Access the People Who Are Where You Want to Be

Jim Brown has spent a lifetime challenging conventional paths — and proving that principled, selfish choices lead to the most fulfilling ones. A former Air Force pilot turned investment strategist, Jim has successfully navigated multiple high-stakes career shifts — from commercial aviation to Wall Street, from asset management to the Ayn Rand Institute — each one guided by independent judgment and rational values. Now the author of A Black Hole in Economics: Money Creation and Its Consequences, a clear, accessible guide to one of the most misunderstood forces in modern life, his work helps readers grasp where money really comes from — and why it matters. In this rare opportunity, you'll hear how one man built — and rebuilt — his life, always on his own terms. Whether you're contemplating a major shift, questioning your current path, or simply seeking a fresh intellectual perspective, Jim's story offers proof that it's never too late to choose a better direction.

Jonathan Hoenig is a seasoned investor, author, and media commentator with over 25 years of success in the financial markets. He is the founder and portfolio manager at Capitalistpig Hedge Fund LLC, a private investment partnership he has run since 2000. Jonathan brings real-world expertise to investing, combining sharp market insight with the principles of Ayn Rand's philosophy. A long-time panellist on FOX News Channel's top-rated Cashin' In, Jonathan is a regular contributor to national media and has written for the Wall Street Journal Europe, Wired, SmartMoney.com, and more. His most recent book, Price is Primary, offers a wealth of philosophical insights on understanding markets, building and managing investment portfolios, evaluating what political system is needed and developing steps to ensure a safe financial future. At the conference, Jonathan leads coaching sessions on investing, sharing invaluable insights into current market trends and revealing some of the closely guarded techniques that have fueled his long and prosperous career.

After a twenty-two year career as a financial advisor, area training manager, and branch manager for a major Wall Street firm, Mark moved to the institutional side as a Portfolio Manager in the Wealth Management and Trust Department of a major midwest bank. He was hired for his expertise with statistical analysis and his values-driven method that was a perfect fit for trust department fiduciaries. While applying objective investing principles with his clients, Mark drew inspiration from Moneyball—the philosophy and methodology behind the 2002 Oakland Athletics' division-winning season. Operating on the second-lowest payroll in baseball after losing three star players to free agency, the team proved the value of focusing on what can be controlled, tuning out market noise, and defining success by what truly matters: your life. Recognizing the transformative nature of this approach, Mark authored his definitive book, The Moneyball Method: A Middle-Class Manifesto for Objective Investing. Through his book, and time spent with Mark, you will learn how Objective Investing applies to you through two sets of objective information that matter most: your values-driven cash-flow expectations and your asset-driven portfolio efficiency. Ultimately, you will know exactly what you are doing as an investor — and why.

Marnye Langer is a senior executive within the Langer Equestrian Group, a multifaceted equestrian enterprise whose activities span horse show management, insurance, consulting, media, and facility operations. The organization has played a significant role in the development of equestrian sport and business in the United States since the early 1970s. A lifelong horsewoman and the daughter of a professional horseman, Marnye brings both practical industry experience and business leadership to the equestrian world. She is a USEF "R" rated judge for Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation, and holds professional insurance designations including Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist (AFIS). She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis and later completed an Executive MBA. Under her leadership, LEGIS Equine has grown into a leading equine-focused insurance agency serving horse owners, trainers, and equestrian businesses across the United States. She has also been actively involved in equestrian governance and nonprofit work, including serving as President of the Los Angeles Hunter Jumper Association and as a director of the USHJA Foundation.

Binh Dang co-founded MeridianLink in 2000. Under his leadership, the company grew to over 350 employees—without relying on debt or outside funding—before being acquired by a private equity firm in 2018. Binh Dang is the CEO and Co-founder of Quest for Justice. Operating under valid principles brings success — operating under invalid principles, or none at all, leads to harm. Binh's work at Quest for Justice puts this conviction into practice, applying principled thinking to the pursuit of justice and individual rights.

Dr. Sotirakopoulos is a public speaker and an author. In his 4 years as a Visiting Fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, he gave more than 70 live talks in 4 different continents, and generated more than 5 million views on YouTube. In the past, he worked for more than a decade in academia in the UK, at the University of Kent, Loughborough University, and York St John University. He is the author of two books: The Rise of Lifestyle Activism: from New Left to Occupy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) and Identity Politics and Tribalism: the New Culture Wars (Societas, 2021). He has also been a frequent commentator on UK media. Dr. Sotirakopoulos holds a BA in International and European Studies from Panteion University of Athens, an LLB and an LLM from the University of Kent, and a PhD in Political Sociology, also from the University of Kent.

John Cerasuolo is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former nuclear propulsion engineer who built a 20+ year career leading and scaling service businesses. As President and CEO of ADS Security (2008–2020), he grew the company into one of the largest security firms in the country. He now leads Leap Partners, a Nashville-based home-services acquisition group he co-founded, which has completed 34 acquisitions across the Southeast in four years.

