Emmy-Winning Media Executive & Creator of Fat Bear Week

Naomi Boak is an award-winning media and communications executive recognized for developing innovative, audience-captivating television and digital content with lasting community impact. A Primetime Emmy and double Webby Award winner, Naomi spent over 25 years producing successful media projects for major broadcasters and global brands. In 2019, she made a bold pivot—combining storytelling with her passion for Alaska brown bears—becoming the Media Ranger for Katmai National Park. There, she co-produces and hosts live broadcasts for Explore.org and helped elevate Fat Bear Week into a viral global phenomenon featured by top news outlets worldwide.

Five Takeaways from Naomi Boak

• Reinvention is possible at any stage of life.
• Passion is a powerful career compass.
• Great storytelling builds community and drives impact.
• Media platforms can transform education and conservation.
• When work includes fun and purpose, audiences feel it.

Naomi Boak website: http://www.boak.com/about.html

Margit Novack is an author, storyteller, speaker, entrepreneur, and pioneer in Senior Move Management. As the founding president of the National Association of Specialty and Senior Move Managers (NASMM), she helped shape a field that now supports thousands of families navigating transition with dignity and clarity. In her insightful memoir, Squint: Re-Visioning the Second Half of Life, Margit blends memorable personal stories with universal experiences—downsizing, caregiving, forgiveness, estrangement, and identity. With honesty and humor, she challenges cultural assumptions about aging and reveals a future filled with purpose, acceptance, and new beginnings. Her work invites us to view aging not as decline, but as expansion.

Five Key Takeaways

• Perspective determines possibility—A shift in how we “squint” changes how we see aging.
• Downsizing is emotional, not just logistical—belongings hold history, not just weight.
• Caregiving reshapes love and patience—for both giver and receiver.
• Forgiveness frees more than it fixes—especially when reconciliation isn’t possible.
• The second half of life invites reinvention—identity continues to evolve, even—and especially—as we age.

Margit Novak website: https://margitnovack.com

Purpose Pioneer, Author & Co-Founder, Conspiracy of Love

Afdhel Aziz’s journey toward purpose began in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami in his native Sri Lanka—an experience that shifted his focus from corporate success to meaningful impact. After two decades leading global brands at Procter & Gamble, Nokia, Heineken, and Absolut, he founded Conspiracy of Love, a “Best for the World” B Corp working with companies like Adidas, Coca-Cola, The Gap, and Sephora to embed purpose into business strategy. He also co-founded Good is the New Cool, partnering with organizations such as Time Magazine to create content that closes what he calls “The Hope Gap.”

Five Key Takeaways from Afdhel Aziz

• Purpose and profit are not opposites—they amplify each other.
• Major brands can be powerful engines for social and environmental good.
• Employees are most engaged when work aligns with meaning.
• Storytelling and creativity accelerate movements for change.
• The future belongs to companies that serve—not just sell.

Good is the New Cool website: https://goodisthenewcool.com/about-us

Public Policy & Affiliate Relations Manager, NAMI Connecticut

Thomas Burr has been a dedicated mental health advocate for more than two decades through his work with NAMI Connecticut. Serving as Public Policy & Affiliate Relations Manager—and previously as affiliate board member and Board President—Tom has helped shape statewide initiatives supporting mental health services, education, and community connection. With anxiety, depression, and social isolation rising across all generations, Tom emphasizes that conversations about mental health and purpose are no longer optional—they are essential. His work underscores the power of advocacy, early support, and community partnerships in improving outcomes and reducing stigma.

Five Key Takeaways from Tom Burr

• Mental health affects every age and every community.
• Reducing stigma starts with open, everyday conversation.
• Purpose and connection are protective factors against isolation.
• Advocacy drives change—silence does not.
• Access to support early can transform lifelong outcomes.

NAMI website: https://namict.org

Transformational Speaker, Storyteller & Unapologetic Original

Chosen as one of the best speakers in the country by Meetings & Conventions Magazine—alongside icons like Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, Colin Powell, Lou Holtz, Zig Ziglar, Mike Ditka, and Jay Leno—Mikki Williams stands in a class all her own. Her signature program, Transformational Tales: How We Grow Through the Stories We Tell, exemplifies the purpose she lives with intention and the legacy she aims to leave behind. Mikki believes purpose isn’t fixed—it can shift instantly—and her own brand was born through life’s unexpected turns and the courage to stand out. Known for her motto, “Be outrageous—it’s the only place that isn’t crowded,” she challenges others to uncover what makes them unique and to lead in ways that leave something meaningful inside the people they touch.

