Past Authors & Speakers

The author of eight books, former Marine Corps and CIA special ops team member, and co-author of the bestselling thriller 2034: A Novel of the Next World War and its sequel 2054.

Jay Alexander is one of America’s most captivating magicians and mentalists, celebrated for blending mind reading, sleight of hand, and sharp-witted comedy into thrilling live experiences. Based in San Francisco, Alexander is the creator and star of Mind Tricks Live!, the popular, award-winning show performed at his venue, The Marrakech Magic Theater.

Born in Somalia, Ayaan Hirsi Ali earned international attention as a critic of Islam and advocate for the rights and self-determination of Muslim women, actively opposing forced marriage, honor violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation. She founded the AHA Foundation – an organization for the defense of women’s rights.

Masterful storyteller and internationally acclaimed literary powerhouse with two dozen books and 79 million copies in print.

Renowned Professor of Law at Yale University and Yale Law School. One of this era’s most accomplished legal scholars and author of five books focused on the American Constitution.

Three-time Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, journalist, and military historian Rick Atkinson’s eight books provide gripping narrative accounts of five different American wars. His latest is the second in a watershed trilogy about the Revolutionary War.

Beloved author, journalist, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning humor columnist Dave Barry is a household name across America, having written dozens of bestselling books. His latest, Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass, is garnering enthusiastic praise for its humor and heart.

Popular “mathemagician” and acclaimed Harvey Mudd college professor Arthur Benjamin, Ph.D., is the bestselling author of two books on the secret of mental math. His three TED talks have been viewed more than 50 million times.

Award-winning litigator and renowned historian Talmage Boston is the author of a highly anticipated new book, How the Best Did It, on the leadership lessons that can be gained from an analysis of our greatest presidents.

Tom Brokaw is one of America’s most trusted and respected journalists.

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.

William Browder is an American-born British financier and political activist. He is the CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, the Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign and Author of Red Notice. He was the largest foreign investor in Russia until 2005, when he was denied entry to the country and declared “a threat to national security” for exposing corruption in Russian state-owned companies.

Daniel James Brown is author of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics (2013), that was a #1 New York Times Bestseller list for 137 weeks. Dan’s latest book, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II (2021) portrays the kaleidoscopic journey of four Japanese American families and their second generation young men-the Nisei-who volunteered for the 442 Regimental Combat Team. The 442^nd was deployed to France, Germany and Italy, where they were asked  to do the near impossible in often suicidal missions.

Frank Brown is the CEO of Communities In Schools of Atlanta, focused on breaking non-academic barriers to student success. Under his leadership, CIS has grown through innovative programs and partnerships. A JD graduate from USC, Brown is recognized as one of Atlanta’s top education leaders.

For more than three decades, Jeffrey Brown has sat across from newsmakers, leaders, and the world’s most celebrated writers and artists, drawing out ideas that shape how we understand our world. The PBS NewsHour senior correspondent returns to the SVAF stage in 2027 as a lead moderator.

Bryan Burrough is a bestselling author and award-winning journalist known for gripping accounts of American history and finance, including Barbarians at the Gate and Public Enemies. His latest book, The Gunfighters, explores how Texas shaped the mythos of the Wild West, showcasing his talent for vivid storytelling and deep research.

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.

Master of crime fiction has crafted some of the most memorable characters in literature, with 40 novels and 85 million copies sold.

Barbara Daddino is an author, educator, and researcher best known for her 2025 book Tesla’s Cottage: The Lost History of Nikola Tesla at Wardenclyffe (and How It Was Recovered). The book intertwines Tesla’s story with Daddino’s own journey, creating what reviewers have praised as part memoir, part historical detective story, and part tribute to human perseverance.

A former Secretary of the Navy and distinguished Naval Academy graduate, shares his inspiring journey in “At the Helm: My Journey with Family, Faith, and Friends to Calm the Storms of Life.” His memoir highlights principled leadership, ethical challenges faced, and pivotal contributions to naval history.

National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Ethnographer, Writer, Photographer and Filmmaker

David Eagleman is an American neuroscientist, author, and science communicator. He teaches neuroscience at Stanford University and is CEO and co-founder of Neosensory, a company that develops devices for sensory substitution. He is the writer and presenter of The Brain, an Emmy-nominated television series on PBS and BBC.

