Main Stage Keynotes

Wednesday (AM & PM) and Thursday (PM), June 11-12, 2025
Anaheim Convention Center (ACC North)

A PCBC hallmark, our keynote sessions feature engaging and thought-provoking speakers – legendary thinkers and doers in the fields of business, strategy, performance, entertainment, leadership and motivation. Meet Mike! Say hi to Sahar! More dynamic speakers to be announced for PCBC 2025—watch this space for updates!

Wednesday, June 11, 8:00-10:00am

Mike Cessario

Entertain or Die: Day Trading Attention for the 21st Century

Advertising is easy. Entertaining is hard. Mike Cessario is the founder and CEO of Liquid Death, a canned water company with a punk rock aura and the tagline “murder your thirst.” Passionate about health, fitness and sustainability, Cessario created Liquid Death with a vision of taking the healthiest thing you can drink, packaging it in infinitely recyclable tallboy cans, and competing with the fun marketing of unhealthy brands across energy drinks, beer, and junk food. At PCBC, he’ll share how Liquid Death achieves outsized returns with an entertainment-first mindset.

Thursday, June 12

Dr. Sahar Yousef

Tuning the Brain for Creativity and Innovation

At last year’s PCBC, cognitive neuroscientist Sahar Yousef rocked our minds—and tamed our phones—with her keynote on the science of optimizing productivity and performance. This year, back by popular demand, she’ll share all new research findings on creativity and innovation—and how to unlock them in yourself and your company. In addition to teaching MBA courses at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Dr. Yousef runs the Becoming Superhuman Lab, where she helps executive teams get their most important work done, in less time, with less stress.

More Keynote Speakers

Wednesday's afternoon lineup brings you engaging experts on the economy, consumer sentiment, and behavioral design.

Wednesday, June 11, 3:00-5:00pm

Christopher Thornberg, PhD Founder, Beacon Economics Christopher Thornberg has been called many things throughout his career—“Dr. Doom,” a contrarian, even an optimist—but his favorite thing to be called is correct. He is the founder of Beacon Economics, one of the most respected research organizations in the nation. Known for his data-rich presentations that are as entertaining as they are enlightening, Dr. Thornberg will share his outlook for what’s ahead in the economy, housing markets, and perhaps most importantly, the narratives we’re telling ourselves about the state of the world.
J. Walker Smith, PhD Chief Knowledge Officer, Kantar Consulting No one peers into the hearts and minds of American shoppers quite like J. Walker Smith, one of the nation’s leading analysts of consumer trends. He’s a regular on PCBC’s main stage for a reason—every year he brings new research and insights into the attitudes, values, expectations and behaviors of today’s (and tomorrow’s) buyers. As markets and marketing move increasingly AI-driven, Walker will help us keep human connection at the heart of business and brand strategy.
Kevin Kelley, AIA Principal and Co-Founder, Shook Kelley Kevin Kelley’s specialty is getting inside the minds of consumers to determine how the physical environment affects their behaviors, perceptions, and purchase decisions. He is an attention architect and co-founder of Shook Kelley, a strategic design firm that pioneered the field of “convening.” Through engaging storytelling, human insights, and proven design techniques, Kevin will reveal why physical places are essential to civil society, business, and community—and how we can do a better job of creating them.