ABOUT

Jonathan Wygant is Chairman and founder of BigSpeak, Inc. the largest business-oriented agency/consultancy in North America focused on serving the Fortune 1000 and multinational companies worldwide.  BigSpeak addresses the needs of corporations, associations, non-profits and government agencies by providing inspirational speakers, thought leaders and subject matter experts. BigSpeak also facilitates strategic change initiatives and executive development programs through BigSpeak Consulting.

Jonathan draws on his more than 30 years of hands-on business experience and extensive research into the best practices of visionary leaders and successful companies. His expertise is in understanding his client’s needs and matching them with speakers and trainers who will best deliver inspirational messages and support lasting positive organizational change.

Before founding BigSpeak, Jonathan was the CEO and co-founder of Iris Arc Crystal, an Inc. 500 international giftware manufacturing company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. While at Iris Arc, he built the company to 5000 accounts, 120 employees and 135 sales reps nationwide.

Elise Wygant, Vice Chair of BigSpeak, graduated from Washington State University in Social Science and went on to receive her Masters in Applied Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. Early in her career, Elise was a private client banker and supported large corporations in their executive search pursuits.

Elise brings logical as well as intuitive thinking, balance, and harmony to our Board of Directors and the team at Big Speak. Her unique sensitivity to emotional issues as well as the ability to read between the spoken lines provides deep insight that propels our uniquely supportive corporate culture.

Elise has been married to Jonathan Wygant, the Founder and Chairman of BigSpeak, for 21 years. She was born and raised in San Diego, part of a large Naval family.

Elise’s additional passions are her children: James, Page, and Bella, as well as painting, writing, and travel. Elise and Jonathan live in Santa Barbara, Ca.

Amy Dernus is Director of Sales at BigSpeak. She is born and raised Pittsburgh-proud, has made Santa Barbara her home for the last 17 years. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a Communications Degree, Amy entrenched herself in Los Angeles radio, TV, and related media industries providing top-rated customer service to global corporations before making her way back up to the coast to beautiful Santa Barbara. Her aptitude in marketing and communications prepared her for understanding and serving the unique needs of BigSpeaks Fortune 1000 partners. In her position as Vice President and Strategic Account Advisor, Amy ensures that all partner clients are 100% thrilled with their BigSpeak experiences.

With energy left to burn, Amy spends her downtime raising three active boys. She is an avid hiker, beach-goer, muck-runner, world-traveler, and continues to cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers (and to cheer on her favorite team at BigSpeak).

Barrett Cordero is the President of BigSpeak Inc. a leading global Speakers Bureau representing Business Icons, Best-Selling Authors, World Class Athletes, Vanguard Thought Leaders, Celebrities, Technologists, Consultants, and Entertainers with sales in 72% of the Fortune 1000.

Barrett is a strategic leader with proven tactical success in challenging entrepreneurial environments. Under his leadership, the team and company have generated exponential growth and made the Inc. Magazine’s list of 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for six years. Barrett leads BigSpeak’s world class team by ensuring growth is sustainable and congruous with cultural values. He is dead serious about a happy, healthy, and productive culture.

Prior to joining BigSpeak, Barrett attended the University of Southern California and Leonardo da Vinci School in Florence, Italy, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Barrett draws on previous professional experience in the Internet space as an Account Representative for Commission Junction (a Conversant company), from the hotel/resort industry as a manager for the Four Seasons Biltmore of Santa Barbara, and from the non-profit sector as a volunteer and Board Member.

He served as a Board Member of The Channel Islands YMCA for three years and is a member of the Young Professionals Organization (YPO). He was recognized by Pacific Coast Business Times as one of the top up-and-coming professionals in their 40 under 40 list. Barrett resides in Santa Barbara, CA with his wife, Catherine, and two daughters, where they enjoy hiking, surfing and spending time with their family, friends, and pets.

Beth uses her eagle eye and negotiation skills as our Contracts and Event Services Manager. She turns the moving pieces of ideas and event details, into a logical set of instructions for our speakers and clients to follow. Whether she’s wielding her red pen or a mean backhand on the tennis court Beth is a force to be reckoned with. She always has our clients’ best interest in mind and will work tirelessly to make sure they are receiving everything they need.

