2025 HATCH Mexico Bios

Finder of joy. Co-creator of optimistic futures. COO at The Roddenberry Foundation. Meg wears lots of hats, but one of her faves is leading the Roddenberry Fellowship, a network of activists and social entrepreneurs across the US creating a better world for all. In past lives, Meg has been a whitewater raft guide, a semi-pro athlete, and a middle school reading teacher. Currently, Meg lives in Portland with her incredible 12yo and their pup, and is often dreaming of their next travel adventure.

Ilana lives at the heart of civic imagination—where cities, culture, community, and civic engagement meet. She helps communities shape more just, creative futures through participatory and experiential design, art, and systems change. From reimagining vacant spaces to bringing unlikely collaborators together, her work sparks collective visioning. Ilana believes the future is a shared story—and she builds the spaces where we can write it together.

Marilu Salvador is the founder of The Creating Center, an innovative school focused on creativity, personalized learning, and real-world skills, and The Creating Center Foundation, which supports public education in Panama. With over 30 years of experience, she leads transformative initiatives that blend academic excellence, innovation, and strategic community impact to empower students and educators alike.

For over four decades, Larry Irving has worked at the intersection of public policy and tech innovation. As PBS chair, Internet Hall of Fame member, and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce, he's used tech to improve society.
He helped define and address the digital divide in the earliest days of the consumer Internet. Today, he works on equitable, ethical and inclusive AI development; as a NERC trustee, he works to keep the power grid secure and reliable in the face of AI driven demand; and as PBS chair and member of the Texas Tribune board, he champions public service media.

Joy Nicole is the Inter-Ecosystem Lead at the Civilization Research Institute, where she supports alignment between funders, initiatives, and field-builders working on long-term solutions to planetary risk. Joy plays a central role in shaping gatherings, surfacing emergent opportunities, and strengthening the connective tissue of movements working toward a regenerative future.
She also creates metacrisis-inspired music and holds somatic reflection spaces. Based in San Francisco and southern Costa Rica, she also supports local conservation and changemaker gatherings.

Kim “Kimfer” Flanery-Rye (she/her) is a past VP and Executive Creative Director, now a certified brain-based leadership coach passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion in social justice, and social impact along with women in business. She is the Founder of Inclusion Equals, a social enterprise focused on the IDEA: Inclusion = Diversity + Equity + Accessibility to build culture from the inside out, as well as the CEO of The FBomb Breakfast Club, a peer support community for women, femmes, and gentlethems who are company founders and business owners.

Systems thinker and global expert in public-private partnerships. Passionate about making a just transition to a regenerative economy financially feasible. Partners with public and private pioneers to drive a mission-driven shift in infrastructure investment planning. Founder of ALTAMIRA, a boutique firm advancing regenerative finance through systems thinking; NetworkNature EU partner. Board Director at CAEI (agro-industry, DR) and advisor on finance and water for ECLAC. Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow.

As a system changer by nature, I believe people are inherently whole and capable. Our real challenges lie within the systems themselves; their rigid structures simply need to be changed into dynamic, living systems.

Otho Kerr is the Director of Impact Investing at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He is charged with catalyzing capital providers to invest in underserved communities. Otho has helped to shape the impact investing sector as a founding partner and Chief Operating Officer for Encourage Capital and as Chief Investment Officer for Acumen. Otho has worked in finance for over 30 years, beginning with Goldman Sachs. He began his professional career as an attorney with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Otho received a BA from Dartmouth College and JD from Harvard Law School.

As a weaver and system change facilitator, I nurture transformations from rigid hierarchies to living, human-centered structures. Drawing on indigenous Baltic wisdom from a nearly extinct culture that survived against all odds, I connect cutting-edge methods with ancient resilience patterns. I guide organizations to unlock nature's 3.8-billion-year intelligence, believing every meeting can shift entire systems. My focus: empowering Lithuania as a living prototype for regenerative transformation that can scale globally.

Gretchen Barton is a leading researcher and strategist who helps decode what Americans deeply think and feel—and why it matters. As founder of Worthy Strategy Group, she’s led deep-listening work on Ukraine, U.S. foreign policy, immigration, antisemitism, gender, truth and disinformation, and what voters want in their next president. She advises top campaigns from mayoral to presidential and leads the American Leadership Project, laying the narrative groundwork for America’s first female president. Gretchen loves people and deeply believes that together, we can do anything.

Visionary social entrepreneur (35+ yrs), father, and grandfather, now focused on civic renewal and regenerative community building. Founder of eden.coop to advance better ways of living, post-partisan engagement, co-intelligence, and pragmatic solutions. With 30+ years of community leadership in Topanga & Montreal, and deep inquiry into ecovillages, deliberative democracy, and cooperative models, Scott leads initiatives to catalyze local action and build thriving regenerative communities.

Meredith is a social justice advocate and a business lawyer based in the Sonoran Desert (but often found wandering the globe with fellow Hatchers). She is a multipotentialite who has also been/is a published author, violist, pianist, photographer, triathlete, spinning instructor, backpacker, solo road-tripper, chronic dog rescuer, AZ Supreme Court Law Clerk, open space advocate, breathwork and meditation instructor, law firm owner, TikTok creator (@a.better.biz), and so much more! If you own a business, need help with strategy or negotiation, or just want a hug–find Meredith! 😉

Greg is an instigator. When he sees potential, he feels compelled to bring it to life. He’s been a tech founder, shaping ideas into products, with successes and failures alike. He’s been an investor, working with founders at their earliest stages at Techstars. But now he is at a turning point. Greg and his family left big cities behind and moved to Bozeman, Montana, a place of wonder and beauty. He sees the Bozeman startup ecosystem as being on the cusp of greatness, but it needs a little push. And he’s asking himself: how do I want to operate at the community level?

