Jess Ronne

Jess Ronne is an author, speaker, podcast host at Coffee with Caregivers, associate producer of the Unseen Documentary, and caregiver advocate. She is founder of The Lucas Project, a non-profit dedicated to providing recognition, resources and respite support for special needs families. She and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their 8 children, including their son Lucas who has profound disabilities. Her story of beauty from ashes has been shared on The Today Show, Daily Mail and Huffington Post and is detailed in her memoir Sunlight Burning at Midnight. To follow the ongoing saga she can be found at www.jessplusthemess.com or purchase her latest books Blended with Grit & Grace, Lovin’ with Grit & Grace, and Caregiving with Grit & Grace.

More Information: https://thelucasproject.org/

David Stewart

David Stewart is a media innovator and a passionate advocate for imagining what is possible at any age. With decades of experience in high-profile creative work and a bold personal philosophy on living fully, David launched AGEIST first, then Super Age, to champion imagination, curiosity, and the science of living long while living well. His thought leadership spans topics of longevity, demography, wellness, and purposeful living, resonating with a diverse and dynamic audience. David’s mission is to ignite a global movement that empowers people to embrace vitality, purpose, and possibility at every stage of life. By blending cutting-edge science with proprietary data insights, David is challenging perceptions and building a community of bold thinkers who refuse to be defined by past expectations.

More Information: https://davidharrystewart.com/

Mike Drak

Mike Drak is an author, public speaker and recognized authority on the non-financial aspects of retirement. After having spent 38-years in the financial services industry, Mike retired and personally faced what he called “retirement shock”. During this time, Mike found himself on a journey of self discovery and authored three best selling books on retirement; Victory Lap Retirement, Retirement Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? and Longevity Lifestyle By Design. Mike is a Senior Contributor at Booming Encore and dedicates his time to helping other retirees design a fulfilling, meaningful retirement lifestyle for themselves.

David Rich

David Rich is the founder of Palabra, a company that helps leaders and organizations deepen trust through curated conversation. A multi-exit entrepreneur, advisor, and facilitator, David has spent two decades guiding people through high-stakes transitions—company exits, leadership changes, reinventions, and the ambiguity that often follows success. In addition to his client work, David informally mentors a select group of twenty-somethings each year—helping them navigate uncertainty, make sense of ambition, and define success on their own terms. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, has three grown children, and splits time between the U.S. and Barcelona.

More Information: https://davidjrich.com/

Carol Hutchins

Head coach Carol Hutchins wrapped up her 38th season at the helm of the University of Michigan softball program in 2022. The winningest coach in NCAA softball history, Hutchins has guided the Wolverines to an NCAA title and 22 Big Ten Conference titles and solidified Michigan among the top softball programs in the country. She was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. With a career record of 1,707-551-5 over her 39 total seasons as a NCAA head coach, Hutchins is the winningest coach in NCAA softball history.

Tony Hixon

Tony Hixon is a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Hixon Zuercher Capital Management. He has been providing financial advice to his firm's clients since 2003. After having gone through a tragic experience with his mom, he now approaches financial advice in a different way. "I firmly believe that our clients aren't served when we only look at the numbers," he says. The entire Hixon Zuercher team focuses on a holistic approach when working with pre-retiree clients because, through Tony's experience, they've seen firsthand the effects of not having a plan to live a goals and values-based life beyond a career. Tony recounts, "If finances are the only thing we consider, we overlook the wellbeing of our clients and the long-term satisfaction they'll receive from having a financial plan in place."

More Information: https://tonyhixon.com/

Laura Carstensen. PhD

Laura L. Carstensen is Professor of Psychology at Stanford University where she is the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor in Public Policy and founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. Her research on the theoretical and empirical study of motivational, cognitive, and emotional aspects of aging has been funded continuously by the National Institute on Aging for over 30 years. She served on the MacArthur Foundation’s Research Network on an Aging Society and was a commissioner on the Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity. She is the author of A Long Bright Future: Happiness, Health, and Financial Security in an Age of Increased Longevity and the recipient of numerous awards including the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Kleemeier Award, The Richard Kalish Award for Innovative Research and distinguished mentor awards from both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Psychological Association.

More Information: https://longevity.stanford.edu/people-2/laura-carstensen/

Beth Buelow

Beth Buelow is a Professional Certified Coach, Certified Mentor Coach, author of “The Introvert Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms.” speaker, mediator, and facilitator with 18 years of coaching and consulting experience. Beth received her initial coach training and mentor coaching training through inviteChange. Since 2022, she has served as Adjunct Faculty for George Mason University’s Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being program and has served as a mentor coach since 2020. Beth has presented on coaching ethics and ICF Core Competencies at ICF chapters across the United States, as well as ICF Converge Conferences in 2017 and 2023. In addition to coaching, Beth hosts a photography podcast and facilitates a Creativity Mastermind program through the Nature Photography Collective. She is primarily known for her nature and architectural abstract photography.

More Information: https://bethbuelow.com/

Kerry Hannon

Kerry Hannon is a workplace futurist and a leading strategist on career management, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and retirement. She is a frequent TV, podcast, and radio commentator and is a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences. Kerry is currently a senior columnist and on-air expert at Yahoo! Finance. Kerry is the bestselling and award-winning author of 14 books, including her new book, Retirement Bites- A Gex X Guide for Securing Your Financial Future. Kerry lives in Washington, DC, Boston and Virginia, with her husband, documentary producer and editor Cliff Hackel, and her Labrador retriever, Elmore "Elly".

More Information: https://kerryhannon.com/

Robert Laura

Robert Laura is a pioneer in the psychology and social science of retirement and legacy planning. He is a seven-time best-selling author and is the founder of the Retirement Coaches Association, Certified Professional Retirement Coach Designation and Retirement Intelligence Assessment. His work has reached millions of readers through eight books, twelve guides, and over 900 articles. In addition to his own writings, he frequently appears in major business media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, MarketWatch, the New York Times, and more. He is considered a leading authority and thought-leader on retirement wellness, psychology of retirement, legacy planning, and motivational longevity. Robert has been speaking and teaching financial and non-financial retirement and legacy based programs for over 25 years.

More Information: https://robertlaura.com