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.

Say the name Erin Brockovich and you think, strong, tough and stubborn. Erin is all that and more. A formerly-unknown legal researcher who became a 20^th century icon overnight thanks to Julia Roberts Oscar-winning tour de force, Erin’s dogged persistence was the impelling force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in history. 

And she’s kept fighting for the people one town at a time. In her latest book, Superman’s Not Coming, she brings to light the stark truths of America today: resources are exhausted; corruption is rampant; infrastructure is outdated; water and health issues affect us all - rich and poor, Republicans and Democrats. Erin gives permission and empowers people to take action so that they can save their families, their communities, and the planet. 

Erin uses her life experiences to motivate and bring inspiration to audiences worldwide, providing lessons on her four steps to success, her motto for resilience and perseverance, and advocacy for the causes that matter. Her motto comes from famed biologist Rachel Carson: "We are challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves." 

Erin teaches that it will be up to us, we the people, to change our course.  

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. 

Michael Spence is a Nobel Prize–winning macroeconomist who helps leaders understand where the global economy is breaking and what comes next. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on information and markets, Spence has spent decades analyzing growth, structural change, and systemic risk across advanced and emerging economies. His work focuses on the forces now reshaping the global landscape, including productivity slowdowns, technological disruption, supply-chain realignment, inflation, and the future of globalization.

As a speaker, Spence brings clarity to moments of economic uncertainty. He explains how today’s shocks fit together, what policy choices actually matter, and how leaders should think about growth and risk in a fragmented world. Drawing on his role as a senior advisor to global investors and institutions, and on the framework outlined in Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World, Spence helps audiences move beyond headlines toward a coherent view of the economic path ahead. His talks are sought out by organizations that need sober, credible insight when markets and geopolitics collide.

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.”

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, Starbucks, 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. She was also named Chair of the Economic Club of New York. Dr. Moyo is a pre-eminent thinker whose insights empower key decision-makers in strategic investment and public policy.

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.

Fashion model and Indigenous Land Protector Quannah Chasinghorse is the face of a new generation of models and a powerful advocate and activist for Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and representation. Chasinghorse is from the Han Gwich’in from Eagle Village, Alaska and Sicangu/Oglala Lakota tribes from the Rosebud Reservation, South Dakota. She grew up learning Indigenous ways of life and values and continues to uphold them. She is a fourth-generation land protector for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, growing up in the movement to protect those sacred lands from oil development, fighting for climate justice. With each new opportunity, Chasinghorse educates people about her culture and her journey.

Chasinghorse has walked the runway for Gucci and Chloé and starred in campaigns for Calvin Klein and Chanel, among other high-end brands. She has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Elle, Allure, and National Geographic, and was honored on Teen Vogue’s 2020 list of “Top 21 Under 21.” Quannah and her mother were recently featured on an episode of Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s Apple+ TV series Gutsy, which celebrated environmental activists, and was the subject of the documentary Walking Two Worlds. Beyond her advocacy as a land protector, she champions Indigenous rights and sovereignty, and justice for the movement MMIWG2S, which stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People. In all she does, Quannah celebrates indigenous practices and fashion and works to increase representation and break the trail for those following in her footsteps.

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.

Award-winning scientist and internationally bestselling author Hope Jahren is an expert on global climate change who helps us see our interconnectedness and interdependence with the world around us. Jahren’s New York Times Notable Book and NEA Big Read Lab Girl won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography among other accolades. In a review of her book The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here, Nature called Jahren “the voice that science has been waiting for.”

Jahren is the recipient of three Fulbright Awards and is one of four scientists, and the only woman, to have been awarded both of the Young Investigator Medals given within the Earth Sciences. While a tenured professor at the University of Hawaii, she built the Isotope Geobiology Laboratories, with support from National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the NIH. She is currently a professor at the Norwegian Academy for Science and Letters. 

For her sought-after keynote speeches, Hope receives consistent praise: “The presentation was flawless” (Medical Library Association), “Hope was absolutely brilliant” (Merwin Conservancy), and “Hope’s entire visit was a HOME RUN for us… She set a high bar for future presenters” (Howard Hughes Medical Institute).

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 latest book, Hope in Action: A Memoir about the Courage to Lead, was released 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. 

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. 

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.

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.

Stephanie Shepherd is an environmental advocate and social entrepreneur. Formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Kardashian West Brands, she has since established her own platform. With close to 2 million followers, Stephanie's expertise is leveraging her social influence to inspire global activism.

In addition to co-founding Future Earth, Shepherd is an ambassador for “Days For Girls International,” “The Environmental Working Group,” and a board member of Former Vice President Al Gore’s “The Climate Reality Project.” She also recently joined "World War Zero," a climate change initiative led by Former Secretary of State, John Kerry. Through her advocacy, Shepherd has generated millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours for organizations who, like her, relentlessly pursue human flourishing and environmental preservation.

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.

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.

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.

Alex Honnold did something so difficult that it barely fits into normal categories of sport. He is the only person to have free solo climbed El Capitan, a 3,000-foot wall where the cost of a single mistake is obvious and immediate. It is the kind of achievement that quietly resets expectations of what is possible. What sets Honnold apart is not bravado, but an almost obsessive commitment to preparation, restraint, and knowing exactly when not to go. His ascent, captured in the Academy Award–winning film Free Solo, became iconic because it showed what disciplined thinking looks like when there is nowhere to hide from your decisions. In early 2026, he applied the same principles in a new setting by becoming the first person to free solo climb Taipei 101.

Honnold works in environments that collapse the distance between choice and outcome, leaving no room for ego or noise. That perspective shapes how he thinks about preparation, timing, and responsibility.

On stage, he brings that same grounded confidence. His stories are engaging without theatrics, and his insights translate naturally to leadership and high-pressure decision-making, leaving audiences with a clearer sense of how ambitious goals are actually achieved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Shepherd is considered a leading international expert, scientist, author, host, and communicator. He is a Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor and Director of University of Georgia's Atmospheric Sciences Program. He is a former NASA Scientist, and was a 2004 PECASE award recipient at the White House. Dr. Shepherd is the host of the only nationally-televised Sunday Talk Show focused on science, The Weather Channel's Weather Geeks. In 2021, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. He is the first UGA faculty member in the institution’s 236-year history to be elected to all three honorary societies. 

Dr. Shepherd appears extensively in major media, has briefed Congress, and appeared at the White House. He is sought after for major speaking engagements related to weather, climate, science communication and STEM.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.”

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.