Michael (Mike) Steep is the founder and former executive director of Stanford Engineering School's Center for Disruptive Technology and Digital Cities and the former senior vice president of global business operations at innovation mega-hub, PARC Xerox. He draws on first-hand experience and anecdotes from time spent with the biggest names in Silicon Valley to instruct audiences on how to get ahead of disruptive innovation. Viewing new technology as opportunity, Mike highlights the importance of allowing innovation to trump company culture and legacies—and not the other way around.

Ambassador Michael Froman is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, dedicated to elevating Americans’ participation in matters related to trade and foreign policy decisions. He formerly served as the 17th United States Trade Representative, sworn in under President Obama in 2013. In this capacity, he served in the Cabinet as President Obama’s principal advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on international trade and investment issues. He also led the Office of the United States Trade Representative in its work to open global markets for U.S. goods and services, enforcing America’s rights in the global trading system and fostering development through trade.

Cory Gardner is focused on empowering people to better lives through innovation and creativity in public policy, diplomacy and the economy. He is a fifth-generation Coloradan, and was born and raised in Yuma, a tiny town on the Eastern Plains of Colorado where his family owned a farm implement dealership for over 106 years. He lives in the same prairie house his great-grandparents lived in and that his grandfather called home. He believes in common sense solutions and making institutions throughout government and the economy more accountable to the people of this country.

Frances West is an internationally-recognized thought leader, inspirational speaker, strategy advisor, author, and women in technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative through her unique Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint. Her insightful and impactful approach comes from her unique personal background as a first-generation, no-English speaking immigrant to her trailblazing professional path as one of the first women in the technology field and her experience as a global executive in sales, marketing, business development, and research as well as her ground-breaking work in accessibility as IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer. Frances brings a valuable business perspective to this human rights-based initiative. Because of her expertise, she was invited as the sole IT industry representative to testify before the US Senate on the need to pass the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and she holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in recognition of her work in accessibility, research, and digital inclusion.