2026 Speakers
Kathryn Landis: Why the Decisions You Avoid Are the Ones That Define You
Our lives aren’t shaped only by the choices we make, but by the decisions we avoid. This talk explores the hidden cost of inaction and what changes when people recognize where delay has been doing the deciding for them.
Kathryn Landis works at the intersection of decision-making and the unseen forces that shape leadership, teams, and everyday life. She teaches at New York University and is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and Fast Company.
Her work examines how decisions are made—or avoided—when stakes are high and pressure is real. Through her teaching, writing, and work with senior leadership teams, she observes how people adapt around unresolved choices, how priorities quietly drift, and how responsibility shifts when decisions go unmade.
She helps groups name what they have been working around, clarify what truly requires a decision, and understand the downstream effects of delay on outcomes, relationships, and well-being.
Stephen Trzeciak, MD: The Hope Effect
Most people think of hope as a feeling or a trait—something you either have or you don’t. But three decades of peer-reviewed research point to something very different: hope is a measurable, trainable capacity that predicts health, longevity, performance, and resilience after adversity. It is not wishful thinking or blind optimism. It is a way of thinking and acting that can be strengthened in yourself and awakened in the people around you.
Stephen Trzeciak, MD, is a physician-scientist and practicing intensivist who serves as the Edward D. Viner Endowed Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Health Care and Professor and Chair of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in southern New Jersey. A clinical researcher with 150 publications, his work has been published in JAMA, Circulation, and The New England Journal of Medicine, and has been supported by grants from the NIH and AHRQ. His research now focuses on the science of hope—how it works and how it can be built. His work has been featured on CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and Freakonomics. His mission is to show—through science—how hope improves outcomes that matter.
Ryan Abbott: The Inventors - Artificial Intelligence and the Quest for Paradise
Who, or what, is the creator of work made by Al, and how should we respond to creative and inventive machines? These are questions at the heart of worldwide lawsuits, with answers that will have profound social, economic, and philosophical impact. We'll dive into these cases and see why it's best for everyone if Al can be both an author and an inventor.
Ryan Abbott, MD, JD, MTOM, PhD, is Professor of Law and Health Sciences at the University of Surrey School of Law, Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, partner at Brown, Neri, Smith & Khan, LLP, and a mediator and arbitrator with JAMS, Inc. He has published widely on issues associated with life sciences and information technology in leading legal, medical, and scientific books and journals. Among others, he is the author of The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law (CUP, 2020), editor of Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence (Edward Elgar, 2022), and a co-author of International Intellectual Property in an Integrated World Economy (Aspen, 2024). His research has been featured prominently in the popular press including in The Times of London, the New York Times, the Financial Times, and other media outlets involving time. Professor Abbott has worked as an expert for institutions including the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Commission, the World Health Organization, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Chester Elton: What Will People Say About You When You’re Gone?
Three messages in three days changed how I think about success, legacy, and what really matters. In this deeply personal talk, Chester Elton shares stories of loss, love, and the quiet power of simply showing up for others. He challenges us to rethink how we measure a life—and reminds us that in the end, it’s not achievement people remember, it’s service.
Chester Elton is a bestselling author, leadership expert, and one of the world’s foremost voices on workplace culture and human connection. Often called the “Apostle of Appreciation,” he has spent over two decades helping leaders build cultures where people feel seen, valued, and inspired to give their best. Chester is the co-author of multiple New York Times and #1 bestselling books, including The Carrot Principle, All In & Leading With Gratitude, and has worked with organizations such as Microsoft, American Express, and the U.S. government. His work explores a simple but powerful idea: how we treat people—at work and in life—is what they remember most.
Nicole Nuttall: Love is a Plan: Ensuring Peace and Confidence at the End of Life
We plan everything; our careers, our weddings, the birth of our children and even our vacations months in advance. But when it comes to the plan everyone will need, the plan for the end of our lives, we treat it as something too uncomfortable to even talk In this TED talk, Nicole Nuttall, Chair of the Completed Life Initiative, flips the script, discussing how death planning is not a morbid chore, but the ultimate act of love, a final gift that gives your loved ones peace and clarity today.
Nicole Nuttall serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Completed Life Initiative. Originally from Oklahoma, Nicole began her career in New York City, where she pursued photography and film before establishing a successful photography business in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Nicole believes that the ability to determine when one’s life feels complete—and to do so with dignity, autonomy, and compassion—is a fundamental human right. Her perspective is shaped by deeply personal experiences: as a young adult, she witnessed her grandmother’s decline in a nursing home; later, she supported her mother through nine years of serious illness following multiple strokes and vascular dementia; and she watched her father confront metastatic prostate cancer with courage before his death. Motivated by this commitment to self-determination and compassionate choice, Nicole helped Faith Sommerfield found the Completed Life Initiative in 2019.
Leon Rainbow: The Vital Signs of a Neighborhood: What Walls Teach Us About Human Connection
What if the health of a community could be measured not just by statistics, but by its stories, its creativity, and the walls that surround us? After nearly three decades painting murals in neighborhoods across America, Leon Rainbow has discovered that public art is more than decoration—it reveals a community’s pulse. Through powerful stories of transformation, recovery, and collaboration, he invites us to see walls not as barriers, but as mirrors reflecting who we are and who we can become. This talk will challenge audiences to recognize creativity as a vital sign of thriving communities and inspire them to become active participants in shaping the places they call home.
