Speakers

President of the University of Detroit Mercy

Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the 25th and first lay president of University of Detroit Mercy, a Catholic, Doctoral/Professional University sponsored by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Religious Sisters of Mercy. 

Since June 2011, Dr. Garibaldi has led Detroit Mercy in accomplishing multiple strategic goals in enrollment and retention, academics, fundraising and community engagement. A tenured Professor of Education and nationally noted scholar, Dr. Garibaldi is the author of eleven books and more than 90 research articles and chapters. In 2015, he was selected among Crain’s Detroit Business “100 Most Connected People in Detroit;” and he was named one of metro Detroit and Michigan’s most powerful business leaders in “The Detroit 500” publication of DBusiness magazine in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

A recognized leader in national higher education, he currently serves on the boards of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU); Conference for Mercy Higher Education (CMHE); Georgetown University; Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); Horizon League Athletic Conference, which he previously chaired; and the Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities (MICU) Executive Committee. In the local civic community, he is a member of the boards of Brother Rice High School; Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA); Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he serves as Chairman; Detroit Police Chief’s Community Advisory Board; Invest Detroit; Live6 Alliance; and New Detroit, Inc.

Dr. Garibaldi is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, also known as the Boulé. In August 2020, he was elected Grand Sire Archon-Elect (president-elect) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, the oldest African American fraternity in the country founded in 1904, and will serve as Grand Sire Archon (president) from August 2022 – 2024. He chaired the Grand Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Postsecondary Education Access from 2018 to 2020; was a member of the fraternity’s Commission on Young African American Males from 2012 to 2014 and the Education Commission from 2010 to 2012; and served as Chairman of the Grand Social Action Committee of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity in 2006-08 and as Vice Chairman in 2008-10.

He has received numerous honors, including four honorary doctorates from Our Lady of Holy Cross College (LA), Seton Hall University, Gannon University and University of Saint Thomas (MN); the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota; the Howard University Alumni Award for Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement in the field of education; the Papal honor of Knight of St. Gregory the Great; the National Service Award from the International Salute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; “Person of the Year Award” from the University of Notre Dame Club of Erie; and the Michigan Chronicle’s 2013 Men of Excellence Award.

A native of New Orleans, he received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude in Sociology from Howard University and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Clayton Reid is Chairman of MMGY Global, a $100 million integrated marketing firm with offices around the world, including in Detroit. Considered one of the travel industry’s top minds in marketing and strategic planning, he has worked with global travel, destination, and hospitality companies for three decades, including Bermuda Tourism, Disney, Lufthansa, Marriott, Princess Cruises and Uber. Heavily involved with industry advocacy, Clayton is a sought-after speaker and has been featured by news organizations such as Bloomberg, CNN, Fox Business, NBC News, NPR, The New York Times, and Vice News.

In 2022, he received the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the global travel industry.

Clayton is an advocate for sustainability and social cause in travel, being featured by Skift and Forbes for MMGY’s global push to make travel a platform for equality and understanding. He currently sits on the board of the Midwest Innocence Project, an organization committed to exonerating the wrongly accused.

Clayton graduated from The University of Kansas with a B.A. in Journalism & Business Marketing and studied Hospitality and Tourism at New York University’s School of Professional Studies.

As an internationally recognized speaker, Phil has shared his wisdom and inspired audiences in 43 different states and four continents to over 250,000 people. Phil’s valuable insights are the result of working with people for over 25 years as a high school teacher, college admissions professional, marketing coordinator, corporate trainer, and even small business owner. He is a mentor and consultant to young entrepreneurs and employs his diverse background and skill-set as the Managing Director of the BridgeWorks team.

Phil brings his unique humor, experiences, research, and generational expertise to every keynote, workshop and training session he delivers. He is a firm believer that with the proper motivation, training, and support system, members of any generation are capable of remarkable accomplishments. With his down-to-earth, relatable style and dedication to presenting research in a digestable, entertaining way, Phil has become a fast favorite with audiences around the country both virtually and in person.