Jasmine Glasheen believes that to understand the future of the marketplace, you need to understand the people redefining it. A retail strategist, writer, and university lecturer, Jasmine focuses on shifting cultural paradigms and the factors behind them. Her work explores how both neurodivergent thinkers and next-gen consumers are moving away from algorithm-chasing toward radical authenticity. Her mission? To bring the human craft back into our digital lives and make a few people laugh in the process. She is a recognized voice in The Robin Report among other retail publications, and is working on the upcoming release of her comedic memoir, Christmas is Coming.

A values-driven brand builder, Lisa has 25-years of experience launching new ideas and initiatives for companies including adidas, BCG, Chobani, moo.com, and Walmart, among dozens of others including her own independent strategy advisory, LVG & Co.. A sought-after public speaker and regular contributor to Fast Company, Lisa is currently the US Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainability & Impact at iF Design, the prestigious German nonprofit design institute. FUTURE OF XYZ, her award-winning interview series created at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and now in its 8th season, explores where we are as a world and where we’re going. No stranger to adversity – Lisa has been an outspoken advocate for the protection of Planet Earth since the 1990s, volunteers on multiple boards, is a member of 1% for the Planet, has lived in 7 countries, 6 states, and speaks 3 languages. She holds a BA in Political Science from Bates College and an MBA from #1 ranked INSEAD.

Darren Kew (Ph.D. in International Relations, Tufts University, 2002) is Dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. He studies the relationship between conflict resolution methods – particularly interfaith and inter-ethnic peacebuilding – and democratic development in Africa, Northern Ireland, and the United States. Much of his work focuses on the role of civil society groups in this development. He has also been a consultant on peace and democracy initiatives to the United Nations, USAID, US Institute of Peace, the US State Department, and to a number of NGOs, including the Carter Center.

Professor Kew monitored the last seven Nigerian elections and the 2007 elections in Sierra Leone, and in 2023-24 co-facilitated a working group of religious leaders focusing on religion and peacebuilding in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Professor Kew was asked by the British and American governments to join an influential international commission requested by the Nigerian government in 2010, which contributed to a major overhaul of its election system. He is author of numerous works on Nigerian politics and conflict resolution, including the book Civil Society, Conflict Resolution, and Democracy in Nigeria (Syracuse UP, 2016), and his articles have appeared in International Negotiation, the Journal of Democracy, and Current History, among others.

Ramya Mabry is a creative community builder dedicated to building bridges between people, purpose, and possibility, and her mission is to help nourish our world again through community-centered solutions and social impact. Ramya currently serves as Coordinator for the Williams-Ross Purple Pantry at East Carolina University, where her leadership contributed to a 104% increase in food distribution in one academic year. She is also the founder of NOWA, an award-winning initiative addressing food insecurity in underserved communities, and co-founder of Sister Sister, a faith-based women’s group centered on authentic connection. Ramya earned her BA in Business Administration from North Carolina A&T State University and MA in Social Innovation from the University of San Diego. Her work experience spans nonprofits, B-corps, and Fortune 200 companies. In 2025 and 2026, she received the Patrizia Marquez Social Innovation Award and ECU Excellence Divisional Award for her leadership and impact.

Nathalie Molina Niño works where capital, power, and consequence meet. An investor and operator, she has spent her career navigating moments of scale and transition.

She is President of Known and Built, a Fund as a Service company, and the author of LEAPFROG: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs, published by Penguin Random House and named by Book Authority as one of the Best CEO Books of All Time. Her current series, Leap Again: No More Someday, brings together writing and speaking on change, pressure, belonging, and rebuilding without waiting for perfect conditions.

Her work spans public and private sector advisory roles, board service across health, equity, and consumer organizations, and operating experience scaling a multinational business across more than 30 countries. You can find her and her work in places like Time Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, MSNBC, and CNBC.

Katie Rast joined the Dr. Seuss Foundation in September 2025, bringing more than two decades of experience leading community-based initiatives that advance education, civic engagement, and innovation to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Her dedication to supporting education aligns with the organization’s enduring commitment to early literacy and joyful learning.

Prior to this, she served as Director of Community Impact at San Diego Foundation for nine years, where she oversaw $90 million in grantmaking. There she built the Early Childhood Initiative, directed $25 million in federal CARES Act funds, and launched the Ready to Learn initiative.

Rast co-founded Fab Lab San Diego in partnership with the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT as part of a global network of digital fabrication laboratories bringing advanced technology and education to communities around the world. The Lab offered free programs to low-income students and served as a launchpad for local entrepreneurs.

Inez Merlyn Robinson-Odom's earliest memory is of grown folks at a kitchen table telling stories long after the food was cleared. For Inez, the conversation was the true dessert.

Inez holds an M.A. in Communication from Stanford, a BA from UNH, and an ICF coaching credential from the University of San Diego. She created Miss Inez's School of Home Training, a card game on curiosity, empathy, and dialogue.

A leadership strategist, executive coach, and author, Inez believes leadership is devotion to people and possibility. Through her Leadership-in-Residence™ model, she embeds inside organizations, partnering with executives on strategy, communication, and change. She is currently Executive Consultant to Associated Builders and Contractors, San Diego, working with CEO Shandon Harbour to advance instructional design in the skilled trades.

A devoted Star Trek fan, Inez swims most mornings at 5:30am at the municipal pool on Coronado Island. The sunrise is her favorite daily miracle.

Alexis is the President and CEO of City Heights Community Development Corporation (City Heights CDC). Alexis is the first woman of color to lead the organization in its 43-year history. She is known for her ability to build strong and lasting relationships with partners, stakeholders, and community members. Raised in City Heights, Alexis is a longtime community leader dedicated to advancing equitable development, community pride, job training, and economic opportunity.

With more than 15 years of experience in workforce development, business development, nonprofit management, and community development, Alexis's career includes roles with the San Diego Workforce Partnership, Mi Casa Group Homes, the County of San Diego, and Social Advocates for Youth (SAY San Diego).

In 2024, Alexis was named the recipient of the San Diego Business Journal Rising Star Award and was also selected as a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal CEO of the Year Award.

She holds a bachelor's degree in social work and Chicano/a Studies from San Diego State University and a Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from National University.