As federal authoritarianism threatens civil rights, immigration, and economic justice, cities are stepping up to defend democracy. Join District 2 Austin City Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, at-Large Philadelphia City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, and District 1 Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez as they share diverse, frontline perspectives in this conversation moderated by Francesca Menes, Managing Director of the Membership & Organizing Team at Local Progress. If democracy survives this moment, it will be because cities held the line.

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Africas music market is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic in the world but success depends on more than a viral hit. In this session we’ll unpack the strategies behind breaking artists across the continent and beyond. From navigating fragmented streaming platforms and hyper-local radio to street teams, fan communities, and brand collabs, you’ll hear what works, what flops and what it takes to build lasting careers in Africa’s diverse music scenes. Expect a real case study of how one artist cracked the local market and the roadmap that turned regional buzz into international momentum.

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Greg Kwedar is a two-time Academy Award-Nominated filmmaker. His film SING SING garnered three Oscar nominations, along with nods at the BAFTAs, Critics Choice, and Independent Spirit Awards. It won the NBR Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Greg co-wrote and executive produced creative partner Clint Bentley's TRAIN DREAMS. The decorated film went on to win the NBR for Best Adapted Screenplay and received four Oscar nominations including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.  

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The pioneering base-editing method of Alexis Komor, PhD, was recently used to create a custom therapy for an infant with carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1, a deadly rare disease. Her colleague, Gene Yeo, PhD, favors another new approach: RNA-targeting precision therapeutics, which he used to target ALS & aid a child with developmental epileptic encephalopathy. Both employ AI to discover the roots of polygenic diseases—from the ultra-common like diabetes & heart disease to the ultra-rare—& decode the Dark Genome. More on the promise the technology holds for the future of personalized treatment.

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Given the need for effective obesity treatments and the limits of current GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as muscle loss, poor tolerability, and frequent dosing, a next-generation solution is essential. Ideal treatments would focus on fat loss and muscle preservation, offer strong safety and tolerability, and be dosed less frequently. Advancements in RNA medicines, growth of human genetics databases, and potential for combination therapies have opened the door for innovative new therapies and combination approaches. Explore expert insights on future treatment opportunities.

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Generative AI has rapidly advanced in text, imagery, and 3D content, but its potential to shape the physical world remains largely untapped. This panel explores how AI can be used to generate designs for things that can be built, manufactured, or constructed, spanning products, machines, buildings, and infrastructure. Experts in computational design, AI research, and digital fabrication will discuss current challenges, technical hurdles, and the foundational work needed to unlock future impact and bring generative design into the realm of the physical.

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New paradigm-shifting technologies seem to emerge every day, and the leaders that understand how to properly leverage the opportunities that come along with these new technologies can create huge competitive advantages for their organizations. Dava Newman, Ph.D., a futurist and the MIT Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics (as well as the former director of the MIT Media Lab and the first woman engineer to have served as a NASA deputy administrator) will reveal creative strategies for taking advantage of these opportunities. Learn how to make the most from technology breakthroughs in areas such as finding life elsewhere in the universe; climate+energy, and the convergence of artificial intelligence and generative biology. Dava’s mantra of “Love, Act, Discover, Innovate” urges leaders in business, government, and academia to courageously consider how innovation can truly change the way we engage with each other and our planet.

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A dynamic conversation on how personalized, real‑time glucose data can transform preventative health—supporting early detection and reversal of prediabetes—while boosting daily performance and wellbeing. With 115 million U.S. adults affected, most unknowingly, prediabetes is a silent epidemic but often reversible. Glucose insights also help optimize energy, manage stress, and guide better everyday choices. Hear from medical experts, a creator, and a fitness instructor on how personal data can drive meaningful, sustainable change.

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When WhatsApp’s former Head of Security raised alarms about flaws that put billions at risk, Meta fired him. He’s not the only insider punished for protecting the public. This session explores the cost of speaking up inside Big Tech—and how we can build real safeguards, legal protections, and public support so that truth-telling in the age of AI isn’t a career-ending act of courage.

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Today’s most successful tech brands don’t just launch products - they build emotional universes. This session explores how brands are moving beyond screens to connect across sound, space, motion and mood. From sonic identities to tactile packaging and immersive design systems, we’ll unpack how multisensory storytelling creates emotional connections—the real competitive edge in the AI age. This isn’t about rejecting technology - it’s about designing through it to bring feeling and meaning back into experience. Expect provocations and a manifesto for the future of emotionally intelligent design.

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