Building Critical Mass

Simon Mainwaring

Brand Strategist, Social Entrepreneur and Bestselling Author

Spend five minutes with Simon and you know: This is a man on a mission! Simon’s taking on our culture of conspicuous consumption and suggesting an alternative—contributory consumption; or, as he likes to frame it, moving from a “me first” to a “we first” society. Read More →

Empowering Others

Jonathan Spitz

Artistic Director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

When we first sat down with Jonathan, he was quick to correct us on his title—he is one of three artistic directors of the internationally acclaimed Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. It’s an important distinction because it gets to the very heart of Orpheus’ artistry. Read More →

Fueling Momentum

Jay Conger

Prolific Writer, Educator and Leadership Guru

Spend five minutes with Jay and you know—he is one of those rare leaders who effortlessly embodies paradox.  He is the professor and the practitioner.  He is the expert and the student. He is the visionary and the pragmatist. Read More →

Charting New Paths for Contribution

Stephanie Pace Marshall

Educational Trailblazer, Founder and President Emerita of Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA)

Looking into Stephanie’s career and life is like gazing into a kaleidoscope: She is a synthesizer, a weaver, an integrator, and a “perturber.” Her work has led to major, ongoing and colorful shifts in the fields of education and leadership. Read More →

Curating Creativity and Action

Meg Wheatley

Paradigm Shifter, Author and Co-Founder of the Berkana Institute

Meg opens Walk Out, Walk On with a dare: “This looks like a book and reads like a book. But it can be much more than that.” So is any conversation with Meg. Sitting with her, chatting over a cup of tea, you begin to notice what usually goes unseen Read More →

Cultivating Relationships, Networks and Communities

Carol Coletta

Leading Urban Thinker, Community Builder and President of ArtPlace

Carol’s the quintessential “city gal” – she’s smart, stylish, sophisticated, and most of all fearless. You get all of that from her walking into the room. Talk to Carol and the term “city gal” takes on a whole new meaning. Read More →

Connecting with Purpose & Meaning

Howard Schultz

Coffee Devotee, Founder & CEO of Starbucks

The day of my interview with Howard started as any other – with my morning run to Starbucks to get a Grande Bold. I asked the barista whether she had read Howard’s latest book, Onward. She replied, “Of course. My partner, Howard, gave it to me. He gave the book to all of us. Read More →

Inspiring with Stories

Mitch Albom

Best-Selling Author, Journalist & Philanthropist

There’s a point in Tuesdays With Morrie when Mitch notices Morrie’s visitors struggling, not knowing how to talk to a dying person. They’d start with an awkward joke or a story, trying to cheer him up. Morrie would ask about their lives and the conversation would shift. Read More →

Awakening Leadership at All Levels

Julio Ottino

Dean of the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwestern University

Creative disruption. It’s at the heart of Julio’s genius. A career artist turned renowned chaos theorist, Julio has an uncanny gift of creating space for people from different fields to come together and channel their collective experience toward solving a challenge. Read More →

What Motivates Us

Dan Pink

Best-Selling Author and Speechwriter

Dan has a peculiar fascination with work. It’s the inspiration behind his books Drive, A Whole New Mind, Johnny Bunko and Fast Company‘s blog Free Agent Nation. Dan thinks of his work as a writer in Read More →

The New Leadership Imperative

Bruce Mau

Visionary, Designer and Author

You don’t just meet Bruce. You experience Bruce. His presence fills the room, infusing it with an inexhaustible energy for ideas. Bruce is a world-leading visionary and innovator who has collaborated Read More →

The Generational Lens

Debra Arbit & David Stillman

Partners at BridgeWorks and Generational Puzzle Solvers

After years of working together and constantly butting heads, David and Lynn Lancaster had an insight that sparked a new business venture: Their challenge wasn’t styles or personalities, it was context. Read More →