Edwige Robinson

 

Authors

Edwige Robinson is a global technology executive leading digital transformation across Fortune 500 organizations. Recognized as the #3 leader in Telco & Innovation by Mobile Magazine, she is a Forbes Technology Council member, Crain’s Chicago Notable Woman in STEM, 30 Black Stars Pinnacle Award recipient, and finalist for the 2026 Women in Tech Global Awards.

Author of Believe It’s Possible, she has become a global voice on leadership, resilience, and multi-generational impact.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“You have everything you need right now. Just go.”

— Edwige Robinson

What Changed?

• Elevated from corporate executive to industry thought leader
• Recognized globally across tech and innovation sectors
• Expanded speaking, media, and advisory opportunities
• Positioned as a trusted voice beyond her company

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  •  Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  •  Needed structure and accountability
  • Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

  • Executive / C-suite
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Ty Pinkins

Authors

Ty Pinkins is a 21-year U.S. Army veteran, former White House staffer, Georgetown Law graduate, TEDx speaker, and U.S. Senate nominee from Mississippi. His book 23 Miles in Running chronicles his journey from chopping cotton in the Mississippi Delta to serving in the White House.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Once I became a published author, opportunities started gravitating toward me.”

— Ty Pinkins

What Changed?

• Delivered a TEDx Talk using his book introduction
• Invited to speak at schools and bookstores statewide
• Built a statewide grassroots movement
• Became U.S. Senate nominee
• Turned story into political momentum

That’s leverage.

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  • Support a consulting or speaking business
  •  Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

  • First-time author
  • Not a confident writer
  •  Needed structure and accountability
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

  • Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
  • Memoir & Fiction Project
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Stefaan van Hooydonk

 

Authors

Stefaan van Hooydonk is one of the world’s leading voices on workplace curiosity.

After three decades in global executive roles across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., he founded the Global Curiosity Institute to measure and operationalize curiosity as a performance advantage.

His bestselling book, The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto, has sold over 10,000 copies and positioned him as a trusted advisor to brands including PepsiCo, Mars, PwC, ABB, and Red Hat.

He works with C-suite leaders worldwide to turn curiosity into measurable competitive advantage.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Of everyone who starts writing a book, only 2% finish one.”

— Stefaan van Hooydonk

What Changed?

Before the book:
Senior executive leading learning functions globally.

After the book:
Recognized global authority.
CEO conversations.
Enterprise keynotes.
Research platform.
Institutional brand.

The book became the calling card.

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  • Support a consulting or speaking business
  •  Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • First-time author
  • Not a confident writer
  • Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

  • Executive / C-suite
  • Consultant / advisor
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Zachary Green

 

Authors

Zachary Green is a US Marine Corps veteran, former firefighter, and award-winning entrepreneur who built a $30 million company after starting from the trunk of his car.

He’s testified before Congress, secured $5M+ in venture funding, and now trains leaders using battlefield-tested principles of grit, discipline, and resilience.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
 “Nothing was harder than entrepreneurship.”

— Zachary Green

What Changed?

Before the book, Zach had a story.

After the book, he had a framework.

Warrior Entrepreneur transformed:

• His lived experiences
• His leadership philosophy
• His adversity

Into:

• A structured training system
• A coaching program
• A B2B consulting platform

The book became the intellectual property behind the movement.

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  •  Clarify and organize my ideas
  • Support a consulting or speaking business
  • Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • First-time author
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
  • Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

  • Founder / entrepreneur
  • Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
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Douglas Scherer, Ed.D.

 

Authors

Douglas Scherer, Ed.D., is a keynote speaker, consultant, and lecturer at Columbia University.

Before writing F.O.R.G.E.D., Doug had already published multiple books with major publishers and sold over 50,000 copies of his work in technical leadership and information systems.

He led global technology teams.
He taught graduate students.
He operated at high levels of pressure and performance.

But something was missing.

The book he ultimately wrote wasn’t another technical manual.

It became a framework for conscious leadership in volatile times — blending neuroscience, mindfulness, and real-world executive decision-making.

Today, Doug speaks nationally on leadership, clarity, and resilience, helping senior leaders make high-stakes decisions with presence and purpose.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
 “I’d written books before. But this was the first time I wrote the one that changed me.”

— Douglas Scherer, Ed.D.

What Changed?

Before F.O.R.G.E.D., Doug wrote from expertise.

After F.O.R.G.E.D., he wrote from identity.

The process pushed him to:
• Move from data-heavy writing to story-driven leadership
• Interview and build relationships with top leaders
• Expand his professional network nationally
• Reposition himself from technologist to transformational leadership voice
• Integrate his mindfulness practice into his public platform

The book didn’t just publish his ideas.

It clarified his voice.

And that clarity accelerated his speaking, consulting, and thought leadership presence.

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  •  Clarify and organize my ideas
  • Establish a category or methodology

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

  • Academic / educator
  •  Consultant / advisor
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Jane Finette

Authors

Author, Unlocked: How Empowered Women Empower Women
Founder, The Coaching Fellowship
Former Senior Leader at Mozilla, eBay & Sotheby’s

Empowering 1,200+ women leaders across 90+ countries
All book proceeds fund leadership access for women worldwide.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
 "We know it works. Someone's done that for us before. Let's go ahead and do it for someone else."