Prior to coming aboard, Beth had careers in law, education, and parenting. She has a B.A. in International Relations from UC Davis, a J.D. from the University of Oregon and an M.A./Teacher’s Credential from UC Santa Barbara. Her main focus has been to improve the world by creating relationships and moving through adversity gracefully.

Beth is a Santa Barbara native and spends her free time playing tennis and watching her two teenage boys play lacrosse. She also enjoys swimming in the ocean and doing anything outdoors followed by a delicious healthy meal.

Jennifer brings over 20 years of marketing experience to her role as BigSpeak’s Senior Marketing Manager. Prior to joining BigSpeak, she worked in the medical device industry at both Sientra and InTouch Health, driving marketing and communications strategies in the healthcare sector. She brings experience in planning events and conferences, as well as building a healthcare speaker bureau for her previous role.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jennifer has been enjoying the Santa Barbara lifestyle for the last two decades, however striving to keep her “Minnesota Nice”. After receiving her degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota, she pursued a Masters in Public Health from San Diego State University. From her studies, Jennifer appreciates the healthy things in life, with a balance of great food and wine. She enjoys her non-profit work in the community, spending time with her friends and family, and learning about the intricacies of the Central Coast wine industry.

Ken is the Head of Artists and Brands and has been working with BigSpeak from the early days as an advisor to our founder, Mr. Wygant. During his time at BigSpeak, we’ve quadrupled in size. Ken revamped our marketing going from about 100 leads a month to 400 qualified leads per month. Ken designed our Bureau Alliance program with our President, Barrett Cordero, which has revolutionized the way speaker bureaus collaborate and work together to create more abundance and exposure for our exclusive speaker clients. Ken signed greats such as Molly Bloom, James Clear, Kevin O’Leary, Lance Armstrong, Metta World Peace and many other amazing clients.

Ken is an attorney and has vast experience in with technology, finance, media and business. His background includes working with Intel as a marketing researcher, KPMG as a technology and management consultant, co-founding a community bank, co-founding a cloud technology company, co-founding an international, vertically integrated manufacturing company and working as Executive Vice President and Litigation Manager at a boutique asset management firm charged with operating real estate and hospitality assets.

Ken earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of California, an M.B.A. from Babson College, an M.A. in Communication from USC Annenberg and his LLM in Media tech and Privacy Law at the USC Gould School of Law. He teaches Innovation and Entrepreneurship at USC Annenberg, and Marketing and Business Ethics & Law at UC Santa Barbara.

Matthew brings over a decade of experience in financial services and corporate management to his role as Director of Finance & Human Resources. His responsibilities include overseeing financial strategy, reporting, and compliance while leading company-wide operations.

Matthew earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and has certifications from the American Retirement Association and the Human Resource Certification Institute. Outside of work, Matthew enjoys cooking, gaming, and laughing with his friends and family.

Eleanor Linton is a BigSpeak Senior Events Specialist. She began as an Event Associate, dedicated to supporting the Events team, speakers, and clients with diligence and efficiency. Within a year, Eleanor’s enthusiasm and commitment to the team earned her a promotion to Event Coordinator. She now manages speaking engagements full time, ensuring successful events by collaborating with speakers and clients to achieve their goals.

She is an East Coast transplant having grown up in Philadelphia, PA and receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Grove City College in 2015. She quickly took to the Santa Barbara life and immersed herself in nonprofit fundraising and event planning for the Reagan Ranch Center and the Santa Barbara Symphony.

Before pursuing events as a career, Eleanor was classically trained on the viola. She has performed at the White House, the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Kestrel Park and the Santa Barbara Courthouse. She also plays for her church’s worship team.

When she’s not guiding BigSpeak clients and speakers through events or dropping some classical beats she enjoys cooking, trivia nights, catching a sunset and working on her tennis game.