Leon Rainbow is a nationally recognized muralist, public artist, educator, and founder of Jersey Fresh Jam, one of New Jersey’s longest-running celebrations of hip-hop culture. For more than 25 years, he has transformed schools, neighborhoods, parks, recovery centers, and public spaces into vibrant works of art that celebrate identity, resilience, and belonging.
Beginning as a graffiti writer, Leon discovered that walls could do more than display art—they could tell stories, amplify overlooked voices, and bring communities together. Today, his collaborative murals are created through conversations with residents, students, and organizations, ensuring each project reflects the people it serves.
A proud member of the Quechan Tribe and a person with nearly three decades of recovery, Leon believes creativity is one of the strongest indicators of a healthy community. Through his artwork, teaching, and public speaking, he inspires others to see public art not simply as paint on a wall, but as a catalyst for connection, hope, and lasting transformation.
Liberty Denman: Trawling for Knowledge: How to Manage Our Fisheries with Science and Lived Experience
When we talk about nature it’s often referred to as a separate entity, as if we ourselves are not part of the system. Given that we are, how can we blend lived-experience of those closest to this system and new technologies, to ensure we can balance the system for fish and fisher alike?
Liberty Denman is a marine biologist, science communicator, and Co-Founder of Kai. Her work focuses on the relationship between people and marine ecosystems, with a particular interest in how knowledge moves between coastal communities, scientists, and decision-makers in the fisheries space.
Drawing on experience across commercial and recreational fisheries, conservation and research, education and Ocean literacy, diving and marine technology, she examines how different groups understand and respond to change in the Ocean. Her current work explores how the expertise of fishers can be integrated into fisheries management and conservation using purpose-built technology.
Paula Bontempi: Paying Attention to Our Planet’s Vital Signs
When someone we love has changing vital signs, we don't look away—we pay attention, we show up, we learn, and we take action. Our planet deserves the same kind of care. Join Paula Bontempi as she shares how scientists are like doctors - doing regular check-ups on Earth's vital signs—and why the results demand our presence, not just our concern.
Paula Bontempi is a Professor of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. She served for nearly 18 years at NASA Headquarters as acting deputy director of the Earth Science Division and as a physical scientist and program manager in ocean biology and biogeochemistry. She served as NASA Program Scientist for instrument and mission science, including the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS), Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP), and the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. She holds a Ph.D. in Oceanography from URI-GSO, an M.S. in Oceanography from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in Biology from Boston College. She was a co-Chair of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) study on Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research, and the NASEM Committee for Assessing NASA Science Activation 2.0: Progress, Achievements, and Strategic Recommendations. Her honors include the Geosciences Distinguished Alumni Award from Texas A&M University, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Michael Pellegrino: Mental CPR: The Power of the Pause
Atlantic Cape Community College (Cape May Court House Campus) Auditorium
August 20, 5:30 pm
What if the most powerful tool we have in moments of pressure is something we rarely practice? In high-stress situations, our reactions often happen faster than our awareness, and those reactions can shape the direction of our lives. In this talk, Michael Pellegrino introduces Mental CPR™ — Catch, Pause, Reframe, a simple framework designed to help people interrupt automatic reactions and regain clarity. Because sometimes the difference between regret and resilience… is a single pause.
Michael Pellegrino is the founder of Resilient Minds On The Front Lines, a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening mental wellness and resilience for first responders, leaders in all professions and communities. After a distinguished 27 year career in law enforcement, he committed his life to helping others navigate pressure, adversity, and change. Michael is the creator of Mental CPR™ — Catch, Pause, Reframe, a practical framework designed to help people interrupt automatic stress reactions and regain clarity in critical moments. He is the author of Crisis = Opportunity and a co-author of Wounds to Wisdom. Through his speaking and training, Michael equips individuals and organizations with tools to turn life’s toughest moments into opportunities for growth.
Monica Amadio: Choose What Matters
Atlantic Cape Community College (Cape May Court House Campus) Auditorium
September 17, 5:30 pm
Artificial intelligence can generate more answers, ideas, and possibilities than any person could pursue. But abundance creates a new human challenge: knowing what to question, what to trust, and what deserves our attention. Drawing on research, the classroom, and her own “curse of curiosity,” Monica Amadio explores the vital signs of healthy thinking in the age of intelligent technology. The future will not belong to those with the most answers, but to those who can choose what matters most.
Dr. Monica Amadio is an educator, researcher, author, entrepreneur, and early adopter of emerging technology who has spent her career helping people think, create, and lead through change. She is the founding chair of the B.S. in Entrepreneurship and an Assistant Professor of Management at Stockton University, where she teaches entrepreneurship, technology and innovation management, and business communication. She also co-chairs Stockton’s AI Advisory Council and studies how artificial intelligence can deepen learning, strengthen judgment, and expand human creativity. Before entering higher education, Monica built and operated several family businesses and developed technology, marketing, and innovation ventures. She writes a column for INC Magazine, serves on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, and her research explores entrepreneurship, leadership, diversity, and the future of learning and work.