“How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” As the only Black Cub Scout marching in an otherwise all-White parade, Daryl Davis formed that simple yet powerful question after he was pelted by rocks, bottles and soda pop cans by a handful of White spectators. This was his first encounter with racism at age ten. Pursuit of an answer led this career performing musician on a surreal journey stemming from a chance encounter with a man who turned out to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Seeking to understand, not to change minds or judge, Daryl actually built bridges with leaders from a group that professed hatred for him. Some came to quit the Klan and gave Daryl their robes and hoods when they did. In the process he has unearthed truths about conflict, hate, intolerance, and communication that are valuable today. His extraordinary journey is chronicled in his first book, Klan-Destine Relationshipsand the documentary about his encounters, Accidental Courtesy. As a speaker, Daryl’s impact on audiences is profound –his TEDx talk has over 10 million views.

Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of four books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, and Herding Tigers) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

Ulrich Boser is a bestselling author and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. His most recent book is Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything. The book has also been featured in many outlets including NPR, Slate, Vox, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. Amazon named the book one of the "best of the year."

Bruce J. Himelstein was previously the SVP, Sales & Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC and is currently Himelstein is Executive Vice President at Zimmerman Advertising and heads their new Hospitality, Travel and Tourism group. An award- winning 30 year veteran of the hospitality industry, Bruce J. Himelstein is a recognized authority on innovative brand marketing and creation of a luxury lifestyle image for the highest quality services and consumer products. As a speaker, his range of experience qualifies him to cover a range of topics from the importance of developing a culture of service, sales intensity and brand innovation.

Tony Sayegh is a leading figure in public affairs, strategic communications and political commentary. Tony has had an extensive media portfolio spanning across television, radio, print and digital platforms. He is currently a Managing Director at Teneo, a global CEO advisory firm based in New York City. He twice served in the Administration of President Donald J. Trump. Most recently Tony advised President Trump during the House impeachment inquiry as White House Senior Advisor for Strategy and Spokesperson for the President on the matter. He first joined the Administration as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, leading the department’s Office of Public Affairs.

Mark Jenkins is a field staff writer for National Geographic Magazine and writer-in-residence at the University of Wyoming. In 2009 he won the National Magazine Award for photojournalism, along with his colleague Brint Stirton, for their National Geographic story “Who Murdered The Mountain Gorillas.” Jenkins was “The Hard Way” columnist for Outside magazine for eight years. He is the author of three books: The Hard Way (Simon and Schuster, 2002), To Timbuktu (William Morrow, 1997), and Off the Map (William Morrow, 1992). He resides in Laramie, Wyoming, with his wife and two daughters.

Sandra Taylor is CEO of Sustainable Business International LLC, a consulting business that assists clients at various stages of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the food and beverage sectors. Previously Sandra was a senior executive with Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, where she led global responsibility and sustainability in coffee and cocoa supply chains. She is the author of The Business of Sustainable Wine, published in July 2017. Sandra received her BA from Colorado Women’s college, JD from Boston University School of Law and MBA program from the Bordeaux School of Management/Kedge Business School in France.

What does the future look like? Alex Salkever has been thinking and writing about this for two decades, covering AI and ChatGPT, green energy, genetic engineering, cloud computing, self-driving cars, and more. A former BusinessWeek editor, he is the author of four award-winning books examining the impact of technology on society and our personal well-being, including “The Driver in the Driverless Car: How Our Technology Choices Will Create the Future” and a book he co-author with Vivek Wadhwa, “Your Happiness Was Hacked”. Alex writes about and consults leading technology companies on innovation, the attention economy, blockchain and exponentially advancing technologies such as robotics, genomics, renewable energy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and driverless cars. He is a columnist for Fortune and the former Technology Editor at BusinessWeek.com.

Domenico Montanaro is NPR's Senior Political Editor and Correspondent and appears regularly on-air on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and NPR podcasts, where he delivers non-partisan analysis on national politics, ranging from the Trump administration to key legislation. He has also appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News and PBS NewsHour.

A keynote by David Kidder is an experience like none other. David is known to light up the room with energy, challenge your thinking with his particular brand of radical candor, and ultimately spark a new competitiveness and desire to go on offense. Because while big used to eat little, now fast eats big. David is an experienced international speaker with a dynamic, high-energy presence and a flexible style to fit your event. He has presented keynotes, hosted interactive panels, given candid off-the-record fireside chats, and engaged audiences of 7 to 7000. He’s a regular guest on podcasts and broadcast television interviews and can deliver practical insights in five minutes as easily as captivating an audience for an hour. His gritty, real-world experience as a four-time entrepreneur and active angel investor combined with his understanding of the priorities and pressures of Fortune 500 leaders ensures his presentations will leave your audience inspired AND ready to take action to become growth leaders. David speaks on a variety of subjects, including: -- Enterprise disruption -- Growth leader mindsets -- Refounding: the future role of all Fortune 500 leaders -- Inorganic growth: the intersection of enterprise and entrepreneurs

David Reske is a 20-year digital marketing veteran, president of Nowspeed, Inc., and the author of Digital Marketing in the Zone: The Ultimate System for Digital Marketing Success, which looks at how marketers can effectively navigate the evolving digital space and avoid unnecessary spend and risk to confidently execute strong marketing plans and accelerate the results of their digital marketing campaigns.

2014 Young Global Leader and Harvard University Nieman Fellow Souad Mekhennet has reported on radical Islamic movements since shortly after September 11th and has researched long-term strategies of terrorist organizations since the Arab Spring. It is through this work, and her Baillie Gifford Prize 2017 longlist recognized book, I Was Told to Come Alone, that she hopes to shed light on the troubling dynamics happening today between Islam and the West and what needs to happen to change them.