Paola Antonelli joined The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1994 and is the museum’s Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture & Design and founding Director of Research & Development. Her work investigates design in all forms, often expanding its reach to include overlooked objects and practices.

Her exhibitions, lectures, essays, and books contemplate design’s intersection and interaction with other fields (from technology and biology to popular culture) and with life–that of individuals, communities, all species, and all planets. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence is universally acknowledged. She has curated shows at MoMA and other international institutions, and lectured globally ranging from TED to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Following the XXII Triennale di Milano Broken Nature exhibition and the 2020 MoMA exhibition Material Ecology, she is currently producing her renowned MoMA R&D Salons, thematic gatherings demonstrating the potential of museums as R&D departments for society, and a new MoMA exhibition on interactive design. Among countless accolades, Antonelli was lauded among the world’s 25 most incisive design visionaries by TIME Magazine and has earned the “Design Mind” Smithsonian Institution’s National Design Award.

David Fishof enjoys success as an entertainment and sports agent, promoter, producer, and manager, and as Founder and CEO of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Born in New York City, he began his career representing acts in the Catskills, then moved to sports, as agent for top NFL and MLB players including Phil Simms and Lou Piniella.

Segueing to the music business, he produced Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Tour, Monkees 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour, Classic Superfest, and created and produced Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Tours. Fishof’s stand-out accomplishment is the creation of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. After working with rock stars including Roger Daltrey, Ringo Starr, Levon Helm, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, and so many others, he wanted “real” people to experience playing with their rock heroes.

The result is transformational as “campers” meet and jam with music idols Joe Perry, Brian Wilson, Vince Neil, Nancy Wilson, Judas Priest, and so many others at legendary venues ranging from London’s Abbey Road Studios to Hollywood’s Whisky a Go Go. Fishof is featured in Rock Camp: The Movie and has authored two books, Putting It on The Line, based on experiences in sports and entertainment, and Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn From The Business of Rock and Roll.

Timothy Ford has 20 years of experience in the hotel real estate industry, and is President of Lodging Econometrics (LE)—having been with the company since its formation. He previously served as LE’s Executive Vice President, responsible for technology initiatives; growth of client services; oversight of sales and marketing departments; and, most notably, taking LE’s trusted U.S. Business Development Programs and expanding them to every region and country worldwide.

Incorporating the latest cutting-edge technology, Ford redesigned LE’s online business development program delivery systems, including its global database of hotel development records and portfolio of lodging real estate trend and management guidance reports for client sales teams. He has been instrumental in developing LE’s data integration services.

Ford is responsible for creating new business partnerships, continuing to incorporate the latest online technology, and providing additional business development programs for LE’s roster of clients—including franchise clients looking to accelerate brand growth, hotel ownership and management groups seeking to expand real estate portfolios, and lodging vendors aiming to increase industry sales.

Originally from California, Jevon McFerrin is a graduate of The American Academy of the Dramatic Arts in New York City and is currently appearing as Chuck in Twenties on BET, created by Lena Waithe. McFerrin’s theater credits include Hamilton on Broadway, covering the roles of Hamilton and the Sons of Liberty; Motown the Musical on Broadway as Norman Whitfield and understudying the role of Smokey Robinson. He starred in Rent, the musical by Jonathan Larson, at the Hangar Theatre (Ithaca, New York), and in Daniel Beaty’s Tearing Down the Walls, for which he received an Audelco Award nomination for Outstanding Male Performance in a Musical. McFerrin also performed in T. Schreiber Studio & Theatre’s production of Balm in Gilead, honored as best play by the New York Innovative Theatre Awards.

Candace Quarrels is an actor and artist currently based in Los Angeles. Her Broadway career was launched in her second year of college, when she was cast as Nabalungi in the 11-time Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon. Soon after ending that successful run, Quarrels was cast in the smash-hit musical Hamilton, where she played the dual role of Margarita “Peggy” Schuyler and Maria Reynolds. During her time with the show, she formed many lasting connections in the entertainment business. Her writings and poetry have been published in national and local publications, and her band, Mermaid, is releasing their debut album in the fall of 2022. Currently, Quarrels is part of the Hamilton Los Angeles company and continues to take the industry by storm.

John Wilson, documentary filmmaker and self-described “anxious New Yorker”, made his HBO debut as writer, director, cameraman, executive producer, and narrator in 2020 with his series entitled HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON. The second season debuted in 2021 to critical acclaim.

The series is a uniquely hilarious odyssey of self-discovery and cultural observation, as Wilson covertly and obsessively films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on relatable topics. The awkward contradictions of modern life are eased by candid, unpolished commentary and a distinct take on a range of deceivingly simple topics. Building upon Wilson’s previously released “How To” short films, the episodes take wildly unexpected turns, yet are grounded in refreshing honesty.

Following his graduation from college, Wilson took an atypical path by spending a year working for a private investigator, an education that inspired his “documentary memoir” shooting style. Equal parts ethnography and autobiography, his films are all shot from the first-person perspective and underscored by his distinct, wry narration style. While Wilson’s anxieties flared amongst large film crews, he found his groove making “How To” videos that he released free on the internet. His short films, Los Angeles Plays New York and The Road to Magnasanti, were official selections of the 2016 and 2017 New York Film Festival.

Amy and Ben Wright are advocates for the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Wrights are the proud parents of four children—Lillie, Emma Grace, Beau, and Bitty. Lillie was born with autism, and Bitty and Beau were born with Down syndrome.

Together, the Wrights have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place for their children and others living with disabilities. They founded the groundbreaking business Bitty & Beau’s Coffee to create a path for people with disabilities to work and shine in every community. Brewing up more than just delicious drinks, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop.

Each shop provides a one-of-a-kind customer engagement experience that is changing the way people see people with disabilities. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee now encompasses 23 shops in 12 states and has been featured on The Today Show, Rachael Ray, CNN, Harry, Good Morning America, HLN, and in People Magazine and Southern Living Magazine. For her efforts, dedication, and cause, Amy Wright was named the 2017 CNN Hero of the Year, determined by online voters who selected Wright from among the top award finalists. She received $100,000 to grow her cause.