DR.  RICARDO
KOMOTAR
MD, FAANS, FACS

Dr. Padron is President Emeritus of Miami Dade College, having served as its president for almost twenty-five years. He is credited with elevating MDC, the largest degree-granting institution in America, into a position of national prominence among the best and most recognized U.S. colleges and universities. Dr. Padron’s work at MDC has been hailed as a model of innovation in higher education. In 2018, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, for being a prominent national voice for access and inclusion in higher education. In 2015, he was inducted into the U.S. News & World Report STEM Hall of Fame. In 2012, he received the Citizen Service Award from Voices for National Service, the coveted TIAA Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence, and the Aspen Institute Ascend Fellowship. In 2011, the Washington Post named him one of the eight most influential college presidents in the United States, and he was awarded the prestigious 2011 Carnegie Corporation Centennial Academic Leadership Award. In 2010, Florida Trend magazine placed him on the cover of its inaugural “Floridian of the Year” issue. In 2009, TIME magazine included him on the list of “The 10 Best College Presidents.”

Logan is a brain cancer survivor that was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma over 6 years ago. He has been through brain surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, growing through these experiences mentally, physically, and emotionally. The most critical day, however, was the day he began the Ketogenic diet. Although doctors told him nothing would help, the ketogenic diet saved his life and helped him transform physically and internally. His surveillance MRIs are clean and he has been deemed cancer free. Following the ketogenic diet not only helped save his life, but has helped transform lives worldwide. Thousands of people that make the decision to follow his Fusion Lean plan, simply make the decision to change and create the best version of themselves. When you choose his Fusion Lean as your online personal trainer, you're working with someone who knows how to get through the struggle. He has goals to make sure that every client conquers their journey in every way they can.

Dan Radakovich was named the 14th Director of Athletics in University of Miami history, returning to his graduate school alma mater as one of the nation’s most decorated and successful college athletics administrators. Radakovich, who most recently served as Director of Athletics at Clemson for nine years, has experience at seven schools and 30-plus years as a visionary leader in all aspects of college athletics. In his first 6 months in Coral Gables, Radakovich has worked with campus leaders to chart an ambitious course for Miami Athletics with respect to facilities, sport sponsorship, fundraising and staff development. He has worked closely with new football head coach Mario Cristobal to ramp up recruiting, evaluation, sports science and creative resources. Radakovich is the immediate past President of LEAD1, which represents athletic directors at the Division I level. He was also named Athletic Director of the Year, and was on a member of the first College Football Playoff committee. At Clemson, Radakovich oversaw the most successful stretch in Tigers football history as the program won two national championships (2016, 2018), six ACC titles and made six College Football Playoff appearances. Clemson set a school record in the NCAA’s most recent Graduation Success Rate report, posting a 95 percent score.

Dr. Grossman is CEO of NYU Langone Health and Dean of NYU School of Medicine, which was renamed in his honor in 2019. In this role, he oversees more than 45,000 employees, students, and faculty across 6 inpatient locations and over 320 sites throughout the New York region and in Florida. Dr. Grossman increased NYU Langone’s revenue from $2 billion in 2007 to $10.2 billion in 2021, and more than $3.9 billion in philanthropy has also been raised. Also of note, NYU Langone’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2021 research awards totaled $815 million—an increase of more than 532 percent compared to 2007. As dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Dr. Grossman led the historic and unprecedented initiative of providing tuition free medical education for all students in its MD degree program. He also curated a new curriculum for the 21st Century, which emphasizes clinical training from the beginning of medical school and includes a revolutionary 3 year MD program for select candidates. Dr. Grossman has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 50 most influential healthcare leaders who changed the state of healthcare in America. Additionally, he was named a “Living Landmark” by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. A prolific and highly respected scientist, Dr. Grossman was awarded the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award by the NIH in 1999. He was a member and chairman of the Diagnostic Radiology Study Section at the NIH, was appointed to the NIH’s National Advisory Council and became the first recipient of the Outstanding Contributions in Research Award.

Marilyn is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office. She is a litigation practitioner, with a specific emphasis representing corporate clients in trade secret and covenant-not-to-compete, employment and business litigation, including matters related to breach of fiduciary duty and corporate governance. In her employment litigation practice, she has represented a number of high-profile individuals. Ms. Holifield has received numerous accolades related to her law practice, professionalism and civic engagement. She was named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of America's top employment lawyers. The Miami-Dade County Bar Association honored Ms. Holifield with its highest award, the Judge David Dyer Award for Professionalism. Within the firm, Ms. Holifield serves on the Steering Committee for the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Initiative to strengthen partnerships with clients and businesses that share Holland & Knight's values of diversity and inclusion. She also has served on the Directors Committee. In 2000, she was the recipient of the firm's Chesterfield Smith Award, the highest honor bestowed by the firm to lawyers who demonstrate a deep commitment to equal justice, public service and excellent client service.

