Our Experts

	BILL MCKIBBEN AUTHOR/ENVIRONMENTALIST, FOUNDER, 350.org Climate change expert, Bill McKibben explains that the way we raise our food and how we treat the environment are forcing change. The Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he was the 2013 winner of the Gandhi Prize and the Thomas Merton Prize, and holds honorary degrees from 18 colleges and universities. He is the bestselling author of many books including Eaarth and Deep Economy.
	JEREMY RIFKIN FOUNDER/PRESIDENT, THE FOUNDATION ON ECONOMIC TRENDS Economist Jeremy Rifkin weighs in on how we’ve come to the end of our ability to fuel growth with a petroleum-based economy as well as the environment’s inability to sustain the damage. Mr. Rifkin is the principle architect of the European Union’s Third Industrial Revolution long-term economic sustainability plan to address the triple challenge of the global economic crisis, energy security, and climate change. He is also the bestselling author of twenty books on the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the workforce, society, and the environment including The Third Industrial Revolution and The Empathic Civilization.
	DACHER KELTNER, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, UC BERKELEY, FOUNDER, GREATER GOOD SCIENCE CENTER Positive psychologist and researcher Dacher Keltner points to how physical touch improves health and happiness and that our nature is to be both compassionate and live in close community. He is also the author of Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life and a co-editor of The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness.
	STEPHEN COPE, MSW FOUNDER/DIRECTOR, KRIPALU INSTITUTE FOR EXTRAORDINARY LIVING Stephen Cope, Director of Kripalu’s Institute for Extraordinary Living, explains how happiness is not based on a person’s circumstances but, rather, how we approach difficult situations with the help of mindful practices. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, The Wisdom of Yoga, and The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling.
	KRISTIN NEFF, PH.D. SELF-COMPASSION RESEARCHER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN Kristin Neff’s research shows that self-compassion is the most effective path to happiness. She is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, being the first one to define and conduct research on the topic over a decade ago, and she is the author of Self-Compassion.