Theme: Horizon 2050 – What’s Next for the Future of Humanity?

“Horizon 2050: What’s Next for the Future of Humanity?” As we look ahead to the next 25 years, this event will serve as a platform for visionary thinkers, innovators, and leaders to explore the pivotal developments and challenges that will shape our collective future.

Harris Center For The Arts
10 College Way
Folsom, California, 95630
United States

Celeste Roseberry

Professor of Communication Sciences

Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She is a Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at California State University, Sacramento. Dr. Roseberry is also currently a part-time itinerant speech-language pathologist in San Juan Unified School District where she provides direct services to students ages 3-18. She has worked in educational and medical settings with a wide variety of clients ranging from preschoolers through geriatric patients. Dr. Roseberry’s primary research interests are in the areas of building early speech and language skills in babies and young children as well as service delivery to culturally and linguistically diverse children with communication disorders.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter

Business and Wellness Coach

Dr. Christiane Schroeter is a Business and Wellness Coach, award-winning Professor at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, and a bestselling author. She created Petite Practice™ to help professionals achieve success through small, intentional actions. As the host of the globally ranked, Top 1% podcast Happy Healthy Hustle, she empowers entrepreneurs to build thriving businesses without stress or burnout. Her latest book, Discover Your Superpower, includes exclusive podcast episodes packed with expert insights, helping readers apply what they learn in real time.

Dr. Marissa Nichols

Senior Associate Athletics Director

Dr. Marissa Nichols is a visionary leader redefining how we develop human potential in high-performance environments. A national authority in athlete development, she serves as Senior Associate Athletics Director and founding Director of the Cameron Institute at UC Berkeley—a $19 million innovation engine delivering holistic, data-informed support to college athletes. Trained as a counselor with a PhD in Educational Leadership, Marissa brings over 14 years of experience building and scaling pioneering programs across three Division I institutions. She has shaped industry standards, advised governing bodies, and reimagined how success is measured—on and off the field. A former NCAA Woman of the Year finalist and Division I All-American, she blends lived experience, scholarship, and systems leadership to rethink human development. Marissa speaks, publishes, and consults nationally to help organizations design strategy and measure impact. Her north star: develop people, unlock performance

Graseilah Coolidge

Entrepreneur & Intelligence Analyst

Graseilah is a former intelligence analyst turned visionary entrepreneur, dedicated to redefining peacebuilding through the lens of Nature Diplomacy. With a master’s in Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and International Conflict Resolution, her life journey took her to conflict-affected regions around the world. But it was in the stillness of ancient forests that she discovered a deeper path to reconciliation—one that begins within. As the founder of Epic Gatherings, she curates transformative forest immersions and retreats that foster healing, connection, and collaborative leadership. Graseilah believes peace is not only negotiated in political chambers but cultivated through embodied experiences in nature. Her work bridges global policy insight with the wisdom of the land, offering a grounded, human-centered approach to diplomacy and social change.

J. Ross Parrelli Prop the Producer

Artist

J Ross Parrelli is an award-winning recording artist, creative economist, and frequency architect, dedicated to building access, resources, and opportunity for youth and communities through arts, entrepreneurship, and education. As Founder of Beats Lyrics Leaders and Kidzapalooza.org, and a leader in the Creative Economy Entrepreneurship Initiative, she empowers artists and educators to integrate music, leadership, and business skills into classrooms and communities worldwide. Prop The Producer is a Billboard Award-winning producer for E-40, Grammy-nominated artist, and AI-certified innovator in musical production. Trained as a Teaching Artist by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts, Prop brings visionary expertise to the studio and the classroom. As a Frequency Alchemist and Audio Engineer, he crafts transformative soundscapes, merging technical mastery with creative ingenuity.

