Dr. Shawn DuBravac is former chief economist of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies, which owns and produces the world’s largest gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. In his role as CTA’s chief economist, DuBravac provided crucial economic analysis to association and industry leaders regarding future economic activity and the relative health of the technology industry. He also contributes research on technology trends that underpin the industry.

For a fresh take on today’s business landscape, paired with creative analysis on hot topics in tech; innovation; the economy; policy, media; and more, look no further than widely respected journalist, broadcaster, and author Roben Farzad. Farzad hosts public radio’s “Full Disclosure,” where he takes listeners on an audio exploration into the business of culture and the culture of business. In an exceptional career spanning more than two decades, Farzad has established himself as one of the most authoritative and influential voices on the matters that are driving industry and society forward in every corner of the globe.

A beauty industry vanguard, Jessie Hayes-Stallings is the founder and CEO of Skinphorea Facial Bar & Acne Clinic who took her passion for skincare and manifested it into the first facial bar and acne clinic in Metro Detroit — a concept that has made waves in the industry. She has set Skinphorea apart by providing customers with medical-grade skin treatments while creating an elevated and personalized, yet convenient relaxation experience. Not only does she create experiences for Skinphorea’s skincare clients, she also creates opportunities for beauty industry hopefuls. As an investor and a mentor, she has partnered with the state to develop an apprenticeship program that offers aspiring estheticians the opportunity to train to earn their esthetic license at Skinphorea before being offered a full-time position at the company.

Viewed as one of the media’s true needle movers, Galen Druke has become synonymous with insightful political analysis and astute commentary that offers a refreshingly honest and clear-eyed look at the current political climate and everything that’s influencing the future of American democracy. He is the host and producer of the “FiveThirtyEight Politics” podcast, which aims to explain politics through an engaging blend of statistics and traditional reporting. In his conversations with politicians, lawmakers, and the American people, Druke draws out straight-from-the source insights, diverse viewpoints, and powerful stories that illustrate how we arrived at where we are today, and where we’re headed.

In an eminent career dedicated to public service and built on fighting “impossible” battles, Doug Jones has often been the voice for those who did not have one. He turned the tide in his home state of Alabama when, in 2017, he became the first Democrat from the state to win a U.S. Senate seat in 25 years — making national headlines and shocking the establishment in the process. While on Capitol Hill, he solidified his reputation as a legislative force and consensus builder who played a key role in passing more than two dozen bipartisan bills into law in just three years. During his tenure, he was a member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Committee on Aging. He also served on the Homeland Security Committee for one year prior to joining the Armed Services Committee. Jones is widely respected for his commitment to common-sense “kitchen table” politics that seeks to tackle the toughest issues of the day and drive America forward.

In a public service career that spans more than three decades and includes service in two presidential administrations, as well as two terms in the United States Senate (R-Ohio, 2011-2023) and six terms in the United States House of Representatives, Rob Portman has been among the most influential presences in American politics and policy. He has held various high-ranking government roles through the course of his career. In addition to the aforementioned roles, Portman was the 14th U.S. Trade Representative (2005-2006), as well as the director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. Portman is known for his civility, successful bipartisan policymaking, work ethic, and extensive expertise of a broad range of complex issues. With more than 220 of his bills signed into law by Presidents Biden, Trump, and Obama during his tenure in the Senate, it is impossible to overstate his impact on American politics.

Widely respected for his determined dedication to upholding American values and democracy, The Honorable Ken Buck represented Colorado’s 4th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives during one of the most transformative periods in our nation’s history. Republican Congressman Buck was first elected to Congress in 2014 and served an impactful five terms until making the decision to resign in 2024. Throughout his decade-long tenure in Congress, Buck sought to affect change to policy and politics from inside the beltway and championed legislation in favor of small government, less debt, and antitrust initiatives. Following his time in Congress, Buck retains his unwavering passion for driving meaningful change in politics and solving problems for the American people.

Jon Steinberg is the founder and CEO of Cheddar, a new video media company sitting at the intersection of business news and culture. He was named to Ad Age’s 2015 40 under 40. He was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of DailyMail.com North America. Steinberg grew U.S. revenue 45% while at Daily Mail and doubled direct advertising revenue. He joined DailyMail.com from BuzzFeed where he was President & Chief Operating Officer, responsible for business management, company operations, finance, and social advertising operations. Under his leadership, BuzzFeed became a global and profitable social advertising business working with over half of the top 100 brands. He grew the company from 15 employees to over 500. Steinberg was previously Strategic Partner Development Manager on Google’s SMB (small medium business) partnerships team.

Micah Zenko is the Director of Research and Learning at McChrystal Group, charged with the development and instruction of offerings designed to improve organizational performance through red teaming, strategic planning, and scenario development. Micah is the author of three books. His second book, Red Team: How to Succeed by Thinking Like the Enemy, which was released in 2015, reveals the work of red teams and explains how to most effectively apply them to the modern world. Micah has also published articles in The Atlantic, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and Business Insider.

In his instant Wall Street Journal bestselling book Loonshots, SAFI BAHCALL reveals a surprising new way of thinking about innovation and group dynamics, challenging everything we thought we knew about radical breakthroughs. In talks based on his book—which Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman calls “Not to be missed by anyone who wants to understand how ideas change the world”—Bahcall shows how we can stoke innovation, create better leaders, and support “loonshots”: the imperfect but ingenious ideas that have the potential to change the world. As a consultant at McKinsey & Company, and co-founder and CEO of Synta Pharmaceuticals, Safi Bahcall spent nearly two decades of his life bringing big, innovative ideas to fruition. Frequently, this meant assessing and developing loonshots—the widely dismissed ideas whose champions are often written off as crazy. Along the way, he noticed the obstacles that innovators came up against, which seemed to stem from “the mysteries of group behavior.” As he dynamically explains in his book Loonshots, small changes in the structure of a company, rather than in its culture, can transform the behavior of the distinct groups involved, allowing innovation to flourish. Already a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Loonshots was recently dubbed a must-read “for people and organizations who are trying to increase their ability to catalyze more innovation” by Forbes magazine. In his talks, Bahcall shows how the science of phase transitions—think water becoming ice—suggests a useful new way of nurturing radical breakthroughs. He explains the mystery of why good teams—even those with excellent people and the best intentions—can kill great ideas. With humor, history, and a dash of physics, Bahcall offers audiences the tools to become initiators of innovative surprise rather than witnesses to it.

In an era of unparalleled polarization in politics and society, April Ryan represents an increasingly rare middle ground committed to upholding the integrity of fact-based journalism. With more than 25 years as a seasoned White House correspondent and political analyst, Ryan has the unique vantage point as the only Black female reporter covering urban issues from the White House — a position she has held since the Clinton era and spanning five presidential administrations. Her historic tenure as the longest-serving Black female White House correspondent has afforded her with incredible familiarity with the racial sensitivities, issues, and attendant political struggles of our nation’s past presidents.

Chris Stirewalt is one of the liveliest commentators covering politics today. Most recently, he was the the politics editor for the Fox News Channel. Joining FNC’s Washington Bureau in 2010, Stirewalt helped coordinate political coverage across the network. His daily newsletter, Fox News First, had more than 500,000 subscribers. Stirewalt also hosted a podcast with Dana Perino, Perino & Stirewalt: I’ll Tell You What which spun off into a television show by the same name during the lead up to the 2016 election, an industry first.