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Your Day Ahead

Four curated sessions spanning breakthrough science, human resilience, creative innovation, and the futures we're choosing to build. You'll witness live performances, connect with startup founders displaying their work, and hear from global innovators at the frontier of their fields.

Event Schedule

Feb 21st

8:00 AM

Registration & Coffee

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks

Session 1

A New Frontier

9:20 AM

TALK

Martine Bertrand

Créativité -Arrival Langage- clarity-healing-energy

9:40 AM

TALK

Carlos Gascón Alvarez

Exploring Distant Worlds Beyond Our Sun

10:00 AM

TALK

Andrea Choe

Lessons From a Worm: Solutions from the Living World

10:20 AM

PERFORMER

Rosa Jacobs

Accompanied by Julian Oliver

10:40 AM

Break

Session 2

Building on Purpose

11:10 AM

TALK

Shawna Young

Who Builds What’s Next?

11:30 AM

TALK

John Cordier

When Our Future Is Modeled

11:50 AM

TALK

Phil Neil

When Founders Break, Businesses Follow

12:10 PM

Lunch

Session 3

The Human Condition

1:30 PM

TALK

Jayna Swan

Decoding The Female Pain Epidemic

1:50 PM

TALK

Anya Dillard

Curing Burnout With Radical Creativity

2:10 PM

TALK

Jeff Harmon

Resilience is a Choice

2:30 PM

Break

3:00 PM

PERFORMER

J-Renne

Accompanied by Nihal Pai, Max Mitchell, Oda Agboola, and Corin Duey

Session 4

Imagining Tomorrow

3:30 PM

TALK

Marinela Profi

Does Trust Have a Future?

3:50 PM

TALK

Ceren Koca

The Age of Human–AI Bonding

4:10 PM

TALK

Alexis Abramson

Breaking Boundaries For a Livable Planet

4:30 PM

Startup Display

5:00 PM

Closing Remarks

J-Renee

PhD Candidate, Performer Scholar

Accompanied by Nihal Pai, Max Mitchell, Oda Agboola, and Corin Duey

Jordan R. Brown, M.M., M.A. (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in ethnomusicology and Presidential Scholar at Harvard University with a secondary field in African and African American Studies. She is currently chair of Harvard University’s Graduate Music Forum, co-chair of Project Spectrum, and a UNESCO Youth Ambassador for Peace and Intercultural Dialogue. Brown’s dissertation, tentatively titled “The Black Alternative: A Cultural and Musical Phenomenon” uses Black politics, Black feminist theory, and “quare” theory to investigate the word “alternative” as it is used on genres commercially coded as “Black,” specifically alternative R&B and alternative hip-hop. Her work will be supported by the W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute, where she will serve as the Dorothy Porter Fellow during the 2025–2026 academic year. She identifies as a performer-scholar and intends to continue bridging the two practices in her future work.

2026
https://www.jordanrbrown.com/

Rosa Jacobs

Song Writer / Muscian

Accompanied by Julian Oliver

Rosa Joe Jacobs is a Brooklyn-bred, Boston-based songwriter and musician. While her songs draw from folk traditions, Rosa is less interested in fitting within genre boundaries and far more devoted to creating music that makes people feel connected. Connected to themselves, to each other, and to something larger. She is currently a student at Berklee College of Music. Rosa is also working on her debut project, a collection of original songs recorded at the The Bungaleau in Eau Claire, WI and at Q Division Studios In Somerville, MA. The Record is set to release in 2026. Jacobs didn’t grow up in a traditional folk music household. As a city kid, her early life was shaped more by the hum of subways and crowded streets than folk songs. The discovery of a love for American Roots Music came later. She fell in love with the genre after witnessing and becoming a part of the deep, living folk music communities of New England and diving into the rich storytelling and sonic wonderscape of old-time and bluegrass music. Above all else, the sense of music as something communal and alive is at the heartbeat of her songwriting. Rosa’s songs are also shaped by her discovery of the natural world. Growing up surrounded by concrete, she found wonder later in life through the quiet rhythms of nature. That wonder, and the way it cracked her world open, is a throughline in her writing. Natural and emotional landscapes aren’t separate, they blur and bend into each other. With her debut project on the horizon, Rosa Joe is continuing to write and create new material, always reaching for the threads that tie us to ourselves and to each other.

2026
https://rosajoejacobs.com/shows

Jeff Harmon

Leadership Coach & Founder, My Impossible

Resilience is a Choice

Jeff is a leadership coach at Brilliance Within and founder of the My Impossible foundation, which exists to help people confront real limits and choose how they will lead within them. Living with a progressive neurological condition and having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in his wheelchair, Jeff challenges the idea that resilience is about strength or pushing harder. His work centers on helping leaders tell the truth about where they are, reclaim agency, and lead from conviction rather than performance. Through coaching, Jeff helps leaders integrate faith, identity, and responsibility so their leadership is grounded and durable. Clients describe the experience as clarifying and steadying—leading with greater presence, sharper judgment, and courage in hard seasons.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brilliantcoach/

Shawna Young

CEO Camelback Ventures

Who Builds What’s Next?

