AN AMAZING GATHERING OF THOUGHT LEADERS AND INFLUENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS

KEN WILBER with 22 books on spirituality and science, and translations in more than 25 countries, Ken Wilber is now the most translated writer on consciousness studies in the United States. He is seen as an important representative of transpersonal psychology, which emerged in the sixties from humanistic psychology, and which concerns itself explicitly with spirituality. For the fundamental and pioneering nature of his insights, he has been called "the Einstein of consciousness research".His debut The Spectrum of Consciousness (1977) established his reputation as an original thinker, who seeks to integrate Western and Eastern psychology. No Boundary(1979), which summarizes this work, is one of his most popular books. His core works The Atman Project (1980) and Up from Eden (1981) cover the territories of developmental psychology and cultural history respectively.  In his recent work, especially the voluminous Sex, Ecology, Spirituality (1995), he has criticized not only Western culture, but also counter-cultural movements such as the New Age. In his opinion, none of these approach the depth and detailed nature of the "perennial philosophy", the conception of reality that lies at the heart of all major religions, and which forms the background of all his writings. This fundamental work has been summarized too, in A Brief History of Everything, one of his most widely read books.

DAVID SLOAN WILSON is an evolutionary biologist and SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University in New York.  He applies evolutionary theory to all aspects of humanity in addition to the rest of life, both in his own research and as President of Evolution Institute and director of EvoS, a unique campus-wide evolutionary studies program that recently received NSF funding to expand into a nationwide consortium. He is Editor In Chief of This View of Life His books include Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society, Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives, and The Neighborhood Project: Using Evolution to Improve My City, One Block at a Time. 

MA'IKWE LUDWIG serves as the Executive Director of Dancing Rabbit and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Fellowship for Intentional Community. Dancing Rabbit's Ecovillage is a sustainable living demonstration project in northeastern Missouri. nonprofit. Ma’ikwe has worked for over two decades in the fields of sustainability education, ecovillage development and cooperative social dynamics. Her work integrates ecological, economic, social, political and personal approaches and technologies for a strongly holistic view of what real sustainability takes. Ma'ikwe is a regular writer for Communities magazine and is the author of Passion as Big as a Planet: Evolving Eco-Activism in America. She is a dynamic speaker, with a TEDx in 2013, and has spent a goodly portion of 2015 on a national speaking tour.

DAVID RIORDAN is the V.P. of Media and General Manager for Ken Wilber’s web/media company, Integral Life. His expertise includes producing television and webisode programming for cable networks and DVD distribution, designing interactive applications and creating web based communities. For Integral Life, he produces all IL Presents media products and web courses. This includes the “Coming Home” web course series featuring Leslie Hershberger and “The Narrative Tradition of the Enneagram” program featuring Helen Palmer. He also directs special documentary projects like “The Future of Christianity” featuring Father Thomas Keating and Ken Wilber and Ken Wilber’s biography project. He is also the Director of the “What Next” Conference, the winter tribal gathering for Integralists and Evolutioniares. Prior to becoming an independent producer, David directed interactive production groups at Time Warner,  Disney Interactive and Philips Media, creating more than thirty interactive entertainment experiences for the Internet, CD-ROM and Interactive Television.  He has won numerous awards from major interactive societies including seven Interactive Academy Awards. 

RICK CLUGSTON, PHD, acknowledged worldwide as one of the architects of the Earth Charter and the Earth Charter Initiative, directs the sustainable development programs of Forum 21, a Forum of United Nations NGO's dedicated to the global Sustainability Development Goals.  He is co-editor of the new book Spiritual Values, Ethics and the New UN Development Agenda.  Dr. Clugston is also Co-director of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future. He formerly directed Earth Charter USA and the Center for Respect of Life and Environment focusing on ethics, spiritual values and sustainable development.

