Rise

RISE National brings together world-class keynote speakers that deliver powerful and insightful messages in a way that moves audiences to action. These speakers are an important part of the conference experience and exemplify the spirit and ingenuity that drives our attendees to pursue success. Check out our keynotes that will be taking the stage at RISE National 2024 and make plans to join us March 17-19 in Nashville!

Jeremy Poincenot

Inspirational Speaker, Performance Coach, & Blind Golf Champion

Sponsored By

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Together We Are Limitless

With a powerful personal narrative, a little wit and a strong inspirational message, Jeremy will provide a different perspective to audiences and open their eyes to see the power of interdependence.

“Although I cannot see my audiences, I can help them see how to effect change and positivity in their own lives. My mission is to help people suspend judgment and focus on the good. My objective is not to dictate how to succeed in life; I speak from experience to convince individuals that independence is good, while interdependence is great”.

How will you find the power of interdependence in your life?

About Jeremy Poincenot
Inspirational Speaker, Performance Coach, & Blind Golf Champion

At 19, Jeremy Poincenot was your typical college sophomore. Friends, sports, fraternity and most importantly, perfect 20/20 vision. Then it happened, no warning, no time to prepare. Life began to blur. Over the next few months, Jeremy lost central vision in his right eye, followed closely by his left. The diagnosis: a rare genetic disorder called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a disease that affects a mere 100 people in the U.S. each year with no treatment or cure in sight. At first, Jeremy thought losing his vision meant forfeiting his life. But he soon learned that with every challenge comes an opportunity for growth.

When Jeremy lost his central vision, he thought the game of golf he loved was over. But with some hard work, dedication, and the support of his family and friends, he quickly learned that his golfing career had just begun. At 20 years-old and with his Dad as his guide, Jeremy competed in and won the 2010 World Blind Golf Championship with a dramatic chip-in in a playoff. They have since gone on to win 9 National Championships, an Australian Blind Open, an Italian Blind Open and two more World Blind Golf Championships. In 2011, Jeremy was honored as the San Diego Hall of Champions Challenged Athlete of the Year.

Now, Jeremy strives to raise awareness of LHON, and along with the help of his friends, they have created the C.U.R.E. (Cycling Under Reduced Eyesight) Ride, an annual fundraising bike ride that has raised over $350,000 for LHON research. Their goal is to raise a million. Today, Jeremy is an Inspirational Speaker traveling the world, sharing his story to inspire audiences to take control of life and turn trauma into triumph. 

Jeremy has had the privilege of being featured on ABC's 20/20, ESPN.com, CNN’s “Great Big Story” and MTV's True Life and has spoken for many prestigious companies including Aflac, Honda, John Hancock, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo and many more.

 

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar

Harvard Physician and Author

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Rewire Your Brain for Less Stress & More Resilience

Stress is the great equalizer, but resilience is the antidote. Dr. Aditi Nerurkar will empower you with effective, practical, and science-based approach to rewire the brain for less stress and more resilience. She outlines strategies such as a media diet, sleep as a therapeutic intervention, monotasking, and cognitive retraining as resets for better brain health, less stress and more resilience. 

About Dr. Aditi Nerurkar
Division of Global Health & Social Medicine
Co-Director of the Harvard Clinical Clerkship
Harvard Medical School

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH is a Harvard physician with expertise in the science of stress, resilience, and burnout. A vibrant and engaging speaker, Dr. Nerurkar offers insights on optimizing mental health, well-being, and productivity. She leaves audiences energized and empowered to take control of their lives with practical, science-backed, and approachable recommendations that can be applied both immediately and in the long-term. 

Her debut book, The Five Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience, will be published January 2024. The Five Resets is a guide to redefining your relationship with stress through five pillars of wisdom that bring together physiological and psychological coping skills, enabling readers to discover the story of resilience within them and live better every day.

Dr. Nerurkar is a lecturer at Harvard Medical School in the Division of Global Health & Social Medicine and serves as the Co-Director of the Harvard Clinical Clerkship in Community Engagement. Previously, she worked in global public health at a World Health Organization collaboration center in Switzerland, as well as a Medical Director at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Her work has been featured in Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, and Oprah Magazine and her published research can be found in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In 2021, she was recognized by Washington Post for her work amplifying the Covid-19 pandemic in India. She is also an on-air medical commentator for various medical outlets including MSNBC and NBC News. She is an internationally-recognized Fortune 50 speaker who has delivered unforgettable keynotes at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, the Harvard Business School Women's Conference, IBM, Visa, Dell Technologies, and many more.