Dambisa Moyo is a member of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords sitting as Baroness Moyo of Knightsbridge . She is a principal of Versaca Investments - a family office focused on growth investing globally. She serves on a number of global corporate boards including Chevron, and the Oxford University Endowment Investment Committee. She is a member of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Moyo is respected for her unique perspectives, her balance of contrarian thinking with measured judgment, and her ability to turn economic insight into investible ideas. 

Dr. Moyo is the author of five bestselling books on the global macroeconomy and geopolitics. She holds a PhD in economics from Oxford University and a Masters degree from Harvard University. Dr. Moyo was named to the list of TIME’s "100 Most Influential People" in the world; writes for the Financial Times, WSJ, Barron's, and Harvard Business Review. Dr. Moyo is a pre-eminent thinker whose insights empower key decision-makers in strategic investment and public policy.

Sanna Marin is the Former Prime Minister of Finland (2019-2023) and the former leader of the Finnish Social Democratic Party. Appointed at the age of 34, Marin served as the youngest Prime Minister of the world when taking office in 2019. She also made history as the longest-serving woman prime minister of Finland, leading a coalition government entirely headed by women.

During Sanna Marin’s term, she led Finland through the COVID-19 pandemic, and her government implemented many progressive reforms addressing climate change, social justice and equality, including world's most ambitious climate laws aiming for carbon neutrality by 2035 and progressive family leave reform. She helped the country navigate neighboring Russia’s devastating full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Finland’s rapid joining of NATO – the swiftest entry for any country in the alliance’s history. 

Following her term as Prime Minister, Marin joined the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and specializes in topics of geopolitics, strategic autonomy, climate change, and female leadership. Her new book, Hope in Action: A Memoir about the Courage to Lead, is coming out on November 4, 2025.

Marin has been actively engaged in politics since 2006. She has spoken at Davos AM23, the Lowy Institute, the Munich Security Conference, and for New York University’s 2023 Commencement, among others. 

Jake Sullivan most recently served as the 28th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor). He is now the inaugural Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Sullivan helped lead U.S. national security through a period of historic geopolitical change and challenge and established enduring strategic advantages for the United States. In the Obama-Biden Administration, he served as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden, Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. With a career spanning high-stakes diplomacy, national security decision-making, and technology and economic policy, Sullivan offers unparalleled insights into the forces driving the global landscape today. He is one of the most influential and well-respected voices on U.S. foreign policy and world affairs.

His unique insights include: 

• The direction of consequential and complex relationships with global powers like China, India, and Saudi Arabia.  Sullivan managed these relationships as National Security Advisor.
• Trends in a fast-moving landscape of technology, artificial intelligence, and national security. Sullivan pioneered groundbreaking policy at this intersection.
• The future of trade, investment, and industrial policy, which he first outlined in a landmark speech at the Brookings Institution that shaped the global debate.
• Complex multi-stakeholder negotiations, as a leading player in the secret negotiations that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
• Lessons learned from crisis management in the White House Situation Room during crisis and conflict from Ukraine to the Middle East.
• Qualities needed to build and lead successful cross-disciplinary teams.

Known for his clarity, pragmatism, authenticity, and deep understanding of global trends, Sullivan engages audiences with thought-provoking analyses and actionable ideas for shaping a more stable and prosperous world. 

As the 16th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Michael S. Regan has broad expertise in Environmental Policy. While head of the EPA, Regan played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. environmental policies, including addressing pressing issues such as climate change, air and water quality, toxic chemical regulations, and environmental justice.

As EPA Administrator, Regan was the Chief Executive Officer of a federal regulatory agency with more than 16 thousand employees and an annual operating budget north of 10 billion dollars. With an additional historic funding boost from the United States Congress beyond the annual budget, Regan designed and led an investment strategy of more than 100 billion dollars in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities, while providing the private sector with regulatory certainty to ensure job growth, global economic competitiveness, and investor confidence.

Throughout his career, Regan has been guided by a belief in forming consensus, fostering an open dialogue rooted in respect for science and the law, and an understanding that environmental protection and economic prosperity go hand in hand. In his live engagements, Regan explains how these systems work together, often in surprising ways. 

Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Ambassador Jeff Flake’s experience representing America overseas, combined with nearly two decades of knowledge and experience on Capitol Hill, make him a truly unique asset to companies and organizations trying to navigate through complex global developments, topics, and trends. Known for his genial nature while in Congress, Ambassador Flake was confirmed unanimously by his former colleagues for his current ambassadorial post. Before his Ambassadorial appointment, Ambassador Flake served on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, as a Distinguished Fellow at Arizona State University, and at the Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership at Brigham Young University. He also served on the board of Directors of Taylor Morrison, the nation’s fifth-largest homebuilder. Ambassador Flake is the author of the New York Times best-seller Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle. He is also the recipient of the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College, Dublin. He offers a timely and unique perspective on U.S. foreign policy and the geopolitics of Europe and the Middle East.

A sought-after speaker, Ambassador Flake has guest lectured at Stanford, Princeton and Yale, and he was a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. He has been a frequent guest on NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week, CBS’s Face the Nation, FOX News’ Sunday, and CNN’s State of the Union. Ambassador Flake currently serves as the Director of the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Arizona State University, and as Chairman of the Board of World Trade Center Utah. He also serves as a Visiting Fellow at Brigham Young University. Ambassador Flake engages with audiences without partisan rancor or vitriol, making him capable and competent without being controversial.

As a third-generation Montana farmer, Tester doesn’t just talk about rural America—he lives it. His stories about growing up on his family’s farm, working with his hands, and navigating the changing landscape of American agriculture make him a powerful voice on perseverance, self-reliance, and the importance of small-town values in a fast-changing world. From butchering meat on his farm to chairing the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tester’s journey embodies the promise of hard work and dedication. His speeches remind audiences that leadership doesn’t come from privilege but from persistence, grit, and the willingness to stand up for what’s right. Whether he’s telling a story about fixing a fence in a Montana snowstorm or wrangling votes in the Senate, Tester’s storytelling is infused with humor, honesty, and no-nonsense wisdom. He connects with audiences by speaking plainly, making complex issues feel personal, and leaving listeners with memorable takeaways they can apply to their own lives.

Senator Tester is more than just a politician—he’s a storyteller who embodies the resilience, determination, and integrity that audiences crave. Whether speaking to corporate leaders, educators, or community advocates, his stories inspire action, remind us of our shared humanity, and prove that leadership is about rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. Known for his authenticity, ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and unwavering focus on results, Senator Tester exemplifies the values of America’s heartland while addressing the complex challenges facing the nation. His straightforward, no-nonsense approach to governance, paired with his ability to bridge divides, makes him a compelling speaker for any organization looking to inspire, educate, and foster meaningful dialogue. Whether protecting the land for future generations, advocating for responsible governance, or finding common ground on divisive issues, Senator Tester remains a powerful voice for practical, principled leadership.

Self-made mogul, CEO, and Founder Emma Grede is a groundbreaking and globally successful executive known for building incredible teams and beloved brands. Emma is the CEO and co-Founder of Good American, the first fully inclusive fashion brand that celebrates all dimensions of female power. She launched Good American alongside Khloé Kardashian and they engineered the largest denim launch in history. Their brand is now an iconic inclusive fashion line, and has expanded to ready-to-wear, swim, shoes, and activewear. Emma is also a founding partner of SKIMS, a solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear, and shapewear, and co-Founder of Safely, the plant-powered cleaning brand delivering chemical-free cleaning products to the masses. Emma’s passion for bettering the world through socially responsible and conversation-advancing decisions is consistently reflected in the culture of her teams and the businesses she builds, and she shares her actionable insights in sought-after keynotes and conversations.

Emma is a recurring Shark on ABC’s critically acclaimed Shark Tank, making history as the first Black woman to serve as an investor on the show. She joins the upcoming season of the BBC's Dragons' Den, set to air in 2024. In March 2024, the first season of her Roku series, Side Hustlers, premiered as the #1 on-demand title on The Roku Channel, followed by season two in August 2024; also at #1. Grede co-hosts the show alongside Ashley Graham, where they help female entrepreneurs turn their side hustles into full-time careers. As an activist as well as an investor, Emma has used her wealth of experience to identify and invest in groundbreaking entrepreneurs and start-ups rooted in inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability. She was named one of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” (2022 & 2023) and “America’s Richest Self-Made Women Under 40” by Forbes, and sits on the Glamour Women of the Year Advisory board. Emma serves as Chairwoman of the Fifteen Percent Pledge and also as a board member of Baby2Baby and Obama Foundation’s Board of Directors. As an immersive leader, she continues to advocate for inclusive representation across industries, while finding opportunities to foster real change. Emma’s leadership perspective is in-demand at notable events such as Forbes Women’s Power Summit, Hubspot INBOUND, MediaSlopes, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Summit, Stanford Black Leadership Conference, among others.

Uniquely qualified to discuss the challenges and solutions in health and climate policy, William H. Frist, MD is a heart and lung transplant surgeon and former two-term Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee who served as U.S. Senate Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007. He ascended to that position, the highest-ranking elected official in his party, after spending fewer years in Congress than anyone in history.

Today, Senator Frist is the Global Board Chair of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the world’s largest conservation organization.  As chairman, he is committed to preserving the health of our planet, recognizing that population health is empirically linked to healthy ecosystems. He also is Founding Partner at Nashville’s Frist Cressey Ventures, and he has founded two “unicorn” companies ($1B valuation) that serve the healthcare needs of hundreds of thousands of patients across the United States. He is a respected national leader in business and venture capital. Two of his companies have been in the top three companies for the past two years on the INC5000 list of fastest growing companies in America. He also hosts the healthcare podcast A Second Opinion: Rethinking American Health and eponymous newsletter which discuss the latest in human health as it is influenced by nature, medical innovation, the changing climate, and public policy, and considers commonsense solutions that work in neighborhoods and on a global scale. 

He is actively engaged in the business as well as the medical, humanitarian, and philanthropic communities.

Former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi is a business powerhouse, globally renowned for leading the company through a decade of tremendous growth and change. Praised for her prescient and strategic thinking, she was responsible for growing PepsiCo's revenues from $35 billion when she became CEO, to $63.5 billion in 2017. She oversaw a portfolio of global brands and diversified products enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 180 countries and territories around the world. As PepsiCo’s director of global strategy for over a decade, Nooyi led the company's restructuring, including the divestiture of its restaurants into the successful YUM! Brands, Inc; the acquisition of Tropicana and merger with Quaker Oats; the merger with PepsiCo’s anchor bottlers; and the acquisition of Wimm-Bill-Dann, the largest international acquisition in PepsiCo’s history. An advisor to several early-stage companies, Ms. Nooyi currently serves on the boards of Amazon, Philips, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Partnership for Public Service, and is an independent director of the International Cricket Council. She is a trustee at the National Gallery of Art, and is on the Dean’s Advisory Council at MIT’s School of Engineering.

Celebrated for her hallmark motto of "do well by doing good," Nooyi was chief architect of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo’s pledge to do what’s right for the business by being responsive to the needs of the world through sustainable growth initiatives such as making healthier and more nutritious products, limiting the company's environmental footprint, and empowering associates and people in the communities PepsiCo serves. With multiple appearances in Forbes' "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women," Fortune's "Most Powerful Women," and TIME's "100 Most Influential People in The World," Nooyi has been sought-out for her unparalleled business insights and empowering messages on leadership, inclusivity and change everywhere from The World Economic Forum to The Aspen Institute. In 2019, her portrait was inducted into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and in 2022 she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our Future, published by Penguin Portfolio in September 2021, and teaches the MasterClass "Leading with Purpose."

Internationally respected economist and financier Mohamed El-Erian is a go-to voice around the world on how to decode the global economy, policies, and international markets – markets hang on his analysis and insight. With experience at the highest levels of business and government, El-Erian currently serves as the Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, the corporate parent of PIMCO where he formerly served as Chief Executive and co-Chief Investment Officer. He is the President of Queens’ College, the University of Cambridge, Chair of Gramercy Fund Management, a columnist for Bloomberg View, and a contributing editor at the Financial Times. El-Erian receives resoundingly positive feedback for his events, such as: “In my thirteen years as an event producer, I have never received such positive feedback from a keynote speaker before. I can say with 100% confidence that this was a wise investment in our business.” (Information Management Network)

El-Erian has been named to Foreign Policy’s list of “Top 100 Global Thinkers” for four years in a row. Since 2014, he has been serving on the jury for the Financial Times/McKenzie Book of the Year award. He also served as Chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council from December 2012 to January 2017. In 2018, he was appointed to the IMF’s External Advisory Group on Surveillance and MIT’s Visiting Committee for the Department of Economics. He is currently the chair of the Under Armour board of directors and serves on that of NBER and several educational institutions. He has been a LinkedIn top influencer. Meeting planners share their praise for El-Erian’s ability to connect with audiences through a humorous laid-back style, and to clearly explain the complex issues of the global economy.