DR. KURT JOHNSON is co-author of the award-wining book The Coming Interspiritual Age, one of the "pilot" books of the current "Interspiritual Movement".  Kurt has 40 years of spirituality/science co-working, associated both with the American Museum of Natural History and the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City.  In science he is known for his booksNabokov's Blues (2000) and Fine Lines (2015) on the relationship of science and the arts   A close associate of interfaith pioneer Br. Wayne Teasdale, Kurt is one of the leaders of the emerging global “Interspiritual Movement” and participates widely in international panels and committee, particulary at the United Nations.

REV. MAC LEGERTON is a Christian contemplative and leader in the national Guild for Spiritual Guidance. He is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Community Action (CCA) in rural N.C. where he has served for 35 years, focusing on sustainability, poverty reduction, and social justice. In 2007, Rev. Legerton received the Distinguished Service to Rural Life Award of the Rural Sociological Society for his work in rural, social justice and sustainability in Robeson County, N.C. He is an ordained minister in the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ. He is co-ordained as an Eco-Minister, serving as National Coordinator of the Eco-Ministries Initiative of the Order of Universal Interfaith and Eco-Ministries Coordinator with the Interspiritual Network and the Forum 21 Institute.

DR. LIZZIE MCLEOD is the Nature Conservancy’s Marine Climate Scientist for the Asia Pacific region, and she is the Science Lead for the Conservancy’s Global Marine Team’s Reef Resilience Network. She was instrumental in developing an online toolkit and training curriculum for coral reef managers which have trained nearly 1,500 managers in more than 75 countries on the best practices for addressing threats to coral reefs. She has spent the last decade researching and developing new strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change on tropical marine ecosystems. She conducted her PhD at the University of Hawaii on developing a climate vulnerability and adaptation framework for tropical island communities. She has published extensively on climate change and marine conservation in tropical systems. She has recently launched an initiative to broaden TNC’s engagement with faith groups to address the most pressing global challenges that we face and to build the evidence base that protecting and restoring land and water globally, enriches human lives and protects the diversity of life on earth.

KARUNA ASHLEY is an Associate Level Trainer in the Kundalini Research Institute Aquarian Trainer Academy. She collaborates with Lead Teachers to bring Level One teacher training programs and Level Two teacher training modules to her local community in Boulder, Colorado, USA. With over 25 years of dedication to a yogic lifestyle, Karuna brings her own unique brand of compassion, enthusiasm, and pure joy to every Yoga practice. She teaches daily group yoga classes and private lessons, leads weekend intensives on varying themes including relationships, women’s issues, and mastering challenges, and leads retreats internationally. Karuna is also certified to teach yoga to children, teenagers, and prenatal moms. As founder of the websiteLightOnKundalini.com, Karuna strives to share the treasured teachings of Yogi Bhajan with the world. She brings world-renowned Kundalini Yoga teachers, artists and musicians to Boulder to share their insights and gifts with the community through concerts, workshops, and special events. Since 2014, Karuna has also been traveling internationally sharing in lifestyle, happiness, and well-being programs associated with the global Happiness Initiative, the UN NGO Forum 21 Institute, and the emerging Interspiritual Movement.

GREG REITMAN is the founder of Blue Water Entertainment, Inc., an independent production company focusing on environmentally conscious entertainment. Widely regarded as Hollywood’s “Green Producer,” Greg produced the 2008 SUNDANCE Audience Award-winning feature documentary “FUEL.” He wrote, produced, and directed the feature documentary “HOLLYWOOD’S MAGICAL ISLAND- CATALINA” (PBS) and returns back on the festival circuit with his latest revolutionary feature documentary film, “ROOTED in PEACE” slated to be released theatrically in the fall. He’s currently in development on the motion picture film: “The Roni Levi Story.” Greg Reitman is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with international studies at Florence University in Florence, Italy; Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan; and Tel-Aviv University in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He received a Masters Certificate in Creative Producing from The Jewish Federation Masters Program as well as from UCLA in writing, directing, marketing and distribution. He is an alumnus and member of the Hollywood Film Institute, the International Documentary Association, and an active member in the (DGA) Directors Guild of America.

