The world's biggest geopolitical surprises are rarely surprises. We just fail to see the forces driving them.

For decades, Karim Sadjadpour has helped leaders understand the ideologies, ambitions, and historical forces shaping global affairs long before they dominate the headlines. One of the world's foremost experts on Iran and the Middle East, his work goes beyond explaining governments and conflicts. It reveals how power is built, how leaders think, and why seemingly distant events often have profound consequences for global markets, international security, and American foreign policy. Whether advising policymakers, analyzing world events for CNN, or writing award-winning essays for Foreign Affairs and The Atlantic, Sadjadpour has become one of the most trusted interpreters of a rapidly changing world.

He equips audiences to think like strategists, not news consumers. With historical firsthand regional expertise and sharp analysis, Sadjadpour helps organizations make sense of an era defined by geopolitical uncertainty, rising authoritarianism, and shifting global alliances. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding not only of today's headlines, but of the forces that will shape tomorrow's.

History does not come with explanation. Martha MacCallum has made a career of providing it in real time.

Across six presidential elections and decades of breaking news, Martha MacCallum has served as a steady voice in moments that shape public understanding. From September 11th to January 6th, from the funeral of George H. W. Bush to the coronation of King Charles III, she has anchored coverage when the stakes are high and the picture is still forming.

As Anchor and Executive Editor of The Story, she has conducted consequential interviews with presidents, cabinet officials, and Supreme Court justices, including exclusive access at defining moments. Her style is direct and controlled, built for environments where clarity matters and trust is tested.

On stage, MacCallum brings that same perspective. She offers a behind-the-scenes view of how narratives take shape in real time, how leaders communicate under pressure, and what separates information from understanding when it matters most.

Few journalists have faced the kind of recovery Benjamin Hall had to fight through. While reporting on the war in Ukraine in 2022, the veteran correspondent was critically wounded when his vehicle was struck by incoming fire outside Kyiv. Two members of his team were killed. Hall endured multiple surgeries and a long recovery before returning home to his family, a journey he recounts in his bestselling memoir Saved: A War Reporter’s Mission to Make It Home and continues in Resolute, another bestseller. His story has become a powerful example of resilience in the face of unimaginable loss and adversity.

Before that moment, Hall spent years covering conflict around the world. As a Senior Correspondent for Fox News Channel, he has reported from Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, documenting war and diplomacy from the ground rather than a studio. Those years reporting from the front lines gave him a rare perspective on courage and endurance long before he was forced to draw on those qualities himself. He is also the author of the bestselling children’s book Read All About It!

On stage, Hall reflects on survival, recovery, and the mindset required to rebuild after everything changes in an instant. He brings audiences closer to the human realities behind global events while offering a deeply personal perspective on resilience, perseverance, and the determination required to move forward after hardship.

At a time when trust in the news is fading, V Spehar has built something rare: a space where people feel informed and understood. As the founder of Under the Desk News, they’ve created a community of millions who come for context that cuts through the noise. Named one of TIME100’s Most Influential Digital Voices, V has become a steady presence in a chaotic media landscape Their storytelling bridges the space between breaking stories and human stories, showing that understanding current events starts with empathy, not outrage.

A seasoned journalist with a sharp grasp of politics, policy, and culture, V has reported from the Democratic National Convention and the Paris Olympics, and conducted interviews with Presidents Biden and Obama. Their work reflects a command of complex issues and a talent for translating them into something people can actually use and understand. Their work has appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post and NBC News, and they are frequently featured as a guest contributor on MS NOW and CNN.

V approaches the stage like they approach the news, with curiosity, precision, and a clear sense of responsibility. Their talks cut through noise and polarization, inviting people to think critically while remembering the humanity behind every headline.

Many-time bestselling author, columnist, and commentator John Avlon has been called “a trusted, grounded, and welcome voice” emphasizing bipartisanship and real solutions. He currently hosts a solutions journalism podcast on The Bulwark called How to Fix It and serves as the Chairman of Citizens Union, New York’s oldest good government group. Avlon was a Senior Political Analyst and Anchor at CNN, known for his “Reality Check” segments across the network. He is an award-winning columnist and the author of Independent Nation, Wingnuts, Washington’s Farewell, and Lincoln & the Fight for Peace, which was praised by The New York Times as “a Lincoln for our polarized times…powerful and affecting” and named one of the best books of the year by Vanity Fair and Foreign Affairs. He was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast (2013-8) and served as chief speechwriter for the Mayor of New York. Avlon’s essay, “The Resilient City” was selected to conclude Empire City: New York through the Centuries and won acclaim as “the single best essay written in the wake of 9/11.”

Avlon has appeared multiple times on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Daily Show, PBS, and C-Span. He has spoken at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the National Constitution Center, and other civic organizations around the nation. Avlon is also a co-founder of No Labels – a group of Democrats, Republicans and Independents dedicated to the politics of problem-solving and making government work again. Highly regarded for his shrewd analysis of the headlines of the day, offering historic perspective on the current political climate of the U.S., and the role of journalism in politics, Avlon offers reasoned discourse that focuses on real solutions.

In a time when truth feels increasingly negotiable, Donie O’Sullivan has made a career out of understanding why.

An Emmy-winning CNN Senior Correspondent, O’Sullivan reports from the front lines of America’s information wars, where conspiracy, identity, and technology collide. With empathy and a sharp wit, he goes beyond debunking misinformation to focus on something harder: why facts alone are not changing minds. Since joining CNN, he has become one of the network’s most distinctive voices, blending political reporting with a deeper examination of how belief actually works.

From January 6 to the rise of online fringe movements, his reporting shows how ideas move from the internet into real-world consequence. He engages directly with the communities shaping today’s information landscape, offering an unfiltered look at how narratives take hold. On stage, he breaks down the mechanics of modern persuasion, giving audiences a clear view into how reality is being shaped in real time.