Dr. George is an Associate Professor on the Tenure Track in the Division of Gynecological Oncology within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and a full member of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sophia’s lab studies the pathogenesis of sporadic and hereditary breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers using molecular genetics, epigenetics and transcriptomics to study the disease pathogenesis and overall outcomes of women diagnosed with these diseases. Given that Black women with breast and ovarian cancers have inferior outcomes when compared to women of other racial groups, and understanding that there is a void in the research when it comes to studying Black women’s cancers, one of the main goals of her research has been to understand why Black women are prone to getting more aggressive cancer sub-types and how/why their responses to treatment differs from those of non-Black women. She is currently part of a multi-disciplinary team who studies the incidence of HBOC mutations in Afro-Caribbean nationals. She is a co-Leader of the women’s cancer working group in the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium and co-Principal Investigator of the Transatlantic Gynecologic Cancer Consortium.

Dr. Lorenzo Cohen is the Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cancer Prevention and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) and Distinguished Clinical Professor, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China. Dr. Cohen is a founding member and past president of the international Society for Integrative Oncology. Dr. Cohen is passionate about educating others on how to prevent cancer and maintain optimal health across the lifespan. As the majority of cancers are preventable, Dr. Cohen is conducting research to demonstrate that lifestyle factors can influence cancer outcomes. Dr. Cohen leads a team conducting NIH-funded research and delivering clinical care of integrative medicine practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, massage, diet, exercise, acupuncture and other strategies such as stress management, music therapy, emotional writing and more aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life and clinical outcomes.

Miguel “Mike” B. Fernandez currently serves as Chairman of MBF Healthcare Partners, L.P., a private investment firm located in Coral Gables, Florida. The firm focuses on investing in healthcare service companies nationwide. He has been the Founder and/or majority shareholder of over 20 healthcare related companies. Most of these companies have been acquired by publicly traded companies. Among these enterprises are Physicians Healthcare Plans, CAC Medical Centers, Prescribit Rx, CarePlus Health Plans, Navarro Pharmacies, Hospitalists of America, Simply Healthcare Plans, and Nutri-Force Nutrition. Mr. Fernandez’s best-selling autobiography titled ”Humbled by the Journey" details his rags to riches story, from a dirt-road Cuban town to the pinnacles of U.S. business success.

Jeffrey A. Engel is founding director of the Center for Presidential History at SMU and Professor in the Department of History. A Senior Fellow of the Norwegian Nobel Institute and of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies, he graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University. He additionally studied at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University, and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before holding a John M. Olin Postdoctoral Fellow in International Security Studies at Yale University. In 2012 the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations named him their Bernath Prize lecturer, while at SMU the students voted him their Professor of the Year. Engel has authored or edited twelve books on American foreign policy. A frequent media contributor on international and political affairs on venues including MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, National Public Radio, and the BBC, his scholarly and popular articles have appeared in such journals as Diplomatic History; Diplomacy & Statecraft; American Interest; USAToday; The Los Angeles Times; International Journal; The Dallas Morning News; The Houston Chronicle; Air & Space Magazine; and The Washington Post.

Mark knows the true meaning of sacrifice, perseverance, and resilience. Mark served as a Navy SEAL Special Warfare Operator 1st Class with SEAL Team 5A. As a Navy SEAL, Mark did combat deployments to Iraq. On his last deployment, Mark sustained a gunshot wound to the head from a bullet that went over his rifle through his right eye and out the back of his head a few inches behind his right ear. The injury left him blind in his right eye. Even though Mark was gravely wounded, he refused to be carried to the medivac helicopter. He walked himself through a ‘hot zone’ to be transported to a medical facility. Against all odds, Mark worked through his critical injury and recovered. During his first few years of recovery, mobility, endurance, awareness, and memory were significantly affected, but Mark was determined to enter a new career path in law enforcement. After leaving the Navy, Mark began working at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and shortly thereafter completed the Police Academy. Since beginning employment, he has been to several law enforcement/investigations-related qualification courses. Mark is continuing his career at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office as a Detective in the Criminal Investigations Division. He is assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Team as an Assistant Team Leader and is a member of the community safety team.

