Theme: What's Next

We are thrilled to announce our most exciting event yet, happening Friday, February 12, 2016. Once again, we invite you to take a break from your daily routine to go on an intellectual journey with smart and curious friends to a world filled with brilliant live speakers, captivating performances, amazing new technologies, and thought-provoking talks. This year's theme, "What's Next?" challenges us to look forward to the future we are creating for ourselves now, explore the things that will be, and question what should be.

Community Center Theater
1301 L Street
Sacramento, California, 95814
United States

The Handstand Nation

In 2011 Reno Gorman and Sariah Papaya founded The Handstand Nation, a group of circus punks that like to get people playing upside down. Getting feet off the ground and flipping perspective through partner balances and fun tricks and techniques is their goal. Based out of Sacramento, CA, The Handstand Nation teach and perform acro throughout the country, spreading their passion for handstands and playfulness everywhere they go. Reno and Sariah are unique acro partners in that they switch roles of base and flyer, challenging the gender status quo and inspiring women and men to push the envelope of what they think is possible. With years of training together, Reno and Sariah make spinning and flipping each other around in the air look effortless.

Andrew Baron

Internet Pioneer

The rise of internet video caught many off guard, but not innovator Andrew Baron, founder of Rocketboom, KnowYourMeme.com, and now HumanWire.org. Rocketboom, the internet’s first large-scale video program, began in October 2004 and is recognized with pioneering the democratization of the moving image while defining the online video distribution and business model popular still today.. Apple Founder Steve Jobs used Rocketboom twice for product releases:the first video iPod, and the first AppleTV. That should tell you something. Rocketboom Know Your Meme, the preeminent online resource for the study of memes and viral spread, was described as “an informative romp through internet culture,” by The New York Times. Now, as a “result of [his] frustration with the war in Syria,” Andrew started HumanWire.org to provide direct, one-to-one support to refugees. The site takes no fees from funds raised for refugees. Andrew has taught at Parsons School of Design and MIT.

Andy Graham

Multi-instrumentalist and percussionist Andy Graham takes what’s next personally. In the 80s he played drums for various rock and funk projects. In 1992, influenced by Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, Andy entered the world of hand-percussion. In 1998 he learned to play the aboriginal didgeridoo, a wind instrument that dates back about 1500 years. Then he started playing drums and the didgeridoo at the same time, using one of his own custom-built didgeridoos, one mounted to a drum set, a design which was later featured in Modern Drummer (June 2003). In 1999 Andy released an instrumental CD, titled, Primal Elements. He continues inventing new and unusual instruments and reinventing himself. Andy Graham hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and hasn’t let go of his love of music since he began playing at 12 years of age.

Brogan BamBrogan

Rocket Man

When you’re ready to move on from designing engines for Falcon 1 rockets and working on the early design of the Dragon spacecraft at SpaceX, what’s next? For Brogan BamBrogan, co-founding Hyperloop One, where he serves as CTO, and breaking barriers in developing a revolutionary, carbon-free, high-speed transportation system known as a Hyperloop is what’s next. Originally put forward by Elon Musk, Hyperloop would use low friction evacuated tubes and aluminum pods with linear induction motors that can move passengers and/or cargo from, say, Sacramento to Los Angeles at about 750 mph -- near supersonic speed -- in about 30 minutes. Hyperloop One plans to have a full-scale, full-speed hyperloop prototype operational by the end of 2016.

Darrell Steinberg

Public Servant

In 1997, Darrell Steinberg, State Senate President pro Tem (ret), recognized that an overwhelming number of homeless were suffering from mental illness, yet did not have access to proper mental health care. Since then, Darrell’s mission has been to facilitate awareness of this “under-attended issue of our time and in our society” and to catalyze solutions. His commitment to improving mental health services over the years has served to provide integrated services to the homeless; increase funding of “whatever-it takes” services for individuals with the most severe mental illnesses via the California Mental Health Services Act (2004); and, now by establishing a first of its kind statewide organization, The Steinberg Institute for Advancing Mental Health Policy, that will support and encourage legislative champions; help solve disputes between mental health stakeholders; evaluate impacts of current investments; and implement a tangible vision to advance mental health services and support.

Dolores Catherino

Composer + multi-instrumentalist

From her home in Alaska, Dolores Catherino composes micro-tonal music, which could very well lead to the evolution of our auditory perception and intelligence -- and an appreciation for what Dolores calls “polychromatic music.” Going from traditional Western music to polychromatic music is like moving from low-res, black and white television to high definition, full-color television, explains Dolores -- it’s what’s next in music. Dolores studies new, integrated perspectives at the crossroads of music and science, utilizing innovative instruments like the Tonal Plexus, with a focus on the continuing exploration and development of uncharted potentials in musical expression and acoustic phenomena.

