Ambassador Michael Froman is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, dedicated to elevating Americans’ participation in matters related to trade and foreign policy decisions. He formerly served as the 17th United States Trade Representative, sworn in under President Obama in 2013. In this capacity, he served in the Cabinet as President Obama’s principal advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on international trade and investment issues. He also led the Office of the United States Trade Representative in its work to open global markets for U.S. goods and services, enforcing America’s rights in the global trading system and fostering development through trade.

What makes Mark Bryan one of the world’s leading futurists is his proven mastery advising organizations on the trends and tech that will disrupt their industries, and his inventive approaches for adapting to an ever-evolving business environment. He is the senior foresight manager at the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm founded by world renowned futurist Amy Webb. In his role, he supports leaders and their organizations in developing and implementing customized, forward-looking strategies that position them years ahead of their competitors and expedite their journeys to their desired futures. Bryan’s expertise spans across industries — having worked alongside national retail brands, higher education institutions, nonprofits, multi-family developers, and large corporate clients to evolve them from market leaders to market innovators.  

James Gilmore is an expert on innovative thinking and the experience economy. As co-author of The Experience Economy, James Gilmore advises companies on how to turn their goods and services into a remarkable experience for the consumer. He discusses the concept of mass customization and helps businesses envision new possibilities for engaging customers and finding new sources of revenue.

At the White House, Mr. Pfeiffer served as Senior Director of the Situation Room where he independently led the President’s 24/7 operations and intelligence center, providing timely intelligence and information to the President and most senior National Security advisors. He also expanded and managed the President’s national security secure communications and information technology infrastructure to better support senior leaders during times of greatest emergency. Building on an expansive career across multiple intelligence organizations, Mr. Pfeiffer served six Directors and two Acting Directors at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), including three years as Chief of Staff.

A creative mind dedicated to helping businesses develop new ways to deliver customer values, Joseph Pine is the co-author of numerous books including The Experience Economy. Pine is a marketing expert who illustrates the importance of creating unique interactions and experiences for consumers in order to drive revenue and growth. He consults with numerous Fortune 500 companies and start-ups around the world, helping them embrace the ideas and frameworks he writes about, develop concepts for creating more economic value, and see those concepts become reality. In his speaking and teaching activities, Pine has addressed both the World Economic Forum and TED and has been a Visiting Scholar with the MIT Design Lab and a Visiting Professor at the University of Amsterdam.

Mr. E. William (Bill) Priestap is a recognized thought leader in national security, with a particular expertise in the growing threats posed by certain foreign nations, especially Russia and China. After twenty-one years, he concluded his FBI career in April 2019. For the last three years, he was responsible for all aspects of the FBI’s counterintelligence mission as Assistant Director, including the development and implementation of the agency’s global strategy to counter foreign nations’ intelligence efforts. Under his leadership, the division also conducted the Hillary Clinton email and Russia election influence investigations. Priestap provides audiences an in-depth overview of the current threats posed by nation-states today. His presentations also include a description of the gravity and complexity of these intelligence and counterintelligence threats as well as an easy-to-understand explanation about why every American should be concerned about them.

Ken Schmidt is the legendary former director of communications strategy for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. He played an active role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history, and his vision helped transform Harley into one of the world’s most dominant brands. He is widely known as a provocative and engaging thought leader. Funny and energetic, he shares stories of how to compete with weapons stronger than price, build a fanatically vocal customer base, create a passionately loyal corporate culture, and develop leaders who inspire and motivate.