Susan is an independent business consultant with 30+ years of executive leadership. As COO/CFO of RightNow Technologies, she helped scale the company to its $1.5B acquisition by Oracle. A respected advisor, investor, and board member (Workfront, Socrata, Foundant, Quiq, PFL, D.A. Davidson, MSUAF, MSUIC), she mentors entrepreneurs, co-founded OpensourceMT, and invests through Frontier Angels. A 5th-generation Montanan, she is dedicated to growing the state’s high-tech ecosystem.

Radhika Fox is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, infrastructure, and equity, known for turning ambitious ideas into real-world progress. Radhika advises CEOs, philanthropies, and mission-driven organizations on issues related to the environment, climate, water, and democracy. From 2021–2024, she served as Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leading implementation of the $50 billion water investment under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Radhika is a Strategic Advisor to Xylem (XYL), Isquared Capital, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundatio

Ken Grossinger has been a leading strategist in movements for social and economic justice for thirty-five years, in unions, philanthropic and community organizations.
Grossinger is active on several boards including the University of the District of Columbia (Treasurer), Hirshhorn Museum (Trustee), Skylight Pictures (Director), and the CrossCurrents Foundation, (Chair).
Ken is the author of ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together, published by the New Press in July 2023. He lives part-time in Washington, DC., and Telluride, Colorado.

John Wood Jr. is a USA Today columnist, radio show host on KBLA 1580 (the largest Black talk radio network in the western USA), former nominee for Congress, former vice-chairman of the L.A. GOP, national ambassador for Braver Angels (America’s largest grassroots organization dedicated to depolarization) and is also a member of the Progress Network (an initiative of the New America Foundation), an advisor to the American Project (an initiative of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy) and a board member with the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is a singer and musician residing in Los Angeles.

Kenny is curiously committed to better understanding everything that unites, divides and compels us to participate in this social experiment called life. He sees the world through an entrepreneurial lens focused on connecting people with ideas, resources, places, and one another to effectively address the inequities, challenges and opportunities of our time. Kenny runs why [here] matters, a social enterprise that helps initiatives, networks and places increase engagement, build community and change narratives towards increased belonging, social cohesion and civic health in everyday life.

Elliott’s enchantment with the cosmos comes from a lifetime endeavoring to embody the Co-Creative Process — the Magic, Music, Work, Play, Story, & Flow within & between humans & nature, & the spaces & places we dream up together, which in turn dream through us. Currently, that sees him serving as Creative Strategist at Chicago-based impact studio Good Chaos, & relishing a slowmadic life between The Bay Area & The City of Big Shoulders. It’s also flowered in co-founding & co-leading organizations like CACHE in Arkansas, The Music District in Colorado, & national hip-hop incubator Groundwaves.

Lauren Berlekamp is an innovative international communications professional, natural products industry expert, emergent strategist, impact fundraiser, and creative servant leader with more than 15 years experience in public and media relations, narrative change strategy, content development, and community organizing. Her alignment with the collective well-being of future generations informs her dedication to mission-driven work. She is also a multidisciplinary artist and therapeutic musician in training.

Lisa Richards Toney leads APAP as President/CEO since 2020. With 25+ years in arts leadership, she guided the organization through pandemic challenges and developed a sustainability plan. Her previous roles include leading the Abramson Scholarship Foundation, serving as Deputy/Executive Director at DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, and founding Executive Director of The Debbie Allen Dance Academy. A Spelman and NYU graduate, and Alum Vilar Fellow, Lisa is recognized among Kennedy Center's "The Next 50" and serves on NYC's Live Entertainment Council, championing innovation in the arts.

Dr. Manesh Girn is a neuroscientist and science communicator exploring the neuroscience of psychedelics and human flourishing. He is Chief Science Officer at FIVE Discovery, Scientific Director at The Center for MINDS, and creator of The Psychedelic Scientist, a popular science education platform. With a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University and postdoc training at UCSF where he studied psychedelic brain mechanisms, he integrates science, spirituality, and systems thinking to help shape a new paradigm of healing, transformation, and human potential.

I am the Climate Impact Manager for the Cisco Foundation and Cisco's Chief Sustainability Office. Through strategic funding, I support organizations that work toward climate resiliency in vulnerable communities worldwide. My background by training is in primate behavior and conservation, and I spent my early career in nonprofit management. I am now dedicated to enabling resources to flow into high-impact projects and programs that can ensure a equitable and regenerative future for us all. While an East Coaster by birth and a Midwesterner at heart, I now live in Berkeley California.

Elyse Klaidman is Co-Founder and CEO of Xperiential, a project-based learning platform that connects students with real-world, creative challenges. A 22 year Pixar Animation Studio veteran, she led education, leadership, exhibitions, and outreach initiatives, including co-creating Pixar in a Box and Imagineering in a Box. Elyse is also a practicing visual artist and former gallery director, with a lifelong passion for designing experiences where creativity, curiosity, and learning intersect.

