Austin Brooks is an 8-time Mid America Emmy winner for his work on feature and short length films, an accomplished content producer, strategist, and entrepreneur whose mission is to live the life of a connecter.  

It’s this mission that prompted Austin to sit down with a local entrepreneur, Jack Schultz, over 10 years ago to hear about his business journey. He left, charged with the belief that every student should have that same opportunity. And from that moment, the impetus for the CEO Program was born.

Today, the “kid who sparked the CEO movement” now serves as the Executive Director for the Midland Institute and helps communities across the nation launch their own CEO Programs. Austin is fueled by listening and learning about what business leaders and communities are building for the future. He is passionate about helping communities utilize the CEO Program to set themselves and their young people up for future success in a constantly evolving global marketplace.

“35 Year Journey From Teenage Magician / Entrepreneur To Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Nationwide With The CEO Program”

At the age of six, Chris Egelston became interested in the art of magic. He turned that hobby into an entrepreneurial journey when he performed his first paid professional Magic Show as a 15-year old. Turning his passion into profits led Chris to becoming an ardent and lifelong student of not just magic but also sales, marketing, motivation and other personal and professional development topics.

Chris quickly moved from being a pure Entertainer to becoming a Keynote Speaker and Corporate Trainer who uses his skills as a Corporate Entertainer (magician / mentalist) to make his presentations impactful and memorable. His engaging and interactive programs have audiences laughing and learning at the same time. Some of his presentations include Success Magic and the Magic of Customer Experience.

Along the way, Chris developed a strong passion for teaching high school and college students key life and business success skills. And when Chris first heard about the CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) Program in 2014, he immediately had two thoughts: “I wish I had thought of that” and “I wish I had that program when I was in high school.” Chris began visiting several CEO Classes each year sharing success secrets he’s learned over his lifetime along with some amazing magic.

In 2019, Chris’s passion for helping the next generation collided with an opportunity to join the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship as their Community Engagement Specialist. In this role, he speaks to audiences around the country about the CEO Program and helps communities that want to embrace this experience for their next generation build their own local programs. He also presents his keynote, “Engaging, Educating and Empowering Emerging Entrepreneurs,” for audiences at Economic Development, Community Foundation, Electric Cooperative, and Education Conferences around the country.

And Chris continues his now side hustle, as an entertainer at banquets, conferences, meetings, parties, receptions and more with his Magicomedy Show, Strolling Magic, Close-Up Magic Show and Emcee / M.C. – Magician of Ceremonies.

Chris earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and his M.B.A. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He currently resides in Carterville, Illinois with his wife Robin.

An opportunity to travel with Effingham County CEO’s first class was Kristy Sayers introduction to the CEO program. As a Business Educator, the trip provided a unique look into the development of a student driven program and further sparked her passion for creating realistic experiences for students. After six years, the Effingham CEO program expanded to two classes and Kristy joined as an additional facilitator. The transformation and growth of the students from August to May was a highlight of facilitating the program.   

As a Program Developer, Kristy brings five years experience as a facilitator in Effingham County CEO and twenty years as a high school Business Educator to the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship Team.  Kristy is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelors of science in Business Education and a Master of Science in Educational Administration. 

Kristy believes communities with CEO programs provide student development opportunities which in turn gives students a head start towards college and career. Additionally, the future economic development potential is increased when students have an awareness of what their hometown can offer. Kristy looks forward to working with CEO facilitators and community boards to expand the vision of the program. 

Ryan was the Montgomery CEO Facilitator for six years before joining the Midland Institute team. He developed his business and leadership skills in his early career as an executive with Target and then as a pastor for the past twenty years. His ability to inspire change has helped create and revive local businesses and restore an aging church into a community influencer. Ryan has pioneered the FBC Network, a partnering ministry with struggling churches, and recently created a Digital Advertising Business, It’s On the Sign Digital Marketing, to promote local businesses and community groups within surrounding communities. Ryan was awarded the Person of the Year Award by the Nokomis Chamber of Commerce in 2018. 

As a Program Developer, Ryan brings his experience as a creator and connector to the Midland Institute. Ryan believes CEO is akin to compounding interest, “learn now what you will need to know ten years from now. You will be ahead of your peers in everything you do.” Ryan’s experience as a facilitator and community leader will be a valuable resource for facilitators and boards looking to appropriate their resources more efficiently and influence their CEO teams more effectively. Helping young entrepreneurs realize their value in creating value does not only create a business but also creates opportunities to inspire their communities.