For over 35 years, Catherine Dickerson has worked with children, families and professionals to unlock one of life's rarest skills: how to respect and support another mind without getting in its way. A pioneering psychotherapist and former Montessori teacher, she brings the deep principles of Objectivism to life through the proven methods of Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.). Catherine's work spans generations--from stabilizing foster placements to developing motivating leaders. She has mastered P.E.T.'s core skills and connected them to Ayn Rand's reality-first philosophy. Join us for a rare opportunity to see what independence looks like in action. Catherine will share how skills like Active Listening and clear self-expression can bring out the best in you and those around you. Whether you're raising children or leading teams, you'll leave with tools that honor the mind and awaken the joy of having the best of you fully respected.

Michael Paxton is a filmmaker, author, and multimedia producer whose documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" (1997) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 70th Academy Awards. Beyond directing, his film and TV credits include Assistant Director on "The Pagemaster," Visual Effects Coordinator on "Stuart Little 2," and Associate Producer on "The Lion King 1½"; he has also authored a Companion Book to "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" and a number of children's books for Disney. He is currently the Executive Producer of the Annie Awards and developing shorts and feature film projects for Copasetic Films LLC.

Brian Cross spent over two decades (2001–2022) as VP of Corporate Tax at Skechers USA, where he built the company's tax department from scratch into an 8-person team and drove its effective tax rate down from 39.5% to 17.8% over his tenure. His experience spans international and domestic tax planning, compliance, audit defense, transfer pricing, and intercompany accounting for a publicly traded company. Earlier in his career, he was a Tax Manager at KPMG and a Senior Tax Accountant at Arthur Andersen, giving him both Big 4/Big 8 firm training and two decades of in-house corporate leadership.

Dr. Kenner is a licensed clinical psychologist with decades of experience helping people build more fulfilling relationships and lives. She previously hosted the nationally syndicated call-in radio program The Rational Basis of Happiness, where she coached listeners through relationship struggles, family dynamics, and emotional well-being. She co-authored The Selfish Path to Romance: How to Love with Passion and Reason with Dr. Edwin Locke, and currently directs coaching in Jean Moroney Binswanger's Thinking Lab Scholarship Program, guiding students in critical thinking and goal achievement.

Daniel T. Richards is a rhetorician, entrepreneur, and marketer who specializes in making life-affirming ideas impossible to ignore. He is Chief Digital Officer & Rhetorician at Iron Light, where he helps organizations fighting for liberty solve difficult problems of persuasion, storytelling, and audience growth. Previously, Daniel served as Vice President of Digital at the Federalist Society, where he helped build one of the freedom movement’s most successful digital media operations. His work there included more than 550 animated videos generating over 40 million views, including the award-nominated SCOTUSbrief series. Across his career, Daniel has produced or executive produced three feature documentaries, more than 50 short documentaries, and hundreds of animated shorts. He also co-founded the creative agency Return on Ideas and previously led the Prometheus Foundation as Interim Executive Director. A rhetorician by training, Daniel speaks and teaches on persuasion, storytelling, philosophy, and the peculiar challenge of marketing ideas. He lives in Dallas with his wife, son, and daughter. He enjoys a good bourbon—neat.

Dr. Haresh Sampathkumar is a physician and entrepreneur who has built his career around helping people regain independence and creating organizations that make better care possible. He is the founder and president of Delaware NeuroRehab, a multidisciplinary rehabilitation practice with three locations in Delaware, and co-founder of JH Rehabilitation in Chennai, India. He is also developing a 60 bedded, residential brain injury neurorehabilitation program in Delaware. Board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Medicine, Haresh brings firsthand experience navigating the transition from clinician to business owner and organizational leader. His work spans building teams, developing services, delegating effectively, and balancing patient care with the demands of a growing business. He serves on the board of the Center for Modern Health, reflecting his interest in patient autonomy, physician independence, and healthcare policy. Haresh is especially interested in helping clinicians and aspiring entrepreneurs think independently, clarify what they want to build, and turn ideas into practical next steps. His perspective is grounded in building healthcare organizations in two countries and continually learning how to lead, improve systems, and create meaningful value. Suggested mentoring topics - Moving from clinician to practice owner or organizational leader - Building multidisciplinary teams and deciding what to delegate - Turning a healthcare service idea into a practical business plan - Balancing professional purpose with the realities of running a business

Mark Pellegrino has built a career on characters audiences don't forget: Lucifer across six seasons of Supernatural, the enigmatic Jacob on Lost, Paul Bennett on Dexter, Clayton Haas on Quantico, and Deputy Standall on 13 Reasons Why, as well as films including Mulholland Drive and Capote. He works in the Meisner technique and taught it for over fifteen years at Playhouse West in Los Angeles — the school Sanford Meisner endorsed and used to refine his own exercises during his last ten years of teaching. He now runs Playhouse Paris with his wife Tracy, where he teaches Meisner from beginner through advanced alongside Shakespeare and screenwriting. He has said his favorite thing in the world is teaching.

Yotam Silberstein is a jazz guitarist whose playing blends bebop and blues with the music of South America, North Africa and the Middle East. Discovered young by James Moody, he has played with George Coleman, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Heath and Roy Hargrove, and performed at the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Tokyo, Umbria and North Sea Jazz Festivals. He is a member of the John Patitucci Trio, has toured with Brazilian singer Ivan Lins, and appears on Monty Alexander's GRAMMY-nominated Harlem-Kingston Express Live! and David Sanborn & Marcus Miller's Time and the River. His recent albums include Universos (2022) and En el jardín (2020), recorded with Carlos "Negro" Aguirre.