Thomas L. Friedman is an internationally renowned author, reporter, and columnist for the New York Times. Thomas is a three-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for his work on international reporting and commentary along with seven bestselling books including, The World is Flat. Friedman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in St. Louis Park.

Hamse Warfa serves as a Presidential appointee, Senior Advisor at the U.S. State Department on civilian security, democracy, and human rights. Hamse formerly served as Minnesota DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development where he successfully advocated for the largest job bill in state history that helps supply workforce training to youth and adults. Hamse came to the U.S. as a refugee teenager and today serves as the most senior Somali American official in the Federal government.

Dana Mortenson is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of World Savvy, a national education nonprofit. World Savvy supports change agents in K-12 education to create more inclusive, adaptive schools that ensure all young people can develop the skills and dispositions needed to thrive in a more diverse, interconnected world. Dana is an Ashoka Fellow and was named one of The New Leaders Council’s 40 under 40 Progressive American Leaders, and Women We Admire’s Top 50 Women Leaders of Minnesota for 2022.

William Gaudelli, Ed.D. is the Dean of the College of Education and Vice Provost for Innovation in Education at Lehigh University. With a career spanning 35 years as a classroom teacher, researcher, professor, and administrator, he is a prominent international scholar with research areas focusing on global citizenship education and teacher education. He has published over 85 scholarly pieces and four books, the most recent entitled, Pedagogy of the Global Event (Routledge, 2023).