Jim VandeHei is a media entrepreneur and expert on American politics. He is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Axios, a new media company delivering news and insights on politics, business, media and tech. The company, whose name means “worthy” in Greek, specializes in high-quality news and analysis easily shared among the country's most influential readers and across social platforms.

A leader and confidence creator who is driving change in the workplace and creating more equitable and inclusive workplaces for all, Meggie Palmer is on a mission to help organizations in every industry recruit, retain, and develop top talent from diverse backgrounds through PepTalkHer, the consultancy she founded and leads as CEO. What began as a side hustle for Palmer has evolved into a thriving global business and movement with a strong community of 60,000 aspirational professionals from all walks of life who are breaking glass ceilings and leading organizations into the future.

Anja Manuel is a founding partner and principal at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel, LLC, a strategic consulting firm, which she co-founded along with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others. The firm assists CEOs and senior executives at major US companies in key emerging markets such as China, India, and the Middle East. She teaches at Stanford University’s International Policy Studies Program and is a leading expert on globalization, emerging markets, and America’s shifting role in international leadership. Anja is a former State Department official, an international lawyer, and the author of the book, This Brave New World.

One of the world’s leading interviewers, Nina Easton helps CEOs, global leaders, and cultural icons communicate their vision and stories on stage. With deep economic and political sophistication, she engages speakers and audiences to produce far-sighted conversations on how to navigate today’s hyper-speed, disruptive landscape. Her broad portfolio crosses business sectors–from finance and insurance to high-tech and energy–as well as U.S. and geopolitics.

When brands like Google, Starbucks, Shopify, and GE want to use technology to better connect with their consumers, they call Mitch Joel. He is the best-selling author of the award-winning business books, Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the founder of Six Pixels Group. He's also the former president of Mirum, a global digital marketing agency operating in 25 countries with close to 3,000 employees. Mitch has been called “one of North America’s leading visionaries” and the “Rock Star of Digital Marketing” by Strategy Magazine, he was listed as one of the “Speakers Worth Catching” by Forbes, and he was recognized in the highly prestigious “Top 40 Under 40”… but he's much more than that. He is a charismatic and engaging storyteller, and takes audiences on an exciting ride that helps them understand not only adapt to but succeed in the new digital, hyper-connected business environment. His speaking style is big, engaging, entertaining, educating, and eyebrow raising. Your audience will leave informed and ready to tackle the future... today.

When organisations and individuals want to better their understanding of the latest technology trends and their impact on business and society, Greg Williams is among the first names they seek out for thought leadership. As the deputy global editor for WIRED magazine and a widely respected strategic forecaster, Williams has exclusive lines of communication to the innovators, thinkers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and creatives who are changing the world and draws upon his conversations with them to publish insightful and influential pieces on innovation, technology, and the ideas that are reshaping our world in real time.

Danny Vargas has created opportunities, overcome challenges, and beaten the odds all his life. As founder and president of VARCom Solutions, a D.C. area-based marketing and public relations firm, he has made a mark not only in business but in the community as well.

From the Baltimore Opera to QVC shopping channel, Executive Producer and TV Host Mike Rowe has had hundreds of jobs and relished his role as a chronic freelancer. He’s best known as the “dirtiest man on TV,” a title he earned on the hit TV series Dirty Jobs, where he traversed all 50 states; completed 300 different jobs; and transformed cable television into a landscape of swamps, sewers, and coal mines. He has narrated hundreds of documentaries about space, nature, dinosaurs, and how stuff works. Mike also runs the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity that works hard to debunk myths about the skilled trades and help close the skills gap.

Timothy Clark is an author, executive coach and organizational consultant. He is regarded as an authority on leadership and large-scale change. He is founder and CEO of TRClark, a management consulting, coaching, and corporate training company. Clark writes the weekly column, "On Leadership" for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Riaz Meghji is a human connection expert and author of the book “Every Conversation Counts: The 5 Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships”. His insights have been featured in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review and Financial Post. After one conversation led him to take a dramatically different career path that changed his life for the better, he became dedicated to exploring the ways that authentic human connection can change lives and organizations. In addition to being a respected thought leader and author on the topic of human connection, Riaz is also an accomplished broadcaster with 17 years of television hosting experience; he has interviewed experts on current affairs, sports, entertainment, politics, and business. Drawing from his experience of communicating and presenting in front of the camera, he has created practical tools for leaders to cultivate meaningful connections, build trust and collaborate effectively.

Frances West is an internationally-recognized thought leader, inspirational speaker, strategy advisor, author, and women in technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative through her unique Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint. Her insightful and impactful approach comes from her unique personal background as a first-generation, no-English speaking immigrant to her trailblazing professional path as one of the first women in the technology field and her experience as a global executive in sales, marketing, business development, and research as well as her ground-breaking work in accessibility as IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer. Frances brings a valuable business perspective to this human rights-based initiative. Because of her expertise, she was invited as the sole IT industry representative to testify before the US Senate on the need to pass the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and she holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in recognition of her work in accessibility, research, and digital inclusion.

Named UK Top 20 Most Influential Female Founder by Startups Magazine, Stephanie Melodia is the CEO of Bloom, the tech industry’s award-winning brand marketing agency. Stephanie is also host of the Blooming CEOs podcast as well as the biannual event series, Bloom Presents. She is a scout for early-stage VC firm, Ada Ventures, and proponent of Feminism 5.0 - the fifth wave that focuses on the men to achieve gender equality. Stephanie is also a contributing writer for Startups Magazine and has been interviewed by the likes of Tech.London, Enterprise Nation, General Assembly, Creative Entrepreneurs, LinkedIn, Roundhouse, Startup Hustle, Authority Magazine and ComputerWeekly.com for her expertise and thought leadership on the fields of entrepreneurship, gender equality, marketing and creativity.