2017 HATCH / C2 Attendees

Texan-Brazilian New York-based design entrepreneur and lawyer focused on design, real estate, digital, and art projects. Researching @RebrandingPot.

Aithan Shapira speaks at global venues and advises senior executives and boards of Fortune 500 tech, financial, aviation, healthcare and energy companies on creative leadership strategies in uncertain times and how to ‘lead by seeing and listening differently'. Through immersion in the arts, he helps leaders see, listen and learn in ways that have transformed organizations and guided initiatives, entertainment experiences, curricula, products and corporate cultures.

AJ is an award-winner interior designer who uses her unique skills to make amazing spaces.

Alan Macy is currently the Research and Development Director, past President and a founder of BIOPAC Systems, Inc. He designs data collection and analysis systems, used by researchers in the life sciences, that help identify meaningful interpretations from signals produced by life processes. Trained in electrical engineering and physiology, with over 30 years of product development experience, he is currently focusing on psychophysiology, emotional and motivational state measurements, magnetic resonance imaging and augmented/virtual reality implementations. He presents in the areas of human-computer interfaces, electrophysiology, and telecommunications. His recent research and artistic efforts explore ideas of human nervous system extension and the associated impacts upon perception. As an applied science artist, he specializes in the creation of cybernated art, interactive sculpture and environments.

Alicia Belzberg is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Infinigon Group Inc.
Ms. Belzberg previously co-founded Belzberg Technologies Inc, a financial technology software company involved in the development of electronic trading systems for major financial institutions in the US, Canada and Europe.
As EVP of Belzberg Technologies, Ms. Belzberg took the company public in 2000 and led two acquisitions.
In 2004, the company partnered with the CBOE to develop, and bring to market the first Hybrid Trading System (HyTS). Ms. Belzberg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and is a recipient of the JNF Tree of Life Award.

Anthony is leading an innovation lab focused on building, advising and growing technology and media ventures.

With a strong background in working at the intersection of talent & technology, the lab incubates and develops projects with potential for industry disruption.

www.creativeagencylab.com

I'm a creative, curious and passionate person who loves learning new things, collaborating with others and working on projects that enrich culture. As a model for 15 years I've also worked as a photographer, writer, producer, art director and account director for several high profile clients. Along with my partner Michael Steele, I manage Art + Industry, a company we started to bridge the gap between Arts and Commerce, creating platforms for artists and creatives. I truly believe that if you love what you do, you will not work a day in your life which is why I continually strive to achieve fulfillment and personal growth through the projects I take on.

Audrey is a strategist, a storyteller, a mother and an entrepreneur. She likes asking unsettling questions and finding new ways of looking at complex problems. She believes in data, and in empathy even more.

As a reporter and editor in chief, Audrey spent eight years travelling around Europe, North Africa and the Middle East looking for answers, perspectives and meaning.

In 2012, Audrey left her ‘dream job’ at NATO to come back to Montreal, where she managed marketing firms, trying to break down silos and connect people together.

Recently, she decided it was time to think about “What’s Next?”. To answer that question, she cofounded Nash, a consulting firm specialized in strategic innovation and digital transformation.

Nash uses design thinking and new technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT and mixed reality to create human-centered solutions for the future of business and society.

Ben Eichelberger started life as a farm boy from Muscatine, IA. He began playing electric guitar at the age of nine, and found a passion for music in his early teens. Ben spent his high school and college years performing with various bands almost every weekend, before changing focus to a career in aviation. He moved to Phoenix, AZ where he worked as a flight instructor and pilot for nine years, but gravitated back to music after realizing it was his true calling. In 2015 Ben and his wife Teneia sold most of their possessions and hit the road full-time with a mission of spreading love and equality through their original music. Ben has a huge desire to improve the world by helping people accept and love themselves, thereby helping them accept and love each other.

Benjamin Von Wong is notorious for documenting his intrepid adventures and epic photography. His hyper-realistic art style captures the hearts and minds of viewers in a fusion of special effects and innovative concepts specifically designed to go viral and drive conversation. Benjamin's background in engineering gives him a unique edge for creative problem solving, where technical challenges become friendly competition. Fueled by his passion to connect with people, he has an affinity for sharing engaging stories in novel ways. He is currently focused on conservation and social impact projects.

Chantal Stafford-Abbott was an internationally renowned model before deciding she didn't want to be a part of that world and shifted her focus to community building and health and wellness. She is currently studying human relations at Concordia and looking for community oriented humans in montreal as she just moved to Montreal from nyc.

Chris Denson's award-winning career has spanned marketing, media, technology integration and product innovation. As an industry taste-maker, he has recently served as Director of Omnicom Media Group's Ignition Factory, the key group responsible for emerging innovations across media, technology, and culture for Fortune 50 clients. Prior to OMD, Chris was Head of Creative Solutions for Machinima, where he lead several creative business opportunities focused on the cross-roads of brand integration, content creation, business development, audience engagement, and talent development, moving the company through a $15 million investment.

