2019 Speakers

Amy P. Abernethy, MD, PhD is the President of Product Development and Chief Medical Officer at Verily, where she leads teams in the development and delivery of solutions that bridge the gap between clinical research and care.

Before joining Verily, Dr. Abernethy was Principal Deputy Commissioner and Acting Chief Information Officer of the US Food & Drug Administration. Prior roles include serving as CMO/CSO of Flatiron Health and multiple roles at Duke University, where she was Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Abernethy went to the University of Pennsylvania and then Duke University Medical School, and received her PhD from Flinders University in Australia.

Dr. Joseph G. Allen is an associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, director of Harvard’s Healthy Buildings Program, and the coauthor of Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity, which was selected as ‘Best Book of the Year’ by the New York Times and Fortune. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Allen has served as commissioner of The Lancet Covid-19 Commission and Chair of its Task Force of Safe Work, Safe Schools, and Safe Travel.

An internationally renowned expert and sought-after adviser, Dr. Allen’s work fuses the fields of health science, building science, and business science to improve the health of indoor spaces and drive business performance. He has authored over eighty peer-reviewed scientific papers—including in such journals as JAMA, Science, and The Lancet—and regularly contributes to the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Jeff Arnold is chairman and CEO of Sharecare, a digital health company he founded with Dr. Oz to help each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – build a longer, better life by enabling health transformation at the individual, organizational and community level. Also chairman of Forbes Travel Guide, he was twice named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – in 1999 for WebMD and 2019 for Sharecare – making him one of a handful of winners in history to receive the award twice.

Since being elected mayor in a record turnout election in April 2010, Mayor Steve Benjamin has made it his mission to create in Columbia the most talented, educated and entrepreneurial city in America.

His service in Columbia started back in 1990 when he served as student body president at the University of South Carolina, later becoming the Student Bar Association President at the USC School of Law.

First elected in April 2010
President of the US Conference of Mayors
Executive Chairman of Municipal Bonds for America
Member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee
Co-chair of the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy campaign
Former African-American Mayors Association President (2015-2016)
Member of the Accelerator for America Advisory Council
Honorary Co-Chair of the New Leaders Council
Authored Foreword for Smarter New York City: How City Agencies Innovate by André Corrêa d’Almeida
2018 Yale Mayors College participant
2018 Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative participant
Named 2018 Leading Globally Matters Locally Award winner by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
Named 2018 Historic Preservation Elected Official Award winner by Preservation South Carolina
Named 2018 AIPAC Ralph Bunche Award winner
Named one of the 2018 Distinguished Achievement Award winners by the Sierra Club
Named 2017 Phoenix Award Winner for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Public Official by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Named 2017 Partner America Small Business Advocate Award winner
Named Columbia Chamber of Commerce award winner for 2016 Small & Minority Business Advocate of the Year
Named 2016 Walgreen’s Happy & Healthy Communities Champion award winner
Named 2016 Deborah Boward Leadership Award winner by Senior Resources
Named 2001 SC Young Lawyer of the Year
Named 1999 National Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year
Named 2006 SC Bar Association Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year
Member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Council for Federal Home Loan Bank Atlanta
Member of the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development Board
Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Former member of the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, Inc. Board of Trustees
Generated budget surpluses in six of the last seven years and seven straight years without a tax increase
Established the city’s first Poet Laureate and public art initiative
Launched “Let’s Move! Columbia” and in 2015 named the #1 National League of Cities “Let’s Move” city in the nation
Launched new green infrastructure projects including utilizing new, low-impact technologies and use of modular storage for flood control

In addition to serving as Mayor of Columbia, Mayor Benjamin also serves as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and as Chairman for Municipal Bonds for America. He teaches a class at the University of South Carolina Honors College and Columbia College titled “Columbia, South Carolina: Building a Great City” and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities. Mayor Benjamin is married to the Honorable DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, Chief Administrative Judge (Common Pleas) for South Carolina's Fifth Judicial Circuit. The two are the proud parents of daughters Bethany (13) and Jordan Grace (11).

Since August 2015, Dana Nicholson Bledsoe has led Nemours Children’s Hospital, a 100-bed academic health campus located in Orlando’s Lake Nona Medical City, while also serving as an enterprise vice president within Nemours Children’s Health System. Particularly, her efforts have helped Nemours develop strategic plans to guide the health system’s operations in Florida. A practicing clinician for many years, Bledsoe redirected her career to bring her clinical expertise to health administration; she’s been recognized by regional and national entities for her sustained leadership. Prior to Nemours, she served as president of Children’s and Women’s Hospital, part of the Sacred Heart Health System, in Pensacola, Fla. She also held the roles of vice president of patient care services (including ambulatory services – specialty and primary care practices) and Chief Nursing Officer at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California where she led their Nursing Magnet designation in 2008. Earlier in her career, Bledsoe held nursing leadership roles at Texas Children’s Hospital, the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and The Children’s Hospital, Denver.

In 2018, Bledsoe earned her doctorate of executive health administration (DHA) with first honor from the Medical University of South Carolina, and was recognized as the 2018 DHA Outstanding Student and with the Dean’s award. She obtained her master’s degree in business administration at the University of Colorado at Denver, a master’s in nursing administration at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and her nursing degree at Loretto Heights College (now Regis University). Bledsoe became a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2014.

As president of Nemours Children’s Hospital, Bledsoe is focused on growing the world-class programs that provide care for the tiniest and most complex pediatric patients. She is also responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the hospital, which was recognized in 2016 as one of nine top children’s hospitals in the nation by The Leapfrog Group. Bledsoe also supports the health of children of Central Florida by providing guidance to charities and economic development organizations, including serving on the board of directors at Give Kids The World Village and the Orlando Economic Partnership. In addition, she is a trustee with the Florida Hospital Association, and actively engaged as a member with both the Medical City Leadership Council and Chairman’s Circle with Lake Nona’s Impact Forum.

