Mental Health KC Conference

Thursday Keynote Speaker

Dr. Susan Biali Haas
Expert in Burnout Prevention, Stress Management, and Resilience | Mental Health Advocate

An award-winning medical doctor, Dr. Susan Biali Haas’ life passion is to equip people with the knowledge, skills, and tools that will help them to enjoy optimal mental health, avoid burnout, and increase their resilience. Formerly clinically depressed and burned out, Dr. Biali Haas turned her life around by extensively studying how to overcome these two debilitating conditions. Today, she inspires a broad range of clients — from military leaders and senior executives to physicians and other healthcare professionals — to take control of their health and start living more impactful, meaningful lives.

As a physician, Dr. Biali Haas boasts 20 years of primary care experience, working in urban medical clinics. She also worked as a mental health clinician, counseling patients with anxiety and depression during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to her work as an executive coach, her long list of speaking clients includes the US Navy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), McKinsey & Company, Google, and Deloitte.

Internationally recognized as a health and well-being influencer, Dr. Biali Haas is an in-demand expert for national and international media. She has been featured on The Today Show, Today with Hoda & Jenna, and BBC World Service, as well as Oprah.com, Forbes, Fast Company, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and The New York Post. She has also consulted as a coach for Cosmopolitan and was invited to speak about mental health on the “Cosmo Happy Hour” podcast.

A popular blogger for Psychology Today, Dr. Biali Haas’ articles have attracted more than ten million views. In addition, Dr. Biali Haas was invited to be a member of Chatelaine magazine’s Health Advisory Board and was the “Embrace Life Expert” for Reader’s Digest Best Health magazine. American Express recognized her as a “Real Life Potentialist”, someone who has branched from traditional paths to reach their full potential through pursuit of their passions.

Dr. Biali Haas holds a Doctorate of Medicine and a Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics from the University of British Columbia, and has received numerous academic and personal awards.

Friday Keynote Speakers

Jason Kander & Diana Kander

President Barack Obama – in the final interview of his presidency – was asked who gave him hope for America’s future, and the first person he mentioned was Jason Kander.

A former Army Captain who served in Afghanistan, Jason was elected to the Missouri state legislature in 2008 and as Missouri Secretary of State in 2012, making him the first millennial ever elected to statewide office. In 2016, while Donald Trump was winning Missouri by 19 points, Jason nearly unseated a Republican U.S. Senator. In 2017, he founded Let America Vote, a national campaign against voter suppression. His memoir, Outside the Wire, became a New York Times bestseller the following year.

Jason is the President of Veterans Community Project, a national non-profit organization, and the host of Majority54, one of the nation’s most popular political podcasts. His new book, Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD, will be published by Harper Collins on July 5th.

He lives in Kansas City with his wife Diana, their son True, and their daughter Bella. In his spare time, he coaches True’s Little League team and plays centerfield for the Kansas City Hustlers of the National Men’s Adult Baseball League.

Diana Kander is a keynote speaker on curiosity and innovation and a New York Times best selling author.