Former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón is a globally recognized leader in climate action and sustainability transformation. Establishing economic reform as a top priority of his administration, President Calderón’s policies catapulted Mexico into a powerful player in the global economy. Since leaving his post as President, Calderón has focused his leadership and attention on the economic benefits of acting on climate change. In 2022, he was named President of the Environment and Sustainability Commission for the International Automobile Federation. President Calderón was named "Statesman of the Year" by the World Economic Forum, a “Top 100 Influential People in the World” by TIME Magazine, and "Champion of the Earth" by the United Nations. President Calderón has been honored with the Teddy Roosevelt Award for the Environment, the GLOBE Award from the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment, and the International Star of Energy Efficiency award. President Calderón is a foremost voice in environmentalism and an outspoken proponent of sustainable investment.

Calderón provides actionable steps for both the private and public sector to advance sustainability practices, build consensus, and support business growth. He has hosted and chaired the G-20 Summit of Leaders as well as chaired the UN Conference on Climate Change COP 16, marking a new era of cooperation in this field. President Calderón has provided his insights to hosts such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, SkyBridge Capital’s SALT Conference, Colgate University, Accenture, and 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.

Motorsport executive, VC investor, and former racing driver Toto Wolff delivers star power balanced with expertise in high-performance leadership and organizational culture. Toto is the Co-Owner, CEO, and Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. A former racing driver turned investor, Toto started his career by founding a tech-focused venture capital firm in Austria. He entered F1 with an ownership stake in the Williams F1 Team in 2009, before acquiring a 30% stake (now 33%) in the Mercedes-Benz works team in 2013. Toto has since led the team, featuring the most successful F1 driver of all-time, Lewis Hamilton, to unprecedented heights, winning eight Constructor World Championships and seven Driver World Championships.

Toto’s high-performance leadership philosophy was the subject of a Harvard Business School Case Study in 2022, “Number One in Formula 1.” He regularly visits Harvard to work with MBA students and teach the case study, leading discussions on high-performance leadership and organizational culture. In 2024, Toto will help teach a Harvard Business School course alongside professor Anita Elberse, focusing on how he has led the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team to historic success. Toto is also an Associate Fellow at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School where he imparts lessons on entrepreneurship and innovation, as well holding an Honorary Doctorate from Cranfield University. In sought after talks, Toto leverages his understanding of winning culture, team leadership, and personal effectiveness.

Governing Through Crisis: Lessons in Global Leadership

David Miliband—former UK Foreign Secretary and current President of the International Rescue Committee—is one of the most respected voices in global leadership today. Drawing on a remarkable career at the intersection of government, diplomacy, and humanitarian action, Miliband offers a sweeping and deeply informed perspective on what it takes to govern through crisis in a rapidly changing world.

As Foreign Secretary, Miliband helped shape UK foreign policy during an era of profound global volatility. Today, as the leader of the IRC—founded by Albert Einstein—he oversees one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations, delivering life-saving aid across 40 countries and guiding refugee resettlement efforts throughout the United States. Under his stewardship, the IRC reached more than 38 million people last year alone.

In his compelling talks, Miliband explores how institutions—whether governmental, financial, or humanitarian—must evolve to meet 21st-century challenges. He speaks to the critical need for international cooperation, the moral imperatives of leadership, and the strategic thinking required to navigate conflict, displacement, public health emergencies, and climate-related crises. His TED Talk, "The Refugee Crisis is a Test of Our Character," has garnered more than 1.5M views, and his book Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time offers timely insights into leadership, ethics, and global responsibility.

A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Grammy Award-winning narrator, Miliband is a gifted communicator with rare moral clarity and strategic depth. President Bill Clinton called him “one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time.”

Whether addressing business executives, policymakers, or global citizens, Miliband challenges audiences to think bigger, lead boldly, and act with purpose in a world that demands nothing less.

Award-winning humanitarian, Global Changemaker, and disability and environmental justice advocate Eddie Ndopu serves as one of the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Goal Advocates and sits on the board of the United Nations Foundation. Ndopu is the founder of A Billion Reasons, a groundbreaking social impact incubator established in partnership with the World Economic Forum to tackle the U.N.’s SDGs through a lens of universal design and disability-based innovation. He also sits on the impact boards of The Valuable 500, IMAGINE, and Verizon’s Global Advisory Board for Accessibility and Disability Inclusion. He formerly served as a member of both the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council for the New Agenda for Social Justice and the World Economic Forum’s Partnering for Racial Justice in Business Initiative. Ndopu’s debut memoir, Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw, was selected by Apple as one of the best books in August 2023. Ndopu is a highly in-demand speaker for his insights about the intersections of disability, sustainability, and how we can best work together to make meaningful change for our planet’s future.

Honored by TIME as the Person of the Week, recognized as one of Pacific Standard’s “Top 30 Thinkers Under 30,” and described by Salesforce as “one of the most powerful voices on the planet right now,” Ndopu deeply enriches audience experiences with his charisma, perspective, and storytelling skills. He has delivered keynotes and conversations at venues such as Facebook, Amazon, Discovery Health, the COP26 Climate Change Summit, The World Economic Forum, The Skoll World Forum, and more.

Jack Lew is a distinguished attorney, diplomat, and policymaker with a remarkable career spanning both public service and the private sector. As the 76th Secretary of the Treasury (2013–2017) and United States Ambassador to Israel, Lew played a pivotal role in shaping global economic policy and U.S. foreign relations. He also served as White House Chief of Staff (2012–2013) and Director of the Office of Management and Budget under both the Clinton and Obama administrations.

Lew’s extensive experience extends beyond government service. Prior to 2010, Lew served as managing director and chief operating officer for two different Citigroup business units. Lew was tapped by Citigroup for his work as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of New York​ University, where he was responsible for budget, finance, and operations, and served as a professor of public administration. From 2004 through 2008, Lew served on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service and chaired its Management, Administration, and Governance Committee. As Special Assistant to President Clinton from 1993 to 1994, Mr. Lew helped design Americorps, the national service program.

Lew began his career in Washington in 1973 as a legislative aide. From 1979 to 1987, he was a principal domestic policy advisor to House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr, when he served the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee as Assistant Director and then Executive Director. He was the Speaker's liaison to the Greenspan Commission, which negotiated a bipartisan solution to extend the solvency of Social Security in 1983, and he was responsible for domestic and economic issues, including Medicare, budget, tax, trade, appropriations, and energy issues. With deep expertise in public finance, policy, and international relations, Lew offers invaluable insights into leadership, economic strategy, and governance, making him an ideal speaker for audiences seeking perspectives on global economics and public service.

55^th Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is described as a man exuding “true American grit.” Prior to his election to Congress, McCarthy served as the fastest rising Minority Leader in the California State Legislature. In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under four Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior. After his election to Speaker, McCarthy went on to secure $2T in deficit reduction. McCarthy’s decade and a half at the pinnacle of U.S. government has imbued him with powerful insights into politics, leadership, and values.

Throughout his career, McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. McCarthy’s invaluable perspective as a Washington insider, as well as his sharp insights and analysis, make him the ideal voice on the future of the U.S.

Lael Brainard is one of the leading economic policymakers, shaping the financial landscape through her expertise in monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and economic governance. As one of the foremost voices on the U.S. and global economy, Brainard has played a pivotal role in navigating financial crises, guiding regulatory frameworks, and fostering economic cooperation.

As the Director of the U.S. National Economic Council (NEC) from 2023 to 2025, she led the administration’s economic policies on growth, tax, investments in semiconductors and clean energy, labor markets, and trade. Before that, she served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB) from 2014 to 2023, including as Vice Chair starting in 2022. Throughout her tenure, Brainard was instrumental in shaping U.S. monetary policy, and stabilizing financial markets in cooperation with financial officials in the US and globally.

A seasoned policymaker, Brainard’s experience spans multiple administrations. She has operated at the highest levels of economic diplomacy, including in negotiations with China. She served as Undersecretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury (2009-2013), representing the U.S. in G-20 and G-7 financial negotiations, and was a key player in global economic recovery efforts following the 2008 financial crisis.

Brainard’s global perspective is rooted in her unique upbringing as the daughter of an American diplomat in Cold War-era Poland and Germany. She earned a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and has held influential roles in academia, including at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and as Director of the Global Economy and Development Program at The Brookings Institution.

Brainard’s contributions to economic policymaking and strategy have earned her widespread recognition, including Treasury’s Alexander Hamilton Award and Harvard’s Centennial Medal. Whether advising presidents, shaping Federal Reserve policy, or guiding international economic strategy, Lael Brainard remains one of the most respected and influential voices in economic policy today.

Rostin "Russ" Behnam served as the 15th Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 2021 to January 2025. Behnam was nominated by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in December 2021. Before serving as Chairman, Behnam served as a CFTC Commissioner from 2017-2021, having been nominated by President Trump in July 2017 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate the following month.

Since leaving the CFTC in February 2025, Behnam continues to be a sought after voice among global financial market experts both in the United States and globally. As CFTC Chairman, during a time of significant technological transformation and disruption in financial markets, Behnam focused on implementing rules and dedicating agency resources to enhancing risk management and resilience, strengthening customer protections, improving data policy, and promoting international comity. 

While Chairman, Behnam was at the center of the crypto policy debate in the U.S., directly influencing multiple legislative efforts to authorize the regulation of digital assets, and also overseeing the expansion of CFTC licensed crypto exchanges, intermediaries, and new financial derivatives products directly within the agency’s authority. 

Behnam is also globally recognized for his work on climate finance and examining the relationship between climate change and financial market risk. Behnam led the publication of the Managing Climate Risk in the U.S. Financial System report in September 2020, and subsequently led the passage of the CFTC’s Guidance in the voluntary carbon markets, in September 2024. 

Behnam now serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy at Georgetown University. In his new role, he is expected to leverage his extensive experience in financial regulation to contribute to academic discussions and policy development related to financial markets.

Ron Klain was the longest serving first Chief of Staff for any Democratic President (2021-2023). As Chief of Staff to President Biden, Mr. Klain oversaw the Biden-Harris White House staff and served as a member of the Cabinet. President Biden called Ron Klain “a once-in-a-generation talent with fierce intellect and heart.” Mr. Klain has been praised for his bipartisan legislative achievements, a historic focus on judicial nominations, and guiding the White House to an unexpected victory in the midterm elections. A frequent guest on TV news shows, Mr. Klain was a well-known spokesperson for the administration. Mr. Klain was selected for the TIME 100 list of global leaders while serving as Chief of Staff.

Mr. Klain held senior posts in private law practice and spent more than a decade as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Revolution LLC, an investment firm launched by AOL Co-Founder Steve Case in 2005. He is now a partner in global legal giant O'Melveny's Litigation Department and serves on the firm's Executive Committee. In addition, Mr. Klain has devoted many years to public service. He has served as on the Executive Council of TechNet, the Democracy Forward Foundation, and a member of the external advisory boards of the World Economic Forum’s Global Health Security Project and the Ending Pandemics Project. Mr. Klain has worked on eight Presidential campaigns, serving as a top debate preparation advisor to Presidents Biden, Obama and Clinton, and Democratic Presidential nominees Al Gore, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton.

An expert on domestic economics and a leading authority on international finance, Larry Summers is one of the most distinguished voices on the issues and policy impacting the global economy. His frequent commentary is regarded as essential input to crafting economic policy, and he has remained for decades a well respected statesman of the American economy.

Prior to serving in the Obama Administration as Director of the National Economic Council, Dr. Summers was 71st Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton Administration, President of Harvard University, and Vice President of Development Economics and Chief Economist of the World Bank. Dr. Summers’ tenure at the U.S. Treasury coincided with the longest period of sustained economic growth in U.S. history. He is the only Treasury Secretary in the last half century to have left office with the national budget in surplus. During his tenure in the Obama Administration, Larry Summers emerged as a key economic decision-maker and continues to be called upon as the number one resource for the most pressing economic debates of the day. 

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall has tackled the world’s most pressing global and domestic challenges for four decades. Leading in top public roles, including as White House Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor (2021-2025), Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Energy (2014-2017), White House Coordinator for Defense Policy, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Arms Control (2013-2014), Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs (2009-2013), and at the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia (1994-1996), Sherwood-Randall has worked on the most complex and consequential global challenges, participating in the highest levels of international and domestic decision-making. Sherwood-Randall’s expertise spans a broad range of topics that are highly relevant today, including leading through crises, securing critical infrastructure, driving energy innovation, and conducting international diplomacy with both allies and adversaries.

Offering unique insights and unparalleled expertise across a spectrum of issues, from homeland security to national security, Sherwood-Randall presents the threats and opportunities that lie ahead through a compelling insider’s lens. Her work in both the top levels of the American government and with private sector partners highlights her ability to bring innovative solutions to complex challenges. She offers insights on reducing threats, navigating uncertainty, managing emergencies, and making tough decisions under pressure in the media spotlight. With first-hand experience as a defense and energy policy leader, global crisis manager, and proven female executive, Sherwood-Randall has inspired numerous teams to achieve ambitious goals, facing dynamic times with courage, steadiness, and grace under pressure.

Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and advocate for cross-cultural understanding and conflict prevention and recovery issues such as refugees, missing persons, poverty, climate change, and disarmament. Her Majesty’s work in Jordan and the Arab world has focused on national and regional human security in the areas of education, conservation, sustainable development, human rights, and cross-cultural understanding. Overall, her peace-building work has focused on the Middle East, the Balkans, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Her Majesty received the United Nations Environment Program Global 500 Award for her activism in environmental protection, promoting awareness and initiating community action for the preservation of Jordan’s natural heritage. Her Majesty has worked with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Seeds of Peace, Council of Women World Leaders, and Women Waging Peace and as a member of the Pew Global Attitudes Survey International Advisory Board.

Her Majesty authored Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, a New York Times #1 bestseller published in 17 languages. In recognition of her efforts to advance sustainable development, democracy, and peace, the Queen has been awarded numerous awards and honorary doctorates in international relations, law, and humane letters. World Awards Media and countless other hosts have commended her speaking style as “eloquent, graceful, and warm.”

Prince Harry is a humanitarian, mental health advocate, environmentalist, and military combat veteran. His work is dedicated to creating positive and lasting change for communities and the planet, particularly in advancing conversations around resilience and healing.

Since 2021, he has served as Chief Impact Officer at BetterUp, the largest mental health and coaching startup in the world, and along with his wife, has become an investor in Ethic, a sustainable investing platform. In that same year, he was asked to join a panel of experts at the Aspen Institute's Commission for Information Disorder. In 2023, he was named a New York Times best-selling author for his memoir, Spare, which became the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time on its release date. Prince Harry is a respected voice on global issues, and in recent years has delivered impactful keynote addresses at the United Nations General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative.

Alongside his wife, Meghan, he co-founded The Archewell Foundation whose mission is: ‘show up, do good,’ reflecting the ways in which they work to support communities, offline and online, in ways big and small. The Archewell Foundation focuses on social impact initiatives, including digital safety and education, all under the umbrella of protecting our collective mental health.

Prince Harry is also the founder of the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sporting event that celebrates wounded service members and veterans from 25 nations, and Travalyst, a global coalition of the biggest travel and technology brands focused on promoting sustainable travel practices to protect both people and places. He serves on the Board of African Parks, supporting critical wildlife conservation and community-led initiatives across Africa. His leadership in both environment and mental health advocacy has earned him recognition from TIME Magazine’s "100 Most Influential People" alongside his wife in 2018, 2021, and for his climate work in 2024.

Prince Harry resides in California with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Together, they remain dedicated to building a more compassionate, equitable world for future generations.

Journalist and author Mary Childs is a co-host for NPR’s award-winning Planet Money podcast known for balancing in-depth analysis of the most pressing financial topics with tenacious clarity, and offering accessible insights and takeaways for individuals and organizations. Previously, Childs worked as a senior reporter for Barron’s magazine, where she covered the alternatives industry, the bond market, and capitalism; a correspondent for the Financial Times; and a contributor to Bloomberg News. Her forthcoming book The Bond King: How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost it All was listed as one of LitHub’s most anticipated of the year. She's reported deeply about the pioneering of new asset classes, proposals to solve inequality, and diversity in the finance industry.

Named a 2015 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Honoree, Childs’s award-winning work has been chosen as The New Yorker’s “Best Business Reporting” and highlighted on The Daily Show. Childs has appeared as a commentator for Bloomberg TV, Fox Business, Yahoo TV, and Nikkei TV, as well as consulting for HBO on a finance-related program. Her writing has appeared in Quartz, The New York Times, and New York Magazine.

TV personality, entrepreneur, crypto economy advocate, and activist Matt James is known for his historic role as the first Black male lead on ABC’s The Bachelor, which gave him the opportunity to be a role model for young people and encourage important conversations around racial justice and social change. While pursuing a career in finance and real estate, Matt co-founded ABC Food Tours, which creates experiences for students facing the challenge of food insecurity and adversity at home and seeks to provide opportunities on a larger scale. He is also a minority owner, ambassador, and shareholder in Lettuce Grow, a hydroponic farming company. Matt uses his platform of over 1M followers to foster awareness for food justice and human rights.

In addition to being a fan-favorite TV personality, Matt is a leader in the crypto economy, taking his advocacy work into cryptocurrency, blockchain, and NFTs. Matt is a co-founder of Encrypted Energy, a cryptocurrency mining company that sources clean energy to mine bitcoin. He is also a member of Crypto for Black Economic Empowerment, a collective of the most influential Black crypto and blockchain thought leaders. James is also an owner and supporter of the NFT movement, focusing on artists of color and female creators, and has partnered with crypto marketplace BlockFi to create crypto educational content geared toward women & communities of color and is working with Gemini to develop a financial literacy curriculum. He is a sought-after advisor for several digital media companies on the future of the Metaverse and Web3. He is an avid supporter of the Lebron James Family Foundation, Hack the Hood, and the Getting Out and Staying Out Foundation.

Seven-time Emmy-winning journalist Ann Curry is a cornerstone of U.S. news and journalism. Her reporting is raw, bold, and deeply personal, fueled by human connections. She has appeared before the camera on some of America’s largest networks, including NBC News, PBS, TNT, and more. Her TED talks have been viewed around the world. Curry brings the same deep meaning, message, and sharp intellect to her speaking events as she does her iconic interviews.

Curry is recognized not only as a journalist but also as a humanitarian. Her work has garnered honors such as the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Medal of Valor, the NAACP's Excellence in Reporting Award, the Centre for Responsible Leadership's Truth in Media Award, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award, and more. Hosts such as Colgate University, the Holocaust Memorial Center, the National Court Reporters Association and more have been captivated by her memorable stories.

12th President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim is a global visionary devoted to improving the lives of people in developing countries and championing the cause of global health. Renowned for his pioneering approaches to tackling global health issues, education, and economic development at the World Bank, Kim re-defined the institution's work amplifying the voices of the world's poor, vowing to end extreme poverty by 2030.

Before his time at the World Bank, Kim served as President of Dartmouth College – becoming the first Asian-American president of an Ivy League institution – and as Executive Director and co-founder of the internationally renowned non-profit medical organization Partners In Health (PIH). At PIH, Kim helped launch a movement that changed global health forever, tackling some of the world's most difficult health problems, and proving experts wrong in what medical treatments and results are possible in communities of extreme poverty. Kim's work at PIH has now been replicated in 40+ countries and is chronicled in the award-winning documentary Bending the Arc and bestselling book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Kim also served as Chief of the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS department. At WHO Kim led the groundbreaking "3 by 5" initiative, the first-ever global goal for AIDS treatment.

Sought-out to speak everywhere from TED to the World Economic Forum, Kim's ideas and efforts have changed the way the world thinks about global development. A physician and anthropologist, he is the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship and has been recognized as one of America's "25 Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report, named to TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World," and listed to Forbes' "World's Most Powerful People." Kim inspires people to change the world and provides eye-opening and empowering insights on just how we can do it. 

After 12 Years in Office, Gov. Jay Inslee Leaves a Legacy of Climate Action and Crisis Leadership

Jay Inslee is a fifth-generation Washingtonian who has lived and worked in urban and rural communities on both sides of the state. Governor Inslee worked his way through college and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in economics before earning his law degree at Willamette University. He and his wife, Trudi, then moved to Selah, a small town near Yakima where they raised their three sons. Jay worked as an attorney and prosecutor.

Governor Inslee first became involved in public service in 1985 when he and Trudi helped lead the effort to build a new public high school in Selah. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, he went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. Governor Inslee continued serving communities in the Yakima Valley when he was elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to the Puget Sound area where Governor Inslee was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012 when he was elected governor. He was re-elected in 2016 and 2020.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s tenure ended in 2025 after three consecutive terms marked by bold leadership on climate change and crisis management. First elected in 2012 after serving in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Washington State Legislature, Inslee joins Republican Dan Evans (1965–1977) as one of only two Washington governors to serve three consecutive terms.

In his 12 years in office, Inslee transformed Washington into a national leader in climate policy, spearheading groundbreaking initiatives like the Climate Commitment Act, which positioned the state at the forefront of clean energy and carbon reduction. Under his leadership, Washington implemented one of the most ambitious cap-and-invest programs in the country, driving investment in renewable energy, green jobs, and carbon reduction efforts that will have a lasting impact for generations. His work was honored with the TIME Earth Award in 2025. 

Beyond climate and public health, Inslee’s administration also delivered historic investments in transportation, education, and housing. His efforts led to the passage of Washington’s first long-term care program, expansion of apprenticeship programs, and reforms that increased fairness in the state’s tax system, including the voter-backed capital gains tax. His leadership on homelessness included the successful Rights of Way initiative, which moved thousands of individuals off highways and into permanent housing with critical support services.

Internationally recognized environmental activist, author, and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient Catherine Coleman Flowers has dedicated her life’s work to advocating for environmental justice. Founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ), Flowers has spent her career promoting equal access to clean water, air, sanitation, and soil to reduce health and economic disparities in marginalized, rural communities. Her leadership and fervor in fighting for solutions to these issues led her to one of her most notable appointments yet — Vice Chair of the Biden Administration’s inaugural White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Flowers is the author of the acclaimed and award-winning book Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret, in which she shares her inspiring story of advocacy, from childhood to environmental justice champion. Whether addressing equal access to water, the effects of climate change on different communities, or the effect of history on today's inequities, Flowers' lens of leadership in environmental justice and climate change engages and inspires attendees with tangible solutions and ways to take action.

Flowers serves as Rural Development Manager for Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), is a Board Member for the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Climate Reality Project and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Flowers is also Co-Chair of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on Accelerating Climate Action and Practitioner in Residence at Duke University. She has written powerful pieces for the New York Review of Books, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Frontline Magazine, and has been profiled by 60 Minutes. Thought-provoking and informative, Flowers’ talks have left lasting impressions at the American Institute of Architects, the Triple Bottom Line Americas Conference, the Bloomberg Green Festival, the Global Philanthropy Forum, Georgetown University, Wheaton University, and more.

Former director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner has been at the forefront of the United States’ environmental and energy polices for nearly four decades. As President Clinton’s EPA Administrator, President Obama’s "Energy Czar," and one of six members of President Biden's Climate Engagement Advisory Council during his campaign, Browner has negotiated, developed, proposed, and implemented U.S. policy affecting global energy, environment, public health, and business matters. Today, Browner provides her expertise through dual roles in the business and policymaking arenas and serves as a Senior of Counsel at Covington & Burling, as well as board chair of the League of Conservation Voters. With deep understanding at the intersection of politics, business, and environmentalism, Browner’s expertise on sustainability is unparalleled.

Browner’s voice has been sought by organizations such as KPMG, Capgemini, UCSC’s Panetta Institute for Public Policy, and more. Browner regularly counsels industry leaders in transportation, energy, and consumer product sectors on regulatory matters spanning all sustainability concerns. Browner’s clear insights, deep expertise, and solution-oriented approach to sustainability inspire audiences to build a better tomorrow.

Jennifer Granholm is an American lawyer, educator, author and politician who served most recently as the 16^th United States Secretary of Energy, and previously as the two-term governor of Michigan. As governor, she spearheaded Michigan’s economic recovery after the Great Recession by diversifying the state’s economy to focus on clean energy and revitalizing the auto industry to build electric vehicles. 

As Secretary of Energy (2021-2025), Granholm restructured the U.S. Department of Energy to focus on research and development of advanced clean energy solutions and, importantly, deployment of zero-carbon technologies. She oversaw $200 billion of U.S. DOE investments into companies and projects to accelerate the clean energy transition. During her tenure as Secretary, thanks to the policies and laws that she helped to shape, the country saw record deployment of clean energy — adding the equivalent of 30 Hoover Dams of zero-carbon energy to the nation’s electricity grid in 2024, more than twice as much solar power deployed as ever before. Due to incentives to manufacture in America, businesses announced almost 1,000 factories were coming or expanding in the U.S. to build clean energy products -- solar panels, EVs, batteries, small nuclear reactors, clean hydrogen, geothermal and more. Thanks to DOE’s work, the nation’s transmission grid is seeing an 11X expansion of new transmission miles.

During her tenure as Secretary, DOE with its 110,000 employees was ranked among the Top 10 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. Secretary Granholm was named in 2024 to the "TIME 100 Most Influential People" list, and Forbes’ list of "Top Climate Leaders."

Secretary Granholm taught law and public policy at UC Berkeley from 2011-2020, specializing in clean energy and public leadership. A former Attorney General of Michigan (1998-2002) and an honors graduate of Harvard Law School (1987), she is the author of A Governor's Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future, has penned scores of articles and opinion pieces on clean energy, and continues to play a leading role in shaping America’s energy future. Heralded for her forward-looking insight, Granholm brings a balanced and nuanced perspective sorely needed in today's divisive times. 

