

Tickets are Sold-Out. Watch the Livestream.
Friday, May 19 Show Schedule
9:00 am - 9:45 am
Registration and X Zone Activities
Coffee courtesy of Boarding Pass Coffee. Tea courtesy of sTEAp House.
9:50 am - 11:05 am
SESSION ONE: BACK TO BASICS
Many times, the path forward requires a step back to the basics. From the co-making of advice, to breaking generational patterns, to a new take on sound, we’ll hear intriguing ideas that challenge the status quo.
- Performance: ConunDrums
- Dr. Anthony Law, laryngologist, research scientist
- Omer Inan, biomedical engineer, inventor
- Susan Cohen, entrepreneurship researcher
- Rob Hardy, filmmaker>
11:10 am - 12:00 PM
X Zone Conversation Break
Yoga in the Refresh Room, Interactive Activities & Tastings from Local Foodpreneurs.
12:00 pm - 1:15 PM
SESSION TWO: The human response
What’s possible when we push through tragedy? Or when we don’t look away. Speakers in The Human Response embody the resilience and strength of the human spirit.
- Sydney Scherr, child re-trafficking prevention champion
- Isabel González Whitaker, civic evangelist champion
- Anant Madabhushi, AI health researcher, biomedical engineer
- Dr. Monisha Pujari, palliative care & hospice physician
- Performance: Amol Khanapurkar & Sai Ravisankar
1:15 pm - 2:20 pm
X Zone: Lunch & Conversations
Vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan options available.
2:20 pm - 3:30 pm
SESSION three: interplay
From the face of innovation to gerrymandering to life lessons from a fish, INTERPLAY boldly challenges assumptions and offers fresh perspective on the non-obvious interconnections that shape our lives.
- Alistair Dove, marine biologist
- Gerry Chen, roboticist
- Debra Lam, inclusive innovation champion
- Joe Bankoff, civic leader
- Performance: JahWill Fannings
3:30 pm - 4:05 pm
X Zone Conversation Break
Yoga in the Refresh Room, Interactive Activities & Tastings from Local Foodpreneurs.
4:05 pm - 5:05 pm
SESSION four: the future of us
Where can we find inspiration to heal the epidemic of loneliness? How do we untangle the pressures of modern life? The Future of Us offers hope and love and the underscore that our collective future is in each of our hands.
- Andrew McConnell, entrepreneur, author
- Kris Braman, bee advocate, entomologist
- Moe Ari Brown, LGBTQIA++ advocate, therapist
- Tara Stoinski, primatologist, conservationist
- Performance: Finale
5:10 pm - 6:20 pm
X Zone: Post-event celebration & Conversations
Zero-proof bars (non-alcoholic) and light appetizers.
Speaker Line-up
Session one: Back to basics

ConunDrums
Performance
An all-women drumming group playing West African rhythms in the Atlanta area.

ConunDrums
Performance

Dr. Anthony Law
Laryngologist, research scientist
Dr. Anthony Law’s ground-breaking research is forging a new frontier in laryngeal cancer detection and treatment.

Dr. Anthony Law
Laryngologist, research scientist
A board certified head and neck surgeon with broad experience in mathematical modeling and computational models, Anthony’s research and clinical interests converge with his focus on applying machine learning to characterize and categorize diseases of the voice box making voice a viable biomarker.
Anthony is a member of the Emory Voice Center team where he treats patients with disorders involving voice, airway, and swallowing using a wide array of techniques ranging from open surgery, endoscopic minimally invasive surgery, and laser surgery.
He also holds a faculty position at Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Otolaryngology.

Omer Inan
Biomedical engineer, inventor
Leading the wearable technologies revolution in modern healthcare.

Omer Inan
Biomedical engineer, inventor
A smart patch that measures fluid accumulation in the lungs of heart failure patients, a wireless device that monitors joint inflammation in arthritis patients, and a wearable system that can track muscle activity and fatigue in athletes are just some of projects powered by his research.
Omer is Professor and Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Chair in Bioscience and Bioengineering in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Adjunct Professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech.
His work has earned him numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Technical Achievement and the IEEE Sensors Council Young Professional Award.

Susan Cohen
Entrepreneurship researcher
Leading scholar on entrepreneurship and innovation and one of the foremost experts on startup accelerators.

Susan Cohen
Entrepreneurship researcher
An award-winning faculty member at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Susan’s research has been published in top academic journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science and Strategic Management Journal and featured by the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist.
Susan is a sought-after speaker regularly presenting at conferences in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and across the U.S. She began her career in product and brand strategy and was a member of Priceline’s founding team.
Resources:
New research evaluates design of startup accelerators

Rob Hardy
Filmmaker
Celebrated director, executive producer and writer Rob Hardy unpacks the greatest role of his life.

