Featured Speakers

James Hughes is an American sociologist and transhumanist. He is the co-founder of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technology, for which he currently is the Executive Director. He is author to multiple books, one of which, Citizen Cyborg is a thick commentary around possibilities of emerging technologies and the appropriate policies surrounding them. His next book is tentatively titled Cyborg Buddha - we are excited to hear ideas resemblant to this book in his presentation.

Venerable Dr. Yifa founded the Woodenfish Project after she earned her PhD in Buddhism from Yale and a law degree from National Taiwan University. Venerable Dr. Yifa created the Buddhism, Science and Future conference in China and is bringing it to the US after successful iterations in Shanghai and Shenzhen

Dr. Jeffery A. Martin is a founder of the Transformative Technology space, serial entrepreneur and social scientist who researches personal transformation and the states of greatest human well-being. He spent the last 10 years conducting the largest international study on persistent non-symbolic experience (PNSE), which includes the types of consciousness commonly known as: enlightenment, nonduality, the peace that passeth understanding, unitive experience, and hundreds of others. More recently, he has used this research to make systems available to help people obtain profound psychological benefits in a rapid, secular, reliable, and safe way.

Bonnie Duran Dr.PH is a Professor in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington and is on the leadership team at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. The overall aims of Dr. Duran’s research are to work in partnership with communities to design health access and prevention efforts that are empowering, culture-centered, accessible, sustainable and that have maximum public health impact. Bonnie Duran is also a Buddhist mindfulness practitioner and teacher. She teaches long and short mindfulness retreats and advanced programs at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, and is on the Spirit Rock Teachers Council.

Ahmed Alashwah David Barash Ahmed Alashwah Ahmed Alashwah is a lecturer at Stanford University, faculty at the Esalen Institute, and the co-founder of The Flourishing Lab and Self Inner Transformation (SIT). Since the early 90's he has consulted for national and international governmental agencies on processes of conflict resolution and youth deradicalization. After his latest technology company was acquired, he embarked on a decade of intensive research into contemplative studies, neuroscience and psycholinguistics. He now teachers meditation and mindfulness, leadership and nonviolent communication across the world.

David Barash has written over 300 peer-reviewed emperical and theoretical scientific papers, as well as op-eds featured in the New York Times and LA Times. David is one of the foremost thinkers on the intersection of Buddhism and Biology, and the author of the book: Buddhist Biology: Ancient Eastern Wisdom Meets Modern Western Science.

Yingzhao Liu has recently been design director for international markets at LinkedIn, and is currently a lecturer at Stanford. She has a practice of integrating deep spiritual practice with our complex modern life—drawing from Zen Buddhism as well as the Native American path, Ying supports others in their journey of inner and outer transformation by shifting consciousness to deeper and deeper levels. She has also lead experiential education for over a decade, and loves to facilitate group processes in nature.

Wayne Silby is the co-founder of Calvert investments and is seen as the pioneer of impact investing. Calvert currently oversees $13 billion in investments. Wayne is also a co-founder of a Social Venture Network, one of the first socially responsible mutual funds.

Breeshia Wade received her B.A in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, with a focus in Creative Writing from Stanford University, and an M.A in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago. She is currently completing a two year Buddhist Chaplaincy training via Upaya Zen Center. Over the past 5 years, Wade has supported people through grief and transitions as both a doula and chaplain. She received Jukai--a lay ordination ceremony predicated upon the formal acceptance of Zen Buddhist precepts--in 2018. She is also a contributor for Everyday Feminism and Mindbodygreen. ​

Sterling Cooley is the CEO of a Neuroscience brain stimulation company, called Accelr8, formerly known as Berkeley Ultrasound, Inc when they provided medical research equipment. Cooley's current work is on activating the Parasympathetic Central Vagal Nervous system using direct to consumer Vagus Nerve stimulation technology. In particular he and his team have found that pulsed Ultrasound is a powerful and transformative therapy for individuals all around the world.

Dan Lusthaus is a Buddhist writer and philosopher. He is one of the pre-eminent voices on Yogacara Buddhism. His book Buddhist Phenomonology is highly regarded in it's field. He is a graduate of Temple University's Department of Religion and now works at Harvard University.

Liu Feng is an advocate for mulitcultural systems integrationand serves as the Chief Dean of the American Holographic Research Institute. Feng is a celebrated classic Chinese teacher and a well known teacher in scientific energy dimensions in China, He has held many positions at Beijing University and other scientific research centers in China. Professor Liu Feng, has had one great focus: using the four basic science concepts: dimensions, energy waves, projections, and holography to interpret different human intelligence systems. He combines advanced sciences such as quantum mechanics with traditional Chinese philosophy and Buddhist theory and proposes that the most important thing in our life is to enhance our energy dimensions. He firmly believes that with heightened dimensional energy field above three, one will become resolved and free in any three dimensional world. He advocates “ Connect people with common ground; respect the difference”.