory leadership training program over the past few years. Jay has made a substantial impact on our teams, having developed over 500 of our supervisors. As our supervisors have brought PELTI to life, I can see the ripple effects in making us the most appealing, livable and well-managed community in Canada." - John Irving, Deputy Chief AdministrativeOfficer, City of Richmond
"Jay's leadership training and strategic facilitation has been transformative for the City's Public Works department, driving a substantial shift in our organizational culture. Jay has guided our teams to understand our broader corporate values, fostering an enriching environment of collaboration across supervisory teams. Jay embedded mentorship programs right into our leadership development programs, which have been integral to this process, providing support and camaraderie as we navigate through challenging scenarios. The positive influence of Jay's relatable and empathetic approach is evident, working closely with our leadership team toco-create curriculum and content. His unique ability to balance corporate requirements with understanding real-life challenges has ushered in a new era of higher expectations and commitment within our department." - Suzanne Bycraft, Director, Public Works,City of Richmond
Speaker Highlights
Jay Kiew is a change innovation strategist and world-renowned keynote speaker with more than 15 years of strategy and human capital experience. He has created more than $2B of impact for 400+ executives by designing, developing, and delivering organizational transformation, but his story extends far beyond the professional arena. Kiew is a half-blind cancer survivor, whose life is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity. His remarkable blend of professional expertise and personal resilience equips leaders to hack through the thick of change and disruption.
Kiew spent his corporate career working at Deloitte, TELUS, and ADP, where he led mission-critical strategic transformations. This included a $150-million primary care health policy reform, $13-million tech transformations, doubling app users from 1 to 2 million, and scaling 15 product lines to $35 million in 12 months. As the CEO at Citizencentric, he now invests his time in growing organizations for the greater good.
At the age of 19, Kiew became the world's youngest Distinguished Toastmaster. He has since been featured in the Financial Times, Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Ivey Business Journal, Change Leadership, and more. In 2024, the Project Management Institute inducted Jay as a Future50 honoree for his work on enabling organizations with AI Fluency and Agentic AI adoption.
Kiew holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School and lives in Vancouver with his wife, two daughters, and a stubborn Shiba Inu named Brooklyn.
Past Clients include:
- National Safety Council
- BC Municipal Safety Association
- Concrete Ontario
- WorkSafeBC
- Traine Construction
- Public Works Association of BC
- Edison Electric Institute
- Trico Electric Cooperative
Why Jay Kiew?
- Delivers practical and strategic content, aligned with Venon’s goal of offering actionable GenAI insights to CTOs, CIOs, and innovation leaders
- Brings a transformation-first mindset, equipping attendees with frameworks to drive lasting change beyond the hype
- Known for his engaging, workshop-style keynotes that prioritize interactivity and leave attendees with clear next steps
- His “Compass” methodology complements the AI integration and change navigation challenges tech leaders face today
Recommended Keynote:
EVOLVE: The Future of Public Works
In the infrastructure construction industry, how is work evolving beyond basic project management tools and traditional processes?
Today, construction contractors face endless change challenges: tightening economic conditions and profit margins, climate change, and the constant struggle for find and retain talent.
In this 60-minute keynote, innovation strategist Jay Kiew will share how trailblazing construction and public works organizations are driving innovation and integrating AI meaningfully into project delivery, workforce management, and stakeholder collaboration.
He will also unpack Change Fluency™, a leading change navigation playbook that equips audiences with strategies needed to skillfully navigate the evolution of work in infrastructure development.
Audiences will come away with...
- Understanding how the AI ecosystem is shifting the future of public works and infrastructure construction, pinpointing the areas of greatest impact and opportunity for contractors and public agencies alike
- Developing the Change Fluency™ necessary to drive innovation in project delivery, safety protocols, and team management come Monday
- Learning how to create capacity with a digital workforce in supply chain management, equipment optimization, and regulatory compliance
- Practical strategies for leading cross-functional teams (contractors, agencies, unions) through technological transformation while maintaining strong partnerships
Perfect for..
- Construction leaders curious about how infrastructure work is being reimagined in 2025
- Contractors and public agency partners who want to overcome barriers to AI adoption and enable their teams to integrate technology meaningfully within their organizations
- Executives looking to understand where industry leaders are applying generative and agentic AI in construction management, public procurement, and project delivery