Andrew Pudewa

Vikrant Batra

Julian Godbarge

Andrew Pudewa is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Presenting around the world, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, and spelling with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills. Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan (Suzuki Method) and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him “the funny man with the wonderful words.” He and his beautiful, heroic wife, Robin, homeschooled their seven children and are now proud grandparents of nineteen, making their home in Northeastern Oklahoma’s picturesque Green Country.

Vik: Former Global CMO, HP Inc. 20+ years leading marketing transformations across CPG, technology, advertising, and finance. Built and led organizations spanning thousands of people and billions in spend. Leader in driving marketing AI transformation and co-founder of Maximon, where they are changing the rules, bringing a unique perspective to the fast-changing landscape of marketing. Renowned for his ability to craft narratives that connect deeply with audiences, Vic has combined AI with creative storytelling to unlock unprecedented levels of creativity, customer engagement, efficiency and cost savings at a global scale. 

Julien Godbarge spent his career in lower middle market companies, both private equity-backed and family-owned, working in global business development before serving as Managing Director of a foreign subsidiary for a U.S.-based company. He later became CEO of a private equity platform company, leading acquisition strategies and operational growth.

At the height of his career, Julien crashed. Hard. Everything he had built—the deals, the growth, the reputation—couldn’t protect him from what had been building beneath the surface for over a decade. The breakdown forced him to confront uncomfortable truths about success, stress, and the blind spots that nearly cost him everything.

That work led him to publish Crash and [Burn] LEARN: A Business Fable About the High Cost of Burnout, Blind Spots, and the Hope of Recovery.