Reed Tuckson

Managing Director of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC, a health and medical care consulting business that brings people and ideas together to promote optimal health outcomes and value through innovation and integration; previously, he enjoyed a long tenure as executive vice president and chief of medical affairs for UnitedHealth Group; senior vice president for professional standards of the AMA; senior vice president of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation; president of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; and commissioner of public health for the District of Columbia.

Craig Venter

Regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his numerous invaluable contributions to genomic research; founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a non-profit research organization with approximately 200 scientists and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant, synthetic and environmental genomic research, and the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics; co-founder of Synthetic Genomics, Inc. (SGI), a privately held company developing products and solutions including sustainable bio-fuels, vaccines, biotherapeutics and transplantable organs, and Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), a genomic-based, health intelligence company empowering proactive healthcare.

Jim Wallis

Globally respected writer, teacher, preacher, and justice advocate who believes the gospel of Jesus must be transformed from its cultural and political captivities; a New York Times bestselling author, widely recognized public theologian, renowned speaker, and regular international commentator on ethics and public life; founder, president, and editor-in-chief of Sojourners, and is the author of 12 books, including America’s Original Sin, God’s Politics, The Great Awakening, and The Call to Conversion; served on President Obama’s White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and has taught faith and public life courses at Harvard and Georgetown University.

James Watson

Nobel Prize-winning scientist credited as co-discovering the structure of DNA.

Mike Feinberg

Co-founder, Texas School Venture Fund; co-founder and formerly of KIPP.

T. Boone Pickens

Entrepreneur and philanthropist; built Mesa Petroleum into one of America’s largest independent natural gas and oil companies; built an energy-focused investment firm, BP Capital, which became often one of America’s most successful hedge funds primarily focused on oil and gas commodities and energy-dependent equities; established the T. Boone Pickens Foundation with a $175 million endowment, focused on improving lives through grants supporting education, health and medical research and services, athletics and corporate wellness, entrepreneurship, at-risk youth, and conservation and wildlife initiatives

Joseph White

President Emeritus of the University of Illinois and James F. Towey Professor of Business and Leadership.

Jim Young

Longtime supporter of TED and, along with his wife Carole, responsible for bringing TED to Dallas as TEDxSMU.