Acclaimed journalist and bestselling author of biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson and Mohammed Ali. Recent recipient of The New-York Historical Society’s Book prize awarded annually for the best work of American history and biography.

Nikki Erlick is a journalist and travel writer whose work has appeared online with New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Indagare Travel, The Huffington Post, and Vox.

Bestselling author of two dozen novels, fresh off a National Book Award win and a Pulitzer Prize for James, his provocative retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

James Fallows is the author of eleven books, including National Defense (1981), for which he received the 1983 National Book Award, Postcards from Tomorrow Square (2009), and China Airborne (2012). He has been a national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly for over 30 years, and his work has also appeared in Slate, the New York Times Magazine, the New York Review of Books, the New Yorker and the American Prospect, among others. Deborah Fallows is the author of Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language(2010).

Director of Photography for Lighting at Pixar Animation Studios, recognized for her work on films like Finding Nemo and WALL-E, blending art and technology.

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.

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.

Internationally renowned illustrator, designer and visual storyteller. Author/designer of children’s books and 7 US Postage stamps including the 2006 Love stamp.

Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur, single parent, philanthropist, speaker and writer. His story may be best known by those who have read his critically acclaimed first book, The Pursuit of Happyness, or seen the award-winning film adaptation starring actor Will Smith.

Following the global phenomenon Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus returns with Peck & Peck, a fresh, funny, tender-hearted satire of publishing, poetry, and the wonderfully unconventional people who can’t live without either. Oprah Daily named it one of the Best Books of Fall 2026.

Author and photographer Liza Gershman’s soon-to-be-published cookbook, Farm + Market: Healdsburg, is a portrait of the small organic farmers, restaurant chefs, multigenerational families, and local institutions that shape the agricultural identity of Sonoma County.

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

Few writers uncover a true story like David Grann. The celebrated New Yorker writer and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager combines relentless reporting, extraordinary detail, and page-turning suspense to illuminate forgotten corners of history, and the people caught inside them.

Viral TED Talk star, advocate, and author, 29, providing a fresh, personal, and provocative perspective on the American immigrant experience.

Jeanne Walker Harvey is an award-winning children’s book author of picture book biographies. Her newest is The Glass Pyramid: The Louvre Museum and Architect I.M. Pei. Harvey has also written the iconic San Francisco Bay-inspired picture book Boats on the Bay. She is the featured author of SVAF’s Young Readers Program.

Co-founder of Lookout, a cybersecurity company, and a leading voice in mobile security and data protection. Hering’s expertise has shaped the dialogue on securing mobile platforms and protecting digital privacy globally.

Author, Social Commentator who spent 30 years on Alabama’s death row for a murder he did not commit

Engineer and visionary entrepeneur John Honchariw has built his career on a simple but powerful idea: that animals are constantly talking to us — we just need better tools to listen.

Philip K. Howard is the author of the bestseller The Death of Common Sense (Random House, 1995), and The Rule of Nobody (W.W. Norton, 2014), which was a finalist for the Hayek Book Prize.

Tom Ikeda is the founding Executive Director of Densho, a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving, educating, and sharing the story of World War II-era incarceration of Japanese Americans in order to deepen understandings of American history and inspire action for equity. Tom wrote the foreword and consulted with  Daniel James Brown writing of  Facing the Mountain.

Walter Isaacson has established himself as the biographer of creativity, innovation, and genius. Einstein was the genius of the revolution in physics, and Steve Jobs was the genius of the revolution in digital technology.

Former technology executive Shalie Jonker pivoted from a successful career in Silicon Valley to co-found a thriving, no-till, no-spray working produce farm. She exemplifies a new generation of purpose-driven farmers, using innovation and business expertise to support community-driven farming and strengthen local food systems.

Known for her dynamic presence and insightful sports reporting, longtime Miami Herald columnist Michelle Kaufman has covered 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, US Open, Super Bowls, as well as countless NCAA and NBA games.

