Charlie Linville is the first combat wounded veteran to summit Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits. Linville's 2014 attempt to scale Mount Everest was cut short after a deadly avalanche. In 2015, an earthquake caused severe damage in the region and led to the cancellation of climbing season; Linville and his team assisted in recovery efforts. Linville lost his foot to a below-the-knee amputation in 2013 after an IED blast in Afghanistan where he was a member of a bomb disposal unit.

Jim has been involved in cave exploration for the last two decades and has participated in many expeditions to remote cave systems. He lives in Ireland where he is only a stone throw away from undiscovered cave passage. He got involved in diving at the age of 12 and from there on he forged a path towards highly technical diving in extreme environments. Jim is thrives on operating in these environments and has developed a methodical approach towards operating in these places. This ability has served him well in many situations including some life or death situations. Jim was one of the main players involved in rescuing the boys’ soccer team who got trapped in a 4km cave system in Thailand in July 2018. Jim also had the responsibility of extracting the team coach out through the complex underwater cave system. He has participated in the making of a feature film depicting the epic rescue due to be released in 2019. Jim also holds the record for completing the longest traverse of water-filled underground cave in Ireland. For his involvement in the cave rescue in Thailand Jim has received the knighthood of the Léopold order from the king of Belgium along with many other awards and honours. Jim has been a keynote speaker on in front of many groups of deferent categories and prides himself in telling his story and the story of the Thai cave rescue so others can be inspired. Operating in extreme environments puts you in a place that brings the worst and best out of people and learning how to handle in these situations teaches anyone how to deal with challenges in life or work.

Alex Honnold is an American big wall free solo climber. He has broken a number of speed records, most notably including the only known solo of the Yosemite Triple crown, an 18 hour 50 minute link up of Mt. Watkins, The Nose (El Capitan), and The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. He and Hans Florine are the current record holders for the Nose with a time of 2:23:51. Alex’s keynote will explore unexpected paths to greatness, mastering your craft, and living a life that celebrates our planet and sustainability. You’ll hear how Honnold’s focus and work ethic propelled him to achieve greatness beyond what anyone thought was possible.

Jimmy Chin is a professional climber, mountaineer, skier, director and photographer. Born and raised in Mankato, Minnesota, he signed a sponsorship agreement with the The North Face in 2001 and is a 14-year veteran of The North Face Athlete Team. He has organized and led numerous climbing, ski-mountaineering and exploratory expeditions to China, Pakistan, Nepal, Tanzania, Chad, Mali, South Africa, Tibet, Borneo, India and Argentina. As a Speaker, Jimmy has lent his story and experience to a variety of audiences, addressing global tech leaders, financial institutions, nonprofits and creative agencies. His talks take you on his own personal journey from a young kid in Minnesota who just wanted to climb Yosemite and capture images to a world-class climber and filmmaker. He relays the many lessons he’s learned navigating the world's most challenging climbs, and sharing the stories of other accomplished adventurers.

Dr. Leroy Chiao has extensive experience as a NASA Astronaut and prior to that, as a Research Engineer. Chiao is a veteran of four space missions and has logged 229 days in space, earning the honor of commanding the International Space Station. He is also one of one of only 166 people to walk in space and was one of a few Americans to ever co-pilot a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Chiao discusses how commitment, training, and teamwork can produce extraordinary achievement by sharing anecdotes from his career as an astronaut.

After an acting career including a role on The Sopranos (HBO), Chris decided to follow his real passion- using media to bridge intercultural gaps worldwide- so he traveled to East Africa. He now traverses the globe from Tanzania to Abu Dhabi as Host of Bridge the Gap, a new series featured on National PBS television, where he discovers what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes for one day. He is a United Nations Moderator, an International Speaker (TEDx), a Writer for award-winning publications like Lonely Planet, an Eagle Scout and a National Geographic Young Explorers grantee. 1 : Actor/Activist from Brooklyn whose TV career spans MTV to The Sopranos 2 : traveled from Tanzania to Thailand hosting the internationally recognized TV Series Bridge the Gap, broadcast into 45M homes in 80 markets 3 : Published Writer for Huffington Post and Lonely Planet 4 : celebrated Emcee and Guest Speaker for TedX and the United Nations, at Jane Goodall’s National Leadership Retreat, and at events in Qatar, Rio de Janeiro, and Abu Dhabi.

Revered as a uniquely-skilled “warrior-diplomat,” General John Nicholson retired in September 2018 from his post as Commander of U.S. Forces – Afghanistan and NATO’s Resolute Support mission. In this role, Gen. Nicholson led a 41-nation coalition war effort. The longest serving Commander of the Afghan war, he oversaw a $46.3 billion budget and roughly 14,000 international troops. A combat-seasoned military legend, he discusses coalition building, strengthening culture through collaboration, leadership, geopolitics, and organizational success in the 21st century.

The first African-American woman to hold the top policing job in Seattle, Washington, Carmen Best served with the Seattle Police Department for 28 years. In 2018, Best was promoted to Chief of Police, a job she called “a dream of a lifetime.” Best quickly began efforts to diversify the police force, which had long been less diverse than the city, recruiting more than 40 new officers of color. Chief Best speaks on diversity, inclusion, and leadership lessons-learned guiding a police department during times of crisis.

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.

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.