Theme: Confluence

In a world that’s often polarized and divisive, we choose to come together as one. At the intersection of skepticism and curiosity are understanding and innovation. The power of ideas is what propels us forward. Inspired by the confluence of water where the Willamette River meets the Columbia, purpose and persistence find their way to the sea. Year 11 will embrace fluidity, strength, and balance. We will celebrate the contrarians, open-minded thinkers, and doers committed to creating a better tomorrow for our city and the world. Together, we will ebb and flow and find our way.

Keller Auditorium
222 SW Clay St.
Portland, Oregon, 97201
United States

Aarthi Ananthanarayanan

Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Climate and Plastics Initiative

Aarthi Ananthanarayanan is the Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Climate and Plastics Initiative. She designs and promotes solutions that address two existential, interconnected threats to the ocean and coastal communities: climate change and plastic pollution. Before launching the Climate and Plastics Initiative, Aarthi was Ocean Conservancy’s POSEIDON Project Director, leading an interdisciplinary team of international researchers to advance innovation in fisheries. Additionally, she supported the launch of two Ocean Conservancy international plastics initiatives: Urban Ocean and Vietnam Plastics Initiative. Aarthi began her career working for the Chemical Strategies Partnership, a trade organization working to reduce chemical use, waste, risks, and cost by transforming the chemical supply chain.

David Lucas

Founder and Executive Director of the Maurice Lucas Foundation

David Lucas is the founder of Lucas Design-Build, where he maintains and services a portfolio of real estate properties. He is also the founder and executive director of the Maurice Lucas Foundation, which empowers youth through education and sports. Additionally, he serves on the Providence Milwaukie Foundation Board and the Sports Oregon Board. David's passion for education, service to the community, and sports are longstanding. He has played professional basketball in Portugal, China, and Poland — and received the 2020 Liberty and Hope Award from the League of Minority Voters.

Dr. Yuan-Po Tu

Infectious Disease Specialist at The Everett Clinic

Dr. Yuan-Po Tu — or Po, as he calls himself — is a dedicated physician with 28 years of experience at The Everett Clinic. His pivotal work during the COVID-19 outbreak has made him a respected expert in the field, and his groundbreaking research on patient-collected anterior nasal samples has revolutionized COVID-19 testing. Po received the Washington State Medical Association Community Advocate Award in 2021. Currently, he serves as the vice-chair of the Disaster Medical Advisory Committee for the Department of Health, helping to develop guidelines for Crisis Standards of Care.

Emily Stutzman

CEO of Happylucky

Emily Stutzman is the CEO of Happylucky, a brand design agency, and co-founder of the dating app Reco, which is designed to foster meaningful relationships and build lasting connections. Emily believes in the power of community and human connection. With over 15 years of experience in advertising, she has worked with brands like Adidas, Stella McCartney, Chewy, and Zappos. Emily is also a member of the Chief Women's Network, which supports women executive leaders. In her personal time, she enjoys spending time with her wife, four cats, one tiny dog, and a house full of plants.

GZA The Genius

Performance

GZA, aka the Genius, is one of the most renowned hip-hop legends. His precise flow and intricate rhymes earned him a reputation as one of the best rappers of the Wu-Tang Clan. He explored his craft with some of the earliest hip-hop MCs in the Bronx and shared his skills with his cousins, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and RZA. His second studio album, Liquid Swords, earned him praise for its coolly understated menace. GZA's passion for science and education inspired him to develop a science-meets-hip-hop program aimed at engaging high school students. His impressive skills and pioneering work have made GZA an iconic inspiration for generations to come.

Kiauna Nelson

Chef & Food Cart Owner

Kee Nelson is a rising star in the food industry, finding acclaim in Netflix's Street Food: USA and Black History Month's Trailblazer shoot. But it's not just about the food for Kee. She is dedicated to giving back to the community through her Feed Black Portlanders initiative, which helps fight food insecurity among Portland's communities of color. Kee's attention to detail and generous portions have earned her a well-deserved reputation as a true trailblazer in the culinary world.

Kim Scott

CEO Coach + Author

Kim Scott was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. Earlier in her career, she was an analyst at the Soviet Companies Fund, started a diamond-cutting factory in Moscow, and was director of operations of a pediatric clinic in Kosovo. She is the author of Radical Candor and Just Work and co-founded a company that helps teams create respectful, collaborative working environments.

