Over the past 12 years, Catalyst University has built up over 14,000 existing and emerging leaders in education, business, and service organizations to carry our community into the future. This year, we are inviting you to join us January 25 or 26 for a day filled with insightful leadership, speakers, and networking to build upon our history of being a region that is MAGNETIC!

This year’s conference is loaded with inspiration, creativity, and energy! Check out our incredible lineup of speakers:

Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than forty million copies in forty-eight languages worldwide. He has written eight number-one New York Times bestsellers – including Tuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, which topped the list for four straight years and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022 – award-winning TV films, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical. Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into both the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame and is the recipient of the 2010 Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement. We are excited to bring Mitch to Catalyst University 2023!

Natalie Nixon

Natalie Nixon is “The Creativity Whisperer for the C-Suite,” valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work and innovation. She’s been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc and has been named among the top women keynote speakers by Real Leaders and BigSpeak. Natalie advises leaders on transformation by applying wonder and rigor to amplify growth and will bring her innovative and unique perspective to Catalyst University.

Damon West

Damon West is a college professor, nationally known keynote speaker, and best-selling author of The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. His first book and autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, was published just three years after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison. After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, he learned that – like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure – he was capable of changing the environment around him. Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. He’s passionate about the Coffee Bean message and loves sharing how it changed his life – and how it can change yours at Catalyst University.

Leigh-Kathryn Bonner

As a fourth-generation beekeeper, Leigh-Kathryn Bonner brings a wealth of knowledge of bees to the classroom, paired with a dynamic energy through her storytelling expertise and proven ability to build effective teams at such a young age. Accolades for the Founder and CEO of Bee Downtown include:

• Southern Living Southerner of the Year
• Inc 30 Under 30 Rising Star
• Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur
• Outstanding Young Alumni of North Carolina State University
• Catalyst University 2023 Speaker!

Phil Gwoke

As an internationally recognized speaker, Phil Gwoke has shared his wisdom and inspired audiences in 43 different states and four continents to over 250,000 people. His valuable insights are the result of working with people for over 25 years as a high school teacher, college admissions professional, marketing coordinator, corporate trainer, and small business owner. He is a mentor and consultant to young entrepreneurs and employs his diverse background and skill-set as the Managing Director of the BridgeWorks team. On January 25 and 26, Phil will bring his unique humor, experiences, research, and generational expertise to Catalyst University.

Leisha Pickering

As Leisha Pickering shares stories from her life, you will see compassion for people from all walks of life and creativity through ideas that bring beauty to the world. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, she organized a widow’s baby shower luncheon in New York City for expectant mothers who lost husbands. Following Hurricane Katrina, Leisha started the disaster relief non-profit, HANDS – Helping Americans Needing Disaster Support. She has been a voice surrounding faith, the arts, and humanitarian issues through her service on multiple local, national, and global boards and brings her story to Catalyst University.

Dwayne Stephens

Dwayne “DJ” Stephens is in his first year as head coach of the Western Michigan University men’s basketball program after spending 19 seasons as an assistant at Michigan State under legendary head coach, Tom Izzo. Stephens helped guide the Spartans to six Big Ten Championships, four Big Ten Tournament titles, and 20 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. He’s widely-recognized as one of the nation’s most elite recruiters and is known for his holistic approach and exceptional abilities in developing some of the world’s finest basketball athletes. Dwayne is excited to share some of the lessons and insights he’s learned along the way at Catalyst University.

Gretchen Slenk 

Gretchen Slenk is the director of leadership development at Southwest Michigan First. In her role, she trains and coaches leaders as they build organizations people love to work for. She accomplishes this through designing and facilitating cohort-based leadership development programs, such as Leadership Kalamazoo and First Up. Gretchen also provides custom training and one-on-one coaching for teams, always through a strengths-based lens. What drives her is engaging leaders at every level to find deeper meaning in their work and activating them to show up as their best selves to create great teams and cultures.

Clarence Lloyd

Chamber Director Clarence Lloyd’s passion for connecting with others and nurturing the small business community fits perfectly with his role at Southwest Michigan First. He works to promote prosperity for our entire community and its residents by strengthening area businesses. Clarence draws on a long history of business management and people leadership to bring together educational sessions, networking opportunities, and regional resource connections to serve the Chamber member companies. The goal is always to facilitate and accelerate the growth of businesses in our area no matter their size or stage of life cycle.

There is something special about Southwest Michigan. We have a vibe, an energy, and inherent belief that better is possible. Strong leadership is the thread that keeps this spark alive in our region. We invite you to come be a part of the magnetic movement that will happen at Catalyst University this year. There is no better way to start off a new year than to be inspired, energized, and focused. We promise you will join forces with other leaders and walk away equipped to share your magnetic leadership abilities with your organization, family, and the community!