A renowned rebel with a green thumb, Ron Finley is widely known as the Gangster Gardener. After growing up in the South Central Los Angeles food prison – a geographic location where access to healthy food options is extremely limited or nonexistent – Finely is intimately familiar with the impacts of a lack of fresh produce. In 2010, he set out to fix the problem by planting vegetables in neglected dirt patches, and after being cited by the city of Los Angeles for gardening without a permit, he fought back and won – starting a petition with fellow green activists and demanding the right to garden and grow food in his neighborhood. Finley has shared his bold and tender vision for communities – and a world – transformed through gardening at events with groups like Netflix, Chase, Cornell University, Google, Salesforce, and Amazon.

Finely has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Oprah Daily, on The Ellen Show, and more, as his passion for agriculture and food equity continues to resonate with audiences of all kinds. In 2020, he created one of the most popular classes on the Masterlass platform – with over 9M views, it was the most-watched course of the year. The Gangster Gardener founded the Ron Finley Project, an organization that spreads the movement for urban gardening and turning food deserts into food sanctuaries. Heralded for his humor and his profound message, Finley leaves audiences feeling empowered to explore new knowledge and increase their wellbeing, togetherness, and freedom through gardening.

Renowned wildlife ecologist, equity and justice advocate, and storyteller Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a trail-blazing conservationist whose insights about STEM, equity, and the power of nature inspire audiences of all kinds. As an active scientist, Dr. Wynn-Grant researches how human activity influences the behavior of wild animals, spending long periods in the wilderness tracking and observing black and grizzly bears in the Western U.S. and African lions in rural Kenya and Tanzania. Her wildlife exploration and media work has taken her to six of seven continents and over 25 countries. A native Californian, Dr. Wynn-Grant attributes her interest in wildlife and conservation from the nature shows she watched on television as a child, and today she uses media to increase representation of Black scientists and explorers. Dr. Wynn-Grant is the Host of a new NBC series, Wild Kingdom - a new version of the iconic wildlife show premiering Fall 2023.

Dr. Wynn-Grant envisions a near-future where the outdoors is a safe, equitably accessible, and positively transformative space for all people, and she shares her passionate insights in riveting keynotes and conversations. Dr. Wynn-Grant is a faculty member at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California at Santa Barbara, serves on the Golden Gate regional board of NatureBridge, and is a National Geographic Explorer. Her PBS podcast, Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, takes listeners deep into the heart of the world’s most remote jungles, savannas, tundras, mountains, and deserts with her as she studies wild animals in their natural habitats. A phenomenal leader in her field and a compelling speaker, Dr. Wynn-Grant uses the power of storytelling to make science accessible, emphasizing the importance of creating equitable opportunities for young people to experience nature first-hand.

Actor, activist, and New York Times bestselling author Ashley Judd is heralded for her unforgettable performances and tireless advocacy work. From starring roles in box office hits and award-winning independent films, Judd’s films tell very personal stories that tap into larger issues, and she brings this gift for storytelling to all her speaking engagements. A voice for the often voiceless, she shines an illuminating light on the vulnerable and the at-risk. Judd has traveled the world with her international public health work, from maternal health to child survival, human rights to disease prevention and treatment. She has been working with NGO’s, grass roots organizations, governments, and supranational bodies since 2004, and detailed her experience in her New York Times bestselling book, All That Is Bitter and Sweet. For her sought-after speaking engagements, Judd regularly receives glowing praise such as: “Ashley Judd walked onto the Ford Hall Forum stage and hit it straight out of the park from her first word to her last. She is not only incredibly intelligent and a top-notch presenter, but also thoroughly knowledgeable and committed... It was clear that the audience found Judd completely captivating and a true inspiration.” (Ford Hall)

Judd was named one TIME’s “Persons of the Year” for her role as a silence-breaker and change-maker of the #MeToo movement, shifting the culture and conversation around sexual abuse and harassment. She is a sought after public speaker and frequent OpEd author on topics as diverse as conflict mineral mining and child marriage. She serves as the Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA, the Global Ambassador for Population Services International, and is Chairperson of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project: Curbing Abuse, Expanding Freedom. She has received the Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian Award and her alma mater, the University of Kentucky, established the Ashley T. Judd Distinguished Gradate Fellowship in the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women. Judd illuminates topics of women’s rights, mental health, the environment, and more with her indelible storytelling and global experience, and hosts rave about her impact: "Ms. Judd was the perfect choice for the closing keynote. She had obviously done her homework on the ATHENA leadership principles because she connected her remarks directly to them. She was intelligent, thought provoking, humorous, sincere, warm and extremely engaging. Conference attendees raved about her and she and her staff were delightful to work with. I would highly recommend her as a speaker." (Güd Marketing | Marketing That Matters)

Please visit ashleyjudd.com to learn more about Judd's latest projects and advocacy work.

Peabody and Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Amna Nawaz currently serves as co-anchor & co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour. Her diligent reporting and skillful moderation have shaped coverage of some of the most important events in recent history. Amna’s portfolio is broad, delving into politics, foreign affairs, education, climate change, culture, and sports to great acclaim, with her NBC News Special ‘Inside the Obama Whitehouse’ earning her an Emmy Award. From her distinguished position as NBC’s Islamabad Bureau Chief & Correspondent to her Peabody Award-winning work, Amna’s signature thoughtful and thorough analysis establish her as one of the foremost voices in journalism today.

Leading notable panels such as the Aspen Ideas Festival and the RespectAbility #ADA30 Summit 2020, Amna’s insightful moderation elevates conversations. In a ground-breaking moment, she co-moderated a 2019 Democratic Primary Debate, becoming the first Asian American and first Muslim American to do so. Amna has interviewed international newsmakers, influential voices in the arts, and travelled from border towns to Appalachia covering vital issues and enriching national and international dialogue.

Amna’s work has appeared on ABC News, Nightline, NBC News, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, Dateline NBC, MSNBC, and MSNBC.com. Nawaz was a Fall 2021 Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service and she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Asian American Journalists Association, the South Asian Journalists Association, and the Inter-American Dialogue. Amna consistently receives rave reviews for her speaking engagements, such as: “Amna was outstanding! Gracious, delightful, simply perfect. The tone of her speech hit the spot. Everyone loved it.” (Greenwich Academy)

Harvard University professor of philosophy Michael Sandel has been described as a “philosopher with the global profile of a rock star,” known across the globe for his lively Socratic debates that aim to restore the lost art of respectful discussion. Sandel is the bestselling author of books on justice, ethics, democracy, and markets that have been translated into over 30 languages. Sandel has been a visiting professor at the Sorbonne, delivered the Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Oxford, served on the U.S. President’s Council on Bioethics, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A graduate of Brandeis University, he received his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Sandel’s books—on justice, democracy, ethics, technology, and markets—have been translated into more than 30 languages. They include Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?; What Money Can’t Buy, and The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?, which seeks a way beyond our polarized politics. A new edition of his classic book Democracy’s Discontent has been described as “essential--and ultimately hopeful--reading for all those who wonder if our democratic experiment will survive in the twenty-first century.”

Sandel’s legendary course “Justice,” one of the most popular in Harvard’s history, is freely available online and has been viewed by tens of millions. His BBC series The Global Philosopher engages participants from around the world in discussing the ethical issues lying behind the headlines. In this and other television, radio, and online programs, Sandel explores tech ethics, robots and AI, markets and morals, climate change, free speech, and other topical issues.

Sandel’s renowned interactive public lectures on the big civic questions of the day show how reasoned debate, leavened with humor and mutual respect, can produce dialogue across our differences.

A “master of life’s big questions” (Guardian), Sandel’s live events have packed St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), the Sydney Opera House (Australia), the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park, and an outdoor stadium in Seoul (S. Korea), where 14,000 came to hear him speak. 

Elite professional rock climber Sasha DiGiulian is constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility. An Female Overall World Champion, three-time U.S. National Champion, and decade-long undefeated Pan-American Champion, DiGiulian has traveled to over 50 countries while accomplishing 30+ First and First Female Ascents. As a woman making a career within a traditionally male-dominated space, DiGiulian stands for equality in sport, access, pay, and treatment of female athletes.

DiGiulian’s amazing story has been recounted in her memoir, Take the Lead, and the HBO Documentary on her life, Here to Climb. She has been featured in or on the cover of Oprah, Good Morning America, The Today Show, 60 Minutes Sports, Nightline, CNN, BBC, Vogue, TIME, and many more. Deeply focused on giving back to her community, DiGiulian sits on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation and Ascend Afghanistan and is an ambassador for UN Goodwill, Protect Our Winters, and Right to Play International. She has testified in front of the US House Committee of Natural Resources to support the EXPLORE Act. In motivational talks, DiGiulian offers inspirational and actionable strategies for setting and achieving courageous goals for individuals, teams, and organizations.

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.

Edward Norton is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is a visionary entrepreneur and committed social and environmental activist. Norton is a founding partner of CrowdRise, a web-based technology platform that changes the way organizations share their mission and involve those who support their causes. He speaks personally about his fundraising efforts and our responsibilities, particularly with regard to sustainability and natural resource management in our industrial economy.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad is the president of the World Food Prize Foundation, and the longest serving governor in the history of the United States. In addition to his role as president of Des Moines University Medical School, his public service includes election to the office of Lt. Governor and three-terms in the Iowa House of Representatives. He is a founding partner of the Branstad Churchill Group, a strategic consulting firm that provides advice, guidance and solutions to organizations, corporate leaders and investors seeking to navigate the complexities associated with conducting business in China and the United States.  

During his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to China, Branstad’s two greatest accomplishments included the signing of the historic Phase-One Trade Agreement in January of 2020 and successfully lobbying the Chinese government to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Last year, Branstad was named “Ambassador-In-Residence” at Drake University in Des Moines, where he received his Juris Doctorate.  He continues his public service as the national co-chair of the capital campaign to modernize the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa. Branstad has spoken for groups including KraneShares, the Committee of 100, US Meat Export Federation, National Pork Producers, and more.

Model, actor, activist, and writer Lily Cole has been engaged in environmentalist work and advocacy for nearly two decades. Following a successful career in fashion – she was named by Vogue France as one of the top ten models of the 2000s – Cole began investigating supply chains and sustainable business practices, becoming a patron of the Environmental Justice Foundation and an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund. She has founded several of her own social businesses, including the incubator Impossible.com. Cole is the author of Who Cares Wins: Reasons for Optimism in Our Changing World, which has been considered a guidebook for those looking for actionable insights and hope in the face of climate crisis. In her accompanying podcast, Who Cares Wins, Cole hosts impactful conversations about climate solutions.

Cole is an in-demand speaker for events with groups like Google, Wired, LeWeb, the Global Fashion Agenda, the Houses of Parliament, COP26, at Davos alongside the The World Economic Forum, where she has spoken multiple times for Arctic Basecamp and Goals House, and on behalf of the United Nations’ ECE Sustainability Pledge. As an actor, Cole has performed at The Globe Theatre, The Old Vic, and Trafalgar Studios, and has appeared in BBC’s The Split, and the upcoming feature film Hilma, among others. She has co-written and presented documentaries for Sky Arts and the BBC, and directed multiple short documentaries for VICE and Nowness. She holds an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Glasgow for her contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes through social businesses, and received an Honorary Award at the German Sustainability Awards for her dedication to climate and human rights activism.

Award-winning wordsmith, change-maker, and #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Amanda began writing at only a few years of age and has become one of the most recognizable poets in the world. A committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice, her activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, and Essence. Amanda has performed multiple commissioned poems for CBS This Morning, and she has spoken at events and venues across the country, including the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center.

Amanda has appeared on the cover of TIME, was the first poet to grace the cover of Vogue, was one of 5 Variety Power of Women honorees and cover star, as well one of 3 cover stars for Glamour's Women of the Year. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, is the recipient of the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.

Amanda is the author of the special edition of her inaugural poem The Hill We Climb, as well as the poetry collection Call Us What We Carry and the children’s book Change Sings, all debuting at #1 on New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Her next children’s book, Someday, Something, is due out in the fall of 2023. Amanda’s profound and uplifting remarks ensure an unforgettable experience for her audience.

Nobel Laureate and award-winning professor Michael Spence is the author of The Next Convergence and co-author of Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World. Spence is the Philip H. Knight Professor Emeritus of Management in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, a Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an Adjunct Professor at Bocconi University in Milan, and an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford University. In 2001, Spence received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in the field of information economics.

Spence is a Senior Advisor to Jasper Ridge Partners and a Senior Advisor to General Atlantic Partners, and chairs GA’s Global Growth Institute. He chairs the Advisory Board of the Asia Global Institute and was the Chairman of The Independent Commission on Growth and Development (2006-2010). He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Luohan Academy in Hangzhou. He previously served as Dean of the Stanford Business School (1990-99) and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University (1984-90). Spence was awarded the John Kenneth Galbraith Prize for excellence in teaching and the John Bates Clark Medal, awarded to American economists under age 40 for a "significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge."