Haley is a Lead Sr. Events Specialist. As a member of BigSpeak’s events team she works alongside clients to ensure a smooth and effortless coordination of keynote speakers. She dedicates her time to connecting top keynote speakers with valued clients, guiding them through every step of the process.

Previously, she worked in Celebrity Services with Gaylord Hotels and as a Marketing and Events Coordinator at SUCCESS Partners. Her industry experience and expertise in client and speaker management allows her to provide the most efficient aid to BigSpeak clients.

She graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and two daughters.

Laura Karl joined BigSpeak as a Contracts Associate. Graduating from Mary Washington with a Bachelors in Sociology and a Masters in International Planning and Sustainable Development from Westminster University, she joins the Contracts team following a career in real estate development. 

With new adventures always on the horizon, she’s constantly planning her next trip and looking to add to her passport stamp collection. Four continents, twenty-five countries and countless cities under her belt…her life-list is constantly growing.

A true Eastcoaster, Laura is accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) but never misses an opportunity to brunch. In her downtime, she enjoys being a group fitness coach and hanging out with rescue pittie named Corbin.

Michelle’s propensity for planning started from an unlikely role as a Group Sales Manager for Starwood Hotels. She was quickly promoted to Director of Group Sales, where she managed the sales team and exercised her coordination skills. She spent years volunteering for local charities, planning and organizing fundraising events and finally moved into a Client Services and Logistics Coordinator role with New Leaf Speaker Management. 6.5 years later BigSpeak snagged her as a virtual Event Coordinator, based just outside her hometown of Boston, MA. 

Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, MA she remained on the East Coast for college, attending Ithaca College in New York. She is a CrossFit warrior who loves spending time at the beach and with her family.

Prior to joining BigSpeak, Tracy worked at the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce for over 20 years, planning, coordinating and executing successful events. As a BigSpeak client, she booked top motivational speakers for multiple signature events.

Tracy is a North Dakota native and lives in Fargo. She enjoys riding ebikes with her Maltipoo Melvin (who fits perfectly in his basket on the handlebars), bingo, intense games of Wii Bowling with her grandson and college football. Go Bison!

Bethany brings a variety of experience to the BigSpeak team, having worked both in the accounting realm and Salesforce database management. Her diverse financial background started with private jet chartering and most recently landed her in the nonprofit sphere. Her expertise in reporting has been honed over the years by building reports from several software platforms for many different departments. In her work, she contributes a well-rounded balance of organization and efficiency, along with positivity and a can-do attitude.

She lives in Santa Barbara, where she graduated from Westmont College. She loves spending time with her husband and son, as well as their extended family, friends, and church community in the area. In her free time she can be found near the beach playing volleyball or running, enjoying some tasty food, or taking a nice, long nap.

Page Hawkins is a BigSpeak Business Operations Associate. She joined the team a little under a year ago and is loving her role in the company.

She is a Santa Barbara native, let’s go Dons, with a Bachelors in Psychology from Sonoma State University. She spent the last 7 years taking care of her elderly grandmother before making the jump to the corporate world.

She played competitive volleyball for 18 years in Santa Barbara winning a Bronze Medal at the Junior Olympics. She loves all sports, but volleyball will always have a special place in her heart.

Now a resident of Ventura, Ca, she spends her time antiquing and thrifting in the hopes of opening a booth at an antique store in the future. Her passion for decor is influenced by her mother’s love of interior design and appreciation for secondhand treasures.

Cara’s passion for working with professional speakers began when she was Director of Professional Development with the National Speakers Association. For 12 years, she was responsible for the design, planning and implementation of NSA’s meetings and educational programs. She also spent eight years as sales director for a New York Times bestselling author, booking him and his certified trainers to speak around the world.

Cara is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), holds a Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM), and is an active member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB.)

By far, Cara’s favorite part of her job is building relationships and she always strives to exceed expectations. Her goal is that each person she works with says (or at least feels) that there are still good, caring people in this world.

An Arizona native, Cara loves spending time with her husband of 30+ years, Paul, teaching and practicing Kundalini Yoga, painting kindness rocks, and being out in nature.

