Rebuilding presence, resilience, and real connection in an age of overwhelm

In a world built for speed, efficiency, and constant digital engagement, the human nervous system is overwhelmed—and our brain health is paying the price. Anxiety, exhaustion, and disconnection are rising worldwide, not because we’re doing life “wrong,” but because we’re living in conditions our brains were never designed for.

In this science-backed and story-driven keynote, Dorsey Standish explores how modern demands—from nonstop notifications to the race toward AI-powered productivity—are reshaping our attention, emotions, and relationships. And she offers a hopeful path forward.

Through neuroscience, Blue Zones research, and practical tools, Dorsey reveals how we can restore brain health by returning to the fundamentals: calm, presence, and meaningful human connection—both inward and outward. Participants will leave with simple, repeatable practices to support mental well-being at work, at home, and in daily life.

about DORSEY:

Dorsey Standish is a mechanical engineer, neuroscientist, wellness expert and CEO of Mastermind, who brings evidence-based mindfulness and emotional intelligence to clients worldwide.

Her personal mission is to help Type A people like herself slow down, destress and optimize their performance through mindfulness-based brain health training.

Dorsey’s keynotes inspire audiences through a mix of groundbreaking neuroscience research, relatable storytelling and practical mindfulness tips for high performers who think they are “too busy” to meditate.

While Dorsey has studied with meditation masters, she believes that her best mindfulness teachers are her beautiful wife and two young sons.

Authenticity is not a soft skill. It is a superpower. When women show up fully as themselves, they do not just transform their own lives. They create clarity, deepen connection, and shape culture.

Yet in a world that rewards perfectionism and pressures women to shrink, self-doubt and burnout quietly take hold. With nearly 80 percent of our daily thoughts being negative, repetitive, and biased, learning how to shift from fear to focus is not just personal growth. It is a leadership advantage.

In this empowering and actionable keynote, Tara Renze shares her Be Who You Came to Be™ framework and unpacks the emotional intelligence secrets every woman needs to thrive both personally and professionally.

about TARA:

Tara Renze is an author, keynote speaker, emotional intelligence & positive intelligence practitioner, podcaster, thought-leader, wife and mother. She is redefining how we unleash purpose, level up our success and create sustainable happiness and fulfillment in all aspects of our lives. After two decades of success in corporate leadership and social selling, she started writing and keynote speaking to empower others to “be who they came to be” and create, own and live the life they desire, envision and deserve. Tara has a true passion and talent for guiding others to harness and realize their full potential.

When things are great at work, everything hums.  But when we hit challenging circumstances, it’s easy to question: Is it me? Is it my boss? Is it the client? And, importantly, is it a pattern? That is when things get interesting. Perhaps the challenge is wanting to say “no” to an unreasonable client request. Perhaps it’s managing pushback after the “no.” Or perhaps you’re handling a steamroller boss. 

In this presentation, Dr. Lisko will draw from lessons summarized in her book, Kind Dynamite: Six Ways Women Can Use Our Uniquely Explosive Power to Persuade in Meetings. Challenging circumstances aren’t all in your head. But managing up and out starts with a clear-headed assessment of the reasons we find certain circumstances to be challenging when the colleague seated next to us might not see them that way. 

Patterns of getting stuck in challenging circumstances can be broken. And we women possess powerful tools to shatter the patterns. Using humor and “kind dynamite”, Dr. Lisko will arm you with powerful, concrete ways to speak what’s on your mind using compassionate directness.

about KAREN:

Dr. Karen Lisko combines her passion for helping women professionals amplify their assertive voices with a doctorate in persuasive communication that has yielded three decades of coaching several hundred women. She has advised women attorneys on their courtroom presence, women executives on their corporate presence and even women professionals on their “SharkTank” presence.

She has written three books on persuasion — two for the courtroom and her most recent for women professionals, entitled “Kind Dynamite: Six Ways Women Can Use Our Uniquely Explosive Power to Persuade in Meetings.” At a time when outdated gender research is still being repeated to women’s detriment, her book speaks to the most up-to-date research that shows women are often better leaders at the helm of more profitable companies. Replicating the formula that makes these women effective is possible and practical — and all contained within Karen’s trainings.

Karen was the 2024 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Trial Consultants. She is also an active faculty member on effective communication with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and conducts repeat trainings at many Fortune 50 companies.

Being an ally to those who are not in positions of power within an organization means actively using one’s influence, access, and credibility to help create a more equitable and inclusive environment. It’s not about being a savior or achieving perfection, rather it is sustained, humble action within one’s sphere of influence, while supporting those most affected in leading the change. When leaders practice allyship together, it creates alignment, trust, and a culture where inclusion is reinforced both top-down and bottom-up.

Join ICAN Faculty member Dr. John Slieter in a panel discussion on all forms of allyship in the workplace, with specific focus on our audience of mostly women. John will be joined by Keynote Speaker Curt Steinhorst and ICAN’s own Board Chair and Woodmen VP Marsha Graesser, who will discuss their own experiences practicing and witnessing allyship in the workplace.

about CURT:

When everything accelerates — timelines, expectations, complexity — the biggest challenges aren’t technical. They’re human. For nearly two decades, Curt Steinhorst has helped leaders reset how their teams think, act and show up. Long before AI became every C-suite’s top strategic priority, his bestselling book “Can I Have Your Attention?” revealed how technology was reshaping human cognition — identifying the attention crisis as just the opening symptom. Today, his research guides leaders through the next evolution: from managing digital distraction to maintaining sound human judgment in an AI world.

Curt brings rare operator credibility to these conversations. As an executive at Venus Aerospace, he helped build the team and strategy that pioneered rotating-detonation engines — a fundamental break from 60 years of rocket design and a generational leap in efficiency and cost. They achieved it with a culture that moved fast, embraced risk, cut through bureaucracy and put people first — proving breakthrough technology doesn’t have to break the people behind it.

A Forbes contributor with 500+ keynotes across four continents, Curt is a trusted voice for Deloitte, Southwest Airlines, JPMorgan Chase and the U.S. Naval Academy. His core message: sustainable competitive advantage isn’t about the technology you deploy — it’s about the human capabilities you cultivate.

about JOHN:

John has been a student of leadership for over 30 years and has taught leadership over the past 15 years. John has mentored, promoted and developed young leaders throughout his career. These experiences were formed by John’s experiences of being an executive leader in the aviation industry.

John has learned from many leaders — some that he worked for and others with whom he collaborated with, from industry to local community, as well as civic and church leaders. John spent over 30 years in the aviation industry with Duncan Aviation, retiring in 2016 as Vice President of Sales, to pursue his dream of becoming a leadership scholar. At Duncan Aviation, John was also a member of the Senior Leadership team, responsible to the Duncan family for the overall growth and leadership of the organization. John was a co-facilitator for the company’s Leadership Dynamics Program (LDP) for all Duncan leaders and supervisors, with two other senior leaders.

John and his wife, Jean, love traveling. They enjoy the opportunity to meet people and create friendships & relationships all around the world. John’s roots run deep in Minnesota, South Dakota and California. John currently resides in Lincoln and has called Nebraska home since 1984.