Meet Our Dynamic Speakers from IgniteOKC 9

Eden Badgett grew up in East Tennessee and comes to Oklahoma by way of North Carolina and Colorado. With two degrees in choral conducting, Eden began her career working as a choir tour manager for national youth and collegiate choirs, and serving as music director for various churches throughout the Southeastern United States. In recent years she has transitioned from performance to arts management, and from 2013 to 2015 she worked as the Content & Communications Manager and Board Liaison for Bravo! Vail, an orchestra and chamber music festival in Vail, Colorado that features the New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and caters to over 60,000 concertgoers annually. Currently she works as the Festival Development Director for the American Choral Directors Association in Oklahoma City, and is the Festival Director for the international choir festival America Cantat 8, being held in the Bahamas this summer. This is Eden’s first year on the Leadership Crew for Ignite OKC, and she loves being a part of such a smart and creative community. She is an active volunteer with the metro library system, and advocates for V-Day International and the Rhodes College Peer Counseling Center. When not working or volunteering, Eden loves spending time with her two rowdy dogs (Ellie the Beagle and Scout the Pit Bull), cooking with too much butter, finally reading Game of Thrones, and learning as many Sara Bareilles songs on the guitar as possible. Her current podcast obsession is Welcome to Night Vale.

I’m a native Oklahoma Cityan. I currently host the radio program Tasting Notes as the Wine Doctor on KOSU and The Spy every Monday at 7pm. I pursued a PhD in Philosophy for a bit before settling on a career in the restaurant business, which led to a passion for wine. I am now a Certified Sommelier. My current employment is for the Restaurant Group, Outside the Box Hospitality Management Group, which include Slaughter’s Hall, WSKY Lounge and Omerta Cigar Company for which I am the COO. I’m also the President of the State Fair Wine Competition. In my spare time, I coordinate the efforts for the event, Turning the Table on Hunger. I also attend as many live shows as my watch and pocketbook will allow.

Lorenzo Azar Banks is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but currently resides in Oklahoma City. He originally moved there to attend college and had plans of pursuing a career in education. In 2005, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Mathematics Education from the University of Central Oklahoma. Soon after graduating, he entered graduate school to study applied mathematics; taking another step closer to his ultimate educational goal of becoming a doctor of mathematics. While pursuing his graduate studies, his life changed dramatically when he was named a defendant in a frivolous lawsuit. At that time, he had no means of hiring an attorney to defend him, so he took on the task of defending himself. After getting the plaintiff to dismiss the case, the foundations for his destiny became firmly laid. He decided to begin applying to law schools and was admitted to Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2008. He graduated, passed the bar, and soon became the founder and owner of Minority Report Law PLLC, a law firm that provides legal services in the state of Oklahoma. His main goal with starting the firm was to make sure that no one ever felt as hopeless as he did in their own legal battles. In April of 2016, Minority Report Law Office became a partner in Banks | Gilbert | Gillett PLLC. In addition to running a successful law practice, Lorenzo also serves as the Assistant Director of Admissions and Director of Diversity Initiatives for Oklahoma City University School of Law. His dual role as a law admissions staff member and a practicing attorney allows him to have a unique and practical perspective into the need for diversity in the legal community. He uses this perspective to actively seek out, admit, and mentor law students into his law school in hopes to supply well-trained lawyers to the legal community—his focus particularly being on women and students of color. Lorenzo is an active member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and the Oklahoma City Association of Black Lawyers. He volunteers his time and services through a number of different programs where he gives free advice and services to veterans and the black communities in Oklahoma City. He also takes questions submitted to him from

In April 2014 me and my wife quit our day jobs and took off on an adventure to travel the world. We packed our two backpacks, rented out our house, and took off to experience life. Traveling long term was full of amazing experiences, lots of struggles, and a new mindset. I think that we all should pursue our passions sooner rather than later. Time is our greatest asset, yet sometimes we don’t treat it so. Anyone can quit their job and go on a round the world long term travel. High salaried CEO’s, minimum wage worker, mid-life, late in life, married, single, kids and so on. The fear of quitting a secure job is more like a mound of dirt instead of a mountain to overcome. The experiences that occur last a lifetime, and the adventures and people you meet will change your perspective for the better. Currently back in OKC working, biking, playing soccer, and planning the next adventure, but for sure thankful for life here!

