Daron Acemoglu is an Institute Professor at MIT, Faculty Co-Director of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work, and a Research Affiliate at MIT’s newly established Blueprint Labs; fellow of National Academy of Sciences, British Academy of Sciences, American Philosophical Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences; winner of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2024 (with Co-Laureates Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson), the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, Nemmers Prize, Global Economy Prize, Carnegie Fellowship, CME Prize, John Bates Clark Medal; and author of New York Times bestseller Why Nations Fail (with James Robinson), The Narrow Corridor (with James Robinson) and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle over Technology and Prosperity (with Simon Johnson). He holds honorary doctorates from University of Utrecht, Bosporus University, University of Athens, Bilkent University, University of Bath, Ecole Normale Superieure, Saclay Paris, and London Business School.

Dr. Sowmya Balachandran is an urban planning scholar and assistant professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Community Development at the School for the Environment at UMass Boston. She studies poverty, poverty risk, and economic mobility in transnational geographies. Her specialization is in housing and community development.

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Jessica Bartlett is a medical reporter at The Boston Globe, where she covers hospitals, health insurance, and health policy. She has spent nearly a decade reporting on the business of healthcare, focusing on industry evolution, affordability, workforce challenges, and hospital capacity issues. Her multimedia story “Voices from the Front Lines,” featuring firsthand accounts from nurses during the pandemic, earned a media excellence award from the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. In addition to her reporting, Bartlett regularly appears on Boston Globe Today, Bloomberg Radio, and New England Cable News. Before joining the Globe’s health team in 2021, she covered healthcare, cannabis, and the craft beer industries for the Boston Business Journal and previously reported local news for the Globe. A Massachusetts native, Bartlett graduated from the University of Vermont with degrees in English and studio art.

Andy earned his MD from Brown Medical School and completed residency and fellowship training in Anatomic Pathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology from Stanford University. He completed a PhD in Biomedical Informatics from Stanford University, where he developed one of the first machine-learning based systems for cancer pathology. He’s been certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic Pathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology. Prior to co-founding PathAI, he was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School in the Department of Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He has published over 110 papers in the fields of cancer biology, cancer pathology, and biomedical informatics.

Dr. Sian Leah Beilock is the 19th President of Dartmouth, and the first woman in the role in Dartmouth’s history. She has positioned Dartmouth as a leader on critical issues in higher education, including the energy transition, affordability, and the importance of dialogue across difference. Under her leadership, Dartmouth launched the first-of-its-kind “Dartmouth Dialogues” initiative — which facilitates conversations and skill-building to bridge political and personal divides. A distinguished cognitive scientist, she is also one of the world’s foremost experts on performance under pressure. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the author of two critically-acclaimed books — Choke and How The Body Knows Its Mind. Her TED talk on performing under pressure has been viewed nearly 3 million times.

Roger Berkowitz is the founder and head fishmonger of Roger’s Fish Co., a seafood company with e-commerce, wholesale and retail channels, and a restaurant opening soon in Logan Airport, Terminal A. Previously, he was the owner and operator of Legal Sea Foods for over 40 years before selling the family-owned restaurant group. Roger is the founding President of the Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative, a Governor Healy appointee to the Massachusetts Commercial Fisheries Commission, and a former member of NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. He was honored with the prestigious James Beard “Who’s Who” Award.

Jon Bernstein is the regional president for PNC Bank’s Boston expansion market, bringing nearly 25 years of financial services experience and deep ties to the region. Before joining PNC, he served as a managing director in Barclays’ Financial Institutions Group, advising major national financial firms and leading coverage for banks across the country. His background also includes several years in private equity, along with corporate development and investment banking roles at Morgan Stanley, A.G. Edwards, and Credit Suisse. At PNC, Bernstein leads efforts to strengthen the bank’s presence and relationships across Greater Boston, building on the company’s established corporate and institutional banking footprint. A longtime Boston-area resident, he holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard College and a master’s in economics from Cambridge University.

Liz Berthelette serves as Head of Northeast Research & National Life Science Research at Newmark. In this role, she partners with Capital Markets, Brokerage and Research professionals to deliver data and insights in the country’s leading Life Science markets. With more than 16 years of experience as a researcher and economist, Berthelette oversees analysis on employment trends, supply and demand dynamics, new development, build-out costs, vacancies, investment activity and financing. She also examines broader demand drivers including demographics, clinical trials, healthcare costs, manufacturing and funding flows. Based in Boston, Berthelette joined Newmark in 2019 and has since led the production of market reports, white papers and research publications that inform clients, investors and industry stakeholders nationwide.

