Our Guest Speakers
Kathleen Connell – Founder, Kathleen for Today Coaching; Chief Empowerment Strategist
Moderator, Advocacy Panel
Kathleen Connell is a dedicated personal development coach who believes that how you do one thing is how you do everything.
She helps individuals break free from limiting beliefs, enhancing every aspect of their lives. Her signature workshops on communication, trust, and personal energy have helped elevate workplace environments and transform professional relationships.
She is CEO of Furthermore, a retirement-planning consultancy she co-founded with her husband Jim, that helps individuals design a thriving post-career life filled with purpose and connection.
Certified by iPEC, the Arbinger Institute, the Pike Group, and Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, Kathleen has facilitated over retreats and delivered presentations across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Jim Kennedy – VP of Government Affairs, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Speaker, Advocacy Panel
Dr. Melanie Comito – Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; Professor of Pediatrics, Upstate Medical University; Board Member, Paige's Childhood Cancer Fund
Speaker, Advocacy Panel
Michael Matz – Board Member, Colt45
Speaker, Advocacy Panel
Dr. Kaushal Nanavati – MD, FAAFP, ABIHM, Cert. PH, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Medical Director of Integrative Therapy, Upstate Health Care Center
Speaker, Self-Care Panel
Dr. Nanavati is an Integrative Family Physician at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY who enjoys educating people on wellness, self-care, and achieving contentment and peace in life using humor, stories, and real, tangible examples.
He was born in India and grew up in Rochester, NY. He has over 28 years of experience as a Family Physician and is also board Certified in Integrative Medicine. He is the inaugural Assistant Dean of Wellness at Upstate and Director of Integrative Medicine and Survivorship at the Upstate Cancer Center. He has completed the Stanford Physician Well-being Director Course, the Positive Psychology course from Harvard, and the CHARM GME Well-being Leaders certificate course from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
He is an author having written a book series, CORE 4 of Wellness, which is a culmination of evidence and insights addressing the importance of nutrition, physical exercise, stress management, and spiritual wellness to achieve a balanced life. He is a sought-after speaker and has spoken to multiple groups across the United States and around the world in different industries for his expertise on health promotion, wellness, and well-being. He has enjoyed learning karate and coaching his son in basketball, has completed a marathon, loves to play tennis and golf, and cherishes personal time with his family.
Dr. Melissa Carman, PhD, LMHC – Licensed Mental Health Counselor; Speaker; Leadership Strategist
Speaker, Self-Care Panel
Dr. Melissa Carman, PhD, LMHC is a therapist, CEO, and entrepreneur who has spent more than two decades helping people integrate who they are with what they do. She is the founder and leader of CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC, a large group practice recognized across New York State for delivering exceptionally high-level professional mental health services to individuals, couples, and families.
Dr. Melissa is also the creator of The Iceberg Approach™, her proprietary framework that guides business executives, healthcare and education leaders, and high-achieving teams to look beneath the surface, align identity with action, and build cultures of resilience and trust. That same lens comes alive in The Dr. Melissa Show: The Stories That Shape Us, where she interviews high-achieving guests about the real-life experiences beneath the surface that have defined who they are today.
Guided by clinical depth, research, years of experience, and heart, Dr. Melissa brings both humanity and strategy to her work. She challenges all of us to do the work today so our future selves, our organizations, and future generations, can thrive.
Emily Gozy, MS RDN CDN – Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Nourished with Emily, LLC
Speaker, Self-Care Panel
Emily Gozy is an accomplished Registered Dietitian from upstate New York, who serves individuals across the United States. She is the Founder and CEO of Nourished with Emily, LLC, a virtual nutrition counseling and wellness practice located in Syracuse, NY. Her expertise lies in building confidence in the kitchen and helping her clients feel comfortable in their own skin through nutrition education, accountability, and tailored programs to help them achieve their goals. Emily is a passionate advocate for ending restrictive diets and promotes balanced nutrition and health with her clients.
She is a contributor to national media channels like TIME magazine, Sports Illustrated, HUFFPOST, and HealthLine. Her work has earned her the 2022 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year award for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, CNY Business Journal's 40 under 40 for 2025, and she currently sits on the board of WBOC, Great Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, and The New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a Media Spokesperson.
Tim Conners – Inspirational Speaker, Author, and Childhood Cancer Survivor
Keynote Speaker, Main Program
Tim has overcome a diagnosis of cancer, going blind in 48 hours, and a near death experience from heart, lung, and kidney failure all by the age of 16. Now he’s sharing his story of summiting mountains figuratively and literally with audiences around the world, inspiring others to see that the power to control their lives is in their hands; not their circumstances. He believes you shouldn’t wait until your last breath to start experiencing what it means to be ALIVE, and since becoming 10 years cancer free in 2020, he has made it his mission to Bike Across America. More importantly, bring together over 70 million people who are ready to start lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down.