Christopher T. Sununu served four terms as the 82nd Governor of the State of New Hampshire and after choosing not to seek a fifth term, he returned to the private sector in January 2025. At the conclusion of his tenure in office, the Granite State is the fastest-growing state in the Northeast, has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, and has the lowest child poverty rate of any state in America. Governor Sununu is recognized as a national leader in “common-sense” governance and balanced navigation of otherwise polarized political waters.

Serving during America’s most politically charged period and in conjunction with both the Trump and Biden administrations, Governor Sununu brings an insider’s perspective and unabashed transparency that few politicians can deliver.  As chief executive of the First In The Nation Primary state, Governor Sununu was front and center of our country’s two most heated elections in history and offers insights in how to decode political fact from fiction.

Whether discussing his five-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail or work cleaning up hazardous waste as an environmental engineer, Governor Sununu delights audiences with a mix of inspiring true stories and seasoned political acumen. With experience speaking to groups such as SXSW, Harvard University, The Aspen Institute, and more, Governor Sununu offers audiences an informed, practical, and engaging perspective on leadership and governance.

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.

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner has spent his political career working towards a smaller, less costly, and more accountable federal government. He took the gavel as Speaker of the House following a historic election in which Congressional Republicans, under Speaker Boehner’s leadership, picked up 63 seats in the U.S. House. Speaker Boehner represented the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio in the U.S. House for over two decades, serving as Chairman of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, House Minority Leader, and House Majority Leader during his tenure. Boehner led the government through many pivotal historical moments, giving him a holistic view of politics, leadership, and decision-making.

For insight into what is happening behind closed doors in the current political landscape, turn to Speaker Boehner's firsthand perspective. His book, On the House: A Washington Memoir, recalls Boehner’s five years as Speaker of the House. Hosts such as Stanford University, Edison Electric Institute, the National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference, BMO Financial Group have sought his expert remarks.

Former five-term Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. is the Executive Vice President and Vice Chair of Corporate and Institutional Banking for PNC. In addition to his work leading critical strategic initiatives, Ford Jr. also served as chairman and chief executive officer of Empowerment & Inclusion Capital I Corp, a PNC-sponsored mission-based special purpose acquisition company. He is also a sought-after commentator, serving as a co-host of FOX News Channel’s The Five as well as a frequent contributor to Special Report with Bret Baier. A Democrat, Ford Jr.'s politics, as well as his time in office, are characterized by a belief in compromise and working across the aisle to make progress solving problems for businesses, industries, and people.

After serving in the House of Representatives, Ford Jr. spent more than ten years in investment banking with Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. In addition, he was non-executive Chair of Rx Saver, a patient-directed prescription medication search engine platform. Ford Jr. brings his robust experience as a policy maker and shrewd insights as a business leader to talks that are informative, engaging, and memorable for audiences of all kinds.

Michael Nutter served as the 98th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, his hometown. He served 22.5 years as an elected official in Philadelphia, serving 14.5 years as a City Council member, and then 2 four year terms as Mayor, leaving office on January 4, 2016 due to term limits.

Mayor Nutter was considered one of the foremost leaders in innovation, tackling challenges of public safety, increasing funding for educating children, revitalizing the economy and spurring economic growth, restoring ethics and integrity to city government, ensuring fiscal discipline and making Philadelphia one of the great green and sustainable cities in America.

Known for keeping an active and engaged schedule as Mayor, Michael Nutter is doing the same as a private citizen. He's a Professor at Columbia University, a Senior Fellow with Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Program, Chair of the Mayors Advisory Board for Airbnb, and holds numerous Fellowships and Advisory positions in academic, political, non-profit and corporate entities. Mayor Nutter is actively engaged in the work of cities and trying to make them work better on behalf of their citizens.

Former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Lute has dedicated her career to preventing terrorism, enhancing global stability and security, and helping those in crisis. She currently serves on the boards of Shell, the global energy and petrochemical company; Union Pacific, the largest railroad in the United States, and Marsh McLennan, the leading global risk, insurance, and consulting company. Ms. Lute also serves on the boards of the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan U.S.-based think tank focused on international affairs, and the Center for Internet Security (CIS), a nonprofit leader in establishing and advancing domestic and international cybersecurity standards and practices. Lute has contributed significantly to cybersecurity culture around the globe, and her deep understanding of national security, international relations, and organizational leadership can provide unique perspectives on global and domestic issues.

Ms. Lute has held significant leadership roles in the private and public sectors, cybersecurity, and international diplomacy and post-conflict peace building. She was the CEO of SICPA, North America, a Swiss-based provider of currency, identity, brand, and other security solutions. She is a retired U.S. Army officer with a PhD from Stanford University and a JD from Georgetown.  

Iconic campaign strategist Karl Rove is one of the most sought-after political pundits of our time, widely respected for his robust knowledge of major political issues. Rove served as Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush overseeing the Offices of Political Affairs, Public Liaison, Intergovernmental Relations, Strategic Initiatives and as Deputy Chief, the White House Policy process. Before the White House, he ran Rove + Co., a public affairs firm that consulted on over 75 GOP campaigns for Senator, Governor, Congress, and statewide office. Rove writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, appears frequently on Fox News, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Courage and Consequence and The Triumph of William McKinley. Conservative editor and columnist Fred Barnes called him “the greatest political mind of his and probably of any generation.”

From major international conferences and association meetings to college campuses and corporate events, Rove's shrewd analysis resonates with audiences. Diverse organizations including the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Sinai Health System, Cigna, Yahoo!, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and more have sought out Rove as a speaker. Sponsors hosting Rove have reported his remarks "were extremely insightful and very helpful to our industry leaders"(Edison Electric Institute) and "provocative, lively and thoughtful" (Nomura) with audiences" often erupting in applause" (Wabash College) and for presentations praised as "one of the highest-rated" (The TriZetto Group). 

Across four decades of public life, American statesman Dick Cheney has served at the highest levels of the U.S. Government and private sector. As White House Chief of Staff in the aftermath of Watergate and America’s withdrawal from Vietnam, Wyoming’s Congressman and a member of the House Republican leadership during the Reagan years, Secretary of Defense as the Cold War ended and America defeated Iraq in Desert Storm, former CEO of Halliburton, and Vice President of the United States on 9/11 at the dawn of the Global War on Terror, Cheney has participated in many of the events that have shaped our nation for over four decades. Few Americans alive today can match the breadth and depth of his experience and service. As a statesman, policymaker, businessman, and politician Cheney’s insight, experiences and knowledge are unparalleled.

Cheney has been recognized by many as the most powerful and consequential vice president in American history, remaining steadfast to the ideals that define him and true to his principles. He continues to shape the future of the energy industry in profound ways as a board member of WellAware, a leading industrial Internet of Things Company that offers data analytics solutions for the oilfield industry. Cheney is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several books, including his memoir In My Time, Heart: An American Medical Odyssey, and Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America, which he co-authored with his daughter, Congresswoman Liz Cheney. In his writing as well as in virtual speaking engagements, Vice President Cheney shares his enduring political vision with courage and without compromise.

Deval Patrick served two terms as the 71st governor of Massachusetts. An accomplished executive, passionate leader and gifted orator, Deval Patrick will capture—and hold—the attention of any audience.  Guided by the advice of his grandmother to “hope for the best and work for it,” he entered office in 2007, a first-time candidate propelled by an unprecedented grassroots campaign and lead the Commonwealth to top national rankings in education, health care, energy efficiency, economic competitiveness and more. Through a challenging economic environment, the Governor maintained a disciplined growth strategy of investment in education, innovation and infrastructure.

The Governor was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States where his platform included opportunity and economic growth, reforming our healthcare and criminal justice system, an accessible and functioning democracy, and collaborative global leadership for the 21st century.

His next step in public life is TogetherFUND, a political action committee to support progressive politics, candidates for the United States Senate and House in so-called "swing" states and districts, and grassroots groups working to drive turnout and engagement among disenfranchised and marginalized voters. The Governor will join the Harvard Kennedy School as a Professor of Public Leadership, the Roy E. Larsen Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Management, and Co-Director of the Center for Public Leadership.

Global icon and historic human rights leader Ayọ (f.k.a. Opal) Tometi is one of the most influential human rights leaders of our time. For years, the award-winning advocate, strategist, and writer has used her voice to ensure that race, immigration, and gender justice remain at the forefront of global conversations. Tometi served as the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration for a decade, and co-founded the Black Lives Matter digital platform and chapter-based network, for which she and her fellow co-founders received numerous accolades, including a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. She is the Founder of Diaspora Rising, a new media and advocacy hub strengthening the bonds amongst members of the global Black family, and serves on the board of Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity and the International Living Future Institute. She is a highly sought-after speaker for her advocacy and thought leadership, and her keynotes have had a resounding impact at venues like the Atlantic Ideas Summit, Harvard University, the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Summit, Yale University, the United Nations, and more than 100 stages internationally. 

Tometi has been honored with countless awards for her groundbreaking work, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, International Peace Honors, the Heirs of Afrika Social Justice Award, the Amplify Africa Leadership and Policy Award, the Global Citizen Prize, and the Coretta Scott King Center Legacy Award, among many others. She was named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People," appeared on the “Most Influential People” lists for Forbes, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan, and was named one of the most influential women of the century by USA Today and TIME. Tometi holds an Honorary PhD and was honored by the City University of New York with a scholarship in her name to support immigrant students pursuing law degrees. In addition to illuminating keynotes and conversations about social justice, racial bias in tech, and values-driven leadership, Tometi is also in demand for her insights about wellness and support along the childbearing continuum, social change & sustainability, and the future of tech. 

Co-Founder & co-CEO of sweetgreen, Johnathan Neman, is on a quest to revolutionize how Americans eat. Over the years, sweetgreen has received numerous accolades from the press including The Washington Post, USA Today, Food & Wine, Forbes, Bloomberg, Washingtonian, CBS, and CNBC, among others. sweetgreen was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies.” Continuing to lean into innovation, sweetgreen is an industry leader in automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) while retaining a focus on sustainability, transparency, and community. Neman’s talks often highlight the importance of conscious capitalism, innovation in the food industry, and building a purpose-driven company.

Jonathan has been recognized as a key innovator in food and business, named to Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business,” Inc’s “30 Under 30,” Forbes’ “30 Under 30” and Food & Wine’s “40 Big Food Thinkers 40 and Under.”  Neman’s insights are invaluable for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone passionate about creating positive change through mindful business practices.

Craig Venter, Ph.D. is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his numerous, invaluable contributions to genomic research. He decoded the genome of the first free-living organism, a bacterium, as well as fruit fly, mouse, rat, and human genomes, published in Science. Dr. Venter is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit dedicated to genomic research and the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics. He is also a co-founder of Viridos, Inc. and Human Longevity, Inc. Dr. Venter currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board at Bluestar Genomics, a company leading the development of non-invasive early cancer detection. With a keen focus on the intersection of technology and biology, Venter's talks provide a glimpse into the future of healthcare and the possibilities of genetic-driven solutions.

Dr. Venter is also the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, public honors, and scientific awards, including the United States National Medal of Science, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, and the King Faisal International Award for Science. Dr. Venter is a member of numerous prestigious scientific organizations including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Society for Microbiology. His insights have been sought by hosts including Princeton University, PepsiCo, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and more.

Trailblazing chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Melissa King is a proud Chinese American and queer chef who is also a creative entrepreneur outside of the kitchen. King (she/they) is the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars: Los Angeles (Season 17) and the winner of All-Star’s Fan Favorite. With more challenge wins than any other competitor in the history of Top Chef, King has gone on to serve as a culinary judge on the series as well as The Food Network’s The Julia Child Challenge. Known for her technical precision and ability to blend modern California cuisine with Asian flavors, King has helmed several Michelin starred kitchens in San Francisco and has cooked for notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore, and curated the menu for the 2022 Met Gala alongside Anna Wintour. Called on as a creative consultant for companies around the world, Chef King is a sought-after motivational speaker supporting women’s empowerment, sustainability, food education, and entrepreneurship. 

King has been recognized as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco,” and was named FSR Magazine’s “40 Under 40: Rising Star.” They launched a company focused on partnerships and culinary experiences, as well as a brand of small-batched sauces called King Sauce, an apparel line, and virtual cooking classes. Chef King is passionate about cultural inclusivity, media representation, environmental sustainability, and social justice – working with groups such as Stop AAPI Hate, The Trevor Project, and World Central Kitchen, among others. She is the face of IBM Research’s “5 in 5” series, focused on five innovations that will change our lives within five years. King is a featured chef in the Williams-Sonoma’s Chefs’ Collective. They have performed at food & music festivals from Coachella, Outsidelands, BottleRock, and more, and spoken for groups including Google, Facebook, Chase, and Capital One.

