Keynote Speakers 2024
Opening General Session
Hear From the Service Engineering Chiefs
Wednesday, Nov. 20 | 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Hear from the senior engineering leaders of the Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Air Force Civil Engineering, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Their remarks will provide a high-level overview of their A/E/C programs and small business focus ahead of their agency’s Mega Sessions during SBC week.
Maj. Gen. William (Butch) H. Graham, USA
U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, P.E., CEC, USN
Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, and Chief of Civil Engineers
Brig. Gen. Brian Hartless, USAF
Director of Civil Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Engineering, Logistics & Force Protection
Dr. Mike Brennan
AIA, NCARB, SES, Executive Director, Office of Construction & Facilities Management, Department of Veterans Affairs
Thursday General Session:
Keynote Speaker and Small Business Awards
Thursday, Nov. 21 | 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Kyle Scheele
Innovation Expert, “Patron Saint of Crazy Ideas”
With an authentic blend of humor and heart, Kyle Scheele provides teams and individuals with practical tools for boosting creativity, innovation, risk-taking and resilience. Kyle Scheele has been called "the patron saint of crazy ideas.” Whether he's having a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people, hosting the world's first fake marathon, or gaining a million TikTok followers in just 25 hours, Kyle is always on the lookout for crazy ideas that produce wildly outsized outcomes.
Over the last decade, his projects have been featured in outlets like Fast Company, WIRED, The Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, UpWorthy, Goalcast, and more. His videos have been viewed over 250 million times, and he has spoken to hundreds of thousands of audience members across the United States. More than anything, Kyle hopes that his story can inspire others to chase their own crazy ideas and become the people they were meant to be.