Tim provides organizational training, development, and coaching services in leadership, listening, communication, conflict management, mediation, and team building. His work is based on training and facilitating trust-based relationships. He is an authorized partner with Wiley and Sons for both, Everything DiSC personality assessments, and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team. Tim discovered from running his own business for many years that a manager can make or break an employee. Tim observed that as in most relationships, both personal and professional, relational problems are rooted in poor communication that often leads to conflict. And great listening is the key to correcting poor communication patterns. He now uses the skills he first learned as a business owner and counselor to coach and train people in the workplace. Tim is the author of, “Powerful Listening. Powerful Influence. Work Better. Live Better. Love Better.” Tim lives in Edmond, Oklahoma with his wife, where they enjoy weekly conversations over the dinner table with their two sons and their wives, and their grandson.

As a Corporate Culture Specialist, Greg brings an expansive leadership portfolio to your service. For two decades he has mentored leaders, developed teams, crafted culture and empowered employees. He is intensely motivated to grow high capacity performers who work, serve and sell with excellence, consistently. As a Keynote Speaker, he is an enthusiastic character. His style, wit and energy consistently capture the attention and imagination of audiences. His forward thinking contributes fresh perspectives that work. He’s annoyingly optimistic, contagiously energetic and slightly mischievous. People tend to like him. Through Hawks Agency, he has originated the Like An Owner® platform. Compelled by the belief that individuals who Think, Act, Lead and Create Like An Owner® will be more fulfilled and productive. Also, organizations who commit to implement an Ownership Culture will find loyalty and rapid growth, regularly.

Cheryl Jones grew up in Mustang, Oklahoma as an avid reader. Harper Lee captured her soul and childhood “traveling” occurred through literature. A basketball, softball, tennis, volleyball and track athlete, she also spent summer nights barrel racing in rodeo play days. Riding remains a path to spiritual peace along with yoga, scuba and seaside living. Paternally Cherokee and maternally Citizen Band Potawatomi provided an innate adoration & respect for our earth, her spirit, peoples, plants and animals.

Laura Massenat is a partner at Elemental Coffee, a Groovy’s confetti collector, and recovering OKCPS Board Member. She proudly serves on the Ralph Ellison Foundation Board, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Board and Midtown Association Board and the grassroots MAPS 4 NEIGHBORHOODS team. She is into people, delicious food and beverage, local everything, lobbying for education at the Capitol, promoting cycling, and health. Her world view is based on a friendly Universe and she has come to question everything she believes, and everything you believe. She says the best thing about her husband, Laurent, besides his French accent, is his willingness to grow and change- and they have been doing that together for the last 24 years. They usually have four children and an old dog and love living in the bubble, not far from here.

For over 15 years, Derrick Sier has used his non-for-profit, religious, collegiate, corporate, athletic and recreational experience to impact his community through humor and team building. It is this unique combo that influenced his decision to start OMOS Team Building. Through OMOS, Derrick uses workshops, keynotes, city-wide initiatives, localized programming, conferences and the classroom to promote his message of togetherness, inclusiveness and relationship development. Derrick has a BS in Kinesiology from UCO, MA in Theological Studies, sits on several boards in the OKC community, as well as serves as an in-school and after-school mentor, business partner, community partner and child-advocate for the OKC community. He is originally from Tulsa where he attended THE Booker T. Washington High School and met his wife of now 15 years. They have two beautiful children, Nia and Ethan.

Bio Coming Soon.

Born and raised in Oklahoma City. I attended Heritage Hall from preschool to senior year before attending Oklahoma State University. There I majored in Health Education & Promotion. Upon graduation, I attended Oklahoma City Univeristy School of Law. I enjoy music, camping, outdoor activities, learning about new subject matters, spending time with friends, deep and intriguing conversations, and music festivals. By far one of my favorite things to do with my free time is listen to podcasts in order to gain insight into things from experts int he field or to gain a new perspective on something. Furthermore, I enjoy listening to various speakers (e.g. Alan Watts, Jason Silva, Joseph Campbell, Alain De Botton, Kevin Kelly, Sam Harris, Ray Kurzweil, Erik David, Timothy Leary, etc.). Enjoy meeting new people and hearing their life stories since everyone we meet knows something we don’t. Just along for the ride and in search of any new thing or moment that is unique enough to seem to dilate time.

Andrea Williams is a wife, a home school mom, and advocate for peace, love, and living a simple but satisfying life. She is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University with a Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership. Through her personal journey she has gained a life-changing understanding on being content, time and money well spent, and letting go of what holds you back in life. Her passion is to help others find their “happy” in this world. She loves speaking about topics close to her heart and sharing her experiences and someday hopes to be a motivational speaker on the platform of minimalism in families and home education. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys family time, writing, soccer, camping, traveling and reading. Andrea resides in a modest but comfortable apartment in Oklahoma City with her husband of 12 years, David, their two daughters, Julie and Joscelyn, their Great Dane, Olive, and Pippa the Jackapoo. And yes, they all fit comfortably!