Speakers

Blois Olson will discuss the current and future status of the sports betting bill at the Minnesota legislature. Blois has been called "Mr. Minnesota" for his ability to read the mood of state's residents and the political dynamics and economic trends. He has moderated hundreds of conversations across the state including political debates, economic discussions and business forums. His influential newsletters and commentaries are read by thousands daily as part of Fluence Media. From the MN Orchestra lockout to Punch Pizza to the State of the Union, he's influenced news and information for three decades throughout the country. His insights and perspective are sought regularly by business, civic and political leaders across the state and country. He has been on-air host and contributor to WCCO Radio since 1998.

Join us for a discussion of Eric Roper's six episode podcast examining race in Minneapolis called Ghost of a Chance.  Harry and Clementine Robinson were one of a handful of Black families who owned homes more than a century ago in what is now the whitest part of Minneapolis.  When StarTribune reporter Eric Roper moved into the same house where the Robinsons lived, he became determined to find out who they were and what happened to them.

Eric spent nearly five years piecing together the Robinsons’ lives through genealogy records, old public documents and fascinating tidbits from articles in local Black newspapers from the 1900s.  His six episode podcast took listeners on an intimate journey into Minnesota’s past through the experiences of this one trailblazing couple.

Join us for an important discussion about the future of our club! We’ll share the high points of next year’s strategic plan and gather your input on what matters most as we explore options for a new meeting location. This is your chance to shape the direction of our club—where we meet, how we grow, and how we create impact together. Your voice matters, so don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to our club’s future!

Annie loves to dive deep into decision making under uncertainty. Her latest obsession is on the topic of quitting. In particular, she is on a mission to rehabilitate the term and get people to be proud of walking away from things.

Annie is an author, speaker, and consultant in the decision-making space, as well as Special Partner focused on Decision Science at First Round Capital Partners, a seed stage venture fund. Annie’s latest book, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, was released in 2022 from Portfolio, a Penguin Random House imprint. Her previous book, Thinking in Bets, is a national bestseller. As a former professional poker player, she has won more than $4 million in tournament poker. During her career, Annie won a World Series of Poker bracelet and is the only woman to have won the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and the NBC National Poker Heads-Up Championship. She retired from the game in 2012. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Annie was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to study Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2023 Annie completed her PhD in Cognitive Psychology at UPenn.

Annie is the co-founder of The Alliance for Decision Education, a non-profit whose mission is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skills education. She is a member of the National Board of After-School All-Stars and the Board of Directors of the Franklin Institute.

Dr. Bruce Gleason will discuss his new book, Cold War Cadence: A Military Musician's Berlin Memoir, 1988- 1991.  Described by his publisher as: Providing a fascinating review of not only the work of army bandsmen and women, Dr. Gleason also offers more than a glimpse of the historic city of Berlin as well as the Prussian and Nazi ghosts that still reside there. Filled with copious detail and based on exacting and beautifully assembled notes, letters, North Star News articles, and photos, Gleason's latest book of vivid recollections coupled with those of his bandmates promises to satisfy even the most discerning reader of Cold War and general European history. Along the way, he furnishes readers with an entertaining European and Asian travelogue with too many surprises to count.

Our foreign exchange student, Wilson Oliveira, from Brazil will speak to the Club about his experiences in Minneapolis over the past year.

Scott Welle is a #1 international best selling author, speaker and founder of Outperform The Norm, a leading program for business leaders and athletes looking raise their game and perform at the highest level.

Scott has worked with professional athletes (NFL, MLB, PGA Tour), elite level triathletes, CEOs, stay-at-home moms, and everyday heroes who all had one common goal – to improve and to be better today than they were yesterday.

Scott’s nine best selling books, articles, videos, podcasts and online programs inspire hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. He has a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and is an adjunct professor at St. Olaf University. He regularly speaks and consults with top performing executives, sales professionals and entrepreneurs, as well as elite athletes, all with one common goal: to OUTPERFORM.

Scott enjoys pushing his own physical and mental limits, completing five Ironman triathlons, 29 marathons and a 100-mile ultra marathon run. He is very close with his brother, Jason. Together they “plod” at least one marathon together each year, laughing the whole way.

He serves others by showing them how to tap into the same mindset of challenging their self-limiting beliefs and aspiring to be their best everyday.