Kayla Bradley (any pronouns) is an Environmental Science PhD student at UMass Boston whose research explores how community-driven media and storytelling shape public attitudes toward environmental science and climate justice. Their dissertation, in collaboration with the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, co-creates signage, maps, and digital stories highlighting the impacts of colonialism on their access to their ancestral homelands on Cape Cod and their ability to engage in traditional practices like hunting and fishing. Kayla also teaches introductory environmental science and sustainability courses, incorporating diverse and inclusive instructional and assessment methods to reach a broad audience of students.

Anica Butler is the deputy managing editor for local news at The Boston Globe, overseeing the newsroom’s largest department, which spans politics, education, courts, immigration, climate, health, and regional reporting. She also leads The Great Divide team, focused on K–12 inequality, and Money, Power, Inequality, an initiative examining the racial wealth gap. A key leader in the Globe’s digital transformation, she edited the Pulitzer-finalist Spotlight series “The Desperate and the Dead.” Since joining the Globe in 2011, she has guided coverage of major trials, including the Marathon bombing and Whitey Bulger cases, and previously served as editor of the Ideas section. A 2019 Nieman Fellow and two-time Pulitzer juror, Anica previously worked at The Baltimore Sun, the Los Angeles Times, and The Hartford Courant. She is a Florida A&M alum, originally from San Antonio, and now lives in Milton with her family.

Laura Castro-Diaz, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Boston. A sustainability scholar, she conducts community-based research to address complex water and energy injustices across local and global contexts. Her work integrates collaborative frameworks and mixed qualitative methods to examine both the impacts of resource inequities, and the strategies communities develop in response. Currently, her research focuses on reducing the water gap in high-income countries and co-designing nature-based solutions tailored to the needs and priorities of local communities.

Catherine Carlock is the real estate and development reporter at The Boston Globe, where she covers the people and projects shaping Boston’s skyline. She has reported on commercial real estate for more than a decade, previously serving as real estate editor at the Boston Business Journal, where she also covered women in business. Her award-winning reporting includes coverage of Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid, recognized by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW). Named a “Boston Power Woman” by Bisnow, Catherine has also earned honors from the New England Newspaper & Press Association for her real estate and government reporting. A regular guest on WBUR’s Radio Boston and Boston Globe Today, she began her career at CNBC and MarketWatch.com. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Catherine holds a journalism and English degree from Washington and Lee University.

Dr. Michael J. Cima is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has an appointment at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Professor Cima joined the MIT faculty in 1986 and has received numerous awards. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2011 and to the National Academy of Inventors in 2016. He now holds the David H. Koch Chair of Engineering at MIT. He was appointed faculty director of the Lemelson-MIT Program in 2009 which is a program to inspire youth to be inventive and has a nationwide reach. He was appointed Associate Dean of Engineering in 2018 and served as co-director of the MIT Innovation Initiative through 2021. Prof. Cima is author or co-author of over three hundred peer reviewed scientific publications, over ninety US patents, and is a recognized expert in the
field of medical devices and materials processing. Prof. Cima has been very active in the translation of new technologies in to the clinic, including a new therapy for bladder cancer.

Stephanie Chisolm received her PhD in Health Education/Health Promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2000. She is currently a Senior Advisor for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), a nonprofit organization located in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Chisolm has an extensive background in urologic, sexuality, and reproductive health issues. She has created a variety of low-health-literacy, comprehensive and professional education materials and activities addressing specific topics across the health and wellness spectrum. Professionally, Dr. Chisolm is experienced in designing, administering and managing community, national and academic programs and promotion events for patients and health care professionals.

Sam Clark oversees Member Engagement at Devoted Health, where her teams help members navigate their health benefits, receive the care they need, and access vital resources like food and housing. With more than 15 years in healthcare operations and cross-functional leadership, Sam brings a compassionate, systems-oriented approach to scaling impact. At Devoted, she is helping transform how technology and human connection intersect - integrating AI to enhance how service teams support members with accuracy, empathy, and efficiency. Before joining Devoted, Sam led business operations at health-tech startup, Docent Health, and guided international programs for global health organizations including JSI and USAID.

State Senator Julian Cyr represents the Cape and Islands District in the Massachusetts Senate. First elected in 2016, he serves in Senate leadership as Assistant Majority Whip and as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, where he is leading efforts to address the Commonwealth’s housing crisis. A Truro native, Senator Cyr has previously chaired the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, advancing major legislation on behavioral health, public health preparedness, and substance use prevention. He is a champion for coastal resilience, housing affordability, and equity for all Massachusetts residents.