I’m a physician-scientist specializing in psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. I studied medicine at Stanford University and also hold a PhD in neuroscience from the University of British Columbia. I’m the author of I Am a Part of Infinity: The Spiritual Journey of Albert Einstein (Basic Books, 2025), the first book to offer an in-depth exploration of the nondualistic spirituality that drove Einstein’s holistic science and his pacifist ethics. My current research centers on the neural mechanisms and therapeutic potential of meditation practice and psychedelic medicine.

I build grassroots movements for a better world. I believe the way forward is a global, community-rooted civics and democracy movement.

I’m an attorney, mediator, community organizer, advocate, coalition-builder and civic/political entrepreneur with over twenty years of international movement-building experience, including starting a number of political parties and running for public office.

At heart, I'll always be a philosopher and a political theorist.

Originally from Australia, now living in the United States.

Rod Grozier is President & CEO of Gro, a multi-disciplinary firm rooted in the power of place. With a background in architecture and decades of leadership in the nonprofit sector, he champions community health, equity, and youth development through real estate, capital formation, and design. A longtime YMCA leader, Rod has held roles with T2 Consulting and Daxko, and serves on boards including the Hedrick-Martin Institute, Sioux YMCA, and Obsesh Media Group.

Over the last 20 years as an image maker and storyteller, Peter Castagnetti’s path and his work have both been marked by the same notions…curiosity and versatility. He has worked alongside rockstars, celebrities, shepherds, CEO’s, global thought leaders, tech innovators and street poets. Whether commercial, narrative, documentary, sports, music, fashion, adventure or fine art, Peter’s passion lies in bringing heart, soul and style to ideas that matter, and creating experiences that energise the human spirit.

Jamie Bennett [he/him] works with nonprofits, philanthropies, and government agencies through a partnership with Lord Cultural Resources. He works across rural, suburban, Tribal, and urban geographies with a focus on arts, culture, and equitable community development. Jamie lives, works, worships, and plays in Brooklyn, NY and Toronto, Canada and has been sober since 2009.

Cristina is more animal than human. She's a poet & political strategist; an advocate & diplomat. Her varied academic training is only valuable alongside a gritty disruptiveness born from frontline, place-based work. Cristina has worked in community & around the world designing strategies & campaigns to touch hearts, activate minds & deliver demonstrable good for people, communities, and the more-than-human world. Core to her ability to deliver impact is a devotion to relationship, liminal spaces & moving between worlds. Her experience is varied; grounded in a fierce love of all things wild.

As Orchestra's Chief Culture Officer, Thaly advises leaders from Nike to the SEIU on cultural transformation. A former rapper and teacher, she uses her unique blend of creativity and courage to drive social innovation, designing everything from BET films to equity-focused games. With over 20 years of experience, she is a trusted coach for CEOs navigating complex change, turning strategy into tangible impact.

Jacob is President of Mediators Foundation and Executive Director of Better Together America. He is also a founding board member and principal consultant of the Civic Consulting Collaborative. His specialty is large scale collaborative problem solving – like Colorado's Water Plan, Nebraska's Straegic Housing Framework, Denver's Climate Action Plan, addressing firearm-related death, and reimagining democracy to work in each of the communities we live. At Mediators Foundation, Jacob is working to help the civic ecosystem in the U.S. be more coherent, impactful, and innovative.

My purpose is to serve the beings who inhabit this planet with the ancestral shamanic ways I carry and the methods of self-transformation of consciousness I have studied and practiced: Resonance Repatterning® and Jin Shin Tara. I also transmit the Olmec spiritual ways so that they may endure. I studied Sociology at UNAM and graduated with my thesis "Shamanism: A Healing Practice" (FCPyS. UNAM, 2020). I have a Master's degree in Rural Development and Food Policies from the Center for Third World Studies (CEESTM).

Gillian Asido, Manager, Office of the CEO, reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer of PolicyLink. This role has broad responsibility for managing the most critical functions of the executive office. Gillian is a “right hand” for the CEO and is the liaison to the board of directors, organization staff, and key external individuals and groups. Before joining PolicyLink, she served as a program manager for a national nonprofit where she was responsible for leading and managing capacity building and advocacy programs for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Elana is a financial planner and musician passionate about financial democratization and musical lineage. She helps people align money with values and works with her firm's Women & Wealth platform to support women investors. As a composer and performer with her ensemble Teslim, she draws on years of study in Crete in the modal traditions of Greece and Turkey.

Daniel thrives in the space where ambitious ideas become reality at global scale. As a technology builder he's spent his career establishing and leading high-flow teams that navigate ambiguity to create breakthrough products reaching millions (like media platforms and spatial computing @ Apple and social virtual worlds @ Meta). Currently Daniel helps storytellers like TED transcend language barriers through AI. He's passionate about ensuring AI is built to empower human agency rather than diminish it, and seeks collaborators building technology that improves the human experience.

Product leader applying practical AI to drive social impact. For 20 years, I have helped tens of millions mobilize for progressive causes, equipped organizers to scale their reach, and enabled individuals to access personalized financial tools. My goal stays constant – empower people at scale to solve real‑world problems.

In 2012 I founded GP Dinners, fostering substantive discussions, usually over food and drink. Our events (over 1,000 and counting) bring together professional chefs and luminary speakers.

