Join us for a groundbreaking keynote as Christopher Stott, the Founder and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings unveils their audacious plan to establish the first-ever data center on the moon. "Data is the greatest currency created by the human race," said Chris. "We are dependent upon it for nearly everything we do and it is too important to us as a species to store in Earth's ever more fragile biosphere. Earth's largest satellite, our Moon, represents the ideal place to safely store our future." Join Chris as we explore the innovative technology, strategic partnerships, and the future of lunar data infrastructure that will shape humanity's digital presence by saving Earth's data one byte at a time.
Chris serves as the Chair Emeritus, alongside the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke, of the Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), the largest professional association in the global space and satellite industry, which also named him Satellite Industry Mentor of the Year in 2015.
Chris' passion for the economics and commerce of space has led him to co-found both the Institute of Space Commerce in Austin in the United States, and the International Institute of Space Commerce on the Isla of Man in the British Isles. He has served on faculty at the International Space University (ISU) since 2003 and is a former co-chair of the university's school of business and management. Chris is also a guest lecturer in space law and regulation at MIT Media Labs, the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the School of Law at the University of Houston.
In his spare time, Chris is a multi-award-winning producer, writer, and documentary filmmaker. A naturalized Manx American, Chris lives in Florida with his wife and son and their dogs. He enjoys shooting (pistol, rifle, skeet, and trap), scuba and free diving, and flying helicopters. He drinks way too much coffee and rarely watches TV. When he needs to sleep, he reads his own bio.
If you've listened to any other discussion about generational issues at work, then you've undoubtedly been told there are four distinct generations operating side-by-side in today's working world. You've then been told the differences between those four generations, and then you've been told (although probably not in these exact words) that you need to just deal with all these different people, because they're not going away and they're not going to change how they operate. If that advice suits you, fantastic.
However, if you've ever been frustrated by how impossible it seems to employ four different strategies to manage four distinct generations, and if you've ever felt like you're the only one who's being asked to make any changes, then Stop Acting Your Age! is exactly what you need.
Matt's signature style began in corporate America, where by 25 he pitched the C-suite boardroom of a Fortune 25 company on his plan to lead enterprise-wide transformations to capitalize on the "Millennial" opportunities present in the marketplace and the workforce. Matt's work soon caught fire, and he began speaking to audiences all over the country, subsequently catapulting up the corporate ladder and leading teams in areas as diverse as marketing, sales, and customer retention. Matt has been at the forefront of driving massively scaled change efforts, started new sales departments, and ran contact centers in 5 different U.S. locations. In short, his approach is baked in reality instead of hyperbole.
Matt now brings his simple yet profound solutions to companies, associations, and small businesses across North America. His stated mission is to put perspective into action - both professionally and personally - by unpacking our true motivations, and specifically how our answers relate to the meaningful relationships and connections we create. The versatility of his experience and expertise is why he is frequently called upon to address a variety of topics ranging from generational differences, leadership, culture, communication, sales and building success teams.
As the founder of America's only "industrial strength" river clean-up organization and the 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, Chad Pregracke, tells a compelling and funny story about growing up on the river and how his river experiences led to his unique vision to clean up the Mississippi River and start an internationally recognized not-for-profit, Living Lands & Waters. During his talk, Chad takes the audience out on one of the world's greatest rivers - a journey filled with endless challenges and gripping adventures. His delivery is motivating, captivating, genuine and refreshingly spontaneous. From the darkness of underwater shell-diving to the brightness of open-air community clean-ups, Chad's tale embodies the importance of setting goals (one river and one piece of garbage at a time) and illustrates how determination, hard work, and persistence pays off.
Chad Pregracke, the 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, is proof that one person can make a difference. At the age of 17, Chad started on a crusade to clean up America's most iconic river - The Mississippi. Since then, Chad's hard work, vision, humor, and leadership has evolved into a cultural movement that had resulted in 13 million pounds of garbage being cleaned out of America's rivers with over 126,624 volunteers and dozens of global corporations coming aboard to lend a hand.
Chad grew up, literally, with the Mississippi River as his backyard. At the age of 15, he started working on the river as a commercial shell diver, commercial fisherman and barge hand. Through those experiences, Chad witnessed firsthand the plight of the Mississippi River. Over the years, millions of pounds of often toxic debris had accumulated along the banks and islands of the river, including tens of thousands of 55-gallon barrels, tires, appliances, propane tanks, and more, in between millions of plastic bottles. At age 17, Chad began calling government agencies to tell them about the problem. With no luck or interest, he decided that if no one else would clean it up, he would.
Chad's not-for-profit organization, Living Lands & Waters, was started in 1998 and has evolved to be the only "industrial strength" river organization like it in the world with a multi-million dollar operation that includes a fleet of 5 barges, 3 towboats, a crane, an excavator, 5 work boats, 2 skid steers, and 6 work trucks.
Chad's leadership and vision have earned him over 40 awards and accolades including the 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, The Jefferson Award for Public Service, Mitchum's Hardest Working Person in America, as well as being honored at the Points of Light Tribute at the Kennedy Center, where he was given a standing ovation by all four living former U.S. Presidents. In 2007, he released a book with National Geographic about his life and mission, "From the Bottom Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers." He has also been featured on numerous TV programs, including ABC World News, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, Discovery Channel, Fox News, National Geographic, NBC Nightly News and the Today Show.
Chad remains the driving force behind the organization and divides his time between living on a house-barge with his crew and his wife, Tammy, and their river home on the Mississippi.