Connections

Friday Night Panel, 6:00–8:00pm

Join us as visionaries from across a wide spectrum of our world come together to explore how making connections has been a fundamental aspect of their innovations.

Panel moderated by Dr. Frederic Bertley, Senior Vice President of Science and Education, The Franklin Institute

Panel Bios

Zach Brisson

Zack Brisson is Reboot’s strategist in chief, directing the firm’s comprehensive growth as a social enterprise. He is a principal advisor to clients across Reboot portfolios and guides the team in developing a cohesive vision for a 21st century social contract. A practicing theorist, Zack has extensive experience bringing community-driven approaches to policy making, program design, and implementation. He has worked in some of the world’s most challenging political environments, including post-revolutionary Tunisia, rural Pakistan, the Niger Delta, and Washington D.C., in the service of delivering more just, accountable, and inclusive governance.

Raghava KK

Raghava KK is a renowned Indian artist and a tech entrepreneur, named by CNN as one of 10 most remarkable people in 2010 and one of the top 25 NRIs in 2014.

He was the first artist to ever be inducted into the National Geographic Society in 2013 as an Emerging Explorer for bringing together science, art, creativity, and technology.

A four time TED speaker, his iPad art book Pop-it, launched at TED, shakes up the concept of the ideal family and presents children with multiple perspectives at the earliest stage. The book won several awards, including a Best of 2011 award from Kirkus.

In addition to his work, Raghava is the chair of the INK Fellows Program, teaches studio courses at NuVu Studios, and mentors for Singularity University. He recently wrote the foreword for Mass General Hospital's textbook on psychiatry, in which he discusses the importance of cultural sensitivity, perspectives, and empathy in psychiatry.

Currently, he is the CEO and co-founder of Flipsicle, a tech startup out of New York, which revolutionizes the way we use photos in social media to develop creativity and empathy.

Deepti Sharma Kapur

Deepti Sharma Kapur is the CEO and founder of FoodToEat, the first social online ordering and catering company to work with food trucks, restaurants and caterers. Her company offers vendors affordable pricing to create a more sustainable online ordering model, and teaches immigrants how to use new technology to grow their small businesses. She was honored as a 2013 Forbes 30 Under 30 and serves on the board of the Business Center for New Americans, a non-profit that encourages immigrant entrepreneurship by providing micro-loan. Deepti also recently joined the board of The Lamp which is bringing 21st century survival skills to youth, parents and educators by providing hands on services that help understand media.

Tina Wells

Tina Wells is the CEO and founder of Buzz Marketing Group, which creates marketing strategies for clients within the beauty, entertainment, fashion, financial, and lifestyle sectors. She has authored the youth marketing handbook Chasing Youth Culture And Getting It Right and the tween series Mackenzie Blue. In addition to serving on the Young Entrepreneur Council, the United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council, and The Franklin Institute's board of directors, Tina is also the current Academic Director of Wharton's Leadership in the Business World program. Tina's long list of honors include Essence’s 40 Under 40, Billboard’s 30 Under 30, Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, and Inc’s 30 Under 30.

Moderated by Dr. Frederic Bertley

Dr. Bertley directs both science and Educational programs for The Franklin Institute including overseeing TFI’s partnership with its magnet high school, Science Leadership Academy. Additionally, he directs the prestigious Franklin Awards Program, the Journal of The Franklin Institute and the Institute’s international efforts including work in Senegal, Paraguay, China, Egypt and Canada. Prior to The Franklin Institute, Frederic was part of a Harvard Medical School HIV Vaccine Research Group, and managed multinational teams in Haiti and Sudan. Dr. Bertley has received numerous honors including the Harvard Medical School Dean’s Service Award, Merck Scholarship, The President’s Award (QBMA), Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 and a Mid-Atlantic Emmy™. Dr. Bertley has keynoted or been an invited speaker at numerous venues including the White House, the US Department of Interior and The United Nations.

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