Chris Gardner the key to the success

Professor of Management and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Network Research Center at Warwick Business School

Professor of Management and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Network Research Center at Warwick Business School, Hila Lifshitz-Assaf’s research is centered on understanding scientific and technological innovation in the digital age. Lifshitz-Assaf has received recognition for her work in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for critical decision-making, including the ISSIP Excellence in Service Innovation award in 2023. Before her academic career, she spent seven years as a strategy consultant, specializing in growth and innovation strategies in various industries.

Columbia Business School Professor and authority on organizational performance and diversity

Modupe Akinola is a leading authority on organizational performance and diversity, and an Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School. Her research on stress and discrimination has been published in numerous academic journals and media outlets, including The New York Times, Forbes, and The Economist. Akinola has received several awards, including the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science and the Best Paper Award from the Academy of Management Journal. 

She advises leaders on managing stress, diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives and women’s leadership. Before becoming an academic, Akinola was the head of diversity at Bain & Co., where she contributed to the organization’s recruitment and retention framework for people of color. She earned her Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Harvard.

World’s leading expert on organizational trust and bestselling author

Stephen M. R. Covey is the bestselling author of The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything. He is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which, under his stewardship, became the largest leadership development company in the world. Covey personally led the strategy that propelled his father’s book, Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to become one of the two most influential business books of the 20th Century, according to CEO Magazine. His latest book is titled Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others.

Professor of Psychology at University of British Columbia and leading happiness and well-being researcher

Dr. Elizabeth Dunn is a distinguished professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and a leading expert on the study of how time, money, and technology shape human happiness. Her experimental research has not only been published in top-tier journals, including three articles in Science, but also widely featured in international media like The New York Times, The Atlantic, and CNN.

Dr. Dunn’s insights extend beyond academia into practical applications for organizations. She offers expert consulting, engaging workshops, and customized keynote presentations to help implement strategies that enhance well-being in both life and work. She is also the co-author of the acclaimed book Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, which has been recognized by the Washington Post as essential reading for leaders.