2025 PMI South Dakota Summit

Introduction
Rana DeBoer is a dynamic keynote speaker who blends valuable insights, compelling stories, and actionable tools to help people unlock their potential and drive real results. With over 15 years of experience in organizational health and development, Rana approaches her work through the lens of leadership, resilience, and culture. Her strategic approach to enhancing physical and social environments to maximize both human potential and business success has made her a sought after speaker, consultant, and mentor in the field. . Known for her contagious energy, Rana inspires audiences to elevate their leadership with intent, influence, and impact. More than a speaker, she’s a coach who empowers and energizes with relatable expertise and actionable solutions.

Coach It! Communicate to Connect
Great project leaders don’t just manage—they coach. This keynote uncovers how adopting a coach-like mindset fosters clarity, connection, collaboration, courage, and creativity. Discover practical techniques to empower teams, ask better questions, and create a culture of continuous growth for sustained project success.

Introduction

Scott Meyer is an entrepreneur, educator, writer, dad, husband, and runner based in Fargo, ND. ...Yep, like the movie.

He co-founded Chipp with goal of making AI accessible for all. Chipp makes it easy for businesses to integrate AI guaranteering privacy, branding, and integrations. His energetic, accessible, and action-oriented courses and tutorials on YouTube move AI from a cool toy to an essential tool. Previously, Meyer co-founded and exited the digital marketing firm 9 Clouds, launched the entrepreneurship center at North Dakota State University, and was the VP of Learning at Metacrafters, teaching developers web3 and AI. When not working online, he is helping his wife Taylor build a stunning jewelry store in downtown Fargo.

State of AI and Agents
Back by popular demand, Scott Meyer returns for another installment of AI and the impact to Project Management. Scott brings his humor and insights to walk us through what’s new, what to expect, and Agents at play!

Introduction

With nearly 20 years of experience in banking, compliance, fintech, leadership, and business strategy, I’ve built a career around transforming complex challenges into meaningful opportunities. I’m passionate about helping leaders and teams grow, whether through coaching, consulting, or strategic guidance that brings clarity, builds trust, and drives real impact.

Radical Collaboration in Micro-Cultures: Driving Change in Project Management

Project managers operate at the intersection of multiple organizational cultures, where leadership styles, collaboration norms, and communication dynamics vary across departments. To drive success, they must create a micro-culture within their projects, one that balances high expectations with trust, psychological safety, and continuous improvement. Radical collaboration, rooted in transparency and inclusivity, allows teams to break down silos, align diverse perspectives, and foster innovation despite differing leadership approaches throughout the company.

Key Themes & Takeaways:

Project Managers as Cultural Architects
Radical Collaboration is Built on Trust
Navigating Organizational Silos

Introduction

Brian Alementi is an acclaimed Inspirational Keynote Speaker, award-winning leader, and certified Master Trainer renowned for engaging presentations that combine inspiration with practical, actionable insights. With a rich background in elevating teams, Brian brings his experience as a previous leader within a Fortune 500 Insurance company’s Hall of Fame learning and development division, where his dedication to growth and excellence shaped high-performing teams across the organization. His impact reaches far and wide, with numerous features on major television networks and invitations to speak on prominent stages, including TEDx. Brian’s influence continues to expand as he empowers audiences to unlock their full potential and achieve remarkable results. With decades of public speaking experience, he has empowered audiences by delivering transformative sessions that enhance productivity and connection. Brian resonates across industries, making his sessions unforgettable and actionable.

Elevating Leadership: Unlocking Excellence by Leading with Purpose

With this game-changing keynote, participants will explore the core principles of purpose-driven leadership and gain actionable strategies for integrating positivity into their leadership approach.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or aspiring to enhance your leadership skills, this keynote promises to ignite your passion for purpose-driven leadership and empower you to create a lasting impact in your organization and community.

Introduction

Sharon Kreitinger is a project recovery and PMO strategy expert who thrives on transforming failing initiatives into strategic successes. As the Founder & Principal Consultant of AxysPoint Consulting Group, she helps organizations navigate complex project challenges, align strategy with execution, and drive measurable results across industries such as healthcare, finance, construction, pharma, and consumer goods.

With 20+ years of experience, Sharon specializes in project recovery, risk mitigation, and stakeholder alignment. She ensures organizations rescue struggling projects and build long-term resilience in their portfolios. She has led high-stakes transformations, including reviving a $10M digital project, stabilizing multimillion-dollar M&A integrations, and guiding executive teams through large-scale change. Sharon’s approach is direct, practical, and results-driven, making her a sought-after consultant for organizations that can’t afford to let projects fail. She is deeply engaged in the PMO and project management community, regularly sharing insights on data-driven decision-making, leadership, and strategic execution. In 2025, she joined the South Dakota Chapter of PMI as the Director of the Community of Practice (CoP), helping drive thought leadership and professional development for project managers across the state. Sharon is fueled by connection and the power of good humans. She finds joy in training for her second marathon, biking, hiking, and traveling with her husband, Troy, and their two incredible adult children, Taylor & Brady.

From Chaos to Control: Mastering the Art of Project Recovery and Resilience

Projects go off track for many reasons—scope creep, misalignment, poor communication, or resource constraints. But a struggling project doesn’t have to mean failure. In this session, we’ll dive into the proven strategies that turn troubled projects around, restoring confidence, momentum, and success. You’ll learn how to assess the true health of a project, identify key risks, and implement targeted recovery actions that make an immediate impact. We’ll explore real-world examples of project turnarounds, uncover the common warning signs of failure, and discuss how to reset expectations with leadership and teams. Whether you’re currently managing a project in distress or want to build a proactive toolkit for the future, this session will give you the insights and techniques to lead project recoveries with clarity, precision, and authority.

Introduction

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to heal workplaces, help teams build psychological safety and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges by embracing a play-oriented approach to work. Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Huffpost, Wired, NPR, NatGeo, & Forbes. Jeff has worked with Google, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. Over the past 15 years of facilitation and speaking, Jeff’s main goal has been to help work suck less by assisting leaders in building a playground workplace atmosphere that motivates their staff to do their most vibrant work.

How Ted Lasso’s Leadership Style Can Help Build Psychological Safety

85% of employees are disengaged at work. Staff leave because they don't feel seen, heard, or appreciated. Who knew the answer to this lies in a show called Ted Lasso? Ted's leadership style is vital for companies because it demonstrates the effectiveness of a more holistic and inclusive approach to being a leader. It combines empathy, intuition, and
collaboration, which creates a compassionate work culture. He balances it with cultivating assertiveness, decisiveness, and accountability, which leads to a more productive and results-oriented work culture. Ted Lasso also embraces play as crucial to building camaraderie and a solid foundation for AFC Richmond.
In this workshop, we will explore how play and positive psychology are essential to building psychological safety in this surreal new reality of work. We will analyze through the lens of Ted Lasso what currently needs to be added to your workplace that would create the culture your staff is looking for to feel comfortable playing. Finally, we will determine the initial steps you need to take to create a "stay curious" environment where staff can do their most vibrant work.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the leadership traits Ted Lasso exhibits to build psychological
  safety.
• Learn to incorporate aspects of Ted Lasso’s leadership currently
  missing within your management style.
• Determine immediate action steps that can be applied to ensure your staff feels seen, heard, and appreciated.
• Explore strategies to implement psychological safety techniques
  within the team that they can practice in real-time.
  
  Length: 60 Minutes