Amanda K. Brinkman has been the Chief Brand & Communications Officer at Deluxe Corp, and a relentless champion in America’s quest to help small businesses thrive. She’s won almost every business community award bestowed by the Twin Cities business press, but her most rewarding honors come through her involvement with Small Business Revolution – a movement created to shine a spotlight on the vital impact that small businesses have on our economy, our communities, and our daily lives. Amanda is not only an on-camera talent, but also as the creator of the Small Business Revolution – Main Street TV series.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: Candi Danek-Bennett of Creatis

Donation: $5,330 split between The American Cancer Society and Make-A-Wish MN

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Erik Gabrielson and Moira Petit are the second husband and wife speaker team at the Good Leadership Breakfast, they are partners together in the human potential coaching, research, and consulting firm Activ8. A dramatic and heroic healthcare journey centered around their one and only son, resulted in a real-life story about how encouragement, accountability, and good teamwork not only saved their son’s life, but gave them all a life where goodness pays.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: Linda Dolan of University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies

Donation: $4,514 to Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation

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How to Let Go, So You Can Fight For Something You Love

Paul is best known to the Good Leadership Breakfast as the very first sponsor of the breakfast when he was the Chief Marketing Officer at Cargill. At the March breakfast, he will unveil the research that is providing the content for the book, How Goodness Pays, that he and Paul Batz are currently co-authoring.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: Catherine Sedacca of Sage Business Credit

Donation: $5,170 to Children’s Hospital (Children’s Minnesota Foundation)

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Exercise New Leadership Muscles

Jurriaan Kamp is one of the few contemporary thinkers who might actually be able to solve the world’s biggest problems. He’s the 2018 kick-off speaker, by way of Santa Barbra, California, on his way to his home in the Netherlands where in 1995 he launched the “solutions journalism” global magazine Ode. He and his wife De Puy moved their family to the US in the early 2000s where they renamed the magazine The Intelligent Optimist. He’s a prolific author, and a rare talent who can frame mind-twisting big problems into simple solutions that are easy to embrace. His book: The Intelligent Optimist’s Guide to Life: How to Find Health and Success in a World That’s a Better Place Than You Think has had a big impact on the Goodness Pays point of view.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: Ken Ritterspach of Traction Results, LLC

Donation: $4,938 to Playworks

Future: How design thinking can shape your work and your life.

Joe is the President and Chief Creative Officer at Little & Company. His passion for design started as an eight-year old who created promotional posters for his family’s restaurant. Today, he is an expert in design thinking and one of the most respected leaders in the design community.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: James Wade of 2110 Design Group

Donation: $5,590 to the Minneapolis Urban League

Fun: How making your work playful and joyful is good for you and your business.

Darin is the Founder and CEO of Irish Titan, a digital agency focused on ecommerce, complex websites and digital strategy. Creating a culture of fun at work is critical to attracting and retaining top talent and clients that want to change the world.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: Brenda Devlin of Harris Companies

Donation: $4,460 to Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services

Friends: How a strong support system helps you be a better leader.

Liwanag is the CEO of CaringBridge, the most widely used global nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Her work makes the health journey easier by using technology to help friends amplifying the love, hope, and compassion in the world.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: King Bavender, owner of Bavender Custom Clothiers

Donation: $4,328 to Rotary Foundation/Honduras WASH project.

Fitness: How to re-energize your personal and professional life.

Chris is a national health and fitness guru who is building an online fitness coaching and consulting business that touches 2 million people a month. Her message is positive, energizing, and encouraging – just what every good leader needs.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: JoAnn Harms from the Minnesota Vikings

Donation: $3,820 to Feed My Starving Children

Nathan helps youth and adults develop healthy, values-based money habits through Share, Save, Spend. He supports overall well-being by teaching youth about money, helping to decrease materialism, and increase self-esteem.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: Chady Al Ahmar and Heidi Humphrey from US Bank

Donation: $4,346 split between The Hill Museum and The Jeremiah Program

Alex is a master of the blended life. She’s the communications director at Fallon, the founder and owner of Strong Like Mama (a blog and clothing line) and also a mother. She uses her business to create positive messages of strength for women and mothers.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Carrie Howard from United Nations

