Okamura-san is the CEO of Grounding, an independent video-game company based in Japan and currently developing the virtual reality sequel to one of SEGA's most successful and bizarre games ever: Space Channel 5, a visionary music game first released in the late 90s where Ulala, a space news reporter in the 25th century, saves humanity by defeating evil aliens through dance moves and singing, sometimes even helped by Michael Jackson as Space Michael. As one of the few executive women and entrepre
Currently the "Executive Director of Insights and Applied Improvisation" at the iconic theater The Second City, Kelly Leonard is an improviser who doesn't perform on stage. He applies the constructive principles behind improvisational theater in business and everyday life. He studies ways to improve business models and culture by navigating uncertainty, with failure as the base for success. Kelly condensed his 3 decades of experience at The Second City and conjoined behavioral studies at the Uni
Dr. Luca Badetti tries to embrace both abilities and inabilities, arguing that this is the best way to become a more complete and connected human being: by encountering disability. Professor at Loyola and DePaul University, as Director of Community Life at L'Arche holding a PhD in Disability Studies, in his TED talk Luca shares powerful stories from his live-in experience with persons with and without intellectual disabilities, inviting everyone to befriend and accept their own perceived limitat
Gourmet chef and porn star with a military background, Jack Vidra is a model working in the adult entertainment industry nominated as Best Newcomer for the 2017 Grabby Awards, celebrating the adult erotic video industry. Featured in movies from hothouse and tyrant studios, Jack has recently published an essay titled 'Do something that scares you', where he shares his pat h from joining the Marine Corps to becoming a chef and then an adult worker; a process that guided him to discover a better an
David Dewane is an architect and journalist working to create a better world through design and social change serving as Community Director of Archeworks, and formerly as the editor in chief for Impact Design Hub, both dedicated to expanding the role of design in society in order to create better social environments. Mr. Dewane also founded the Mouse Book Club, a project that thanks to a successful kickstarter campaign, aims to replace a commuter's smartphone with classic novels, speeches, essay
Jonathan Mayo is an artist and creator behind Cleaning Closets, an oral history project that collects and shares true coming out stories from both sides of the closet door, both from the perspective of LGBTQ people as well as the family and friends they come out to. Mr. Mayo's goal sharing all the points of view so they can help us find common ground and make the coming out process easier for everyone involved. Through stage plays, a web series, photos, and a film documentary, Jonathan hosts pan
Ms. Halpern mentored comedy legends like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, and Cecily Strong--while building a comedy empire with her iO Theater, home of 'The Harold' (the improv format she created with Del Close).
Using videogames as an artistic medium. Jason Rohrer is an independent game artist and creator of the videogames "One Hour One Life", "Immortality", and "Passage"--currently part of the New York MoMA permanent collection.
Cathy Pearl is one of the few experts in the rising field of designing computers with a voice, working in the San Francisco Bay Area for over two decades and experimenting to create a more natural, conversational way to interact with the devices that help us connect every day. Her book "Designing Voice User Interfaces", published by O'Reilly, is recognized as one of the main texts on the subject by her colleagues who design smart chatbots and general assistants used daily by millions of people.
Prof. Dominic A. Pacyga is a historian and researcher who analyzes the city of Chicago not just as an urban conglomerate, but as the collective and diverse story of settlers, immigrants, and locals who built it through their flesh and turned it into the "most American city". Teaching for over four decades, at Columbia College and the University of Chicago, his book--published by the University of Chicago Press-- and titled "Chicago: A Biography" is a vivid portrait of the quintessential skyscrap