Additionally, he is an advisory board member of the SXSW Accelerator, The White House Council of Excellence (Global Entrepreneurship Summit), Custom College Recruiting, Pluto TV, and a regular guest speaker at industry trade events and educationalinstitutions. Known as a creative problem solver and idea maker, Chris has worked both domestically and internationally, holding posts alongside several organizations as the Head of Marketing for American Film Institute's Digital Content Lab, Founder of Genius Effect Media Group, Director of Innovation at The Regan Group, Director of Marketing for the New York Film Academy, to name a few. Simultaneously, with an early background steeped in stand-up comedy and screenwriting, Chris hosts Innovation Crush, a #1 ranked interview series with over 700,000 listeners around the world, and numbers partners ranging from Inc Magazine to the 4A's to SXSW.

Chris Walch was born and raised in Hawaii and now calls the mountains of Big Sky, Montana home. Chris began her career as a real estate finance associate at Latham & Watkins LLP. Chris was Co-Executive Coordinator for TEDxBozeman 2017 and is currently the Guest Experience Co-Coordinator for HATCH, Director of Operations for Philip Sheppard (#becauseofHATCH), a ski instructor at Yellowstone Club and along the way also an artist, collaborator, innovator, adventurer, singer, songwriter, photographer, and dabbler of foodie creations.

Christine Lai is a cross-sector collaboration catalyst, connecting ideas, passions, and people for positive social change. She most recently served as Chief of Staff for Delivering Happiness, an organization creating more successful, sustainable company cultures. With prior experience in several industries [education, hospitality, and sports], she is currently focusing on communities and the future of work. Christine is a yes-mad [a.k.a. global citizen] and loves spending time enjoying good company, conversation, and cuisine. She is inspired and invigorated by bringing people together to do epic things.

Court has worked at Zoom for three years .

With 20 years of entrepreneurial and digital enterprise strategy, Devrin Carlson-Smith is the Chief Digital Officer for Wirkn where he leads the largest chat-and AI based job marketplace. Prior to Wirkn, he was formerly the Head of Strategic Development for Kik Interactive having lead the growth of the organization to over 300M mobile chat users and a platform valuation of $1B+.

Devrin has held senior senior positions at Microsoft, Publicis Groupe, Omnicom’s TBWA Chiat, and Cable and Wireless and has been a driving force in his multiple entrepreneurial pursuits.

Biomimicry, permaculture, deep ecology and systems theory are some of the areas of knowledge that affect me. I studied architecture in Mexico City, Universidad Iberoamericana and continued my studies in Schumacher College, in the UK. My professional path is as simple as life itself. Regenerate our relationship to ourselves and with the living systems that support and surround us.

I'm a media junkie with a particular addiction for transforming the hard-to-decipher into the inspirational. As an executive producer for TEDx, CEO of the Do Good Mafia, Creative Horizon Foundation, Special Projects for the Los Angeles Mayor's Operations Innovation Team, I believe that the methods used to help one individual can be amplified and scaled to created meaningful change. My career has spanned marketing, innovation, technology, entertainment, and has been featured on TED.com and Fast Company.

Eyoalha Baker is photographer / artist, President and Founder of Joy Art Life Foundation, and the Jump for Joy Photo Project. Eyoalha spent 5 years creating and sharing joy through photographs and public art murals, then decided to found the nonprofit art organization called JoyArt Inc. to expand the reach and scale of Joyful public art projects that help uplift the world. Her images have been published internationally, presented in talks with slide shows, and showcased in large scale public art murals which have garnered international praise and impacted thousands of people around the world. Eyoalha spoke on the TEDX stage about the importance and impact of creating joy to bring communities together in society. Eyoalha holds a BFA with Honours from Concorida University, a Media Resources Diploma and attended LAMP International Business Management Program at Capilano University.

GABRIELA REYES FUCHS, is a DP and artist-researcher based in Mexico City. Her work is a constant proposition to rethink knowledge, old and new and consider stillness as a disruptive foundation for cooperation in this shifting geospatial and techno-political cluster. Her work is light and science based, in 2016 she was Open Space Network Foundation´s portégé, she has been a speaker at Blood Brain and Other Trains ARTS/SCIENCE colloquium Montréal 2016, exhibited at CURRENTS NewMedia Festival 2015 Santa Fe, USA, Arteles Residence 2015 a Guest Artist, Haukijärvi, Finland, Art Consultant and Collaborator at Synthesis Lab ASU 2015, Arizona, also exhibited at The other Gallery 2014, Banff, Canada. Teatro Degollado Guadalajara, México 2014, among many others.
Fellow and Awardee of FONCA (National Fund for Arts and Culture).
(Currently seeking for interplanetary exhibitions.)

Terramont Real Estate-Co Founder
TuneStars Co Founder

Investor, Partner & Friend.