Katherine Dafforn is Co-Director of the Stone Living Lab and Distinguished Professor of Coastal Resilience at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s School for the Environment. As an environmental scientist, Dafforn is an international leader in coastal ecology, working towards the remediation and restoration of coastal habitats worldwide. Dafforn co-founded the award-winning Living Seawalls project that creates habitat on coastal defense structures. The panels mimic the habitat features of natural shorelines and encourage native habitat-forming species to counter the adverse effects of built structures. She has worked extensively with partners from local, state and federal government as well as private industry, not-for-profit organizations and community groups.

Pawan Dhingra is currently the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer; the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank ’55 Professor of U.S. Immigration Studies; and Chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Program at Amherst College. He was the Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professor at Duke University and University of North Carolina. His bylines include The New York Times, CNN, Time Magazine, and more, and he and his work have been profiled in NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and many other places. A former curator at the Smithsonian, he has written multiple award-winning books. He also appears on the Netflix documentary, Spelling the Dream. He is past President of the Association for Asian American Studies.

Rahn is a researcher, policymaker, and strategist whose career has focused on systems change and civic innovation. At the Foundation, he plays a key leadership role advancing approaches to economic mobility and inclusion, as well as guiding efforts on measurement, evaluation, and learning. As a strategic grantmaker, he is helping the team make meaningful investments across all our strategy areas. Prior to joining Eastern, Rahn served as the Chief of Education for the City of Boston, having worked as part of Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s cabinet from September 2014 to November 2018. He spent the first half of his career at Abt Associates as a senior researcher and at the Barr Foundation serving as its first Evaluation Director and a Senior Program Officer in Education. Rahn is also the current board chair at the Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology.

Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, is President and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. From 2017 to 2024, he served as Chair of the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber. A leading physician-scientist, Dr. Ebert is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and the Academy of the American Association for Cancer Research. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College and his doctorate from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar under Sir Peter Ratcliffe. Dr. Ebert received his MD from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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As Global Oncology Therapeutic Area Head for Johnson & Johnson, Yusri Elsayed, M.D., M.H.SC, Ph.D. is responsible for the discovery, development and life cycle advancement of the company’s robust oncology pipeline and portfolio. He leads a global team of scientists that bring together expertise in small molecules, advanced biologics, cell therapies, vaccine platforms, translational research, diagnostics, and immuno-oncology. Prior to his appointment as Global Oncology Therapeutic Area Head, Yusri led the Hematologic Malignancies Disease Area within Johnson & Johnson Research & Development since 2013. In this role, he had responsibility for creating and executing the scientific strategy to advance internal and externally sourced discovery and development programs. Together with his team, Yusri is recognized for building an industry-leading hematologic malignancies portfolio that has been foundational for scientific innovation and has achieved many noteworthy milestones, including multiple U.S. Food and Drug Administration Breakthrough Therapy Designations and major product approvals for several first-in-class transformational therapies.

Iván Espinoza-Madrigal is the Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), New England’s largest and oldest organization advancing racial justice, immigrant rights, and equity in education, public health, and entrepreneurship. Under his leadership, LCR, founded at the request of President John F. Kennedy, continues to drive impactful legal and policy change nationwide. Iván has litigated and won landmark civil rights cases, with his work featured in The New York Times and the MSNBC documentary Martha’s Vineyard v. DeSantis. He has been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and “Bostonian of the Year” by The Boston Globe. A summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Iván earned his J.D. from NYU School of Law and an honorary doctorate from Cambridge College. 

Alexa Gagosz is a Rhode Island-based reporter for The Boston Globe, covering business, housing, homelessness, healthcare, and hospitality. She writes The Food Club, the Globe’s award-winning weekly restaurant industry newsletter, and served on the James Beard Awards Subcommittee in 2024. Alexa’s reporting has earned numerous honors from the Rhode Island Press Association, including awards for her coverage of housing, healthcare, and tourism. Her story “How a hard-working, middle-class family spiraled into homelessness” led to a new state law banning rental application fees and received national recognition, including an Eppy Award. She was named the 2023 Hospitality Ambassador of the Year by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and received the Housing Network’s “Housing Elevation Award.” Before joining the Globe, Alexa reported for Providence Business News and earned degrees from Suffolk University and Northeastern University.