In the fall of 2020, we purchased a former summer camp in the mountains near Yosemite. Camp Earnest's 21 acres include many lodging options, a dining lodge, bathhouse, sauna & hot tub, an amphitheater, a year round creek, meadow and a meditation/movement hall.

At Regen Bridge, we build bridges to accelerate the regenerative era. We work with investors, next generation leaders, and organizations.

Dr. Carmen Rojas is the president and CEO of Marguerite Casey Foundation. Under her leadership, the foundation launched the prestigious Freedom Scholar award, and since starting in 2020 granted more than $252M in funding to dozens of organizations doing the hard work of shifting power to those people who have long been excluded from having it. Prior to MCF, Dr. Rojas was the cofounder and CEO of the Workers Lab, an innovation lab that partners with workers to develop new ideas that help them succeed and flourish.

I aspire to weave stories and fabrics, connecting threads of tradition and innovation. As a textile design student, I am driven by a deep curiosity to learn, explore, and understand how heritage techniques could thrive in the modern era. I love when creativity, culture, and people connect – in a conversation, a shared project, or a spark of inspiration. I’m part of Global Girls, a circle of young women who’ve been connecting online since the Covid era. This year’s HATCH Summit will be our first time meeting in person! And I am super excited!

Ralph Lewin is Executive Director of the Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund, where he works with others to improve economic and social well-being in Sonoma County and strengthen democracy nationwide. He previously served as CEO of the California Council for the Humanities and led San Francisco’s Mechanics’ Institute, recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a beacon of what a cultural institution can be.” Ralph has lived and studied in Argentina, Indonesia, and Germany. He now lives in a small town north of the Golden Gate Bridge, where he enjoys pick-up soccer and adventures in reading.

Yarrow is Founder of HATCH, Co-Founder of Montana Festival. An Aspen Institute, RSA Fellow, and previously founded the first social network (1999-2003) The Hero Project, acquired by FOX after reaching 1.5M users. He leads global collaborations across sectors to accelerate solutions for human and planetary wellbeing, and has advised organizations including NASA, Intel, EY, and PolicyLink. He has spoken at TEDx, VivaTech, EarthX, BIF, Volcano Summit, featured in the book Talent for Humanity, and honored with the Audfest Impact Award.

Dr. Michael McAfee became President and CEO of PolicyLink in 2018, seven years after becoming the inaugural director of the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink. During his time at PolicyLink, Michael has played a leadership role in securing Promise Neighborhoods as a permanent federal program, led efforts to improve outcomes for more than 300,000 children, and facilitated the investment of billions of dollars in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. He earned his Doctor of Education in human and organizational learning from George Washington University.

Josh Kirschenbaum is the chief advancement and special officer of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute that works to advance racial equity. As one of the original PolicyLink staff members, Josh has worked across the programmatic, communications, and operations teams, which allows him to bring comprehensive organizational knowledge to bear on supporting diverse alliances partnerships. His broad understanding of PolicyLink programs, funding, and networks enables him to design and launch new initiatives and drive organizational strategy, most recently leading Project All.

Mason is a third-generation folk musician and facilitator. Musical-chameleon turned spiritual-seeker and philanthropist, he spent his formative years leading humanitarian outreach efforts in Nepal. His genre bending styles reflect a journey through worlds both tangible and esoteric.

Dr. Abbie Langston serves as Vice President of Research of PolicyLink, leads efforts to redesign our economy on the principles of equity, sustainability, and shared prosperity, developing partnerships and systems-change efforts focused on power building, narrative change, and policy advocacy. Through the National Equity Atlas partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute, she produces tailored research to support grassroots campaigns and cross-sector efforts to advance racial economic equity Research Institute, and holds a PHD from Duke University.

Majorie Clifton has over two decades of experience in communications and policy. She is also a published author, speaker and media commentator, appearing multiple times a week on global news networks. She founded her consulting business in Washington, DC in 2004, where she worked across four presidential administrations. As a consultant for corporations, non-profits and federal agencies, she focuses on public policy, brand and workforce optimization. Clifton’s projects also include developing strategic coalitions for policy initiatives and public/private partnerships.

The causes closest to my heart are those that build community, advance equity, protect the natural world, and expand educational access. I believe that when people feel connected, valued, and empowered, they are more likely to care for each other and the planet we share. My work, my volunteering, and my everyday choices all reflect this belief.

Joshua Graham Lynn has dedicated his career to building brands that build a better world. He most recently led RepresentUs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fixing America's broken political system. A seasoned storyteller, communications specialist and creative director, his work has been honored by the Rebrand 100 Awards, Webby Awards, American Package Design Awards, and the ADDYs. Josh has launched and managed brands and power-building platforms for organizations ranging from credit unions to sustainable communities, mobilizing millions toward a better future.

Cordaro Rodriguez, born in Charlotte, NC, taught himself piano at 10 and became skilled in multiple instruments and music production. A Princeton psychology graduate (2008), he taught English in Ecuador before earning his JD from Boston University (2012). After briefly practicing law, he co-founded Sons of Serendip, reaching the finals of America’s Got Talent. Since then, the group has performed nationally and internationally, blending cinematic music with storytelling and heart.

Boodie leads ConnectUp Media Agency, where he offers perspicacity to his clients. He advises and manages influencers, royals, wealthy families, nonprofits, and brands on systemic impact, business strategy, events, and partnerships. He sits on the board of The Impact Guild & Hollywood Cares Foundation.

