Keynote speaker:

Paul Vaden

Paul ("The Ultimate") Vaden Philosophy:

There are moments in your life when challenges beat you down, and you have a minute to make a decision.  "Answering the Bell" is getting up in the face of life's challenges when that bell rings.  "Answer the Bell" is unrelenting.  Once you relent you become like everyone else.
 

Paul “The Ultimate” Vaden, former World Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion, is a motivational speaker, mentor, life coach, advisor, author and TV commentator. Through his wit, charm, and openness, he motivates and inspires both clients and audiences to strive for excellence in every aspect of their lives; whether it is business, personal, or physical health. 

Vaden started boxing at the age of eight with dreams of becoming a World Champion, as an amateur he held a ring record of 327 wins and 10 losses. In his professional boxing career, he held a record of 29 wins, 3 losses, and 16 KOs. He won the 1995 IBF Light Middleweight World Championship, 1999 USBA Jr. Middleweight Championship and the 1994 IBF Intercontinental Jr. Middleweight Championship. On September 26, 2009 he was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame. On February 16,, 2016, Paul became the third boxer ever to be inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame. On October 15, 2017 he became the first native San Diegan to be inducted into the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame.

After retiring from boxing, he began commentating for boxing telecasts on TV and served as the Global Health Advisor for Qualcomm, Inc.  He also realized that he could help motivate and encourage others through his own experiences, which led to the start of his training programs, motivational seminars, and corporate wellness programs which are defined by the premise that he has followed his entire life: Answer The Bell. His speaking programs include: corporate speaking, conference speaking, keynote speaking, Answer the Bell Seminars, Team Building Boxing Adventures and special events.  

Paul is also a dedicated community member — volunteering his time at schools and with charity organizations. Currently Paul serves as San Diego Chapter Board President for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and is a board member for the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC). 

In 2013, Paul Vaden published his first book Answer the Bell: Inventing Your Life as a Champion. The book gives his readers a first-hand account of his rise to becoming a World Champion, the struggles he endured and overcame after a fateful fight in 1999 and ultimately his reinvention into an inspirational leader. Vaden Versus, an award-winning documentary short film was released in 2017 and played at film festivals and special screenings throughout the globe.   To learn more about Paul, click here.