John Bolton

One of America’s most prominent policy voices, Ambassador Bolton is a lawyer and diplomat who has spent his career fighting to protect American national interests. He served in the Reagan Administration and under former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.  

His June 2020 book “The Room Where It Happened” is a White House memoir that is the most comprehensive and substantial account of the Trump Administration, and one of the few to-date by a top-level official.  

A man of principle and conviction, Bolton provided a forward-thinking vision on international economic and political issues vital to the U.S. and its allies. He will describe how the global economy is affected by the international geopolitical environment and foreign government policies, and how businesses, investors and the government need to respond. Leaning on his international and diplomatic experience under four presidential administrations, he explores populism, national security and U.S. foreign policy in uncertain times.  

William Kristol

For three decades, William Kristol has been a leading participant in American political debates and a widely respected analyst of American political developments. Having served in senior positions in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations, Kristol understands government from the inside. As a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, he has studied American politics and society from the outside.  

After serving in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, Kristol founded the Weekly Standard in 1995 and edited the influential magazine for more than 20 years. Now, as founding director of Defending Democracy Together, an organization dedicated to defending America’s liberal democratic norms, principles and institutions, Kristol is in the midst of the national debate on issues ranging from American foreign policy to the future of the Republican Party and the meaning of American conservatism.  

Kristol frequently appears on all the major television talk shows and also is the host of the highly regarded video series and podcast, “Conversations with Bill Kristol.”  

Ernest Moniz

Moniz served as the U.S. secretary of energy from 2013 to 2017 where he advanced energy technology innovation, nuclear security and strategic stability, cutting-edge capabilities for the American scientific research community and environmental stewardship. He strengthened the Department of Energy strategic partnership with its 17 national laboratories and with the Department of Defense and the broader national security establishment.  

Moniz served on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faculty from 1973 until becoming energy secretary in 2013, and is now the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems emeritus and special adviser to the MIT president.  

He has been named co-chairman of the board of directors and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit organization that has advanced innovative solutions for securing nuclear materials, building international cooperation for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, preventing the spread of disease and reducing radiological threats.  

Dr. Natalie Stavas

On April 15, 2013, Dr. Stavas approached the finish line of her fifth Boston Marathon. Just blocks away, she heard explosions and ran toward them. Arriving at the scene, she went to work administering CPR, applying tourniquets and triaging the wounded.  

Following this event, President Barack Obama, Katie Couric and Anderson Cooper honored her for her actions. The Improper Bostonian magazine named Stavas one of “Boston’s Best” and The Boston Globe awarded her with “2013 Bostonian of the Year.”  

After the bombings, Stavas increased her efforts in preventing childhood violence. She became a weekly medical contributor for Boston’s Fox 25, discussing issues affecting children and young adults, and also a mentor for Sole Train, a nonprofit organization guiding inner-city youth on a path toward their full potential through running. In early 2014 she helped partner Prescription for the Outdoors with Boston Medical Center’s pediatric team.  

A documentary featuring this work as a medical pioneer premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival. Described as a healer, educator and Boston community leader she received the 2012 Change Maker award from The Boston Foundation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Stavas has focused her research on how COVID-19 is affecting children’s health and wellbeing.