Innovation
Inspiration from leaders on the edge of their field.
Featured Attendees
President Bill Clinton
42nd President, United States
President Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of The United States from 1993-2001. Under his leadership, the United States enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. President Clinton steered the nation's budget from record deficits to record surpluses, created more than 22 million jobs, and oversaw the highest homeownership and college enrollment rates in history.
Philippe Cousteau
Co-founder, EarthEcho International
Philippe and his sister Alexandra co-founded EarthEcho International with a clear vision to empower youth to take action that restores and protects our water planet. Philippe and Alexandra carry the legacy of their grandfather, the explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau.
Mark Cuban
Owner Dallas Mavericks; Chairman HDNet
Aside from being one of the youngest NBA team owners, Mark is an active blogger and prominent angel investor. He is revered not only for his business acumen but also for the passion and intensity he brings to his work.
Aubrey de Grey
Chief Science Officer SENS Foundation (Reverse Aging)
Aubrey de Grey is the foremost expert in the field of reverse aging.
Marc Ecko
Founder, Ecko Unlimited, Avirex, Zoo York & Sweat Equity Enterprises
After building his firm Ecko Enterprises to $1.5 billion in annual sales, Marc turned his passion to education. Marc created Sweat Equity Enterprises, a forward thinking non profit which connects youths to industry, thereby providing innovation and talent for companies and learning experiences for students.
Charles and Kai Haung
Creators, Guitar Hero
Charles and Kai's flagship game, Guitar Hero, has become one of the most popular video games in the world, generating more than $1 billion in sales. In 2006, they sold their firm RedOctane, to Activision for more than $100 million.
Seth Goldman
Co-Founder, President & TeaEO, Honest Tea
Honest Tea got a big boost in 2008 when a New York Times article revealed that the White House is stocking Honest Tea as it is President Obama's preferred beverage. Later that year Coca-Cola purchased a 40% stake in Honest Tea.
Jessica Jackley
Co-Founder, Kiva.org
A passionate speaker, who is constantly traveling, Jessica created Kiva to help local entrepreneurs in developing countries grow their businesses. To date, Kiva has raised more than $100 million in micro loans.
Nancy Jarecki
Co-Founder, MovieFone; Co-Founder, E! Entertainment; Founder, BettyBeauty
One would never describe Nancy as conservative. Her most recent company, Betty Beauty, manufactures dyes for the hair down there. In 2007, Betty Beauty won the Cosmetic Product Innovator Award. Previously, she and her husband sold MovieFone to AOL for $600 million.
Ray Kurzweil
Inventor & Futurist
A celebrated futurist who predicted the fall of the Soviet Union and the date a computer would beat a human in chess, Ray is the holder of numerous patents and has created over a dozen companies which market his inventions. His most recent book, The Singularity Is Near, presented the idea of a Singularity as a point in time where the pace of technological change will be so rapid that we wont be able to keep up unless we merge with the intelligent technology that we are creating.
John Legend
Musician & Activist
A six time Grammy winner, John has recorded multiple albums and performed with artists including Kanye West, Jay Z and Alicia Keys. But it's education that John has a deep passion for - speaking across the country to promote the use of education to end the poverty cycle.
Jonathan Mayers
Co-Founder, Bonnaroo
What started in 2002 as a music festival held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee has now evolved to one of the most culturally relevant events in the world. Bonaroo sells out every year and was attended by roughly 75,000 people in 2009.
Leland Melvin
NASA Astronaut
Leland is an American engineer and NASA astronaut who served as a mission specialist on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis flights STS-122 and STS-129. Leland manages NASA's Educator Astronaut Program where he is shaping the next generation of leaders and explorers. Previously, Leland was selected in the 11th round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, but a career-ending injury forced him to pursue a new career...space exploration.
Blake Mycoskie
Founder & Chief Shoe Giver, TOMS Shoes
Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes, whose simple promise to give a pair of new shoes to children in need with every pair sold is revolutionizing the way consumers shop. In just three years, TOMS has given away more than 600,000 pairs of shoes.
