2020 Speakers

Marissa Muller

Marissa Muller is an adventurer and sustainable energy leader. She runs product marketing for Tesla's energy products - Solarglass roof, solar panels, and Powerwall - which enables homeowners from around the world to generate and store clean energy for any time use. Marissa has been in the renewable energy industry for over a decade and started her career as a journalist in the US and Europe. She loves to tell a good story. Four years ago she built a solar bike and rode across America to fulfill a dream, test technology, and spark a conversation about sustainability. Marissa holds an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley.

Cary Singleton

The Singleton Foundation is dedicated to encouraging financial competence using the compelling power of entertainment. Their initiatives, the Million Stories Media channel and Venture Valley esports-style entrepreneurship game, will help generate a national conversation that sparks a movement, empowering their audiences to gain the skills to manage their financial futures with confidence—and think like entrepreneurs. Cary was fortunate to grow up in an entrepreneurial family who encouraged innovation and creative problem-solving. Her multiple careers have included designing and building custom homes, marketing consultation, manufacturing, and business leadership. She was previously active on boards of local and state organizations in Arizona, Oregon, and California relating to housing (Habitat for Humanity & National Association of Home Builders), mentoring (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Tucson Children’s Museum, Paxis/Peacebuilders Violence Prevention), and various arts organizations.

Sue Bryce

SUE BRYCE is a proud Kiwi, a professional photographer, an educator and speaker born and raised in New Zealand. Sue has lived in Los Angeles for 7 years. With 30 years of experience, Sue Bryce is one of the most recognizable photographers in the imaging industry.

Her contemporary portrait style transcends past stereotypes and has changed the face of portrait photography and photography businesses internationally. Bryce created her own ground-breaking educational platform in 2014, in which she uses her signature techniques to mentor and empower thousands of photographers and businesses around the world.

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Bree Irvin

Growing up as an avid swimmer, surfer, and lifeguard in Huntington Beach, the ocean has always been a second home for Bree. As a child, she was no stranger to weekly beach clean-ups and invasive species removal, however, it was through travel, school, and work where she really began to see the effects of pollution on marine life contributing to the detriment of our home planet. This affinity and connection to the ocean was only magnified when she got the opportunity of a lifetime to fulfill her childhood dream – learning to sail by the stars on a Polynesian voyaging canoe. Voyaging has since been the driving force of continuing her environmental activism in spreading Malama Honua (caring for the Earth). From starting a career in television and film with Disney, ABC, and CBS, she recognized the power of storytelling as a vehicle to spread awareness to impact the world for the better. Now working for Patagonia, she continues to use storytelling and activism at a grassroots level to both educate and connect communities with local nonprofits where they’re empowered to take action and volunteer in their own backyards. She’s learned from living on wa’a (Polynesian voyaging canoe), that we all have the ability to change our daily habits to promote and be part of the evolution of a more sustainable future for island Earth.

Loud Forest

Bernard and Rachel Chadwick are the husband-and-wife duo that creates pop/rock music imbued with love and artisanship. Theirs is an enviable creative relationship built around making more of themselves and the world through collaboration. The band started while Bernard was earning his MFA at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. It was a way for rock to fuse into art and art to fuse into rock. This became the exact intention of their music going forward. The band’s incorporation of pop sensibilities, ethereal vocals, insightful lyrics, and rock undertones give them a sound that is unique, fun and sure to keep you grooving.

Their summer single Heartbreak Away, released in July 2019, was featured on Apple Music’s Breaking Alternative and Alt Pop playlists. They are currently working to release their third full-length album, coming soon in early 2020.

Payton Silket

Payton Silket is an undergraduate at Pepperdine University earning his degrees in both Political Science and Sociology. His passion for faith-inspired social justice has led him to work for Sojourners in Washington D.C., developing strategies to mobilize congregations when instances of police violence occur. He also contributes to Faith in Action East Bay in his hometown of Oakland, CA with the Ceasefire Project. He is a minister with his church and continues to do community organizing on his college campus facilitating dialogues between administration and students on racial reconciliation and cultural awareness. His goal is to enrich his colleague's academic experience through providing deeper lenses for self-exploration and identity development in the community, and to reconcile police and community relations through the advocacy of criminal justice reform.

Kaci Courtright

Kaci Courtright is graduating in 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Economics and a Certificate in Conflict Management. While at Pepperdine University, she has taken part in the business professional fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, Model United Nations, and even started a small business. She studied abroad in Shanghai, China for the full academic year and it was there that she resonated with the life motto of “Mind Over Matter”. It is from this phrase that she lives with ambition as she pursues a joint MBA/JD Degree upon graduation.

Julia Norgaard

Julia Norgaard is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Pepperdine University where she runs a faculty research seminar and an economics reading group. Her research interests include the internet darknet and judicial institutional interventions in developing nations. Julia is passionate about teaching her students to view the world through an economic lens and researching forms of private governance. She enjoys spending time exploring outdoors, adventuring to different parts of the world, and brewing beer. Julia is an avid rock climber and beach volleyball player.

Eric Wilson

Eric Wilson serves as Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion and Executive Director of Spiritual Life Programs here at Pepperdine University in Malibu California. Wilson is a certified Spiritual Director, Executive Coach and is a religion blogger. He is an award-winning playwright and theatrical director. His work has been published and performed around the country including the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Eric is a spoken word artist with the 9 Beats Collective, an international group of musicians and thought leaders reimagining the teachings of Jesus for a new generation. Wilson is the author of the book, Faith: The First Seven Lessons.

Jeff Walling

A nationally known speaker and author, Jeff Walling annually lectures to tens of thousands across the globe, helping corporations, professional associations, and non-profit organizations improve communication and enhance creativity. He has authored three books for Simon and Schuster, and has a unique mix of humor and practical insights drawn from his experience as an educator, and a corporate trainer and father of three boys. Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in speech and communication from the University of California, Irvine and his master’s degree from Pepperdine University. He was also honored with a doctorate from Hope University in Fullerton CA.

Adam Housley

Adam Housley is an Emmy, AP and RTNDA award-winning American journalist, former professional baseball player and current winery owner. As a journalist, Adam covered more major stories over a 17 year span than any other American television news personality. His coverage has been featured and noted in, among others, The Los Angeles Times, Mediabistro, The New York Times, TV Guide and USA Today. He has reported from 24 countries and 22 states. Adam was Junior Olympic All American, pitched for the National Champion Pepperdine Baseball Team, was drafted by the Montreal Expos, graduated from Pepperdine as a double major, received his MA from the University of Arizona in International Relations and is a two-time media fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

He is married to the love of his life actress Tamera Mowry Housley and they have two amazing children Aden & Ariah. Together they won the celebrity cupcake wars and have their own YouTube Channel 'The Housley Life'. After leaving news he expanded the family wine business and now is the President of Housley's Century Oak Winery and Housley Napa Valley, while still dabbling in journalism thanks to social media.