When Dr. Aadeel Akhtar was 7 years old, he met someone with a limb difference for the first time. She was his age, living in poverty in Pakistan, missing her right leg. At the time, he wondered how they could share the same ethnic heritage but have such vastly different qualities of life. As he grew older, he realized that this was due to a lack of resources.

For that reason, he founded and serves as the CEO of PSYONIC, a company whose mission is to develop advanced prostheses that are affordable for everyone. PSYONIC’s first product is the Ability Hand—a prosthetic hand that moves all five fingers, is the fastest available, is impact resistant, and gives users a feeling of touch.

Dr. Akhtar received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience and M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016. He received a B.S. in Biology in 2007 and M.S. in Computer Science in 2008 at Loyola University Chicago. His research is on motor control and sensory feedback for upper limb prostheses, and he has collaborations with the Center for Bionic Medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the John Rogers Research Group at Northwestern University, and the Range of Motion Project in Guatemala and Ecuador.

In 2021, he was named as one of MIT Technology Review’s top 35 Innovators Under 35 and America’s Top 50 Disruptors in Newsweek. In 2024, he appeared on Shark Tank, making a three-shark deal for $1 million.

Greg Hoffman is a global brand leader, former NIKE chief marketing officer, and founder and principal of the brand leadership platform, Modern Arena.

For 28 years, Greg held marketing, design, and innovation leadership positions at NIKE. His role in the rise of marketing and design through that period was recognized when Fast Company named him one of the Most Creative People in Business. Greg brought all of his brand experience to the world through his best-selling book Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons From a Life at Nike, published around the world in 13 languages.

Today as founder and principal of Modern Arena, Greg advises Fortune 500 brands, startups, and nonprofits on creating brand strength, business growth, and social impact. He engages teams ranging from Apple, Google, and Netflix, to Lego, and Target, on how to build stronger emotional bonds through branding and creativity.

In addition, he is the Branding and Marketing instructor at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business, and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Dr. Sian Proctor is a visionary artist, futurist, and explorer whose work bridges the worlds of science, space exploration, humanity, and creative expression. Born on Guam to a father who worked at NASA’s tracking station during the Apollo missions, Proctor’s artistic vision has been shaped by a lifelong connection to space and Earth sciences.

With advanced degrees in Environmental Science, Geology, and Science Education, Proctor’s art is deeply informed by her scientific background. As a geoscience professor at Maricopa Community College, she honed her ability to communicate complex ideas through creative expression, laying the groundwork for her unique artistic style.

Proctor’s journey as a space artist gained momentum through her experiences as an analog astronaut, participating in multiple simulated space missions, including a NASA-funded four-month Mars simulation. These experiences profoundly influenced her artistic themes, exploring human adaptation, isolation, and discovery.

In 2021, Proctor made history as the mission pilot for SpaceX Inspiration4, becoming the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft and the first Black commercial astronaut. More significantly for her art, this mission allowed Proctor to experience the Overview Effect firsthand, transforming her perspective and artistic vision.

As the first African-American to paint in space, Proctor’s post-Inspiration4 work offers a rare blend of scientific accuracy and cosmic inspiration. Her art captures the fragility and interconnectedness of Earth as seen from orbit, inviting viewers to experience our planet from this unique vantage point.

Through her company Space2inspire, Proctor creates Afrofuturist art that not only celebrates space exploration but also advocates for a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (J.E.D.I.) approach to space and STEM fields. Her work challenges us to consider humanity’s future among the stars while also addressing humanity’s most pressing issues on Earth, from ecological stewardship to inclusion and diversity.