Robert StephensA native of Chicago, Robert Stephens left a scholarship at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1990 to pursue a degree in computer science at the University of Minnesota. While attending the university, he landed a job fixing computers for the Human Factors Research Laboratory. Over a three-year period, he rose to become head engineer of the lab. It was also during this time that he started a computer consulting business. In April of 1994, after three years at the university, he formed The Geek Squad with $200. In 2002, The Geek Squad was acquired by Best Buy. Best Buy opened Geek Squad precincts in all of its U.S. and Canadian stores. With more than 17,000 agents, The Geek Squad is now North America’s largest technology support company offering phone, in-store, and in-home support. It also has operations in Shanghai and the UK.
Lori SilvermanLori is the owner of Partners for Progress, a management consulting firm that helps organizations move to the next level of performance—by getting them to think and act differently. As a business strategist and keynote speaker, she has worked in 15 industries, from nonprofits to health care, petroleum, insurance, financial services, government, and the U.S. military. Lori spearheaded the design of the Project Management Certificate program at the University of WI-Milwaukee and facilitates several workshops. She has been a guest on more than 50 radio and TV shows to talk about story work in organizations and is the co-author of Critical SHIFT and Stories Trainers Tell. Her latest book, Wake Me Up When the Data Is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results, debuted in the top 100 books on Amazon.com.