Dr. Allen Sills is the NFL's Chief Medical Officer, a full-time position dedicated to advancing the health and safety of the sport of football. He became the NFL's first CMO in March 2017, joining the league from Vanderbilt University. As a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of athletes, Dr. Sills continues to serve at Vanderbilt as a Professor of Neurological Surgery and the Founder and Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center. Dr. Sills has published over 170 scientific articles and presentations, including over 40 in the last five years on the topic of sports concussion. He is a member of the Concussion in Sport Group, American Board of Neurological Surgery, and the American College of Surgeons. Before joining the NFL, Dr. Sills served as a consulting neurosurgeon for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, the NHL's Nashville Predators, the US Equestrian Foundation, and the athletic programs at Vanderbilt University, Belmont University and Mississippi State University. He also served as an Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant on the NFL sidelines, and as a neurological consultant to the NCAA and the International Equestrian Foundation (FEI). Dr. Sills graduated from Mississippi State University and received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University, where he also went on to complete his internship in General Surgery, his residency training in Neurological Surgery and an NIH-funded Neuro-Oncology Fellowship.

As an undergraduate at The University of Miami, Andrés majored in Exercise Physiology and minored in Psychology. He took a rigorous course load that included nutrition, anatomy, physiology, musculoskeletal biochemistry, evolution and biodiversity, genetics, biomechanics, chronic disease prevention, neuroscience, psychobiology, and psychology of drugs. Having received a Bachelor of Science Degree, Andrés is now both a UMiami alumni and student as he tackles an Accelerated Master’s Degree through a fully funded research scholarship studying Applied Physiology with a concentration in Nutrition for Health and Human Performance. He also serves as a Graduate Assistant for the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences. Andrés has developed lifestyle medicine and longevity programs, co-authored books, and has led multiple online webinars in English and Spanish to discuss key topics such as Intermittent Fasting, Longevity, and Exercise Physiology to live audiences in the tens of thousands.

Dr. Omalu was the first to identify, describe, and name Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as a disease entity. Dr. Omalu has testified twice before the United States Congress and has provided hundreds of testimonies as an expert witness in federal courts across the country. Dr. Omalu is a member of the College of American Pathologists, American Society of Clinical Pathology, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Epidemiologists, American Association of Neuropathologists, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, National Association of Medical Examiners, International Academy of Pathology, and the American Medical Association. Dr. Omalu has eight degrees in the medical sciences and business management, including his MB/BS/MD from the University of Nigeria, his MPH from the University of Pittsburgh, and his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. His work and life have been featured extensively, including a major Hollywood film by Sony Motion Pictures, “Concussion”, and several New York Times best-selling books including “The League of Denial” and “Concussion”.

Charlie Morley is a bestselling author and teacher of lucid dreaming, shadow integration and Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep. He has been lucid dreaming for over 20 years and was “authorized to teach” within the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism by Lama Yeshe in 2008. Since then he has written four books which have been translated into 15 languages and has run workshops & retreats in more than 20 countries. He’s spoken at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Ministry of Defence Mindfulness Symposium, The Houses of Parliament (on Buddhism & youth culture) and the Mindfulness Association Annual conferences.In 2018 he was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship grant to research PTSD treatment in Military Veterans and continues to teach people with trauma affected sleep a set of practices. His 2021 book Wake Up to Sleep is a practical guide to these practices. Charlie has been the lead consultant on scientific studies into lucid dreaming at both Swansea University and the Institute of Noetic Science.In 2019 he created the first Lucid Dreaming for Therapists course which trained a group of hypnotherapists, meditation teachers and therapists to use lucid dreaming with their clients. Charlie formally became a Buddhist at the age of 19. In his past life he trained and worked as an actor & scriptwriter before running a hip hop collective and touring Europe with them throughout his 20’s.

Dr. Dominic D’Agostino is a tenured Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He runs the website KetoNutrition and has been on over 200 podcasts talking about metabolic health. He is also a Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. His laboratory develops and tests metabolic-based strategies for targeting CNS oxygen toxicity, epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases, brain cancer, and metastatic cancer. The main focus of his lab over the last 12 years has investigating the anticonvulsant and neuroprotective mechanism of the ketogenic diet and ketone metabolite supplementation. This approach can be used to treat a wide variety of pathologies linked pathophysiologically to metabolic dysregulation. Other areas of interest include researching metabolic-based drugs for cancer. He was a research investigator and crew member on NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operation and has a personal interest in environmental medicine and methods to enhance safety and physiological resilience in extreme environments. His research is supported by the Office of Naval Research, Department of Defense, private organizations and foundations.

Brett Jones is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Specialist based in Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine from High Point University, a Master of Science in Rehabilitative Sciences from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Brett is currently the Director of Education for StrongFirst and presenter and advisory board member for Functional Movement Systems. With over 25 years of experience, Brett has been sought out to consult with professional teams and athletes, as well as present throughout the United States and internationally. As an Athletic Trainer who has transitioned into the fitness industry, Brett has taught kettlebell techniques and principles since 2003. He has taught for Functional Movement Systems (FMS) since 2006, and has created multiple DVDs and manuals with world-renowned physical therapist Gray Cook, including the widely-praised “Secrets of…” series. Brett continues to evolve his approach to training and teaching, and is passionate about improving the quality of education for the fitness industry.