Few writers illuminate the hidden worlds of crime, power, money, and history like Patrick Radden Keefe. The award-winning New Yorker writer and #1 bestselling author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain combines fearless reporting with the pace and suspense of a great thriller.

His newest book, London Falling, is a spellbinding investigation into the mysterious death of a 19-year-old whose secret life drew him into London’s dangerous criminal underworld. At once a riveting mystery, a portrait of a city transformed by extraordinary wealth and dirty money, and a deeply moving story of a family searching for answers, London Falling shows Keefe at the height of his powers.

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

Trailblazing founder of Khan Academy, now pioneering the future of education across the world in the age of AI. With clarity and passion, Khan provides a roadmap for teachers, parents, and students, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to navigate the thrilling yet uncharted territory of AI.

Leader in Science Policy in the US, Author, Undersecretary for Science for President Obama, Theoretical Physics Professor at CalTech then NYU

Renowned for his multi-volume biography of Joseph Stalin, there is perhaps no greater expert on Soviet and Russian history than Stephen Kotkin. He has taught at Princeton for 33 years, mentoring a new generation of historians and greatly influencing modern Russian history scholarship.

Computer scientist, artist, and author of You Are Not a Gadget and Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now, known for his critique of technology’s impact on society.

Author of bestselling narrative nonfiction books like The Devil in the White City, blending history with storytelling to bring past events to vivid life.

Min Jin Lee transforms the immigrant experience into unforgettable storytelling. The bestselling author of Pachinko returns with American Hagwon, an ambitious, deeply human family saga that crosses continents and generations to explore education, sacrifice, belonging, and the relentless pursuit of a better life.

Soyoung Lee is a renowned art historian and curator, recognized for her visionary leadership and deep expertise in Korean and East Asian art. Formerly a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and chief curator at Harvard Art Museums, she now serves as CEO of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Award-winning author and neuroscientist explores the astonishing curative powers of music, accompanied by acclaimed musician Julio Reyes.

U.S. Poet Laureate, National Book Critics Circle Award winner, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and a 2024 TIME magazine woman of the year.

Medical researcher at the forefront of a biomedical revolution, using genetic engineering and CRISPR technology to develop next-generation therapies for diseases once thought incurable.

J.R. Martinez is a burn survivor, Army Veteran, actor, New York Times best-selling author, motivational speaker, and advocate. He’s a keynote speaker at major events, traveling the world to spread his message of resilience and optimism.

Irish literary giant Colum McCann’s new novel, Twist, is set against the backdrop of undersea fiber-optic breaks off the coast of Africa. McCann’s bestsellers include Apeirogon and TransAtlantic, and he won a National Book Award for Let the Great World Spin.

H.R. McMaster retired with thirty-four years of experience as an officer in the U.S. Army commanding troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and during Desert Storm, followed by a position as National Security Advisor in the White House, and professorships at Stanford University and the Hoover Institution, H.R. McMaster brings us his well-qualified viewpoint of the geopolitical landscape and decades of first-hand knowledge of the global stage today.

If you had told Roger McNamee even three years ago that he would soon be devoting himself to stopping Facebook from destroying our democracy, he would have howled with laughter.

Abbas Milani serves as director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University and co-directs the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institute. Perhaps no one possesses greater expertise in U.S.-Iran relations and Iranian cultural, political, and security issues.

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.

Prominent figure on the Latino, New York, and national political scene, thought leader, author, and father of Hamilton playwright.

Award-winning journalist, bestselling author and historian specializing in women’s contributions to America’s intelligence agencies.

Gladstone Institutes scientist Katie Pollard is a computational biologist who decodes what makes us human — and what breaks in disease — by combining AI, evolutionary genomics, and genome editing to turn raw DNA into actionable answers.

Todd S. Purdum is an accomplished author and biographer whose journalism career spans decades of incisive political and cultural reporting. Purdum has served as a national correspondent and White House reporter for The New York Times, a senior writer at Vanity Fair, and a staff writer at The Atlantic. His new book on Desi Arnaz explores the extraordinary life of the Cuban-born entertainer and entrepreneur who helped changed modern television.