Jay Hirschton has over two decades of leadership in social finance, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors, building teams and scaling organizations. Jay is the COO of Vibrant Data Labs, a social mission data science company that amplifies the impact of funding by leveraging AI data tools. Previously, Jay was the CEO of Full Circle Fund and led fundraising and operations for various international and national organizations. He lives in Berkeley, CA, with his wife and two boys.

Fascinated by the beauty around the world, by how the environment is deeply connected and how art is created every time we open our eyes. I study biology at Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, focusing on eco-physiology of Atlantic Forest species and climate change impacts. Beyond science, I try to move through life with rhythm — dancing, staying connected to nature and teaching capoeira with my family. Grounded by heritage and driven by curiosity, I weave science, art and community into a journey of discovery and hope.

Bear Kittay—is a catalyst for transformation, a master of connection, and someone who makes the impossible feel inevitable. Bear is most known in epic circles around the world as a ‘social alchemist,’ a man who doesn’t just meet people—he transforms the way they see themselves and the world around them. His magic lies in weaving together extraordinary individuals and networks, aligning them with vision, capital, creativity, and purpose to ignite transformations that leave lasting impact on society and the planet.

Noni Session is co-founder and Executive Director of the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative. A 3rd generation West Oaklander and Cultural Anthropologist, Noni’s research and organizing work spans national and global arenas. Noni carried out her doctoral research in Nairobi, Kenya on international humanitarian strategies and their on-the-ground consequences. After a 2016 run for Oakland City Council where she garnered more than 43% of the vote, Noni saw her community’s clearest pathway to economic justice and halting rapid displacement was an independent cooperative economy

Maryam Badr is a recent Wesleyan University graduate in Neuroscience and East Asian Studies. She is currently completing a year-long global research project through the Watson Fellowship. Her project examines the intersection of healthcare and migration systems, exploring how these systems shape the relationships between refugees, lawyers, and healthcare workers as they work to develop solutions together. Maryam plans to pursue a medical degree, with a special interest in serving displaced populations.

Driven by the joy of finding "possible" amid life's challenges, Sean is a professional speaker, coach, and consultant. His work is informed by his own journey as a trauma survivor and 20 years of experience supporting communities impacted by violence, helping people shift from crisis to calm by journeying inward with intention.

Recognized by institutions like Harvard Business School and TED, his accomplishments include launching gang intervention teams and leading the award-winning organization CHOOSE 180. When not working, he enjoys adventure with his wife and two children.

Mark Gerzon, founder and chairman of the board of Mediators Foundation, is the author of numerous books including The Reunited States of America, Leading Through Conflict and Global Citizens. He designed and facilitated the US House of Representatives Bipartisan Congressional Retreats and his decades of cross-partisan mediation and thought leadership. During his almost four decades leading this social venture incubator, Mark has helped launch scores of dynamic projects that have profoundly influenced the field of bridge-building and conflict transformation.

Dan Steif is an accomplished technology executive with a diverse background leading "0 to 1" business development, strategic partnerships, and driving social impact for startups and large enterprises. He currently serves as a Principal at Amazon Web Services, where he specializes in leveraging generative AI solutions to empower strategic cross-Amazon collaborations and partnerships. Prior to AWS, Dan was Chief Business Officer at Full Circle Fund, where he founded the Tech Accelerator Fund to scale tech nonprofits. Dan has 2 kiddos (7 & 5) and loves jujitsu. He resides in Oakland, California.

Rob Kramer is a successful tech entrepreneur, angel investor and broadway musical composer/lyricist with two exits in the media, technology, and impact sectors.

Hi, I’m Elsa, a 20 year old Albanian from Kosova studying computer science engineering in Hungary. I’m passionate about culture, politics, and making a difference. I love sports, books and movies and I am constantly seeking the “Great Perhaps.”

Dario is a creative director, photographer, and design theorist whose work explores how image, environment, and technology shape culture and identity. In 2020, he became the first Black photographer to shoot a Vanity Fair cover with Viola Davis. He is founder of the Institute of Black Imagination, a Loeb Fellow at Harvard GSD, professor at Parsons, and NYC Urban Design Forum Fellow.

I move through life with an open but scattered heart. Scattered by the two newborn birds I once tried to revive, by the homeless man who handed me books full of truth, by the Gazan girl on my phone who loves to cook but goes hungry, by the girls whose Sunday smiles reach me across oceans, by the grass that cradles me when I lay to down to breathe. Scattered by my love for law and for veterinary medicine, by my hope for this country while the roots and ancestors of my homeland call me back. And maybe that is my gift—to be torn open by love, and still carry it all.

Rabbi Joshua Lesser is a nationally recognized rabbi, consultant, and writer who sparks transformation at the crossroads of equity, spirituality, and culture. As Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Bet Haverim and a strategist for mission-driven organizations, he empowers leaders to embrace authenticity and belonging as tools for change. Named one of the US's “36 Most Inspiring Rabbis,” Joshua brings creativity, resilience, and a fierce commitment to possibility, helping communities imagine—and build—the future they long for.

Prior to establishing herself in real estate, she held positions in public relations, marketing, and journalism. Her focus continues to be resort and recreation-minded properties, placing equal emphasis on the creation of product and lifestyle, in addition to philanthropy, non-profit acceleration, and impact.

