The Beautiful Thinkers Project

Ray Roberts is a former NFL player who currently serves as the Director of Unified Champion Schools for Special Olympics North America. A naturally talented leader and speaker, Ray brings the same he…

Amy Conway-Hatcher is an attorney, author, advocate, and founding member of Chief (a network built to support and empower women in positions of executive leadership) in Washington DC. Her book “Infin…

Martha Hoover is the founder of Patachou, Inc. One of the first restaurateurs to emphasize fresh farm-to-table ingredients back in 1989, Martha has transformed Patachou into an enterprise of multiple…

Susan Holmes McKagan, author, model, and influencer. Susan has defied the expectations of being a model and rock star wife (to Guns N Roses’ Duff McKagan) by taking on a host of other careers, from s…

Kevin Lynch. Creative Director at Oatly. World traveler. Story maker. Beautiful thinker. With a background at ad agencies in Chicago, Kevin first traveled the world to work in Shanghai, and later cam…

Chris Davis, Chief Marketing Officer of New Balance, on forming authentic partnerships, calculated risk-taking, and making dad shoes cool.

Julie Browning Bova, designer/founder of Julie Bova Design, on story-centered interior design, putting intentional fear into your life and Midwest craftsmanship

David Napolitano, founder of Breadico, on baking out of a garage, the perks of growing a business in a smaller market, and why we all got so into bread in 2020.

Alessandro Manfredi, EVP, Dove at Unilever on why brand purpose is good business, the need for systemic change in the world of beauty, and partnering with Lizzo.

Justin Parnell, Senior Director of OREO at Mondelez International, on staying playful, building a doomsday vault in Norway, and being an “and” brand.

Beautiful Thinker: Alex Matisse, founder of East Fork Pottery, on bringing old-school manufacturing back, making community part of brand DNA, and finding success beyond his family’s legacy.

Alan Lightman, author, physicist, and educator, on living a creative life, challenging science’s view of the unexplainable, and bringing the humanities to MIT.

John Merris, President and CEO of Solo Stove, on cultivating a solid company culture, radical customer service transparency, and creating your own fire.

Giovanni Corazza, founder of the Marconi Institute for Creativity, on the dangers of expertise, balancing creative ideas with business principles, and how even non-living things can be creative. 

Beautiful Thinkers: Emily Granger, harpist, and Luke Tierney, founder of Tier 1 Arts, on discovering the harp, the modern playlist movement, and what happens when classical music meets social media. 

Wes Rozen, founder of Camber Studio, on the dynamic meaning of "camber," finding creativity in the spaces between, and building the perfect place to work from home. 

Beautiful Thinkers: Hugh Weber, Managing Editor and CCO of The Great Discontent, and Marshall “Mr. P” Pollard, Founder of the Creative School, on creating equity through networks, intergenerational e…

Beautiful Thinker: Lindsay Adler, fashion photographer, on starting a business at 15, redefining femininity and the symbolism of the color red.