Presenter Biography

Jim Platzer

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Keynote Speaker

 

Jim Platzer is a former President of a distribution facility for a Fortune 500 company forced to an early retirement due to retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative condition that leads to blindness. After a challenging transition, Jim found Leader Dogs for the Blind, who matched him with a dog and trained them both to see the world in an entirely new way leading to a renewed sense of purpose.

 

Today, Jim is a keynote motivational speaker. His message? Your most important sense is your sense of purpose.

 

At his engagements, Jim transports you to the world he experiences each day. Through his true story and everyday experiences, Jim conveys a message of self-­empowerment and hopes that will change how you communicate inside and outside your organization.

 

Jim has built an impressive reputation in the business field as a sought after motivational speaker through his engagements with Audi, Lincoln, Purina, The Cheesecake Factory and others. His story is relatable and will invite you to exceed expectations and live your life with a driven perspective.

 

Meet our other presenters:

 

Presenters

 

Mary K. Alexander, Learning Ally

 

Lauren Ayton, PhD, Bionic Eye Technologies

 

Benjamin Bakall, MD, PhD, University of Arizona, Phoenix

 

Shyamanga Borooah, PhD, University of California, San Diego

 

Shannon Boye, PhD, University of Florida

 

David Brint, Foundation Fighting Blindness

 

Martel Catalano, MBA, Beyond My Battle

 

Daniel C. Chung, DO, MA, Spark Therapeutics

 

Dennis Clegg, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

 

W. Halden Conner, PMD, Nacuity Pharmaceuticals

 

Gerald Cox, MD, PhD, Editas Medicine

 

Emmett Cunningham, Jr, MD, PhD, MPH , Clarus Funds

 

Stephen Daiger, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

 

Erica Davis, PhD, Duke University

 

Jacque Duncan, MD, University of California, San Francisco

 

Neva Fairchild, Federation for the Blind

 

John Flannery, PhD, University of California, Berkeley

 

David Gamm, MD, PhD, University of Wisconsin­ Madison

 

Zack Gittlen, Outreach Coordinator for Guide Dogs of America

 

Vi Hau, MD, PhD, Outreach Coordinator for Guide Dogs of America

 

Mark Humayun, MD, University of Southern California

 

Richard Hunter, USABA Marathon National Championships

 

Maria Johnson, Girl Gone Blind

 

Ryan Jones, VFO Group

 

Christine Kay, MD, Vitreo Retinal Associates

 

Joe LaMountain, Reingold, Inc.

 

Brian Mansfield, PhD, Foundation Fighting Blindness

 

Michael McCaleb, PhD, Ionis Pharmaceuticals

 

Trevor McGill, PhD, Oregon Health and Science University

 

Jennifer Phillips, PhD, University of Oregon

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Jim Platzer

 

Rebbie Radtke, San Diego Center for the Blind

 

Roxana Radu PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

 

Thomas Reh, PhD, University of Washington

 

Ben Shaberman, MA, MS, Foundation Fighting Blindness

 

Timothy Stout MD, PhD, MBA, Baylor College of Medicine

 

Ed Summers, Statistical Analysis Software Corporation

 

David Telander MD, PhD, Retinal Consultant Medical Group, Sacramento

 

Douglas Walker, The Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired

 

David Williams, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

 

Jessie Wolinsky

 

Paul Yang, MD, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University

 

Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, Foundation Fighting Blindness

 

Marco Zarbin, MD, PhD, FACS, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

 

Kelsey Zegar MS, CGC, InformedDNA

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