Brittan Heller is a human rights lawyer and Stanford lecturer whose work bridges technology, law, and society. She coined “biometric psychography” to capture new privacy risks in immersive tech and explores how AI and 3-D computing affect governance, privacy, and expression. A 2024 Bellagio Resident and inaugural AI and Tech Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, she advises the United Nations, Council of Europe, and major tech firms. Heller previously prosecuted at the International Criminal Court and U.S. Department of Justice and speaks at venures like Davos, SXSW, and the Augmented World Expo.

Robin has built a career connecting people, institutions, and ideas to advance education, equity, and human rights. Spanning the State Department, U.S Senate, higher education, international organizations and big Tech, she is a versatile leader and lifelong learner. Recently she took stock stock of how much time she has left to contribute to the betterment of society, and came to the realization that she has no time to waste. Her hope is that HATCH will help her continue to empower communities, foster collaboration, and create meaningful change.

Tyler Norris, MDiv, is a social entrepreneur and trusted advisor to philanthropies, agencies and partnerships working to improve the well-being of people and place. For over four decades, he has shaped health and development initiatives in hundreds of communities in the U.S. and around the world and built over a dozen business and social ventures. Tyler is co-founder and director of the CEO Alliance for Mental Health; a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; advises multiple healthcare orgs; and most recently is working to create safe legal access to psychedelic healing.

Through his work as President + CEO of the Steelcase Foundation, Daniel has led the revision of the Foundation’s giving strategies to uplift community voice and provide more intentional support for partners while leveraging the Foundation’s influence and expertise to drive and support larger-scale social change. Prior to his work at Steelcase Foundation, Daniel worked towards equity and innovation in his roles as President + CEO of the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology and co-founder + principal of Grand Rapids University Prep Academy.

Rahmin Sarabi is Founder and Director of American Public Trust (APT), a national nonprofit upgrading democracy through deliberative and digital practices with cities, counties, and states. He also co-founded and co-leads BLOOM, a post-partisan, tech-enabled infrastructure for democratic co-governance that anchors public voice locally and federates across places to meet challenges at scale. Rahmin’s work includes the Fort Collins Civic Assembly, California’s statewide Engaged California program, and strategic planning for the global Democracy R&D network.

Jennifer McCoy is an expert on pernicious political polarization and depolarization, democratic backsliding and recovery around the world. She is a political science professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta and nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Formerly a director of the Americas Program at The Carter Center working with former president Jimmy Carter to mediate conflicts, monitor elections and strengthen democracy in the hemisphere. She is currently finishing a book manuscript on Depolarize Politics and Remake Democracy (with Murat Somer).

Sarah Cross is an SVP at Stand Together, leading efforts to leverage America’s 250th anniversary to revitalize the American Dream and inspire every American to engage in civic life. She previously guided Stand Together’s work to defend free speech and bridge divides. Sarah was founding board chair of the New Pluralists Collaborative, bringing together diverse partners from across sectors to promote a culture of peaceful pluralism. She also serves on the board of the Trust for Civic Infrastructure, a fund advancing innovative civic spaces that foster collaboration in communities across America.

Printz is a multi-Grammy-winning artist, and multiple BMI (does this need a copyright symbol?) Songwriter Awards while securing yet another #1 slot with a BTS record in 2020.. A musician, songwriter, producer, founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, wrote “Where is the Love?” – Has collaborated with Michael Jackson, Dr. Dre, Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, John Legend, and more. Distinguished as not only an award-winning artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, but an entrepreneur, curator, and film and television creator.

Dan Cardinali is a nonprofit leader dedicated to non-rivalrous social change. He serves as a Senior Fellow at PolicyLink, Senior Fellow at the M.J. Murdock Trust, Board Chair at The Fetzer Institute, Senior Advisor at Stand Together Foundation, and on the boards of Sojourners and Bridgespan. Previously, he led Independent Sector and Communities In Schools, Inc.His career reflects his long-standing commitment to education reform, improving child welfare, strengthening civil society, and integrating spirituality into social change practices.

Yosi is a cultural organizer and founder of TaskForce, the agency behind some of the most influential public campaigns of the past decade (over 50B views). He ran the Office of Culture for President Obama (commissioned the HOPE poster), and understands the critical role of the artist in shaping culture and, thus, public opinion and policy. He has spent decades investigating how intentionally designed cultural strategies can create new narratives, reshape cultural norms, fuel movements, and spark lasting behavioral change.

Dr. Angie Kim is the President and CEO of the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a U.S. nonprofit regranting organization. She is the founding director of CCI’s pooled fund program, AmbitioUS, which provides grants, loans, and investments to support collectivizing for power and community ownership. These political and economic models empower cultural self-determination. Additionally, she started the Research to Impact Lab, which conducts research, advocates for, finances, and incubates enterprises aimed at promoting interdependency models in preparation to succeed late-stage capitalism.

Tom Silverman is a strategic impact leader focused on democracy, governance, and civic innovation. His expertise lies in political philosophy, movement building, community mobilization, and campaign design, He's had the privilege of living and working all over the world and collaborating with an incredibly eclectic network of change makers. For that, he's blessed.