Praised by the German press for his sold-out Berlin Debut at the Young Euro Classic Festival at the Konzerthaus in Gendarmenmarkt that was “intellectually shaped, powerful, and of crystalline precision”, Zsolt Bognár’s performances in America, Europe, and Asia have been described by European critics as “overwhelmingly visceral…a phenomenal sound world realized through maximum palette.” With recent debut performances in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Munich, Brussels, Vienna, and in Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Mr. Bognár released a much-lauded first CD album of works of Schubert and Liszt in 2013, recorded in Berlin with producer Philipp Nedel. Recipient of the 2007 Arthur Loesser Prize and having studied with Sergei Babayan for over ten years, Mr. Bognár is frequently invited to perform chamber music with members of the Cleveland Orchestra in live NPR broadcasts. Winner of numerous international piano competitions in America and in Europe, he is the host of “Living the Classical Life”–a film series with musicians from around the world, presented by Elyria Pictures in New York. His musical collaborations and diverse projects were the recipient of an International Festival Society Grant in 2013 to spend a week with Martha Argerich, and have included international speaking engagements including two TED talks broadcast to 172,000 people in 164 countries, and has garnered residencies in performance series and universities.

W. E. “Ed” Bosarge is a pioneer in the application of advanced mathematics to the fields of finance, medicine, and energy. He has developed innovative, practical solutions to an array of scientific and financial problems, while simultaneously creating several successful globally influential businesses.

Among his early achievements, Dr. Bosarge helped design computerized navigation and guidance systems for NASA’s Saturn rocket program and helped develop technologies that led to the first human heart-lung transplant. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he pioneered the application of quantitative analysis first to geophysics and oil exploration, then to financial markets. This led to his founding of Quantlab Financial, one of the world’s most successful high-frequency trading firms. More recently, Dr. Bosarge developed and now oversees the world’s first wind- and solar-powered “green” island, Over Yonder Cay, in the Bahamas’ Exumas. Additionally, Dr. Bosarge founded Black Beret Life Sciences, a global leader in the search for treatments based on regenerative medicine for cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and other age-related conditions. Dr. Bosarge is also dedicated to fighting obesity and diabetes, having developed Sola, a low calorie, zero-carb, and zeroglycemic sugar replacement that tastes, bakes, and measures like sugar.

Dr. Bosarge serves on the boards of numerous foundations, including the Board of Visitors of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His support for adult stem cell research and leadership in the field of renewable energy led to his appointment by the Vatican as Scientific Advisor to the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture of the Catholic Church and, most recently, as The Pontifical Council Admonitor and Senior Advisor in regards to Regenerative Medicine.

David Brailer is recognized around the world as the father of the health information technology movement in the United States. As an entrepreneur, researcher, policy marker and investor, he has driven many of the key developments in digital medicine and continues to lead health care into the digital future.

In 1994, Brailer founded one of the earliest cloud-based health information management companies, CareScience. Through this company, he worked with hospitals, physicians and health plans to improve quality and to lower costs. In 2004, he was appointed by President George W. Bush as the first national coordinator for health information technology. In this role as the nation’s first "health information czar," Brailer developed and led the nation's strategy for ushering health care into the digital era. Since then, he has been investing in and working with information technology companies that are leaders in making health care more informed and more data-driven.

Brailer’s work is focused on the how information technology can improve the cost and quality of treatment, advance the role of consumers in managing their care and understanding their treatments, making clinical trials more rapid and far-reaching in their discoveries and helping public health be prepared for the next emergency. Brailer looks out five years and sees a world where telemedicine is widely used, social media is a recognized site of care, consumers are active shoppers for insurance and treatments, automated systems drive the most efficient care plans and we all walk around streaming health information. His work with health systems, physicians, health plans and pharmaceutical companies is focused on helping them decide if they are going to lead this change or follow it.

Dr. Mark Britnell is Chairman and Partner of the Global Health Practice at KPMG. Since 2009, he has worked in 60 countries, helping governments, public and private sector organizations with operations, strategy and policy. He has a pioneering and inspiring global vision for healthcare in both the developed and developing world and has written extensively on what works around the world. As Chairman for the Global Healthcare Practice, Mark has responsibility for KPMG’s 4,000 health staff across more than 40 countries. Mark has dedicated his professional life to healthcare and has led organizations at local, regional, national and global levels.

John Hope Bryant is an American entrepreneur, thought leader and philanthropic leader. He is referred to as the Conscience of Capitalism by the CEOs of Delta Air Lines, Walmart, and
countless others. Mr. Bryant is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Operation
HOPE, Inc. the largest non-profit provider of financial literacy and economic empowerment services in the United States. Bryant is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of John Hope Bryant Holdings, Bryant Group Ventures and Executive Chairman of The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owner of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the U.S.

Bryant has been recognized as an influential leader by many. He has received hundreds of awards and citations for his work, including Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and the John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education from the U.S. Department of Treasury. Bryant has also received the 100 Black Men of America “Chairman’s Award for Economic Empowerment,” he was listed by The Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “2022 Power 100”, named #2 among 100 inspirational leaders on the “Yahoo Finance Empower Role Model list 2022," Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” in 2022, 2023 and 2024, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Most Admired CEOs of 2018,” Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “The Power 100: Most Influential Atlantans in 2020,” American Banker magazine's 2016 “Innovator of the Year,” and one of Time magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future” in 1994. Bryant received an honorable mention in Inc. Magazine’s “The World’s 10 Top CEOs” an article that spotlights global servant leaders as the visionaries behind some of the most successful organizations.

Five former U.S. presidents have recognized Bryant’s work, and he has served as an advisor to three sitting U.S. presidents from both political parties. In 2008, Bryant inspired President George W. Bush to make financial literacy the official policy of the U.S. federal government.

Bryant is the author of Up from Nothing: The Untold Story of How We (All) Succeed; The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation, How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class, and LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass, 2009).

