Future-of-work strategist Heather E. McGowan helps leaders prepare their people and organizations for the post pandemic world. As a keynote speaker, Heather gives lucidity to complex topics through her research rich, graphic frameworks, and powerful metaphors. In 2017, LinkedIn ranked her as its #1 global voice for education and in 2020 McGowan was listed as one of the Top 50 Female Futurists in Forbes. NYT columnist Thomas Friedman describes her as “the oasis” when it comes to insights into the future of work. McGowan is the coauthor of The Adaptation Advantage (April 2020) and the Empathy Advantage (March 2023).

A leading expert in robot ethics, Dr. Kate Darling is a research scientist at the MIT Media Lab, where she investigates social robotics and conducts experimental studies on human-robot interaction. Forever interested in how technology intersects with society, Kate has a background in law & economics and intellectual property, she explores the emotional connection between people and life-like machines, seeking to influence technology design and policy direction. Her writing and research anticipate difficult questions that lawmakers, engineers, and the wider public will need to address as human-robot relationships evolve in the coming decades. Dr. Darling’s work has been featured in international media, and she has authored multiple academic publications and contributed to industry publications from Vogue to Die Zeit to the BBC, and in 2017, the American Bar Association honored her legal work with the Mark T. Banner Award in Intellectual Property.

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.

Susan David Ph.D. is one of the world’s leading management thinkers and an award-winning psychologist at Harvard Medical School. Co-founder and co-director of the Institute of Coaching at Harvard/McLean Hospital and an authority on leadership, organizational culture, and success, she has been named to the 2017 Thinkers50 Radar list; the thinkers most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led, and is a highly-sought speaker and scientific adviser. She is the author of the acclaimed Emotional Agility, an Amazon Best Book of the Year, Axiom Business Book Award Medalist, and a Nominee for the Books for a Better Life Award 2017. Dr. David and Emotional Agility have been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, TIME, Business Insider, Fast Company, MSNBC, INC.com, Forbes, Strategy + Business, National Public Radio (Here & Now), PBS News Hour, Harvard Business Review and many other leading publications. Dr. David’s academic books include: The Oxford Handbook of Happiness (Oxford University Press) and Beyond Goals (Gower). Dr. David lives outside Boston with her family.