Bruce Katz is the Founding Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Previously he served as inaugural Centennial Scholar at Brookings Institution and as vice president and director of Brooking’s Metropolitan Policy Program for 20 years. He is a member of the RSA City Growth Commission in the United Kingdom and a Visiting Professor in Practice at London School of Economics.

Katz previously served as chief of staff to the secretary of Housing and Urban Development and staff director of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs. Katz co-led the Obama administration’s housing and urban transition team. He is coauthor of The Metropolitan Revolution and The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism, editor or coeditor of several books on urban and metropolitan issues, and a frequent media commentator.

Charlie Cook is widely considered to be one of the nation’s most respected and impartial analyst of American politics, elections and political trends. As the editor and publisher of The Cook Political Report, columnist for National Journal, political analyst for NBC News and co-author of the upcoming 2020 edition of the Almanac of American Politics, Charlie’s prodigious writing is a direct line to the heart of politics. Deemed “the Picasso of election analysis” by The Wall Street Journal, he produces the sharpest and most impartial political handicapping in the business, serving as the one-man, go-to-source for Americans who want to be “in the know” about politics.

Cook’s expertise receives endless praise. The New York Times called him “one of the best political handicappers in the nation” and noted that The Cook Political Report is “a newsletter that both Parties regard as authoritative.” The Washington Post said he is “perhaps the best non-partisan tracker of Congressional races,” and the Washingtonian called him “the man who knows more about politics than anyone else.”

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed economist and public speaker specializing in making economics fun, relevant and educational. Dr. Eisenberg earned a B.A. in economics with first class honors from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a Master and Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University. Eisenberg is the Chief Economist for GraphsandLaughs, LLC, an economic consultancy that serves a variety of clients across the United States. Dr. Eisenberg has spoken to hundreds of business groups and associations, as a keynote speaker on topics including: economic forecasts, economic impact of industries such as homebuilding, tourism, consequences of government regulation, and other current economic issues.

Dr. Rick Rigsby is a USA Today, Amazon and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who became an Internet sensation when his speech on hope—produced by Goalcast—was viewed by over 200 million people worldwide. An internationally recognized motivational speaker, Dr. Rigsby is founder of Rick Rigsby Communications. With engagements spanning the globe, audiences include Fortune 100 & Fortune 500 companies, service organizations, educational institutions, and professional sports organizations, including the NFL and PGA. Rick is a former award-winning journalist, college professor and football character coach at Texas A&M University.