Theresa McPhail
Topic: Why We Need to Teach Failure
Dr. Theresa MacPhail offers insights on how to fail, why learning to welcome failure is a necessity for a successful and fulfilling life, and how accepting failure may be the ultimate antidote to anxiety.
Ruth J. Simmons
Topic: The Importance of Education
Ruth J. Simmons imparts the wisdom she has earned on her journey to become one of higher education’s most prominent Black leaders. She shares her story of finding her way to freedom through education.
Tess Gunty
Topic: Important Failures
Tess Gunty discusses the significant projects she attempted and ultimately shelved, the rocky road to publishing, and the necessary failures that form the foundation for better work.
Jenny Odell
Topic: Saving Time
Jenny Odell takes a deep dive into the fundamental structure of our society—time—and finds that the clock we live by was built for profit, not for humans. She offers unique ways to experience time that provide a respite, a source of meaning, and a more humane way of living.
Katherine May
Topic: Reimagining the Story of Success
Katherine May argues against the myth of our lives as an upwards line on a graph: the more wealth, the happier and more successful we are. She suggests abandoning a life lived according to the outward signs of success to find a rich and meandering pathway, one that prizes interconnection over competition, restful JOMO over exhausting FOMO, and gentleness over force.
Chris Smalls
Topic: Using Your Voice for a Greater Movement
Chris Smalls brings his experience as a historic organizer to communities, associations, and schools to inspire audiences to uplift their voices for change, in powerful talks that embody action.