2011 Conference Speakers

Bonnie St. John

Olympian, Author, Executive Coach and
Inspirational Speaker

Despite having her right leg amputated at age 5, Bonnie St. John became the first African-American to win Olympic medals in ski racing at the 1984 Paralympics.  She has been honored for this achievement at Nike's Headquarters, at the Essence Awards, at the White House Black History Month celebration, and with a featured quote on millions of Starbucks Cups.

After the Olympics, St. John went on to graduate with honors from Harvard, win a Rhodes Scholarship, and earn her Master's degree in economics from Oxford. In 1992, she worked in the White House as a director of the National Economic Council.

As a highly sought after international keynote speaker, St. John has inspired and entertained executives at Pepsi, Pfizer, AT&T, American Express, IBM, the Wits Business School in South Africa, Oxford University, and over 500 more companies and associations. She has been featured on The Today Show, CNN and Good Morning America as well as in People magazine, Essence, Ebony, O Magazine, The New York Times, Black Enterprise, and many other national media outlets.

A best-selling author, St. John’s fifth and most recent book, Live Your Joy, features a series of inspirational parables designed to guide you through tips and tools for finding and maintaining joy in a hectic, 21st Century world.

St. John serves on the boards of the New York City YMCA and the National Organization on Disability.  She lives in Princeton, New Jersey with her daughter Darcy. www.bonniestjohn.com.