NIO Summit 2026 Speakers
Our programming team is actively reviewing submissions and curating the strongest possible lineup for this year’s event. As speakers are confirmed and sessions are finalized, we’ll continue updating the agenda—so be sure to check back regularly to see what’s coming to NIO Summit this year.
Amy Harrison, Write With Influence
Amy Harrison is a sales copywriter, consultant, and speaker who helps businesses craft clearer, more compelling sales stories. Based in East Yorkshire and working primarily with U.S. clients, she has been running HarrisonAmy since 2008, offering copywriting, consultancy, and training.
Originally trained as a screenwriter, Amy brings a storyteller’s lens to business messaging, helping founders and teams turn vague marketing language into bold, specific copy that drives conversions. She is especially known for helping small businesses with large reach create stronger emails, landing pages, downloads, and customer journeys that move prospects from interest to action.
Wil Reynolds, Seer Interactive
Wil likes helping people and businesses grow. A former teacher with a knack for advising, he’s been helping Fortune 500 companies develop SEO strategies since 1999. As the industry evolved, so has Wil’s approach to client work.
In recent years, Wil has been leading the charge to leverage “Big Data” to break down silos between SEO, PPC, and traditional marketing -- pulling together data from various sources to see the big picture. Wil’s data-driven approach to consulting helps clients and teams make better, more strategic, cross-channel decisions and hit the ground running with actionable insights to start generating results and revenue.
While data is at the forefront of Wil’s approach, so is wanting to help others grow and better themselves. Seeing the need for an agency that does good by its team, clients and community, Wil started Seer Interactive in 2002 as a one-man operation out of his living room. Today, Seer is home to over 180 employees across Philadelphia and San Diego. As Seer’s Director of Digital Strategy, Wil develops strategies and innovations to help clients build traffic and make money. His methods have shaped the search industry worldwide, and he speaks regularly at marketing conferences across the globe. In his free time, Wil hangs out with his wife Nora, sons Rio & Niko and pup Coltrane.
Sarah Fargusson, Cornershop Creative
Sarah Fargusson is a digital strategist and nonprofit leader who helps mission-driven organizations grow their impact through smarter systems, stronger teams, and more effective digital work. She leads a multidisciplinary team at Cornershop Creative, supporting more than 50 progressive nonprofits across the country in amplifying their messages online.
A self-described “nonprofit junkie,” Sarah brings experience from both inside organizations and as a partner through boutique agencies. Her background spans strategic planning, community engagement, fundraising, and capacity building. This dual perspective shapes her practical, collaborative approach to building systems that turn good intentions into measurable results.
Sarah is also a trained facilitator who helps teams align, problem-solve, and move forward with clarity. She lives in Norfolk, Virginia with her family and enjoys spending time on the beaches of the Chesapeake Bay.
Ben Smithee, NextAfter
At his core, Ben is a strategist, storyteller, and connector. He is passionate about helping organizations grow by building meaningful relationships, crafting clear strategies, and bringing bold ideas to life. His career began in consumer intelligence, analytics, and digital marketing, and over the past 15+ years, he has led initiatives for global brands, innovative nonprofits, and startups alike.
Ben has traveled around the world speaking and coaching executive teams through business transformation, while also developing marketing frameworks that help organizations scale by moving from confusion to clarity. At NextAfter, Ben focuses on amplifying the organization’s mission, deepening client and partner relationships, and driving growth in both purpose and performance. He leads the marketing, sales, and events teams, shares NextAfter’s knowledge with as many leaders as possible, and supports the team’s mission to unleash generosity.
At the center of Ben’s life is his role as a husband and dad. He is an avid outdoorsman, adventure-seeker, and is always looking for the next opportunity to spend time on a golf course. If you have not connected with Ben yet, he would love to change that. His door — and inbox — are always open.
Robert Rose, Seventh Bear
Robert Rose has spent more than 25 years convincing marketers to stop producing content and start building something that matters. As the founder of Seventh Bear and Chief Strategy Advisor to the Content Marketing Institute, he's worked with more than 500 brands — from scrappy startups to household names like Adidas, GM, and United Way — helping them transform marketing from a cost center into a genuine business asset.
He's an author of six books on the topic of modern marketing and business, a sought-after keynote speaker who has taken the stage in more than 25 countries, and the kind of advisor who tells you the thing your internal team has been afraid to say out loud. His course on content marketing strategy is the American Marketing Association’s certification standard on the topic. When he's not advising CMOs or keynoting marketing conferences, Robert is writing music, exploring the intersections of creativity and consciousness, and advocating loudly for the idea that the best marketing isn't faster or louder — it's more intentional.
Joe Pulizzi, The Tilt
Joe Pulizzi is founder of multiple startups including Content Marketing Institute and The Tilt, and is the bestselling author of seven books including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine.
Joe is best known for his work in content marketing, first using the term in 2001. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. He successfully exited CMI in 2016 and consequently wrote an award-winning mystery novel, The Will to Die. His latest book is Burn the Playbook for recent grads and those working in a job with zero satisfaction. It was inspired by his two children.
His podcast, the award-winning marketing news show This Old Marketing with Robert Rose, is the longest running marketing news podcast on the planet. Joe's foundation, The Orange Effect, delivers speech therapy and technology services to over 450 children in 40+ states. Joe and his family live in Cleveland, Ohio.
More Speaker Announcements Coming!
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SNL NIO Cast
Our cast of performers will guide the evening with SNL-style comedy, memorable characters, and fundraising skits that keep the energy high and the mission front and center.
Brian Villalobos, Host
Brian is a multi-award-winning actor whose work includes HBO Max’s Emmy-nominated Love and Death, PBS’s How Are We Today, Accidental Texan, and Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½. He also voices Professor Clavell in Pokémon: Horizons and Lodi in the Destiny 2 franchise. This marks his fifth NIO Summit, where he will serve as our celebrity guest and host for the event.
Chrystal Frost, Cast
Chrystal is a professional performer and choreographer whose credits include A Chorus Line, Funny Girl, and Into the Woods. Offstage, she manages operations and digital communities, keeping projects from spiraling into chaos. She’s a firm believer that most problems can be solved with either a perfect spreadsheet, or a really good vibrato.
Joseph Meisner, Cast
Joseph is an actor and writer based in New York City. He has performed in several commercials and short films, as well as Off-Broadway plays and sketch comedy shows. He is a proud alumni of the University of Florida, and you can catch him in his most recent project: a commercial for Super Pretzel. He keeps trying to get onto the cast of Saturday Night Live, but they won’t return his calls.
More Cast Announcements Coming Soon!
The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit is presented by NextAfter.
5810 Tennyson Pkwy, Suite 102, Plano, TX 75024