CONGRESSMAN STEVE ISRAEL
Chairman, Former U.S. Congressman
Steve Israel served in the U.S. Congress between 2001 and 2017, including 4 years as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015. In Congress, he created the House Center Aisle Caucus, which convened regularly to facilitate bipartisan dialogue.
In 2021, he opened a small independent bookshop, Theodore’s Books, in his historic hometown of Oyster Bay, fulfilling a lifelong dream. He also directs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University, which serves as a platform for civic engagement and bipartisan dialogue.
He has written three widely praised novels, most recently The Einstein Conspiracy, a historic thriller. His other books include Global War on Morris and Big Guns.
As Chairman of the Birch Creek Dialogues, he convenes thought leaders and policymakers in an exploration of using the power of nature to elevate civic discourse and problem solving.
MANDA KALIMIAN
Founder of Birch Creek Dialogues
Manda Kalimian is the founder of the Birch Creek Dialogues and the President of Rewilding America Now, which for over a decade has worked to rewild America’s wild horses and land to promote environmental and climate sustainability.
Manda has raised awareness of issues surrounding America’s need for conservation and the important role nature plays in human flourishing. She owns over 1,300 private acres and 70,000 federal grazing acres in Birch Creek Valley, Idaho and is focused on ensuring its preservation as part of the critical Yellowstone corridor.
Manda is the author of Born To Rewild: Triumphs of a Now Fearless Woman. In 2019 and 2025, she presented at Cambridge University for their Conservation Forum.
She also helped secure a scientific grant to fund McMaster University’s Poinar Lab on Quaternary ecosystems using environmental DNA drawn from sediment cores, with a primary goal of collecting additional evidence regarding last appearance times for horses in North America.
Manda is a staunch believer in traditional ecological knowledge and a founding member of the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University. She helped create and fund the first rewilding policy curriculum at the Cornell Brooks Public Policy School.
She spearheaded the inclusion of rewilding language for managing America’s wild horses in the FY2020 Interior Appropriations budget bill and continues to partner with government entities on conservation matters.
STACY BARE
Stacy Bare is a father, husband, outdoorsmen, veteran, writer, and speaker. He is currently the Executive Director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks in Grand Rapids, MI. He and his team are working to create community through nature by planting trees, building trails, and restoring habitat. The end goal is that everyone in Grand Rapids has maximum access to experiences of everyday awe. Before turning his work towards infrastructure, he spent years in outdoor programming and large landscape conservancy. His work with Dr. Dacher Keltner of the Greater Good Science Center has been foundational to the explosion of research and conversation about the health benefits of time outdoors. He has been called an ‘awe pioneer,’ recognized as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and was (at different times) sponsored by The North Face, Pret Helmets, Trew Gear, and OARS for expeditionary filmmaking that includes a first ski ascent and descent of Mt. Halgurd in Iraq, skiing in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Japan, as well as climbing in Angola, and rafting in rivers across the United States. He was commissioned as a US Army Officer out of the University of Mississippi in 2000 where he also received a BA in Philosophy. He has a Bronze Star for Merit from his time in Iraq, served in Bosnia, worked in landmine clearance in Angola and Abkhazia in the Republic of Georgia, and received a Masters in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He falls and laughs a lot outside, and is surprisingly slow on a bike.
GOVERNOR DAVID BEASLEY
David Beasley is a distinguished leader, humanitarian, and former Governor of South Carolina
(1995–1999). He most recently served as the Executive Director of the United Nations WorldFood Program (WFP) from 2017 to April 2023, having been nominated by two U.S. presidential administrations from different parties and appointed by the UN Secretary-General. Under Beasley’s leadership, WFP became the largest humanitarian organization in the world, assisting over 160 million people in 2022 alone and raising over $55 billion to combat global hunger. In 2020, he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of WFP for its efforts to provide food assistance in conflict areas and prevent food from being used as a weapon of war. In his Oslo acceptance speech on December 10, 2021, he remarked: "We have learned that there is great richness in those who are seen, in the eyes of the world, as 'the poor.' And many of us who are considered 'rich' are actually poor in the things that matter most." Beasley has also been recognized for his courageous leadership beyond humanitarian work, receiving the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for taking a stand on the Confederate Flag issue in South Carolina. He majored in Microbiology at Clemson University and received a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of South Carolina. Beasley was also a Fellow and lecturer at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and is now a professor at the University of South Carolina Law School. He is married to Mary Wood Payne, and they have four children and four grandchildren. Today, Beasley remains an influential advocate for global food security, humanitarian action, and international cooperation.