A noted environmental advocate, founder and mom of five, Suzy Amis Cameron is committed to the principles of sustainability in all aspects of our lives, with an emphasis on plant-based solutions to address climate change. She is the author of OMD: The Simple, Plant-Based Program to Save Your Health, Save Your Waistline, and Save the Planet (Simon & Schuster/Atria) and the founder of the OMD Movement, a multi-pronged effort to transform eating habits and the food system. She is also a Founder of Plant Power Task Force, focused on showing the impact of animal agriculture on climate change and the environment, founded in 2012 with her husband James Cameron and Craig McCaw. In 2005, she founded MUSE School CA, with her sister, Rebecca Amis. MUSE is the first school in the country to be 100% solar powered, zero waste, and with a 100% organic, plant-based lunch program. Based on the engaging and relevant MUSE values and curriculum, they aim to franchise the model worldwide through MUSE Global. Additionally, Suzy is a founder of the plant-based initiatives, Verdient Foods, Cameron Family Farms, and Food Forest Organics, with her husband. In 2009, she launched Red Carpet Green Dress, showcasing socially and environmentally responsible fashions. Suzy has produced documentaries and serves on several nonprofit boards. As an actor she was featured in more than 25 films, including The Usual Suspects and Titanic.

Mary Carillo played professional tennis from 1977 to 1980, winning the 1977 French Open mixed doubles title with childhood friend John McEnroe. When a knee injury sidelined her playing career, she began to cover the sport she loved most on several television networks, and continues to do so today on Tennis Channel and NBC. She is also a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and has covered 14 Olympics in a variety of capacities. Winner of two Peabody Awards for her work on HBO documentaries Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer, and Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sports, Mary was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

Born to a poor immigrant family in New York City, Richard Carmona experienced homelessness, hunger, and health disparities during his youth. The experiences greatly sensitized him to the relationships among culture, health, education and economic status and ultimately shaped his future.

After dropping out of high school, Dr. Carmona enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967 where he received a GED. By the time he left active duty, he was a Special Forces, combat-decorated Vietnam veteran. He then pursued a college degree and entered medical school at the University of California – San Francisco where he won the prestigious Gold Cane award as the top graduate.

Dr. Carmona became a surgeon with a sub-specialty in trauma, burns and critical care and was recruited to Tucson to establish the first trauma system in southern Arizona which he did successfully. Later, while working full time as a hospital and health system CEO, he earned a master’s degree in public health policy and administration at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Carmona has served for over 34 years with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Tucson, including as deputy sheriff, detective, SWAT team leader and department surgeon. He is one of the most highly decorated police officers in Arizona, and his numerous awards include the National Top Cop Award, the National SWAT Officer of the Year, and the National Tactical EMS Award. Dr. Carmona is a nationally recognized SWAT expert and has published extensively on SWAT training and tactics, forensics, and tactical emergency medical support. Dr. Carmona has also served as a medical director of police and fire departments and is a fully qualified peace officer with expertise in special operations and emergency preparedness, including weapons of mass destruction.

In 2006 Vice Admiral Carmona successfully completed the statutory four-year term as Surgeon General and was named vice chairman of Canyon Ranch, CEO of the health division and president of the Canyon Ranch Institute. Dr. Carmona continues his Canyon Ranch leadership role as the Chief of Health Innovations. He also serves on several public corporate boards and works with private equity and venture capital firms to identify emerging science and technology to translate to market for economic and public benefit.

As Chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, a Washington, D.C.- based investment firm he co-founded in 2005, Steve partners with visionary entrepreneurs to build significant ‘built to last’ businesses. Revolution invests in and actively helps build companies leveraging technology to disrupt existing markets. This includes both early and mid-stage growth companies through both the Revolution Growth fund, created in 2011, and the Revolution Ventures fund, launched in 2013. Revolution has backed more than 30 companies, including: sweetgreen, Zipcar, Revolution Foods, LivingSocial, Bigcommerce and Optoro.

Steve’s entrepreneurial career began in 1985 when he co-founded America Online (AOL). Under Steve’s leadership, AOL became the world’s largest and most valuable Internet company, driving the worldwide adoption of a medium that has transformed business and society. AOL was the first Internet company to go public and the best performing stock of the 1990s, delivering a 11,616% return to shareholders. At its peak, nearly half of Internet users in the United States used AOL. In 2000, Steve negotiated the largest merger in business history, bringing together AOL and Time Warner in a transaction that gave AOL shareholders a majority stake in the combined company. To facilitate the merger, Steve agreed to step down as CEO when the merger closed.

Steve’s passion for helping entrepreneurs remains his driving force. He was the founding chair of the Startup America Partnership — an effort launched at the White House to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. Steve also was the founding co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, where he chaired the subcommittee on entrepreneurship. In 2014, Steve was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship.

Steve has been a leading voice in shaping government policy on issues related to entrepreneurship, working across the aisle to advance public policies that expand access to capital and talent. He was instrumental in passing the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, and is active in advocating on behalf of immigration reform. In April, 2016, Steve released his #1 best-selling business book, The Third Wave, in which Case explains the ways newly emerging technology companies will have to rethink their relationships with customers, with competitors, and with governments; and offers advice for how entrepreneurs can make winning business decisions and strategies—and how all of us can make sense of this changing digital age.

Steve is also Chairman of the Case Foundation, which he established with his wife Jean in 1997. Together the Cases have invested in hundreds of organizations, initiatives and partnerships with a focus on leveraging the Internet and entrepreneurial approaches to strengthen the social sector. In 2010, Steve and Jean joined The Giving Pledge and publicly reaffirmed their commitment to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Gloria Caulfield leads health and wellness strategy and planning for the Lake Nona Institute. Gloria is passionate about identifying partners who are skillful at collaboration and have the desire to innovate solutions that have the potential to move the needle on community health and wellness.

Dr. Mike Clark is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Fusionetics, Previous CEO of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and Founder of the NASM OPT Education and Training System and previously the Chief Science Officer for Sharecare (a social health engagement platform founded by Dr. Oz, Oprah, Discovery Health, and Jeff Arnold – Founder of WebMD). Dr. Clark was previously named the “Health and Fitness Visionary of the Year” by Men’s Health magazine.

Clinically, Dr. Clark has served as the team physical therapist for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns (18 seasons) and has served as a performance healthcare consultant for over 40 pro and college teams and individual athletes including MVP’s, All-Stars and Champions from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and the Olympics. Dr. Clark’s company, Fusionetics currently works with over 550 Professional and Collegiate teams. Dr. Clark has also served as a sports medicine professional for 2 Olympic games.

