Keynote Speakers Monday | Tuesday

Monday, December 8, 2008
Keynote Address: TBA
Breakout Session: TBA

John Elder Robison
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s

Pretending to be normal. That's how John Elder Robison spent much of his time before being diagnosed, at the age of forty, with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. In his illuminating memoir, Look Me in the Eye, he writes about overcoming his limitations to lead a successful life, and offers his keen insights into the irreducible strangeness of the human mind and the irrepressible strength of the human spirit.

The world was introduced to John Elder Robison in a chapter from Running with Scissors, the bestselling memoir by his younger brother, Augusten Burroughs. He's since become a regular feature in his brother's subsequent bestsellers. Now, with Look Me in the Eye, Robison presents his own fascinating and darkly funny look at growing up with Asperger’s, during a time when the diagnosis simply didn’t exist, and with no inkling of how to pass for normal. The book was released to great acclaim from the press, the reading public, teaching groups, and autism societies; it debuted on The New York Times bestseller list.

Throughout his childhood, Robison could not connect with other people; instead, he found comfort in machines, which became his best friends. After fleeing his parents—his father had a drinking problem, and his mother conversed with light fixtures—and dropping out of high school, he got a job with the rock band KISS, using his savant-like abilities to create their famous fire-breathing guitars. He later worked as a toy designer at Milton Bradley and held a number of other engineering and executive positions, before founding J E Robison Service Company, a renowned European car specialist. At the age of forty, Robison—by then a husband and a father—was diagnosed with Asperger’s.

This new understanding changed the way he viewed himself and the world. Encouraged by his wife, son, and brother, he wrote Look Me in the Eye, which Daniel Tammet, bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day, calls, “an immensely affecting account of a life lived according to his gifts rather than his limitations.”

As a child, John Elder Robison seldom met anyone’s gaze, and struggled with the simplest social interactions. Only much later did he have a name for this condition: Asperger’s Syndrome. In this presentation, Robison shares the story of his unique childhood, and how he overcame his so-called limitations to become a successful adult. He also offers valuable insight into Asperger’s, which is being diagnosed among children and adults at a skyrocketing rate. He tells us that Asperger's is not a disease that needs curing, per se - it is a way of experiencing life that requires only understanding and encouragement from others. Robison’s talk is a funny, compassionate and genuinely inspiring story of overcoming enormous odds that no audience will soon forget.

What does John Elder Robison talk about?
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s

“Growing up, my brother was the storyteller in the family. There was something prehistoric to the way he would leave the house for weeks at a time, hunting foraging, and then return with his beasts, his exotic tales, and further evidence that life outside our house was large indeed.” – Augusten Burroughs

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Keynote Address: TBA
Breakout Session: TBA

Keni Thomas
Train as you fight, fight as you train

Keni Thomas is an engaging speaker whose story captivates audiences from beginning to end. His presentations focus on leadership, teamwork, and the importance of training. From the motto of "Train as you fight, fight as you train", Keni shows how an emphasis on training and continuous improvement plays a vital role in survival and success in battle and in life.

Keni Thomas has lived in Columbus, GA since enlisting in the Army in 1991. After completing Airborne school and the Ranger Indoctrination Program, he was assigned to B Company 3rd Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment where he subsequently earned his Ranger Tab.

In the summer of 1993, SGT Thomas and B Company were deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia as part of a special operations package called Task Force Ranger. Their mission was to find and capture a criminal warlord named Mohammed Farrah Aideed. On the 3rd of October, Keni and his fellow rangers distinguished themselves in an 18 hour fire fight that would later be recounted in the highly successful book and movie “Blackhawk Down”. Nineteen Americans died and 78 were wounded in the worst urban combat seen by US troops since WWII.
SSG Keni Thomas stayed in the Army for 3 more years as an assistant team leader for a six man ranger reconnaissance team. He earned his master parachutist rating with over 380 military free fall jumps. He completed the Special Forces Combat Diver course, became an Advanced EMT and was one of ten Americans to complete the Belgium Commando Course.

When Keni got out of the Army, he went to work as a counselor for problematic youth. He is a national spokesperson for the Hero Fund and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which provides college educations to the children of our special operations personnel killed in combat or training.

In additional to numerous speaking engagements for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to the Boy Scouts, Keni Thomas now works full time as a Nashville recording artist. His critically acclaimed debut album, "Flags of our Fathers," was recorded as a tribute to our troops and their families. He has also been featured on Good Morning America, and made numerous appearances as a military analyst on CNN, PBS, NB C Dateline, Fox and the History Channel.

Keni Thomas is a graduate of the University of Florida and the recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor.