Change defines the present and uncertainty permeates the future. Individually, organizationally, and collectively, we humans are trying to discern what this means. What are the skills, practices, and superpowers that this world in flux demands – and how can you cultivate them with purpose and joy?

In 2025, humans’ ability to embrace all kinds of change, uncertainty, and not-knowing isn’t exceptional, but rather table stakes. It’s at the heart of responsible leadership (of both oneself and others), thriving culture, and effective communication. It’s the difference between flourishing and flailing. Put another way, learning to love uncertainty is the #1 skill we’ll need this year – and beyond.

Not only that: This is what every one of your colleagues, customers, clients, partners, stakeholders, and teams needs too. Ditto for your family, friends, and kids. This skill fuels every relationship in business, in society, and in life. So why do we resist learning it? What are we waiting for?

April Rinne – change navigator, speaker, investor, author, and adventurer – has been obsessed with these themes and questions for more than 25 years. Her work and travels in more than 100 countries have given her a front-row seat to a world in flux, as well as a world of wisdom to navigate the unknown. Not only is she your guide to developing a “flux mindset,” she’s also ranked one of the 50 Leading Female Futurists in the world by Forbes and is a Harvard Law School graduate, a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, a member of the Silicon Guild and Thinkers50 Radar, a Fulbright Scholar, and the author of the international bestseller Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change.

April is a trusted advisor to well-known startups, companies, financial institutions, nonprofits, think tanks, and governments worldwide, including Airbnb, Nike, Intuit, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, AnyRoad, and Unsettled as well as governments ranging from Singapore to South Africa, Canada to Colombia, and Italy to India. For more than two decades, she’s been known for seeing emerging trends early, understanding their potential, and helping others do the same. April is a bridge-builder between stakeholders, cultures, priorities, and those excited about change and those resistant to it. Recently, she was the sole global faculty member of Finland’s inaugural “masterclass of happiness,” combining her Finnish heritage and “fluxiness” to reach audiences around the world.

Earlier in life April was a global development executive, an international microfinance lawyer, and a hiking guide. Before that, she spent the better part of four years traveling solo, with an insatiable desire to better understand how the rest of the world lives. (One lesson: Change is universal. How we deal with it is not.) She is as comfortable at Davos as she is talking with microfinance borrowers in an urban slum. A certified yoga teacher, she can often be found upside-down, doing handstands around the world.

The following is also shared, depending on audience and context: April also harnesses her very personal experiences with flux, including the death of both of her parents in a car accident when she was 20.

A world-renowned economist, John Lipsky’s distinguished career in both the private and public sectors has earned him the respect and regard of many leaders worldwide. His service at the International Monetary Fund coincided with the most challenging era for the international economy in the past 70 years. Having served as the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director between 2006-2011 and Acting Managing Director from May - July 2011, Lipsky was a dedicated and effective leader who sought more effective international cooperation during a historic upheaval for the global economy. Mr. Lipsky brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into global economic trends and policy, captivating audiences with his deep understanding of international finance and offering valuable perspectives on economic developments and their implications for the future.

Mr. Lipsky is currently a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Institute, at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Mr. Lipsky also serves as the Chair of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute’s Program on the World Economy, and is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Lipsky’s presentations are a captivating and enriching experience, blending expert analysis with practical insights and making complex economic concepts accessible and relevant.

Former President of Mexico (2000-2006) Vicente Fox is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the contemporary geopolitical landscape and the role of business in the developing world. When elected to the presidency of Mexico in 2000, President Fox broke the stranglehold that the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party had held on to the State for seven decades. A charismatic reformer, he is credited as playing a vital role in Mexico’s democratization, and with strengthening the country’s economy. President Fox’s visionary ideas, when paired with his engaging storytelling, inspire audiences from business leaders to policymakers by offering unique insights into international relations, economic development, and the future of global markets.

After leaving office in 2006, President Fox and his wife founded Centro Fox, a non-profit dedicated to discovering, exercising, and harnessing the leadership qualities we all have inside of us. The non-profit is now housed at the Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library, and Museum in San Cristobal, Mexico. President Fox has shared his vision for the future of democracy with hosts including the Ogun State Investors Forum, The Latino Coalition, and the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, who said, "We had a wonderful event with President Fox. It was a standing room only audience, plus we filled up three overflow rooms!"

As an economist, policy-maker, professor, and former business school dean, Laura D'Andrea Tyson has long been a leading champion of ways to re-think the role of business in society. Currently a Professor and Director of the Institute for Business and Social Impact at the Haas School of Business and the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley, Tyson has also served as Dean of London Business School from 2002 through 2006 and as Dean of the Berkeley Haas School of Business from 1998 through 2001.

Frequently sought our for her economic insight from the highest levels of government, Tyson was a member of the US Department of State Foreign Affairs Policy Board (2011-2013) and served as a member of President Barack Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (2011-2012). She was also a member of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (2009-2011). 

Tyson is currently a Senior Advisor at Credit Suisse Research Institute and The Rock Creek Group. Among the many other esteemed positions Tyson currently holds are:

• Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
• Member of the Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution Hamilton Project
• An advisory board member of Generation Investment Management, H&Q Asia Pacific, and the Observatory Group
• Member of the Asia Commission of the Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute
• Advisory committee member of the Presidential Leaders Scholars
• Member of the international advisory council of Bocconi University
• Advisor to the Alliance for Competitive Taxation
• Special Advisor at the Berkeley Research Group
• Member of the Fair Shake Commission on Income Inequality and Middle Class Opportunity
• Serves on the economic advisory board of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School
• Member of the Berggruen Institute on Governance’s Think Long Committee for California, 21^st Century Council and Governance Index
• Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Women’s Empowerment
• Member of the Boards of Directors of AT&T, CBRE Group Inc., and Silver Spring Networks and Lexmark International Inc.
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Jacobs Foundation, The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and the Opportunity Institute

In addition to her economic work at the highest levels of governments and Fortune 500 companies, she is a leader in the blending of business and social change, exploring ways that for-purpose organizations can impact social change using for-profit principles, and vice versa. Additionally, she has tremendous experience and insight into global trade and trace policy, as she helped usher China into the WTO and was instrumental in the creation of NAFTA and other trade legislation.

Ambassador, Congressman, Mayor, and Civil Rights icon Andrew J. Young has been serving and shaping our country for almost 70 years. Ambassador Young became active in the Civil Rights movement as leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to teach non-violent organizing strategies. Considered the diplomat among Dr. King’s community, he was a key strategist and negotiator in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Now a Patriarch in the Civil Rights movement, audiences look to Ambassador Young as a powerful voice honoring the legacy of Dr. King’s work and the future of human rights.

Ambassador Young became the first African American representative from the Deep South to serve in Congress since Reconstruction, and was appointed to serve as the first African American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He served as Mayor of Atlanta, worked with GoodWorks International to facilitate sustainable economic development in the Caribbean and Africa, and produced and hosted the Emmy Award-nominated docu-series Andrew Young Presents, exploring contemporary issues. He is the author of several books, including An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America, which is being updated and re-released in a special edition commemorating his 90^th birthday.

The veteran civil rights leader received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and France’s Legion d’Honneur, each representing the highest civilian honor for that nation, and was awarded the NAACP Springarn Medal, an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, and his portrait is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The Andrew J. Young Foundation, Inc. supports and promotes education, health, leadership, and human rights in the U.S., Africa, and the Caribbean, building on his legacy and developing new generations of innovative leaders to tackle this era’s global challenges. Ambassador Young has been a powerful and active voice in the movement for Civil Rights for more than half a century, honoring the past and shaping the future, and shares a message of hope and humanity that uplifts and inspires audiences of all kinds.

Ian Bremmer is a political scientist who helps business leaders, policymakers, and the general public make sense of the world around them. He is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, the leading geopolitical risk advisory firm, and GZERO Media, a company providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is an independent voice on critical issues around the globe, offering clearheaded insights through speeches, written commentary, and even satirical puppets (really!). A prolific writer, Ian is the author of eleven books, including the New York Times bestsellers, “Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism,” which examines the rise of populism across the world, and his latest book, “The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats—and Our Response—Will Change the World,” which covers a trio of looming global crises (health emergencies, climate change, and technological revolution) and outlines their potential to create global prosperity and opportunity.

Ian serves as rapporteur of the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence and is the foreign affairs columnist and editor-at-large for Time magazine. He is the host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, a global affairs program that airs weekly on US public television. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and many other news outlets globally.

Ian teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.

Find him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and regularly posting from @IanBremmer.

At the vanguard of his generation 38 years ago, Harry Broadman began a career focused on investment opportunities and risks in emerging markets. Today, he’s globally known as a venerable practitioner of the design and execution of novel ‘first-mover’ strategies in such markets to achieve rapid business growth and rigorous risk-mitigation—strategies that focus on building durable cross-border trade and investment transactions, potent strategic partnerships, agile supply chains, robust corporate governance, tough financial compliance and anti-corruption controls, and incentives for sustained innovation.

Re-inventing himself multiple times across greatly differentiated senior roles in the private sector as a CEO, private equity investor, expert witness, management consultant and board director—interspersed with stints as a high-level White House trade negotiator and economic official and Senate committee professional staff member—he emerged as an authority on the fundamental drivers of the transformation world markets experienced (and continue to do so) long before the term "globalization" was ever uttered.

Harry has worked on the ground in more than 85 emerging markets across 5 continents, including China, India and the rest of Asia; much of Latin America; Russia and the Former Soviet Union; Eastern & Central Europe; the Balkans and Turkey; most of Africa; and much of the Middle East.

He’s advised entities such as IBM, Coke, CEMEX, Canon, Exxon, TPG, Valmet, KIA, ITW, Carlyle, PPG, Corning, Heineken, Merck, Mahindra, Walmart, Deere, Mars, Avon, Canadian Pension Bd, Intel, GE, Future Fund, ADIA, ICANN, Temasek, Berkshire Hathaway, McCormick, SunEdison, Westinghouse, Dow, Siemens, Standard Chartered, Microsoft, Apollo, Tyco, Caterpillar, Nike, Pfizer, Hilton, Blackstone, and Jaguar.

As a speaker, Harry brings to audiences a unique combination of fundamentally insightful views and operational lessons about the ways is which market and policy dynamics will impact C-suites, boards, managers and workers as well as suppliers and customers, and how they’ll alter business fortunes.

Harry has the rare ability to frame such effects from a genuinely prospective vantage point rather than conventional rear-view mirror extrapolations, and through a prism incorporating intrinsic non-linearities of market changes. And, all done in a highly entertaining mode, infused with his infectious sense of humor.

Fred P. Hochberg is the longest-serving chairman in the history of the Export-Import Bank of the United States and was one of the highest-ranking business leaders in the Obama Administration. Throughout nearly eight years of his leadership, EXIM Bank supported more than 1.4 million American jobs and financed exports with a value exceeding $240 billion. The Bank also generated $3.8 billion in surplus revenue for U.S. taxpayers during that time and Hochberg reduced internal costs by nearly 30 percent. Hochberg increased the Bank's focus on its customers, cutting transaction times and introducing new products. He also put America’s small business exporters at the top of the Bank's agenda and, as a result, nearly 90 percent of EXIM Bank authorizations directly supported small businesses on his watch. 

George Papandreou was Prime Minister of Greece during the eurozone financial crisis, Foreign Minister during the Balkan conflict, and he is the current President of the Socialist International, the world's largest organization of progressive political parties. He is a member of the Club de Madrid, a select group of former heads of state, and he is a member of the Aspen Minister's Forum, a prestigious group of former Foreign Ministers assembled by Madeline Albright under the auspices of the Aspen Institute. He is also a member of the Global Leadership Council of Mercy Corps an international NGO supplying humanitarian relief in nearly every conflict zone around the world. Papandreou is a globally recognized expert on the future of the EU, and on the on-going eurozone financial crisis. He is at the forefront of the discussion of the threat of the dangerous political figures that fuel nativist ethnocentrism and xenophobia. Named as one of Foreign Policy magazine’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers," he speaks with authority on the future of the European Union with regard to the refugee crisis, economic stability, global security and shifts in geopolitical alliances. He was born and educated in the U.S., with degrees from the London School of Economics and Harvard.

Raghuram Govind Rajan is the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. Raghuram Rajan also served as the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Dr. Rajan is a senior advisor to Booz and Co, BDT Capital, and MCAP, and on the international advisory board of Bank Itau-Unibanco. He is a director of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and on the Comptroller General of the United States’ Advisory Council, as well as a member of the Group of Thirty. Dr. Rajan was the President of the American Finance Association in 2011 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In January 2003, the American Finance Association awarded Dr. Rajan the inaugural Fischer Black Prize, given every two years to the financial economist under age 40 who has made the most significant contribution to the theory and practice of finance.

In the chaotic state of our world today, there’s never been a more critical time for optimism with rigour. The uncertainty, unpredictability and sheer pace of our hyper-connected world is Chris’ passion—and life’s work. His obsession with making sense of the discomfort and challenges of this rapidly changing landscape has powered his thinking for over 15 years.

Equally potent across myriad industries, Chris’ insight and expertise has benefitted trail-blazing start-ups, government bodies, and Fortune 500 companies. As a renowned strategist and senior business advisor, Chris has worked globally with some of the biggest and most influential brands and businesses on the planet including Jaguar, Land Rover, Facebook, Australia Federal Police, Ebay, Vodafone, and Macquarie Bank. His intuitive and instinctive approach to tracking global patterns and unlocking opportunities has had significant impact on how businesses—and humans—can take purposeful steps towards creating real and lasting positive impact. And making an impact is what Chris is arguably most famous for… because being in a room with Chris Riddell is an immersive and transformational experience. A combination of rigorously detailed insights delivered with unparalleled enthusiasm, and dynamic screen content… all wrapped up in sensational showmanship—any amount of time spent with Chris is a wildly entertaining and deeply revolutionary experience.

His unique skill of taking what we know—and fear—about our world and encouraging changes in attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and mindsets—is critical to business and social transformation. No sector, subject or stone is left unturned in his quest to make sense of the challenging and disrupted world of ‘the future’.

This is the power of the Chris Riddell experience. It’s real… relatable… relevant… and revelatory.

Tobias "Toby" Moskowitz is the Dean Takahashi ’80 B.A., ’83 M.P.P.M. Chaired Professor in Finance at the Yale School of Management, and a principal at AQR Capital Management, LLC.  He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.  He previously held the inaugural Fama Family Chaired Professorship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business from 2009 to 2016.

Professor Moskowitz was recognized by the American Finance Association with its 2007 Fischer Black Prize, which is awarded biennially to the top finance scholar in the world under the age of 40 in years when one is deemed deserving. Moskowitz also won the Ewing Marion Kauffman Medal in 2012 for the top research in entrepreneurship under 40.

He has received numerous awards, including the Smith-Breeden, Brattle, Fama-DFA, Michael Brennan, Bernstein-Fabozzi and Jacobs-Levy, Harry Markowitz, and Q-Group paper awards.

In collaboration with David F. Swensen, the former CIO of the Yale Investments Office, Professor Moskowitz founded the Yale School of Management’s Master’s program in Asset Management in 2021, for which he serves as the Academic Director. 

In 2011, he wrote the New York Times bestseller Scorecasting:  The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports are Played and Games are Won, (Crown Archetype, Random House) co-authored with L. Jon Wertheim.

More than an electrifying speaker, Jamie Metzl is a trusted and sought-after expert on the ever-evolving global geopolitical and biotechnology landscapes. Having spoken around the world and at major companies from Walmart to Google on the geopolitical outlook, how a rising China is transforming the world as we know it, and the latest advances in biotechnology, Metzl is praised as “a fantastic authority” (HSBC) and “an absolute tour de force” (Network 20/20), guaranteed to leave your audience engaged and more deeply informed.  A current Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, and an founding member of the WHO Expert Advisory Committee on Developing Global Standards for Governance and Oversight of Human Genome Editing, Metzl is frequently in-demand by major outlets such as CNN and Bloomberg for his sharp, dynamic analysis on the most pressing foreign policy issues and expertise on Asia’s economy and politics.

Having served in high level positions in the White House, State Department, and Senate, as well as run a major international affairs organization, Metzl draws from his cutting edge experience in both the public and private sector to provide transformative insights and actionable takeaways for every audience. Whether shedding light on what Asia’s economic growth means for the global geopolitical outlook and how businesses can best prepare, or diving into the future of the genetics revolution and the impacts that should be on company’s radars, Metzl’s researched-based, thought-provoking talks leave individuals and organizations equipped to keep up with changing times.

Jeremy Rifkin is an economist and bestselling author of twenty books on the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the workforce, society, and the environment. He has been an advisor to the European Union for the past decade and currently advises the European Commission, the European Parliament, and several EU and Asian heads of state. Mr. Rifkin is also the founder and president of The Foundation on Economic Trends, which examines the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of new technologies introduced into the global economy.

Career diplomat and eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has spent his eminent career in public service inspiring international cooperation and advocating for human rights and sustainable development. Prior to taking on what has been called “the most impossible job on this earth” at the helm of the UN, Ban served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea. In his memoir, Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World, Ban chronicles his decade at the helm of the UN mobilizing world leaders around a new set of global challenges. He is the Founder of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, a non-profit whose mission is to empower women and youth to live in a peaceful and prosperous world. Among the most respected and well-known statesmen of his generation, Ban is sought-after for his gift of transforming his tremendous experience into an inspiring call to action for audiences of all kinds.

Ban has been named a “Top 100 Global Thinker” by Foreign Policy for his achievement of making the Paris Agreement a legally binding treaty less than a year after it was adopted. He has also been named to Forbes list of “The World’s Most Powerful People,” and is a recipient of France’s Legion of Honour. Ban serves as President and Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute, and chairs the Global Commission on Adaptation as well as the International Olympic Ethics Commission. At events worldwide with groups like the World Economic Forum, The Barclays Asia Forum, WE Day, and more, Ban’s sought-after perspective on our most pressing global issues inspires leaders, lawmakers, and global citizens to take action for a healthier, more peaceful, and more equitable world.

Sekou Kaalund has two decades of Wall Street experience spanning leadership in institutional and retail businesses, making him a highly regarded authority on strategic leadership and targeted, sustainable impact. A former leader at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as well as Citi, Kaalund has established key connections across client segments and industries. He is a highly sought-after speaker for his insights on strategizing growth, developing talent, and forming inclusive teams that have a major impact on organizations of all kinds. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, he spent the last 15 years at JPMorgan Chase in a variety of leadership roles across institutional and retail businesses, most recently serving as Senior Executive Vice President of the Managing Committee of the U.S. Bank. While managing complex firmwide relationships, he launched Advancing Black Pathways, the first global corporate initiative that leveraged a data-driven strategic framework to develop scalable programs to reduce the racial wealth gap, which led to a historic five-year firm-wide $30B commitment to advance racial equity. He has offered riveting keynotes at the Milken Global Conference, National Urban League, the Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Conference, and many more, and has led engaging conversations at Chase Talks with Kevin Hart, Grant Hill, Dominque Wilkins, among many others.

Kaalund’s contributions have received numerous accolades including being named on Ebony’s “Power 100” list as a “Titan of Industry,” the SAID Institute’s Mark of Excellence award, World of Money’s Wall Street Legacy Award, and being named one of Face2Face Africa’s “30 Black Stars.” He has been featured in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, and on the BBC, NBC, and CNBC. Kaalund has been honored by the All Stars Project for leadership and community impact, the Council of Urban Professionals, the Harlem YMCA, and the Boys and Girls Club of American inducted him into the Hall of Fame in 2011. He serves on several boards, and his leadership initiatives include the tech partnership “Advancing Black Entrepreneurs” StartupBus, a hackathon on wheels.

Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler is a preeminent behavioral economist studying decision-making in the intersection of economics, finance, and psychology. Thaler co-authored global bestseller Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness and authored Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics alongside numerous articles in prominent academic journals: The American Economics Review, The Journal of Finance, The Journal of Political Economy, and more. He is a regular contributor to the New York Times Economic View column. Thaler was honored with the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his outstanding contributions to behavioral economics.

Thaler is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a Founding Principal at Fuller and Thaler Asset Management. He was an informal advisor to the coalition government led by David Cameron, the Obama administration, several professional sports teams, and the Alliance for Decision Education. He has been invited to speak to the London School of Economics, Talks at Google, the Aspen Institute, and more.

Former diplomat, author, and advisor on emerging markets, Anja Manuel is Co-Founder and Partner along with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm that helps US companies navigate international markets.

She is the author of the critically acclaimed This Brave New World: India, China and the United States. From 2005-2007, she served as an official at the U.S. Department of State, responsible for South Asia Policy.

A graduate of Harvard Law School and Stanford University, Manuel now also lectures at Stanford University.

She currently serves on two corporate boards: Overseas Shipping Group, Inc., a NYSE listed energy transportation company (risk committee chair, and audit comm. member), and Ripple Labs Inc., a leading blockchain payments company (governance committee). Manuel also serves on advisory boards of Flexport Inc., Synapse Inc., Center for a New American Security, and the boards of the American Ditchley Foundation, Natl. Comm. on US-China Relations, and Governor Brown’s California Export Council.

She is a frequent commentator on foreign policy and technology policy, for tv and radio (NBC/MSNBC, Fox Business, BBC, Bloomberg, NPR, etc.) and writes for publications ranging from the New York Times, to the Financial Times, Fortune, the Atlantic, and Newsweek, among others.

She is the Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum -- the premier bi-partisan forum on foreign policy in the U.S. -- and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The most fascinating things in life are those that surprisingly pop-up out of nowhere and inexplicably capture our attention.  After all, we are hardwired with a fight-or-flight instinct that demands that we notice anything disruptive.  Tarun Wadhwa has lived his whole life examining rule-changing innovative disruptions and how they affect our business and personal lives, and may be the clearest and most accurate futurist alive today.

Tarun is an entrepreneur, academic and award-winning writer who is working at the intersection of technological advancement, innovation, global growth, security, and public policy. He regularly writes for Forbes and The Huffington Post, and his work has appeared in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Marketwatch, The Washington Post, Digital-Life-Design, and many other prestigious journals. A noted thought leader, he is currently a Visiting Instructor at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering  and was previously co-Founder and COO of AIC Chile, a private innovation lab that creates technologies aiming to alleviate poverty.

One of Tarun’s most exciting ventures is Day One Insights, a strategy and advisory firm he founded around technological convergence and corporate reinvention.  This work focuses on trends that are overturning established industries; developments in healthcare, financial markets, cyber-security, retail, entertainment, transportation, and the impact of technological advancements on legal systems and societal institutions.  All of this cutting-edge research has provided opportunities to partner with several of the most talked about companies in the world and influence leadership decision-making that is transforming these organizations.

It is no surprise that Tarun has become a favorite speaker with these same global companies. He packs his keynotes with eye-opening data, memorable stories, and a charismatic style that is infectious.

Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, CSP, renowned as The Digital Speaker, is a trailblazing strategic futurist and highly sought-after international keynote speaker. His unique ability to simplify intricate concepts and captivate audiences has inspired and enlightened over 100,000 managers, directors, and C-level executives across more than 25 countries on all continents. In 2023, he was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional and Global Speaking Fellow accreditations.

With a deep understanding of (generative) AI, blockchain, the metaverse, and other emerging technologies, Dr. Van Rijmenam is the trusted advisor to leading companies and governments seeking to innovate and thrive in the digital age.

Dr. Van Rijmenam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, a Master of Science in Marketing Management, and a PhD in Management from the University of Technology Sydney. His research focuses on how organizations should navigate big data analytics, blockchain, and AI. He is a respected voice in the technology community and a member of the Professional Speaker Australia association and the Global Speakers Federation.

As a distinguished 5-time author and corporate educator, Dr. Van Rijmenam is celebrated for his candid, independent, and balanced insights. His engaging and thought-provoking presentations, webinars, workshops, and podcasts empower audiences to embrace the future and stay ahead of the curve in today's rapidly changing digital world.

In his keynote speeches, Dr. Van Rijmenam explores the future of work, the role of the metaverse, generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and the importance of data-driven customer-centricity. He emphasizes the need for ethical applications of technology and helps organizations build trust while leveraging data for growth and innovation and governments while considering the human side of technology to ensure the ethical application of such digital tech.

Even the best businesses can fail. Kodak, Hostess and Circuit City were all once market leaders but eventually bankruptcies. Their products became dated, customers stopped caring and soon the former market giants were irrelevant. Why? Because they refused to change.

Excelling at what you want to do doesn’t create business success – instead figure out what people want to buy. Your organization must either adapt with market trends and let go of old business strategies or disappear like Polaroid. What made your company successful five years ago most likely won’t produce the same results today and certainly won’t in five years.

But even when you’re willing to change, how do you decide what to do next?

Winning means thinking and acting outside the box. Adam Hartung’s more than 20 year track record developing and implementing strategies to take advantage of emerging trends has shown companies like Eaton, Hyatt and Integrys Energy how to unleash business growth through innovation. When new competitors and market shifting trends threaten your core business, Adam will show you how to be an industry leader by not asking customers what they want and instead giving them what they need.

Ashish J. Thakkar is the Executive Chairman of Mara Sokoni, an African e-commerce platform with a focus on B2C marketplace for general merchandise. He is also the Founder of Mara Group and Mara Foundation. Ashish has driven the growth of the Mara Group from a small IT business in Uganda to the globally recognized multi-sector investment group that exists today. Through its investments, Mara Group now employs over 11,000 people across 25 African countries in sectors spanning technology, banking, real estate and infrastructure. Ashish serves as Chair of the United Nations Foundation, Global Entrepreneurs Council and is the author of The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa’s Economic Miracle.

Norm Champ is a Partner in the Investment Funds Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and author of Going Public: My Adventures Inside the SEC and How to Prevent the Next Devastating Crisis. Mr. Champ is the former Director of the Division of Investment Management at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Under his leadership, the SEC adopted a new rule in July 2014 to reform money market mutual funds.

Going Public chronicles Mr. Champ’s experiences at the SEC during the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis and how they shed light on the regulatory process and government policy-making. 

Dr. Anil K. Gupta is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on strategy, globalization, and emerging markets.  Anil serves regularly as a keynote speaker at major conferences and corporate forums in the US, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa – including the World Economic Forum, Economist conferences, Chief Executive magazine’s CEO2CEO Summits, and the Yale CEO Summit.

During a decade and a half of public service in three US administrations, Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat held several key senior positions, including chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981); U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration (1993-2001). He served as an Expert Advisor on Holocaust Issues during the Trump Administration and is currently Chair of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. He also chairs the board of the Defiant Requiem Foundation, honoring the memory of the musicians and artists at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. He has received eight honorary doctorates and more than 75 awards, including the Museum’s highest honor, the Elie Wiesel Award, as well as honors from the governments of France (Legion of Honor), Germany, Austria, Belgium, Israel, and the United States.

Ambassador Eizenstat is currently with the law firm of Covington & Burling, heading the firm’s international practice. His work at Covington focuses on resolving international trade problems and business disputes with the US and foreign governments, and international business transactions and regulations on behalf of US companies and others around the world. With unparalleled expertise in international business transactions, regulations, and resolving international trade problems, Ambassador Eizenstat addresses issues relating to global competition and economic policies worldwide.

Joseph Stiglitz helped create a new branch of economics, "The Economics of Information," exploring the consequences of information asymmetries and pioneering such pivotal concepts as adverse selection and moral hazard, which have now become standard tools not only of theorists, but of policy analysts. He has made major contributions to macro-economics and monetary theory, to development economics and trade theory, to public and corporate finance, to the theories of industrial organization and rural organization, and to the theories of welfare economics and of income and wealth distribution. In the 1980s, he helped revive interest in the economics of R&D. His work has helped explain the circumstances in which markets do not work well, and how selective government intervention can improve their performance.

Dr. Allen Sinai is Chief Global Economist and President of Decision Economics, Inc. (DE), a U.S. and Global economic and financial markets information, forecasting and advisory firm located in New York and Boston. He is a renowned global economist and forecaster, a business cycle and financial markets analyst and researcher, an educator, businessperson and investor whose work has impacted firms, individuals, and policymakers in Washington and elsewhere for over four decades.

Allen Sinai is known for his forecast accuracy and pioneering use of a National Economic and Financial Information Systems (NEIFA) approach to forecasting “Big Wave” trends in world economies and financial markets. He brings to his work a unique blend of scientific macroeconometric model-based academic research, an understanding of the structure and workings of the U.S. and Global economies and financial markets, extensive hands-on experience working for financial institutions and in financial markets, involvement in Washington and other centers of policymaking, and a long-time career in business and investments.   Over many years, independent and nonpartisan, he has advised policymakers in Washington, Japan and globally, the U.S. Congress, and both Republican and Democratic Administrations on the economy, policy, the financial markets, and bottom-line strategy.

President of the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences (2023), former President of the European Central Bank (2003-11), and Chairman of the Bank of France (1993-2003) Jean-Claude Trichet is regarded as one of the key architects of Europe's financial stability. While at the helm of the European Central Bank, Trichet oversaw the Eurozone's handling of the Great Recession and European Debt Crisis in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse. A leader who played a pivotal role in shaping Europe's economic policies, Trichet is now Chairman of the Group of 30 (G30), European Chairman of the Trilateral Commission, and Chairman of the Board at Brugel. Jean-Claude Trichet, a renowned expert in central banking, empowers organizations with the knowledge and foresight required for success in today's competitive markets.

Trichet has been named the Financial Time's “Person of the Year” and “Fifty Faces that Shaped the Decade,” as well as listed on International Economy's “Policy Maker of the Year,” Newsweek's “World’s Most Powerful” and TIME's “Most Influential People in the World.” A trailblazer in economic governance, Trichet has been invited to speak at the World 50, Deloitte, Hong Kong’s Trade Development Council, and many more.

Finance industry legend Gary Cohn brings unparalleled private and public sector leadership experience to offer an unmatched perspective on the forces impacting the global and U.S. economy, the intersection of finance and technology, and economic policymaking. Cohn is an American business leader, investor and the former director of the U.S. National Economic Council. He is an internationally recognized expert on the financial markets, global economy and economic policy.

Heralded by The Wall Street Journal as “an economic-policy powerhouse” and called a “go-to figure on matters related to jobs, business and growth” by The New York Times, Cohn currently sits on the board of Zinnia, an insurance technology company majority-owned by Edridge Industries. A pro-business and pro-growth champion, Cohn speaks on issues ranging from monetary policy to fiscal policy, trade to tech, regulatory policy to the legislative process, translating uncertainty into tangible takeaways for audiences worldwide.

Cohn’s expertise in the global financial system, tech advances, and the inner-workings of economic policy have him in-demand everywhere from the World Economic Forum to the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. Cohn is the former Director of the U.S. National Economic Council and served as President and Chief Operating Officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from 2006-2016. Cohn brings both a CEO’s and White House insider’s point of view to each engagement, sharing prescient, tangible insights with an engaging sense of humor.

Renowned Democratic strategist and international consultant Jim Messina is widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful political advisors. Messina is the mastermind behind former-President Obama and then-Vice President Biden’s 2012 re-election campaign, which Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt called “the best-run campaign ever.” The “Campaign Strategist of the Year” merged technology and politics and established the modern presidential campaign. While serving as the Obama-Biden administration’s Deputy Chief of Staff, he earned the nickname “The Fixer,” building bipartisan support for the historic Affordable Care Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the landmark repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” For over two decades, Messina served as Chief of Staff for various Senate and House offices, developing strong relationship on both sides of the aisle. Messina has gone on to elect over a dozen Presidents and Prime Ministers on five continents including: the UK’s Theresa May and David Cameron, Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto, Argentina’s Mauricio Macri, Italy’s Matteo Renzi and Spain’s President Mariano Rajoy, who he helped secure a surprising re-election win. Messina has upended the way that cutting-edge organizations think about strategy, and he delivers tangible takeaways with substance and some much-needed humor. 

Messina is an in-demand voice at the crucial intersection of politics, business, and technology. He is a fixture on news outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, FOX News, Bloomberg, BBC, and more, and serves on the boards of Blockchain.com, Fortera, Vectra.ai, LanzaTech, the United States Soccer Foundation, and the Montana Land Reliance. At the helm of The Messina Group as CEO, Messina provides strategic consulting to top businesses around the world, including Uber, Airbnb, Google, Delta Air Lines, Hutchison Whampoa, and over 300 others. Among the most sought-after legislative D.C. insiders, Messina provides illuminating, actionable insights on our political and business landscape.

Visionary former CEO of PayPal and tech leadership expert Dan Schulman blends profit with purpose and focuses on improving the financial health of people, families, and businesses around the world. Frequently recognized by Fortune as one of the “Top 20 Businesspersons of the Year,” Dan encourages his audiences to embrace stakeholder capitalism, diversity, inclusion, and more, while prioritizing responsible and world class business practices. Prior to his role at PayPal, he served as Group President at American Express, President of the Prepaid Group at Spring Nextel Corporation following its acquisition of Virgin Mobile USA, Inc., where he led the company as its founding CEO for eight years, and President and CEO of Priceline Group, Inc. Dan is currently on the Board of Directors for both Verizon and Cisco. Dan has lead global brands through major periods of transition, consistently delivery results and building a reputation as a difference-maker. With his extensive experience in payments, e-commerce, and mobile technology, Dan is uniquely positioned to speak to the challenges and opportunities facing companies today.

Dan is consistently featured on “Best CEO” lists, including being named one of Glassdoor’s “Top 50 CEOs” and Fast Company’s “Top 100 Most Creative People.” Dan was also named one of Fortune’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” heralded for his willingness to step up and make the world better, inspiring others to do the same. Under his leadership, PayPal was named one of the top companies on JUST Capital and Forbes’ JUST 100 list, featuring “companies doing right by America.” PayPal was named to Morning Consult’s “Most Trusted Brands” list and has also been recognized as a Fortune Change the World company for its work to tackle the biggest challenges facing society today. In sought-after talks, Dan empowers audiences with his insights about the future of money, values-driven business, reimagining how merchants can continually strengthen their businesses, and innovative leadership.

Former UK Shadow Chancellor, Cabinet Minister and Chief Economic Adviser to the UK Treasury, Ed Balls has over twenty years of experience at the nexus of international finance, economic policy-making, business and politics. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics.

On the international stage, he was the chair of the IMFC deputies committee, for which he traveled extensively to both developed economies and emerging markets. He has regularly represented the UK at Finance Minister level meetings of both the G20 and the European Council. He has served as a minister and cabinet minister in the governments of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. 

Al Gore was referred to by TIME magazine as “a businessman who is out to change the world.” An environmental, business, and tech visionary recognized as one of the world's leading activists, Vice President Al Gore offers a unique perspective on national and international issues, including the threats of climate change and the future of tech. He is the Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis, and a co-founder of Climate TRACE.

Gore is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers An Inconvenient Truth and The Assault on Reason, the NYT bestsellers Earth in the Balance, Our Choice: A Plan To Solve the Climate Crisis, The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change, and most recently, The New York Times bestseller An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. He is the subject of the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which won two Oscars in 2006 - and a second documentary in 2017, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. In 2007, Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for “informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change.”

Consistently an active leader in technology, Al Gore is uniquely in touch with the opportunities and challenges in charting a new digital society. Vice President Gore’s status as a leader in global politics, technology and business influences his positions as member of the Board of Directors of Apple and a Senior Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Silicon Valley’s preeminent venture firm. In addition, he is a Founding Partner and Chairman of Generation Investment Management, an asset-management company incorporating sustainability values into the financial-services world.

Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capital investor, professional jazz guitarist, and a globally-recognized innovation expert.