John Patterson is an engaging keynote speaker and training facilitator who is the co-founder and CEO of Influential U, a leading business education company that helps individuals and enterprises accelerate transactions through Transactional Competence™. With a history in corporate curriculum design, focusing on influence, leadership, and high-performance training and development, John has been responsible for developing and managing hundreds of leaders, managers, and mentors. He’s facilitated courses and conferences for global audiences since 1987.

Under John's leadership, Influential U offers a cohesive framework that can expedite initiatives, support large-scale buy-in, and quickly produce results for small business owners, startups, and large-scale enterprises. The curriculum includes live webinars, online learning, local workshops, global conferences, podcasts, case studies, and mentors utilized by professionals and executives worldwide. Influential U is an international assembly of accomplished professionals, certified faculty, and ambitious peers from various countries, industries, and cultures.

Transactional Competence, the methodology behind Influential U, promotes ambition, cooperation, and alignment across large numbers of individuals or teams. It has gained global recognition and includes learners from some of the world's best companies. John specializes in constructing consequential educational environments that produce compliance, competence, and valued behaviors, making him a sought-after speaker and the inaugural host of the Influential U podcast.

With over 40 years of experience, he's known for delivering entertaining and behavior-changing presentations that combine down-home humor and straight talk with powerful insights and messages.

Kirkland is a respected philosophic scholar with a deep understanding of the human condition and the dynamics of human exchange. When he's not speaking, A storyteller through and through, Kirkland enjoys a successful career as not only a business professional but also a producer of motion pictures and television projects, having worked with many of the major studios and networks over the past 25 years.

Kirkland's unique blend of humor, intelligence, and deep insight has made him a sought-after speaker for corporate and personal development events around the world. He's been a proud member of Toastmasters International for 42 years and has spoken to audiences of all sizes, consistently earning rave reviews for his engaging and thought-provoking presentations.

Whether he's speaking on leadership, personal growth, the power of story, or the nature of change, Kirkland brings a personal touch to every presentation, connecting with audiences in a way that's both powerful and authentic. His ability to help people see the world in new and meaningful ways has made him one of the most respected and sought-after speakers in his field.

Drew has over two decades in the area of human performance and behaviour. He has coached, consulted and advised thousands of business owners, CEOs and Execs all over the world on how to behave better in any situation, with anyone.

He has also 20 years of experience in public speaking, delivering workshops, seminars and keynotes to over 20,000 people all over the world in NZ, Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, the UK, Dubai, and the USA.

Until 2015, Drew had his own consultancy as a Mind Coach specialising in chronic stress and its effect on performance, working with CEOs and Execs of some of NZ’s largest companies. He also wrote monthly from 2012-2015 on this topic in M2 magazine.
In 2015 he became Vice President and one of the five partners of the global company Influential U founded in California in 2009. Since being an Executive at Influential U, Drew has been primarily responsible for programme delivery, client management and global business development. He’s been integral in growing it to have clients in 10 countries and launching a licensing model in January 2023 to help scale Influential U.

This has now allowed Drew to transition back into focussing his time where he brings the most value - one-on-one coaching/consulting/advising and speaking engagements. He works primarily with Founders, CEOs and Execs, and Senior Leaders of companies with 100 employees or more, and the effectiveness of their teams.
He remains a stakeholder in Influential U Global with a Master License to deliver their proprietary frameworks while supporting the training and development of the other Licensees and the quality of their delivery.

Marne is a dynamic and accomplished professional with over 25 years of diverse training experience, delivering individual coaching and group programs to over 30,000 people worldwide. With a high level of integrity, commitment, and humor, Marne simplifies complex concepts and facilitates discovery. Her impressive background includes managing upper Midwest operations for an international educational company, serving as a Senior Sales Manager for a national organization, and executive coaching for Department Chairs, Senior Leaders, and Academic Clinicians at the University of Virginia.

Marne is a senior faculty member for Influential U, a leading business education in transactional competence, and the owner of MPOWER Consulting, LLC, specializing in productivity consulting for academic healthcare providers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Counseling from the University of Minnesota, a Master's in Instructional Design and Technology with an emphasis on Human Performance Improvement from Walden University and a Certificate in Brain-Based coaching from the Neuroleadership Institute. Marne's passion for helping individuals achieve their most important goals while living a balanced life is evident in her work. She teaches people how to take deliberate and incremental actions that cultivate essential habits and practices for achieving long-lasting results.

Josh Damigo, MA, IUC, holds the esteemed position of Faculty and is the Podcast Host for Influential U. With extensive experience as a talented recording artist and an impressive track record of success in business, Josh has a gift for connecting with audiences of all shapes and sizes.

In addition to his impressive career accomplishments, Josh is an active and influential member of the local business community and has been recognized as the "Young Professional of the Year" by The Ventura Chamber of Commerce and was named to the "40 under 40" list with the Greater Conejo Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed to the General Plan Advisory Committee for the City of Ventura and has received his Master’s Degree in Organizational Management.

Josh has served as the Master of Ceremonies of two separate Chambers of Commerce in Ventura County and has been honored with numerous accolades for his exceptional leadership and outstanding contributions to the community.

Josh is a highly skilled public speaker and has been the recipient of multiple awards for his engaging and life-changing presentations.

Tim Nicklas is a faculty member and client manager with Influential U who began studying with the company in 2011. He’s a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) who has created and facilitated workshops for over a decade on topics including healthcare innovation, human-centered design, public speaking, and parenting. His presentations draw on his 20-year career in healthcare that began as a biomedical engineer and includes creating an innovation program and a digital health startup as well as running a clinical department.

Tim is fascinated by human behavior, especially how we don't act in our best interest and rationalize it later. We all do it. He provides pathways for collaboration and performance. He is known for heartfelt, relatable, humorous storytelling and keen insights. His presentations challenge and inspire audiences to overcome obstacles.