Molly Gibson is an Origination Partner at Flagship Pioneering, where she leads a Pioneering Business Unit focused on founding, building, and growing companies at the intersection of artificial intelligence and science. She also serves as CEO and board member of Expedition Medicines. Molly is an experienced founder, technologist, and builder of AI-native platforms. She co-founded Lila Sciences and Generate: Biomedicines, leading development of the AI Science Factories at Lila and one of the world’s first transformer-based models for protein design at Generate. At Flagship, she also contributed to the launch of Tessera Therapeutics and Cobalt Biomedicines (merged into Sana Biotechnology). A computer scientist by training, Molly earned her Ph.D. in Computational Biology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Meredith Goldstein is an advice columnist, podcast host, and features writer for The Boston Globe. Her Love Letters advice column, which launched in 2009, aims to assist people navigating everything from dating to divorce. Her Love Letters podcast features real people who share thoughtful, instructive stories about their relationship lives. Meredith's books include the memoir “Can’t Help Myself: Lessons and Confessions From a Modern Advice Columnist,” and the romantic young adult novels “Chemistry Lessons” and “Things That Grow.” She lives in Boston with a Batman doll and a cotton candy machine. She loves tips on all things relationships, personal growth, and entertainment.

David Greaney is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Synergy, a Boston-based real estate investment and management firm established in 2003. Under his leadership, Synergy has become a major force in Boston’s commercial landscape, owning and operating more than 30 properties totaling 6.6 million square feet and housing over 500 tenants. Greaney has led transformative acquisitions including 99 High Street, 101 Arch, and One Liberty Square, positioning Synergy as a leader in integrated, tenant-focused real estate. Beyond commercial property, he has invested in over a dozen Boston restaurants, contributing to the city’s vitality and job growth. Originally from Ireland, Greaney is active in civic leadership, serving on the boards of NAIOP Massachusetts and the Downtown Boston Alliance, and supporting philanthropic causes across Boston and Ireland. He resides on the South Shore with his wife and seven children.

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Reverend Christopher Hope is a technologist, ethicist, and award-winning storyteller helping Boston—and the world—build what he calls the Digital Beloved Community: a future where technology strengthens equity, creativity, and human connection. He is the Founder of The Hope Group, a Massachusetts-certified minority-owned AI consultancy, and The Loop Lab, a Boston-based nonprofit creating media and technology pathways for underestimated youth. A Harvard-trained ethicist and Boston University educator, Rev. Hope’s work connects innovation, community, and justice, earning recognition from the U.S. Senate and City of Cambridge for leadership in inclusive technology and workforce transformation.

Matthew Herper is a senior writer at STAT covering medicine, and oversees the editorial portion of STAT’s events, including its industry-leading Summits. He has covered medical innovation — both its promise and its perils — for two decades, writing about medicines from Lipitor to hydroxychloroquine and profiling figures from “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli to billionaire Bill Gates. Before joining STAT in 2019, he worked for 18 years at Forbes, where he wrote 17 cover stories.

As Senior Vice President of US Fertility & Endocrinology, Libby is responsible for US performance of EMD Serono’s Fertility & HIV/ Endocrinology franchises and leads the marketing and sales organizations aligned to these therapy areas. Libby has been with EMD Serono since 2020, previously serving as Head of US Fertility Operations, where she led the US Fertility marketing and sales organization and country strategy. Libby brings a wealth of pharmaceutical commercial experience, including 10+ years at GSK, where she held commercial leadership roles across a range of therapeutic areas, major product launches, strategic planning and large-scale business transformation efforts.

Greg Huang is the Boston Globe's business editor. Prior to joining the Globe, he was an editor and reporter at Xconomy, New Scientist, and MIT's Technology Review. His writing has appeared in Wired, Nature, and other publications. He graduated from MIT with a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science.

Andrea Juncos is a Senior Director at Jobs for the Future (JFF), where she leads research and advisory services focused on expanding economic opportunity for people who face barriers to advancement. Her work examines how emerging trends and technologies—including AI—shape access to education, career pathways, and economic mobility. She is the author of Unlocking the Promise of AI for Black Learners and Workers (JFF, 2025) and a contributor to JFF’s AI for Economic Opportunity and Advancement framework. Andrea partners with community colleges and workforce organizations nationwide to design inclusive pathways into high-quality jobs. Before joining JFF, she was director of communications at New York Law School, and a mentor and board member at Girls Write Now. She holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As assistant digital editor for the Boston Globe’s Living Arts team, Matt Juul writes, edits, and produces stories on culture, entertainment, lifestyle, and more. A graduate of Northeastern University with over a decade of experience, Matt has worked across print and digital media covering Boston’s arts and culture scene. Before joining the Globe, he served as assistant editor at Boston Common magazine, overseeing digital and social content, and as national features editor for Metro US, managing teams in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. His interviews span stars such as Anthony Bourdain, Bill Murray, and Aly Raisman. Matt previously wrote for Boston Magazine, Bleacher Report, IGN, Boston.com, and Muscle & Fitness, and continues to spotlight Boston’s vibrant creative community.