DR. MARC BERMAN
Marc Berman is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Environmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago. He is also Chair of the Department of Psychology and faculty co-director of the Masters in Computational Social Science program.
In his research, he applies novel statistical and computational models to quantify brain networks and connects those insights to broader psychological phenomena such as self-control, depression, and cognitive effort.
His lab also studies how physical and social environments influence the brain and behavior. In particular, his work explores why natural environments have beneficial effects on body and mind.
He recently authored Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being.
He received his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2010. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Chicago Magazine, The Times London, The Toronto Star, and The Wall Street Journal.
GOVERNOR STEVE BULLOCK
Steve Bullock was elected Montana’s 24th Governor, serving from 2013-2021. He worked with a Republican-majority legislature to improve access to health care, make record investments in education, kick dark money out of state elections, protect access to public lands, invest in infrastructure, and strengthen Montana’s economy. Bullock brought diverse interests together to address challenging issues, from sage grouse and forest management to the Main Street Montana Project. Nationally, he was elected Chair of the National Governors Association, Western Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association.
Prior to being elected Governor, Bullock served as Montana’s attorney general from 2009-2013. As attorney general, Bullock led national consumer protection efforts and gained national prominence for leading the challenge to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.
Since leaving public office, Bullock has been involved with a number of corporate and nonprofit boards and organizations, as well as serving as the court-appointed Independent Monitor over Purdue Pharma and one of a panel of three arbitrators resolving disputes relating to many of the most significant national opioid settlements.
Bullock is a Montana native. He received his undergraduate degree from Claremont McKenna College and law degree from Columbia University School of Law. As an attorney, he has worked in larger firms in New York and Washington, DC, his own firm in Montana, and in public service. Bullock and his wife Lisa have three children: Caroline, Alexandria, and Cameron.
Kelly Burton
Kelly Burton is the Founder & CEO of Both/And Leadership, a coaching and training organization dedicated to sustaining the people who sustain our democracy. Kelly combines more than 20 years of leadership in political campaigns and nonprofit advocacy with her skills as an executive leadership coach and mindfulness teacher to help today’s social impact leaders develop the clarity, resilience, and staying power needed to thrive over time, not just survive in the moment.
Before launching Both/And Leadership, Kelly served as the inaugural president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) and its affiliates, where she worked closely with former U.S. Attorney General Eric. Holder to pioneer a first-ever comprehensive redistricting strategy to achieve fair maps. Her earlier roles include executive director and political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), campaign manager on multiple congressional and U.S. Senate campaigns, director of several advocacy campaigns at the national and state levels, and senior staff to Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. She also helped launch several nonprofit organizations dedicated to electing women to local office and serves as a board member for a number of progressive advocacy organizations.
Kelly Burton holds a BA from the University of Arizona, a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and an Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. She is certified by the International Coaching Federation as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), is a student in the Mindfulness Meditation Training Certification Program (MMTCP), and is certified in the framework of Adaptive Leadership Coaching.
In her political work, Kelly was recognized as one of Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People, featured on the Politico Playbook Power List, and named to AAPC’s Top 40 Under 40. Originally from Las Vegas, she now lives with her family in Santa Barbara, CA.
DAVID CALONE
Dave Calone is a Long Island based entrepreneur and investor who has helped start and build companies on Long Island and around the country. He currently serves as a senior advisor to investment firms Jove Equity Associates and Strata Alliance. He also is the manager of the Australia Venture Partners Fund.
Before entering the business world, he served as a federal prosecutor fighting terrorism and international economic crime and as a NY State Special Assistant Attorney General.
He has held a number of governmental and not-for-profit leadership roles including as chair of the DAV National Veterans Entrepreneurship Council. He also helped organize the bipartisan ongressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served for almost a decade as the Chair of the Suffolk County Planning Commission, led Suffolk County's Superstorm Sandy Review Taskforce, and co-founded Suffolk County's "Suffolk Forward" initiative to support small business recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. He currently serves as an appointed member of the New York State Regional Economic Development Council for Long Island, as the Vice Chair of Accelerate Long Island, on the executive board of the United Way of Long Island, and as a board member of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island.
