Greg Schwem earned a degree in journalism at Northwestern University, and spent five years working as a newspaper and NBC television reporter before quitting his job to pursue his dream of performing stand-up comedy as a career. He does dozens of shows each year, has numerous television appearances to his credit, and has shared the concert stage with the likes of Celine Dion and Jay Leno. He has also emceeded many events, including the prestigious OBIE Awards for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.

World's Foremost Authority on Fraud and Identity Theft

"Abagnale's lecture may be the best one-man show you will ever see."
-Tom Hanks

Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement, and secure documents. For over 25 years he has lectured to and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations, and government agencies around the world.

He began to acquire his rare blend of knowledge and expertise as a teenager. More than 30 years ago, he was known as one of the world's most famous confidence men, as depicted in his best-selling book, Catch Me if You Can. He cashed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries over a five-year period. Between the ages of 16 and 21, he successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor, and a pediatrician. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in French, Swedish, and US prison systems. After five years, he was released on the condition that he would help the US government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over 25 years. He lectures extensively at the FBI Academy and for the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations, and law enforcement agencies use his programs. In 1998, he was selected as a distinguished member of the "Pinnacle 400" by CNN Financial News. He has published several books about protecting yourself from identity theft including: The Art of the Steal (2001); and his forthcoming Stealing Your Life: The Ultimate Identity Theft Prevention Plan (April 2007).

He was the subject of a major motion picture, Catch Me if You Can (2002), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, James Brolin, Jennifer Garner, and Amy Adams.

Frank Abagnale's incredible story has a moral. He takes you from laughter to tears on an emotional roller coaster ride, and explains what life is really about.

Mr. Abagnale will be introduced by Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt, New York State Police.

Alison Levine is no stranger to risk-taking. She has survived sub-zero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, sudden avalanches, and a career on Wall Street - all without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Surprisingly, Levine was born with a life-threatening heart condition that precluded most demanding physical activities. As a teenager, her health was so unstable that she was not even allowed to do such basic things as drive a car or walk up stairs. But 13 years after her initial diagnosis she had surgery that changed her life - and climbing stairs soon gave way to climbing mountains, a passion that Levine continued to pursue despite her initial health setbacks.

In 2002, Levine was recognized for her track record of leadership and success in the mountains when she was invited to serve as the team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition, a history-making climb that would put her heart and her spirit to the test.

Levine has earned many honors for her achievements and her ability to overcome adversity, including the Courage in Sports Award from the Anaheim Angels. She was named one of San Francisco's Top Business Leaders Under 40 and was listed as one of Arizona's (her native state) Most Interesting People. She has also been featured prominently in the book More Than 85 Broads, the book that captures the efforts of the women of Wall Street to find success and take risks on their own terms.

In 2005, Levine founded the Climb High Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of jobless women in third-world countries by training them to be trekking guides and porters in their local mountains so they will have the skills to benefit from climbing and trekking-related tourism. Levine also raised funds to build two schools in Nepal and helped raise funds for the construction of a school for AIDS orphans in Uganda. Over the past few years she has conducted numerous speaking tours to raise awareness and money for girls' scholarships in third-world countries. Please join us at GTC East to hear her inspirational story of success.