Keynote speakers and Juilliard-trained musicians Maria Kaneko Millar and Shawn Wyckoff are on a mission to foster innovation. As Co-Founders of Sonic Escape, they’ve traveled the world and presented on hundreds of legendary stages across 45 North American states and provinces. In fact, Maria's larger-than-life stage presence stems from her first job as Dancing Fiddler in Riverdance On Broadway!
As speakers, Shawn and Maria bring a combined 40 years of professional presentation experience to the stage… not to mention a lifetime of elite training. Their method – using music as a metaphor to spur innovation – combines infectious energy and a dynamic communication style to inspire individuals, teams and organizations alike.
In their keynote presentation Fearless Innovation, Maria and Shawn urge audiences to embrace change and leverage it as a competitive advantage. Stories, audience participation and unforgettable takeaways leave listeners pumped up and ready to act!
Shawn and Maria have shared their expertise across a diverse range of industries: Innovation & Entrepreneurship (clients include We the Planet and Northwestern University’s Kellogg Innovation Network), Music Education (clients include some of the most pioneering arts organizations in the world such as the National Association for Music Education and Florida Music Education Association), and Health & Wellness (clients include New York City’s epic Veg Food Festival).
Maria and Shawn's passion shines through everything they do; others describe their style as extremely energetic, fun and relatable, or as The Washington Post writes, “wonderfully imaginative… smile-inducing… impressive.” After big-city living in Manhattan and Toronto, Maria and Shawn are loving life in friendly Martinsburg, WV. However, you’ll find them wherever planes, cars, rollerblades, skis or their 2 cats take them.