NIO Summit 2026 Speakers
NIO is intentionally designed as a single-track experience, bringing every attendee into the same room for the same conversations. Instead of splitting the audience across competing sessions, we curate one shared lineup of speakers covering the topics nonprofit leaders need most right now—from AI and writing to data, digital strategy, content, and growth. The result is a more focused event, a stronger collective experience, and a program built to help teams think bigger across disciplines.
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.
Robert Rose, Seventh Bear
Robert Rose has spent 25+ years helping brands build marketing that matters. He is the founder of Seventh Bear and Chief Strategy Advisor to the Content Marketing Institute, where he has advised more than 500 brands, including Adidas, GM, and United Way.
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.
Lucia van den Brink, The Initial
Lucia van den Brink built her first website at 11. Today, she runs The Initial, a CRO agency focused on driving growth through A/B testing for international brands like Semrush, British Airways, and Fella Health.
She’s known for challenging the traditional agency model and believes companies shouldn’t rent experimentation—they should own it. That’s why she works closely with teams to embed experimentation into their organization and make it a true driver of growth.
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.
Ben Smithee, NextAfter
Ben is a strategist and storyteller who helps organizations grow through strong relationships, clear strategy, and bold ideas. He brings 15+ years of experience across global brands, nonprofits, and startups.
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.
Sarah Fargusson, Cornershop Creative
Sarah Fargusson is a digital strategist and nonprofit leader who helps mission-driven organizations grow through smarter systems, stronger teams, and more effective digital strategy. She leads a multidisciplinary team supporting more than 50 nonprofits nationwide.
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.
James Poulter, ThreePoint Labs
James "JP" Poulter is a leading AI strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of ThreePoint Labs, an AI transformation consultancy helping organisations navigate the shift to intelligent working with clarity, ethics and purpose.
Former CEO of Vixen Labs - a voice AI company he founded and sold to House 337 in 2023 - and previously Head of Emerging Platforms at The LEGO Group, JP brings rare depth across both start-up and enterprise scale. He has advised organisations including Amazon, Verizon, Bosch and Universal Music, delivered more than 250 keynotes worldwide, and is a committed advocate for ethical AI implementation, serving on the board of Christian Aid.
A frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader, JP has spoken at major events including Forbes conferences, CES, and the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. His upcoming book, “AI @ Work: How to Build a Full Stack Organization,” launching in August 2026, presents his “AI Nervous System” framework for helping organizations adopt AI in a practical, ethical, and human-centered way.
Matt Pearl, Pearl impact Media
Matt Pearl has been telling stories through video for more than two decades. With Pearl Impact Media, he works with nonprofits nationwide to uncover the real, human stories that build trust, move people to act, and serve fundraising and awareness goals long after the first showing.
Before this work, Matt spent years as a TV news reporter and videographer. He covered the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and political conventions, and won national awards for stories spotlighting the issues facing our communities - and the organizations bringing solutions. The expertise and ethics that guided Matt as a journalist drive his approach to nonprofit video storytelling: rooted in authenticity, designed with strategy, and focused on impact.
Kyle Hill, NextAfter
Kyle Hill is an Account Director at NextAfter who brings a rare blend of nonprofit leadership and hands-on marketing experience to his work with clients.
He began his career at a small nonprofit ministry where he served as a one-person marketing team, optimizing the organization’s website, implementing new strategies, and building its digital fundraising program. His success in that role eventually led to his appointment as Executive Director, giving him experience across nearly every facet of organizational leadership.
Later, Kyle launched his own freelance marketing business, helping small business owners develop clear and effective marketing strategies. Today at NextAfter, he draws on that background to help nonprofit leaders build stronger donor relationships and inspire greater generosity.
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 SNL, but they won’t return his calls.
Dana Lau, Cast
Dana is a multi-hyphenate creator and storyteller with two decades of experience on stage and screen. After building her career through commercial and print work, she developed a deep understanding of both the craft and business of acting. Now entering her third decade as a working actor, Dana brings that blend of artistry, strategy, resilience, and real-world experience to her teaching and coaching.
Isaac Loyal, Cast
Isaac Loyal is an actor, writer, and creative force from Baltimore whose work spans stage, television, film, literature, and advocacy. With degrees in Business and Social Work, he brings a deep understanding of human behavior and emotional truth to his performances, earning praise for HBO’s We Own This City and The White House Plumbers. He is also the author of the children’s book My Dad Is and Grief Workbook: A 10-Week Journey Toward Healing, and serves as President of The huMAN Project, a nonprofit supporting men and boys through therapeutic resources and community programming.
Kelsey Pribilski, Cast
Kelsey Pribilski is a veteran indie actor and long time horror fan whose screen career began with the lead role in Eric Church’s CMA-nominated “Springsteen” music video. She has since appeared in national commercials, hosted Hulu’s three-season food travel series BBQuest, and starred in the found-footage horror film Man Finds Tape, which premiered at Tribeca.
Lucas McCutchen, Cast
Lucas is a versatile comedian and storyteller known for dynamic work on stage, screen, and social media. His channel, @LucasForHire, has earned over 240K followers through solo characters and comedic lifestyle content. He also co-founded Egg Party, Austin’s only sketch comedy group living under one roof, produced seven original sketch shows, opened for acts like Jamie Loftus at Austin Sketch Fest 2023, and holds a monthly residency at Fallout Theater.
The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit is presented by NextAfter.
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