Christopher (Chris) Kay is Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Enterprise Platforms at M&T Bank, where he leads enterprise-wide functions and oversees M&T’s Community Markets, Retail, and Business Banking divisions. In September 2025, Chris relocated to Boston to strengthen M&T’s presence in New England and foster deeper local collaboration. Before joining M&T in 2018, Chris was Chief Innovation Officer at Humana, Managing Director at Citi Ventures, and held senior roles at Target. He holds a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Diti Kohli is a general assignment reporter on the business desk. She covers everything from the economy and housing to retail and labor. In the past, Diti worked as the digital producer for the business and living arts team, as well as an intern at the Tampa Bay Times and BostInno. She graduated from Emerson College in 2021.

Jackie Kucinich is the Washington Bureau Chief for The Boston Globe. She joined the Globe in 2022 from The Daily Beast where she worked for eight years, first as politics editor and then as Washington bureau chief. Kucinich came to The Daily Beast from The Washington Post and PostTV where she covered national politics. Prior to the Post, Kucinich covered the Republican primary and Mitt Romney for USA Today during the 2012 election cycle. She began her career as a Capitol Hill reporter covering Congress for The Hill and Roll Call. Kucinich is a political analyst for CNN. She is a graduate of American University and a native of Columbus, Ohio.

Shirley Leung is a business columnist, associate editor, and host of the Boston Globe Opinion podcast “Say More.” For more than a decade, she has written at the intersection of business, politics, gender, and workplace diversity. A weekly contributor to GBH’s “Boston Public Radio,” Shirley also serves on the board of the New England First Amendment Coalition. Her work has earned recognition from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, and she has been named among Boston Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.” A four-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary, Shirley previously served as the Globe’s business editor and interim editorial page editor. Before joining the Globe, she reported for The Wall Street Journal and began her career at The Baltimore Sun. She is a graduate of Princeton University.

Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune is working to build a just and equitable Boston. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, she was raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park, attended Boston Public Schools, and began civic work at 14 with MYTOWN. An experienced lawyer, she has represented families facing eviction, advanced voting rights before the U.S. Supreme Court, and served as senior attorney on Senator Warren’s presidential campaign. Now, as City Councilor At-Large, Ruthzee fights for affordable housing, immigrant support, and racial equity. She is Boston’s first Haitian American elected citywide and a proud graduate of Harvard and Columbia.

As Massachusetts Artificial Intelligence Hub director, Sabrina Mansur leads the statewide effort to develop and implement a responsible, cutting-edge AI ecosystem in Massachusetts. Mansur is responsible for implementing the recommendations and vision for AI in
Massachusetts laid out by Governor Maura Healey's 2024 Artificial Intelligence Strategic Task Force. Mansur built her career at the intersection of advanced technology and real-world application, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in the development and commercialization of AI and robotics in both the public and private sectors. She has held senior positions at Draper
Laboratory, Motional, Torc Robotics and Lockheed Martin.

Dr. Makeeba McCreary serves as President of the New Commonwealth Fund (NCF). The New Commonwealth Fund was founded in 2020, when nineteen of Massachusetts’ leading Black and Brown executives launched NCF with a goal of advancing funding models that prioritize innovation, effectiveness, and inclusion. In just five short years, NCF has invested nearly 17 million into more than 300 non-profits across the Commonwealth.

Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio joined The Boston Globe in July 2024 as an immigration reporter. Before joining the Globe, she covered immigration for Documented, a nonprofit newsroom focused on New York City’s immigrant communities. There, she reported extensively on the city’s migrant crisis, documenting conditions in shelters, the exploitation of migrant workers, and housing instability among newly arrived families. Previously, Giulia was a national reporting fellow at The New York Times, covering major stories including COVID-19, the 2020 election, and national breaking news. A native Spanish speaker, she has also worked for the Los Angeles Times and CNN in New York and Washington, D.C. Giulia earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Williams College and her master’s from Columbia Journalism School.

Katie McInerney is the senior assistant sports editor at The Boston Globe, where she leads a team of producers overseeing Globe.com/Sports content, including newsletters and social media. She joined the Globe in 2019 from The Philadelphia Inquirer, where she worked as an editor and producer in the sports department. Previously, she was a front-page and sports designer at the Houston Chronicle and the Tulsa World. With more than a decade of newsroom experience, her work has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors and other organizations. A Nantucket native, Katie is a graduate of Syracuse University’s journalism program and serves on the board of directors for The Daily Orange, SU’s student news organization. She also previously served on the board of the Association for Women in Sports Media.