For more than four decades, Kay Bailey Hutchison has leveraged her expertise in the public and private sectors. She served in the U.S. Senate for twenty years representing the state of Texas. As a member of Senate leadership, she was elected Vice-Chairman of the Republic Conference and later Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-highest ranking Republican Senator. Then in 2017, she became the permanent Representative of the U.S. to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, where she held the alliance together and strategized the U.S. working relationships with Russia, China, and the rest of the world. Highly regarded for her commitment to bipartisan solutions, Ambassador Hutchison offers an insider’s perspective and practical, non-partisan insights to issues central to the national economy, homeland defense, and foreign affairs in her engaging talks.

Kay Bailey Hutchison was named one of the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes. She served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and previously worked as a prominent attorney at Bracewell, LLP, an established international law firm in Dallas, Texas. She is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s greatest challenges, and is the namesake for the KBH Center for Energy, Law and Business at the University of Texas. Ambassador Hutchison is the New York Times bestselling author of three books, including Unflinching Courage: Pioneering Women Who Shaped Texas, Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers, and American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country. With her breadth of experience, she is a masterful, knowledgeable speaker on national security, foreign policy and America's agenda on the world stage.

For the past two decades, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei has played a key role in the most high-stakes conflicts of our time. Director General Emeritus of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he offers unparalleled insights from his 12 years at the agency's helm, which earned him and the IAEA a joint Nobel Peace Prize. A prominent voice for peace, freedom and democracy in the Arab and Islamic worlds, he comments on today's most pressing matters such as threats from Iran, Syria, Turkey and North Korea. Audiences look to Dr. ElBaradei to add context to the drastic and often dark headlines we read every day and guides audiences through his vision for stability and peace without terrorism.

A passionate champion of America’s founding principles, Senator Rick Santorum's impressive presidential campaign positioned him as a leading voice of the Republican Party. Senator Santorum began his first presidential campaign as a dark-horse candidate, but with a victory in the Iowa caucuses, he became a center-stage challenger who went on to win another ten states, over 3 million votes, and claim the mantle of conservative alternative to the front-runner. In four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, 12 as U. S. Senator, Rick Santorum earned a reputation as a passionate fighter for conservative values and a vocal advocate for smaller government, cutting wasteful spending, a strong national defense, and a return to our country’s founding principles.

Award-winning gender economist and former Global 500 global executive Katica Roy is a programmer, data scientist, and the CEO and founder of an award-winning SaaS company, Pipeline. Pipeline uses advanced technology to enable companies to realize the economic opportunity of intersectional gender equity and launched the first gender equity app on Salesforce's AppExchange. Pipeline, which is backed by both Accenture and Workday, was named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019 and awarded Fast Company’s: 2023 and 2020 World’s Most Innovative Companies, 2021 Next Big Things in Tech, and 2022 World Changing Ideas.

CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Bloomberg, Cheddar, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Wharton Business, Newsy, and NBC have sought Katica for her sharp and unconventional take on the day’s headlines.  She has interviewed President Biden, Vice President Harris, Senators Booker and Gillibrand, Secretary Pete, Canadian Pay Equity Commissioner Karen Jensen, Sophia Bush, Eve Rodsky, Gretchen Carlson, and Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings.

She has spoken on over 100 stages across the world including major stages at SXSW, CES, Web Summit, The Atlantic, and for major corporations such as JP Morgan, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Cisco, Edelman, BNP Paribas and more. Katica Roy is disrupting the business world with data-driven content that dynamically changes the audience. Ultimately compelling them to take action!

Katica’s high-octane, visionary articles have been published by the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg, NBC, Entrepreneur, The Hill, The Advocate, Harvard Business Review, and Morning Consult, garnering over 2.9 billion impressions. She has received numerous accolades, including being named a 2019 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business and awarded the 2019 Stevie Entrepreneur of the Year—Gold Award, the 2020 Colorado Entrepreneur of the Year as well as one of LinkedIn’s Top Influencer for gender equity in 2022. She is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council, Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum, The Aspen Institute's Tech Accountability Coalition, and the US Small Business Administration’s National Women’s Business Council (as an advisor to the President, Congress, and the SBA). Katica offers illuminating insights into fixing the leaky talent pipeline, the economic opportunity of gender equity, engineering gender equity into the future of work, AI and the future of revenue, the intersection of gender equity and climate change, and more.

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.

Juan Manuel Santos is the two-term President of Colombia (2010-2014 / 2014-2018). Recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the world, President Santos ushered in a new era of prosperity, peace, equity, and education throughout Colombia during his tenure. 

Due to his tenacity and determination to achieve peace and reconciliation in Colombia, in 2016 the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded President Santos the Nobel Peace Prize "for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end." Santos has also been twice-named to TIME’s "100 Most Influential People" and was honored with the World Economic Forum’s Global Statesman Award.

During his administration, Colombia became the region´s leader in economic growth, job creation, reduction of poverty and extreme poverty, sustainable development and the enhancement of Information and Communications Technology. In addition, his administration reduced the housing deficit by half and launched the most ambitious infrastructure plan in Colombia's history.  He also published several books, including The Third Way, which he wrote with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Jaque al Terror (Checkmate to Terror), in which he describes how he successfully fought the FARC.

Sought-out to speak everywhere from Harvard University to the World Economic Forum, in his compelling keynotes Santos shares his reflections on the challenges of leadership, revealing what allowed him to change Colombia's history and make the impossible, possible. He delivers a message of unity and humanity that is inspiring, refreshing and necessary amid these turbulent political times. Santos also offers shrewd insights and analysis on issues such as the global economic outlook, global security, and foreign affairs.

Edward Fishman is one of the world’s leading authorities on economic statecraft. He teaches at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is a senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy. He also advises companies on geopolitical strategy and invests in early-stage technology startups. 

Fishman is the New York Times–bestselling author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, which has been hailed as “masterful” by the Financial Times, “a timely, riveting world tour” by The Economist, and “a compelling and dramatic narrative about the new shape of geopolitics” by the Wall Street Journal.

Between 2011 and 2017, Fishman served in key foreign policy roles across the U.S. government. At the State Department, he served as a member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, where he advised Secretary John Kerry on Europe and Eurasia and led the staff’s work on economic sanctions, long-range strategic planning, and international order and norms. Fishman was also the Russia and Europe Lead in the State Department’s Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation, where he played a central role in designing and negotiating international sanctions in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Earlier, Fishman served as a member of the Iran sanctions team, where he developed policies to strengthen sanctions against Iran and maintain pressure during the negotiations that led to the Iran nuclear deal. Outside of the State Department, Fishman has served at the Pentagon as special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Treasury Department as special assistant to the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, and at Foreign Affairs as a member of the editorial staff. Fishman is a recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award (twice) and its Meritorious Honor Award, having been recognized for his contributions to U.S. policy toward Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Iran.

Fishman’s analysis is regularly featured by outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and NPR, and he frequently writes for publications such as Foreign Affairs and Politico. He holds a B.A. in History from Yale, an M.Phil. in International Relations from Cambridge, and an M.B.A. from Stanford. He lives with his wife and two children in New York City.

With remarkable insight into the world at large, world-renowned economist, speaker, educator, advisor, and portfolio manager Nouriel Roubini's extensive global travels and meetings with financial influencers around the world has him wise to the latest developments and he provides a perspective and awareness like no other that he shares in his brilliant and extremely informative talks.

It is no wonder that he was Recognized by Time as one of the top 100 scientists and thinkers who affect our world today. 

Dr. Roubini’s views on global economic issues are widely sought and cited by the media, having recognized ahead of others the 2008 global financial crisis, the effects of which reverberated around the world lasting well into the next decade. He is a frequent commentator on various business news programs and has been the subject of extended profiles in many leading current-affairs publications including The New York Times Magazine and The Financial Times.

Joseph McMonigle is a leading authority on energy, international business and politics. He is the former Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (IEF), the largest international organization of energy ministers from 72 producing and consuming countries representing 90 percent of the global energy market.

In his role as IEF Secretary General, McMonigle has advised world leaders and energy ministers on how to manage severe shocks to the energy system. In addition, he has been a keynote speaker and moderator at dozens of leading energy conferences to provide guidance on energy markets and transitions.

He is credited with raising the IEF’s visibility on the global stage and helping to promote a more sensible and realistic discussion about energy security, access and affordability in the Global South, climate progress and transitions.

McMonigle also served as the former Vice Chairman of the International Energy Agency (IEA) based in Paris as well as the former Chief of Staff at US Department of Energy (Bush 43).

Today he is the President and CEO of the Global Center for Energy Analysis, an independent organization providing original research and analysis on global energy markets and issues. McMonigle is also Chairman & CEO of Alula Advisors, a management consulting firm headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he has lived for the last four years.

As a global energy leader, Mr. McMonigle is a frequent speaker at international energy events as well as a commentator for BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Financial Times, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets.

McMonigle provides audiences with key insights on global energy markets and policies, lessons learned from the energy transition, insider views of OPEC priorities and actions as well as energy geopolitics. He also has enjoyed a front-row seat to profound economic and cultural changes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and provides audiences with real-time analysis of the modern Saudi Arabia that breaks common misperceptions about the country and region.

Andrew Winston is a globally-recognized expert on megatrends, sustainable business, and how to build companies that profit by contributing to a thriving world. He was ranked #3 on the Thinkers50 list of the most influential management thinkers in the world. Andrew’s books on strategy – including Green to Gold, The Big Pivot, and Net Positive, which was co-authored with legendary CEO Paul Polman – have sold over a quarter million copies in 15 languages. The Financial Times selected Net Positive as one of the Best Business Books of the Year. Andrew writes regularly for the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. His views on strategy have been sought after by many of the planet’s leading companies, including 3M, DuPont, J&J, Kimberly- Clark, Marriott, PepsiCo, and Unilever. Andrew is a dynamic and inspiring speaker, reaching audiences of thousands at executive meetings globally. He received degrees in economics, business, and environmental management from Princeton, Columbia, and Yale.

California’s 38^th Governor, Hollywood icon, and philanthropist Arnold Schwarzenegger is known globally for his impact in the worlds of sports, entertainment, environmentalism, and philanthropy. He continues to inspire global audiences as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of two books reflecting on his success: Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life and Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s iconic life story, impeccable presentation style, and insightful takeaways leave audiences buzzing for weeks. The Association of Energy Engineers called him “an excellent speaker with an excellent message.”

Gov. Schwarzenegger champions a wide range of philanthropic causes. He advances solution-oriented policy at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and environmental innovation at The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative. His perspective on global issues has been sought by hosts such as the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, the Association of Energy Engineers, and the Zero Emission Conference.

Dr. Sian Leo Proctor is a futurist poet and visionary artist. In 2021, astronaut-explorer Dr. Proctor made history as the first artist selected to go to space on the Inspiration4 mission. She is the first woman commercial spaceship pilot and the only African-American woman to be a mission pilot. She was selected to go to space by writing an original poem called Space2inspire. She is frequently hired to write and read original works of inspirational poetry for conferences and special occasions.

Dr. Proctor shares her historic journey and leadership message through the concept of Packing for Space - an inspirational message about how the most important thing you pack on any journey is yourself. She shares her perspective on space diplomacy and STEM workforce opportunities on the global stage as the U.S. Department of State Science Envoy for Space. She believes that when you solve for space you are actually solving for grand challenges here on Earth. She is the founder and CEO of Space2inspire, an art and media entertainment company. She is an international speaker and science communicator and has authored multiple books including the science book Earthlight - all about Earth's unique luminous signature that makes life possible. 

Jason Schenker is the President of Prestige Economics and Chairman of The Futurist Institute. He is a top-ranked economist, leading futurist, bestselling author, and in-demand keynote speaker who delivers high-impact presentations on economic trends, financial markets, geopolitical risks, AI, technology trends, and the future of work. Through his talks and research, Schenker helps clients anticipate risks and seize opportunities.

A trusted voice on the economy, financial markets, geopolitics, and technology trends like AI and quantum, Schenker has delivered over 1,200 keynotes for public and private companies, corporate boards, industry groups, institutional investors, and government entities. He has spoken at events hosted by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the London Metal Exchange, the Singapore Exchange, the AFP, AICPA, SXSW, the CIA, and NATO.

Schenker's speeches focus on the economy, financial markets, commodities, supply chain, futurist innovation and technology, artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, energy and sustainability, geopolitics, demographics, and other trends. He has been speaking and writing on AI, automation, and robots since 2016.

As a prolific thought leader, Schenker has created over 40 LinkedIn Learning courses on AI, economics, finance, and technology taken by 1.3 million students. He is the author of 36 books and 15 #1 bestsellers, including Jobs for Robots, Futureproof Supply Chain, The Future of Finance is Now, Quantum: Computing Nouveau, The Promise of Blockchain, The Robot and Automation Almanac, The Future of Energy, Recession-Proof, The Future of Food and Agriculture After COVID, and The Future After COVID. His next book, Cold War Two, will be released in March 2025.

