Alexa Meara, MD is a board-certified rheumatologist and Director of the Immunotherapy Management Clinic in the Division of Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – The James. Dr. Meara partners with oncologists to help patients manage immune-related side effects from cancer treatments, including immunotherapy and CAR-T therapy, helping them benefit from potentially life-changing treatments while addressing complex complications. She believes side effects shouldn’t stand in the way of survivorship.

Alexa Reck is a speech language pathologist at Bridgeway Academy and Therapy Center, a lecturer in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at The Ohio State University, and mother to an autistic adult.  At Bridgeway, she co-leads theatre groups and offers specialized individual and group therapy sessions targeting literacy skills for her autistic clients. Across her professional and personal roles, Alexa works to model, encourage, and support effective communication between conversation partners of all ages and neurotypes and in all settings, believing none of us truly moves forward unless we all are moving forward.

Alisha Skeel is a queer, autistic poet and writer based in Westerville, Ohio. Her work explores identity, interconnectedness, mental health, and the friction of navigating the world as an autistic creative. You can find her haunting her local open mics and poetry events, and making animal friends wherever she goes. She is working on her first novel, which was long-listed in Unleash Lit’s First Chapters Contest. She has several poems slated for publication in forthcoming 2026 anthologies.

Dr. Annalies Corbin is an archaeologist, author, speaker, and Founder and CEO of the PAST Foundation. For more than three decades, she has worked across education, innovation, and community partnerships to redesign learning around authentic problems and real-world purpose. Her work centers one powerful idea: human potential is not developed by institutions alone, but cultivated by ecosystems of relationships, trust, and opportunity. Annalies is the author of Hacking School: Five Strategies for Linking Learning to Life and host of the Learning Unboxed podcast. Her talks challenge audiences to rethink how people learn, belong, contribute, and become.

Dr. Dan Shellenbarger is a researcher, educator, artist, filmmaker, and public media executive whose work explores creativity and how people make meaning. His doctoral research examined artists’ thinking practices, building on decades of conversations with more than 400 artists. Dan is a two-time Emmy Award-winning director and has taught art, criticism, and writing at the college level for more than 20 years. He holds a PhD and MA in Art Education, an MFA, and a BA in Journalism all from The Ohio State University. His current work explores the usefulness of wonder.

Heather Carroll is the chief revenue officer at Path Robotics, where she leads commercial strategy and works with customers and partners to advance the use of physical AI in manufacturing. With more than 20 years of experience in industrial automation, robotics and supply chain technology, Heather speaks frequently about how physical AI can help address workforce shortages, strengthen supply chains and support the future of American manufacturing. She also serves on the SCSP National Security Commission on Robotics for Advanced Manufacturing, where she engages with policymakers to advocate for policies that support robotics adoption.

Jade Barry spends her career and personal life creating spaces where people feel seen, welcomed, and connected. She produces events, music, short films, and creative experiences that bring people together. She’s also a street medic, providing care to members of the unhoused community. Jade lives in Columbus with her partner, Holly, two creative kids, and a house full of furry friends.

Jami Ffrench-Parker is a community builder, experience designer, and founder of SkateColumbus, a citywide initiative using movement to create connection and a sense of belonging. Drawing on her background as a cruise director, hospitality professional, Pride volunteer leader, and roller-skating organizer, Jami creates spaces where strangers can participate, play, and build community. Her work brings together skating, storytelling, wellness, and public-space activation to make shared experiences more accessible and meaningful. Through events, partnerships, and advocacy, she is helping shape a more connected Columbus and exploring how moving together can change the way we understand belonging.

Jen Schlegel, a biomedical engineer and the founder/CEO of BeEnabled, develops accessible technology that supports people navigating chronic illness, disability, and aging. 119, an emergency guidance platform, leads this work. A recipient of the Ohio State University President’s Prize and a Camelback Ventures Fellow, she has raised more than $800,000 for inclusive innovation and holds several patents. Jen serves as coordinator of the Ohio Tech Ambassador program, an initiative of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. She is the founding ease and accessibility project manager at suma and the Executive Director of the nonprofit BeEnabled Advocacy Alliance (BEAA).