Craig Newmark
Founder, Craigslist
Aside from revolutionizing the world of classified postings, Craig is a passionate and vocal advocate of keeping the Internet free.
Jake Nickell
Founder, Threadless
Jake became a hobbyist-turned-entrepreneur when Threadless evolved into a global t-shirt phenomenon.
Alec Ross
Senior Advisor for Innovation, U.S. State Department
As the Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary Clinton, Alec leads the State Department's efforts to find practical technology solutions for some of the world's most vexing problems on health care, poverty, human rights and ethnic conflicts.
Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry
Co-Founders, Method
Named by INC as the 7th fastest growing company in America, Method currently has more than 100 environmentally friendly cleaning products and revenues approaching $100 million. Join their movement...'People Against Dirty.'
Yosi Sergeant
Co-Creator, Obama Hope Campaign
Alongside Shepard Fairey, Yosi created the iconic Obama Hope posters, which became a symbol of the 2008 Presidential campaign. Yosi currently leads a new project focused on marriage equality in California called Manifest Equality.
Sonal Shah
Director, White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Engagement
Sonal leads the White House Office of Social Innovation and in this role oversees governmental efforts to aid innovative nonprofit groups and social entrepreneurs, and to expand approaches which have been successful in tackling pressing social problems. Previously, Sonal was the head of Global Development Initiatives, a philanthropic arm of Google.org
Ted Turner
Chairman, United Nations Foundation
Throughout his career, Ted Turner has received recognition for his entrepreneurial acumen, sharp business skills, leadership qualities, and his unprecedented philanthropy. Whether in billboard advertisement, cable television, sailing, environmental initiatives or philanthropy, Turner's vision, determination, generosity and forthrightness have consistently given the world reason to take notice.
Turner is Chairman of the United Nations Foundation, Co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative and Chairman of the Turner Foundation. He is the founder of numerous cable networks including CNN, TNT and Cartoon Network, and a partner in the Ted's Montana Grill restaurant chain. Turner is also Chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc., which manages his business interests, land holdings and investments, including the oversight of two million acres in 12 states and in Argentina, and more than 50,000 bison head.
Josh Williams
Founder, Gowalla
Gowalla is a location-based social networking game where users 'check-in' at Spots in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive items from check-ins. Gowalla has raised $8.4 million, led by Greylock Partners and angel investors Chris Sacca, Kevin rose and Jason Calacanis.
Panels
Opening Plenary
A Welcome to Washington DC
- Michael Chasen, Founder & CEO, Blackboard
A Look into the Future
Exploring a world of possibilities
- Ray Kurzweil, Inventor & Futurist
The Craigslist Story
- Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist.org
E-Diplomacy 101
From need to know to need to share
- Richard Boly, Office of eDiplomacy, State Department
The Intersection of Technology and Foreign Policy
Technology solutions for some of the globe's most vexing problems
- Jared Cohen, Policy Planning Staff, U.S. State Department
Connecting the Next Generation of Leaders to Global Power Structures
- Alec Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation, U.S. State Department
Going Green
The branding benefits and environmental impact of sustainability
- Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, Co-Founders, Method
- Philippe Cousteau, Founder, EarthEcho International
- Seth Goldman, Founder, Honest Tea
Engaging Today's Youth
Mobilizing and activating the Millennial Generation
- Yosi Sergeant, Co-Creator, Obama Hope Campaign
- Jonathan Mayers, Co-Founder, Bonaroo
Understanding The Cairo Speech
America's approach to the Islamic world
- Pradeep Ramamurthy, Senior Director for Global Engagement, National Security Council
Space Available presented by The Conrad Foundation
The future of space exploration and the rise of the citizen astronaut
Youthanization
Reverse aging is closer than you think
- Aubrey De Grey, Chief Scientist, SENS Foundation
The Responsibility Revolution
Saving the world at work (a two hour breakout session)