RUEL WALKER is Program Development Manager of the Pachamama Alliance. Ruel directs the development of the curriculum and program content of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium of the Pachamama Alliance and the additional training programs provided by the Alliance. These include the Getting in Action Workshop, the Symposium Faciliator Training, and the Facilitator Training Leaders’ Program.  He also trains the trainers who deliver the national education and training program. Ruel is a practitioner of Shambhala meditation and has combined this practice with a study of shamanic and indigenous spirituality and psychology. Ruel is also a practicing attorney (specializing in handling cases before state and federal courts of appeal) and a licensed psychotherapist. He holds degrees in law from the University of Texas Law School and in counseling from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.  Pachamama Alliance is a global community that offers people the chance to learn, connect, engage, travel and cherish life for the purpose of creating a sustainable future that works for all.  Its programs integrate indigenous wisdom with modern knowledge to support personal, and collective, transformation that is the catalyst to bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet.

MIRABAI STARR Mirabai Starr writes, speaks and leads retreats on the inter-spiritual teachings of the mystics. Known for her revolutionary translations of John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Julian of Norwich, Mirabai renders mystical masterpieces accessible, beautiful, and relevant to a contemporary circle of seekers. Her commentaries on the interconnected wisdom of all traditions are lyrical and evocative. Mirabai builds bridges not only between religious traditions, but also between contemplative life and compassionate service, between cultivating an inner relationship with the Beloved and expressing that intimacy in community, between the transformational power of loss and longing for the sacred.

REV. KEN KITATANI Rev. Ken Kitatani is the Executive Director of The Forum 21 Institute, a multidisciplinary research, education, and action association for catalyzing positive, integrative solutions and actions for human and environmental sustainability and development. Forum 21 works on all levels of society with a specific interest in three areas: (1) promoting sustainable development and uniting NGO’s of the United Nations to support the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals and their implementation by nations; (2) promoting eco-spirituality, eco-ministry, and eco-justice and supporting eco-ministry as an authentic and necessary form of service within the faith, interfaith, and interspiritual communities; and (3) sponsoring education and training programs on the local, regional, state, national, and international level that deepen and broaden constituencies to foster sustainable practices and leverage sustainability policies at all levels. In 2015. Ken is an ordained minister in Sukyo Mahikari Centers for Spiritual Development and formerly served as the manager of the North American Regional Headquarters. He now works internationally out of Sukyo Mahikari Headquarters in Japan. Ken is the USA representative of 2050.org, an NGO that advocates for gender equality and sustainability. He is also on the Board of “What Shape is Green?” a program of peace sculptures for the environment and is an adviser to the Happiness Alliance promoting the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Program.

WOODY VASPRA Woody Vaspra is President & Elder Liaison of the World Council of Elders and a co-founder of the International Sundance. He is a Hawaiian Kupuna (Elder), Lakota Ceremonial Leader, Sundance Chief, retired Air Force pilot, Vietnam veteran and former corporate director for several companies, Woody co-founded World Council of Elders, a 501(c)(3) educational organization in 2000. Woody has traveled across the globe meeting with indigenous Elders of many native cultures in fulfillment of the vision of creating a worldwide organization of traditional indigenous wisdom-keepers ready to share their Earth-honoring traditions toward love, peace and harmony for all peoples.

YANNI MANIATES Yanni is the Director of Eco-Ministry, Forum 21; event coordinator, The Interspiritual Network; co-editor, The Eco-Activist Newsletter; editor, “Steering Toward the Omega Point: Roundtables 2, 3 and 4: Discussions of Altruism, Evolution, and Spirituality;” and curator, Self-Care to Earth-Care. In the 80’s he was the Director of a major organization that hosted many noteworthy international, interfaith, ecumenical conferences. Also, he was the Director of a medium sized publishing company in NYC. As well, has been teaching Meditation, Intuitive Development and Hermetic and Perennial Wisdom teachings for nearly 30 years. The primary focus of his work has been to help people experience the “still, small voice within” or as he prefers to call it: “The Embrace.” He is the author of six books on Meditation and Intuition and three Meditation CDs.