Shawna Young is a leading social impact entrepreneur and the CEO of Camelback Ventures, an organization that provides capital, coaching, and connections to entrepreneurs of color and women. Her career is dedicated to advancing equitable access in education and STEM. She previously served as the interim CEO of Ada Developers Academy, the executive director of the Scratch Foundation (an MIT Media Lab initiative), and held leadership roles at Duke University. Young holds degrees from Howard University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and an MBA from MIT.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/youngshawna/

Andrea Choe

Co-Founder & CEO Holoclara

Lessons From a Worm: Solutions from the Living World

Dr. Andrea Choe is the co-founder and CEO of Holoclara, the first company to create safe, orally available worm-derived therapies. While pursuing her doctorate at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), she uncovered a unique pheromone language shared by roundworms. Dr. Choe’s research, including her discovery of novel molecules derived from worms that blocked disease formation in animal models of allergic and autoimmune disease, has become the foundation of Holoclara’s technology. She is a winner of the Emerging Women Founders in Biotech Award.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreachoe/

Ceren Koca

CEO & Founder of HumanTruths

The Age of Human–AI Bonding

Ceren Koca is a global leader in behavioral insights and a social impact champion focused on creating equitable opportunities for vulnerable communities. She has over a decade of experience, including roles at Google, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and as a consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As an independent consultant, she has executed over 500 social impact projects addressing critical issues such as maternal health, vaccine access, and financial equity. Koca is also a behavioral science and AI expert and a recent graduate from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cerenkoca-humantruths/

John Cordier

CEO Epistemix

When Our Future Is Modeled

John Cordier is dedicated to creating the conditions for healthier lives by helping organizations use data to turn vision into impact. As part of the leadership team at Epistemix, John empowers executives in healthcare, government, and other industries with insights that drive better decisions through advanced modeling and digital twin technology. With a background in public health and policy, John guides teams in applying agent-based modeling and synthetic data to forecast outcomes and shape strategy. Outside of Epistemix, John supports founders, teaches public health, and advocates for health equity through nonprofit work.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncordier/

Anya Dillard

Founder & CEO The Next Gen Come Up

Curing Burnout With Radical Creativity

Anya Dillard is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and multimedia storyteller dedicated to activism, representation, and youth empowerment. She is the founder of The Next Gen Come Up, a nonprofit inspiring young people to create change through service and creativity, and CEO of Jenevesque Media LLC, amplifying marginalized voices through immersive media. Anya has led global campaigns for climate justice, equity, and Black liberation, collaborating with brands like UGG, Puma, and Savage X Fenty. A McDonald’s Future 22 and Ulta Beauty Muse 100 honoree, she currently works at Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and studies journalism at Rutgers University–Newark.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anya-dillard-984330196/

Carlos Gascón Alvarez

PhD Candidate, Space Telescope Science Institute (STSCI)

Exploring Distant Worlds Beyond Our Sun

Carlos Gascón is a Spanish PhD student in Astronomy at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, supported by La Caixa and Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellowships. His research focuses on the atmospheres of exoplanets—searching for water, clouds, and gases that could indicate habitability. Carlos holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Aerospace Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, where he completed his senior thesis at Cornell University, and a Master’s in Astrophysics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Contact: cgascon@stsci.edu

2026

Alexis Abramson

Dean of Columbia Climate School

Breaking Boundaries For a Livable Planet

Dr. Abramson is a creative scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur with extensive experience leading innovative programs at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and business. With expertise in nanotechnology, solar energy, thermal management, building efficiency, and data analytics, Dr. Abramson has partnered with leading organizations including Starbucks, REI, Johnson Controls, and TD Bank. Known for driving research and commercialization initiatives, Dr. Abramson has helped shape U.S. R&D strategy on building energy efficiency and has successfully attracted significant financial and institutional support for research, education, and innovation that advance environmental and technological progress.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-abramson-63843/

Marinela Profi

AI Strategist & Trust Expert

Does Trust Have a Future?

Marianela is the Global Market Strategy Lead for AI, GenAI, and Agentic AI at SAS, helping enterprises across financial services, healthcare, and government achieve trusted, data-driven decisions. With an MBA and a Master’s in Statistics and AI, Marianela translates complex technical concepts into strategic initiatives that drive business impact. A published author and global tech speaker, Marianela also serves on the Advisory Board for Wake Technical Community College’s Data Science Program, shaping curriculum to align with evolving industry needs and advancing innovation in the AI and data science landscape

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinelaprofi/

Martine Bertrand

Visual Artist & Designer

Créativité -Arrival Langage- clarity-healing-energy

Martine Bertrand is a French-speaking visual artist from Montreal whose career extends internationally. Trained in textiles, she designed ballet costumes for major opera houses, including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Paris National Opera, the Munich Opera, the Stuttgart Opera, and the Norwegian National Opera. Alongside her personal practice, she also works in the film industry. She is the artist behind the non-linear graphic language (logograms) of the extraterrestrials in Denis Villeneuve’s film Arrival. More recently, she also created murals and decorative elements for Dune and Dune: Part Two. Her works are held in public and private collections and has also been showcased at the Philadelphia Museum, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martine-bertrand-50a77b69/

Jayna Swan

Women's Empowerment Coach & Speaker

Decoding The Female Pain Epidemic

Jayna Swan is a Women's Feminine Empowerment Coach, speaker, and 6x National Championship Dancer. She is a certified Master Practitioner of Mental & Emotional Release who specializes in helping women reconnect their minds with their bodies. She is the host of the podcast, A Millennial's Guide to Healthy Emotional Regulation, which helps entrepreneurs and leaders navigate stress and prevent burnout.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayna-swan/

Phil Neil

CEO of Founders Compass

When Founders Break, Businesses Follow

Phil Neil is an entrepreneur and strategic clarity partner who has built and scaled multimillion‑dollar businesses, including an 8‑figure exit after scaling to $70M in revenue. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, he has operated across diverse industries, navigated complex international markets, and formed strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. While on his journey, Phil discovered the root cause of startup failure and is now on a mission to help founder-CEOs restore visibility, reduce reactivity, and make better decisions when pressure distorts judgment and decision quality drops. Through his frameworks — The Shadow of Entrepreneurship™ and the Pressure Cascade — Phil equips these leaders with tools and skills to sustain decision quality under pressure and become leaders the world doesn’t break.

2026
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-neil/
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