Baranowski, Mitch
Founding Partner, BBMG

A seasoned writer, producer and strategic communications consultant, Mitch Baranowski is a founding partner at BBMG, where he has overall responsibility for the branding and marketing firm's creative direction and its New York and San Francisco operations. An expert in spearheading consumer campaigns and advising clients on how best to package their values-driven initiatives, Mitch recently has led marketing strategies for Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Brooklyn Public Library, CNN, Plenty Magazine and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Prior to BBMG, Mitch served as managing director of public affairs for Burson-Marsteller, where his clients included Orbitz and American Airlines, and as vice president of corporate affairs for Edelman Public Relations. Earlier, he served as a director of corporate communications at AMR Corp./American Airlines, managing internal communications, marketing PR and crisis communications.

Bass, Bill
Co-Founder and CEO, Fair Indigo

Bill Bass is CEO of Fair Indigo, a multichannel retailer of its own brand of fair trade apparel, and chairman of its corporate parent Black Wolf Group. Prior to co-founding Fair Indigo in 2005, Bill ran both Sears' direct-to-customer business and Lands' End's ecommerce business. Before the sale of Lands' End to Sears in 2002, he was also responsible for Lands' End's international business unit with catalog operations in Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining Lands' End in 1999, Bill served as a group director at Forrester Research. Before that, he co-founded and co-managed the Boston.com Web site, the online subsidiary of the Boston Globe newspaper. Bill's business career also includes work as a strategic initiatives manager with Knight Rider.

Beinecke, Frances
President, Natural Resources Defense Council

Frances Beinecke is president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of America's most influential and innovative environmental organizations. NRDC works with business, government and local communities to craft new, more effective strategies to stop global warming, stop air and water pollution, and protect both human and wild habitats. NRDC is also a leading presence in China, helping to cut energy use and reduce dangerous emissions. Before becoming president in 2006, she spent eight years as executive director, presiding over a rapid expansion staff, membership and organizational capabilities. She has also worked with NRDC's Water & Coastal Program. Beinecke serves on the board of the World Resources Institute and the Energy Future Coalition. She received her bachelor's degree from Yale College and a master's degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Bemporad, Raphael
Founding Partner, BBMG

A founding partner and principal at BBMG, Raphael Bemporad is a champion for a new approach to branding that puts values behind every marketing initiative. An expert in brand strategy, cause marketing and public affairs, Raphael has led campaigns that are international in scope and diverse in terms of issues and industries. He has directed recent initiatives for clients such as Luna Bar, UNICEF, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ocean Conservancy and Social Venture Network. Prior to co-founding BBMG, Raphael served as communications director at Do Something, where he oversaw marketing, corporate partnerships and media relations. Raphael also has an extensive background in political communications, getting his start as a press aide to Texas Governor Ann W. Richards.

Droga, David
Creative Chairman, Droga 5

David has been fortunate enough to work all over the world. And in that time, work with a lot of great people. His past roles have included, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of the Publicis network, Executive Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, London and Regional Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi. To date, he is the single most-awarded creative director at the Cannes International Advertising Festival and the only person ever to win "Agency of the Year" in four different countries. David has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement and been honored with Lifetime achievement awards across the world. However, tired of building other peoples companies, in 2006 David founded Droga5 in NY.

Hand, Ann
SVP, Global Brand Marketing & Innovation, BP

As Senior Vice President of Global Brand Marketing and Innovation for BP, Ann Hand is one of a handful of women who have risen to the top ranks in the energy industry. She is responsible for developing new and compelling ways for consumers to engage with the BP brand, overseeing $300 million annually in marketing initiatives worldwide. In addition to BP, she manages the wider consumer and B2B brand portfolio of products and services including such brands as Arco, Aral, ampm, Wild Bean Cafe and Ultimate. Hand has served as the driving force behind reframing the BP consumer brand with Helios Power - a new integrated retail brand building campaign that affirms BP's renewed commitment to make things "a little better" for customers. The $45 million Helios Power initiative, launched in April 2007, will soon be integral to BP's 25,000 retail locations across the globe touching more than 13 million consumers a day.

Replogle, John
President & CEO, Burt's Bees, Inc.