Christopher Muther is The Boston Globe's travel writer. Over the past decade, he's climbed an active volcano in Iceland, biked the Alps in Switzerland and Italy, and cuddled with 600 felines at a cat sanctuary in Hawaii. Closer to home, he reports on trends in tourism, along with what's new in the cruise and airline industries. Before writing about travel, he was the Globe's style writer and taught classes in fashion and film as an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts College of Art. He's a proud graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Dr. Tamara Nall is a visionary entrepreneur and global leader shaping the intersection of humanity and artificial intelligence. As President & CEO of The Leading Niche, she delivers data-driven intelligence to governments and corporations worldwide. She is also Co-Founder of ReliAI (reliai.app), an AI-powered life companion that helps individuals rebuild, organize, and thrive through life transitions. As Founder of HumanAI (humanaination.com), the world’s first sovereign digital nation for human–AI relationships, she pioneers ethical and emotional frameworks for coexistence. Guided by her belief that technology should elevate humanity, Dr. Nall transforms innovation into purpose-driven impact.

Michael J. Nichols is the President of the Downtown Boston Alliance (DBA), where since October 2022 he has spearheaded the revitalization of Downtown Boston into a compelling live/work/play/study environment. His strategy involves a multi-faceted economic development agenda, focusing on an inclusive business climate and destination-worthy arts and culture. This includes the popular WINTERACTIVE art exhibition, which earned him Boston Design Week’s Social Impact Award in 2024. Previously, Michael was the Executive Director of the Esplanade Association, where he championed the $25 million Charlesbank Landing redevelopment. He is an admitted attorney and also serves as Chair of the Boston Zoning Commission.

As CEO and President of MassBio, the world's oldest and largest biopharma membership organization, Kendalle Burlin O'Connell drives the strategy to grow the industry and support member companies. She launched Drive, MassBio's accelerator that has supported 59 early-stage companies raising $64 million in funding, and was the driving force behind Bioversity, which has opened workforce training centers in Dorchester and Lowell for underrepresented populations. Kendalle advocates for policies that advance innovation and patient access from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill. She has earned recognition on Boston Magazine's 150 Most Influential Bostonians list and serves as Chair of the Eastern New England Board for the American Cancer Society.

Jeneé Osterheldt is a culture columnist who covers identity and social justice through the lens of culture and the arts. She centers Black lives and the lives of people of color. Sometimes this means writing about Beyoncé and Black womanhood or unpacking the importance of public art and representation. Sometimes this means taking systemic racism, sexism, and oppression to task. It always means Black lives matter. She joined the Globe in 2018. A native of Alexandria, Va. and a graduate of Norfolk State University, Osterheldt was a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, where her studies focused on the intersection of art and justice. She previously worked as a Kansas City Star culture columnist.

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Alan Penzias, MD is a Reproductive Endocrinologist at Boston IVF and Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. Board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, he has more than 30 years of experience helping individuals and couples build families. Dr. Penzias is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors and emeritus Chair of the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). He also served on the ASRM COVID-19 Task Force. Widely published and an invited lecturer, he pairs compassionate care with evidence-based innovation.

Matt Pepin has served as the Boston Globe’s sports editor since 2018, leading a team of reporters, producers, and editors in creating sports coverage across BostonGlobe.com and the Globe newspaper. Before taking on this role, he was digital sports editor for both BostonGlobe.com and Boston.com, and previously held sports editor positions at Varsity845.com, the Times Herald-Record in New York, and the New Haven Register and Torrington Register Citizen in Connecticut. Since joining the Globe in 2009, Pepin has contributed to award-winning coverage of Boston’s championship teams, the Boston Marathon, the Olympics, and major global sporting events. He has also served as editor or advisor for several books, including Patrice Bergeron: From Kid to Captain and The Boston Globe Story of the Red Sox. A passionate skier, he has written extensively about skiing in New England. Pepin holds a B.A. from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Jon serves as the Chief Commercial Officer for FIFA 2026 Boston Host

Committee. He is responsible for the integrated commercial, sponsor and revenue efforts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Boston. Prior to joining FIFA Boston 2026, Jon served as the Chief Commercial Officer for the New York Yacht Club American Magic campaign for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain. He also served as the Chief Commercial Officer for USA Rugby in Boulder, Colorado and Chief Commercial Officer for Major League Rugby. Additionally, he has held senior executive positions with WWE, CAA and UEG.

Emma Platoff is the political enterprise reporter at The Boston Globe, where she has worked since 2021. She has reported on Boston City Hall, the Massachusetts State House, and the 2024 presidential election, filing stories from more than a dozen states. At the Globe, her reporting has examined anti-democratic practices in the Legislature, turmoil on the City Council, and the rise of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. With eight years of experience covering politics and government, she is a three-time finalist for the Toner Prize for political reporting. Before joining the Globe, Emma spent four years at The Texas Tribune, where her work on politics and justice earned national recognition, including four Edward R. Murrow awards. A native of New Haven, Connecticut, she is a Yale graduate and former managing editor of the Yale Daily News.