Academically, Dr. Clark has helped spearhead the development of several accredited health science education programs, including a BS, MS, and Doctoral program. Furthermore, Dr. Clark is a noted lecturer and author. He has authored 3 scientific textbooks, over 40 chapters in scientific textbooks, and multiple peer-reviewed scientific papers in the areas of sports medicine, sports performance, recovery, and fitness. ?

Mr. Cogut has spent a career building successful investment businesses. He founded Pegasus Capital Advisors in 1996 and serves as its Chairman and President. Through Mr. Cogut’s leadership, Pegasus has focused increasingly on areas influenced by global resource scarcity and the need for resource efficiency, as well as on the growth in demands for human wellness. In 1990 Mr. Cogut co-founded and was one of the original partners at Apollo Advisors L.P., a position he held for five years preceding the creation of Pegasus.

An active philanthropist in the fields of improving education, building civil society and championing environmental and health issues, Mr. Cogut helped establish The Cogut Center for the Humanities at Brown University where he also served as a trustee for several terms. In 2011, Mr. Cogut co-founded The Polyphony Foundation, an organization created to provide equal opportunity music education for Arab and Jewish Israeli youth, where he currently serves as its Chairman. In addition, he serves as a board member for The McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, for the R-20 Regions of Climate Action, for Six Senses (a luxury hotel and resort chain focused on sustainability and wellness), for Lighting Science Group (an LED company focused on using science to improve the health of humans and the planet), for PanTheryx (a medical nutrition company whose primary product, DiaResQ, was chosen by The Innovation Countdown 2030 as one of the top 30 lifesaving innovations with great promise to transform global health by 2030) and as a board member emeritus for the Arizona State University's Global Institute of Sustainability. Mr. Cogut is an alumnus of Brown University and Harvard Law School.

Brian Cornell is board chairman and CEO of Target Corp. He is responsible for Target’s global business, including the company’s more than 1,800 U.S. stores, digital properties and 323,000 team members. Cornell serves as chairman of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and is a member of the board of directors for Yum! Brands. He is also a board member for Catalyst and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

John F. Crowley is the Executive Chairman and founding CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of treatments for rare genetic diseases. Crowley also currently serves as Vice Chair of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Crowley’s involvement with biotechnology stems from the 1998 diagnosis of two of his children with Pompe disease—a severe and often fatal neuromuscular disorder. In his drive to find a cure, he became an entrepreneur as the Co-founder, President and CEO of Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, which he credits as ultimately saving his children’s lives. The 2010 movie, Extraordinary Measures, is inspired by the Crowley family journey. Crowley served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2005-2016, and is a veteran of the global war on terrorism, with service in Afghanistan. He graduated with a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and earned a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree from Notre Dame. The Crowley family received the Family Exemplar Award from Notre Dame. Crowley serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. and Entrada Therapeutics, Inc. He is the former National Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. In 2023, he was inducted as a member of the Horatio Alger Association.

Ronald A. DePinho, M.D., was born in the Bronx, New York. He is the son of poor immigrant parents who lived the American dream. He is past president and distinguished university professor of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - the nation’s premier cancer center which is #1 in cancer care and the world’s largest cancer clinical trials engine responsible for many new medicines.

During his 6 year tenure, Dr. DePinho conceived and launched the Moon Shots Program, a goal-oriented comprehensive effort designed to accelerate declines in cancer incidence and mortality in the nation and world. This initiative involving nearly 2,000 faculty and staff already has yielded practice-changing advances in a number of cancers. Dr. DePinho also dramatically enhanced MD Anderson’s research and graduate programs and recruited many world class faculty including a 5-fold increase in National Academy Members. He expanded MD Anderson’s network to 34 institutions in 24 countries, reaching one-third of the human population. An author of over 400 articles, books and chapters, his own research program has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging and degenerative disorders, and the translation of such knowledge has led to clinical advances. His most celebrated discoveries include elucidation of the core molecular pathway for aging, determination of the basis for the intimate link between advancing age and increased cancer incidence and demonstration that aging itself can be reversed. In addition to his research effort, he founded several private and publically traded biotechnology companies and served as an advisor or director for AACR, NIH’s TCGA and MMHCC, as well as several biotech and large biopharma companies focused on oncology. His companies have created new investigational drugs and diagnostics for the benefit of cancer patients. He co-founded a global cross-sector Eliminate Cancer Initiative whose mission is to coordinate the collective capabilities across government, industry, academia, care delivery systems, philanthropists and other entities in order to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, particularly for the underserved.

Dr. DePinho studied biology at Fordham University, where he graduated class salutatorian, and received his M.D. degree with distinction in microbiology and immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He performed his residency and postdoctoral training at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. DePinho’s independent career began at Einstein as the Feinberg Senior Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research and an ACS Research Professor. He then joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School where he was the founding Director of the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science and a Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Harvard.

For his fundamental contributions to cancer and aging and to healthcare, he has been recognized with numerous honors and awards. He was named one of the 100 most influential healthcare leaders, according to Modern Healthcare. His honors include the Melini Award for Biomedical Excellence, the American Society for Clinical Investigation Award, the Biomedicum Helsinki Medal, Albert Szent-Györgyi Prize, AACR Clowes Award, and American-Italian Foundation Prize, among others. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Science, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association of the Advancement of Science and the American Association of Cancer Research. In 2017, he received Fordham University’s McMahon Memorial Award for Distinguished Public Service, an honorary PhD degree from Hofstra University, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, one of the nation’s highest honors. For his work to improve the health of Portugal’s people, Dr. DePinho was recognized by its president with the highest commendation, the Order of Saint James of the Sword.

Dr. Brian Donley began his new role as Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Clinic London in March 2018. Just prior to this appointment he was Chief of Staff and Chief of Clinical Enterprise of the Cleveland Clinic Health System starting in January 2015. Prior to that, he served as President of the Regional Hospitals of the Cleveland Clinic Health System and eighteen Family Health Centers. Dr. Donley is a Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Dr. Donley attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate studies, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Michigan. He also attended Harvard Business School completing the Advanced Management Program.

