06 Nov November 6, 2020 – Growth Cycle Benjamin Marcovitz, Women Storytellers Elizabeth Lesser and Heart To Five Simon Stephenson
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Benjamin Marcovitz – CEO of the Rise Institute
Benjamin Marcovitz is a champion for growth, a leadership expert and the founder and CEO of the Rise Institute, which advances the understanding that human beings can grow and develop beyond their estimations, and that expecting radical growth from those who struggle can and should be the norm. Using his expertise in consulting work, background in education and boots-on-the-ground research on human behavior, Benjamin helps leaders accelerate their work and generate breakthrough performance in their employees. Benjamin challenges the traditional beliefs about human behavior in his consulting work using The Growth Cycle, a method he developed to explain why people tend to radically underestimate themselves and how, when pushed by someone with higher expectations, they always get better. The Growth Cycle was also inspired by his experience raising his daughter with special needs, Zoe. Zoe had a stroke during surgery when she was only five days old, leading doctors to predict she would never walk, talk, or even recognize her parents. Through this experience, he not only solidified his ideas for the Growth Cycle, but it also helped him determine how and why shifting our mindset on growth is beneficial. Zoe’s radical growth against all odds is a constant source of inspiration for Benjamin, who views it as proof there is hope for growth in everyone. In 2007 he founded Sci Academy, the first of five high schools and two post-high-school programs under the umbrella of Collegiate Academies, a network of public high schools in Louisiana serving disadvantaged students. The purpose of Collegiate Academies is to demonstrate that all young people can achieve their goals and grow, regardless of the past. He and his work with Collegiate Academies were featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Oprah provided a million-dollar gift to advance his schools. He was also a fellow at The Aspen Institute.
Elizabeth Lesser – Author of Cassandra Speaks
Elizabeth Lesser is the author of several bestselling books, including Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow and Marrow: Love, Loss & What Matters Most. Her newest book Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes will be released on September 15th. She is the co-founder of Omega Institute, recognized internationally for its workshops and conferences in wellness, spirituality, creativity, and social change. She has given two popular TED talks and is one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, a collection of a hundred leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity. Throughout history, most of humankind’s origin stories, hero’s tales, novels, and films have been told by men. Embedded in those stories are morals about men and women, power and war, sex and love, and what it takes to be courageous, gallant, and strong. These stories stick to us, inform our values, and validate or invalidate whole swaths of people. But what if women had been the storytellers too?
Simon Stephenson – Author of Set My Heart To Five
Simon Stephenson is from Edinburgh in Scotland, but live now in Los Angeles. He is a writer and screenwriter, formerly with Pixar, and once a physician. His first book was a memoir called ‘Let Not The Waves Of The Sea.’ It won ‘Best First Book’ at the Scottish Book Awards in 2011.