Navigating an Uncertain and Chaotic Geopolitical Future

The Honorable Mary Beth Long, a trailblazer in international policy, will offer unparalleled insights into the complexities of the global landscape, focusing on the dynamics of Russia, the Middle East, and Sino-U.S. relations.

Dent The Future Artist in Residence

Denver-born songwriter/guitarist/singer Jill Sobule has released a dozen acclaimed albums and, most recently, the musical, New York Times Critics pick, Drama Desk nominated autobiographical musical “F*ck 7th Grade.”

Progress in Perspective: The Good Fight and America’s Ongoing Struggle For Justice

Returning after his acclaimed 2023 appearance, Time, Life, and National Geographic photojournalist Rick Smolan will reflect on America's progress in fighting injustice, inspiring action toward a more equitable future.

Why Industry Leaders Believe AI-Powered Robots Are the Future

Dr. Kanu Gulati is a Partner at Khosla Ventures investing in enterprise applications and infrastructures that leverage ML, deep learning, NLP, language models, as well as robotics and autonomous systems and hardware acceleration. Kanu has co-authored three books; written 35+ peer-reviewed publications; and holds a patent on high performance computing and hardware acceleration.

The Real Work: On The Mystery of Mastery

A celebrated staff writer for The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik will explore how individuals perfect new skills and the essence of true mastery, providing valuable insights into personal and professional growth.

The Future of Illuminating the Mind: Exploring Creativity and Consciousness Through Neuroscience

Dr. Heather Berlin, a leading neuroscientist, will delve into the neural basis of creativity and the interplay between conscious and unconscious processes, shedding light on how we can live more fulfilled lives.

Sharing Space: Insights on Innovation, Collaboration and Creativity

Retired NASA astronaut, Dent board member, and author Cady Coleman shares her unique experiences from space and Earth. With stories of overcoming insecurities, balancing adaptation with persistence, and leading diverse teams, Cady will provide practical insights for leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives.

The Midlife Chrysalis: How We’re Redefining Our Futures as We Age

Successful hospitality entrepreneur and bestselling author Chip Conley will provide a blueprint for aging with purpose, joy, and success, drawing on his latest book and social science research to redefine midlife and beyond.

The Art of Iteration and Experimentation

Susan Lieu is a Vietnamese-American playwright, performer, activist, and author who tells stories that refuse to be forgotten. Her memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter, was published in March 2024, and she is the cofounder of Socola Chocolatier.

Building a Ship in an Invisible Bottle: Microsurgery and the Pursuit of Mastery

Duke University School of Medicine
Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dr. Leiderman is a nationally renowned ophthalmic microsurgeon and surgical educator. A core mission of his research group is to decode microsurgery, i.e., to begin to measure and understand the learning processes in microsurgery, and to deepen our understanding of the attainment of expert proficiency in a discipline that approaches the limits of human performance.

Onstage Interviewer

Mónica Guzmán is Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America; host of A Braver Way, a podcast that equips people with the tools they need to bridge the political divide in their everyday lives; founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity, an organization working to build a more curious world; and author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.

Dent The Future Artist in Residence

Michael Bergt has worked primarily in egg tempera for over thirty years, co-founded The Society of Tempera Painters, and served as its president for twelve years. Michael’s figurative paintings refer to a range of interests, including classical myths, sensuality, the human condition, and topical events.

From Knowledge to Wisdom: Transforming Leadership in the Age of AI

Charlene Li is the New York Times bestselling author of six books and is working on her 7th book, Winning with Generative AI. Charlene graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Business School and was named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company.

Creativity, Neuroscience, Entertainment

Expect the unexpected with The Flying Karamazov Brothers, featuring the four self-proclaimed eccentric lunatics spicing things up with a zany showcase filled with laugh-out-loud comedy, wild theatrics, arcane errata, and astonishing juggling feats. Formed at UC Santa Cruz in 1973, they have been seen around the world, on Broadway, on television, and on the big screen. They are not, however, your father’s wild-haired, flame-throwing, juggling, kilt-and-tutu-wearing performers.

The Chicago Reader says, “The ... show is so much fun that anyone you take to see it will want to go to bed with you.” And the Wall Street Journal says: “The Karamazovs deliver visual and verbal one-liners, all while creatively tossing about anything they can get their hands on!”

On Mastering Space (And Other Challenging Environments)

Ellie Morgan is Space Habitation Architecture Lead for Lockheed Martin and was an award-winning pilot for the Air Force. As a C-17 aircraft commander, she has logged more than 1,200 flight hours including more than 500 combat hours flying in support of Operations Iraqi, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. With degrees in systems engineering and a master of science degree in space studies from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Ellie has achieved great success in domains that are outside the norm for most.