Dr. Doraiswamy is a doctor and brain scientist at Duke University Health System where he directs a leading clinical trials unit focused on Alzheimer’s disease prevention. He also serves as an advisor to many government agencies, advocacy groups and businesses, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Future Councils. He is the brain health advisor for Men’s Health magazine and AARP Magazine, and is the co-author of a popular book, The Alzheimer’s Action Plan.

Joaquin Duato is a globally-experienced, values-driven health care business leader and currently Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of Johnson & Johnson, the world’s premier health care company. Joaquin is responsible for the Company’s Pharmaceuticals and Consumer sectors, as well as Supply Chain, Information Technology, Global Services, and the Health and Wellness groups. He is a respected industry leader and is the immediate past Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Joaquin played an instrumental role in leading the turnaround of the Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals sector. A 28-year veteran of the Company, Joaquin was named Company Group Chairman of the Americas in 2009. He then continued leading the global transformation upon his appointment to his most recent role as Executive Vice President and Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals in 2011. During that time, the sector grew into what is today the fourth-largest innovative pharmaceutical company globally. The results are clear: with 17 new products launched since 2011 and up to 10 potential billion-dollar medicines expected to be launched and/or filed before 2021, the Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals sector is poised to extend its track record of seven years of above-market growth.

As a dual citizen of Spain and the United States with extensive experience living and working on-the- ground on multiple continents, Joaquin brings a unique international perspective to his work. His global experience has given him an appreciation for the value of diversity of thought and opinions, which he brings to bear externally as a member of the Tsinghua University SPS Advisory Board, and internally as the Executive Sponsor of the African American Leadership Council. His commitment to nurturing a culture of diversity was recognized in 2017 by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) when he was named 2017 Honorable Mentor.

Joaquin also has a passion for learning, with an undergraduate degree in economics and business, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of International Management degree from Thunderbird in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a champion of improving access to both health literacy and education more broadly and recently completed his term as Board Member of the international charity, Save the Children. In addition, he mentors MBA candidates at universities around the world and speaks regularly on leadership in pharmaceuticals at industry forums and academic institutions.

Tricia Edris is the Chief Strategy Officer and works directly with CEO and the senior executive team of the Central Florida Division of AdventHealth. The Central Florida Division in an integrated delivery network that includes 14 acute care hospitals, over 100 freestanding outpatient and urgent care centers, large multi-specialty physician medical group, and a population health services organization with over 3.7 million patient encounters each year. As CSO, Tricia is responsible for developing, communicating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives designed to engage the consumer, secure brand loyalty, drive business growth, ensure competitive advantage and sustain market relevance. The Strategy function for the Central Florida Division is multi-disciplinary and includes planning, marketing, public affairs, community impact, philanthropy, innovation and strategic partnerships teams that are integrated and focused on the achievement of AdventHealth’s Mission and Strategic Agenda.

Tricia has worked at AdventHealth Orlando (formerly known as Florida Hospital) for 30+ years in various roles including managing the enterprise service excellence program, being part of the administrative team that opened the Celebration Health hospital, leading the adoption and integration of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence resulting in Florida Hospital becoming an award finalist in 2014 along with overseeing Patient Safety and Performance Improvement for the system. Tricia served for 13 years as a member of the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Prior to her current role, Tricia worked directly for the CEO as the Vice President for Strategy Integration overseeing Planning, Business Development, Marketing, Public Affairs, Innovation and Strategic Partnering. Tricia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Rollins College.

Susie Ellis is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit, the invitation-only international conference that brings together leaders in the $4.2 trillion global wellness economy.  She is also chairman and CEO of the nonprofit Global Wellness Institute, considered the industry’s leading global research and educational resource. Recognized as an authority on wellness trends, Susie is frequently quoted in major news outlets around the world and is a popular speaker at industry events. She is the former president of Spafinder, where she established the first wellness trends reports, and sits on numerous academic and industry boards. Susie holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

As CEO of Deloitte, Cathy Engelbert leads one of the largest professional services organizations in the United States with more than 98,000 professionals in more than 120 cities. Deloitte provides audit and assurance, tax, consulting, and risk and financial advisory services to the Fortune 500, private companies, and medium to small businesses.
For more than 32 years, Cathy has had a distinguished career serving large and complex global clients and has served in the pharmaceutical/life sciences and financial services industries. She previously led the US audit practice and is currently a member of Deloitte’s Board of Directors.

Cathy is chair of the Center for Audit Quality Governing Board and, as a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion, she is the first woman to serve as chair of the Catalyst Board, a global non-profit organization that promotes inclusive workplaces for women. She is a founding member of the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, vice chair of the Partnership for New York City, and member of the Business Roundtable, where she sits on the Education & Workforce and Immigration committees. She also serves on the steering committee of the Fortune CEO Initiative, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and—from a well-being perspective—is a member of the American Cancer Society CEOs against Cancer Global Council and American Heart Association CEO Roundtable. She is also vice chair of the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund Board and serves on the Accounting Advisory Board of Lehigh University.

Cathy has been listed as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women for the last four years. She is ranked on Glassdoor’s annual Employees’ Choice Awards honoring the 100 Highest-Rated CEOs, and among Crain’s 50 Most Powerful Women in New York. Cathy has also been recognized as one of Working Mother magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Moms for the last three years and one of Fast Company magazine’s Most Productive People.

Cathy regularly speaks to the media about global business trends, Deloitte’s growth strategy, and the new business reality—including the influence of marketplace shifts on the future workplace, as well as opportunities for advancing diversity and inclusion in corporate America.

Cathy received a BS in accounting from Lehigh University and is a certified public accountant licensed in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. She is married and has two children.

Dr Iva Fattorini is one of the pioneers and global leaders of the contemporary arts and medicine movement. Previously she worked as a senior executive at the Cleveland Clinic, in the USA and Abu Dhabi, where she founded and directed Arts and Medicine Institute. She currently spearheads Artocene, a social impact company whose mission is to humanize healthcare by activating the latent therapeutic power of Arts.

Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. Honored with five Grammy® awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Super Bowl. A Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health for the World Health Organization, she was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor in December.
Renée’s anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, will be published by Viking in April. A leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience, Renée launched the first ongoing collaboration between The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the US National Institutes of Health. She has presented her program Music and Mind in more than fifty cities around the world, and in November, she was awarded Harvard’s David Mahoney Neuroscience Prize. She is a founding advisor for major initiatives including the Sound Health Network at the University of California San Francisco and the NeuroArts Blueprint, a project of Johns Hopkins University and the Aspen Institute.
Renée’s recording Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. Her current and upcoming concerts inspired by the album include an original film by the National Geographic Society created to reflect the musical selections. Recent opera performances include starring in the world premiere staging of The Hours, a new opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and award-winning film, at the Metropolitan Opera, and a role debut as Pat Nixon in a new production of Nixon in China at the Opéra de Paris.

In addition to directing SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, Renée is Co-Artistic Director of the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and Advisor for Special Projects at the Los Angeles Opera. Other awards include the 2023 Annenberg Award for Diplomacy through the Arts, the 2023 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, the Order of Merit from Germany, and the French Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur. She holds honorary doctorates from eight leading universities. www.reneefleming.com

Mr. Ganot is Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Biosciences and a member of the board of directors.

He started Solid in 2013 to find treatments, and potentially a cure, for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that afflicts his son Eytani and hundreds of thousands worldwide. Prior to starting Solid, Mr. Ganot was an investment banker focusing on equities driven business and client relationships. Over a decade, he worked at JPMorgan Chase, Nomura Securities and Lehman Brothers, living in London, New York and Hong Kong.

Mr. Ganot embarked on a banking career after practicing law at the Israeli law-firm, Haim Zadok & Co, where his focus was private equity law and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Ganot worked at Vir-Tech, a laser engraving business, and was a captain in the Israel Defense Forces.

Mr. Ganot received his MBA from London Business school and holds law and business degrees from the IDC in Herzliya, Israel.

He lives in Newton, MA with Annie, their three kids, Eliya, Eytani and Alexy Lulu, and dog Panda Bear.

Pat Geraghty is President and Chief Executive Officer of GuideWell, a $26 billion mutual insurance holding company headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. A mission-driven health solutions enterprise, GuideWell is the parent to a family of forward-thinking companies focused on transforming health care.

GuideWell comprises Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and leading health insurance company in Florida; Triple-S Management, Puerto Rico’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and leading health care services company in Puerto Rico; GuideWell Health, a portfolio of clinical delivery organizations; GuideWell Venture Group, a portfolio of companies, including PopHealthCare, focused on creating human-first and innovative health solutions for health plans; GuideWell Source, a provider of administrative services to state and federal health care programs; and WebTPA, a market leading administrator of self-funded employer health plans. GuideWell serves more than 46 million people across 45 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including more than 6 million individuals in Florida.

Geraghty was the architect of the strategic restructuring that created GuideWell from the foundation of a more than 75-year-old health insurance company, transforming it into a health solutions organization at the forefront of reimagining the future of health.

Geraghty is considered an expert voice on a range of health care topics including health care reform, next-generation payment strategies, innovation in health care and the benefits of wellness and prevention programming. He is frequently sought after for his insights on important health care policy matters in Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee, Fla.

He is a member of the Florida Council of 100 and serves on the boards of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, including chair of its Health Policy & Advocacy Committee, National Institute of Health Care Management; America’s Health Insurance Plans; and Tampa Electric Co. His work with United Way, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation and American Cancer Society are also among his most important commitments.

Geraghty holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University and a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, degree from Florida Southern College. He also has completed executive education programs at Harvard University School of Public Health and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ricardo Gil-da-Costa is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, his pursuit of how the mind and brain work led him from field studies in Africa and Central America to neurophysiology research at Harvard University, the National Institutes of Health and the Salk Institute. Dr. Gil-da-Costa’s research on the neural foundations of human cognition and language has been distinguished with multiple awards, such as the Donald B. Lindsley Prize for Behavioral Neuroscience, featured on the cover of Nature Neuroscience and incorporated in neurosciences textbooks and university curriculae.

In the last 10 years, his passion for developing translational solutions to rising wellness and mental health problems has motivated him to focus on actionable brain assessment technologies to impact mental performance and the prevention and treatment of brain disorders. These endeavors led to several US patents and to founding Neuroverse Inc., where he leads a team committed to bringing a novel brain interface platform into everyday life, the BrainStation®.

Dr. Gil-da-Costa is a reviewer for various leading scientific journals and an advisor for the National Academy of Sciences.

Chris Grant is chief operating officer and executive vice president for Kaiser Permanente, The Permanente Federation, LLC and serves as a member of the senior executive management team. Grant supports the work of the more than 21,000 physicians and 80,000 employed across the Permanente Medical Groups — providing quality care to 11.8 million Kaiser Permanente members.

As COO, Grant supports the National Permanente Executive Committee, which is the Federation’s executive leadership team. He has oversight over the Federation’s key objectives and functions — including clinical quality, products and sales, corporate development, finance, ventures, strategy, external affairs, communications, brand and leadership — and is responsible for managing the day-to-day business relationships and internal systems of the organization.

Prior to his role as COO, Grant served as senior vice president for Corporate Development, Care Delivery Strategy and Venture investments, and executive managing director of Kaiser Permanente’s venture capital group. He continues to manage the Federation’s Venture Investments function.

Grant co-founded the investment program in 1998 and has overseen multiple funds and more than 70 investments in highly innovative medical technology companies. Kaiser Permanente’s successful venture investment function is designed to support the company’s health care mission while generating venture capital rates of return.

Prior to the formation of the venture fund in 1998, Grant was responsible for creating and managing a portfolio of new products and business lines for the organization. Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 1995, he held several positions on the Business Development and Financial Management Team of Rockwell International Corp. Additionally, he serves on the board of trustees of a large public school district, is an executive adviser to the California Healthcare Foundation and Health and Science Department of Dominican University, served on California Gov. Jerry Brown’s Job Creation Advisory Committee, and sits on the board of two charitable foundations. Grant is a frequent speaker on topics including health care strategy, leadership, and medical technology and innovation.

Grant has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has completed executive management programs at the Harvard Business School and Kenan-Flagler School of Business (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) as well as Venture Capital Institute graduate and undergraduate programs.

