Author of Autopilot: The Art and Science of Doing Nothing, published by Or Books, Smart is a research scientist specializing in cognitive neuroscience. He has written for Harvard Business Review and Quartz. He formerly worked at Lund University in Sweden on using noise to improve memory and attention in children with ADHD, and as a research scientist at New York University, analyzing brain imaging data from experiments on the neural basis of language. His recent work includes developing sensor-based indices of cognitive effort among cancer and stroke survivors. His interests are consciousness, philosophy of mind, brain-computer interfaces, and idleness.

Andrew Wheelhouse is a senior paralegal at Bates Wells Braithwaite LLP. He specialises in media law and has a strong interest in public law. Previously he worked as a foreign law clerk at the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He holds a BA in law from St John’s College, Cambridge and an LLM from University College London. He was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2013 and is currently cross-qualifying as a solicitor at Bates Wells Braithwaite, one of the leading law firms for work in the charity and not for profit sector.

Habermacher is one of Europe´s leading experts on ‘Neuroleadership’ (the title of his latest book), with almost 20 years experience in the field of corporate education, working with leaders of multinationals to change perspectives within organisations. Habermacher’s fascination with neuroscience led to studies, research and writing, and he made his name in the application of neuroscience to leadership contexts. His recent work focuses on basic emotional needs in the brain and how these affect brain performance in business contexts.

“Andy Miah is the Renaissance man of the enhancement enlightenment” Kristi Scott, H+ Magazine

“Andy Miah is no ordinary academic. Part futurologist, part philosopher, his work on the science of sport grew to encompass bioethics, medical law and now covers all aspects of the way technology impacts on human beings” The Scotsman. For more on Andy Miah, click here.

Angus Kennedy is the author of Being Cultured: in defence of discrimination. He is a member of the European Cultural Parliament. MA’s in Classics from Christ Church, Oxford and Linguistics from Birkbeck College London as well as an MPhil in Artificial Intelligence from Dundee University.

Anirvan Ghosh was born in Bloomington, Indiana and grew up in Kanpur, India. He returned to the U.S. to study physics at the California Institute of Technology. He did his graduate work in Neurobiology at Stanford and his postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School before taking a faculty position at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In 2003, he moved to the University of California, San Diego as the Stephen Kuffler Professor in the Neurobiology Section. Since 2011 Anirvan has been at F. Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel as the Global Head of Neuroscience Discovery. He has a deep interest in the arts and society and has been a supporter of theatre and conservation efforts. He is an Associate Producer of TEST the Rock Opera, and has recently joined the development team of the feature film A Tiger’s Cry as Associate Producer. Anirvan comes from a family of scientists and writers. His grandfather was the eminent Indian writer, Buddhedeva Bose.

Anne-Sophie Keller was born 1989 in Bern. She moved to Zurich in 2010 and has worked as a journalist ever since. Anne-Sophie has written for Friday Magazine, 20 Minuten, Weltwoche, Migros Magazin and Die Zeit. In 2017 she published her first book, Iris von Roten: Eine Frau kommt zu früh – noch immer? about the Swiss feminist trailblazer and journalist Iris von Roten. The book was presented in June 2017 at Literaturhaus Zürich.

Anne-Sophie is also part of the feminist collective aktivistin.ch who became famous for their political activism in 2015. She has organised feminist workshops for universities and organisations like Amnesty International. She was the youngest nominee 2017 for ‘Gesellschaftsjournalistin des Jahres’ by the publication Schweizer Journalist. Anne-Sophie now does viral videos for izzy Magazine, Ringier’s new Swiss social magazine.

Austin Williams is the author of several books, including Enemies of Progress: The Dangers of Sustainability, 20 Chinese Architects and co-author of The Lure of the City: From Slums to Suburbs. He co-founded the mantownhuman manifesto which features in Penguin Classics’ 100 Artists Manifestos and is chair of the Bookshop Barnies.

He was the author and illustrator of the series of books, Shortcuts: essential guides for building designers and hosts the Professional Practice Podcasts.

Bahar Koçal was born in Solothurn/CH in May 1974 as the third daughter of a guest worker family who had moved to Switzerland in the same year. Her parents grew up liberal in Turkey, yet increasingly they sought the support of religious communities in Switzerland. They also educated their children according to traditional political Islamic rules.

Today, Bahar Koçal calls for a ban on headscarves in schools and strongly supports the separation of the state from religion.

Dr. Barbara Lang is CEO of joba AG –Corporate Health Made in Switzerland. The former IBM Manager and management consultant is now working with companies to improve their „Corporate Health“. She has the metrics and tools to help corporations develop a healthy, inclusive corporate culture that allows people to be their best. While many corporations still focus on programs to “fix the men and women”, she found the true leverage elsewhere. Values have changed – but have corporate structures?