Chair of Islamic Studies, American University; former Pakistani High Commissioner to the U.K. and Ireland

David Brooks has a gift for bringing audiences face to face with the spirit of our times with humor, insight and quiet passion. He is a keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs.

Tim Brown is CEO and president of IDEO. He frequently speaks about the value of design thinking and innovation to business people and designers around the world. He participates in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and his talks Serious Play and Change by Design appear on TED.com.

New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins has been called “America’s favorite poet,” and for more than four decades, he has delighted readers and audiences with his insight, wit, and clear poetic voice. His critically acclaimed new collection, Dog Show, ponders the complexities of dog behavior and what dogs teach us about ourselves.

Lukman Faily recently served as Ambassador to the United States for the Republic of Iraq from May 2013 until June 2016. He has been a high-profile spokesperson for his government and Iraqi affairs, engaging with members of Congress, academia and think tank communities.

Three-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award and six-time Emmy Award–winning feature producer with ESPN for thirteen years

Niall Ferguson, MA, DPhil, FRSE, writes and lectures on international history, economic and financial history and British and American imperialism. He is known for his positive views concerning the British Empire.

Sally Fernandez, a novelist of provocative political thrillers, wasn’t always twisting facts with fiction. Heavily endowed with skills acquired in banking, she embarked on her writing career.

Alex Filippenko is an award-winning UC Berkeley astrophysicist and electrifying speaker, known for groundbreaking research on supernovae and dark energy, whose infectious enthusiasm and humor turn cosmic mysteries into mind-opening, unforgettable experiences for audiences of all backgrounds.

Chris Flink has always found the Exploratorium phenomenally inspiring. He was honored to become its Executive Director in the summer of 2016 and is thrilled to be leading the innovative institution into its next half-century.

A Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer, presidential historian, former sports journalist and political commentator.

J. Douglas Holladay is the author of Rethinking Success: Eight Essential Practices for Finding Meaning in Work and Life in which he shares how to find meaning, balance, and purpose throughout your career while reaching the highest levels of professional achievement—how to do well without losing yourself.

Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins, Whitney School of Engineering. Pioneer in wireless implantable devices for treatment of epilepsy, glaucoma, depression, PTSD

Military Fighter Pilot, Test Pilot, Engineer; veteran of four space flights including one year on the International Space Station; had just solo orbited earth 5,440 times over 340 days when he visited

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of the New York Times best-selling book How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success (2015), and Real American: A Memoir (2017).

Bill Milliken, Founder and Vice Chairman of Communities In Schools, Inc., is one of the nation’s foremost pioneers in the movement to give young people the help they need to graduate from high school and go on to rewarding lives.

Author of Wonder, NY Times bestseller list 6 years having sold over 12 million copies worldwide

Bill is the co-owner with his wife, Elaine, of the nationally known-bookstore Book Passage. Book Passage has three bookstores in California in Corte Madera, Sausalito, and at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Dr. Stanley B. Prusiner is Director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Professor of Neurology and Biochemistry at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

Acclaimed Author and Physician, “Out of the Fields: My Journey from Farmworker Boy to Pediatrician” has for over 35 years taken care of children like himself as a child

Richard Rhodes is the author of twenty-six books including The Making of the Atomic Bomb, which won a Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction, a National Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award.

Joseph Rodota’s new book The Watergate tells the story of this iconic building and its most famous residents over the span of more than 50 years. The Watergate called itself “a city within a city” and offered residents a wide array of amenities — from a barber shop and beauty salon to a wine shop and grocery store, all on the premises.

Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Author, football player, motivational speaker

Rebecca Rosenberg, author of the new historical novel nominated for the Best New Novel for the Center for Fiction, The Secret Life of Mrs. London, revealing the love triangle between Houdini, Charmian and Jack London.

Darcey Rosenblatt writes for middle grade and teenage people because she believes for them stories can be life changing – they were for her. Her debut novel Lost Boys (Henry Holt for Young Readers) was released in August 2017 and has been named a notable book for 2018 by the National Council for Social Studies.

In her beloved New York Times bestsellers Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy, and, most recently, China Dolls, Lisa See has brilliantly illuminated the strong bonds between women.

Michael Shellenberger’s just released Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All has been called, “an extremely important book,” by none other than historian Richard Rhodes, who won the Pulitzer Prize for The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

Deepa Thomas combines her passion for journalism with her love of cooking to create New Indian cuisine that can be found in her cookbook, Deepa’s Secrets. She is one of three nominees for the prestigious James Beard Award.

Pioneering cardiologist, geneticist, and digital health innovator Dr. Eric Topol has profoundly influenced the landscape of contemporary medicine. His groundbreaking new book, Super Agers, reveals a transformative revolution in human longevity.

The author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility has captivated readers around the world. Rules of Civility ( 2011) was a New York Times bestseller and was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011.

Les was Executive Vice President and President of Intel Capital until his retirement in 2003. With Intel since 1968, Les was part of the founding management team of Andy Grove, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore.

MacArthur Genius and two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward has been hailed as the standout writer of her generation, proving her “fearless and toughly lyrical” voice in novels, memoir, and nonfiction.

Wells Whitney was born in 1933 and brought up in New York City and Boston. He received his BA from Harvard College and MS and ScD from MIT, and did a Postdoc year in Strasbourg, France.

Dr. Williams is President of the Gladstone Institutes & Gladstone’s Robert W. & Linda L. Mahley Distinguished Professor. The Gladstone Institutes have been actively working with Dr. Jennifer Doudna & her team in CRISPR technology, a form of genome editing.

Dr. Charles E. Young is Chancellor Emeritus, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.