British journalist-turned-historian Sonia Purnell rescues remarkable women from the footnotes of history and puts them center stage—where they belong. Her latest masterpiece, Kingmaker: Pamela Churchill Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Seduction, Intrigue and Power, has been hailed as a Book of the Year by no fewer than 15 media outlets.

Beloved Pulitzer-Prize winning opinion columnist, journalist and bestselling author of more than two dozen books and memoirs.

Writer, entrepreneur, inventor, explorer and tech visionary Aza Raskin heads up an international nonprofit using AI to decode animal languages. Raskin also co-leads the Center for Humane Technology, dedicated to actualizing a comprehensive shift toward technology that strengthens our well-being, global democratic functioning, and shared information environment.

Iconic and award-winning New York Times food critic, Gourmet editor, chef, and bestselling author of cookbooks, memoirs, and The Paris Novel.

Mary Roach is an American author specializing in popular science and humor who has published six best-selling works of nonfiction. Her writing has appeared in Outside, National Geographic, Wired, and the New York Times Magazine, among other publications, and her TED talk made the TED 20 Most Watched list.

Jeffrey Rosen is among the most influential legal scholars and public intellectuals in America. His important new book, The Pursuit of Liberty, sheds fresh light on how the contrasting constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton shaped our nation for 250 years and continue to influence contemporary debates regarding governmental power.

Lauren Coyle Rosen is an award-winning cultural anthropologist, professor, author, and artist, whose eagerly awaited new book Goddess is set for publication later this year. Her research and writing bridge the disciplines of law, culture, and politics.

Mr. Rubenstein is a leader in the area of Patriotic Philanthropy, having made transformative gifts for the restoration or repair of the Washington Monument, Monticello, Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Iwo Jima Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the National Archives, the National Zoo, the Library of Congress, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

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.

Bestselling novelist and accomplished television screenwriter Maria Semple’s novel, Where’d You Go Bernadette?, spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the author of three acclaimed novels and is widely praised for her witty, insightful, and darkly comedic writing style. Her newest novel, Go Gentle, was selected for Oprah’s Book Club!

Desmond Shum is a serial entrepreneur with experience in technology, financial investment and real estate development in the Greater China region. He is the author of New York Times best seller Red Roulette, called “the book China doesn’t want you to read,” by CNN.

Acclaimed journalist and bestselling author of seven books including Ghost Soldiers and On Desperate Ground.

Tracy K. Smith is an American poet and educator. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for her volume, Life on Mars, and was the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States. Smith’s signature voice, whether in elegy or praise or outrage, insists upon vibrancy and hope, even―and especially―in moments of inconceivable travesty and grief.

New York Times financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin is one of the most prominent voices in finance and business journalism, and his new book, 1929, has been hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “one of the best narrative histories [we’ve] read.” His previous blockbuster bestseller, Too Big To Fail, was adapted as a movie for HBO.

Healthcare visionary, renowned researcher and President of the Gladstone Institutes with 500 researchers and scientists. The transformation in healthcare is here.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times known for his thought-provoking commentary on international affairs, politics, and culture.

Filmmaker, writer, and founder of The 5000 Days Project, a long-term project documenting the lives of young people. His storytelling often focuses on personal growth, resilience, and the beauty of human development over time.

Retired four-star U.S. Navy Admiral and the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Admiral James G. Stavridis is renowned for his strategic military expertise and global diplomacy. His new book, 2084, envisions a near-future global conflict ignited by climate collapse.

Bestselling author of more than a dozen novels and memoirs, including The Joy Luck Club.

One of the most respected historians and journalists writing today and bestselling author of 11 books including his latest Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II, First: Sandra Day O’Connor, Being Nixon, and Sea of Thunder.

Famed long-form journalist and bestselling author known for his timely and compelling insights on sports, culture, crime, and the American South.

Beloved Irish bestselling and award-winning author of 11 novels, including Brooklyn, The Magician and The Master.

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.

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a humanitarian, mountaineer, explorer, social entrepreneur, and technologist living in San Francisco.

Abraham Verghese is an American physician, author, Professor at Stanford University’s Medical School, and Senior Associate Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine where he is renowned for his focus on healing and empathetic care. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the author of four books including two memoirs and two novels.

Hugo Vickers is recognized as an expert on the British Royal Family with the Financial Times calling him “the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet”.