Jen Aks

Leadership Coach

Jen Aks is a Leadership Coach, Author, and Speaker who empowers individuals to lead with authenticity, clarity, and confidence by trusting the body’s wisdom. With over 30 years of experience as a dance educator, Jen brings a deep understanding of how movement, emotion, and self-awareness creates lasting transformation. At the core of Jen’s work is The Power of Gesture®, her signature bodyset practice using hand gestures to process emotion and access inner truth. Jen’s practice blends somatic awareness with kinesthetic and emotional intelligence. Whether working with executives, teams, or individuals at personal crossroads, Jen guides each person toward emotional mastery and body-based wisdom essential for both personal fulfillment and professional success.

Jennifer Gregory Davis

Leadership & Career Educator

Jennifer Davis partners with individuals and organizations to become who they are inspired to be. As a leadership and career educator, she supports university students and young professionals in their growth, transformation, and leadership development. Jennifer currently teaches and coaches in the Berkeley-Haas Global Access Program at UC Berkeley, where she guides visiting graduate and undergraduate international students in navigating their career journeys. A PhD candidate in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, her participatory research explores how leadership education can be co-created with emerging leaders in ways that foster collaboration, belonging, and shared meaning-making. Her expanding work will focus on helping organizations facilitate intergenerational co-creation experiences—such as dialogue labs, where leaders across generations can surface shared values, navigate differences, and collaborate on future-focused solutions.

Jillyan McKinney

Educational Leader

Jillyan McKinney is an educational leader with over 20 years of experience advancing equity and inclusion across K-12 public education systems. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Inclusive Practices and Integrated Systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education, where she leads initiatives that foster inclusive learning environments and promote academic and social-emotional success for all students, particularly those with disabilities and students from underserved and under-resourced communities. Whether serving as a Senior Director for the Equity and Wellness Institute, piloting an Ethnic Studies program, or facilitating global education initiatives in Ghana, Jillyan brings a unique blend of visionary leadership and practical expertise to the transformative work of systems change. Her mission is simple but powerful: to build spaces where every story is valued, voice is heard, and equity is standard.

Kara Edwards

Director, Global Sanctuary for Elephants

At the convergence of purpose and possibility, Kara leads the U.S. team at Global Sanctuary for Elephants, shaping strategy and communications and working closely with co-founders Kat and Scott Blais to advance the mission to provide space, healing, and voice for captive elephants in need. Kara’s connection to this work reflects a deep reverence for the natural world and a belief in the power of connection to awaken new perspectives. Known for versatile, collaborative leadership, Kara brings discernment, enthusiasm, and cohesion to complex initiatives—aligning teams around a shared purpose to drive lasting, positive change. Before joining the sanctuary, Kara’s multifaceted career spanned finance, business consulting, music, and wellness. She also co-created a thriving platform for dialogue, reflection, and connection as the founder and inaugural executive director of TEDxFolsom.

Kristen Cox

Founder & CEO

The world’s leading authority on how to apply systems thinking to governments and non-profits. Perhaps most well known for orchestrating a 35 percent improvement across Utah’s $20B executive branch. Kris is founder and former Executive Director of the Initiative on Government Improvement at The University of Utah’s School of Business. She is the co-author of two books, sits on advisory boards, is a recognized, international thought leader, and popular keynote speaker. Kris is the Founder & CEO of Epiphany Associates, LLC – a specialty training and consulting firm that shows organizations how to apply her unique expertise and insights to solve their biggest problems. She has worked for three governors, was a special appointee with the Dept. of Education, ran for Lt. Governor for the State of MD, and ran a nonprofit. Kris received her B.S. in Educational Psychology and has an Honorary Doctorate from Snow College. She is married with two sons and two grandchildren and lives in Utah.

Kristine Burke

Precision Medicine Physician

Kristine Burke, MD is a triple board-certified Precision Medicine Physician, Entrepreneur, Author, Educator, and Researcher. She is an expert in the reversal and prevention of chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes with a special focus on mold-related illness and its connection to many health conditions. Stemming from her clinical outcomes excellence and research into promoting brain health and reversing the cognitive decline of early dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, she co-founded TruNeura with its unique AI-supported patient coaching interface and provider-focused clinical decision support software advancing the mission to scale the prevention and reversal of cognitive decline worldwide. She is the Founder, Chief Executive, and Medical Director of True Health Center for Precision Medicine in Northern California.