Erin Niebrugge has always had a passion to impact the education system. As a  senior in high school, she was inducted into the Golden Apple Scholars program where she spent summers during college gaining classroom experience by teaching summer school and learning from award winning teachers across the state. This program pushed Erin to challenge the ways that she had been exposed to education as a student. When she heard how the CEO program pushed education outside of a classroom, she had to know more. While in college, her hometown had just run their first year of the program. Erin decided to attend a ceremony for the first class to hear about their experiences in the CEO program. Hearing these young people speak with professionalism about the impact of this program further ignited her passion to continue on her path towards becoming an educator.

Erin graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in Mathematics and a Professional Educator License in the Spring of 2015. Erin would go on to obtain her Master’s of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Erin has spent seven years in the classroom teaching Business and Mathematics. During this time, she has seen massive growth in students that have come through her classroom due to the CEO program.

Erin had the opportunity to facilitate her first CEO class during the 2021-2022 school year with Jasper County CEO. There are many things that make this program special. CEO allows students to explore potential career interests, bridges the gap between schools and the community, builds student confidence, fosters connections with mentors, and builds a supportive community; but Erin’s favorite part of the program is witnessing the growth of each individual from August to May. Erin is excited to transfer to Fayette County CEO where she will continue to facilitate while working to support board members and facilitators across the nation with their technology needs through Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship. 

What Anna loves most about CEO, is being a part of opportunity creation for young adults. Anna is excited to participate in a movement to help these young people become more confident and believe in themselves. This opportunity is what drives her daily in her role at the Midland Institute.

Anna serves as the Operations Specialist for the Midland Institute, enthusiastically transferring her past experience and taking on her new role in implementing and supporting systems that help CEO programs succeed. Anna values practicing an intuitive approach as she implements and develops operations at the Midland Institute.

Anna graduated from The University of Alabama in 2017 with her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Sales. From there, she spent four years working in many different industries, including Sales and Property Management, and living in various locations in the US. Anna is an avid traveler and dog lover who is originally from the Effingham, IL area.

Rebecca Clayton fell in love with the CEO Program right out of college when she joined the Midland Team as their Development Assistant in 2016.

Even after moving away from the area, she remained passionate about the program, taking the lessons she learned from its approach to learning and growth into new roles with the American Heart Association and, later, the Make a Wish Foundation Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana.  

In true CEO fashion, she failed her way to her own version of success, and in the summer of 2021, found her perfect-fit job when she decided to pursue freelance writing full-time.  

But her love for CEO has not changed, and she's remained heavily involved with Midland Institute's mission and vision for the CEO Program's growth across the nation. 

Since her first couple of years, Becca's role with MIE has transitioned into communications support for their team. With this support, she brings five years of experience in non-profit work related to donor communications, email campaign development, copywriting, social media, story development, and more. 

What she loves most about CEO is how it empowers young people with tools and a network that will support them as they go after their goals. In her conversations with Alumni, she often hears how CEO showed them what they were capable of, and that is an outcome she looks forward to supporting in her work with MIE each day.

My story has an interesting start to it.

I was born in Ethiopia, Africa. I did not know my father, and my mom died during childbirth. I was raised by my grandmother. However, when I was about 7, she got ill and decided to place me into an orphanage. At the age of 9 I was adopted into a family here in America - in Illinois, to be exact. 

During my senior year of high school, I was a part of the 2018 Mount Carmel CEO Class. My CEO was Jars Of Hope, and the proceeds I made were donated to the orphanage I was adopted from. Through this business I sold dried food ingredients in jars, such as Chocolate chip cookie mix and potato soup mix. In 2019 I was able to hand deliver the money to the orphanage in Ethiopia. I was even able to see my Grandmother. Since she fell ill she has been able to get medication and is now doing well.

Fun fact: Jars of Hope was featured in Forbes Magazine through the help of CEO.

I graduated from college December 2021 with a bachelors in Business Administration. While in college, I started a YouTube channel and became more active on social media. Which led me to start my two businesses, Karis Hortin Coaching and Socials Made Simple.

Through Karis Hortin Coaching I coach girls all over the world on how to navigate the everyday struggles of being a young girl in today's world.

Through Socials Made Simple I work as a social media manager/consultant to help churches, small businesses, and nonprofits use the power of social media to share their message.