Past Speakers
2019-20 SPEAKERS
Sunni Brown
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Sunni Brown is author of The Doodle Revolution. She’s known for her large-scale, live content visualizations, and she is also the
leader of the Doodle Revolution – a growing effort to debunk the myth that doodling
is a distraction. Using common sense, experience, and neuroscience, Sunni is proving
that to doodle is to ignite your whole mind. Her consultancy, BrightSpot I.D., specializes
in visual thinking and information design. She was trained in graphic facilitation
at the Grove Consultants International, a San Francisco-based company that pioneered
the use of large-scale visuals in business settings. Sunni co-founded VizThink Austin,
which under her leadership grew to be the nation's largest visual thinking community.
2018-19 SPEAKERS
Rita Colwell
Monday, March 25, 2019
& Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Professor Rita Colwell is a leader in the field of bioinformatics, most notably in
understanding microbiomes and the application of this knowledge to human health as
well as the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Her notable career bridges the disciplines
of microbiology, ecology, infectious disease, public health, and computer as well
as satellite technology.
Colwell is a Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland
at College Park and at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,
senior advisor and chairman emeritus at Canon U.S. Life Sciences, Inc., as well as
president and CEO of CosmosID, Inc.
Elaine McMillion Sheldon
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Elaine McMillion Sheldon is an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker based
in West Virginia. Her work explores universal stories of identity, roots, survival,
resilience, and hope. Sheldon is the director of "Heroin(e)," a Netflix Original Documentary
short that follows three women fighting the opioid crisis in Huntington, West Virginia.
"Heroin(e)" was nominated for a 2018 Academy Award.
Sheldon's debut feature documentary, "Recovery Boys," documents the lives of four
men working to transform their lives after years of addiction. The film is also a
Netflix Original Documentary and will be screened for lecture attendees.
2017-18 SPEAKERS
Laurie Garduque
Monday, April 16, 2018
Laurie Garduque is the Justice Reform Director at the MacArthur Foundation and will
discuss the role of philanthropy in social change through this unique and powerful
program. Her remarks will be followed by a questions and answers session directed
to a panel featuring Dr. Garduque, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, and representatives
of the Lucas County Safety + Justice Challenge team - notably Lucas County Commissioner
Carol Contrada and Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Gene Zmuda. The event is
co-sponsored by The University of Toledo College of Law.
Shamila Chaudhary
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Shamila Chaudhary is a foreign-policy analyst and photographer based in Washington,
D.C. Chaudhary will discuss the role of the U.S. in the world and its connection to
the social and economic landscapes of life within the United States. She'll address
the many transformations underway in American identity and culture as they relate
to politics, the humanities, law, and international affairs.
Chaudhary is the Senior Advisor to Dean Vali Nasr at the Johns Hopkins University
School for Advanced International Studies and is a senior South Asia fellow at New
America. She previously worked at the White House as Director for Pakistan and Afghanistan
on the National Security Council (2010-2011) and focused on these issues while at
the U.S. State Department for a few years prior to that.
John Quiñones
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Combining his compelling life story with a peerless grit to achieve the Latino-American
dream, longtime "ABC News" personality John Quiñones has emerged as one of the most
inspiring speakers in world. A lifetime of "never taking no for an answer" has taken
Quiñones from migrant farm work and poverty to more than 30 years at ABC and the anchor
desks of "20/20" and "Primetime."
Quiñones delivers a powerful message of believing in one's self, never giving up,
and doing the right thing. As host and creator of "What Would You Do?," the highly-rated
hidden camera news magazine show, Quiñones has become the face of doing the right
thing to millions.
2016-17 SPEAKERS
Alex Sheen
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Founder of the "because I said I would" social movement, Alex Sheen established his
nonprofit dedicated to bettering humanity through promises made and kept. Sparked
by the loss of his father, Sheen and his organization send "promise cards" to anyone
anywhere in the world at no cost. Truly honoring commitment, he once walked over 240
miles across the entire state of Ohio in 10 days to fulfill a promise. In just two
years, "because I said I would" has sent over 3.15 million promise cards to over 153
different countries. The promises written on these cards have made headlines around
the world.
His charitable projects and awareness campaigns have been featured on "ABC World News
with Diane Sawyer," CNN, "The Today Show," NPR, The Los Angeles Times, and many other
programs.
Daymond John
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Entrepreneurial in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from
taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother's house and moving his operation into
the basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle
brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales.
He is a decorated entrepreneur, having received over 35 awards including the Brandweek
Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign,
and Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year New York Award.
His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him an influential
consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing firm Shark Branding offers
advice on communicating to consumers through innovative means and connects brands
with the world's top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions.
In 2009, he joined the cast of the popular ABC entrepreneurial business show "Shark
Tank."
