Mind & the Machine

After 10 years working as a software engineer, Zac experienced a life-altering change when he lost his leg in a motorcycling accident. His interest in technology shifted to robotics, where he played an instrumental role in designing and testing the first thought-controlled "bionic" leg at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Today, Zac works at the frontiers of self-driving automobiles, where he develops localization, perception, prediction & planning software in Silicon Valley.  

A board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. John Froelich brings a wealth of healthcare experience and industry knowledge to his role as chief medical officer and co-founder of Sopris Health. Tackling clinical workflow waste head on, Sopris Health is a pioneering medical scribe app that uses artificial intelligence to reduce administrative burdens for physicians and healthcare providers. He is a dedicated orthopedic surgeon at Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center.

Michael Plato is Assistant Professor of Intellectual History and Christian Thought at Colorado Christian University. His academic focus includes transhumanism, faith and contemporary film, and Christian worldview. Prof. Plato is completing a PhD in Intellectual History and Historical Theology at Free University of Amsterdam, has an M.T.S. in History Theology from Toronto Baptist Seminary, and an M.A. in Popular Culture from Brock University.

Max Anderson is an entrepreneur and author. He founded Saturn Five ventures, writes The Weekend Reader, a deep thinker's guide to modern culture, and authored Modern Meditations: Reflections from the Mid-Point of the Second Decade of the Twenty-first Century.

Max co-founded the MBA Oath upon graduating with honors from Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School in 2009. He co-authored a book of the same title, The MBA Oath (Penguin Portfolio) with Peter Escher in 2010. Max has spoken at universities, companies, and not-for-profit organizations across the United States and Europe. His work has been profiled by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, NPR's Weekend Edition, and dozens of other media outlets.

He began his career at McKinsey & Co. in New York City, followed by work with leading organizations across the for-profit and non-profit world including Google, The Charlie Rose Show, Redeemer Presbyterian Church and, most recently, Bridgewater Associates -- where he served in a number of leadership capacities as a member of the firm's senior management cohort and as director of the firm's Investment Associate leadership program.

Matt Engel combines tech superpowers with a passion for helping churches and nonprofits use big data to better serve their people and communities. He works for Gloo, a Boulder-based tech company, bringing MetaData, Research, Assessment and Engagement Platforms to organizations who help others grow. Matt also serves as a research fellow for Leadership Network's big data initiative. Prior to moving to Colorado, Matt was instrumental in using big data to transform Arizona State University's recruitment and student performance processes. To learn more about Matt's work, listen to this podcast interview here: http://leadnet.org/talking-big-data-matt-engel-podcast-240/