The way we work has changed. And while there are some who are comfortable with the status quo, I – and the amazing, creative individuals I surround myself with – am not. We are gold-mining, gap-finding, boundary-pushing explorers…and what gets us up in the morning is building bridges between what has been and what can be, learning from the past and consciously working toward a better future. I’m fortunate to do this through two separate but connected organizations – Yellow Dog Studio & Scout Workshop.

Been building robots for the past 21 years. Electrical engineer. Outdoor enthusiast. Sphero co-founder.

Isabèle Chevalier is President of a family owned company in the research, manufacturing and retail of probiotics. She is a corporate generalist with broad experience in manufacturing, R&D, sales and marketing in the health food, drug and mass retail sector in Canada, the United-States and soon Europe and Asia. She has strong leader ability and interpersonal skills, a creative mind, excelling in rethinking a situation in problem solving and human relations within a dynamic multi-cultural and multi-functional organisation. Mrs. Chevalier is a woman of passion and determination who has held all positions in the company and is now driving for its next level of development. Involved in many charity events, she takes to heart children and health involving herself to make a difference in people’s lives and in her community. Also the proud mom of 3 young boys and a sport and nature lover.

Jacob is a founder of Greater Studios. The studio creates interactive entertainment experiences that help participants achieve greater physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Prior to work with Greater Studios, he was the Executive Producer, Creative Director, and Editor-in-Chief for Whole Food Market’s award winning Dark Rye magazine and TV show.
Jacob has over 15 years experience as business and marketing consultant, as well as having been a data-miner, massage therapist, writer, director, futurist in the financial sector, and a teacher of meditation.
Jacob holds a BA from New York University in Organizational Behavior, Mysticism, and Narrative Theory.

Jenn is the Founder of Play Atélier, a business innovation consultancy that surveys, fosters and designs space for creativity and ideation for brands and partners. Jenn has been working with Burning Man for the last 5 years, leading global Innovation and Initiatives for the non-profit which develops new programs in collaboration with their network. With a decade of experience helping startups go to market and expand internationally, today Jenn has a passion for creating the conditions that encourage new ideas. She is a Partner at Re:Imagine Group, an urban prototyping lab in San Francisco focusing on idea development and trend forecasting and host’s dinners and workshops around the world. Previously, Jenn was a Partner at east London based Communications firm RedRobin and was a co-curator of TEDxLondon. Jenn is a super-connector with ateliers in NYC and Vancouver dedicated to creative play and exploratory learning.

Business strategist Jennifer Sertl is an internationally recognized influencer in social media and thought leader in the emerging field of corporate consciousness. She is president and founder of Agility3R, a leadership development company dedicated to strengthening strategic skills and helping leaders become more resilient, responsive, and reflective. She is co-author of Strategy Leadership and the Soul published by Triarchy Press.

Sertl serves as strategic adviser to the Center for Policy & Emerging Technology . Globally she is involved with The Asia Institute and Brics CCI Center for CSR in India. She is the mother of three children and deeply concerned about the future of our children and the wise use of technology.

Involved in the Interiors business for 26 years. I have been driven by providing work solutions that are relevant to my customers.

Joel Dumas is an object, spaces and ambiance creator and a human connector.

His artistic talent merged with his business instinct are the leads of multiples creative projects.

Letting a successfull business behind 15 years ago, he his now spending his life travelling the world and dividing his time between the various global locations that allow him to find inspiration to create.

He is the co-founder of DXU Collection, unic wall application concept, now extending into a collection of unic lifestyle design objects

John Parts Taylor has dedicated much of his adult life to engineering for the arts, injecting technology into kinetic sculptures and LED walls. This passion eventually manifested into launching a boutique hardware/software firm in 2013 called LumiGeek. Projects have included audio-reactive lighting for 3D-printed speakers for Autodesk, electromechanical instrument control for The Gamelatron Project by Aaron Taylor Kuffner, and custom LED pixels for the Everbright by Hero Design.

Jon is a member of the Digital Sports team at adidas working with strategic partners, external 3rd party developers, future mobile and wearable experiences and is always searching for the next big thing at the intersection of sport and technology.

Before adidas, Jon founded Bones in Motion, a mobile software start-up in 2003 that pioneered using GPS in mobile phones to deliver real-time fitness experiences that was acquired by adidas in 2009 and became the foundation for adidas’ miCoach mobile. He has also worked at several start-ups in consumer electronics, enterprise hardware and software and military software development. His work as a software architect for IBM brought his family to Austin, TX where he still resides.

Jon earned a BSCS from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette in 1985. He holds over 30 patents covering user interface design, speech recognition, networking, mobile fitness related software and hardware and other fun stuff.

Director of Strategic Growth at Purpose Capital, Canada's leading impact investment advisory firm that mobilizes all forms of capital — financial, physical, human and social — to accelerate social progress.

In 2015, I launched Nexus Canada, enabling Canada's youth to join a global movement of 3000+ next generation wealth holders, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, and impact investors from over 70 countries uniting to catalyze new leadership and accelerate solutions to global problems.