Emma Seppälä

Health Psychologist

“Thank you for giving me my life back,” shared one veteran who was helped by Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., to overcome trauma during a study that used non-traditional ways to help veterans successfully cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. In her new book, The Happiness Track, Dr. Seppälä shares how to apply the science of happiness in one’s life in order to accelerate success (www.emmaseppala.com/book/). As it turns out, happiness is not as elusive as it once seemed. Using findings from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Seppälä simplifies happiness so that anyone can enjoy it. As the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Dr. Seppälä is a “leading expert on health psychology, well-being, and resilience.” She’s a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today and Scientific American Mind. She’s the founder and editor-in-chief of Fulfillment Daily, a news site dedicated to the science of happiness.

Henrik Scheel

Entrepreneurship Educator

Founder and CEO of Startup Experience, Henrik Scheel seeks to respond to this age-old question definitively via his company’s work, a teaching program that simulates the startup environment, honing creativity, innovation, and implementation. The leap from dreaming about a business idea to concept, execution, measurement and optimization is a tall order for would-be entrepreneurs; therefore a structured environment is necessary. Through his company Startup Experience he has formed partnerships with universities, governments, NGOs and corporate non-profits in 20+ countries and aims to transform entrepreneurship education in today’s school system. Entrepreneurship education that’s accessible to everybody is what’s next for Henrik Scheel.

Jacob Golden

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Jacob Golden began making music when he was 12 years old. Although based in Sacramento, CA, Jacob has spent much of his time in England, having been signed by Rough Trade Records, founded by Geoff Travis (The Smiths, The Fall, Antony and The Johnsons) and The Echo Label (Bat for Lashes, Ray Lamontagne). He describes his music as “dark folk songs with psychedelic undertones,” and has released three albums, Hallelujah World (2002), Revenge Songs (2007), and his latest, The Invisible Record (2016). Mojo described Revenge Songs as “the most gorgeous break-up record since Beck’s Sea of Change.”

James Doty

Compassion Expert

Compassion improves the world; yet the world around us seems ever in need of greater feats of compassion. How, then, can we create more compassion and inspire compassionate acts? And how is it that the brain and the heart work together to create compassion in the first place? James Robert Doty, M.D., tackles these tough questions, examining the neural, mental, and social bases of compassion. He serves as Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and Founder and Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) – of which the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He serves as Chairman of the Dalai Lama Foundation and as a member of the International Advisory Board of the Council of the Parliament of the World's Religion. He has just release his first book, Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart.

Jennifer Manuel

Jennifer is passionate about helping women navigate their most challenging career transitions with grace. As the 'Millennial Advocate for the Baby Boomer Generation', Jennifer helps retiring women define their ‘encore' careers, encouraging them to pave the way for the next generation of women in leadership. She proudly serves as a Leadership Ambassador for Take the Lead Women, VP of Community Outreach for NAWBO-Sacramento, and a leadership & management instructor at the University of California, Davis Extension. An Organizational Psychologist at heart, Jennifer holds her M.A. from New York University in I/O Psychology and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Philosophy from Santa Clara University.

Julie Greene

Julie Greene is the executive director of Solar Cookers International which promotes free, zero-emission solar thermal energy for sustainable cooking solutions worldwide. She also leads Solar Cookers International's advocacy efforts at the United Nations.

Lauren Isaac

Sustainable Transportation Expert

Lauren Isaac serves as Manager of Sustainable Transportation and is the 2015 winner of the William Barclay Parsons Fellowship at Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the world's leading engineering professional services consulting firms. She possesses expert knowledge on issues surrounding autonomous vehicles and is a driving force in helping city, state, and regional governments proactively respond to this potentially world-changing technological development. Lauren researches how the United States government should respond to driverless cars. She has a B.S. and Masters of Engineering in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.

Lisa Wrightsman

As a former division 1 college athlete, Lisa Wrightsman’s journey led her to to play in the homeless world cup. Now the program director and coach of Street Soccer USA’s Lady Salamanders, she harnesses the power of soccer to break the cycle of homelessness, addiction and abuse.

Maritza Davis

Roshaun and Maritza founded Unsean Heros in 2008. Over the last 8 years, they've built an award winning reputation through events that transform unexpected city spaces into rich environments for the community to connect. Their goal is to show love to the city by creating vibrant third spaces that stimulate economic development for local businesses, entrepreneurs, designers, artists, makers, farmers, and chefs.

Mike Hart

Mike Hart, president and CEO of Sierra Energy, has been forming and running industrial companies for over 24 years. He also serves as president of Sierra Railroad, a company he has expanded from four employees to over 140 since 1994 when he started the company. Hart was named an “Environmental Hero” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for his work in biodiesel and was recently named a “Champion of Change” by the White House.

Roshaun Davis