He is a co-inventor on 19 U.S. patents relating to internet data aggregation and to health care data and consumer choice. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
CONGRESSMAN MATTEW CARTWRIGHT
Matthew A. Cartwright is a partner at Lowey Dannenberg. He is a member of the Healthcare practice group.
Mr. Cartwright began his career in the litigation department at a major Philadelphia law firm, and became one of Pennsylvania’s leading trial lawyers for 25 years. His courtroom experience resulted in 23 reported cases, including Lawrence Ins. Group v. KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP., a complex commercial case refining the New York standard for spoliation of evidence, and Wilprint v. Wachovia Bank, NA., a bet-the-company lender liability trial resulting in a record jury verdict in Pennsylvania.
From 2013 to 2025, he served as a U.S. Congressman for Pennsylvania’s 8th and 17th Districts, introducing more bipartisan bills than any other House Democrat during that time. As chair of the Appropriations Committee’s Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee, he authored 16 bills signed into law by three presidents, including the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which benefits U.S. Marines and their families poisoned by well water at that military base. He has also served as Business Torts Practice Section Chair and as a member of the Board of Governors, of the American Association for Justice, the leading organization to promote civil justice in the United States. Additionally, Mr. Cartwright co-authored West Publishing’s legal treatise Litigating Commercial and Business Tort Cases.
CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA COMSTOCK
Barbara Comstock has over three decades of leadership and management experience in the federal and state government, in business, media, education, and non-profits. She currently is the principal and owner of Comstock Strategies, a senior adviser at Baker Donelson, and an ABC News Contributor.
Barbara served on the board of Vivint Smart Home from 2021 until 2023 when NRG Energy, Inc. acquired it, and she has served on the board of Trustar Bank in Virginia from 2019 to the present. She served on the audit committees on both boards.
Barbara also serves on the Boards of the Association of Former Members of Congress where she currently serves as President; the Society for the Rule of Law, where she serves as Treasurer; the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for the Study of the Presidency; the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy; the National Council on Election Integrity, where she serves as Co-Chair; The Home of the Brave, where she serves as President; and CARE Action. Previously, she served on the Boards of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Barbara also completed the Corporate Director Certificate Program at the Harvard Business School.
Barbara was elected to Congress in 2014 to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District serving two terms. Barbara served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, the House Administration Committee, and the Science, Space and Technology Committee where she chaired the Subcommittee on Research and Technology and led hearings on cybersecurity, privacy issues, competitiveness and economic growth issues, artificial intelligence and medicine and technology.
Barbara was named one of the "Top Ten Most Effective Lawmakers" in the 115th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint effort of the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University. She was rated one of the most bipartisan legislators in Congress. She authored and passed landmark anti-sexual harassment legislation in Congress as well as STEM legislation for women and girls, human trafficking legislation, and legislation to address gang violence.
Post Congress, Barbara was selected as a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics (2019), the University of Virginia Center for Politics (2020, 2023, and 2024), the USC Center for the Political Future (2021), and American University’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics (2022). In 2024, she was a non-resident fellow at the United States Studies Centre in Sydney, Australia.
Prior to serving in Congress, Barbara was elected for three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates (2010-2014). She served as the Chairwoman of the Science and Technology Committee and served on the Commerce and Labor Committee that oversaw all business, health care, commerce, and banking issues. She authored the landmark Data Center tax incentive legislation which assisted Virginia becoming the #1 location in the world for the Data Center industry.
Prior to her service as an elected official, Barbara was in the private sector where she was a senior partner at Blank Rome, LLP, and Blank Rome Government Relations where she oversaw government relations and legal business from 2003-2006. She has worked with a wide variety of business coalitions in antitrust, financial services, telecom, retail, and labor related issues throughout her career. Barbara also worked on Governor Mitt Romney’s Presidential campaign as a senior advisor in 2008 and served as a Virginia Co-Chair and advisor to the Romney campaign in 2012.