James Wang is a venture capitalist and technologist at the forefront of the deep-tech revolution, leading investments in artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and advanced materials —technologies redefining how humanity works, heals, and creates. His new book, What You Need to Know About AI: A Primer on Being Human in an Artificially Intelligent World, is a clear and compelling guide to the forces shaping our intelligent future.

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.

Policy and taxation experts focused on promoting, protecting, and preserving family-owned businesses and highlighting their vital role in the U.S. economy.

Bari Weiss is a journalist and the author of “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” which won a 2019 National Jewish Book Award. From 2017 to 2020 Weiss was an opinion writer and editor at The New York Times. Before that, she was an op-ed and book review editor at The Wall Street Journal and a senior editor at Tablet Magazine.

Simon Winchester is the author of several works of travel writing, history, and acclaimed biography, including The Surgeon of Crowthorne (1998).

Amy Zegart is an American academic specializing in U.S. intelligence, emerging technologies and national security, and global political risk management. She has been featured by the National Journal as one of the ten most influential experts in intelligence reform.

Accomplished singer, historian, and public speaker, recognized for his rich contributions to cultural commentary and music. Griffin is also known for his efforts in preserving African American history and culture through storytelling and performance.

John Markoff is a senior writer for The New York Times who has coauthored Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier and the bestselling Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America’s Most Wanted Computer Outlaw. His latest book is Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand.

Julia Flynn Siler is a bestselling author and acclaimed journalist known for her impactful works such as “The White Devil’s Daughters” and “Lost Kingdom: Hawaii’s Last Queen.”

Strock writes the ‘Next Nationalism’ on Substack and hosts the ‘Serve to Lead’ podcast.

Laura Zimmerman is a nonprofit leader and Board Director for the Sonoma Fund, with a background in communications and Bay Area TV journalism. She has also served as Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation and worked with Paul Newman’s ‘The Painted Turtle’ camp.

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

Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Stanford University, Author

Author, Narrator, and Filmmaker, daughter of Leonard Bernstein

Author and Antarctic historian, Boothe has chronicled the history of exploration in Antarctica, offering vivid accounts of the courage and tenacity of early explorers. Her work preserves the legacy of one of Earth’s most remote and challenging environments.

Douglas Brinkley is a bestselling author, professor of history at Rice University, a Grammy-award winning producer and presidential historian for CNN. Eight of his books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and each of his most-recent publications have been New York Times bestsellers.

John Briscoe is a San Francisco poet, author, lawyer, and restaurateur. He has published poetry, articles on law, literature and history, and several books including Crush: The Triumph of California Wine, The Lost Poems of Cangjie, and Tadich Grill: The Story of San Francisco’s Oldest Restaurant.

Dr. Louann Brizendine is an American scientist and neuropsychiatrist. She is a researcher, clinician and professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and founded the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic at UCSF. She is the author of three books: The Female Brain (2006), The Male Brain (2010) and THE UPGRADE: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond which goes on sale in April 2022.

Tim Brown is chair of IDEO, where he previously served as CEO and president. 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.

Esteemed climate scientist challenging the status quo in climate science communication.

“Get Me Carlucci!!” Once called “Washington’s ultimate survivor” by The Washington Post, Frank Carlucci served six presidents and rose to prominence as Deputy Director of the CIA and as Secretary of Defense for President Reagan. Frank Carlucci had a wide-ranging career of one of the twentieth century’s most important behind-the-scenes actors.

Bestselling author of thrilling deep sea travelogues uniquely qualified to illuminate the hidden depths of our mysterious planet.

Google Scientist and Researcher, Specializing in Artificial Intelligence

Taiwanese American lawyer and women’s human rights specialist whose acclaimed debut novel, Daughters of Shandong, is equal parts heartbreaking, beautiful, and important.

David Crane is a lecturer in Public Policy at Stanford University and president of Govern for California.

Allison Crowther established the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust to assist young people to become exemplary adults through education, health, recreation, and character development, in honor of her son, Welles, who perished while assisting other people evacuating the burning World Trade Center on 911

Esi Edugyan is the author of two Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning books, Washington Black (2018) and Half-Blood Blues (2011).