As a Digital Marketing Specialist, Katelynn drives awareness to BigSpeak by writing email campaigns and blog posts, managing BigSpeak’s website and social media updates, leading PR campaigns, and occasionally handling inbound operations, among several other marketing duties. 

Katelynn earned her B.A. from UC Santa Barbara in 2020. With Napa Valley roots, Katelynn has a natural love for wine and the region’s culinary scene. Now living in Lafayette, CA, she enjoys gardening, walking local trails with her fiancé and black lab, Stella, and continuing her passion for good food, great wine, and discovering new local spots.

Laura Yellen is an Vice President, Bureau Relations at BigSpeak. Prior to joining BigSpeak, Laura was employed at American Program Bureau, as a Senior Speaker Booking Agent. Before that, she served as Executive Producer/Producer for National Boston, a full-service production and post company, based in Boston. Laura was also the Assistant Director/Treasurer of the Massachusetts Film Bureau, (MFB), and a Publicist for National Amusements.

With her extensive experience, Laura is adept at facilitating speaker relations with international heads of state, CEOs at Fortune 500 companies, diversity and inclusion specialists, racial equality activists, leadership professionals, news media experts, celebrities, professional sports athletes and political figures. She consistently maintains a steady pulse on world affairs, US politics, business, economics and pop culture, in order to recruit/book the most cutting-edge experts in their fields, for her client’s live and virtual meetings, conferences and events.

In her free time, Laura enjoys paddle boarding on lakes up in Maine, playing tennis, and watching Seinfeld reruns. She also loves the feeling of being on a team, on a field competing and getting exercise, which led her to sign up for her local softball team.

Laura attended Northeastern University and graduated with a B.A. in Communications.

Sophie is a Marketing Associate, jack of all trades, and social media guru. She works closely with speakers to manage their client relations, and even knows her way around the inbound department.

Sophie is the office’s European influence, having received her M.Lit in Renaissance Art History from the University of Glasgow, after finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from Mills College in Oakland, California.

Amy Eddy is a Senior Vice President and Strategic Account Advisor, where she advocates for her clients, empowers them to make the right investment and is energized by the potential of the human spirit. After studying at Copenhagen Business School, Amy received a B.A. with double-majors in Business/Economics and Social Science from Westmont College in Santa Barbara.

Recently, she broke her record and saved the day when a client needed a keynote on stage with 4 hours notice. Thank you Alex Banayan!

When Amy is not in the office, you can usually find her at the beach with her family and a beer.  Well, probably 2 beers.

Bronwyn has been in the speaking industry for 28 years, and she brings a wealth of international and local experience with her. She’s booked the gamut of talent, from celebrity A-listers, to seasoned professional speakers, event hosts and entertainment, for clients on six continents.

She maintains that she has the Coolest Job on Earth. In fact she doesn’t even consider it a job, it’s an adventure, with no two days ever being the same.

She has served the speaking community in various capacities and roles in speaker, bureau and event industry organizations.

Bronwyn lives halfway between LA and San Diego and is married to her best friend. When she’s not connecting Messengers with those who need to hear their Messages, she can be found on the pickleball court, reading or – currently – teaching her 17 year old to drive.

Craig Sherman joined BigSpeak in February of 2017 as Vice President and Strategic Account Advisor after 11 years working with another agency in Boston.  Over the years, Craig’s favorite part of being an agent has been seeing many of his professional relationships evolve into friendships in which both parties know they can count on enjoying a conversation and catching up, rather than feeling like it’s a merely a ‘sales call’.  Craig built a reputation for coming up with creative solutions for his clients’ needs and is not afraid to think outside the roster in order to find the best keynote speaker for his clients’ events.  Prior to working in a speakers bureau environment, Craig worked for the Agency for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, and once upon a time was a DJ on the air at mvyradio on Martha’s Vineyard.

Outside of work, Craig is most likely found playing his piano, guitar, banjo, his other banjo, ukulele, or bass if he’s not skiing, golfing terribly, or spending time with his family.  He and his wife are proud Red Sox season ticket holders (even if they finish last).  No matter where in the world he is, Craig is a New Englander first.  GO SOX!

