Carey Nieuwhof is a best-selling leadership author, speaker, podcaster, former attorney, church planter and founder of The Art of Leadership Academy. He hosts one of today’s most influential leadership podcasts, and his online content is accessed by leaders over 1.5 million times a month. He speaks to leaders around the world about leadership, change, and personal growth.

Annie F. Downs is a New York Times bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and successful podcast host based in Nashville, TN. Engaging and honest, she makes readers and listeners alike feel as if they’ve been long-time friends. Co-founder of the That Sounds Fun Network—which includes her aptly named flagship podcast, That Sounds Fun and newest podcast Let’s Read The Gospels—and author of multiple bestselling books including Chase the Fun, That Sounds Fun, 100 Days to Brave and Remember God, Annie is the friend who will shoot straight with you, remind you that God is good, and still manage to make you laugh in the process. For more about Annie's work, visit https://www.anniefdowns.com/

David Salyers, a key marketing executive at Chick-fil-A for 37 years most recently served as Vice President, witnessing the growth of over 2,300 restaurants through principles of servant leadership and compassion.

Now, he's dedicated to fostering growth in individuals, teams, and organizations, serving on multiple boards and helping launch startups and nonprofits.

Known for his marketing acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and a servant's heart, David has a unique ability to envision what others and organizations can become.

Danny Franks is the Pastor of Guest Services and Events at the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, where he’s served since 2003. In that role, he oversees guest services and major events for thirteen campuses across the Triangle region of North Carolina, reaching over 12,000 people each weekend.

Danny has been married to Merriem for 31 years. They have a middle school daughter, three adult sons, three incredible daughters-in-law, and best of all, a brand new granddaughter and one on the way.

Danny’s passion for the church is to help outsiders become insiders, and challenging insiders to reach outsiders. He is the author of People Are the Mission: How Churches Can Welcome Guests Without Compromising the Gospel. He’s a regular blogger at dannyfranks.org and a regular twit @LetMeBeFranks.

Robert Smith Jr. serves as professor of Christian preaching and holds the Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School. Previously he served as the Carl E. Bates Associate Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Smith is the 2017 E. K. Bailey Expository Preaching Conference Living Legend.

A popular teacher and preacher, he received Southern’s 1996 Findley B. Edge Award for Teaching Excellence. An ordained Baptist minister, he served as pastor of the New Mission Missionary Baptist Church in Cincinnati, OH for twenty years. He earned his PhD while serving as a pastor. He is a contributing editor for a study of Christian ministry in the African American church, Preparing for Christian Ministry, and is co-editor of A Mighty Long Journey.

Jason and Nan have served at Bethlehem Church since March of 2011. They have 3 children (Carson, Claire, and Caleb) and live in Winder, GA.

Jason comes from a family of ministry as both his father and brother are pastors as well. Jason is a graduate of Shorter University and attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker at church growth, leadership, and revitalization conferences around the country.

Bethlehem Church has been named as a “Top 100 Fastest Growing Church” in the country in Outreach Magazine’s list each year from 2016 through 2022.

In his free time, Jason enjoys running, coaching his kids’ teams, UGA football, and playing golf.

Jeff is the Founding and Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church and the President of Justice and Mercy International. In 2003, Jeff and Lisa felt God’s call to plant a church in Franklin, TN. With 15 people meeting in an apartment clubhouse on Thursday nights, God birthed Rolling Hills Community Church. Today, Rolling Hills has six campuses - Franklin, Nolensville, Nashville West, Columbia, Nashville South and Online.

Leslie Mack resides in Atlanta, GA and loves good food and good stories - two things that connect us all.

Leslie currently works at Orange, serving on the senior leadership team as Vice President of Lifestage Strategies where she leads incredible teams to create excellent weekly resources, media, and products that build the faith and future of the next generation. 

She is obsessed with innovation, culture, and creative problem solving. 

In her free time Leslie works with high-capacity thought leaders and brands to help them elevate and maximize their dreams through personal alignment, content strategy, creative direction, and brand activation events. In her other, other free time she paints and moonlights as a runner, illustrator, and avid podcast listener.

Ken Thomas is the President of Connect Ministries. Ken Received his Masters in Divinity from Southwestern Seminary, Doctorate from Southern Seminary, and undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. Ken has served in various ministry roles before starting Connect Ministries. He has served on church staff, camp ministry, and non-profit ministry. Most notably, he served as a part of LifeWay Christian Resources where he partnered with church across the country in providing them an overnight summer camp experience. In 2006, he felted burned to step down from his role in Nashville to start Connect Ministries. Since then, he has led the Connect team help more than 2,500 churches all in an effort to meet more than 440,000 new people in their community. Through his ministry helping church over the past 25 years, KT and Gabe have worked together to develop the four ingredients that will be the center of the Connect Conference. Through their extensive research, they have found that when churches excel in these four ingredients, they excel in meeting new people in their community. 

Gabe Norris is the Vice President of Connect Ministries and helped Ken Thomas as they started Connect Ministries back in 2006. Gabe attended University of Georgia and then went on to study at Samford University to get his Masters Degree from Beeson Divinity School. Gabe spent time working at Student Life and Crosspoint before his time at Connect. Now Gabe leads in many ways at Connect with an intentional focus on the churches Connect partners with. Gabe helped develop the four key ingredients that the Connect Conference are centered around. When these four ingredients are put together, Gabe and KT have found that churches are able to meet new people in their community more effectively! Gabe will be speaking on the practical how-tos of these four ingredients at the Connect Conference!