ELEVATE Day 1 Keynote

Chris Stricklin is the Founding President of Dunn University. Before joining the Dunn Family of Businesses, he was a Partner at Afterburner, Inc, where he led a team of more than 70 former fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, and other Special Forces members to teach corporations around the world how to utilize the same techniques that created military leaders and developed elite teams in the high-stakes environment of combat. He is a combat-Proven Senior Military leader retiring after 23 years which culminated with CEO-Level leadership of a 7,000-person strong, $7B worldwide organization. During this time, he was responsible for 11,383 personnel, $323M Payroll, $160M Contracts, Creation of 1,891 jobs and local economic impact of $566M. His style combines his unique experience as a U.S.A.F. Thunderbird Solo coupled with CEO-Level duties and Pentagon-level strategic management of critical Air Force resources valued at $840B, multiple N.A.T.O. assignments, White House and DARPA fellowships, and command-experience in the United States Air Force to uniquely lead the Dunn team into their next century of construction excellence

Chris is also a Certified Manager with degrees in Economics, Financial Planning, Management, Real Estate, Strategic Studies and Operational Art and Science. He authored a negotiation primer subsequently published and adopted as required Air Force Pentagon new action officer orientation. He is currently a Forbes contributor where he discusses leadership and management innovation. He and his wife, Terri, have 4 children.

More on Chris via LinkedIn

ELEVATE Day 2 Keynote

Joe Theismann is an entrepreneur and the former star quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He spent the last two decades working for ESPN on their NFL broadcast and the NFL Network. The former Washington Redskins quarterback joined ESPN in April 1988, reuniting with play-by-play voice, Mike Patrick.

A 12-year NFL veteran, Theismann played in 163 consecutive games from 1974-1985 and holds Redskins’ records for passing yardage (25,206), completions (2.044) and attempts (3,602). A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Theismann led Washington to a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII. Theismann was selected the NFL’s “Man of the Year” in 1982 for his community service and dedication to the health and welfare of children. He won the league’s 1983 “Most Valuable Player” Award for leading the Redskins to an NFL-recorded 541 points and a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. His career ended abruptly in 1985 after sustaining a broken leg during a game against the New York Giants on national television.

Theismann graduated in 1971 from the University of Notre Dame where he received All-America honors and led the Fighting Irish to consecutive Cotton Bowls and was runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting. In 2003, Theismann was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Theismann began his career in 1971 with the Toronto Argonauts, after being drafted by the Miami Dolphins and Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins. Theismann, a much sought after motivational speaker, also oversees a popular Washington, DC restaurant that bears his name. He is also the author of The Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Football Like a Pro. Recently, Theismann was named the recipient of the 2013 Walter Camp Football Foundation “Distinguished American” Award.