Monica Padilla

Artist

Monica is a multidisciplinary artist that specializes in aerial acrobatics and dance. She fuses together aerial and decades of classical ballet training, making her known for her grace and poise in the air. Monica has an insatiable thirst to continue growing as an artist and coach. She currently lives in Sacramento, CA and when not performing you can catch her teaching in the community.

Nik Popgeorgiev

Network Engineer

Nik Popgeorgiev is a network engineer, college educator, and writer who explores the quiet tension between technological progress and human meaning. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Folsom, California, he teaches future engineers how to build the systems that shape our world—while quietly asking what kind of world we’re building. His fascination with artificial intelligence runs alongside a deeper question: how do we preserve purpose, creativity, and selfhood in a world increasingly run by machines? With over two decades in the tech industry, Nik brings both technical expertise and reflective insight to his work. In the winter, he works as a ski instructor in the Sierra, where movement, focus, and nature offer a different kind of clarity. He lives with his two children, finding joy in books, sports, long conversations, and the occasional existential crisis.

Pauli Undesser

CEO

CEO of the Water Quality Association Pauli Undesser is adept in driving innovation and transformation. She achieves success by making an impact and increasing influence. In the US water segment and as CEO of the Water Quality Association, she is a well-respected thought leader spanning two decades of experience by leading technical and regulatory analysis of water treatment technologies, standards, codes, and regulations in support of programs and services in the U.S., Canadian and International (EU, China, India, South Korea) regions. With an academic and applied background in three fields of science, Pauli is classically trained to explore and share ideas that challenge conventional thinking.

Sadie St Lawrence

AI Strategist & Social Impact Founder

Sadie St. Lawrence is the Founder and CEO of the Human Machine Collaboration Institute (HMCI), a future-focused organization driving research, education, and advising at the intersection of human potential and machine intelligence. She also founded Women in Data™, a global nonprofit spanning 55 countries and serving over 70,000 members—recognized as the #1 community for women in AI and tech. With an academic background in piano performance, psychology, and data science, Sadie’s career journey has taken her from neuroscience labs to executive roles in AI strategy at companies like VSP and Accenture. Her work has earned accolades including DataIQ’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Data. A dedicated educator and public voice on ethical AI adoption, Sadie has taught over 700,000 learners worldwide through UC Davis, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning. She contributes to national policy as a member of the White House Council for Equitable Data Training and the OpenAI Research Community,

Selysa Love

Founder & Director, Sacramento Reiki Center

Selysa Love is the founder of Sacramento Reiki Center and the creator of the Emotion & Trauma Release Technique—a blend of Reiki, somatic processing, and nervous system retraining. She has supported hundreds of clients and leads a team offering integrative care for mental health, chronic illness, and grief. Her work helps individuals navigate full-spectrum grief, especially after the end of an abusive relationship. After the complex loss of her parents at a young age, she departed on a five-year world schooling journey through 20 countries, where she studied traditional healing systems and acrobatics. Her circus training and performances deepen her understanding of the body’s role in healing, transmuting her own pain into peace. Selysa’s mission is to break cycles of generational trauma while preserving legacies of ancestral gifts

Sheila Estaniel

Founder

Sheila Estaniel is the founder of Biloogan, a cleantech startup reimagining what happens to clothes after we’re done with them. By making resale, donation, repair, and recycling more accessible and rewarding, Biloogan helps people part with their unwanted clothes responsibly and transforms everyday choices into information that powers smarter, more circular systems for cities and brands. Sheila draws on experience in fashion supply chain sustainability and green technology, having directed global communications for an industry coalition launched by Walmart and Patagonia and led AI-powered sustainability initiatives at a Big Three consulting firm. Her work explores how technology, stakeholder engagement, and behavior change can align to solve our biggest environmental challenges. Sheila believes waste is not inevitable. It’s a design flaw. She’s passionate about nature, yoga, art, and building a future where better choices feel empowering, not overwhelming.