Meija helps people own their creative power to make the courageous moves we all need for a more joyful, vibrant, and beautiful world. She coaches leaders in design, tech, and social impact to build clarity, energy, presence, and creative spark. A former dancer, IDEO executive, and leader in advertising spanning food innovation, healthcare, and brand design, Meija brings an alchemy of design thinking, psychology, and embodied awareness to her practice. She champions food systems change as a board leader for Eat Real and builds communities with courageous optimism, play, and warmth.

Nia Evans is the Executive Director of the Boston Ujima Project, Inc. Her educational background is in the areas of labor relations, education leadership, and policy.

As Global VP of Impact at Steelcase, Kim drives social innovation shaped by roles at WMCAT and Stanford’s d.school. A best-selling author of You Belong Here and founder of To Belonging, Kim speaks worldwide at Google, Microsoft, MIT, and beyond. Kim is a global leader in Belonging and Purpose and a systems thinker whose life story fuels her advocacy for inclusion. Born in Korea and adopted by American parents, she transformed her search for identity into a mission to create spaces where all feel seen and valued.

Aza Raskin is a National Geographic Explorer, Co-Founder & President of the Center for Humane Technology and Earth Species Project, and co-host of the podcast Your Undivided Attention. Featured in Netflix’s The Social Dilemma, he is a mathematician and dark matter physicist turned entrepreneur, taking three companies to acquisition. Aza co-founded Mozilla Labs, co-chaired the WEF Global Future Council on AI, advises world leaders, and has been named Fast Company’s “Master of Design” and a Forbes & Inc. “30 Under 30.

My purpose is to bring love into the world—to see and understand people deeply, especially when others cannot, and to ensure no one feels alone. Through this, I work to democratize and humanize spaces, supporting people in moving away from hierarchy and exclusion towards equity, collaboration, and shared power. Over the last twenty-five years, I have worked across many different sectors and community groups, including public education, public health, and business – always with a focus on how we can collaborate with one another rather than dominate.

Chloe Smith is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and activist, best known as co-founder and lead vocalist of Rising Appalachia with her sister Leah Song. Blending sultry vocals, banjo, fiddle, and guitar, her music drawn from Southern soul and global roots traditions. An activist before a musician, she champions environmental justice and cultural preservation, weaving art and activism into a lifelong commitment to healing, community, and the power of song.

Born into a musical family from Georgia, Leah Song is a storyteller, song-catcher, musician, poet, and community builder known primarily for her role as front-woman of Rising Appalachia, alongside her sister Chloe. As a soloist she incorporates sultry vocals, storytelling, folklore, ballads and boleros into her laid back troubadour performances. Her music is based in the traditions of Southern soul, the diasporic music of the Celtic Isles and her deep studies of traditional folk music from across the Americas .

Luis Sosa Diaz is a narrative strategist and creative consultant based in Mexico City. With more than a decade of experience guiding organizations, cultural projects, and leaders, he helps uncover the core story at the heart of their work and translate it into strategies that resonate.

Blending a bi-cultural background with a deep curiosity for technology, culture, and stories, His approach combines critical thinking, creativity, and versatility. Outside of consulting, Luis is a writer and lifelong explorer of books, etymology, and film. He lives his wife and their two cats.

Chris Harris is based in Kansas City where he works with foundations, non-profits, and other civic organizations focused on community development, civic engagement, and innovation. Chris brings extensive experience in philanthropy, non-profit leadership, policymaking, and civic engagement to complex challenges. His experience includes leading entrepreneurship strategies at the Kauffman Foundation, serving as a senior leader at the Kansas Leadership Center, and advising national organizations working in entrepreneurship and serving as an advisor to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Sepi is an experienced engineer, leader, and Armstrong Scholarship Alumni. She holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Earth & Space Exploration sciences – with the belief that understanding the “why” behind any engineering project is the ultimate key to success. Sepi has held engineering roles at well-known aerospace companies always upholding the highest integrity to bring about positive change. She is passionate about solving problems, asking the hard questions, and finding impactful solutions. Her passion reaches beyond her work to helping animals and caring for her cats.

With more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry—mainly in Finance and Planning, where I focused on turning data into insights to guide decisions, anticipate the future, and create sustainable value—I now serve as CFO of The Creating Center Inc. in Panama, channeling this expertise into education to build sustainable financial models and expand access to quality learning.

At the center of my life are my wife and children, along with a deep love for astronomy, philosophy, sports, and the piano—passions that keep me grounded and inspired.

Award-winning bowed-string instrumentalist, world class musician, singer, writer, and inventor, Duncan Wickel is “A considerable talent…as persuasive in a traditional ballad as he is country fiddling or ripping through cascading classical flourishes or atonal double stops” (The Boston Globe)

In 2016 Duncan performed as a member of the Stay Human Band on two consecutive episodes of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, including a taping of “Flashlight” with founding members of Parliament Funkadelic. Along with his band, Rising Appalachia, he was featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series

Lina Lyte Plioplyte, a Lithuanian-born filmmaker, directs documentaries, commercials, and short films, showcasing her work on Netflix, MTV, PBS, Venice Biennale, and at film festivals like SxSW and IDFA. Her films include "Advanced Style" and "Periodical," a documentary on menstruation, premiered at SxSW and now streaming on MSNBC. An Emmy-recognized cinematographer, Lina loves to see the world through the lens. Her film sets are inclusive and avoidant of one time use plastic. She runs Documentary Accelerators to help filmmakers hone their craft in this ever changing film landscape.

