Speakers & Entertainment

The genius behind the wildly popular "Survivor," "Eco-Challenge" and "The Apprentice" series—and the driving force behind reality television — Mark Burnett is the hottest producer in Hollywood. His well-known history of producing Emmy-nominated adventure television in international locations led CBS chief Les Moonves in 2004 to dub him "the most important producer in television." Burnett's entrepreneurial spirit has helped pioneer the success of the reality "unscripted" drama series and bring it to mainstream audiences worldwide.

What most people don't know is that Burnett has his own survival story to tell, and it's every bit as riveting as the show. As recently as the 1990s, he was selling T-shirts on the beach in Southern California. But through a combination of inspiration, determination and sheer nerve he transformed his life, went on to produce an Emmy-winning extreme sports program, and of course, created the most popular series on the air today.

A former paratrooper and open-water certified SCUBA diver, Burnett has used his life of daring experiences as a jumping-off point for leading others to chase their dreams and ignore their fears.

He reveals the stories behind "Survivor," the challenges of producing "unscripted" drama, and how to achieve business and personal success by embracing risk and leading with compassion.

In addition to his producing credits, Burnett has authored four books, "Survivor: The Ultimate Game," "Survivor II: The Field Guide," "DARE TO SUCCEED: How to Survive and Thrive in the Game of Life" and "Jump In: Even If You Don't Know How to Swim."

Bob has covered major news stories around the world since joining ABC News in 1996. He reported from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; was the lead correspondent on the Asian Tsunami; and in June 2005 got unprecedented access to the secretive country of North Korea.

In December 2005, Bob was named co-anchor of ABC's "World News Tonight." A month later, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Bob was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq.

In February 2007, just 13 months after being wounded, Bob returned to ABC News with his first on-air report, "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports." The hour-long, primetime documentary chronicled his traumatic brain injury (TBI), his painstaking recovery, and the plight of thousands of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with similar injuries.

Bob and his wife Lee have also recently released "In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love, Courage, and Healing." The memoir accounts Bob's recovery after his attack in Iraq and how their family persevered through a time of intense trauma and uncertainty.

Dana was a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live for seven seasons, where he was best known for his characters The Church Lady, who always asked, "Isn't that special?," and Garth, one half of the Wayne's World duo.

He also has been praised for his impersonations of public figures including H. Ross Perot, Bob Dole, Regis Philbin, Woody Allen, Johnny Carson and former President George Bush.

After leaving Saturday Night Live in 1992, Dana went on to star on the big screen in movies such as "Wayne's World," "Wayne's World 2" and "Master of Disguise."

Among Dana's awards are an Emmy in 1993 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program and the American Comedy Award as Television's Funniest Supporting Male in 1990 and 1991.

Entrepreneur extraordinaire Bill Rancic was the first to hear Donald Trump say "You're Hired" as the winner of the inaugural season of the popular reality television series "The Apprentice."

A true entrepreneur, Rancic earned his way through college by starting a boat wash and wax business. At 23, he founded cigarsaroundtheworld.com in a 400-square-foot studio apartment. Today, it is a thriving, multimillion-dollar operation, in which Rancic sits on the board of directors and is a shareholder in the company.

Rancic is the author of two books, "You're Hired," which chronicles his life experience and proven financial advice; and "Beyond the Lemonade Stand," which educates children about the value of money and how to leverage their skills, talents and abilities at an early age.

He travels around the globe speaking to corporations and universities about "thinking like an entrepreneur." This September, Rancic became a co-host of "In the Loop with iVillage," a live interactive daytime program focusing on relevant and entertaining topics for today's modern woman.