Zachary Karabell is a renowned economist and the author of The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World. With his prolific, award-winning writing career, illustrious background on Wall Street, and PhD from Harvard, he offers audiences a tour de force of what’s to come and shows that optimism is a vital ingredient for capitalizing on current economic opportunities. He brings a unique perspective to the discussion of globalization and the economic environment and shares insights on how to use big data to get a real picture of the global economy.

Ambassador Ron Kirk is the former United States trade representative (USTR) who was a pivotal member of the president’s economics team. With nearly 20 years in politics, he has been a Dallas mayor, U.S. Senate candidate, a lawyer with international reach. Boisterous and entertaining, Kirk analyzes the current political environment and offers audiences a glimpse behind the curtain in Washington and into what the president is really thinking. He also addresses trade, jobs, the economy, and doing business in China.

Rev. Sharpton is one of America's foremost leaders for civil rights battles against economic injustices, political inequity and corporate racism. For more than three decades he has played a major role in virtually every significant move for civil liberty, community empowerment and economic equality. Rev. Jesse Jackson said: "When an injustice has occurred, the victims don't look for the public official with the most credentials, or the preacher with the largest church. They just call Rev. Al and they know that he'll do something about it." In addition, he was often praised by President Barack Obama as "the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden.” As founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), Rev. Sharpton heads an organization that fights for progressive, people-based social policies by providing extensive voter education and registration campaigns, economic support for small community businesses and confronting corporate racism. NAN is a not-for-profit civil rights organization that was formed in 1991 and has over 100 chapters nationwide that includes a Washington, DC Bureau and regional offices across the US. Rev. Al Sharpton hosts a daily syndicated radio show and a national cable news television show on MSNBC. Rev. Sharpton has run for political office in several unsuccessful bids: as a candidate for the New York State Senate (1978), the US Senate (1992 and 1994); the mayor of New York City (1997), and the US presidency (2004). A fiery and charismatic speaker known for his incisive wit and unapologetic fire, many find Rev. Sharpton an eloquent and fearless spokesman for African Americans.