Thanks to HATCH I am also the producer of DAYBREAKER in Montreal,

Best known as the founder of an $8M+ fund for sustainability at McGill University, I am a serial social entrepreneur and advocate for entrepreneurship and social innovation as a powerful means of tackling complex problems.

Julian is currently President at RISE Kombucha, the Montréal-based leading Canadian Kombucha company.

Since 2000, Julian has been supporting organizations to learn, grow and thrive – working as a consultant, entrepreneur and investor for startups and SMEs predominantly in the private sector. His approach is to unite the best of legacy business approaches with a multiple bottom-line mindset.

In 2009, he co-founded RISE Kombucha and Crudessence, and was CEO at Crudessence from 2010-2013. In 2015-16, he helped found edo capital, a startup sustainable food and agriculture investment fund.

Over the past 20 years, Julian has mentored entrepreneurs, lectured at HEC Montréal and given talks across a variety of academic and professional settings.

Julian studied civil Engineering at McGill and has an MBA from INSEAD in France.

Katie leads innovative social impact initiatives for corporations and non-profit organizations around the globe. She is the Director of Global Partnerships at Mama Hope and co-founder of Glorious, a holistic community development organization that invests in the vision of strong local leaders to build sustainable communities. Because of the organizations' similar missions, Glorious and Mama Hope have partnered to scale the Global Advocate Fellowship and expand our impact globally.

Prior to joining Mama Hope full-time, Katie worked at The Coca-Cola Company for three years building strategic NGO & sustainability partnerships. She also managed EKOCYCLE, a sustainability focused venture & eco-fashion brand partnership with music artist will.i.am. Coupled with her past experience with NGOs in Tanzania, Guatemala and Peru, Katie has a strong conviction in the power of meaningful cross-sector partnerships to disrupt the cycle of poverty and ultimately change the future of our world.

Coming from a family built through adoption, she is passionate about creating a world where each child is provided with the resources and opportunities to pursue his or her dreams. A Boston native & Boston College graduate, Katie is often on the go traveling but her return tickets bring her to Montreal where she and her husband, Antoine, are currently based

I am a natural born connector of ideas and people. My goal in life is to help good people succeed. I love to solve problems, facilitate success, coach, teach and share. I am extremely inquisitive by nature and love to learn and explore; curiosity fuels me.

As the Licensee & Head Curator of TEDxMontreal, I get to fuel the immense pride I have for my city by discovering and cultivating Montreal's best ideas for dissemination on TED’s global platforms. I work tirelessly, with a great team of volunteers, to identify, mentor and coach every speaker’s idea; transforming their project into a compelling story that moves audiences to act locally and around the world.

As a bilingual brand, product and BI manager, I have a 16-year track record of running high performance teams. I have built and managed product teams to satisfy consumer needs by ensuring the right product is available at the right time and place. My BI team distills actionable insights by tapping into extensive consumer and product data with SAS. Creating exceptional consumer experiences with strong profitability has been the cornerstone of my career.

I am happiest when racking my brain with others to solve tough challenges and deliver results. As a creative self-starter and an intuitive learner, clarifying ambiguity is what I enjoy most.

Kristian Manchester is the Executive Creative Director and a partner at Sid Lee. His work in advertising has won major internationals awards from One Show Pencils, Cannes Lions and Marketing Awards. 
He always puts his creativity to good use, seamlessly merging graphic design and new media. A multidisciplinary soul at heart, Kris rejects boundaries between disciplines. 
He is the major creative strength behind adidas global campaigns and was responsible of the launch of the Red Bull brand for the Canadian market. He also has many successful Cirque du Soleil and The North Face global campaigns under his belt. In addition, he is working on personal art and video projects. In Dec 2013, there was an exhibition of his photography at Miami’s prestigious Art Basel. In 2014, he co-directed with Peter Svatek a feature-length theatrical documentary on Georges St-Pierre, the UFC superstar. 

Lauren is a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter and social entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. Her music and thoughts have been published in Forbes, Fast Company, The FADER, GOOD & more. She has shared her ideas on leveraging technology and creativity for music education on the TEDx stage twice.

In 2016, she doubled as the talent director and live correspondent of GOODFest, a music festival for social justice presented by Google. She booked and interviewed Solange, D.R.A.M., Glass Animals, Fantastic Negrito, Madame Ghandi, Kelsey Lu, Gogol Bordello and more.

In 2017, Play with Music, the music & tech education program Lauren co-founded for at-risk youth, was funded by Green Dot Public Schools. Lauren directs the program, bringing 1-on-1 mentorship to students from members of M83, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, writers for Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera and much more.

Lauren is also currently working on her next music release !

