John Leonard Harris aka “Mr. Encouragement” is a native of St. Louis (Wellston), Missouri, he resides in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is the Founder and President of Encouragement Unlimited, Inc., a charitable nonprofit organization that he started in 2002 to serve people from all walks of life. He is a popular keynote and conference speaker, educator and motivator. Mr. Harris earned a Bachelor’s degree in Radio-TV-Film Production from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mr. Harris has worked as a Senior Pastor, corporate trainer, and military job coach. He is an actor, author and sports broadcaster. He is a published author, winning the “Article of the Year” award for his article, “The Portrayal of the Black Family in Primetime Network Television.” He also wrote, “The Search for Self: Examining Black Racial Identity and Intergroup Conflict” which was published in the Journal of Intergroup Relations in 2002.