BIF-7

His shoes said it all; Dennis Littky is a colorful man! The radical educator, who has been in the business of tapping into potential for decades, isn't afraid to be challenged--in fact, he loves it. Driven by the fact that one student drops out of school every 12 seconds in this country, he has spent the bulk of the life on a fierce campaign to correct educational imbalances.

Levitating frogs? Fed Ex days? There is no limit to the creative mind when given the chance to tap into its wisdoms. Dan Pink enlightens us on the booming trend of incorporating non-commissioned work into corporate culture. Pink points out that free-wheeling workdays like these have resulted in creations like Gmail and the Post-it note. Given the time, what else is waiting to be created?

Meet Annie Edison Taylor; the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel, and the heroine of Chris Van Allsburg's newest book. In true Allsburg fashion, Queen of the Falls, captivates the reader through enchanting imagery and story of adventurous courage. A Van Allsburg story depicts odd things taking place in a familiar world, an innovators dream.

Meyer, the founder of Monitor Talent and author of four books including the forthcoming, Standing on the Sun: How the Explosion of Capitalism Abroad Will Change Business Everywhere, has long been an innovator in the area where economics and technology intersect. He has been thinking about digital convergence since the ‘80s, before most of the world even knew what digital was. He recalls the days when his terminal connected to a time-sharing network with an acoustic coupler—a telephone receiver stuck into two rubber cups.

Known for reinvention, and never being afraid to disrupt, Richard Saul Wurman always keeps things interesting. RSW's BIF-7 talk is no exception to this. Teaching us it's okay to blow up your own ideas, Wurman unveils his latest adventure, the WWW Conference. He keeps it simple: Pairings of amazingly interesting individuals prompted by a question, generating conversation.

How do you actualize transformative change in the American healthcare system? Rebecca Onie, CEO of Health Leads, works to recreate American healthcare, and doesn't worry about the gap between where we are and where we need to be. Listen as she opens up about the exhilarating prospect of a healthcare system we have yet to imagine.

A timeless story of friendship, passion and living on the Edge, Matt’s story resonates with the adventurer in us all. Matt Moniz is one of Colorado’s most accomplished young alpinists, having climbed four of the seven summits and completed all US High Points--did we mention he's only 13?

To say Len Schlesinger is full of life is an understatement, and he expects the same liveliness from others. The huge smile and breathless pace he brings as President of Babson College are only outmatched by the tenacity with which he adheres to the motto: The Educator for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. Enjoy his tale of entrepreneurship as he shares his experiences as Babson President and their partnership with BIF!

John Hagel, co-chairman of Deloitte LLP’s Center for the Edge, carefully observes the unexpected on the “edges” of business, where things bump up against each other to produce change. In this video story, the Power of Pull co-author shares a personal story about passion and how, for companies big and small, it can create sustained extreme performance improvement.

Even before Mellado joined Willow Creek Association (WCA) in 1992, he was already intrigued with the vibrant church that had created the nonprofit. Mellado's vision of strong leadership, and common goals has brought WCA to unprecedented success. With a mind for business, and a passion for the church Mellado shows us there's always room for innovation.

Who's says large corporations can't innovate? Graham Milner, Executive Vice President of Global Innovation for WD-40 Company loves his organization. Call it an obsession. Call it dedication. Or call it effective branding. Milner's goal is to leave a good impression of WD-40 wherever he goes. With a corporate culture of tenacity (it look 40 tries to get the correct water displacement formula) Milner teaches us to never quit or be afraid to change.

Mandell teaches us a simple and timely message, change is good. Today, Mandell calls himself a life-change artist, writer, and creative catalyst who shows senior executives (and others) how to think about what comes next in their lives. Teaching us to work with the materials and experiences we have at hand, Mandell advocates for trusting our visions.

From the world of comics to news reporting to filmmaking, Gotham Chopra is full of life. Enjoy an intimate glimpse into growing up as the son of wellness guru Deepak Chopra, while finding his own path. Chopra uses comics as a platform for young people to tell great stories and re-imagine the world they live in. Let Chopra show you why we all need superheroes in our life.

Valdis Krebs sees something brighter on the social media horizon. Krebs calls social networking websites “the landline of technology,” and declares that they will soon wear out their usefulness. He has nothing against social networking websites. In fact, Krebs has been on Twitter longer than 95.8 percent of all Twitter users. Be intrigued by his theories while watching him map the BIF-7 community.

Industrial prosperity has reached its limit. Stagnation, decline, impoverishment and a general kind of misery mark the end of an era of one model of growth. A great reconfiguration of the global economy is inevitable. Such are the prophecies of Umair Haque.

Know thyself, said Socrates. This elusive piece of wisdom is crucial to personal fulfillment, but also to effective branding, according to media and marketing mastermind Jon Cropper. Through the power of S.E.D.U.C.U.T.I.O.N Cropper follows the advice of his mentor Quincy Jones and, "injects optimism into the world".

As a businesswoman working in the media industry, and daughter of wellness guru Deepak Chopra, Mallika sometimes finds it difficult to stay centered. Never losing sight of the power of intent, Chopra takes us back to the mysterious "Milk Miracle" that united the Hindu nation back in 1995. Daughter, mother and friend, Chopra will ignite your spirit.

Sit back and watch Eva Timothy's warmth radiate from the BIF-7 stage. Growing up in Bulgaria behind the Iron Curtain, Eva yearned for a life in the United States. That desire enabled her to shift her "lenses", and "see" the world differently (a skill that would prove tremendously beneficial for a fine arts photographer). Get lost in Timothy's words, and find your inner explorer.

If you thought transformational change in education was impossible spend some time chatting with Citizen School's John Werner. There's no magical solution to transforming schools, but Werner understands it’s a complex matrix that involves engaging all players in the system. As our first speaker, his model of collaborative experiential learning set the perfect tone for BIF-7!

14 years ago Sebastian Ruth, a violinist and recent MacArthur Fellow, decided against a “stifling” career as a professional musician to found Community MusicWorks, a nonprofit music organization with service at the center of its mission. A musician who lives, works, teachs, and performs in his own community, Ruth believes in the direct results of collaboration. Be captivated by the magic of music, learning and passion.