Jeff Beam has spent decades pursuing what makes neighborhoods flourish, first as an urban designer, then developer, and now investor and policy advocate. He’s learned from neighborhood change when it occurs in drips or in waves. His teachers have been the country’s brightest professional designers, developers, and financiers; professors at Notre Dame and MIT; and the residents whose lives are impacted by development and change. Jeff works at OCCH, a Columbus nonprofit that finances and supports affordable housing development and preservation in 13 states. Having moved to Columbus 14 years ago from the east coast, his family lives in leafy Bexley.

Laura Anthony has spent her life exploring what happens when we stop asking people to fit in and start making room for difference. As a disability attorney, workplace consultant, and speaker, her perspective was shaped by watching her mother rebuild her life after a profound brain injury and strengthened through decades of helping organizations navigate disability, talent, and workplace culture. Laura challenges audiences to rethink assumptions, recognize overlooked strengths, and design environments where more people can succeed. Her work has been featured in Forbes and on national stages, highlighting the importance of neuroinclusion as a talent, performance, and cultural priority.

Momina Khatri is a mental health therapist and community educator passionate about making mental health more accessible, culturally responsive, and inclusive. Her work focuses on supporting and empowering marginalized communities, including BIPOC, immigrants, and people navigating trauma and neurodivergence. Momina deeply understands the isolation and stigma that can surround these experiences and emphasizes the importance of connection and belonging as powerful protective factors. She has led numerous workshops and conferences throughout Central Ohio on the intersection of faith, culture, and mental health. Momina feels immense honor in creatin

Parker Huston, PhD is a licensed psychologist who founded Central Ohio Pediatric Behavioral Health to expand access to quality mental healthcare for children and adolescents. He speaks passionately to anyone who will listen about preventative strategies to improve mental wellbeing for children and families. In his practice, he enjoys working with children who have complex developmental, behavioral, and/or medical concerns as well as sports performance psychology. Parker lives in Westerville and has two children who keep him busy in his “free time.” He’s an average golfer, below average artist, and decent cook. He coaches, watches, and plays soccer whenever possible.

Ray Harishankar is IBM Fellow and CTO for Quantum Safe, and a defining global architect of the world’s transition to post-quantum security. He leads IBM’s global strategy, technology innovation, and ecosystem mobilization, transforming quantum security from a theoretical concern into a board-level transformation program embedded in operational reality. A trusted advisor to global financial institutions, telecommunications providers, governments, and regulators, Ray works directly with C-suite executives and policymakers to deploy quantum-safe architectures in production environments and shape regulatory guidance. He is a sought-after speaker at global forums, co-author of Becoming Quantum Safe, holds 29 patents, and is a Distinguished Alumnus of The Ohio State University College of Engineering.

Yohannan Terrell is an award-winning marketing professional with over 15 years of experience across traditional, digital, and experiential marketing. A Psychology graduate of The Ohio State University, he applies deep insight into human behavior to craft campaigns that truly engage. As co-founder of Warhol & WALL ST., a creative branding agency, Yohannan has earned multiple industry awards and media features for his innovative work. Driven by a passion for community impact, he founded and directs the Columbus Fashion Alliance, working to establish Columbus as a world-renowned fashion capital. His guiding philosophy: “Be useful, unique, and updated.”

Professor Zak Kassas is redefining how humanity navigates when GPS is unavailable or under attack. He is the TRC Endowed Chair in Intelligent Transportation Systems, Professor at The Ohio State University, and Director of CARMEN, a U.S. Department of Transportation Center. Kassas received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Biden, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government. Ranked as the world’s top navigation scholar, his work has influenced government programs, policies, and investments; been featured in hundreds of media outlets; and been invited for presentation at the United Nations, the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill.

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