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2025 SPEAKERS
Official Line-Up of TEDxCavalier 2025: "What Got Us Here, Won't Get Us There"
Bill Svoboda
In 2003, Bill Svoboda founded his first company from his college dorm, quickly attracting esteemed clients like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. His entrepreneurial journey has given him the opportunity to speak to thousands of business leaders, sharing insights on customer experience, engagement, marketing, and growth strategies.
As the co-founder of CloseSimple, Bill helps simplify and secure the real estate closing process for over 200 Title & Escrow companies nationwide.
Beyond business, Bill is also a writer, crafting both business books and children’s books to spark creativity and innovation. Through his speaking and storytelling, he inspires professionals and young minds alike to think differently, take action, and embrace their creative potential.
As the co-founder of CloseSimple, Bill helps simplify and secure the real estate closing process for over 200 Title & Escrow companies nationwide.
Beyond business, Bill is also a writer, crafting both business books and children’s books to spark creativity and innovation. Through his speaking and storytelling, he inspires professionals and young minds alike to think differently, take action, and embrace their creative potential.
Florija "Lule" Naas
Florija (rhymes with Gloria) Lule (rhymes with Julie) Naas (rhymes with boss)
Lule served as Project Manager for Destination Northeast North Dakota, a regional rural tourism initiative covering four counties and over 40 communities. She spearheaded community outreach, resource development, plan implementation, and bringing rural communities together. In her concurrent role as the
Director of the Nelson County Job Development Authority, Lule provided support to prospective, new, and existing businesses and rural communities. Prior to these roles, Lule spent 12 years working as a safety and compliance professional, starting as a safety specialist, moving into consulting, and later leading several multi-state teams of safety professionals.
In 2025 she started her own business, Lule Naas
Consulting, LLC, focused on project management, rural visibility and visitor attraction, and safety & compliance consulting.
Lule served as Project Manager for Destination Northeast North Dakota, a regional rural tourism initiative covering four counties and over 40 communities. She spearheaded community outreach, resource development, plan implementation, and bringing rural communities together. In her concurrent role as the
Director of the Nelson County Job Development Authority, Lule provided support to prospective, new, and existing businesses and rural communities. Prior to these roles, Lule spent 12 years working as a safety and compliance professional, starting as a safety specialist, moving into consulting, and later leading several multi-state teams of safety professionals.
In 2025 she started her own business, Lule Naas
Consulting, LLC, focused on project management, rural visibility and visitor attraction, and safety & compliance consulting.
Koren E. Willetts
Koren Willetts has spent her life listening to those who feel invisible, unseen, and unheard. She is board-certified in Spiritual Care and Counseling and in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices Wellness Coaching. For decades, she has shown up for people in their most vulnerable moments, providing spiritual care, counseling, coaching, and mentoring. She has witnessed firsthand how deep presence, and compassionate listening can change lives, whether in VA hospitals, hospices, prisons, military service, overseas villages and orphanages, or everyday encounters.
She has witnessed time and again how people change in powerful ways when they finally believe that they matter. One person, after years of struggling with seeing himself as unworthy, told her, "You helped change the trajectory of my life." As she helped others recognize their own worth, she came to see herself differently too. That awareness led to choices that changed her own trajectory. Now, whether in her work or everyday life, she creates spaces where people feel valued and heard, guiding them toward recognizing their own worth and making meaningful changes.
She has witnessed time and again how people change in powerful ways when they finally believe that they matter. One person, after years of struggling with seeing himself as unworthy, told her, "You helped change the trajectory of my life." As she helped others recognize their own worth, she came to see herself differently too. That awareness led to choices that changed her own trajectory. Now, whether in her work or everyday life, she creates spaces where people feel valued and heard, guiding them toward recognizing their own worth and making meaningful changes.