John Replogle was named Chief Executive Officer and President of Burt's Bees in January, 2006. John previously spent three years at Unilever as General Manager, Skin Care, North America. He also served on the company's Operating Executive Committee and Global Category Board. His leadership was marked by successful efforts to improve the division's innovation and recraft their marketing through efforts such as the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Prior to that, he spent eight years with Diageo, most recently as President of Guinness Bass Import Company and Managing Director of Guinness Great Britain. Earlier, he held several other roles in Marketing, Sales and Strategy with Diageo. John began his career as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. John is an active volunteer with the humanitarian aid organization, Americares and serves on the Board of Habitat for Humanity.

Simonetti, Paul
Director, Corporate Stakeholder Relations, Philips

Paul was named Director of Corporate Stakeholder Relations last fall, a brand new position at Philips responsible for stakeholder outreach related to policy, legislation and public perception. Paul joined Philips in 1999, as Manager of Regional Employee Communications. In 2002, he became Director of Brand Communications responsible for the planning and execution of strategic branding, marketing communications, advertising and public relations, as well as sports and entertainment marketing, and trade events. Prior to joining Philips, Paul worked for the industrial chemical division of the Swiss conglomerate Ciba-Geigy, and played an integral role in the re-branding of the spin off company Ciba Specialty Chemicals, when Ciba and Sandoz merged to create Novartis.

Spence, Roy
Founder, Chairman & CEO, GSD&M Idea City

Visionary ideas that make a difference have been at the heart of GSD&M Idea City since Roy Spence and a group of friends founded the agency upon graduation from the University of Texas in 1971. For over 36 years, the agency has made a difference in the marketplace for its clients by helping build the business of some of America's most respected brands, including Southwest Airlines, BMW, AT&T, MasterCard, PGA TOUR, Kohler and John Deere, to name a few. Early mentors included noted entrepreneurs Sam Walton, Herb Kelleher, Norman Brinker and Red McCombs, all business legends to whom Roy ultimately became both friend and trusted advisor.

Stephenson, Heather
Co-Founder and CEO, Idealbite.com

After nearly a decade of leadership in the fields of advertising and technology, Heather Stephenson incorporated her passion for business and natural living by co-founding Ideal Bite. Heather brings to Ideal Bite her passion for sales and growing profitable companies, and her experience in doing so, having served as an early Vice President of Sales in both the US and Europe at L90, Inc - an international online advertising sales network that went public in 1999. Before Heather's management role in Ideal Bite, Heather was the founder of UrbanSage - a NY-based rooftop garden design/build firm. Heather has an M.A. in Literature and a B.A. in Government from Georgetown University.

Waddell, Ray
Executive Director of Content and Programming for Touring and Live Entertainment, Billboard

Ray Waddell has covered the live entertainment business for 20 years. He joined the Nielsen family in 1987 as a Los Angeles-based reporter for Billboard sister publication Amusement Business. In 1991, he relocated to his home town of Nashville to continue covering the live business for AB. In 2000, Waddell moved over to Billboard to spearhead the magazine's expanded touring coverage. He authors Billboard's weekly On The Road column, and provides features and news coverage on the global touring industry for Billboard, Billboard.com, Billboard.biz, and Billboard Bulletin. Waddell also works with the Billboard Events team in producing the annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards each year in New York City. His current title is Executive Director of Content and Programming, Touring and Live Entertainment.

Wall, Kevin
Founder & CEO, Live Earth

Kevin Wall is founder and chief executive officer of Live Earth. Wall leads the transformation of Live Earth from a one-time musical event into an ongoing advocacy organization, seeking to combat climate change by reaching global audiences through the power of music. In 2005 Wall founded Control Room to create live entertainment accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Its most potent realization came on 07/07/07 with "Live Earth," the 24-hour, seven-continent concert series which reached an estimated global audience of two billion. Inspired by the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Wall conceived a groundbreaking musical event that sought to deliver an urgent yet hopeful call to action on global warming. He designed the multimedia architecture, enlisted over 150 headlining artists and forged a matrix of strategic partnerships. Wall executive produced "Live 8," tapping three decades of experience in music promotion and production, live television, the Internet, and venture capital investments in convergence technologies. The massive live event earned Wall an Emmy Award as it motivated millions of viewers worldwide to pressure Western governments to take action on African aid and debt relief.