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

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.

Chris Flink has always found the Exploratorium phenomenally inspiring. He became its Executive Director in the summer of 2016 and led the institution through the end of 2021.

Francis Fukuyama is a renowned political scientist and public intellectual.

The Peach Seed was named a top ten finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction in 2021, solidifying her status as a rising star in the literary world.

Don George is an editor-at-large for National Geographic Traveler magazine, as well as host of the National Geographic Live series of conversations with notable authors. In four decades as a travel writer and editor, Don has visited more than 90 countries on five continents.

Having spent two decades living in China, most recently as President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and a Mandarin speaker, Gibbs understands the most recent changes and implications for American companies, the Taiwan issue and the future of the US-China relationship.

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.

CEO, professor, and author of Rethinking Success, Holladay draws from his diverse background in government and business to explore personal fulfillment and leadership, urging readers to redefine traditional notions of success.

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

Steven Johnson is a thought leader of today’s interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to innovation.

Architectural historian and author, known for her in-depth works on the Hearst Castle, including the book Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country House. Her writings bring to life the rich history of architecture, design, and California heritage.

Renowned Michelin-starred chef and co-owner of Cyrus in Geyserville, and author of the much-heralded new memoir, Culinary Leverage: A Journey Through The Heat.

Founder of The Mansion on O Street and an advocate for creativity and philanthropy. Leonards has created a unique space for artists, authors, and musicians to connect, and her work centers on the transformative power of creativity and giving back.

Author and creative force behind This or Something Better, Levine shares her personal journey of resilience and renewal, weaving in themes of self-discovery, nature, and healing through her evocative and deeply personal storytelling.

Dr. Lithgow sheds light on the mechanisms of aging by identifying agents that extend lifespan or prevent age-related disease.

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).

Quinton Martins, Ph.D., leads True Wild and the Living with Lions project, conserving San Francisco’s mountain lions. With 30 years’ field experience and a Ph.D. from the University of Bristol, he’s an esteemed authority on large wild cats, formerly founding the successful Cape Leopard Trust in South Africa.

Mack McCarter has been on a journey to impact the world his entire life, and he has.

McFaul is a leading expert on international relations, Russian politics, American foreign policy, and democratic development around the world.

An early interest in food and wine led John McReynolds to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where he received a scholarship sponsored by Julia and Paul Child.

Bestselling author, critic, and essayist is dazzling the literary world and academic institutions worldwide with a spellbinding new translation of Homer’s magnum opus.

Technology correspondent for The New York Times and author of Genius Makers, Metz is known for his insightful reporting on artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley, and the innovators shaping the future of technology.

Journalist and author, known for his in-depth coverage of Apple and Silicon Valley in After Steve. Mickle’s work offers compelling insights into the intersection of technology, innovation, and leadership in the modern era.

Dr. Mikal-Flynn has worked in the area of trauma and post-trauma recovery for over twenty years. Drawing on her  own miraculous recovery from an accident that left her clinically dead for twenty-two minutes, her new book, Anatomy of a Survivor: Building Resilience, Grit, and Growth After Trauma, reveals all she has learned from working with hundreds of patients as well as her own journey back to wellness.

Mark P. Mills, a physicist, is a Manhattan Institute senior fellow, a faculty fellow at Northwestern University, and partner in Montrose Lane, an energy-tech venture fund. He is author of Digital Cathedrals (2020) and Work in the Age of Robots (2018), and he is the co-author of The Bottomless Well (2006).

Author, Five-time Paralympian, Six-time Medalist (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)

Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Scientific Consultant, Author, specialist in elephant communications

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

Nicole Perlroth covers cybersecurity and digital espionage for The New York Times. She has covered Russian hacks of nuclear plants, airports, and elections, North Korea’s cyberattacks against movie studios, banks and hospitals, Iranian attacks on oil companies, banks and the Trump campaign and hundreds of Chinese cyberattacks, including a months-long hack of The Times.

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.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, recognized for his expertise in arms control, nuclear security, and U.S.-Russia relations. He is a noted author on geopolitical strategy and international diplomacy.

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.

