2014 Young Global Leader and Harvard University Nieman Fellow Souad Mekhennet has reported on radical Islamic movements since shortly after September 11th and has researched long-term strategies of terrorist organizations since the Arab Spring. It is through this work, and her Baillie Gifford Prize 2017 longlist recognized book, I Was Told to Come Alone, that she hopes to shed light on the troubling dynamics happening today between Islam and the West and what needs to happen to change them.

Conceived by one of the creators of the long-running New York hit Tony and Tina's Wedding, The Water Coolers employ original songs, musical parodies and comic sketches to gently poke fun at the rituals and routines of our daily grind so we can all work together "happily ever laughter."

Mike uses his astounding guitar creations, uproarious songs, and veteran presentation skills to encourage, challenge and inspire his audiences to leap beyond their perceived limitations.

Serving more than 36 years on active duty, Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. is a career Army intelligence officer who has served at the highest level of U.S. national security and intelligence. His final assignment was as the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) – reporting directly to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security and the Secretary of Defense. Prior to the DIA, Lieutenant General Ashley served as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, where he was the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff for all aspects of intelligence, counterintelligence, and security. Through engaging insider stories and insights from his extensive career at the center of intelligence and security, Lieutenant General Ashley examines the current geopolitical landscape, the intelligence community’s role in national policy, as well as the threats and challenges facing the nation today and in the future. Drawing on more than 36 years of military service, he combines study, personal experience, and observation to share lessons-learned from our most consequential military leaders, present and past, and breaks down how to apply these leadership insights at any organization.

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.

What happens when Washington, D.C.’s premiere, political satire group - the Capitol Steps - call it quits after nearly 40 years? Most folks would agree that it was a great run, and the story would end there. But an intrepid group of cast members and a co-writer would not go quietly into that good night. This band of fools reflected on a world without musical, political satire, and didn’t like what they saw. And just like that the Capitol Fools were born. While foolish enough to embark on this new journey, they were smart enough to not reinvent the wheel. Fast-paced, laugh out loud show…check. Equal opportunity offenders…check. Skewering both sides of the aisle…check. If a “Steps-style show” is wrong, they don’t want to be right. The Capitol Fools hold up a mirror to our crazy political culture, providing hilarious song parodies and foolish reflections that continue to inspire belly-laughter. Audiences will continue to see cast members from past seasons of the Capitol Steps performing all the beloved bits, the mind-boggling backward talking spoonerisms, break-neck costume changes, over-the-top impressions, and all-new song parodies reflecting the day’s news. They will give you a memory that will last a lunch time. The spirit, irreverence and D.N.A. of the Capitol Steps lives on with the Capitol Fools!

Bill Coen served as Secretary General of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision from 2014 to 2019. The Basel Committee is the international group of central bankers and banking supervisors responsible for setting global banking standards. As Secretary General, Bill directed the work of the Basel Committee and managed its Secretariat. He served as chair of the Basel Committee’s Policy Development Group, which was responsible for developing and recommending the Basel III post-crisis reforms for endorsement by the Basel Committee and its governing body – the Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision (GHOS).

Leading financial expert and popular author, Todd Buchholz is an economist and has served as White House director of economic policy under George H.W. Bush and a managing director of the Tiger hedge fund. As a frequent commentator on the state of the markets, Todd Buchholz brings his experience as a former White House director of economic policy, a managing director of the $15 billion Tiger hedge fund, and a Harvard economics teacher to the cutting edge of economics, fiscal politics, finance, and business strategy.

Take two guys with chainsaws. Put them in tights, throw in a Garden Weasel, and what do you get? An amazing team called The Passing Zone, who will make you laugh and, you just might learn something about teamwork. These Guinness World Record holders custom design their show to drive home sales messages, corporate themes, and corporate missions.

Nikki Greenberg is an innovation strategist and thought-leader for the real estate industry. She helps real estate owners, investors and developers build a better future by uncovering opportunities that exist at the convergence of real space and cyber space. Through her consultancy Real Estate of the Future, Nikki works with real estate executives to bring their assets into alignment with the increasingly digitised way that people live, work and communicate, by creating a culture of innovation. Nikki entered the property industry through her established career in architecture, having worked with Lend Lease and Koichi Takada Architects with a focus on luxury developments and mixed-used masterplans, in USA, Australia and China. Her ability to think laterally to find smart design solutions is complemented by her strong business acumen. She previously lead the marketing team of the Fortune-500 global developer Greenland Holdings in Australia where she launched Park Sydney, a $US1.2 billion mixed-use project in inner-Sydney. In 2017 she moved to New York to work with Brown Harris Stevens on luxury new development campaigns. Nikki is passionate and devoted to charitable and not-for-profit endeavours. She is co-chair of ULI New York's Technology and Innovation Council. She also leads Women in PropTech the leading global PropTech education and networking organization, which she founded in 2018. In 2021 she was recognised as a Top 25 Most Influential CRE Innovators, and in 2020 as a Top 100 Real Estate Professional. In 2005 Nikki could be found in Thailand rebuilding villages affected by the South East Asian Tsunami. Nikki holds a Master of Commerce (International Business), Master of Architecture, and Bachelor of Architecture with Honours, all from the UNSW in Sydney, Australia. She has received numerous honours and accolades for her work and is a frequent contributor in the media and keynote speaker at leading industry conferences around the globe.

Arthur Snell is a geopolitical risk and intelligence adviser. He helps companies solve difficult questions, drawing on his global network based in complex and unpredictable jurisdictions. Arthur worked in the British government from 1998 - 2014 in a range of intelligence and diplomatic roles. He served overseas in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan, before becoming the British High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Trinidad and Tobago in 2011. His work has encompassed counter-terrorism operations, countering violent extremism, state-building and stabilisation missions, as well as bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Since 2014 he has worked as a consultant and adviser to governments, international organisations and corporations on geopolitical and security issues. Arthur is the creator and host of Doomsday Watch, a top-20 UK political podcast and is a regular commentator on UK and international media. His book on British foreign policy, How Britain Broke the World, will be published by Canbury Press in June 2022.

With an exceptional track record of sparking brilliant leaders and turning soft skills into hard results, Jackie Insinger combines relatability and humor with her data-driven, results-focused approach to teamwork and leadership. Equal parts captivating and motivating, Jackie inspires immediate action that leads to inevitable transformation. By leveraging the latest research in neuroscience and positive psychology, Jackie designs simple, actionable strategies that individuals can use right away to spark their team’s brilliance - taking them beyond “good to great” and transforming them from “great to extraordinary.” As a best-selling author with degrees from Duke and Harvard and a certification in Neuroscience for Business from MIT, Jackie’s ideas have been a game-changer for thousands of people and businesses worldwide.