2007 Keynote Speakers
Maxine Shapiro
Maxine Shapiro is a dynamic speaker and performer whose passion for freeing the talent within has created an international demand for her Inside the Box™ keynotes and training sessions. Mixing laughter with learning, she reveals the building blocks of improvisation and translates them to professionals in every industry who are looking to tap into the wealth of ideas and innovation just waiting to be discovered inside their organizations, their teams and themselves.
Shapiro is a 25-year veteran of the business world and financial industry. She spent 15 years at the Chicago Board of Trade, building a strong foundation of business expertise. An accomplished actor and comedian, Shapiro performed regularly in Chicago's vibrant off-loop theater scene, and was a student of the Second City Improv Lab. After moving to Dallas in 1995, she co-hosted a weekly financial radio show in the fifth-largest media market in the country. She moved on to North Texas Public Radio station KERA 90.1 FM, continuing her savvy commentary on the daily "Marketplace Midday." She was also a regular guest on Public Radio International’s "Marketplace Morning Report," one of the most widely heard business broadcasts in the country. Her reporting on regional, national and international business practices and trends led to her bedrock conviction: To remain competitive and vibrant, American businesses and organizations must access their employees' latent talents and support a free flow of ideas.