Christine Trippi
Christine Trippi is a visionary leader with over 35 years of transformative hospitality
experience. As the founder of The Wise Pineapple and author of Yes Is the Answer, she
has partnered with powerhouses like Marriott, Hilton, and Ronald McDonald House—
infusing every initiative with her signature blend of passion and pineapples. In doing
so, she has empowered over 100,000 leaders to turn "no" into "YES," driving record-
breaking successes. Recognized as one of hospitality’s most influential figures—with
her program ranking #2 worldwide by Global Gurus—Christine is on a mission to
change the world one YES at a time.
experience. As the founder of The Wise Pineapple and author of Yes Is the Answer, she
has partnered with powerhouses like Marriott, Hilton, and Ronald McDonald House—
infusing every initiative with her signature blend of passion and pineapples. In doing
so, she has empowered over 100,000 leaders to turn "no" into "YES," driving record-
breaking successes. Recognized as one of hospitality’s most influential figures—with
her program ranking #2 worldwide by Global Gurus—Christine is on a mission to
change the world one YES at a time.
Paul Hurckman
Paul is the Executive Director of Venture - an organization that started as a bike ride, and now
has raised over $45 million for Missions. Venture focuses on addressing the injustices of
Human Trafficking, Refugee Crises and Extreme Poverty, in some of the most difficult places
on the planet - combining relief work, community development, and church planting in a
powerful ways (planting more than 2000 new churches in the past 3 years). Paul has
experience as a professor, pastor, non-profit and community leader, combining these
experiences to inspire others to engage in justice on behalf of others. He and his wife
Candace, live in North Minneapolis with their 5 kids.
has raised over $45 million for Missions. Venture focuses on addressing the injustices of
Human Trafficking, Refugee Crises and Extreme Poverty, in some of the most difficult places
on the planet - combining relief work, community development, and church planting in a
powerful ways (planting more than 2000 new churches in the past 3 years). Paul has
experience as a professor, pastor, non-profit and community leader, combining these
experiences to inspire others to engage in justice on behalf of others. He and his wife
Candace, live in North Minneapolis with their 5 kids.
Dr. Anna Thomas
Dr. Anna Thomas is a board-certified palliative care physician, leadership and resilience coach, and caregiving advocate dedicated to empowering women who balance caregiving and career. As the founder of LifeCare LeadHership and author of Dementia Care Confidence, she combines over a decade of medical expertise with personal caregiving experience to help women lead with confidence and resilience. Dr. Thomas speaks on caregiving as a societal imperative, emphasizing its profound impact on families, workplaces, and communities.
Special Performance by: Amanda El-Dweek
Amanda is the author of the syndicated webcomic, "Amanda the Great". The comic about its author, Amanda, and her long-suffering husband Dan. Starting in 2012 and moving forward during Amanda and Dan’s engagement and married life, this strip chronicles situations at home and work, and between friends and family. Most of it actually happened, and even some of it is verbatim. The comic is set in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and then moves to Moorhead, Minnesota, and eventually western North Dakota. Midwest is best, you know.
Born in Cavalier, ND and raised on a farm near Hensel, ND, Amanda attended school in Cavalier through High School. She then went on to the University of North Dakota where she studied Visual Arts and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and received additional education in Moorhead, MN.
Amanda married Daniel El-Dweek in 2013 and moved to Williston, ND at the height of the oil boom in the Bakken. In 2015, Dan was appointed to a judgeship in McKenzie County, so they moved to Watford City, ND.
Amanda lives with her husband, Dan, and their (gigantic) cat, Ric Flair. In addition to her work as a cartoonist, Amanda also works as the Administrative Assistant for Epiphany Catholic Church in Watford City and Our Lady of Consolation in Alexander. In her free time, Amanda enjoys painting, playing arcade games, pinball, and generally housework.
Born in Cavalier, ND and raised on a farm near Hensel, ND, Amanda attended school in Cavalier through High School. She then went on to the University of North Dakota where she studied Visual Arts and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and received additional education in Moorhead, MN.
Amanda married Daniel El-Dweek in 2013 and moved to Williston, ND at the height of the oil boom in the Bakken. In 2015, Dan was appointed to a judgeship in McKenzie County, so they moved to Watford City, ND.
Amanda lives with her husband, Dan, and their (gigantic) cat, Ric Flair. In addition to her work as a cartoonist, Amanda also works as the Administrative Assistant for Epiphany Catholic Church in Watford City and Our Lady of Consolation in Alexander. In her free time, Amanda enjoys painting, playing arcade games, pinball, and generally housework.
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