Barbara’s government service began when she first worked as a senior aide in the 1990s to Virginia Congressman Frank R. Wolf (1991-1995). After working in Congressman Wolf’s office, Barbara served on the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, the largest House committee where she served as Chief Counsel, managed and hired a staff of 70+ employees, and led hearings and major oversight investigations (1995-1999).
During the 2000 campaign, Barbara served as the head of Research at the Republican National Committee, where she managed and directed a staff of approximately 30 people. After the election, Barbara served as Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice from 2001 through 2003 where she managed and coordinated all of the communications offices at DOJ, DEA, FBI, the INS, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
In 2013, Barbara founded “The Young Women’s Leadership Program” for young women in high school and junior high. Barbara brought this mentoring program to Capitol Hill and over 2000 young women have participated in it to date and it is now housed at the George Mason Schar School of Government as the “Barbara Comstock Program for Women in Leadership.”
Barbara Comstock is a resident of McLean, Virginia. She and her husband, Chip, a lifetime educator, and Fairfax County school administrator, raised their three children in McLean, Virginia.
CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA EDWARDS
(FULL BIO COMING SOON)
DACHER KELTNER
Dacher Keltner is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and Stanford University and currently a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center (greatergood.berkeley.edu) and host of its award-winning podcast, the Science of Happiness. Dacher’s research focuses on the biological and cultural evolution of compassion, awe, love, beauty, and humility, as well as power, social class, and inequality (dacherkeltner.com). Dacher is the author of hundreds of scientific articles and several best-selling books, including Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence, and AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life.
Dacher has won many research, teaching, mentoring, and service awards, including most recently, the Mentoring and William James Fellow award from the Association of Psychological Science, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has consulted for Apple, Pinterest, Google, the Sierra Club, Carnegie Hall, the National Parks, and the National Gallery, and was a scientific consultant for Pixar’s InsideOut, Soul, and Inside Out 2, and for the Center for Constitutional Rights in its work to outlaw solitary confinement.
ZACH LEIGHTON
Zach Leighton is a strategic advisor with experience across government, diplomacy, campaigns, and business. He is Principal of Leighton Strategies, where he works with organizations, executives, and leaders at the intersection of politics, technology, and civic engagement.
Previously, Zach was Senior Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Germany at the U.S. Department of State. He also served as Chief of Staff for the Office of the Staff Secretary at the White House. In addition to his government service, he has worked on three presidential campaigns, including as Senior Advisor and Traveling Aide to the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee in 2024 and as New York Deputy State Director for the Biden for President campaign in 2020.
Zach was a Munich Security Conference Young Leader and World Economic Forum Global Shaper. Originally from Jericho, New York, he is a graduate of the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.
DR. ERICK LUNDGREN
Erick Lundgren is an ecologist who uses a variety of quantitative macroecological and field-based approaches to study introduced species and novel ecosystems.
He is particularly interested in understanding these systems in the context of Earth’s history, and how cultural values influence how we interpret ecological change.
Dr. Lundgren holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Technology Sydney, an MS in Plant Conservation and Ecology from Arizona State University, and a BA in Biology from Earlham College.
ECHO MARSHALL
Echo Marshall serves as the Director of Tribal Relations at Idaho State University, where she works to strengthen relationships between the university and tribal communities across Idaho and the region. A proud member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, she advances partnerships, supports Native student success, and helps guide university efforts that honor tribal sovereignty, culture, and self-determination. Echo also serves as Co-Chair of the ISU Tribal University Advisory Board, helping to guide the implementation of the university’s Memorandum of Agreement with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Echo brings over two decades of leadership experience in tribal government, business development, and communications. Prior to joining Idaho State University, she served as the Business Development Executive for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Enterprise and Agri-Business Corporations and as the Public Affairs Manager for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Idaho State University and is currently a graduate student in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at ISU. Echo also completed a fellowship through the National Congress of American Indians at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, focused on Media and Communications.
Echo is deeply committed to community engagement and leadership. She serves on the Board of Directors for Kind Community in Pocatello, Idaho, and has previously served on the boards of the Pocatello/Chubbuck and Blackfoot Chambers of Commerce, including a term as President of the Blackfoot Chamber. She is also a graduate and former facilitator of the Pocatello/Chubbuck Chamber Leadership Program. Her professional foundation includes more than 20 years in the Gaming and Hospitality industry, where she held executive leadership roles, including Executive Marketing Director and Director of Sales and Marketing for the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel.