Lynn Grossman - Manager/Music Supervisor/Music Publisher/Owner of Indie Record Label. As founder of Secret Road Music Services, Lynn has created a multifaceted entertainment company that has introduced artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Walk the Moon, American Authors, Andy Grammer, The Civil Wars, and Fitz and the Tantrums to the film / TV / advertising community. Secret Road’s roster of artists have been featured in numerous television series such as Grey’s Anatomy, Blindspot, The Vampire Diaries, Switched At Birth, Graceland, and various ads by Google, Target, Cricket Wireless, Calvin Klein, Reese’s, Payless and more. As her manager, Lynn has helped Ingrid Michaelson vault from overachieving indie-pop sweetheart to a bona-fide pop star. Ingrid is currently writing songs for film and Broadway as well as co-creating a comedic TV series loosely based on her life. Formerly the music supervisor for HOUSE MD, Lynn recently finished up the music for Humor Me, an indie film starring Elliott Gould and Jemaine Clement.

Mandy is a passionate entrepreneur who founded Creative Niche, a recruitment and executive search firm that connects noted brands with top design, digital and marketing talent across North America. Launched in 2002 with zero clients and just $8,000, Mandy led the firm’s rapid growth, serving 800+ brands and companies. Recently, Mandy co-founded RED Academy, a digital media and technology school for designers, developers and marketers, striving to make Canada a global leader in the digital marketplace by eliminating the gap between traditional learning and the needs of leading companies.

My journey is defined by the desire for purpose and impact in the world with a deep desire for personal authenticity.

MARK BRAND is one of North America's foremost social entrepreneurs. With eleven businesses under his belt, he is an example of a new form of leadership that encompasses good in every step. He is determined to breathe new life into our struggling and disjointed communities through his work in social impact business and as an educator, facilitator, and speaker.

Five years ago, Brand realized his dream of becoming the owner of Save On Meats, a Vancouver butcher shop and diner that has provided food security and access since 1957. In 2013, he created The Token Program, an alternate currency to feed those in need without a cash exchange. Almost 100,000 tokens have been redeemed, filling 100,000 empty stomachs, and creating interactions between those who have, and those in need.

In addition, more than 1 million meals have left Save On’s doors to feed those who struggle, in partnership with his charity A Better Life Foundation. ABLF works with community agencies, marginalized individuals and governments to create tangible waves of change.

Brand is a graduate of THNK School of Leadership, a fellow at Stanford University, a staunch supporter of B Corp, and an advisor to corporations and individuals working to make real change. It is through his philanthropic efforts, systems design, and love for his community that he has found a unique balance in business and purpose.

Mark Goerner has had a diverse and dynamic career as a concept designer, futurist providing services, for the feature film industry, contributing to “Minority Report”, “Constantine”,“X-men 2”, “Superman”, “Iron Man 2", “Thor”, "Fantastic Voyage", and "Avitar". As an industrial design he contributed advanced concepts for BMW/Designworks, Intel, Toyota, Honda, the High Roller wheel in Las Vegas. He is taking these influences and knowledge as well as a background in manufacturing to found eqogo, a robust platform to evaluate products for their long term value and environmental impacts.

Mary Anne Richman graduated with a degree in Graphic Design in South Africa. As Managing Director of Paton Tupper Audio Visuals, part of one of the largest below-the-line Advertising Agencies, she produced multi image industrial theater extravaganzas. Moving to the US, Mary Anne founded MARS Productions, Inc. now in its 25th year - specializing in meetings, events, & digital media. Her love for fine jewelry prompted her to further her studies in metalsmithing, her one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry are featured in over 80 galleries across the US, Canada and Latin America. In 2009 Mary Anne founded ‘Creative Minds’ in Boston. A collaborative of creatives from different disciplines with the goal to brainstorm, mentor and support one another to manifest our wildest dreams. In her latest undertaking Mary Anne Co-Founded Black Lace Skin Jewelry, a stunning line of Skin Jewelry to be worn on the bare skin, featured as the accessory in Malan Breton’s Runway Shows at S/S15, F/F15, F/F16 during Fashion Week NYC.
www.marsinc.com; www.maryannerichman.com, www.blacklaceskinjewelry.com

Max Stossel is an award winning poet + filmmaker, and one of the leaders of Time Well Spent, a movement to align technology with our humanity. His work consistently goes viral, has spanned across 14 languages, won multiple film festivals, and influenced the way digital media organizations tell the stories of mass murder in the news.

Before entering the worlds of poetry, film & digital activism, Max was a media strategist with an extensive background in social. The merging of these fields allows him to provide a fascinating perspective on the state of modern culture and the digital world.

I am an independent creative marketing web experiences maker from San Francisco. I know about Hatch through my work with Mama Hope.

Meredith Haberfeld, Founder of ThinkHuman, has nearly two decades of experience as a culture and conscious leadership consultant to fast-growth purpose-driven organizations, from Spotify to SoulCycle. She’s conducted original research on workplace culture, but she’s best known for her transformative work with executives, entrepreneurs and their teams.

It all began with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biochemistry. (It seems an unlikely start for a corporate change agent, until you consider her thesis topic: the impact of stress hormones on the health of brain cells.) After earning an “on-the-court MBA” as SVP of a $200 million marketing services company, Meredith began consulting with outside organizations, spreading her belief that the right environmental factors inspire excellence.