Donation: $4,234 to The American Red Cross

Marc focuses on happiness every single day. He’s taken on the role of “Chief Happiness Officer” at his firm, Imagine IT, using positivity to connect with new clients. He pours the rest of his energy into The Gunnar Project, where he and a network of millennials, inspire other young people to intentionally pursue happiness.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Dr. Aleshka Santina and Dr. Amanda Haeg of Cadence Chiropractic

Donation: $4,934 to The Gunnar Project

Richard Leider is ranked by Forbes as one of the top 5 most respected executive coaches in the U.S. This February, he’ll share his visionary work on the power of purpose. Leider reminds his clients that they already possess purpose, and he fosters their will to live long and well.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Susan Adams Loyd of Better Business Bureau of MN and ND

Donation: $6,320 to the YouthLink

Jodi leads a life of significance as CEO of Minnesota’s largest human services non-profit. She is thriving in a transition from enterprise leader at Medtronic into non-profit leadership.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: George Klauser from Altair, a division of Lutheran Social Service

Donation: $4,804 to the Homeless Youth Program at Lutheran Social Service MN

As the CEO of TennCare, Rita is responsible for more than 500,000 consumers and is one of the most influential women leaders in healthcare. Raised by a single mom with 11 siblings, Rita understands and exemplifies fairness in ways few people understand.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Kathi Tunheim from Gustavus Adolphus College

Donation: $3,094 split between the Gustavus Mentoring Program and the Gustavus Women In Leadership Program

Patience is a “Best of Show” award winner from the Greater Twin Cities United Way for employee engagement strategy. She role models generosity, fun, and fairness in the workplace.

Bucket of Goodwill

Winner: J Allen from Master’s Alliance

Donation: $6,256 (includes a bonus donation of $2,000 from Master’s Alliance) to Urban Ventures

Jennifer is president of one of the most effective community hospitals in America. She is working with community leaders to promote resilience through the award-winning Bounce Back Project.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Corey Martin, Founder of Bounce Back Project

Donation: $4,626 to Bounce Back Project

A charismatic Brit, Matthew Allnatt is the chief executive at the largest social club west of the Mississippi. Matthew’s humor and charm is endearing to Jonathan Club members, staff and community leaders in Los Angeles.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Joe Kaufman, VP, Private Banker at Bremer Bank
Donation: $5,300 to Puppies Behind Bars

With Minnesota the place to be for major sporting events, Maureen Bausch lends her leadership skills to the upcoming 2018 Super Bowl. Maureen is accustomed to being an ambassador for the Twin Cities with 24 years of experience at the Mall of America.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Katie French, Administrative Fellow, Regions Hospital
Donation: $5,540 to Regions Hospital Foundation

Called a rock star by her peers, Beth Goetz recently stepped into a high-profile role at the University of Minnesota Athletics. Beth is leading significant fundraising and coaching changes with grace and dignity.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Russell St. John, Former CMO Entrust Datacard
Donation: $5,882 to SWMEC

A familiar face to many from her days behind the anchor desk at WCCO-TV, Colleen Needles Steward is focused on the hunt for excellence in television. Colleen founded Tremendous! Entertainment so she could tell longer stories and provide unprecedented access to fascinating places and people around the world.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Matthew Obermeyer from ADO Products
Donation: $5,112 to Treehouse

Mike is an Air Force veteran with battlefield skills who demonstrates good leadership as President of the Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank. He was recognized in the Wall Street Journal in 2014 for the Bank’s initiatives to hire more than 1800 vets since 2012.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Kurt Nelson from The Lantern Group
Donation: $6,108 to the City of Lake Rotary Foundation

Kevin is a faith-based leader who is guiding the direction of the Minnesota Vikings. Hear how his courageous recovery from a childhood accident fueled his desire as an athlete, lawyer, and philanthropist.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Crystal Walsh from Medica
Donation: $4,340 to Carolyn’s Comforts

Becky brings a big business background from Medtronic into the fertile grounds of private liberal arts education. Hear why she is optimistic about our future through her experience as President of Gustavus Adolphus College.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Sarah Molnau of TechStar IT Solutions
Donation: $4,210 donated to the Southern Valley Alliance for Battered Women.

Björn is a technology wizard who is a pioneer in mobile web app development. Hear how his journey from Sweden to the US shaped his approach to business and community leadership, earning a Certificate of Commendation from the governor of Minnesota.

Bucket of Good Will

Winner: Mark Kelley
Donation: $2,972 donated to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.