Daria is a veteran marketing and sales professional with broad-based experience in organizations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies in the software, e-services, education, retail, semiconductor and petroleum industries. Prior to joining BigSpeak, Daria spent four years in the speaking industry as the marketing director for a high-profile keynote speaker. She brings a unique combination of sales, marketing, customer service and research skills to our team.

Daria earned her Master’s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University with concentrations in High-Tech Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Organizational Development — and earned her BS in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Kansas. In her prior lives, Daria was a Marketing Analyst at Sun Microsystems, the Director of Marketing and Business Development for GeoMechanics International, and a process engineer for Lam Research Corporation, and worked as an operations engineer for Conoco Oil.

In her free time, Daria loves musical theater and college hoops – she’s a bona fide Hamilton Musical and Jayhawk basketball fanatic!  She sings and plays the flute in regional theater productions and the coolest thing she’s ever done is perform in Carnegie Hall in NYC with her choir! Daria and her husband live in the SF Bay Area with their two amazing daughters and one energetic Australian Shepherd!

Erin Flynn is a Strategic Account Advisor at BigSpeak where she brings over 20 years of experience in sales contracting, business development and entrepreneurship to the role. Born and raised in Tucson, she attended DePauw University where she earned a degree in Communications. Erin has spent the majority of her career in San Francisco working in the travel, investment banking and fashion & design industries.

With a concentration on the financial sector, Erin is a passionate advocate for her clients, even completing a Master Speaker Accelerator program for an end-to-end perspective of the speaker engagement process. She is dedicated to cultivating meaningful client relationships – eager to better understand their objectives in order to provide events with uniquely suitable and compelling speakers.

In her spare time, Erin enjoys swimming (she completed the icy cold “Escape from Alcatraz” challenge) as well as designing custom jewelry, and is delighted to raise her two boys near the scenic and energizing beaches of the Santa Barbara area.

Julie brings 20 years of consultative sales experience to her role as a BigSpeak Vice President & Strategic Account Advisor. Prior to BigSpeak she worked at LinkedIn and Lynda.com providing training solutions to government clients. She is relationship-oriented, focused on best serving every individuals’ needs. As a Strategic Account Advisor she is committed to building lifelong partnerships with her clients. 

Before starting her diverse career in sales, Julie received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Pepperdine on a full ride volleyball scholarship. She is a Santa Barbara local through and through who loves spending time with family and friends, serving her community as a board member of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and Montecito Community Foundation, and (in true Santa Barbara fashion) the ocean.

Kyle originally joined BigSpeak in 2013, beginning a career dedicated to helping global organizations bridge the gap between a standard event and a transformative experience.

As a Strategic Account Advisor, Kyle works closely with Fortune 500 companies and event leaders to find the right voice for the moment, someone who does more than give a talk, someone who shifts the room.

Known for his direct and thoughtful approach, Kyle has built a reputation for his ability to cut through the hype and focus on impact. He is a master of the “fit,” believing that the best keynote is one that aligns perfectly with a company’s unique culture and goals. From high-profile business leaders to cultural icons, Kyle’s philosophy is simple: put the right person on stage so the audience walks away feeling something real.

Based in Southern California, Kyle is an avid surfer who draws inspiration from the ocean. He often notes that while the biggest waves are the most exciting, it is the smaller, consistent ones that truly shape the experience. He applies this same perspective to events: while the big names draw the crowd, it is often one honest story, one unexpected insight, or one well-timed laugh that makes a keynote unforgettable. When he isn’t catching waves, Kyle can be found at the beach with his wife Jess, their daughter Isla, and their dog Vita.

A Marine Corps veteran, community leader, and beach volleyball player, Max brings focus, compassion, and dedication to the BigSpeak team. A first-generation American, he grew up in Rochester, NY, where he has fond memories of autumn. Earning a Masters in Business from the University of Southern California, Max works closely with the Executive Vice President to help build relationships, find solutions, and partner with our clients. He’s a wanna-be philosopher who studies Stoicism and Jungian psychology. When he’s not pretending to solve all the world’s problems, he’s a proud father and husband who makes a killer bowl of pasta.