2015-16 SPEAKERS
Ann Bancroft
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Among the world's preeminent polar explorers, Ann Bancroft is a globally recognized
leader dedicated to inspiring women, girls, and audiences around the world to unleash
the power of their dreams. Bancroft uses her roles as an explorer, educator, and public
speaker to share stories of how she fulfilled her dreams of outdoor adventure. With
fellow teacher and explorer Liv Arnesen, she co-owns Bancroft Arnesen Explore, which
organizes global expeditions.
In 2001, the two became the first women in history to sail and ski across Antarctica's
landmass, completing a 94-day trek across 1,717 miles. She also led the American Women's
Expedition to the South Pole - a 67-day expedition across 660 miles on skis by four
women, earning the distinction of being the first woman in history to cross the ice
to both the North and South Poles. Bancroft led the first American women's east-to-west
crossing of Greenland and dog sledded 1,000 miles from the Northwest Territories in
Canada to the North Pole as the only female member of the Steger International Polar
Expedition.
Steve Wozniak
Monday, February 1, 2016
Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for more than thirty years, Steve Wozniak has
shaped the computing industry with his design of Apple's first line of products, the
Apple I and II, as well as influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak and
Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer, Inc. with Wozniak's Apple I personal computer.
The following year, he introduced his Apple II personal computer featuring a central
processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive. The Apple II
was integral in launching the personal computer industry.
For his achievements at Apple, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology
by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America's leading
innovators. In 2000, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and
was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, Economy + Employment. Wozniak
currently serves as Chief Scientist for Fusion-io and is involved in various business
and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools
as well as stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students.
Travis Tygart
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Travis Tygart became the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s CEO in 2007. In his twelve years
at USADA, he has also served as the Director of Legal Affairs and as Senior Managing
Director & General Counsel. As CEO, Tygart works closely with the USADA Board of Directors
to carry out the organization's mission of preserving the integrity of competition,
inspiring true sport, and protecting the rights of U.S. athletes. Tygart was actively
involved in drafting the USADA Protocol for Olympic Movement Testing. He has has injected
a passion into the fight against doping, including reaching out to America's Olympic
athletes and embracing them as part of the solution.
Tygart has been recognized by "Sports Illustrated" as one of the "50 Most Powerful
People in Sports," by "Time 100" as one of the most influential people in the world
for 2013, one of the "World's Most Influential Sports Personalities" by "Inside Sport,"
and one of the "Colorado Lawyers of the Year" by "Law Week Colorado." A lawyer by
training, Tygart has published papers and law review articles on topics such as Title
IX, antitrust issues, and doping in sports.
Richard Russo
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Richard Russo is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and teacher.
Drawing on a childhood in the upstate New York town of Gloversville, Russo's observations
on small-town life have won him accolades and comparisons to Sinclair Lewis and Sherwood
Anderson - whom also wrote about small towns of their generation. Russo attended the
University of Arizona, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and later a doctorate in
Literature.
He realized while working on his dissertation that writing fiction appealed to him
more than did literary criticism and academic writing, and so he stayed on to earn
an M.F.A. Five years later, he published his first novel, "Mohawk. " Russo has taught
creative writing at various universities, but following the success of "Nobody's Fool"
and its 1994 film adaptation, he began writing full-time. So far, there has been only
one exception to this theme of small-town life - his 1997 "Straight Man" about the
life and tribulations of a college professor, a role out of Russo's own experiences.
Critics hailed his 2001 novel "Empire Falls," a story about a family in small-town
Maine that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Robin Chase
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Robin Chase is a transportation entrepreneur. She is co-founder and former CEO of
Zipcar, the largest car sharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer car
sharing service in France (now merged with Drivy); and GoLoco, an online ridesharing
community. She is also co-founder and Executive Chairman of Veniam, a vehicle communications
company building the networking fabric for the Internet of Moving Things.
She is on the boards of Veniam, the World Resources Institute, and Tucows. She also
served on the boards of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the National
Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship for the U.S. Department of Commerce,
the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department
of Transportation, and the Boston Mayor's Wireless Task Force. Chase lectures often,
is frequently featured in major media, and has received awards in innovation, design,
and environment. This includes being named among the "Time 100" "Most Influential
People" list, the "Fast Company" list of "Fast 50 Innovators," and the "Business Week"
list of "Top 10 Designers."
2014-15 SPEAKERS
Brian Kennedy
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Brian Kennedy has been president, director, and CEO of the Toledo Museum of Art since
2010. From 2005-2010, Kennedy was director of Dartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art
in Hanover, New Hampshire, which has one of the largest and finest art collections
at an American college or university. Prior to coming to the United States, Kennedy
spent eight years as assistant director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
(1989-1997) and seven years as director of the National Gallery of Australia (1997-2004)
in Canberra.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Kennedy studied Art History and History at University College
in Dublin, earning bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. A strategic thinker
and collaborative leader, he has overseen the development of a strategic plan for
the TMA, integrated it strongly into the community, and developed a nationally recognized
initiative to promote visual literacy.