Meredith founded ThinkHuman in 2013; as its CEO, she’s advised entrepreneurs and executives for clients including Betterment, Flatiron Health and the World Health Organization.
She is a frequent expert for media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, CNBC, CNN, and Forbes.

Michael is a disruptor in the industrial internet of things (IIoT). He seeks strategic mergers and acquisitions while innovating in the space of automation and thermal imagers at Fortive, a Fortune 500 company. His roots are from Montana where he graduated in engineering while competing as a NCAA D1 athlete in track and performing research at prestigious labs such as the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Stuttgart.

Dr. Michelle Thaller is the Deputy Director of Science for Communication at NASA Headquarters. Michelle has a Bachelor’s in astrophysics from Harvard, and a Ph.D. from Georgia State University. After a post-doctoral research fellowship at Caltech, Michelle became particularly interested in public outreach and science communication and served as the public outreach lead for the Spitzer Space Telescope at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory before moving to Goddard Space Flight Center, where she was the Assistant Director of Science for Communications for 6 years. Michelle is one of the regular hosts of Discovery Science Channel’s “How the Universe Works,” and also hosts the podcast “Orbital Path” on public radio. She has received several high profile awards for on-line science journalism and science leadership. In her current role, Michelle represents all of NASA’s science themes, from Earth science and climate change, the Sun and space weather, solar system exploration, all the way out to cosmology and the deep universe.

MINDY ODAI, designer and curator of learning interventions for senior leaders at Google. Mindy is passionate about exposing leaders to emotionally rich experiences using powerful and sometimes unexpected stimulus (ex. music, physical environments, adversity) to build self-awareness, vulnerability and empathy.

She started her career as a writer and editor in New York and joined Google in 2002 as an advisor to some of the largest advertisers in the Americas and Asia Pacific. Since that time, Mindy has held a number of positions across Google, ultimately landing in the People Development organization where she combines her business experience with a passion for pioneering out-of-the-box learning strategies.

Mindy’s curious nature fuels her relentless quest to find inspiration through first-hand connections with other industries, cultures and people, including her own audaciously vulnerable and inventive children.

Nico Van Erum is the Managing Director of Sid Lee in LA, where he specializes in planning, managing and implementing integrated media agnostic campaigns. He has extensive experience in Sports Marketing & Communications, having worked with clients such as The North Face, adidas, New Era, UFC, George St-Pierre, MLS, and the NFL. He also has extensive Olympic experience, having lead all branding and communications for the Vancouver 2010 Games, as well as several Olympic partner activations over the last 20 years.

Discovering and innovating the world’s best play experiences, his craft is channeled through building next generation leaders, new processes and industry best product. A toy designer, technologist and passion for driving incremental business, his career talents and curiosity were quite evident at a young age. Compiling RC car motors, fishing wire and batteries into elaborate duct tape bound lawnmowers, his love affair with the most magical of industries spans 15+ years, constantly innovating, evolving his global philosophy of partnering with the globes experts, bringing the best opportunities to market which ignite consumers creativity and imagination.

Philip Sheppard is a composer, producer, virtuoso cellist, inventor, public speaker, philanthropist, Royal Academy of Music Professor, electric cello pioneer and creative innovator. Philip has composed 60+ film, television and theatrical scores. Philip performs with Odesza, Pretty Lights and UNKLE and was a guest artist for music legends: Scott Walker, Grace Jones, Jimmy Page, Jeff Buckley, David Bowie, Sia, Suzanne Vega and Jarvis Cocker. Philip’s latest album, Somewhere Along the Edge, is dedicated to individuals fully living at the edge. Philip produced music for the Beijing and London Olympics, Tour de France, Rugby World Cup and COP21Paris. Philip’s stage works include Sacred Monsters, In-I starring Juliette Binoche, One Drop for Cirque du Soleil and Sarabande, Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2007 PFW show. Philip co-produced, Daydreaming With Stanley Kubrick, an audio-visual show of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic works. Philip created, Compose Yourself, a game featured in Time Magazine for Kids, WSJ and Newsday.

As a former pro hockey player, my passion for sustainable farming, clean water, health and social justice lead me, in 2008 along with my wife, to create Oneka, a brand of healthy hair and body care products made with organic plants grown on the family farm.

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, I am the youngest of 5. I am former Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and various locations on combat tours. I've been dancing for 17 years, teaching and performing domestic and internationally.
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My dancing has been featured on many platforms such as HATCH, VIDCON 2015-16, Last Best Conference 2016, BET, Zoe’s Summer Groove, Telemundo2, The Roof x2, the Florida Fly competition, etc.
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I'm currently based out of Missoula, Montana, and am available for booking classes anywhere in the world.

Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal began medical training at Selwyn College, Cambridge University and completed clinical studies at The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London. He pursued surgical training in London teaching hospitals and his PhD at the University of London. In 2010 he has been elected to the prestigious National Institute of Health Research Clinician Scientist Fellowship, awarded by the Department of Health, U.K. He is the Director of the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning.

