Alt Summit Speakers: Who Can We Expect at the 2024 Creators Conference?
Summary
This article introduces notable speakers for the 2024 Alt Summit, a key event for creative entrepreneurs. It covers the backgrounds and contributions of several inspiring individuals, including Danielle Melton, Karen Walrond, Linda Tong, Alyssa Zander, Kristina Kuzmic, and Kim France, highlighting their expertise in fostering community, creativity, and empowerment.
Reflection Questions
- Which speaker’s story resonates with you most, and why?
- How can the diverse experiences of the speakers enrich your understanding of creativity and entrepreneurship?
- What lessons can you apply from their journeys to your own creative or entrepreneurial endeavors?
Journal Prompt
Choose a speaker from the Alt Summit 2024 lineup and explore how their work or message might influence your professional or personal growth. Write about the insights you gain from their experiences and how you plan to incorporate these lessons into your own path.
In Palm Springs, creative entrepreneurs from all across the country will descend. The Alt Summit, also known as Altitude Summit, is a conference designed for creative entrepreneurs and influencers in various fields. Whether you work in marketing as a blogger or love your position as the owner of a successful design firm, Alt Summit is the place for you! It’s a multi-day event that offers attendees the opportunity to attend workshops, panel discussions, keynote speeches, and networking events. The summit focuses on areas such as building a brand, developing an online presence, content creation, social media strategies, and entrepreneurship. But who will speak at this year’s summit? Past keynote speakers have included incredible female entrepreneurs like Joanna Gaines, Martha Stewart, and Jessica Alba, among others. As part of a growing community of women in creative business, are you planning to attend this March? Did you buy a ticket? Let us know in the comments below!
A Bit of Background on Alt Summit
Alt Summit was founded by entrepreneur Gabrielle Blair and her sister Sara Urquhart in 2009. Gabrielle Blair is also known for her design and lifestyle blog, Design Mom. The event was initially created to bring together the community of creative bloggers, but it has since expanded to include a wider range of creative professionals and influencers. The conference is typically held annually and has been hosted in various locations, including Salt Lake City, Palm Springs, and Santa Fe.
Each individual ticket holder can expect to gain insights and inspiration from leading figures in the creative industry, connect with like-minded individuals, discover collaboration opportunities, and learn practical skills to help them succeed in their creative endeavors. The environment is designed to be inclusive, supportive, and empowering for creatives at all levels of their career.
A Few of This Year’s Alt Summit Speakers
Dozens of speakers are on the docket for Alt Summit 2024. Below are short profiles on a select few. Did we miss anyone? Let us know at the end of this post in the comments!
Danielle Melton
Danielle Melton is an accomplished executive leader and a passionate advocate for foster care and adoption. She’s recognized for her visionary approach to supporting working mothers and has founded MOTHERboard Societyâ„¢, an organization dedicated to championing the well-being of working moms globally. Her work has led MOTHERboard Societyâ„¢ to launch national chapters, host signature events focused on mothers, and lead community initiatives that have positively impacted over 13,000 women in the United States and around the world​​.
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MOTHERboard Societyâ„¢ originated from Danielle’s desire to address the loneliness often felt in motherhood, establishing a supportive community for working mothers to connect, support each other, and grow both personally and professionally. It aims to empower working moms through sisterhood, resources, and empowerment, helping them to fulfill their purpose and passion in both work and life​​.
Danielle’s influence extends beyond her organization; she’s been invited to high-profile events like the BET Awards and the Emmys, has been featured in publications like Forbes and the Huffington Post, and is a sought-after speaker on topics such as work-life balance and preventing burnout among working moms.
Karen Walrond
Karen Walrond is an author, speaker, and photographer known for her book “Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy & Raise a Little Hell.” Her work focuses on inspiring people to find joy, embrace aging positively, and make impactful changes in their lives and communities. Walrond’s approach combines personal insights with actionable advice, encouraging readers to live authentically and passionately. As a speaker at this year’s Alt Summit, she brings her expertise in creativity, empowerment, and social change to the event, offering valuable perspectives to attendees.
