Dec 19, 2022

Viva Fresh names 2023 keynote speaker

Charlie Rocket, a motivational speaker who lost weight and improved his life through eating more fruits and vegetables, has been named keynote speaker of the 2023 Viva Fresh Produce Expo.

Charlie Jabaley, also known as Charlie Rocket, is expected to “raise the roof as headline speaker of Viva Fresh,” according to a Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) news release. TIPA’s Viva Fresh is scheduled for March 30 to April 1 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, in the Dallas metropolitan region.

“You’ve seen the sweaters; you’ve heard the music and you’ve maybe seen his videos. You might not know his name, but over eight million followers on social media do,” Dante Galeazzi, TIPA’s CEO and president, said in the release. “The holiday season seems the perfect time for TIPA to talk about the dabbing Santa sweater guy. Charlie Rocket is pure energy and will awaken Viva Fresh attendees with his truth-telling story of success, money and fame interrupted by a health crisis turned second chance.”

Initially billed as CEO Charlie, Jabaley is the multimillionaire founder of Street Execs, a successful music label representing rap music talents including 2 Chainz and Travis Porter. He has also sold more than $2 million of dabbing Santa sweaters. The result was a client-focused workaholic who was more than 100 pounds overweight with his health trending downward. A brain tumor diagnosis, however, forced Jabaley to reevaluate his life choices.

“Everything Charlie touches has irresistible energy,” Galeazzi said in the release. “I can’t think of a better person to hype the importance of healthy eating and get our audience excited than Charlie Rocket, who knows how to entertain and shows us how to achieve big dreams when passion and purpose collide.”

Today, Jabaley still lives with a benign brain tumor, but has transformed into Charlie Rocket, a health advocate, inspirational leader, athlete and philanthropist. “He’s chosen a path of healthy living that includes fruits and vegetables and regular exercise that has helped him lose over 120 pounds, complete an Iron Man race, and even work with Nike as a featured athlete in, their ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign,” Galeazzi said in the release.

TIPA wants inspiring stories that raise the bar on healthy living and motivate people to do better, Galeazzi said in the release. “Some may not see the natural connection between a rap music executive turned philanthropist and Viva Fresh, but I can assure you the gateway to the success Charlie is living today began by translating his love of life into leading a healthier lifestyle that included fruits and vegetables,” Galeazzi said in the release.

Jabaley’s life accomplishments are a laundry list of wins, including raising more than $5 million to help make more than 1,000 dreams come true through his Dream Machine Foundation as Jabaley travels worldwide delivering knowledge, inspiration, and people’s dreams straight to their doorsteps, Galeazzi said in the release.

The three day Viva Fresh show is designed to spotlight the Rio Grande Valley as a vital trade corridor and production zone for fresh fruits and vegetables. While featuring networking, education and building relationships in a relaxed and intimate setting, the large produce trade show and conference also focuses on healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.