In a raw and courageous talk, Kirsten Duncan reveals how running toward your fears—not away from them—can transform your life. After her marriage ended and her son survived a near‑fatal brain injury, Kirsten’s world fell apart. By facing fear after fear, she slowly rebuilt a life more beautiful than the one she lost. Her story shows that the gifts waiting on the other side of fear are often the ones we never imagined. You’ll leave inspired to step into your own best life with bravery and intention.

Claudia Longo believes we all have the power to design our own narrative. In this inspiring talk, she shares how navigating life with MS has shaped the way she meets every challenge—with truth, community, and unwavering possibility. Once a Division I athlete whose diagnosis arrived just before her collegiate soccer career, Claudia went on to play for the University of Washington, earn a degree in Neuroscience, and later found the nonprofit MS, I’mpossible to support young adults living with MS. Her journey from athlete to social entrepreneur shows how choosing your truth can transform what you believe is possible.

Parul Sharma offers a bold reframe to the familiar idea of imposter syndrome: the Protagonist Mindset, a Buddhist‑rooted belief that each of us is fully equipped to rise above our circumstances. Drawing on her journey as an immigrant, a new mother returning to school to pursue her childhood dream, and two decades of Buddhist practice, Parul shows how embracing this mindset can transform both your life and the world around you. A creative leader and longtime mentor, she invites listeners to step into their own story with confidence, courage, and purpose.

Montana von Fliss has spent 16 years coaching global speakers and 30 years as a professional actor, and the question she’s asked most is how to be more confident. In this lively talk, she shares her reliable two‑part strategy for stepping in front of any audience and appearing confident—even when you don’t feel it. As the founder of Montana & Co., she’s helped leaders at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google transform their delivery with clarity, energy, and joy. Montana shows how anyone can own the stage with ease and turn public speaking from daunting to empowering.

Cindi Williams, co-founder of Learning Heroes and a longtime education advocate, reveals the startling disconnect between perception and performance in American education. With decades of experience spanning the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, and leading nonprofits, Cindi has dedicated her career to empowering parents with the truth about their child’s learning. In this talk, she invites us to reimagine parent-teacher partnerships as the key to unlocking every child’s potential.

What if curiosity wasn’t just about learning new things, but about better understanding ourselves and each other? Dr. Julie Pham, founder of CuriosityBased and author of 7 Forms of Respect, invites us to see curiosity as a daily practice that can transform how we communicate and connect. Drawing from her journey as a Vietnamese refugee, community leader, and scholar, Dr. Pham shares how curiosity can be a powerful tool for building respect and belonging in the workplace and beyond.

After the unimaginable loss of her 3-year old son to drowning, filmmaker Chezik Tsunoda turned her grief into purpose. In this powerful talk, she urges us not to look away from a preventable epidemic that claims far too many young lives. As founder of No More Under and director of Drowning in Silence, Chezik is on a mission to break cycles, raise awareness, and ensure all children have access to life-saving water safety tools. Her story is one of heartbreak, resilience, and relentless advocacy for equity in aquatics.

Cailin Bracken is a powerful voice in the mental health crisis facing student-athletes today. A top-ranked lacrosse recruit and Division I athlete at Vanderbilt, she gained national attention after bravely sharing her struggles in her viral essay, “A Letter to College Sports.” Now a writer, speaker, and podcast host, Cailin uses her platform to advocate for systemic change and federal legislation to protect student-athletes’ mental well-being. In this talk, she calls on leaders in sports and education to act–because mental health can no longer be sidelined.

Born out of her experiences of childhood trauma and long-term recovery from addiction, Daniela practices mindfulness in her life. She has brought this practice of understanding and intimacy to her workplace – a technology company on a mission to end substance use disorder and save lives. In this talk, Daniela will address practical ways to build intimacy in the workplace – to create healthy, supportive and productive environments.

Through personal experiences, Merf will explore what the world looks like if an “F” or an “M” is not quite the right fit and how this assignment at birth impacts us throughout our lifetime. In this talk, Merf will share what is possible if we think outside the binary model of gender and how in doing so, can make us all a little freer.

As Dr. Rizza Cea delved into her doctoral project around unintended pregnancies, she realized that screening for pregnancy intention needs to happen more frequently. In this talk, Rizza will share why reproductive health discussions should be part of every medical visit – and why she believes this could be the key to decreasing unintended pregnancies.

Anne has always credited sport and competitive athletics for her success in life. She passionately supports Title IX, and the doors that it opened for her – and continues to open for girls and young women. In this talk, Anne will share what she believes is the long-term benefit of sports – now and for future generations.