Professor Larry Backer focuses his research on governance-related issues of globalization and the constitutional theories of public and private governance, with an emphasis on institutional frameworks for public-private law governance systems. He has an interest in the transformations of university governance and its relation to wider changes in societal ordering in the 21st century. He currently teaches courses on corporate social responsibility, corporations, multinational enterprises, and the constitutional law. He teaches courses on policy aspects of these areas at the Penn State School of International Affairs, along with the SIA core course, Actors, Institutions, and Legal Frameworks in International Affairs. He has lectured on issues of transnational, corporate and constitutional law in Asia, Latin America, Europe and Australia. Professor Backer serves on the board of a number of journals and is a member of the American Law Institute and the European Corporate Governance Institute. He served as an elected member of the Penn State University Faculty Senate, and as chair of the Penn State University Faculty Senate.

Thomas Seyfried is Professor of Biology at Boston College and received his Ph.D. in genetics and biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of New England, where he recently received the distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. He also holds a master’s degree in genetics from Illinois State University. Seyfried served with distinction in the United States Army’s First Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War and received numerous medals. Seyfried presently serves on several editorial boards, including those for Nutrition & Metabolism, Neurochemical Research, the Journal of Lipid Research, and ASN Neuro. He has over 180 peer-reviewed publications and is author of the best selling book Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer (Wiley Press).

Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen is tasked with helping us answer some of humanity’s biggest questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone? How does the universe work? Dr. Zurbuchen is well versed in the practice of asking difficult questions that help us seek interconnected answers leading to real world impacts. He is keenly interested in innovation and how leadership is developed and how the pursuit of excellence can help change the world. Dr. Zurbuchen was a professor of space science and aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He was the founding director of UM’s Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering and developed and ran several campus wide innovation initiatives, one of which led to the top-ranked undergraduate entrepreneurship program nationally. During his career, Zurbuchen has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles in peer reviewed journals in solar and heliospheric phenomena. He earned his doctorate and Master of Science degrees in physics from the University of Bern in Switzerland. His honors include multiple NASA ground achievement awards, induction as a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), a NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the 2018 Heinrich-Greinacher prize, the leading science-related recognition from the University of Bern.

THE 2% WAY: How a Philosophy of Small Improvements Took Me to Oxford, the NFL, & Neurosurgery Myron was ranked the No. 1 high school football prospect in the country. With 83 scholarship offers from Division I institutions, Myron matriculated to FSU. At FSU, he earned his degree in just two and a half years and was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship upon graduation, enabling him to study at Oxford University in England. Rolle skipped his senior year of football to pursue a master's degree at Oxford and simultaneously train for the NFL Draft. In 2010, Dr. Rolle was selected in NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans and finished his career three years later with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After life in the NFL, Myron enrolled at the FSU College of Medicine followed by neurosurgery residency at Harvard where he has excelled on all fronts. The Myron L. Rolle Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2009, dedicated to the support of global health, wellness, educational, and other charitable initiatives benefitting children and families in need. Dr. Rolle also serves on the Knight Commission on Athletics and the Clinton Global Initiative and is a co-creator of the Emerging Scholars Project for underrepresented college students applying for a Rhodes Scholarship. Myron's charitable work, bravery on the front lines, academic excellence and grit have been featured in top global and national outlets such as CNN, ABC News, ESPN, CNBC and many more.

Anna Lembke is a clinician scholar, having published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries. She sits on the board of several state and national addiction-focused organizations, has testified before various committees in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, keeps an active speaking calendar, and maintains a thriving clinical practice. In 2016, she published Drug Dealer, MD – How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop, which was highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic. Dr. Lembke recently appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, an instant New York Times Bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.

Hanna Faulhaber is an internationally recognized Olympic Freestyle Skier. A 17-year-old from Basalt High School in Colorado, Faulhaber got 3rd place at the 2022 X-Games in Aspen. Before this year’s X-Games, Faulhaber also got 3rd place on the Dew Tour 2021, as well as 2 world cup podiums. She competed in the 2021 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships where she placed fourth in the women’s ski halfpipe. Faulhaber recently competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in China where she achieved the highest score for Team USA.

THE WORLD STANDS UNITED BEHIND UKRAINE

Ben Milligan became a US Navy SEAL in 2001 and served until 2009. He is the recipient of the prestigious Bronze Star and other awards. A native of Indianapolis, he received a BA in History at Purdue University and an MA in International Relations at the University of San Diego. He currently lives in the Chicago area with his three sons.