Five Key Takeaways from Mikki Williams

• Know and communicate yourUSP—what makes you uniquely you.
• Purpose evolves; stay open to transformation.
• Avoid “shiny object syndrome”—clarity outperforms distraction.
• Strip away the material, and what remains is gratitude, mindfulness, and purpose.
• Leadership and speaking are not about performance—they’re aboutimpact and what you leave behind.
• At 82 she has reached well over Tic Tok viewers and connections

Mikki Williams website: https://www.mikkiwilliams.com

Founder of OATS & Senior Planet | Advocate for Tech-Accessible Aging

Tom Kamber is the founder and executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and Senior Planet, two groundbreaking initiatives dedicated to empowering older adults through technology. Under Tom’s leadership, Senior Planet has delivered award-winning programs that help seniors stay connected, confident, and engaged in a rapidly changing digital world—now operating nationally as charitable affiliates of AARP. A renowned expert on aging and technology, Tom has been featured in major media outlets and has shared his research, insights, and innovation on five continents.

At Senior Planet, older adults learn how to:

• Use social media safely to connect with family and community.
• Access telehealth platforms for healthcare from home.
• Participate in online classes that spark creativity and lifelong learning.
• Build confidence through digital banking, services, and everyday tools.
• Explore new platforms like Instagram, Zoom, and YouTube to share their voice and experiences.

Tom’s mission is clear: technology should not leave anyone behind — especially the people who built the world we enjoy today.

OATS Website: https://oats.org

Advocating for Purpose

Ryan Thompson, CEO of Peak Experiential, is an inspiring, intuitive, and tenacious brand builder known for delivering award-winning experiential design, integrated marketing strategy, and breakthrough brand activation. With a legacy of driving results and reshaping the way audiences connect with brands, Ryan understands that strategy alone isn’t enough—purpose must lead the way.

While at Heineken USA, Ryan participated in a corporate purpose strategy led by the Authentic Leader Institute. On the second day, participants were asked to create a one-sentence personal purpose statement. That challenge forced Ryan into an emotional, deeply personal journey that transformed how he leads, creates, and lives.

Why Having a Personal Purpose Statement Matters

• It anchors your decisions in authenticity, not pressure or expectation.
• It becomes a compass when opportunities are many or clarity is scarce.
• It builds confidence by aligning actions with values.
• It strengthens resilience when facing adversity or change.
• It inspires others, creating cultures where meaning matters as much as performance.

Ryan advocates that purpose is not a luxury—it’s a foundation.

H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 — Good Does Come From Loss

John Viola knows the true meaning of service and sacrifice. As a Lieutenant with Engine 4 Ladder 15 in Lower Manhattan, his firehouse responded to the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001—where fourteen of his fellow firefighters lost their lives. Out of that devastation came purpose. John became a founding part of H.E.A.R.T. 9/11, a team of skilled first responders—FDNY, NYPD, PAPD, and the NYC Building Trades—united to build healing in the aftermath of tragedy. Their mission proves every day that good does come from loss, through hands-on compassion and action-driven recovery.

Key Areas of Impact

• Disaster Response:Deploying teams to natural and man-made disaster zones with emergency and construction expertise.
• Community Rebuilding:Restoring community centers and local infrastructure to reignite hope and connection.
• Responder Support:Providing assistance, home accessibility, and mental wellness programs for injured first responders.
• Resilience Training:Equipping frontline workers—nurses, teachers, and responders—with tools to process trauma and foster strength.

Through H.E.A.R.T. 9/11, John continues to honor his fallen brothers—turning loss into

H.E.A.R.T 911 website: https://www.heart911.org

AI Researcher • Emmy Award–Winning Filmmaker • Creator • Taco Enthusiast

Jake Roper, Emmy Award winner for Can You Survive the Movies?, has captivated more than 130 million viewers through curiosity-driven storytelling that blends science, exploration, and imagination. A former YouTube sensation, Jake believes that curiosity is not a trait—it’s a practice built through experimentation, questioning, and daring to follow ideas wherever they lead.

Jake’s purpose—and his success—emerged from this core belief:

• Curiosity demands research, testing ideas, and learning from others.
• He speaks to audiences as geniuses with room to grow.
• His series attracted millions of like-minded explorers of all ages.
• His subscription project,The Curiosity Box, helps others build and express their curiosity in hands-on ways.

Through his work, Jake empowers people to stay curious, stay playful, and follow the questions that spark purpose.

Website for Can You Survive the Movies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIXeqMv1igg