Kyle Thornton

Customer Experience at Ledger

Kyle Thornton is a software engineer and tech enthusiast who has always had a knack for helping untangle technical complexity. In his career, he has worked on solar tech at Tesla, flying cars at Kitty Hawk, and most recently fallen deep into the crypto rabbit hole. Currently, Kyle heads up Ledger's Customer Success team in the USA, where he and his team of friendly blockchain enthusiasts spend every day helping newcomers stay safe in the world of Web3.

Megan Diana

Performance

You may know Megan from Piano. Push. Play., her organization that rescues and gives new life to pianos in Portland. Megan's passion for vintage keyboards is apparent in every note she writes, and when she puts them through an echo pedal, magic happens. Her voice is like silk, layering choral harmonies and going from atmospheric to intimate in the blink of an eye. With her debut album Women in My Head, Megan has crafted a sonic love letter to the inspiring women in her life. Whether it's Dark Americana Noir or catchy pop, get ready to dance in your seats and sing along.

Reyna Tropical

Performance

Fabiola Reyna is the creative force behind Reyna Tropical, a musical project that celebrates the tropical diaspora and spiritual survival. Despite the untimely death of Sumohair, her co-founder and bandmate, Fabiola chose to carry on with the band's founding vision of Queer Love and Afro-Mexico. Fabiola and Sumohair met at Red Bull Music Academy's Bass Camp at Bonnaroo in 2017, where they bonded over a mutual love of tropical music. Within a year, they were praised by NPR's Songs We Love and touring with renowned Latin American band Bomba Estéreo. Today, Reyna Tropical is a collaborative effort between Fabiola and a diverse group of musicians, DJs, and producers dedicated to the QLAM vision.

Sam Diaz

Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon

Sam Diaz is a visionary leader who is passionate about shaping the future of Oregon's land use policies. As the executive director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, he has worked tirelessly to create healthier communities by expanding housing and transportation options and reducing carbon pollution. Through the Land Use Leadership Initiative, Sam has encouraged broader participation and engagement from Oregonians in shaping the state's future. His extensive experience in state agencies, local governments, and philanthropy has enabled him to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for a more equitable and inclusive regional community.

Sarah Edmondson

Actress & Cult Survivor

Sarah Edmondson is an actress who gained notoriety for her role in exposing the NXIVM cult. In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, an acclaimed memoir chronicling her harrowing experience. Alongside her husband, she hosts the A Little Bit Culty podcast, which has become a powerful platform for cult survivors and recovery advocates. Sarah also attends conferences and events around the world as a speaker and cult-recovery advocate, as well as continuing her work as an actress and podcaster.

Thunderstorm Artis

Performance

Thunderstorm Artis is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who makes music that strengthens the heart and awakens the soul. Thunderstorm grew up in a musical family with 10 siblings and began songwriting at 13 years old to cope with the sudden loss of his father. He experienced astronomical success after being a finalist on NBC’s The Voice in 2020, and has shared stages with legends like Booker T. Jones and Jack Johnson. His new project is a genre-bending batch of emotionally raw and incisive songs that offer much-needed insight into living with hope even in the darkest of times.

Toby Barnes

Principal Design Lead for Alexa

Toby Barnes is a seasoned design leader who has worked with renowned brands such as Amazon, Nike, Levi's, and Microsoft. He founded and led Mudlark — an award-winning design consultancy for the games industry — and led the strategy and design of the Nike Training Club and Nike's House of Innovation in New York. During his extensive career, Toby has opened a Vegas casino with Cardi B and built the world's largest escape room at Comic-Con. Currently, he is the principal designer at Alexa where he leads Amazon's efforts to understand the value, use, and challenges of large language models, learned systems, and generative AI tools. Toby is also a devoted father and husband, part-time DJ, full-time hoarder, and on a personal journey to utilize his ADHD strengths.

Trevor Beaman

US Army Special Forces soldier, Green Beret

Trevor is an active duty US Army Special Forces soldier, Green Beret, husband, and father. He is also a strong advocate for mental health and trauma awareness. Through personal stories steeped in vulnerability and determination, Trevor serves as a beacon of hope for those on a similar journey to overcome pain and heal from trauma. Ultimately, Trevor inspires others to find happiness, growth, and purpose. For his own personal healing, he connects to the energy of life through live music and the ocean.