Outside of her professional work, Echo is a certified Zumba instructor who volunteers her time teaching in Fort Hall and throughout Southeast Idaho. She enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets, making meaningful memories, and staying connected to her community.
CAROLINE MEHL
Caroline Mehl is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI), a non-profit that builds educational tools to equip the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across differences.
CDI translates the latest behavioral science research into scalable educational tools that have been used by more than 200,000 students and professionals across the country. In her role, Caroline advises universities, workplaces, philanthropists, and communities on how to create more open and inclusive cultures.
Previously, Caroline was an Associate Research Scholar and Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Stern School of Business. She has experience in venture capital, social entrepreneurship, and venture philanthropy. Caroline received her bachelor’s degree from Yale and her master’s degree from Oxford as a Blavatnik Foundation Scholar. Caroline’s writing has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review. In addition to her role at Birch Creek Dialogues, she is on the Advisory Board of two national initiatives working to heal our country's divides: Disagree Better and Builders.
PATRICK J. MURPHY
The Honorable Patrick J. Murphy is a nationally recognized leader in enterprise strategy, public service, and innovation.
As Executive Director of the Hilco Global Geopolitical Unit, he leads efforts to provide clients with actionable geopolitical intelligence and strategic insight, helping organizations navigate risk, unlock opportunity, and strengthen their competitive position.
Murphy made history as America’s first Iraq War veteran elected to the U.S. Congress. He served on the Appropriations Committee and authored bipartisan legislation including the IMPROVE Act and Improper Payments Act, saving taxpayers billions.
From 2015 to 2017, he served as the 32nd Under Secretary and Acting Secretary of the U.S. Army, leading a workforce of 1.3 million personnel and managing a budget exceeding $185 billion.
He expanded the Soldier for Life initiative, building over $250 million in public-private partnerships and recruiting more than 120,000 Gen Z Americans into the Army.
He is also a Nonresident Fellow at the Penn Wharton Budget Model and a lecturer at the Wharton School of Business. He has held positions at West Point and the University of Chicago.
An Emmy Award-winning media professional, he hosts Warrior Money on Yahoo Finance. He also chairs the $50 million Face the Fight initiative to combat veteran suicide.
CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN
Tim Ryan is a former U.S. Congressman, author, and advocate for thoughtful leadership, civic dialogue, and personal well-being. He represented Ohio in the United States Congress for two decades, where he worked on issues ranging from economic renewal and manufacturing to education, public health, and strengthening American communities.
Alongside his public service, Tim became widely known for his work bringing mindfulness and contemplative practices into leadership, education, and public life. A longtime meditation practitioner, he has written and spoken extensively about the role mindfulness can play in improving focus, reducing stress, and helping individuals and leaders approach challenges with greater clarity and compassion.
Today, Tim works with organizations, educators, and community leaders to promote healthier communities, more thoughtful leadership, and constructive civic dialogue. His involvement with Birch Creek Dialogues reflects his belief that meaningful progress often begins when people step away from the noise of politics, spend time in reflection and nature, and engage one another with openness, curiosity, and respect.
PAUL SILBERNAGEL
Paul is a third-generation farmer and rancher from North Dakota. His respect for the land and commitment to stewardship began at a young age.
He believes strongly in reusing and recycling resources, including buildings, bridges, and equipment, and sees land stewardship as both a responsibility and privilege.
His approach centers on working with nature’s original processes, including rotational grazing with native herbivores to restore healthy grasses and soil systems.
For over 30 years, the Silbernagel family has cared for more than 200 wild horses, integrating them into innovative rotational grazing systems.
Family remains central to his work, with a strong emphasis on passing down knowledge, values, and skills to future generations.
SAMANTHA SKENANDORE
Samantha is a Founding Partner of Skenandore Wilson LLP. With over 21 years of legal experience, Samantha has been working with corporate organizations, including non-profits, and tribal entities across Indian Country to meet today’s most challenging client goals that interface government, environmental, corporate and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) arenas. Samantha is an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and is also a descendant of the Oneida Nation. Samantha is a member of the State Bars of Wisconsin and Arizona and is licensed to practice in numerous tribal jurisdictions.
