Introducing the 2025 LCI Congress Keynote Speakers
Congress is bigger in Texas—and our powerhouse keynote speakers will share big ideas to inspire Lean innovation!
Keynotes Jesse Itzler and Christopher Voss will share their unique stories in the context of the 2025 LCI Congress theme, Building Champions: Constructing the Game Plan for Lean Success. They’ll each bring unparalleled expertise and transformative insights to the stage. 2025 Congress Co-Chairs Jennifer Lacy and Keyan Zandy offer, “Both speakers will push us to lead boldly, embrace continuous learning, and break through barriers—all essential to advancing Lean construction.”
Learn more about our 2025 keynote speakers—and don’t miss the chance to see them in person at the 2025 LCI Congress, October 20-24, in Arlington, Texas!
Jesse Itzler, Author of Living With a Seal, Co-Founder of Marquis Jet, and Owner of the Atlanta Hawks
A successful serial entrepreneur, Jesse Itzler’s mission is to continually raise the bar. With a passion for endurance challenges, he completed Ultraman in 2022 at the age of 53—an event that includes a 6.2-mile open water swim, a 261.4-mile bike ride, and a 52.4-mile run—the same year he sold his endurance hiking company, 29029 Everesting, to iFit. These achievements are nothing new for Jesse, who has also completed a 100-mile ultramarathon, sold Marquis Jet to Warren Buffett in 2010, and partnered with Zico Coconut Water, which was sold to Coca-Cola in 2013.
An Unconventional Career Path
Jesse’s career path is as unconventional as it is inspiring. He began as a rapper on MTV in 1991, managed the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC, and even wrote the anthem for the New York Knicks. He often says, “You don’t have to be the smartest in the room, but you have to be the most passionate.” Jesse shares his principles and best practices through his online course and coaching program, where thousands have embraced his lifestyle approach and applied it to their own lives.
Training, Learning, Writing, and Plunging
When he’s not training with Navy SEALs (check out his book, Living with a Seal) or learning from monks (Living with the Monks), you can find him plunging into cold water and sweating it out in saunas as part of his latest venture, All Day Running Co. This innovative brand combines race-like endurance challenges—such as half-marathons and marathons—with retreat-like experiences featuring cold and heat exposure.
Tying It All in With Lean
Jesse will share his inspiration and approach to success as it relates to Lean tools and tactics. Jennifer Lacy and Keyan Zandy sum it up: “Entrepreneur, bestselling author, and endurance athlete, Jesse lives life outside the comfort zone—and challenges others to do the same. Whether it’s building and selling multiple companies, running 100-mile races, or inviting a Navy SEAL to move in with him (yes, really!), Jesse embodies the Lean mindset of continuous improvement and resilience. His story will inspire us to think bigger, push limits, and challenge the status quo—key principles for transforming the construction industry.”
Chris Voss, Former Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator for the FBI and CEO of The Black Swan Group
Former FBI hostage negotiator and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Chris Voss shares a methodology that can be applied anywhere in the world—a strategy to build stronger relationships in less time and empower audiences to negotiate deals they once thought impossible.
FBI and Anti-terrorism Roles
Chris served as the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator and hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s Hostage Working Group. He also represented the U.S. at two G-8-sponsored conferences as a kidnapping expert. Previously, Chris was the lead crisis negotiator for the FBI’s New York City Division and a 14-year member of the New York City Joint Terrorist Task Force. His high-profile cases include TERRSTOP (the Blind Sheikh Case – Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman), the TWA Flight 800 catastrophe, and the successful negotiation of the first hostage taker to surrender during the Chase Manhattan bank robbery.
Bestselling Author on Negotiating
Chris is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It and The Full Fee Agent: How to Stack the Odds in Your Favor as a Real Estate Professional. With 24 years of FBI experience and training from the FBI, Scotland Yard, and Harvard Law School, Chris has developed a unique, globally recognized approach to negotiation.
Business Applications and Accolades
He is the founder & CEO of The Black Swan Group and teaches a popular MasterClass on negotiation. His accolades include the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement and the FBI Agents Association Award for Distinguished and Exemplary Service. Chris draws on his extensive experience in international crises and high-stakes negotiations to create programs that bring these proven techniques into the business world.
Relating his Expertise to Lean Design and Construction
Chris will share his expertise on negotiating as it relates to Lean practices and the design and construction industry. Our 2025 Congress Co-Chairs note, “In construction, just like in negotiations, alignment, trust, and collaboration are everything. Chris will teach us the power of tactical empathy, active listening, and influence—critical skills for leading teams, resolving conflicts, and driving success in lean project delivery.”
Keep up with the latest on Congress and its keynotes—
- Follow Lean Construction Institute, Jesse Itzler, and Christopher Voss on Linkedin.
- Check out Congress content and add your own using #LCICongress25.
- Save the date for the 2025 LCI Congress, October 20-24, in Arlington, Texas—registration will open soon!
Questions on the Congress program?
Contact Joan Piccariello with any questions about the Congress program.
Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this year’s Congress?
Email Ilene Goldberg or call (703) 785-9087 for more information.