Lisa Witter is a serial entrepreneur and behavioral science expert. She is CEO and co-founder of the Better Politics Foundation, a global non-partisan political leadership innovation platform. She also co-founded Apolitical, the world’s largest peer-to-peer network for public servants (300k+ in 170 countries), named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. A WEF Young Global Leader and agile governance expert, she leads leadership trips to Greenland on climate. She writes on Substack: Better (Political) Leadership.

Farhoud is a law school dropout turned filmmaker who leads Ritual Arts, a strategy and storytelling studio dedicated to driving cultural change at scale. For more than fourteen years, he has developed and directed award-winning film and television projects at the intersection of brand purpose and social good. His work has reached billions, raised millions of dollars for social causes, and helped influence national policy in the United States.

Christopher Breedlove is a strategist, designer, and community builder focused on civic art, systems thinking, and collective resilience. As Director of Civic Activation at Burning Man Project, he leads Burners Without Borders and the global Regional Network, and helps steward Fly Ranch and long-view sustainability projects. His work blends grassroots action with cultural futurism, building frameworks for regenerative design and decentralized collaboration.

Born in Uganda to Congolese parents, I’m passionate about advancing Africa’s political and economic development and aspire to become a UN diplomat representing the DRC. Through my work with the African Impact Foundation in Zambia, Refuge Coffee Co., and Girls in STEAM, I’ve contributed to youth empowerment, refugee resettlement, and initiatives that advance gender equity and education. My purpose is to create sustainable systems that empower communities, expand opportunities, and inspire the next generation of changemakers across the continent, building a future defined by equity, resilience,

Noah is a narrative cinematographer and storyteller with 15+ years of experience crafting film and television grounded in human connection. A former Deputy Field Organizer for the 2008 Obama campaign, he brings a civic lens to his creative work. Noah serves on the Board of the Rosenthal Family Foundation, supporting climate, education, and democracy initiatives. He’s also a devoted dad and passionate fly-fishing enthusiast and wildlife photographer.

Katherine Clements is the Director of a Bay Area-based family foundation and their Unorthodox Philanthropy program. For the past decade and a half, she has worked on behalf of the foundation to source, vet, and support a diverse community of partners around the world. She has previously worked for a wide range of nonprofit organizations including international intermediary grantmakers, documentary film festivals, and environmental organizing efforts.

Sekou Andrews is one of the most successful spoken word poets in the world. On any day he can be found keynoting at a Fortune 500 company, inspiring thousands at a concert, or performing for Obama in Oprah’s backyard. Sekou is committed to pioneering a mainstream industry for spoken word. He has built a 7-figure company on poetry, has been featured on dozens of major TV networks, has innovated a new category of public speaking called “poetic voice,” and has garnered awards in advertising, theater, business, poetry, and music, including a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Spoken Word Album”.

Known for her unique ability to connect people to their deepest held beliefs and inspire courageous action, Lucy has devoted herself to the science and practice of how people change. She is a social psychologist, master facilitator, and thought-leader with an emphasis on individual and systems level transformation. Lucy works in partnership with trail-blazing individuals and organizations to unlock humanity’s potential and bring paradigm shifting change to the world. She is a steward of empowering visionaries and transforming culture.

My heart beats for difference makers who know how to slay at home, at work, and within their communities, even when they are not personally okay. I’m passionate about creating products, spaces, and experiences that invest in the emotional well-being of people who lead, love, and serve in transformational ways. I live out this calling as a CEO, movement builder, and avid reader and writer who processes the world through words, preserving and passing on ancestral intelligence. My work is rooted in content, community, care, and legacy.

Stephen Hawkins is focused on addressing political polarization. He has served as Global Director of Research for More in Common since its founding in 2016 and oversees public opinion research in the United States, UK, Europe, and Brazil. He is the lead author of Hidden Tribes, which has been cited hundreds of times in media. Previously Stephen conducted research for Fortune 100 companies and UN agencies. Stephen holds an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he served as commencement speaker. Raised abroad, Stephen is both American and British—and likes to think he has Brazilian rhythm.

Tala Sage is a Transformation Coach, DJ, poet, and multidisciplinary artist bridging creative expression, personal growth, and social change. A longtime advocate for environmental sustainability, he worked on the Paper Campaign with Forest Ethics and Dogwood Alliance and has over two decades in festival production. Founder of Strongheart Brotherhood, he leads heart-centered men’s leadership. With 15 years at Burning Man, he cultivates creativity, community, and conscious celebration.

CEO of Rodavento Hotels, an award-winning hospitality group in Mexico. With 26 years in the company, I’ve helped shape its growth through a people-centered, creative, and community-conscious approach. Passionate about hospitality’s power to uplift and create opportunities, I value co-creation, outdoor living, and lifelong learning. Formerly in finance and tech startups. Avid reader, traveler, mezcal lover, and advocate for conscious leadership.

15 years of doing my best to catalyze community and inclusive business in an economic system that historically prioritizes profit maximization. I am currently a contractor working with a few clients: B Lab and helping with its strategy to grow and serve its beloved community of B Corps, The Emerald Podcast Grant Program and its commitment to supporting spiritual solutions to social issues, and Burning Man Project and its leave no trace efforts. I am a father, a son, and a perpetual learner and un-learning finding my ways to roller skates through the halls of power.