Keynote Speakers

Jackie Dryden

Chief Purpose Architect at Savage Brands, Author, speaker, relentless observer of people

With a love for the question “Why,” Jackie guides leaders to think more deeply about the reason behind their work and then build a culture around Purpose.

Jackie Dryden is no stranger to blazing trails. She broke ground when she led one of the few woman-owned advertising firms in the male-dominated industry. She did it again when she published her unique parenting book, Just Me: What Your Child Wants You to Know About Parenting, and traveled the nation to speak about it on television and radio shows, to newspapers and magazines, and before professional and educational organizations.

Now, she’s blazing a new trail: leading a Purpose revolution in corporate America. Her new business book, Get Your Head Out of Your Bottom Line and Build Your Brand on Purpose, guides visionary leaders to reconnect with their true strengths through the power of Purpose. The book is shaking up C-suites as she asks leaders to uncover and communicate the true reason their company exists—not just to make money.

With a passion for helping others discover “why” and “what for,” Jackie leads individuals and companies to understand how to better relate and communicate what sets them apart.

Jackie speaks to companies, schools and organizations across the country about business strategy, personal purpose and women’s issues. She shares her wit and wisdom with groups as small as 30 to auditoriums of several thousand.

Bethany Andell

President of Savage Brands, Author, visionary and connector

Bethany Andell is known for forging powerful connections – connecting people to people and connecting companies with the fresh ideas that make their brands purposeful. In her recent book, Get Your Head Out of Your Bottom Line and Build Your Brand on Purpose, Bethany conveys to business leaders the importance of leading with purpose.

Before she began guiding companies down the path of purpose, Bethany started with herself. Like many of her clients, she watched branding becoming increasingly commoditized. She saw this as an opportunity to change the belief structure at the heart of Savage Brands, and as a second-generation leader, she led the company through the challenging and rewarding, process of discovering and aligning with Purpose.

Bethany is an MBA graduate from Rice University’s Jones School of Management, a regular speaker and the author of several articles recently published in the Houston Business Journal. Her work has earned her numerous awards from the industry’s most prestigious competitions and associations.

She serves as Past-President of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) – Houston, and is on the advisory board of Iberia Bank, the Alumni Board of Rice University’s Jones School of Management, and the Programs Committee for the Jones Partners at Rice University. Bethany is also a member of Vistage, an organization dedicated to leadership development.