Aaron Pressman is a Boston Globe business reporter covering technology, startups, artificial intelligence, and the electric vehicle transition. Over his multi-decade career, he has chronicled the Internet, housing, and crypto bubbles—and now the A.I. boom. Before joining the Globe in 2021, his work appeared in Fortune, BusinessWeek, Wired, The Industry Standard, Yahoo Finance, Reuters, and Bloomberg. Aaron has received a “Best in Business” award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) for his coverage of AT&T’s worker retraining efforts, and a silver medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for best business blog. Time magazine also named him one of the “140 Most Interesting People on Twitter.” A graduate of Columbia University, he lives in Needham with his wife and their golden retriever.

After moving to Boston to study architecture, I re-discovered my passion for photography, which led to a career as a creative associate producing and curating content for various local and national brands. My background working in the digital marketing space led me to pursue a freelance career, helping companies and businesses develop their digital presence, eventually leading to the creation of the @cornersofboston. This is where I am able to share more of myself, developing a platform to collaborate with tourism boards and major brands in the travel and hospitality industry, that I have admired for years. My mission in the digital space started as a way to inspire myself to dream and create an inclusive community where you can find the beautiful, and sweeter parts of life.

Jordan Rubin is the chef and owner of Mr. Tuna, and co-owner of Bar Futo and Crispy Gai, all located in the heart of Portland, Maine. Through all of his ventures, he has forged relationships with a vast network of Portland growers and fishers, emphasizing the importance of responsibly sourced fish as part of his holistic approach to sustainability. Jordan is a 2025 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Northeast, and Mr. Tuna was recently featured in the New York Times, Food and Wine, and The Boston Globe for “Best Dishes of 2024”. In 2025, Mr. Tuna was awarded #6 “Top 15 US Restaurants” by Food & Wine.

Emily Schario is the head of content and director of multimedia storytelling for The B-Side, a weekday newsletter for young Bostonians covering everything from Beacon Hill to Bennifer. As co-founder, she helped build The B-Side from the ground up, growing it to nearly 50,000 newsletter subscribers and 80,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. Under her leadership, The B-Side won the 2025 New England Newspaper & Press Association award for Best Newsletter and was a finalist for Best Initiative to Bolster Next-Generation Readership at the INMA Global Media Awards. Emily was also nominated for a 2025 New England Emmy Award in the “Light Feature, Multiple Reports” category for her work with The B-Side, and previously earned a 2022 Emmy nomination for her news explainer TikToks during her four years at GBH News in Boston.

Sabrina Shankman covers the climate crisis for The Boston Globe as part of the Into the Red team. She joined the Globe in 2021 after eight years at Inside Climate News, where she reported extensively on the Arctic. Previously, she produced investigative programs for PBS/Frontline and reported for ProPublica. Her reporting has taken her from Alaska’s North Slope man camps to helicopter flights over polar bear territory, and even to tracking terrorists through India and Denmark. At the Globe, she focuses on the science, policy, and human stories behind climate change and extreme weather. Her award-winning work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Headliner Awards, and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. Sabrina began her career as a crime reporter at the Taunton Daily Gazette and holds a master’s in journalism from UC Berkeley.

Matt Shearer is a reporter for WBZ NewsRadio in Boston, best known for telling the stories of everyday Bostonians on social media. As “New England's most viral journalist” according to The Boston Globe, Shearer has over 108,000 followers on Instagram alone, and is largely responsible for the station's 200,000+ followers on TikTok. His fun, funny, and deeply human approach to social media storytelling has earned him a National Edward R Murrow Award for “Excellence in Innovation,” two “Best of Boston” titles by Boston Magazine, as well as international press coverage in outlets ranging from Bloomberg to People Magazine.

Martha J. Sheridan is President and CEO of Meet Boston, which she rebranded from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2022. With more than 30 years of destination marketing experience, she leads the 1,000-member organization in driving a strong and equitable visitor economy for the region. Under her leadership, Meet Boston’s operating budget has quadrupled. Sheridan has served in key leadership roles with the U.S. Travel Association and now chairs the Destinations International Foundation, becoming the first woman to have chaired both that organization and its foundation. A member of the Boston Soccer 2026 committee and the FIFA Boston 26 Board, she helped secure seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches for Massachusetts. Sheridan has been recognized as one of Meetings & Conventions Magazine’s “Top 25 Women in the Meetings Industry” and has appeared on Boston Magazine’s “Most Influential Bostonians” list since 2022.

Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA'92, PhD is the 14th president of Babson College. A successful entrepreneur, academic leader, and scholar, he assumed the role of president in July 2019. Dr. Spinelli has spent his career at the intersection of academia, business, and philanthropy. Under his leadership, Babson was named the No. 2 best college in the United States by The Wall Street Journal and has retained its long-standing place atop U.S. News & World Report's undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship rankings. He earned his PhD in economics from The Management School, Imperial College, University of London, his MBA from Babson College, and his BA in economics from McDaniel College.

Marty St. George, a Boston resident, was appointed president of JetBlue in February 2024. From 2020 - 2024, St. George served as chief commercial officer at LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline holding company in South America. He also previously served as a member of JetBlue’s leadership team from 2006 to 2019. Over the span of his 15 years with JetBlue, St. George has been a key architect of the carrier’s commercial strategy (including its award-winning Mint premium product), led its successful entry into airline partnerships, and oversaw development of its distinctive brand and innovative product offerings.

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco has served as the ninth chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston since 2020. Under his leadership, UMass Boston has solidified its standing as the region’s leading public research university, advancing equity, climate action, and urban-focused scholarship. He launched For the Times, a ten-year strategic plan to prepare future leaders and embed values of belonging, sustainability, and collaboration across campus. A champion of research and philanthropy, Suárez-Orozco has guided the university to R1 research status, record external funding, and transformative gifts supporting artificial intelligence, sports leadership, and health sciences. Internationally recognized for his work on migration, globalization, and education, he has held academic posts at UCLA, Harvard, and NYU. Appointed by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, he leads a global climate resilience initiative convening international summits. An immigrant from Argentina, he earned his BA, MA, and PhD from UC Berkeley.

Elizabeth L. Sweet is Associate Dean in the School for the Environment and Professor of Urban Planning and Community Development at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research integrates planning theory, feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial frameworks to examine intersections of economies, violence, and identity in community development and environmental justice. She advances innovative qualitative methods—including body map storytelling and community mapping—to co-produce knowledge and practice with marginalized communities. Current projects include participatory research on water quality in Salem’s El Punto neighborhood and documentation of Afro-Mexican ecological knowledge in Mexico’s Costa Chica region.

Dr. Kevin Tabb is President and Chief Executive Officer of Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) and an ex officio member of its Board of Trustees. Founded in 2019, BILH is an integrated health system serving 1.7 million patients across Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. The system unites academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, primary and behavioral health care, home care services, and more than 5,900 physicians and 36,000 employees under a shared mission to build healthier communities through seamless care, groundbreaking science, and a commitment to excellence, innovation, and equity. Before leading BILH, Dr. Tabb served as CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Beth Israel Deaconess system. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, including Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality and Medical Information Officer.

Morgan Tuck is the General Manager of the Connecticut Sun and a former WNBA Champion. A proud alumna of the University of Connecticut, she helped lead the Huskies to four national titles before being selected third overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft. After five seasons in the league—including a championship win with the Seattle Storm—Morgan transitioned into a front-office leadership role. She brings a global perspective from her time playing overseas and a deep commitment to empowering women and inspiring the next generation. Morgan is passionate about creating lasting impact both on and off the court.

Jennifer van Dijk is the Team President of Boston Legacy FC, the newest professional women’s soccer team in Boston. Jennifer recently served as the CEO of Superplastic, where she led a universe of 23M+ character-driven fans across media, merchandise, and immersive experiences. Before Superplastic, she was President of Dapper Labs North America, overseeing major sports NFT platforms like NBA Top Shot and NFL All Day. Jennifer also served as CEO of Hoonigan, EVP at Wasserman, Chief Strategy Officer of the LA Clippers, and VP at the NBA. A Mount Holyoke graduate, she is active in YPO and an avid golfer, known for driving innovation in sports and entertainment.

Greg Weiner was named the 17th president of Assumption University in 2022. He joined the Assumption faculty in 2011 and was previously appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2019.

Before his academic career, Weiner advised political leaders in Washington, D.C. for nearly two decades, including members of the President’s Cabinet and members of Congress. He is a nationally recognized expert on the American Founding and has authored four books and dozens of articles in leading publications such as The New York Times and Washington Post. Weiner holds a Ph.D. in government and an M.A. in liberal studies from Georgetown University, as well as a B.A. in government from the University of Texas, Austin.

Christian E. Weller is an economist and professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a senior contributor at Forbes. His research focuses on wealth inequality by race/ethnicity, retirement security and economic policy. Professor Weller has published widely in academic journals. He has (co)-authored and (co)-edited several books. He has written for popular outlets such as USAToday, the New York Times and The Conversation among others. Professor Weller’s research is frequently cited in the media. He has a PhD in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.