Sunny Bonnell

Sunny Bonnell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Motto®, a bestselling author, Thinkers50 Radar Awardee, which illuminates the brightest minds in the world, and leading voice in visionary leadership and business innovation. She is also the creator of VisionCamp®, a visionary leadership workshop for exec teams to crystallize their vision and drive it forward with purpose.

As the visionary behind Motto®, Sunny sets the direction of the company, drives innovation, and sets our standards of excellence. She is also a trusted advisor and thought partner to Motto’s $100M+ and Billion-dollar clients, helping executive teams navigate growth, change, and innovation.

As an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker for organizations like MasterCard, Microsoft, Dale Carnegie, Fast Company Innovation, Inc., and Inspiring Workplaces, her thought leadership has been featured in every major publication, including Fast Company, Inc., Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Wall Street Journal. She has appeared on Closing Bell on the NY Stock Exchange, The Breakfast Club, and Yahoo! Finance. She currently writes a popular and provocative leadership column for Fast Company.

Sunny has advised some of the world’s most innovative leaders at iconic brands like The Minnesota Vikings, Google, Microsoft, Hershey’s, Virgin, NFL, Andela, and 20th Century Fox, while also shaping strategies for the world’s most innovative companies like Aptos, Omni, Ivo, Hello Alice, Artnet, Goodnotes, and hundreds more. Her strategic and creative contributions have driven billions of dollars in commerce by shaping the world’s most inspiring products, services, and brands.

She is the bestselling co-author of Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different (Harper One), which flips the script on business as usual and carves a path for unconventional success. The New York Post declared Rare Breed “one of the top 5 career books of all time.” Seth Godin described it as “brazen” and “a ruckus to make things better.” USA Today called it “an entire windstorm of original thinking.”

Background
Growing up in the Deep South, Sunny learned the ropes of entrepreneurship early. After following a winding career path—from street musician and actor to veterinarian and designer—she completed her BA and MFA at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) while also running Motto. She became a notable bluegrass player by the age of eleven and can play eight different instruments. Inspired by observing her entrepreneurial-minded parents, she learned the power of vision and hard work.