Artists have always used their platforms to challenge power, and the First Amendment has had their back, even when governments tried to shut it down. The ACLU’s Jessica Weitz joins Jane Fonda and W. Kamau Bell to link culture to action. When democracy is at stake, there’s a role for everyone to get involved. This session shares concrete ways anyone can show up, organize, and protect free speech—no fame required.

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Sex, money, and religion are no longer taboo—they’re trending. This panel explores how behavioral UX, gamification, and human-centered design can destigmatize what used to be off-limits. From intimacy apps to investing platforms, discover how intentional design is helping users navigate vulnerable moments with confidence. Hear from sex educator Shan Boodram, Alinea’s Gen Z fintech founder Anam Lakhani, Bloomberg’s Riley Griffin, and Play Ventures’ Phylicia Koh—one of few female investors in gaming VC—on how intentional UX is turning discomfort into discovery.

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For the past several years, the global communication industry has quietly lived through the generative AI transformation that many sectors are just now encountering. Now the implications are much bigger than translation. As brands scale across markets, AI is reshaping not just content production but global customer experience. The real challenge is no longer output. It’s coherence. It’s cultural alignment. It’s training data. It’s brand perception at scale. This session explores what generative AI means for global communication in a world where digital may be borderless, but culture is not.

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The next wave of sports fandom won’t be built in stadiums; it’ll be built in-game. From the NBA’s digital court activations to Fortnite’s immersive events and EA Sports’ evolving cultural platform, the lines between sport and play are blurring fast. This panel explores how gaming is reshaping how fans engage with sport, not just watching, but emulating, remixing, and co-creating it. The future of global sport is interactive, creator-powered, and playable.

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Most companies are stuck in “pilot purgatory” with AI. What separates the experiments that stall from the projects that scale? Drawing on research across 450+ companies, Sandy Carter reveals the five common traits that turn AI pilots into ROI-driven successes. Walk away with a roadmap you can apply immediately—whether you’re a startup founder or a Fortune 100 executive.

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Research universities sit behind many of the world’s most transformative technologies—but turning discovery into a scalable company remains one of entrepreneurship’s hardest paths. In this panel, three founders who spun their companies out of the University of Michigan share the real story of navigating IP, early capital, team building, market validation, and the “valley of death.” Moderated by a U-M innovation leader, the conversation explores what support matters most, where universities help or hinder, and lessons for founders, investors, and research institutions alike.

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AI adoption is growing, but cloud-based one-size-fits-all models are hitting limits — high costs, privacy concerns, environmental damage, & latency issues. This session will explore why the next generation of AI will be specialized, expert, & local. Panelists will unpack how custom models, trained on proprietary data and deployed closer to the user, can deliver improved performance, privacy, & scalability with a more sustainable infrastructure. They'll share how this approach is reshaping businesses and privacy expectations — and what it takes to make it widespread.

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The future sports fan isn’t discovered in a stadium or in front of a TV, they’re formed in group chats, AR lenses, virtual hangouts, and video games. This panel explores how U.S. Soccer and other forward-thinking sports properties and brands are leveraging platforms like Snapchat and Roblox (home of hit game FIFA Super Soccer) to meet young audiences where they already are. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be the largest tournament in history, the race to build the next generation of fans is already underway. Leaders from U.S. Soccer, Snapchat and Gamefam will unpack how virtual experiences translate into measurable fandom, what metrics actually matter when engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and how sports brands are redesigning the traditional fan funnel for a generation that expects authentic, always-on experiences.

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The standard for live events has changed forever. Today’s attendees demand more than just a passive experience; they expect immersive, engaging and technologically advanced experiences. This session explores how the world’s most iconic events are not just meeting but exceeding these evolving expectations. We will dissect how cutting edge technology is transforming in-person experiences and creating unprecedented levels of attendee engagement and connection.

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Fandoms aren’t audiences; they’re communities. And communities thrive on meaning, identity, and emotion. Featuring anime brand Crunchyroll and global creative company Buck, this panel explores how brands use design to speak the language of fans and build deep cultural connections. From anime to gaming to pop culture collabs, motion mnemonics, and type systems inspired by subculture, we’ll unpack how visual identity becomes a tool for trust, transformation, and belonging. When done right, design doesn’t just sell, it unites.

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