Every year WCI looks to bring in a speaker who will resonate with our attendees in a meaningful, entertaining, and engaging way. Our keynote address is always one of the highlights of the conference, and since our focus is on professional education, we strive to provide attendees with an opportunity to learn something they can apply in their professional or personal lives, or both. Keeping with this tradition, WCI is excited to announce this year’s Keynote Speaker is bestselling author and “America’s Historian,” Brad Meltzer!
History. Legacy. Character. Great leadership. Brad Meltzer draws upon the themes of his best-selling books and popular television shows, challenging audiences to look at their lives, work and mission through the lens of legacy. Brad’s highly inspiring keynotes showcase the motivational stories of both everyday heroes and history-making leaders. His moving message: Every life makes history. Ordinary people can change the world. If you can impact just one person, you won’t just live a good life. You will live forever.
Named as both “America’s Historian” and one of “Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors,” Brad is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Rod and twelve other bestselling thrillers. He also writes non-fiction books like The First Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy, and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which inspired the Emmy-nominated TV show on PBS KIDS, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.
In addition to fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list in non-fiction children’s books and even comic books, for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award. He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Lost History and Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, which he used to find the missing 9/11 flag that the firefighters raised at Ground Zero. He later unveiled it for display at the 9/11 Museum in New York. Brad was selected to join America250 to help commemorate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and will be serving on the Arts & Culture Advisory Council along with Debbie Allen, Cal Ripken and other leaders and luminaries.
An inspirational voice, Brad has earned a reputation for working closely with clients, speaking authentically from the heart, and receiving both high praise and standing ovations from Fortune 500 companies. Infusing humor and insights into engaging, highly moving narratives, his thought-provoking talks truly connect with audiences. Brad inspires us to examine our lives, shape our legacies and discover the potential within all of us to change the world. As he says, “Stories aren’t the beauty of what did happen. They’re the beauty of what could happen.”