Tom Rinaldi, winner of 16 Sports Emmy Awards and 7 Edward R. Murrow Awards for his reporting for FOX New and ESPN

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

Luis J. Rodriguez believes a writer can change the world.

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.

Daniel M. Russell‘s book, The Joy of Search: A Google Insider’s Guide to Going Beyond the Basics, explains how to frame search queries so they will yield information and describes the best ways to use such resources as Google Earth, Google Scholar, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia. It was published by MIT Press in September 2019.

What are the national security challenges and threats to Liberal Democracies in 2024? Kori Schake is a Senior Fellow and the Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She is a former presidential policy advisor and leading foreign and defense expert.

Stacy Schiff is an American essayist and Pulitzer Prize winning author, known for her fast paced, enthralling and insightful biographies.

What best characterizes a John Burnham Schwartz novel is a quote from Reservation Road, the 1998 novel that cemented his reputation and was made into a screenplay…

Erich Schwartzel is an American journalist covering the film industry in the Wall Street Journal’s Los Angeles bureau. He has written dozens of front-page stories on life and business in Hollywood, specializing in features where commerce meets culture.

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.

Dr. Gary Small invented the first brain scan that allows doctors to see the physical evidence of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease in living people.

Anne Snyder is determined to make the world a better place through the lost art of building character and encourages us to join her mission.

Claire Spafford is the Science Educator at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

Philip Taubman is an American journalist, author, and lecturer at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.

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.

“I’m a writer of middle grade fiction because middle school was a tough time for me. I was a brainy, awkward, and shy kid…So if I can make it a bit easier for a reader, if he/she can find something to identify with in my books, then that’s all the reward I need.”

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.

Vargas won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for his contributions to three Washington Post articles about the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007.

Matthew Walker is dead serious about the dangers of sleep deprivation.

Author-chefs Justin Wangler and Tracey Shepos Cenami have partnered with farmer Tucker Taylor, a world-renowned expert in sustainable culinary gardening, to celebrate the simple good taste of the farm-to-table lifestyle.

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 Emeritus 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.

James Woods is the author of The Niantic Caper, a California-based thriller. A UC Berkeley and UC Davis Law graduate, Woods’ work is inspired by his diverse experiences in law and global initiatives.

Renowned chemist and professor, Yaghi is celebrated for his pioneering work in the field of reticular chemistry, particularly in the development of metal-organic frameworks. His research has transformative potential for clean energy and environmental sustainability.

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

Google Scientist and Researcher, Specializing in Artificial Intelligence

Jordan Blashek and Chris Haugh‘s just released Union: A Democrat, a Republican, and a Search for Common Ground is the story of the two friends’ three-year journey across America.

Dr. Robert Michael Franklin, Jr. is the author of three books: Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities (2007); Another Day’s Journey: Black Churches Confronting the American Crisis (1997); and Liberating Visions: Human Fulfillment and Social Justice in African American Thought (1990).

Adam Hochschild’s latest release, Rebel Cinderella: From Rags to Riches to Radical, tells the astonishing but forgotten story of an immigrant sweatshop worker who married an heir to a great American fortune and became one of the most charismatic radical leaders of her time.

Hawk Koch‘s Magic Time: My Life in Hollywood, is his personal, entertaining, retelling of his long and important career making and celebrating motion pictures.

John “Mac” McQuown is a self-described anarchist, a legend in the finance industry, an environmentalist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and creator of the Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma.

Naomi Shihab Nye is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes.

Colin O’Brady‘s New York Times bestseller The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice – Crossing Antarctica Alone is his story of how he solo-walked 932 miles across Antarctica pulling a sled filled with food that started out weighing 375 pounds.

Robert Theleen was one of the first foreign directors of a major Chinese State-owned industry, the prestigious Beijing Enterprises.

Andy Weinberger is the author of the Amos Parisman mysteries – An Old Man’s Game and the forthcoming Reason to Kill – and a long time bookseller who owns and runs Readers’ Books in Sonoma, California. Readers’ Books is “an anchor of the community.”

Damon West‘s memoir The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World tells the harrowing story of his sentence to 65 years in a Texas prison after being convicted of drug-related crimes after a lifetime of addiction, and the heartwarming story of his recovery.