Biography

John Michael works with clients to help them create and unlock customized leadership development opportunities for their organizations, communities, and causes. His work draws from his experiences as an entrepreneur, artist, producer, and educator.

For four years, Schert served as the inaugural Visiting Artist and Social Entrepreneur at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he studied and lectured on the utility of the creative process, how the skills and behaviors of creatives can be of relevance and value to other sectors. He is the founding principal of the creative leadership consultancy JMS & Company, an executive producer of Boise’s B Corp-certified Treefort Music Fest, and founder of the American Ballet Theatre Leadership Lab.

He began his career as a dancer with American Ballet Theatre and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. In 2004, he co-founded Trey McIntyre Project (TMP), serving as the company’s Executive Director and a dancer for nine years. During that time, Schert gained a unique insight into the process and product of art-making, which has led him to become a sought-after national arts leader and speaker focusing on the evolving role of artists in American society.

Schert is a recipient of the USA Eisenhower Fellowship 2019. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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Moving Through Uncertainty

In times of unrest, reshuffling, and (re)alignment, on an individual, collective, and systemic level, we look for navigation, reasoning, and a new moral compass. Instead of staying in existing patterns for the sake of comfort and safety, how can we step into—and become—the unknown, balancing the edge and the precarious, tapping into our intuition, improvisation, somatic intelligence, and “making artful” choices to progress forward?

JMS & Company (JMSCo) offers an in-person embodied experience, utilizing the adaptive leadership framework, combined with the creative choice-making skill of dance artists.

Through this experience, JMSCo aids clients in diagnosing the adaptive challenges they currently face, internally and externally,
and helps them build novel patterns and norms to exercise leadership.

Blog Posts

How a Simple Apology Can Spark Healing and Mental Health Conversations

Learn how a heartfelt apology shared by Johnny Crowder can help you break stigma and ignite life-changing conversations about mental health and self-compassion.

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An Astronaut’s Guide on Leadership and Innovation Lessons on Earth

Explore how former NASA astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao’s experiences in space unlock insights on leadership, innovation, and resilience for teams on Earth.

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The Future of Event Keynotes: Personalization, AI, and Interactive Storytelling

Find out how event personalization, AI-driven insights, and interactive storytelling are revolutionizing keynote speeches with business futurist Greg Verdino.

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The Power of Play: Why Entertainment Is Essential for Engagement

“Entertainment is the emotional glue that connects people to ideas.”—Robert McKee, storytelling expert There’s a shift that happens the moment someone laughs. Shoulders loosen. The room lightens. The noise of the outside world fades just...

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Designing Events That Spark Lasting Connections

Discover Wendy Porter’s proven WPE Planning Process for crafting live, virtual, and hybrid events that foster genuine connections, boost engagement, and drive ROI.

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The Best Diversity and Inclusion Speakers

Why are diversity and inclusion speakers some of the most transformative voices on stage? Because inclusion is no longer a box to check; it’s a culture to create. From boardrooms to classrooms, arenas to virtual...

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Blog Posts

 

How a Simple Apology Can Spark Healing and Mental Health Conversations

Imagine if a single, mental health–focused apology could dismantle stigma, validate someone’s pain, and launch...

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An Astronaut’s Guide on Leadership and Innovation Lessons on Earth

In the boundless vacuum of space, leaders face challenges that dwarf anything encountered on Earth....

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The Future of Event Keynotes: Personalization, AI, and Interactive Storytelling

Imagine a keynote at your next event that feels designed just for your audience—where every...

Read More

The Power of Play: Why Entertainment Is Essential for Engagement

“Entertainment is the emotional glue that connects people to ideas.”—Robert McKee, storytelling expert There’s a...

Read More

Designing Events That Spark Lasting Connections

Imagine stepping into an event where every detail is designed to foster genuine human connection—from...

Read More

The Best Diversity and Inclusion Speakers

Why are diversity and inclusion speakers some of the most transformative voices on stage? Because...

Read More