Welby Altidor

Former Executive Creative Director of Cirque du Soleil

Welby Altidor is a visionary creative producer with more than 20 years of experience in artistic production and immersive experience design. He was Executive Creative Director at Cirque du Soleil, where he spearheaded the creation of iconic shows like Luzia and Michael Jackson ONE. Following his tenure at Cirque du Soleil, Altidor served as Chief Creative & Innovation Officer at NEON, leading projects such as Avatar: The Experience and Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. His innovative approach and ability to merge art and technology have contributed to over 80 million tickets sold for interactive shows and immersive exhibitions worldwide. Altidor is also the author of Creative Courage.


Unleashing Creative Courage

• Develop the ‘Creative Courage’ to challenge the status quo and make big ideas happen: Lessons from Cirque du Soleil
• Elevating ideas as catalysts for innovation: Why there are no bad ideas, but platforms to build upon
• Building a culture where creativity is everyone’s responsibility and every voice contributes to the story
• Embracing experimentation, feedback and failure as the foundation of innovation and long-term success in business

Ayanna Howard

Pioneering innovator, entrepreneur and inventor of robotic technologies and AI for industry

A former senior robotics researcher and Mars Exploration research engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ayanna Howard is the current Dean of Engineering at The Ohio State University. She is the co-founder and board director of Zyrobotics, a STEM education and therapy company that designs products for children with special needs. Foremost authority on human emotion-centered robotic design, her work and accomplishments have been the subject of numerous articles and profiles, including in Time, USA Today and Black Enterprise.  Howard is also the author of the best-selling audiobook Sex, Race, and Robots: How to Be Human in the Age of AI.


Leveraging the Transformational Power of AI

• How AI and robotics will define the future of businesses across industries: An optimistic approach to navigating transformation, complexity, and change
• Leveraging AI for human-centered innovation: Strategies for enhancing productivity and connection
• Diverse teams in AI development: Keys to creating inclusive products
• Understanding and mitigating the unintended consequences and ethical challenges of AI

Lisa McKnight

Globally recognised marketing leader and former Chief Brand Officer at Mattel

An authority in marketing with more than 30 years of experience building iconic brands, Lisa McKnight is the former EVP and Chief Brand Officer at Mattel. A champion of inclusive storytelling and purpose-driven marketing, McKnight led Mattel to record market share, with Hot Wheels and UNO delivering record-breaking growth and Barbie reaffirming its status as the #1 global toy brand. Previously, as Global Head of Barbie and the Dolls Category, she spearheaded Barbie’s turnaround (nearly doubling the franchise in only five years) and led the marketing strategy for the Barbie film, which reached $1.44B in box-office revenue and became the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history. Twice named a Forbes Most Influential CMO and an Adweek Brand Genius, she currently serves on the University of Richmond’s Board of Trustees.


Building a Winning Brand

• Inside the Dreamhouse: Lessons from Barbie’s transformation from a doll to a cultural phenomenon
• Winning the next generation: How successful brands gain a competitive edge by building a culture that resonates with customers of all ages
• Practical strategies from Mattel to foster creativity and deliver iconic marketing campaigns
• Measuring cultural momentum and commercial impact: The signals that predict relevance and drive enduring business success

Scott D.Anthony

Professor at the Tuck School of Business and expert on disruptive innovation

Scott D. Anthony is an internationally recognized expert on disruptive innovation and strategic transformation. A Professor of Strategy at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, he has spent more than 20 years at Innosight, a growth strategy consultancy founded by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen, advising governments and Fortune 500 companies worldwide on innovation and economic strategy. He is the author of several influential books, including his latest work Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World. In addition, he is the most published digital author on HBR.org.


Decoding Disruption: Leading with Optimism in Times of Uncertainty

• Lessons from history’s epic disruptions to decode today’s transformative forces
• Navigating “the messy middle with clarity and calm when disruption creates uncertainty
• Stripping away the myths of innovation to realistically assess and implement emerging technologies.
• Practical mindsets to balance paradoxes and turn uncertainty into opportunity

Carl Lewis

One of the greatest Olympians of all time

Recognized as one of the most successful athletes in history, Carl Lewis is a track and field legend, world-record breaker, and ten-time Olympic medalist (with nine golds and one silver). Named Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, Lewis redefined consistency and longevity by sustaining peak performance over many years, competing in five Olympic Games. An eight-time world champion, he set the then–world record in the 100m at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo at the age of 30 – an age considered past prime for sprinters and long jumpers. Beyond his sports career, he founded The Carl Lewis Foundation in 1984 to support disadvantaged youth and continues to dedicate his influence to business, education and social impact initiatives.

The “I Can Do That” Mindset

• Talent is just the start: What it takes to develop a champion mindset, overcome the odds and sustain success over the long term
• The “I Can Do That” Mindset: Developing the mental strength to give you the edge when the pressure is on
• Staying motivated: How to maintain the desire to keep setting the bar higher year after year
• Don’t focus on being at the top, but on being better: Lessons from an Olympic champion in driving continuous improvement

Carly Fiorina

Former Chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard Company

A passionate, articulate advocate for problem-solving, innovation, and effective leadership, Carly Fiorina was the first woman ever to lead a Fortune 50 company when she was recruited to lead Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1999. Under her leadership, revenue grew, innovation tripled, growth quadrupled, and HP became the 11th largest company in the U.S. Her breadth of experience spans from marketing to manufacturing; from sales to strategic planning; from HR to R&D; from finance to engineering to supply chain and logistics. She has led teams and organizations in the private, public and social sectors. Today she is the Founder and Chairman of Carly Fiorina Enterprises, and of Unlocking Potential, a non-profit organization that invests in human potential by supporting local leaders who are solving problems in their communities and places of work.


Shaping Tomorrow’s Leadership

• Mastering change: Practical ways to guide teams through transitions, overcome resistance, and unlock growth
• Unlocking leadership and problem-solving potential: Empower individuals at every level to innovate and take decisive action
• Turning skeptics into allies: How to transform doubt and resistance into catalysts for engagement and transformation
• Leading with empathy and humility: Build trust, foster collaboration, and create a culture where everyone thrives

Mary C. Murphy

Social psychologist and leading expert in organisational culture

An award-winning social psychologist and leading expert in organisational culture, Mary Murphy is a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. She is also the Founder and CEO of the Equity Accelerator, a research and consulting organisation that works with schools and companies to create more equitable learning and working environments through social and behavioural science. Author of more than 100 publications, Murphy was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2019, the highest award bestowed on early career scholars by the U.S. government. Her most recent book is Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations.


Creating a Growth Mindset Workplace

• The growth mindset: Why it matters more than ever, and how to cultivate it as a tool for navigating change
• Identifying the differences between “Cultures of Genius” and “Cultures of Growth”
• Actionable strategies to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset that adapts, evolves, and performs when the pressure is on
• How to build environments that foster trust, innovation, learning and performance