Michelle Gustafsson is a Senior Strategic Account Advisor at BigSpeak. Prior to joining BigSpeak, Michelle worked with WSB for two decades, first as a member of their Sales Team and then as a Speaker Relationship Manager before striking out on her own as an independent Speaker Consultant. Over the years of experience, she has developed a unique talent for assessing event objectives with a 360-degree view to make sure clients and their audiences leave events exhilarated after hearing the speakers they’ve selected and excited to apply valuable take-away ideas they can implement immediately back at the office and in their personal lives. She loves putting her passion, energy and expertise into helping clients secure the perfect speakers for their in-person and virtual events.

Michelle is based in Northern Virginia (just outside of Washington, DC!) and has lived, studied and worked overseas. She graduated in front of the Great Pyramids in Cairo, then moved to snowy Stockholm for a couple of years before eventually coming back to the States. She loves living in the DC area and attending many international cultural events this area has to offer.

In her free time, Michelle enjoys traveling, meeting new people, fun dinners and wine with family and friends, walking for miles on the beach collecting seashells and singing along with her car radio at the top of her voice!

Mikaela Harn is a Senior Strategic Account Advisor and Assistant to the President. Her dual role is something only a weekday warrior like Mikaela could handle. Her tenacity and gumption make her the perfect person to find any client their ideal speaker, while also assisting the President with his events and bookings. She somehow finds time in the day to give each of her clients her undivided attention, while also supporting the company at its foundation alongside Barrett. She started at BigSpeak as an Event Coordinator and has recently repositioned herself to work more directly with the clients to provide them the ultimate speaking experience. 

Mikaela is a Bay Area native enjoying the Santa Barbara life. After graduating from Westmont College in Santa Barbara with a degree in Economics and Business in May of 2016, she jumped right into the fast-paced environment at BigSpeak. When she isn’t in the office, Mikaela enjoys all things California – the beach, road trips, hikes, and of course the wine!

Nicole Young is a seasoned marketing professional with a passion for storytelling, branding, and communications. Prior to joining BigSpeak, Nicole worked directly with the Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment on a diverse portfolio of businesses in entertainment, sports, and technology. For over a decade, they specialized in audience engagement for some of the world’s most recognizable sports and technology brands, giving her intricate knowledge of how to connect with audiences and enhance their experience. With the audience always at the forefront of her mind, Nicole brings a unique perspective to the BigSpeak team, and provides creative solutions for turning the forgettable into experiences that are memorable, resonant, and actionable.

Nicole received a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Utah State University and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. In her free time, she loves movie nights, playing games, spending time at the family cabin, and cheering on the Dodgers. Her favorite treat is a warm, homemade chocolate chip cookie and she’s always on the lookout to find one that tastes as good as her mom’s.

A Santa Barbara native and UCSB graduate, Peter works alongside BigSpeak’s Executive Vice President to manage strategic accounts and help clients connect with exceptional speakers who don’t just speak – they shift culture and drive meaningful results.

He spent several years in the hospitality and wine industry – most recently as Lead Sommelier at San Ysidro Ranch, where he helped manage a 14,000-bottle wine cellar and elevate the guest experience. His background spans years in high-touch sales and client service.

At BigSpeak, Peter brings that same mindset to every engagement—offering clients a seamless, elevated experience: making it personal, unforgettable, and always leading with gratitude.

When he’s not working, he’s spending quality time with his family, deep in soccer analysis, or tending to his garden.

Tracy Hawxhurst, a Santa Barbara native, comes to us with years of experience in event management, working closely with speakers, presenters, and sales managers to coordinate conferences and events.

In her spare time, Tracy enjoys being a dedicated soccer mom, traveling across California, Arizona, and Nevada to cheer on her son, who plays for the Santa Barbara Soccer Club’s MLS Next team. She also enjoys watching her daughter dance with her Sonoma State University Dance Team.