John Foppe

Born without arms, John Foppe understands firsthand the difficult gaps between envisioning an outcome and achieving it. He holds a master's degree in social work and operates his own training business, which has reached over 15 different countries. Additionally, Foppe is a husband and father and runs a large non-profit agency.

Foppe has learned that a person's ability to do something is not dependent on having all sorts of ability, time, and money. Instead, making something happen has more to do with one's personal sense of value and ability to cast a vision. He was mentored by Zig Ziglar, who recognized his innovative approaches. His speaking topics include management, vision, change, strategy, peak performance, and conflict management.

He has developed a variety of solutions to help individuals and leaders overcome their exasperation and translate their visions into outcomes. These include methods such as the "Ellipse" to help navigate problems and achieve visions. He offers keynote programs such as "Cracking the Code," "Being an Executor, Not an Executioner," and "You Reap What You Sow," focusing on overcoming resistance within organizations and fostering strong execution practices.

In 1995, Foppe launched the successful corporate motivation business, Visionary Velocity Worldwide, that has taken him to over 25 countries, pro-football organizations like the Miami Dolphins, and to Fortune 500 clients such as Boeing, GE, and State Farm, and international companies such as Fortis, ST Microelectronics, and UniCredit. He is the author of "What's Your Excuse? Making the Most of What You Have," which has been translated into six foreign languages.

In 1993, the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) recognized John Foppe as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Americans." In the non-profit world, he has put his leadership and motivation skills to work helping the less fortunate by serving as the Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul - St. Louis Council. In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate in Humanities and Public Service from Saint Louis University.