National Sales Manager - HNI Canada Representing Allsteel, HON, Gunlocke, HBF and Paoli

Oversee the development and growth of HNI Canada, representing the HNI operating companies; Allsteel, HON, Gunlocke, HBF and Paoli. Responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the sales and business development operations for the HNI brands, including the development and implementation of marketing, distribution, and channel strategies.

San Rahi is an award-winning Creative Strategist who is passionate about ensuring global brands participate in culture and positively impact society. He is also a Member of the HATCH Executive Board.

As Global Head of Development at Sid Lee Studio, the maker studio at the heart of the most multidisciplinary creative agency in the world, San builds compelling business opportunities across all offices in the fields of content, technology and live experiences, while overseeing direct client relationships that include Boeing and Samsung. Formally trained in architecture, he has spent 20 years working with the world’s greatest brands to create business and marketing opportunities where storytelling and human environments intersect. His clients have ranged from global consumer products and automotive to sports and entertainment companies. Prior to joining SID LEE, San was working in enterprise technologies, as CMO of a Market Analytics company backed by Discovery Capital and PNC Bank. His previous agency roles include Head of Content Development for Dentsu / Americas & Europe, and Creative Director and Co-Founder of Think Creative, an Emmy-award winning branded content agency. An articulate thought-leader with a track-record of digital innovation, San is a member of the Television Academy and the Director's Guild of America, and has taught Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University Heinz College and SCI-Arc.

Sid Belzberg is Managing Director and co-founder of Infinigon Group Inc.
Previously co-founder and CEO of Belzberg Technologies Inc.
Mr. Belzberg developed patented technology for the financial markets that led to a successful joint venture with the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE), bringing to market the first CBOE Hybrid Trading system.
Mr. Belzberg has a Bachelor of Science Degree and is a recipient of the JNF Tree of Life Award.

Stacey is a dedicated and possionate horsewomen. Her love for animals, nature and clean water drive her everyday work with Oneka, the brand of healthy hair and body care products that she founded in 2008 with her husband.

Steven is currently an AVP in equity research with over ten years of experience in equity research and investment banking. Steven also spent three years in Panama involved in real estate brokerage and investment. Steven is focused on financial modeling and business planning, analysis, and development. Steven is an investor and adviser to Kalu Yala in Panama focused on financial and business development.

As co-founder of Nua Office Inc., I oversee the daily operations of our contract furniture dealership.. I am proud to have played an integral part in our nationwide expansion with dealerships in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto after only being in business for one year. Having started my career as an interior designer, I truly love collaborating with and inspiring my partners in the A&D community. In my spare time, I am passionate about volunteering. A charity close to my heart, "The Beyoutiful Project" recognizes and assists women who are disadvantaged by social or economic circumstances. A truly worthy cause. I take great satisfaction in knowing that I have helped to inspire and motivate these courageous women with the tools they need to get back into society with pride and conviction in themselves

Tara Baswani is an acclaimed music artist, creative director and arts educator. From a 10 year experience with the Cirque Du Soleil, to presenting her vision for “ Creators for Change” at COP21, to enabling Art Education networks in India, she has been an ardent voice for creator’s re inventing their platforms to spark “resonance” through inclusive narratives, using social challenges as catalysts for responsive creation.
She was acknowledged at COP21, Paris (2015) for her album Quest; Origins, a human rights project, and for her Montreal based design collective, LembasWorks, and it's socially driven, innovative designs for concepts and live shows.
As Ambassador for "Cultural Expressions for Social Change" at the World Social Forum (2016), she advocated for "Listening through Diversity for Unity", and for women/children's right to safety and education. In 2017, she launched The Daily Quest, an “Educate as you Entertain” program, for aiding marginalized groups in vulnerable cultures.
The first Indian musician to collaborate with the Cirque Du Soleil, her work as an artist/ composer has been featured on global platforms like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Fuji TV, CBC, and through world tours. As an independent casting partner, she now develops talent for them globally.
A recipient of the prestigious Herald Angel Award (Edinburgh Fringe), Tara has performed over North America, Asia and Europe, on diverse platforms like The Royal Albert Hall, Place Des Arts, SouthBank Centre, Fuji Dome, University campuses and schools in India. A leading voice in the Entertainment and Media Industry, she includes campaigns like National Geographic, Discovery, MTV, Pepsi, to her credit.
Tara's solo music project, Quest: Origins (2015) premiered to acclaim on platforms like Aux TV, CBC, NPR, KEXP, Sirius XM, and hybrid live sets at TIFF 2015, COP21 (2015), Hatch Latin Am (2016), WSF (2016). With the Quest Live Sessions, Tara curates audio-visual collaborations with global artists, including audience narratives, in her interactive performances.