Rob Hardy
Filmmaker
Rob's directorial genius has been recognized by the industry's top publications with Entertainment Weekly naming episodes of Power and All American on 'The 30 Best TV Episodes" in 2018 and 2020. He continues to direct some of TV's hottest shows, including Prodigal Son, Evil, Shameless, Black-ish, The Flash, and Grey's Anatomy.
A 2014 NAACP Image Award nominee, Rob is credited for being a foundational force in Atlanta's thriving television and film production industry. He is the CEO of Rainforest Entertainment.
Rob's commitment to diversity is reflected in The Amazing Stories Foundation, a nonprofit he co-founded to train and place apprentices from diverse backgrounds on film and TV sets
Credits & Accolades
AAFCA salutes Rob Hardy at 2017 SynergyAwards
IMDB Profile
Rob Hardy Inks First-Look Deal With Lionsgate & Courtney Kemp’s End of Episode, Deadline
Session TWO: The Human Response

Sydney Scherr
Re-trafficking prevention champion
Renowned jewelry designer and educator dedicating her life to ending the re-trafficking of children.

Sydney Scherr
Re-trafficking prevention champion
Over the last three decades, Sydney was a sought-after jewelry designer creating award-winning, museum quality pieces for appreciative clients from her studio and teaching college-level jewelry design.
But a chance encounter during her seven-year stint living and teaching jewelry design in Malaysia changed everything. While vacationing in Cambodia, Sydney met the two girls and their mom who sparked her interest in joining the fight against human trafficking.
She is the founder of The Alchemy Design Project, a program that seeks to end the re-trafficking of children in the commercial sex trade by equipping survivors with skills that will help them achieve financial independence when they are reintegrated into the community.
Resources:
Report - Global estimates
of modern slavery:
forced labour
and forced marriage
U.S. Department of State 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report

Isabel González Whitaker
Civic engagement evangelist
Isabel González Whitaker believes engaging civically is not only a right, it is every citizen's responsibility.

Isabel González Whitaker
Civic engagement evangelist
She is a dynamic storyteller with a successful journalism and media career spanning over two decades. From covering the fashion runways of Paris and Milan to exploring the cultures of South America and Asia, she has interviewed some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, and Beyoncé, as well as political figures like former President Bill Clinton.
Her mother’s sudden death when Isabel was 35 years old began her transformative journey from civics neophyte to evangelist. She is the chief operating officer of All in Together, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping voting-age American women with action-oriented, nonpartisan civic education so that they may realize their full potential as leaders shaping our nation.
Resources:
Legislative Advocacy Cheatsheet
Understanding Primaries in Your Statet
Civics (History and Government) Questions for the U.S. Naturalization Test

Anant Madabhushi
AI health researcher, biomedical engineer
Anant’s pioneering work in medical imaging and AI is revolutionizing cancer care.

Anant Madabhushi
AI health researcher, biomedical engineer
These questions drive Anant Madabhushi's pioneering research which improves diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of cancer and other diseases. He is a faculty member at Emory University’s Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering.
A world-leading authority on medical imaging and AI with more than 500 scientific papers and 100 patents to his name, Anant received the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society award in 2017 for technical achievements in computational imaging and digital pathology.
Resources:
New AI-based biomarker can help predict immunotherapy response for patients with lung cancer
How people and machines can work together to diagnose diseases in medical scans

Dr. Monisha Pujari
Palliative & hospice physician
Believes that striving to die well is an extension of striving to live well and she has dedicated her life to helping patients proactively manage their decline.

Dr. Monisha Pujari
Palliative & hospice physician
With more than a decade of experience as a palliative and hospice care physician, Monisha is known among her peers for her novel approach that offers terminal patients the option of hospice care in the home setting. She currently serves as Longleaf Hospice's medical director.
Monisha is board certified in hospice and palliative care in addition to holding a Hospice Medical Director certification. She received her internal medicine training at the Mayo Clinic.

Amol Khanapurkar & Sai Ravisankar
Performance

Amol Khanapurkar & Sai Ravisankar
Performance
Today, despite their respective non-musical careers, Amol and Sai carve out time to collaborate musically as part of various international musical collectives.
Session Three: Interplay

Alistair Dove
Marine biologist
A globally renowned marine biologist and leading authority on the biology of whale sharks.

Alistair Dove
Marine biologist
From the depths of the Arctic Ocean to the coral reefs of the Caribbean, Al has explored and documented the biodiversity of some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. His work has contributed to our understanding of the complex and interconnected ecosystems that make up our blue planet.
As Vice President of Science and Education at the Georgia Aquarium, he leads education, research and conservation initiatives and spearheads partnerships with other institutions. His work with policymakers and industry leaders have contributed to advancing sustainable marine resource management and conservation practices.
Resources:
Whale Sharks

Gerry Chen
Roboticist
A dreamer and maker, Gerry envisions a world where we perceive robots as empowering rather than threatening.