Samantha has the rare ability to understand the intersection of corporate governance and tribal sovereignty agendas, which enables her to craft strategic and practical solutions for her clients from various sectors. Samantha’s practice includes matters involving Tribal governance, corporate governance, governmental affairs, corporate transactions, real estate, cultural resources, historic preservation, environmental law, Indian water rights, and litigation. Samantha represents clients in before members of Congress, congressional committees and agencies through federal lobbying services.
As an avid horsewoman, Samantha has decades of experience involving various equine associations, events, sports, community equine events and tribal equine programs.
Skenandore Wilson, a native-majority and woman-majority owned law firm headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is rated as a Tier 1 Best Lawyers in America® Law Firm in Native American Law. She has is avid presenter, educator and speaker on high profile matters involving Tribal sovereignty, natural resources protection, innovative environmental initiatives and advancing forward-facing, innovative policy on all governance levels.
Samantha spent the bulk of her years of private practice in large national law firms, and she is recognized and nationally rated by Chambers USA® (2021-present: Native American Law) and Best Lawyers in America® (2024 -present: Native American Law). Samantha previously served as a Tribal Attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice and clerked for the United States Department of Justice, Indian Resources Section, as well as the State of Colorado Division of Administrative Hearings in Denver, Colorado. Samantha served as an elected Associate Justice to the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court from 2015-2019.
Samantha received her B.A. in Behavioral Sciences & Law with a Certificate in American Indian Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2001, completed the Geneva Institute on Indigenous Peoples Law in Geneva, Switzerland in 2003 by the University of Tulsa’s Comparative and International Law Center, and received her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2005.
GARY M. TABOR
Gary M. Tabor is an ecologist and wildlife veterinarian based in Bozeman, Montana, and Ithaca, New York. He is the Founder and CEO Emeritus of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, an NGO that focuses on conserving nature at large scale through ecological corridors and protected area ecological networks. Gary is also a Professor of Conservation Practice at Cornell University and Senior Faculty Fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. He is the Chair Emeritus and Senior Advisor of the IUCN Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, which connects 1300 scientists from 135 countries. Gary has worked on behalf of large landscape conservation internationally for over 40 years on every continent except Antarctica.
Gary’s conservation achievements include the establishment of Kibale National Park in Uganda; the establishment of the World Bank’s Mgahinga-Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Mountain Gorilla Conservation Trust in Uganda; co-founding the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; pioneering the field of Conservation Medicine, the precursor to One Health; co-founding Patagonia Company’s Freedom to Roam wildlife corridor campaign and co-founding the Network for Landscape Conservation. Gary is a recipient of the Australian American Fulbright Scholar Award in Climate Change and the Henry Luce Scholar Award. He is a co-founder of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network.
Gary is an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is a member of the Conservation Committee of the National Aquarium in Baltimore. He is the co-founder of the US board of Bush Heritage Australia, a land trust that manages roughly 2% of all lands in Australia.
MONICA TRANEL
Monica Tranel was raised on a ranch in eastern Montana with her nine siblings. Tranel attended Gonzaga University and Rutgers University School of Law.
Tranel has two decades of experience representing Montanans across the state. Her practice areas include: regulatory and energy issues; property and water law; labor and employment-related matters; and litigation. Tranel’s experience includes serving as staff counsel for the utility commission and ratepayer advocate for the state of Montana.
ADAM WAYTZ
Adam Waytz is the Morris and Alice Kaplan Chair in Ethics and Decision Management and professor of Management and Organizations. His research uses methods from social psychology and cognitive neuroscience to study how people think about other minds and to investigate processes related to ethics, intergroup processes, and the psychological consequences of technology. Professor Waytz's research has been published in leading journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Review. In recognition of his work, Professor Waytz received the 2008 and 2013 Theoretical Innovation Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the SAGE Foundation Young Scholar Award, and the International Social Cognition Network's Early Career Award. He was also a visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation from 2018-2019. Professor Waytz received his BA in Psychology from Columbia University, his PhD in social psychology from the University of Chicago, and received a National Service Research Award from the National Institute of Health to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
JORDAN WHITTAKER
Zach was a Munich Security Conference Young Leader and World Economic Forum Global Shaper. Originally from Jericho, New York, he is a graduate of the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.