Gordon Gray heads Mayhem Pictures, a film and television production company that has established an indelible brand of quality entertainment with broad appeal. “McFarland USA,” “The Rookie” “Miracle” “Secretariat” and “Million Dollar Arm” are just a few of the many films that fall under the Mayhem umbrella.

In March 2015, Gordon’s life was turned upside down when both of his daughters were diagnosed with Late Infantile Batten Disease CLN6 – a fatal, genetically inherited neurodegenerative disease. He and his wife, Kristen, were told that this devastating disease would leave their girls blind, cognitively impaired, immobile and eventually take their lives before they were teenagers. Due to its rarity, treatments for Batten disease were not available and potential solutions had received minimal research, focus and funding. The Gray’s worlds were shattered, but they were unwilling to accept “there is no cure” for an answer and created The Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease to save the lives of all children impacted by Batten disease by accelerating the research for a cure. Having received incredible international support and awareness from local grass roots efforts to an array of Hollywood’s celebrity elite, the foundation has become a leading organization to fund the cure for Batten disease.

Len Greer has over 15 years of experience focused on improving patient health and lowering healthcare costs. He is President of J&J Health and Wellness Solutions -- a center of excellence that utilizes behavior science and innovative digital tools to drive healthy behaviors for consumers and patients around the world. Prior to joining J&J, Len served as SVP of Product Innovation & Marketing at CVS Health, held leadership positions at Aetna ActiveHealth and Medco Health, and was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the multiple journalism award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN and host of the CNN podcast Chasing Life. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, plays an integral role in CNN’s reporting on health and medical news for all of CNN’s shows domestically and internationally, and regularly contributes to CNN.com.

Since 2001, Gupta has covered some of the most important health stories in the United States and around the world. On March 9, 2020, Gupta penned an op-ed announcing the network would refer to the novel coronavirus outbreak as a “pandemic,” ahead of the WHO and the CDC. Throughout 2020 into 2021, Gupta reaffirmed his role as a trusted guide to viewers worldwide on navigating between facts and fiction surrounding Covid-19 and the pandemic.

In addition to his work for CNN, Gupta is an associate professor of neurosurgery at Emory University Hospital and associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He serves as a diplomat of the American Board of Neurosurgery. And in 2019, Gupta was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, considered one of the highest honors in the medical field.

Gupta received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctorate of Medicine degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.

D. Fox Harrell, Ph.D., is Professor of Digital Media & Artificial Intelligence in the Comparative Media Studies Program and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT. He is the director of the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality. His research explores the relationship between imagination and computation. His research involves developing new forms of VR, computational narrative, videogaming for social impact, and related digital media forms based in computer science, cognitive science, and digital media arts. The National Science Foundation has recognized Harrell with an NSF CAREER Award for his project “Computing for Advanced Identity Representation.” Dr. Harrell holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego. His other degrees include a Master’s degree in Interactive Telecommunication from New York University, and a B.F.A. in Art (electronic and time-based media), B.S. in Logic and Computation from Carnegie Mellon University (each with highest honors). He has worked as an interactive television producer and as a game designer. His book Phantasmal Media: An Approach to Imagination, Computation, and Expression was published by the MIT Press (2013).

One of the most accomplished NBA and college players of his generation, Grant Hill was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2018 class. The seven-time NBA All-Star and two-time NCAA Champion has made the successful transition from 19 years as a professional athlete to leadership in business along with several television broadcasting roles.

Shortly after he entered the NBA in 1994, Grant established Hill Ventures, a private company through which he has successfully invested in commercial real estate ventures including several multi-family complexes and other commercial real estate in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Grant is a featured speaker before business, academic and large sales audiences addressing a range of topics including the NBA, the importance of teamwork, the private equity business, art, music and contemporary culture.

Grant also has significant and important broadcasting roles with CBS Sports, Turner Sports and NBATV. In 2015, Grant was added as a game analyst for the NCAA Final Four and National Championship game. He joined Bill Raftery and Jim Nantz to call games together throughout the tournament. Additionally, Grant has substantial on-site responsibilities during the TNT broadcast of the NCAA March to the Final Four and their coverage of the NBA Playoffs. Grant is also a studio analyst on NBA TV's GameTime. During those broadcasts, Grant opines on issues of the past week in the NBA and provides contemporaneous commentary on that night's 10-12 NBA games while in progress. Grant also serves as an occasional studio analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA.

Prior to the NBA, Grant was two-time national champion at Duke University. He spent four years playing for the Blue Devils and was inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2016 for his contributions to the program. Grant was named the 2017 recipient of the NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award, recognizing his significant leadership as an advocate for college sports.

Hill lives in Orlando with his wife, Tamia, a 7-time Grammy-nominated singer, and their two daughters.

Kevin Hines is a storyteller at heart. He is a best selling author, global public speaker, and award winning documentary filmmaker. In the Year 2000, kevin attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden gate Bridge. It was miraculous that he survived. A sea lion came to his aid in the water. The animal kept him afloat until the Coast Guard boat arrived. Since his survival, Kevin travels the world sharing a story of hope, healing, and recovery while teaching people of all ages the art of wellness & the ability to survive pain with true resilience. Currently, Kevin is in preproduction of his new Docu Series The Journey, and he is working on a comic book version of his life in cosmic & supernatural form called Hope Dealers. His fight has bee long and arduous, but he is determined to remain committed to life until its natural end. His motto: #BeHereTomorrow and every day after that.

