Dean Otto

About Dean Otto

When the odds are against you, belief is the only strategy that still works.I help leaders, sales teams, and organizations activate belief so they can perform under pressure, recover from setbacks, and lead with resilience. Through live and virtual keynotes, I deliver real-world tools to strengthen trust, mindset, and performance inside organizations.In my keynote, Finish the Ride: If Your Belief Is Strong Enough, the Odds Don’t Matter, audiencesexperience a cinematic, real-time journey through crisis, recovery, and growth. But this isn’t a storyabout me, it’s about what happens when people choose faith over fear, purpose over paralysis, andaction over excuses.Organizations choose me when they need a speaker who’s lived the lessons he teaches someone whoconnects personal resilience to the realities of leadership, change, and performance.My journey from a 2% chance of walking again to running a half-marathon beside the surgeon whosaved me and the man who hit me—has been featured on The Ellen Show, Today, ABC World NewsTonight, and People Magazine.With 30+ years leading global teams and building strategic partnerships for world-class brands, I ledinternational sales and client teams at Braze, managing partnerships with organizations including Yum!Brands, McDonald’s, Paramount Global, and Warner Bros. Discovery. I bring a deep understanding of business growth, pressure, and the human side of performance.Today, I Speak Across Industries With One Mission: To Help People Believe Again So They Can Rise, Sell,Lead, And Finish Their Ride.For speaking engagements or partnership inquiries, visit or e••••••••@gmail.com

Experience

1. Keynote Speaker

   Dean Otto Speaking

   Feb 2025 — Present · Charlotte, NC, US

   Let me start by saying—I’m not the guy who just survived a bike crash and gives a ‘feel-good’ talk about forgiveness. Yes, I did get hit by a truck by a driver that’s now my friend.The real story isn’t about what happened that day.It’s about what happened next—and what it taught me about leadership, community, and belief.I only had a 2% chance to walk again. And I beat those odds. But that’s not the headline, that doesn’t really teach anything.The real story is how my surgeon made himself vulnerable and said yes to something outside the normal lines of his job.How a young man who hit me showed up with humility and courage.How a fellow patient found hope and his first steps after watching me fight for mine in rehab.What I speak about is this:If your belief is strong enough, the odds don’t stand a chance.More details and videos of my journey are featured on my website.deanottospeaking.com

Education

• Georgia State University

  BBA, Finance

  1990 — 1991

• University of Kentucky

  Marketing

  1983 — 1987