Bloomberg News has ranked Schenker the #1 forecaster in the world in 27 categories since 2011, including for his forecasts of crude oil prices, natural gas prices, gold prices, industrial metals prices (copper, aluminum, nickel, tin, zinc), the euro, the British pound, the Australian dollar, agricultural commodity prices (coffee, cotton, sugar, soybeans), new home sales, U.S. payrolls, and the U.S. unemployment rate. He is a Forbes contributor, LinkedIn Top Voice, former Bloomberg Opinion columnist, and media commentator on CNBC, CNN, the BBC, and Bloomberg, including as a guest host on Bloomberg Television.

Schenker created a rigorous program for The Futurist Institute that includes courses on The Future of Work, The Future of Transportation, The Future of Data, The Future of Finance, Futurist Fundamentals, The Future of Energy, The Future of Leadership, The Future of Healthcare, and The Future of Quantum Computing.

Schenker is one of the 100 CEOs on the non-partisan Texas Business Leadership Council, the Texas affiliate of the Business Roundtable that advises elected officials of both parties at the state and federal levels. He is a Board Leadership Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and a Fellow of the Energy Institute.

Before founding Prestige Economics in 2009, Schenker was a Risk Specialist at McKinsey and Chief Energy and Commodity Economist at Wachovia (Wells Fargo). He holds master’s degrees in economics, negotiation, and German, and a bachelor’s in history and German. He has been a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) since 2010.

Schenker is currently Adjunct Faculty for the Joint Special Operations University at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). He is also an Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an advisor to the U.S. State Department and the Foreign Service Institute.

Van Jones’ honest and poignant social commentary has made him one of the most compelling and powerful public voices in America.  A U.S. media personality, New York Times bestselling author, social entrepreneur, and world-class change maker, his reach transcends age, race, geography and political ideology.

A CNN political contributor, Jones is the host of The Van Jones Show, in which he offers his unique take on the future political landscape, and The Redemption Project, which is focused on criminal justice reform. A go-to voice of reason, heralded for his bipartisan, solutions-oriented approach, Jones burst into the American consciousness during the 2016 presidential campaign with an unscripted, truth-telling style and an already established history of bridge-building across party lines.

A longtime progressive activist with deep roots in the conservative South, he has made it his mission to challenge voters and viewers to stand in one another’s shoes and disagree constructively. He pushes people on both the left and the right to be better with experience working with the last four consecutive presidents to sign legislation on issues like prison reform, the green jobs act, and opioid recovery, Jones is a true Washington insider. He is also the author of three New York Times bestselling books, Beyond the Messy Truth, Rebuild the Dream, and The Green Collar Economy, and the host of the Webby Award-nominated podcast Uncommon Ground, where he is on a journey to find unifying solutions to our country’s biggest problems. A dynamic speaker sought-out to speak at financial institutions and college campuses alike, he offers unvarnished and future-looking analysis on politics, policy, climate change, and being a change-maker in a complicated world. 

As a bestselling author, wellness innovator, entrepreneur and intergenerational pioneer, David Romanelli brings a unique, seasoned, and entertaining approach to today’s pressing challenges of work-life balance, stress, information overload, and the overall desire to live a happier, healthier life. He fuses ancient wellness practices with modern passions that give people accessible tools to overcome stress, focus their mind, and improve their relationships at work and home.

David’s newest book, Life Lessons from the Oldest and Wisest, is a reminder that countless professionals, parents, and partners have walked the earth before us. They’ve had triumph and failures…booms and busts…and have the advice we all need to hear…if only we would listen.

His previous book, Happy is the New Healthy, twice reached #1 on Amazon’s Healthy Living Bestseller List. David’s 15 years of experience in the wellness and lifestyle industry, including over a decade touring and presenting around the world, gives him a wide range of expertise to speak with humor and knowledge that connects with audiences both large and small. He has been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek.

Former professional racing driver, motorsport executive, and entrepreneur Susie Wolff has spent more than 20 years at the forefront gender diversity and representation internationally. At the 2014 British Grand Prix, she made history by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years by driving for 16-time World Champions Williams Racing. After retiring from competition, Susie continued to be the driving force of change in the sport by founding Dare To Be Different – a mission to inspire the next generation and increase female participation in all levels of motorsport.

Susie took her first steps into management and ownership as Team Principal and shareholder of Venturi Racing in Formula E. After building the series’ most gender-diverse team, she became the marque’s Chief Executive Officer and secured two vice World Championship titles before leaving in 2022. Now, as the Managing Director of the all-female driver category, F1 Academy, Susie continues to inspire the next generation of female talent by creating opportunities and improving accessibility.

For her services and contribution to women in sport, Susie was awarded an MBE in 2017 and received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Edinburgh and continues to be an inspirational role model for women across the world.

Philanthropist Daniel Germain, CM CQ MSM, is a true social entrepreneurship visionary who has dedicated his life to helping underprivileged children. Germain is the Founder of the Breakfast Club of Canada, a charity that promotes and assists the establishment and maintenance of school breakfast programs in Canada. After growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood, he went on humanitarian trips abroad and returned to Canada with the dream of breaking the circle of poverty. With the goal of helping children who were deprived of a vital element for their academic and social success – a nutritious breakfast – he founded the Quebec Breakfast Club. In 2005, the Quebec Breakfast Club was recognized by the United Nations as one of the best school meal programs in the world. Germain then founded Breakfast Clubs of Canada, launched an international co-operation project for young people in Quebec, and established the Montreal Millennium Summit – an international forum that puts forward ideas and projects related to the well-being of children in the world.

A true social visionary, Daniel has received numerous awards for his body of work, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Quebec YMCA Peace Medal for his commitment to youth. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec. Daniel is the founder of the Children’s Hour World Campaign launching on November 20, 2023. Children’s Hour is a world-wide movement to address global child poverty, climate change and food insecurity, the plight of young girls and women, and Indigenous people. He has been in-demand with groups like McDonalds, Walmart, Staples, Cirque De Soleil, Coca Cola, and more to share his vision.

Indré Rockefeller is the Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Paravel, a sustainable travel goods brand that has been named one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies of 2022," selected amongst Oprah's Favorite Things, and awarded Travel and Leisure's Global Vision Award and Modern Retail's "Most Responsible Retailer" in 2021. Indré is also a graduate student at Columbia University’s Climate School and an environmental advocate.  Indre’s work focuses on developing sustainability and climate education content and on sustainable and circular design innovation.

Building on her career in the fashion industry - including at Vogue and Moda Operandi - Indré brings her passion for storytelling, design, and brand building to the sustainability and climate space.  Indré has written and spoken on topics ranging from the pitfalls of greenwashing, how a polar expedition to Antarctica changed her career trajectory, opportunities for circular design in the fashion industry, and failing at composting.

An Ocean Steward by purpose, David is the founder and CEO of Plastic Bank - an internationally recognized solution to ocean plastic. His spark has enlivened an opportunity for the world to collect and exchange plastic as a currency. Today, his social enterprise is a global network of over 500 collection communities with more than 30,000 members that are transcending poverty by saving the ocean from plastic. David’s leadership has helped guide global partners like SC Johnson, Henkel, CooperVision, IBM, and more to stop billions of plastic bottles before they enter the ocean.

David has been named one of the world’s most compassionate entrepreneurs. He is the recipient of the United Nations Lighthouse award for Planetary Health, recipient of the Paris Climate Conference Sustainia community award, recipient of the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award and named the Entrepreneur Organizations, Global Citizen.

His humanitarian work has earned him international recognition. David has been featured in hundreds of international news and investigative articles, including Forbes, Time Magazine, Fast Company, Business Week, and National Geographic. David can be found at TED.com, is featured in award-winning documentaries, and starred in an international reality television show.

Edgar Villanueva is an award-winning author, activist, and expert on issues of race, wealth, philanthropy, and ESG Investing. Villanueva is the Founder and CEO of Decolonizing Wealth Project & Liberated Capital and author of the bestselling book Decolonizing Wealth (2018, 2021). He advises a range of organizations including national and global philanthropies, Fortune 500 companies, and entertainment on social impact strategies to advance racial equity from within and through their investment strategies. 

Navi Radjou is a Silicon Valley-based innovation and leadership thinker who has advised senior executives worldwide on breakthrough growth strategies over the past 25 years. A Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School, Navi has served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Previously, he served as vice president at Forrester Research, a leading technology research and advisory firm. In 2013, Navi won the prestigious Thinkers50 Innovation Award – given to a management thinker who is re-shaping the way we think about and practise innovation. He delivered a talk at TED Global 2014 on frugal innovation (over 1.7 million views). Navi co-authored Frugal Innovation: How To Do Better With Less, published by The Economist in 2015, as well as the global bestseller Jugaad Innovation (over 200,000 copies sold worldwide). He is working on his next book Conscious Society: Redefining Who We Are. Reinventing How We Consume, Work, Relate, and Live. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and widely quoted in international media. Born and raised in Pondicherry, India, he holds dual French-American citizenship. He attended Ecole Centrale Paris and Yale School of Management. 

U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo is building bridges to heal our country’s deeply divided politics.  With the experience from serving on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and getting a pulse on our nation’s needs from membership in the Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and Workforce, and the Small Business committees, Representative Curbelo knows the challenges of unification first hand. 

In his time in Congress he courageously sought to move his party’s platform and took a lead on climate policy, immigration reform, and gun safety. He co-founded and co-chaired the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, and served in a leadership role in the Problem Solvers Caucus. In 2017, Curbelo was honored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation with the New Frontier Award for his work promoting bipartisan cooperation on environmental policy. In 2018 he filed the landmark Market Choice Act, ambitious legislation that would invest nearly a trillion dollars in American infrastructure while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by pricing carbon. Also in 2018, he led a discharge petition initiative that forced the U.S. House to debate and consider comprehensive immigration reform legislation - including a path to citizenship for Dreamers - for the first time in a decade.  Curbelo was ranked 4^th most bipartisan member of the 435 members of his district according to the he Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy.

A respected bipartisan voice out of Washington, Carlos Curbelo is a sought after commentator for numerous appearances on Bloomberg Politics, MSNBC, PBS, and as a regular contributor on NBC.

Jonathan F.P. Rose’s business, public policy and not-for-profit work focus on creating a more environmentally, socially and economically responsible world. In 1989, Mr. Rose founded Jonathan Rose Companies LLC, a multi-disciplinary real estate development, planning, consulting and investment firm.  The firm has completed $2.3 billion of transformational work, in close collaboration with cities and not-for-profits. Mr. Rose is a thought leader in a wide range of urban issues, and the development of communities of opportunity. He has received the  MIT’s Visionary Leadership Award, The Urban Land Institute’s global award for Excellence and many other awards for his work.

Mr. Rose’s book on how to create resilient cities, The Well Tempered City: What Modern Science, Ancient Civilizations and Human Behavior Teach us About the Future of Urban Life, was published by Harper Wave in 2016, and won the 2017 PROSE Award for Outstanding Scholarly Work by a Trade Publisher.

Mr. Rose is a Trustee of Enterprise Community Partners and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He is an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects and Honorary Trustee of the American Museum of Natural History and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Mr. Rose plays bass and  blues harp.

Mr. Rose and his wife Diana Calthorpe Rose are the co-founders of the Garrison Institute and serve on its Board. The Institute connects inner transformation with outer solutions to relieve suffering in the fields of trauma, education and the environment.

Mr. Rose graduated from Yale University in 1974 with a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy, and received a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980.

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.

Tan Le is an innovator, inventor & entrepreneur, and is the Founder and CEO of EMOTIV. Born in South Vietnam, Le migrated to Australia as a refugee with her family in 1981.  In 1998, Le was named Young Australian of the Year and voted one of Australia’s 30 Most Successful Women Under 30. Le’s story was featured in the ‘Hope’ section of the Eternity Exhibition of the National Museum of Australia. Le has been featured in “Who’s Who in Australia” List since 1999, Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010 and Forbes’ 50 Names You Need to Know in 2011.

Dr. Agnia Grigas, is a political economist, author, and speaker. She is a Senior Fellow at The Atlantic Council and an independent consultant based out of Los Angeles. Her three acclaimed books include “The New Geopolitics of Natural Gas” (Harvard UP) and “Beyond Crimea” (Yale UP), which was selected as TIME’s Top-10 book on Russia, and “The Politics of Energy and Memory” (Routledge). She has lectured at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, John Hopkins, Oxford, LSE, and leading business and security conferences. She regularly appears in the media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, Foreign Affairs, CNN, BBC. Agnia earned her Doctorate & Masters degrees in International Relations from University of Oxford, and her BA in Economics-Political Science from Columbia University.

A pioneer who has used his keen entrepreneurial skills to build three businesses founded on advancing a social mission, Peter Thum is a leader in creating businesses that do good while doing well.

As the founder of Ethos™ Water, Peter Thum turned his idea of getting clean water to children into a successful social venture that was acquired by Starbucks, that has changed an industry, generated millions of dollars and changed hundreds of thousands of lives. In building a brand, a business and a self-funding philanthropic engine directly connecting consumption to a related social mission, Thum forged new ground and created a model that others have followed.

