Ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the Top 5 Most Respected Executive Coaches, Richard is a pioneer in the field of coaching. Founder and Chairman of The Inventure Group, a coaching firm in Minneapolis, MN, Richard has a worldwide coaching practice with many leading executives and organizations. As a seminar leader, he has taught over 100,000 executives from 50 corporations. Richard is a popular speaker and a best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including The Power of Purpose and Repacking Your Bags, both considered classics in the life/work planning field. A Nationally Certified Master Career Counselor, Richard holds a Master's degree in Counseling and is a Senior Fellow at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing. Along with his professional pursuits, he has been leading In- venture Expedition walking safaris for 25 years in Tanzania, East Africa. Believing that each of us is born with a purpose, Richard's purpose is to help people "discover the power of purpose."
David Shapiro is a philosopher, educator, and writer whose personal and professional interests revolve around questions of meaning and morality in life and work. He is a tenured faculty member in philosophy at Cascadia Community College outside Seattle, WA, and the co-author of three other books with Richard Leider, most recently, Claiming Your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose (Berrett-Koehler, 2004.) Additionally, David is Education Director of the Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children, a nonprofit that brings philosophy and philosophers into schools and community organizations around the Pacific Northwest. He defines his purpose as "creating community through dialogue and reflection."