— Jane Finette

What Changed?

Jane Finette didn’t write a book to become an author.

She wrote it to scale a mission.

After a breakthrough experience with executive coaching, Jane realized something powerful:

Access to leadership development changes everything.

So she founded The Coaching Fellowship, a nonprofit that has supported more than 1,200 women leaders across 90+ countries.

But she didn’t stop there.

With Unlocked: How Empowered Women Empower Women, Jane transformed her framework into a practical playbook that anyone can use — and she directed all book proceeds back into funding leadership access for women around the world.

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  •  Clarify and organize my ideas
  • Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • Needed structure and accountability
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
  • Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

  • Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
  • Founder / entrepreneur
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Peter Parnegg

 

Authors

Peter Parnegg is a sales strategist, instructor, and the author of Why Bother Asking?: Unexpected Keys to the Kingdom of Connection, a book that turned conventional sales wisdom on its head and redefined what leadership and connection look like in today’s world.

As a seasoned Ninja Selling Instructor, Peter spent over a decade helping sales professionals refine the art of human-first selling — before he turned those principles into a framework that resonates far beyond real estate. With his book, he didn’t just share insights — he codified a lifestyle of connection, courage, and curiosity that helped sales teams and individuals unlock deeper client engagement and more meaningful outcomes.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“People were honored to support it.”

— Peter Parnegg

What Changed?

Before the Book:
• Sales instructor
• Practitioner of connection-based selling
• Industry educator

After the Book:
• 1,000+ copies sold in just months
• Expanded authority in the sales and leadership space
• Built a speaking and training platform beyond traditional sales circles
• Grew ongoing monthly book sales that continue to fuel his influence
• Positioned as a thought leader on human connection in business

Outcome:
The book didn’t just teach skills —
it expanded his reach, amplified his message,
and turned his ideas into an ongoing platform.

Goal

  •  Use a book as a business asset
  • Support a consulting or speaking business
  • Build authority or thought leadership

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • Needed structure and accountability
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

  • Consultant / advisor
Read more...

Cheri Mason

 

Authors

Cheri Mason is the former Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she led one of the largest federal adjudicatory bodies in the country.

A former federal CEO, attorney, and presidential appointee, she is the author of Dare to Relate: Leading with a Fierce Heart and a national speaker on relational leadership, executive influence, and public service transformation.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I turned leadership lessons into a book, and the book into a national platform.”

— Cheri Mason

What Changed?

• Built a paid speaking platform
• Structured bulk book deals into corporate contracts
• Expanded into recurring journal publications
• Elevated national visibility
• Continued federal leadership trajectory

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  • Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
  •  Use a book as a business asset
  • Support a consulting or speaking business

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • Needed structure and accountability
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

  • Executive / C-suite
  • Nonprofit or mission-driven leader  
Read more...

Amy Dong

Authors

Amy Dong is a coach, facilitator, and author of Twenty-One Years Young, praised by The New York Times as “honest, refreshing and, at times, gut-wrenching.”

As a college student, she wrote a deeply personal collection of essays about identity, near-death experiences, purpose, and growing up. What began as a therapeutic writing process became a breakout moment that launched her speaking career.

She now works with executives and organizations on leadership and adaptive learning, and was tapped to deliver the NYU commencement address following the success of her book.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I wrote the book for me… and it changed everything.”

— Amy Dong

What Changed?

• Successfully funded her book through presales
• Featured by The New York Times
• Built an early audience around her voice and ideas
• Invited to deliver the NYU commencement address
• Launched her coaching and leadership platform

That’s not “nice story.”

That’s positioning power at 21.

Goal

  • Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
  • Clarify and organize my ideas
  • Build authority or thought leadership

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • Needed structure and accountability
  • First-time author
  • Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

  • Academic / educator  
Read more...

Neil Chilson

Authors

Lawyer. Computer scientist. Policy architect.

Neil has advised the Federal Trade Commission, guided national debates on digital regulation, and now leads AI policy strategy at the Abundance Institute.

His book, Getting Out of Control, reframed how leaders think about innovation, governance, and complex systems.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Policy memos circulate internally.
Books circulate nationally.”

— Neil Chilson

What Changed?

It gave structure to his thinking.

It translated technical insight into a public framework.

It positioned him not just as a regulator —
but as a thought leader on emergent systems and innovation.

⸻

Since Publication:

• National media appearances
• Ongoing AI policy commentary
• Head of AI Policy role
• Regular contributor to public debate on technology governance

This is what happens when policy insight becomes a book.

Goal

  • Build authority or thought leadership
  • Build authority or thought leadership
  •  Use a book as a business asset

Constraints

  • Limited time / full-time job
  • First-time author
  • Needed structure and accountability

Role

  • Consultant / advisor
  • Academic / educator

Watch the Deep Dive

https://www.neilchilson.com/

Read more...