Paul Begala
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Prominent political operative Paul Begala serves as a commentator for CNN, where he
is part of the team that won an Emmy for its coverage of the 2006 elections and a
Peabody Award for its coverage of the 2008 presidential election. In the 2012 campaign,
he was a senior adviser for Priorities USA Action Super PAC. Begala served as counselor
to President Bill Clinton in the White House and was one of Clinton's closest aides.
Begala is now an affiliated Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University and
has also taught at The University of Texas as well as the University of Georgia. He
is a member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors and of the University
of Georgia Board of Visitors. Along with his partner, James Carville, and GOP strategist
Karl Rove, Begala was a 2012 inductee to the American Association of Political Consultants'
Hall of Fame.
Crystal Bowersox
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Crystal Bowersox is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who was the runner-up
on the ninth season of the smash hit "American Idol." She was the first female finalist
in three years. The Ohio native's debut album, "Farmer's Daughter," was released in
December 2010. Bowersox released her second album, "All That for This," in March 2013.
In 2011, she starred in an episode of "Body of Proof" and in the previous year was
nominated for an award in the female reality/variety star category at the Teen Choice
Awards.
Karl Rove
Monday, September 15, 2014
Among the nation's best-known political strategists, Karl Rove served as a senior
advisor to President George W. Bush for seven years and after leading Bush's election
campaigns in 2000 and 2004. Rove served as Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004-2007, overseeing
the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental
Affairs. He was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and coordinated the White House policy-making
process.Rove writes a weekly op-ed for The Wall Street Journal and is the author of The New York Times best-seller, "Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight." He has written for various publications, including The Daily Beast, Financial Times, Forbes, FoxNews.com, HumanEvents.com, The Times, The Washington Post, and The Weekly Standard.
2013-14 SPEAKERS
Michael Crow
Monday, March 10, 2014
Michael Crow, the sixteenth president of Arizona State University, is guiding the
transformation of ASU into one of the nation’s leading public metropolitan research
universities. In doing so, he is combining academic excellence, inclusiveness to a
broad demographic, and maximum societal impact — a model he designed known as the
"New American University." Under his leadership, ASU established major transdisciplinary
research initiatives and witnessed an unprecedented academic infrastructure expansion,
the tripling of research expenditures, and the attainment of record levels of diversity.
Crow was previously executive vice provost of Columbia University. An adviser to the
U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Energy on matters of science and technology
policy, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
as well as the National Academy of Public Administration, and has published on science
and technology policy as well as the design of knowledge enterprises.
Richard Rumelt
Tuesday, January 13, 2014
Richard Rumelt maintains a multifaceted career in teaching, research, and consulting
- with the focus on competitive advantage and strategy, industry dynamics, as well
as overall management. The Harry and Elsa Kunin Professor of Business and Society
at UCLA Anderson School of Management, he was voted one of the world’s "Top 50 Business
Thinkers" by the Thinkers50 program sponsored by the "Harvard Business Review."
Rumelt is the author of "Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters,"
a finalist for the 2011 Financial Times & Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year
Award. He was on the faculty of Harvard Business School and INSEAD, The Business School
for the World, where he headed the Corporate Renewal Initiative. He was a founding
member and served as president of the Strategic Management Society, which represents
some 3,000 members from more than 80 countries.
James Carville
Monday, November 18, 2013
James Carville is one of America’s best-known political consultants, notoriety earned
not least for his role in helping Bill Clinton win the U.S. presidency in 1992. His
long list of electoral successes includes wins in gubernatorial and senatorial races
in the United States as well as global runs that include leading Israeli prime minister
Ehud Barak to his 1999 victory there.
A best-selling author, Carville's titles include "All's Fair: Love, War, and Running
for President" (with wife Mary Matalin), "40 More Years: How the Democrats will Rule
the Next Generation" (2009), and his most recent The New York Times best-seller, "It’s
the Middle Class, Stupid!," co-authored with Stan Greenberg - with whom he founded
Democracy Corps, an independent polling nonprofit. A frequent CNN political commentator
and contributor, Carville also serves as a Professor of Practice at Tulane University
in New Orleans.
Sal Khan
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Founder of the Khan Academy, Sal Khan established a nonprofit organization with a
mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy's
self-pacing software and instructional materials is the world's most-used library
of Web-based educational videos: more than 3,000 offerings on their YouTube channel
used by 4.2 million students per month.
A former hedge fund analyst with degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and Harvard University, Khan is the author of "The One World School House: Education
Reimagined," published in 2012 to immediate accolades from innovators as varied as
filmmaker George Lucas and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus. In the opinion
of Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates, "Sal Khan’s vision and energy for how technology
could fundamentally transform education is contagious. He’s a true pioneer in integrating
technology and learning."