Gerry Chen
Roboticist
His fascination with robotics and autonomous vehicles was sparked by a 2006 documentary about the DARPA Grand Challenge featuring self-driving cars. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at Duke University, Gerry co-led the Duke Electric Vehicles team that broke the Guinness Book of World Records for vehicle fuel efficiency in 2018 and 2019.
Gerry is a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing where he studies artist-robot collaboration. He has also authored several publications in the fields of robot art, optimal control, and agricultural robotics.

Debra Lam
Inclusive innovation champion
A force to be reckoned with in the global movement to create a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous future for all.

Debra Lam
Inclusive innovation champion
She is passionate about creating more equitable, resilient and sustainable communities through innovation. Debra has worked with cities nationwide and those in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Hong Kong on addressing climate change, urbanization and social inequality.
Debra is the founding director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation in Georgia and previously served as the city of Pittsburgh’s first Chief Innovation Officer.
Apolitical named Debra a top 100 most influential people in digital government. She is an Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend 40under40 honoree and serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce Internet of Things Advisory Board.
Resources:
Smart City Digital Twin Convergence Workshop Report
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto: Humans Negotiating Autonomous Vehicles is the New Driver's Ed
Small and Smart: Why and How Smart City Solutions Can and Should be Adapted to the Unique Needs of Smaller Cities[abstract only]

Joe Bankoff
Civic leader
Joe believes upholding the tenets of representative democracy is a cornerstone to building more sustainable, equitable and resilient communities.

Joe Bankoff
Civic leader
He is passionate about exploring how culture and innovation can solve global challenges.
Joe has a wealth of experience in law, arts, and technology having served as president and CEO of Atlanta’s Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center and as a senior litigation partner at King & Spalding.
In 2012, he was appointed chair of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. Today, he continues to make an impact as a professor of international affairs.
Active in the community, he chairs the boards of the Fulton County Arts Council, which awards over $1 million annually in support of the arts, and the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone.
Atlanta magazine named him to the Atlanta 500 in 2019 and in 2020 he was awarded the Honorary Alumni Award by Georgia Tech.
Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice: Gerrymandering
Opinion: How to Protect Real Integrity of Elections
Opinion: Thoughts on Gerrymandering and Georgia's Constitution

JahWill Fannings
Hip-hop artist
Session Four: The Future of Us

Andrew McConnell
Entrepreneur, author
Andrew McConnell believes the keys to living well in a chaotic world lay in the ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism.

Andrew McConnell
Entrepreneur, author
He is the CEO of Rented.com, a company that helps property owners maximize their rental income and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “Get Out of My Head: Creating Modern Clarity with Stoic Wisdom.” In the book, Andrew illustrates how Stoic principles helped him navigate the peaks and valleys of his entrepreneurial journey and his experiences as a management consultant working with some of the world’s largest enterprises.
Andrew is a contributor to Forbes, Inc., and Huffington Post and also pays it forward as an advisor to early-stage technology companies.
Resources:
Get Out of My Head: Creating Modern Clarity with Stoic Wisdom

Moe Ari Brown
Therapist, LGBTQIA+ advocate
Moe Ari envisions a world where all people experience belonging and love just for being who they are.

Moe Ari Brown
Therapist, LGBTQIA+ advocate
He is passionate about helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies find their authentic selves and connect with others in meaningful ways. As a transgender, non-binary person and a licensed marriage and family therapist, he brings a unique perspective when helping others navigate identity, relationships and belonging in a diverse world.
An authority on relationships, Moe Ari has featured in a broad array of media outlets from USA Today to Out Magazine to Discover Magazine.

Kris Braman
Bee advocate, entomologist
Kris Braman works at the intersection of pollinator health, ecology and conservation.

Kris Braman
Bee advocate, entomologist
She leads the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia. Her research not only advances our scientific understanding of insects, it has also informed public policy on issues such as pesticide use and environmental protection. The sustainable pest management practices developed by her team has helped farmers around the world reduce their reliance on harmful chemicals and increase their yields.
For her contributions in the field, Kris has received numerous awards including the Entomological Society of America’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology and Georgia Green Industry Association’s Environmental Friend of the Industry Award.
Resources:
The ultimate bee book for bee enthusiasts and experts alike
Scale-dependent effects of landscape context on urban bee diversity.

Tara Stoinski
Primatologist, conservationist
Renowned primatologist dedicated to saving the world's last gorillas from extinction.

Tara Stoinski
Primatologist, conservationist
A renowned primatologist, she has studied gorillas for over 20 years and her research has been instrumental in developing conservation strategies for these majestic creatures, including the creation of new protected areas and the establishment of community-based conservation programs.
She is the president and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

JahWill Fannings
Hip-hop artist
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