Linda Tong
Linda Tong is the founder and CEO of Linda Tong Planners, a company that specializes in creating personalized planners with a focus on the bullet journaling style and creative designs. Her journey into the planner business began during her freshman year of college, when she fell in love with bullet journaling and started creating planners for herself, which quickly caught the attention of her co-workers and friends. This early interest led her to develop her own business, creating hand-drawn personalized planners between her work and school responsibilities. The turning point for her business came when a TikTok video she created went viral, significantly increasing demand for her planners​​.
Linda’s company, Linda Tong Planners, offers a range of products that appeal to “bujo” enthusiasts and those who appreciate creative and flexible planning solutions. The planners feature unique designs, hand-drawn illustrations, and customization options that allow customers to make each planner their own. Linda’s planners are designed to inspire creativity and help users organize their lives in a visually appealing way. The product line has expanded to include not only planners but also spiral notebooks, notepads, illustrated bookmarks, undated daily planner booklets, and more. Linda is actively working on growing her brand into a full stationery business​​.
Alyssa Zander
Alyssa Zander is recognized for her work as a shadow and light worker, wisdom keeper, and alchemist. Through her various platforms, including content creation, in-person events, and virtual offerings, she teaches individuals how to move beyond feelings of inadequacy and to take radical personal responsibility for their lives. Her mission centers on healing the “mother wound,” addressing the deep-seated pain associated with isolation, judgment, and shame.
Her book, “Healing the Mother Wound: With Mother Earth,” is a collection of poetry that reflects her personal journey into joy and fulfillment. The book shares poems written during some of the darkest times of her life, alongside those inspired by her connection with Mother Earth. This connection served as a healing balm for her wounds, and through her writings, Zander offers guidance and solace to others navigating similar paths​​.
Kristina Kuzmic
Kristina Kuzmic is a multifaceted individual known for her roles as a comedian, author, and motivational speaker. Her journey began with her immigration to America from war-torn Croatia, facing numerous challenges including divorce, single parenting, poverty, and mental health issues. These experiences shaped her mission to provide encouragement, hope, and humor to others, striving to be the support she once needed during her lowest points. Kristina’s relatability and charisma caught Oprah Winfrey’s attention in 2011, leading to her winning Mark Burnett’s reality TV competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star.” Oprah praised her for her unique connection with audiences and her “IT PLUS” factor.
Since then, Kristina has garnered over a billion video views and a significant following on social media, with 2.9 million Facebook followers and over 600,000 Instagram followers. She has toured comedy clubs and theaters across the country and is a sought-after international keynote speaker. Her first book, “Hold On But Don’t Hold Still,” was released in February 2020 and achieved bestseller status, being translated into seven languages. Her second book, “I Can Fix This! (And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself while Parenting My Struggling Child),” is anticipated for release in May 2024.
As a keynote speaker, Kristina covers a wide array of topics including Television & Film, Authors, Family & Parenting, Communication, Blogging, Marketing, Digital Business, and Social Media. Based in Los Angeles, CA, she travels for corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, and other performances, offering insights from her life experiences with a blend of humor and hope​​​​.
Kim France
Kim France’s career is highlighted by her innovative approach to journalism and her ability to identify and cultivate niche audiences. As the founding editor of Lucky magazine, she revolutionized the fashion publication industry by merging traditional editorial content with shopping, a concept that was groundbreaking at the time. With “Girls of a Certain Age,” France continues to cater to a specific audience by providing content that resonates with the interests and experiences of women over 40, showcasing her enduring influence in the world of fashion and lifestyle journalism.
Planning to Attend Alt Summit Week?
If you do attend Alt Summit, please share your photos with us at DesignDash! We would love to hear your takes on each event.
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