Taylor David is a designer, model and actor from Toronto who’s satirical video “Love, Man Bun” went viral and propelled him into the new world of “social influencers”. With insight into this new model of connecting with your audience, Taylor continues to produce online content that pokes fun at the celebrity surrounding modeling and acting industries as well as the impact of social influencers on our culture. Taking on the alias of “Jack Greystone”, Taylor effectively separates his personal self from his online presence, often confusing people as to who is real and who isn’t. An advocate of the Oceans and preserving the shark population, Taylor is passionate about environmental issues and aligns himself with brands that hold the same values.

Teneia Sanders-Eichelberger was born and raised in Jackson, MS. The daughter of an African Methodist Episcopal minister, she grew up singing in church and quickly became known as a standout soloist. At the age of eighteen Teneia taught herself to play guitar, and began writing and playing her own songs around Jackson. She relocated to Louisville, KY for five years to expand her musical career, followed by a move to Phoenix, AZ where she developed into a highly-regarded acoustic singer/songwriter. Teneia has five albums to her credit, several singles, and numerous other collaborations with various artists. She also has a background in healing arts, and is a certified reiki practitioner. Teneia has a deep passion for connecting with people through life and music, and helping them find their true purpose. She and her husband Ben currently perform as a group under her name, touring full-time and spreading a message of love and equality.

An emerging designer that has an acute understanding of client’s needs, Tessa Cole brings her knowledge and expertise in creating workplace solutions that match with an organizations’ business strategy for today and tomorrow. Ms. Cole serves the design community as HNI Canada’s Architectural & Design Manager providing product solutions from world renown office furniture manufacturers: Allsteel, HON, Gunlocke, HBF and Paoli. From this holistic offering, Tessa has the ability to create amazing workplaces that fit a wide variety of client’s needs for now and into the future.

Creative technology pioneer with a passion for human experience and technology. Over 25 years of experience in designing, architecting and engineering scaleable software based solutions. More recently he has turned his attention to how IoT, AI and mixed reality will drive the next industrial revolution. Tim and his team currently deliver world class design and technology to numerous startup and emerging companies as well as the Fortune 50 in a variety of industries.

Tim Kring is best known as the creator of “HEROES”, one of the most widely watched and successful televisions shows of all time, bringing in 76 million viewers each week and breaking new multi-platform ground, winning the 2008 Primetime Emmy® for Interactive Television. Tim also created the critically acclaimed series “CROSSING JORDAN” and “TOUCH”, and along with Homeland’s Gideon Raff, co-created the limited event series “DIG”. Most recently, Tim brought the world of HEROES back to NBC with the acclaimed limited event series, “HEROES REBORN”, which aired last fall. In 2014, Tim, Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas formed IMPERATIVE ENTERTAINMENT, a production company focused on the development, production, and financing of original and branded entertainment across multiple platforms.

Todd Dean, Partner is a retail, omnichannel and e-commerce veteran. He advises and consults with retailers, consumer brands and malls on solutions to help solve and articulate their omnichannel vision.

Todd joined the ALDO Group in the 1990s and learned the business by rotating through a series of retail operations and marketing positions. In 1999, he left to pursue a six-year career in consulting during which he worked for STS Consulting and served clients like Liz Claiborne, Nike and Armani. In 2003, he rejoined the ALDO Group family and was soon promoted to the position of director of e-commerce with the mandate to launch the ALDO transactional website. Todd became ALDO Group’s vice-president of cross channel and e-commerce where he was responsible for web marketing and merchandising, online operations and mobile and web analytics.

Todd also led omnichannel strategy and implementation at the ALDO group. More specifically, he worked with the organization’s leaders to develop a united vision. Here he tackled tough questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the ALDO group, and what kind of brand ALDO wanted to be.

Todd has now entered a new phase in his career as an entrepreneur. In addition to his work with Ascendis, Todd co-founded Wirkn (www.wirkn.com), an innovative employment solution that connects and rewards youth with brands they want to work with. The company was created to help millennials, retailers and malls connect the right people with the right jobs.

Will Travis is a leader of infectious passion, drive and tremendous insight. In business he is the USA CEO of International communications agency SidLee, servicing seven of the worlds top 10 most innovative companies. Prior to joining Sid Lee, Will was CEO of Dentsu America and prior the USA founder and global president of international design agency ATTIK. Outside work he loves exploration, traveling through all continents, climbing several of the worlds highest summits, motorbiking with The Paris Dakar and traversing 18,000ft in the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield Bullet.

Excited about human interaction to reach higher level collectively.
Passionate about empowering people.
Willing to experiment.
Caring.

Yarrow Kraner is Founder of HATCH, a Director/Photographer, an Aspen Institute Fellow, and named 2015 top 100 creatives in the U.S. by Origins Magazine. He is also featured in Talent for Humanity, Stories of Creativity, Compassion and Courage, released in 2015. His ideas and work have been recognized internationally, and he is currently packaging a feature film, Wind in the Fire, on the remarkable story of Bobbi Gibb, recently covered in The New York Times. Yarrow is also the Founder of Superdudes and Supernation, the first pioneer social networking site pre-Facebook. Yarrow is also Founder of H360, an A.I. and machine learning powered community platform to connect people to collaborations and opportunities.