John “Izzy” Israel, 24, was born in San Diego CA. He was, and is today, an avid skateboarder. Although several of John’s friends never even graduated high school, John finished with honors and was accepted to Gonzaga University in Washington state. After almost dropping out of college to pursue a career in professional skateboarding, John learned the value of hard work and discipline. As a 19 year old, John obtained a job as a salesman for Cutco knives. He earned several scholarships from the company based on sales performance allowing him to cover his tuition and graduate with a degree in Exercise Science/Kinesiology.

John was inducted into the Cutco Hall of Fame at 24 years young (the top 0.1% in company history). He is most known for his ability to network, and has been asked to speak and train college students all over the country.

John’s passion for inspiring young people can be seen in his keynote speeches and workshop forums. He has co-authored a book titled The Cutting Edge, and will be coming out with his first book Don't Forget Your #2 Pencil, this summer 2008.

If you’d like to request John to speak at your next event, send us a query and we’ll get back to you ASAP.