Dr. Leroy E. Hood graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1964 with an MD and from Caltech with a PhD in biochemistry in 1968. After three years as a Senior Investigator at NIH, his academic career began at Caltech, where he and his colleagues developed the DNA gene sequencer and synthesizer, and the protein synthesizer and sequencer–four instruments that paved the way for the successful mapping and understanding of the human genome. A pillar in the biotechnology field, Dr. Hood has played a role in founding fifteen biotechnology companies including Amgen, Applied Biosystems, Integrated Diagnostics and Arivale. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. Of the more than 6,000 scientists world-wide who belong to one or more of these academies, Dr. Hood is one of only fifteen people nominated to all three. Dr. Hood has co-authored numerous textbooks in biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology and genetics, as well as a popular book on the human genome project, The Code of Codes and he is just finishing up a text on systems biology. He is the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the Lasker Award for Studies of Immune Diversity (1987), the Kyoto Prize in advanced technology (2002), the Heinz Award for pioneering work in Systems Biology (2006), and the coveted NAE 2011 Fritz J. and Delores H. Russ Prize for developing automated DNA sequencing. In addition to having received 17 honorary degrees from prestigious universities in the U.S. and abroad, Dr. Hood has published over 750 peer-reviewed articles and currently holds 36 patents. In 2013, he received the National Medal of Science from President Obama. Hood has been named by The Best Schools as one of the 50 Most Influential Scientists in the World Today (2014). Scientific American has named Hood as one of the top 6 in their selection of 100 biotech visionaries world-wide (2015) .

Naveen Jain is an entrepreneur driven to solve the world’s biggest challenges through innovation. He is the founder of several successful companies including Moon Express, Viome, Bluedot, TalentWise, Intelius and InfoSpace.

Moon Express is the only company in the world to have the permission to leave earth orbit and land on the moon with the goal to harvest planetary resources and to develop infrastructure to make humanity a multi-planetary society.

Viome is focused on disrupting healthcare with the goal of “making illness elective” by identifying microbial biomarkers that are predictive of chronic diseases and to adjust the microbial imbalance through personalized nutrition.

Naveen Jain a trustee of the board at the X PRIZE Foundation where he is focused on using incentive prizes to find solution to many of the societal challenges. He recently launched a million-dollar Women Safety XPRIZE to empower the women around the world.

Naveen Jain is on the board of Singularity University where he is focused on educating and inspiring leaders to address humanity’s grand challenges through innovative technologies.

Naveen Jain has been awarded many honors for his entrepreneurial successes including “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year”, “Albert Einstein Technology Medal” for pioneers in technology, Recipient of “Ellis Island Medal of Honor”, Most creative person” by Fast Company, “Top 50 philanthropists of 2018” by Town & Country magazine, Global Vioce of 2018 awarded by the Governor of Arkansas, “Humanitarian Innovation Award” at the United Nations, “Distinguished Global Thinker Award” by IILM, “Most admired Serial Entrepreneur” by Silicon India, “Top 20 Entrepreneurs” and “Lifetime Achievement Award” for the leadership by Red Herring.

Dr. Javitt has played leadership roles in seven successful healthcare IT and biopharma startups with public exits. He has additionally led drug-development engagements for Merck, Allergan, Pharmacia, Novartis, and Pfizer. He was appointed to healthcare leadership roles under Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush. In the latter role he was commissioned to lead the White House policy for universal adoption of Health IT and establishment of the Office of the National Coordinator. He is a graduate of Princeton University, Cornell University Medical College, Harvard School of Public Health, the Wills Eye Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Medical School. Dr. Javitt has published more than 200 scientific works in the areas of health outcomes and pharmacoeconomics that have been cited by more than 16,000 people.

Smith Johnston is from Woodstock, Georgia, and received a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Medicine from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed residencies in Internal and Aerospace Medicine from Wright State University, as well as a Master’s of Science in Aerospace and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Johnston is a member of the Clinical Faculties, at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Dept. of Aerospace Medicine in Galveston, Texas and Wright State University, Dept. of Aerospace Medicine in Dayton, Ohio.

He presently serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Virgin Galactic, and the Scientific Advisory Board for Lighting Sciences, Inc. He has spent most of his career as a medical officer and flight surgeon for NASA Medical Operations Branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Over the past 25 years, he has supported the medical care of the active Astronaut Corps, their families, and the retired astronauts. He has been the lead physician for the International Space Station (ISS) Emergency Medical System and Crew Return Vehicle development, and has supported as crew surgeon, two Expedition ISS missions and over 25 shuttle missions. Over the last five years, he has served as the medical director of NASA-JSC Aerospace and Occupational Medicine Clinics, and is presently the lead of NASA’s Astronaut Medical Selection and Retention Standards, and the Fatigue Management and Human Health, Performance, and Longevity Programs.

He was recently appointed the Chief Medical Officer and Lead Flight Surgeon for Axiom Space, Inc. in Houston, Texas. He has also served on the Advisory and Oversight Committees for the National Science Foundation’s American Polar Medicine Program, Washington, DC, the Board of Directors for Houston Medical Centers Hospice and Palliative Care System, and has held staff positions with the Veterans Administration Medical Center Emergency Department and Department of Internal Medicine, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Inc., in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Johnston is board certified in Preventive and Aerospace medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and a fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association. Dr. Johnston’s expertise centers on taking the innovations discovered from the US, International, and Commercial Space Programs to benefit not only the lives of the astronauts and cosmonauts, but also his earth-bound patients.

Billie Jean King is the co-founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and the co-founder of World TeamTennis. She has long been a champion for social change and equality. King created new inroads for all genders in sports and beyond during her legendary career and she continues to make her mark today.

King was named one of the ‘100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century’ by Life Magazine and, in 2009, in recognition of her work in the social justice arena and her accomplishments in sports, President Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

In 2014, King, and her partner Ilana Kloss, launched the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to address inclusion and diversity issues in the workplace. In 2018, King and Kloss were named to the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Sparks and in 2016 King addressed both the National Football League and FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, on issues related to gender equality and inclusion.

King grew up playing tennis in the California public parks and won 39 Grand Slam titles during her career. She helped form the Virginia Slims Series and founded the Women’s Tennis Association. She defeated Bobby Riggs in one of the greatest moments in sports history – the Battle of the Sexes on Sept. 20, 1973.

In 2017, Fox Searchlight released the critically acclaimed film, Battle of the Sexes, starring Academy Award® winner Emma Stone as King and Academy Award® nominee Steve Carrell as Bobby Riggs, which depicts both players’ battles on and off the court as well as the cultural and social impact of the groundbreaking match.
 
In 1974 King co-founded World Team Tennis (WTT), the revolutionary professional team tennis league. She also founded the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports Foundation. In August 2006, the National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court. In 2014 President Obama named King to the Presidential Delegation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. King serves on the boards of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation and is a past member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.