Thum co-founded and is the CEO of Fonderie 47, an organization that is taking AK-47s from war zones in Africa, turning them into watches, jewelry and accessories with proceeds funding weapon destruction in war-torn regions of Africa, destroying over 45,000 assault rifles to date. More recently, Thum founded and is the CEO of Liberty United, which recycles illegal guns from American cities into jewelry that funds programs to reduce gun violence and give children opportunities to learn and play. From thriving in a competitive business environment to showing the importance of finding your passion in life, Thum inspires audiences with his remarkable story of seeing wrongs in the world and using his drive and business acumen to right them.

Technology is creating the most exciting innovations the world has ever seen.  It is also causing anxiety about our future.  Navigating technological change at light speed is much harder if you don't have a trusted Sherpa to be your guide.  Vivek Wadhwa has become a globally respected voice on advancing technologies and innovation.

Vivek's background is impressive -- an Entrepreneur, Academic, Author, Keynote Speaker wrapped into a wonderfully vibrant and charismatic package.  His research is focused on the critical advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, computing, synthetic biology, 3D printing, medicine, and nanomaterials, and how these advances are creating disruptive changes for companies, industries, governments and the culture at large.

Vivek Wadhwa is a must-see speaker, and leaders come away with concrete insights that they can apply immediately.

Dubbed a "legislative maestro" by Politico for his distinguished work in Congress, Representative Henry Waxman played a leading role in the enactment of major health, consumer protection, environmental, telecommunications and "good government" laws. His tenacity during his 40 years of public service earned him recognition as “one of the most accomplished legislators of our time” by The Washington Post. Rep. Waxman currently serves as Chairman at Waxman Strategies, a public affairs and strategic communications firm. He advises clients on public policy and continues to focus on the issues he championed while in Congress, including health care, environment, energy, technology and telecommunications. 

Erika Karp is Chief Impact Officer at Pathstone, an independently operated, partner-owned advisory firm offering comprehensive family office services and customized investment advice for families, family offices, and foundations and endowments. Erika joined the Pathstone team from Cornerstone Capital Group, the sustainable and impact investment advisory firm she founded in 2013, and whose team is now part of Pathstone. As an early advocate, Erika brings both pragmatism and intensity to driving the discipline of sustainable and impact investing. Having spent decades on Wall Street, Erika developed a deep belief in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis as a critical input to investment decision-making. At Pathstone, she guides the firm’s strategy for engaging with clients who seek to align their investments with their mission or values.

Erika envisions a world where capitalism fully values all forms of capital, including human and natural capital, and where investments serve to foster a regenerative global economy. She has made it her mission to bring the disciplines of finance, economics, and sustainability to bear in pursuit of a more inclusive form of capitalism. More of Erika’s thoughts on this can be found here.

In 2021, Erika was recognized by InvestmentNews for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The award honors individuals who inspire others from diverse backgrounds to join, flourish, and bring their authentic selves to work in the financial services industry. Erika was also recognized among 100 “Women in Impact” by Real Leaders. Erika speaks at venues and conferences around the world including GreenBiz, the UN Global Compact, Confluence Philanthropy, Mission Investors Exchange, SALT, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Wharton School, the NYSE, the Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD), the White House, and many other forums.

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.

Keynote speaker Ron Garan is a highly decorated NASA astronaut, fighter pilot, and active social entrepreneur who believes that appropriately designed and targeted social enterprise can solve many of the problems facing our world.

He is the author of the critically acclaimed book The Orbital Perspective, hosts a popular podcast with the same name, and is currently launching two new books: Railroad to the Moon and Floating in Darkness.

A philosopher of life, Yossi Ghinsberg is a man of passion, fixed resolve and a connector of people. He believes that nothing promotes growth more than an unexpected experience and unconventional thinking. In these times of great challenge and change, his “Power to Survive” message is timely.

Not many living people know that survival is a choice as deeply and intimately as Yossi Ghinsberg. Having been lost for three weeks in the depths of the uncharted Amazon, in the midst of a raging rainy season, without companionship, food, weapon or fire, he survived against all odds. The most important thing he learned from this experience was that we all have the power to survive.

Michael O. Leavitt is the founder and Chairman of Leavitt Partners where he helps clients navigate the future as they transition to new and better models of care. In previous roles, Mr. Leavitt served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush (as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services) and as a three-time elected governor of Utah. 

Sallie Krawcheck’s mission is to help women reach their financial and professional goals (or, put more bluntly, to get more money into the hands of women), thus enabling them to live better lives and unleashing a positive ripple effect for our families, our communities and our economy. She is the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a digital-first, mission-driven investment platform for women. Ellevest is one of the fastest growing digital investment platforms and has been named a #24 on CNBC’s top 50 "Disruptor" list, #14 on LinkedIn’s 50 “Most Sought-After Startups” ( #2 in New York), and one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 100 Brilliant Ideas. Krawcheck is also Chair of Ellevate Network, a 135K-strong global professional women’s network; and she is the best-selling author of Own It: The Power of Women at Work.

With a reputation for integrity, creativity, independence of thought, a sense of humor and an unrelenting focus on results, Sallie Krawcheck has built a career that has reached the top levels of success across a range of functions: as a senior corporate executive, as a research analyst and now as an entrepreneur. She has been recognized by Inc. as a “Top Female Founder”, called "The Last Honest Analyst" by Fortune magazine, was named the seventh most powerful woman in the world by Forbes, was # 9 on Fast Company's list of the "100 Most Creative People in Business and is considered one of the "Most Influential People in ESG Investing" by Barron's." She has been called one of the top 10 up and coming entrepreneurs to watch by Entrepreneur Magazine and has landed on Vanity Fair’s “The 2018 New Establishment List.”

Before launching Ellevest, Krawcheck built a successful career on Wall Street: She was the CEO of Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, US Trust, the Citi Private Bank, and Sanford C. Bernstein. She was also Chief Financial Officer for Citigroup. Prior to that, Krawcheck was a top-ranked research analyst covering the securities industry.

Dr. John Izzo has been a pioneer on creating successful businesses and emerging work trends for over twenty-five years. Izzo was a pioneer on employee engagement and social responsibility with his book Awakening Corporate Soul (1994), a trail blazer on shifting generational values when he wrote Values Shift-The New Work Ethic (2000), showed how individuals shape the future with Stepping Up (2014) and now is blazing a new trail showing business why a rising class of people worldwide will shape the economy of the future with his forthcoming book The Purpose Revolution. This rising class is not one of nationality, income, race or gender but one that aspires to have a good life while doing good.

He has spoken to over one million people, advised over 500 companies, authored six bestselling books and helped some of the world’s most admired companies. Known for his compelling combination of leading edge research, riveting storytelling, practical ideas to make a difference starting now and a keen sense of where the future is going your organization will leave inspired and ready to act. His clients have included IBM, Qantas, the Mayo Clinic, Verizon, RBC, TELUS, Westjet, DuPont, Humana, Microsoft and McDonalds.

Roy Neel has been at the center of some of history's most extraordinary events, and helped deal with some of the country's most challenging crises. He served as Chief of Staff to Congressman, Senator, and Vice President Al Gore, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton. Roy directed the unprecedented, extraordinary Presidential transition for Gore in 2000, through the historic Florida recount. He was campaign manager for Howard Dean's remarkable run for the White House in 2004. As Chief of Staff for Al Gore's highly visible global warming activities, Neel helped found the Climate Project, Gore's program to train thousands of climate change messengers throughout the world. Roy has been a sportswriter, Navy journalist, aerial photographer, and Washington trade association CEO. He is a national authority on Presidential Transitions and White House operations. He is the author of the critically acclaimed thriller, The Electors.

Lauren Bush Lauren is the Founder and CEO of FEED, a social business and impact-driven lifestyle brand whose mission is to “create good products that help FEED the world”. In 2004, Lauren had the opportunity to travel with the UN World Food Programme as a Student Spokesperson. While visiting communities in Central America, Asia, and Africa, Lauren witnessed firsthand the realities of poverty and hunger that so many face all over the world. Using this experience as an inspiration, Lauren conceptualized the idea for FEED by designing the initial FEED 1 bag which, when purchased, feeds one child in school for one year. She founded FEED in 2007 and since then FEED has helped provide over 120 million meals globally through non-profit giving partners globally and in the US.

For her work with FEED, Lauren has received multiple awards including Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2009 and one of Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in 2010. Lauren also routinely speaks at global conferences that focus on business, philanthropy, and the issues of hunger and poverty. Examples include Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy, Forbes Women, Women in the World, Atlantic Ideas, and Aspen Ideas.

Andy answers "where we do go from here?" for the future by breaking down the chaos of our world and giving specific ideas how to overcome, adapt and thrive. His ROI is preparing your board, clients and conference attendees for the opportunities ahead. 

He does this by delivering keynotes based on his up-to-date research on the economy, on policy and on supercharged trends. He's fast, upbeat and funny... and engages any audience using polling and storytelling. Andy spent his career doing this for an investment bank, but also just did this for the US government as the 1st Chief Market Intelligence Officer (CMIO). Today, Andy works with financial services, agriculture, manufacturing, chemicals, construction, real estate, and energy firms... any group trying to answer, "Where Do We Go from Here?"

Amy Myers Jaffe is a leading expert on global energy policy, geopolitical risk, and energy and sustainability. Jaffe serves as executive director for Energy and Sustainability at University of California, Davis with a joint appointment to the Graduate School of Management and Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS). At ITS-Davis, Jaffe heads the fossil fuel component of Next STEPS (Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways). She is associate editor (North America) for the academic journal, Energy Strategy Reviews.

When it comes to taking personal responsibility for the environment, few individuals can match the record of actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. Known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, Mr. Begley Jr. sits on the board of countless environmental groups and hosts his own TV show, espousing a true belief in the power of “green living.”

Kenneth Cole has built a 150 store-strong retail empire, uniting his fashion instincts and business acumen with his philanthropic convictions. Mr. Cole’s influence reaches far beyond the world of fashion – he has been a dynamic advocate for many causes ranging from initiatives for the homeless to his work as Chairman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

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.

A renowned global futurist, author, and global advisor to the Fortune 100, Dr. Canton has been forecasting the leading innovations and trends that have shaped our world for 25 years. He is the CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a San Francisco based Think Tank. He has advised three White Houses, over ten nations, and over 100 companies worldwide. He was on the founding advisory board of Singularity University, was an Apple Computer executive, and has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox and NBC. He is the author of Future Smart, Technofutures and The Extreme Future. 

Daniel Yergin is a highly respected authority on energy, international politics, and economics. He is Vice Chairman of IHS Markit and chairman of CERAWeek, which CNBC has described as “the Super Bowl of world energy”.

Time Magazine said, “If there is one man whose opinion matters more than any other on global energy markets, it’s Daniel Yergin.” Fortune said that he is “one of the planet’s foremost thinkers about energy and its implications.” The New York Times described Daniel Yergin as “America’s most influential energy pundit.”

Dr. Yergin is the author of several books including “The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power” (Simon & Schuster, January 1991),” for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent book is “The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations (Penguin Press, September 2020).”

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy presented Dr. Yergin with the first “James R. Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security.” He is a recipient of the United States Energy Award for “lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding.”

Dr. Yergin is a director of the Council on Foreign Relations and a trustee of the Brookings Institution. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council and a director of the United States Energy Association. He is a member of the advisory boards of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative and of the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy.

Watery images of the once-glorious Titanic were some of the most enchanting and enthralling images of recent years, something most people only dream of seeing in real life. For Robert Ballard they represented a concrete accomplishment, and just one in a series of triumphs.

World-famous for his discovery of the Titanic and the Bismark, Ballard leads audiences on a journey to plumb some of history’s greatest mysteries. Ballard’s adventurous spirit is matched by a practical and hugely successful approach to goal setting, team building and execution. The skills that led to his headline-grabbing accomplishments are the same skills that now lead people from all walks of life toward a realization of their dreams.

A renowned scientist and explorer, he is the author of 16 books, including Discovery of the Titanic, and Collision with History: The Search for John F. Kennedy’s PT 109. After many years of exploring ancient history in the Mediterranean and Black Seas with the discovery of the largest concentration of ancient Roman ships ever found under the sea, most recently Ballard has turned his sights on the Pacific ocean and his team and ship of exploration, E/V Nautilus are working off the west coast of the US. 

Peter Richard Orszag is an American banker and economist, and Head of North American M&A and Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Lazard. He previously served as a Vice Chairman of Corporate & Investment Banking and Chairman of the Financial Strategy & Solutions Group at Citigroup, Inc. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution and a Contributing Columnist at Bloomberg View.  He was previously President Barack Obama's director of the Office of Management and Budget. Orszag was the director of the Congressional Budget Office from 2007 to 2008. He served in two jobs in the Bill Clinton administration, as a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisers from 1995 to 1996 and, in 1997, as top adviser to the director of the National Economic Council.