9:15 - 10:00 AM

Chloe Autio

Autio Strategies - Artificial Intelligence Policy Expert

Chloe Autio is an artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technology policy expert with nearly a decade of experience advising leading organizations on technology policy and governance. She is an independent consultant to Fortune 500 companies, startups, leading trade associations and AI labs on policy strategy and engagement. She also advises government and civil society organizations on initiatives concerning AI oversight and policy. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86744641914?pwd=7i8xBW7kAa7hvpFgzgaRbsQmzmjfif.1

Meeting ID: 867 4464 1914

Passcode: 144280

10:15- 11:00 AM

Andrew Person

Max Baucus Institute 

Andrew was born and raised in Helena. After obtaining his B.A. in Political Science at Gonzaga University, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. During his five years of active military duty, he graduated from the U.S. Army Ranger School, participated in a night-time airborne insertion into northern Iraq at the outset of the war, and served year-long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.After leaving the military, Andrew earned a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University and served five years as the military, veterans, and foreign policy aide to Senator Baucus in Washington DC. Andrew obtained his J.D. from the University of Montana Law School in 2014 and practiced law in Montana from 2015 until joining the Baucus Institute as its Executive Director in November, 2023. Andrew is passionate about the Baucus Institute’s mission to break down barriers so that Montana students can see, serve, and lead locally and throughout the world.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88130977122?pwd=0sD6NL9Q8igSaXMMpq2MY3FoxJ1Dkt.1

Meeting ID: 881 3097 7122

Passcode: 702097

11:15 - 12:00 PM

Ami Vitale

National Geographic

Ami Vitale is a National Geographic Explorer, photographer and filmmaker, as well as an ambassador for Nikon. She has traveled to more than 100 countries documenting the heartbreaking realities of war and the inspiring power of individuals making a difference. Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones—and has even donned a panda suit—keeping true to her philosophy of “living the story.” Her award-winning work illuminates the unsung heroes and communities striving to protect wildlife and find harmony in our natural world.

Ami has been called one of the most influential photographers of her generation and is Conservation International's Innovators Fellow. She has been named Magazine Photographer of the Year in the International Photographer of the Year Prize, received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting and is a 6-time recipient of awards from World Press Photos. In 2022, she received multiple prestigious prizes, such as the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service and the Lucie Humanitarian Award. InStyle magazine named Ami one of the Badass 50—a group of women who show up, speak up and get things done—appearing alongside other extraordinary individuals like Jane Goodall, Christiane Amanpour and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Later this year, Ami will be featured on the National Geographic Channel TV series Explorer.

Ami is also the founder and executive director of the women-led nonprofit Vital Impacts, which supports humanitarian projects around the world. In its first year, Vital Impacts raised over 2 million dollars for grassroots conservation efforts and created a global grant and mentoring program to support the next generation of environmental storytellers.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83473259208?pwd=wai62bRpWcyceZF5bODuuBOV7IE4V6.1

Meeting ID: 834 7325 9208

Passcode: 547181

12:15 - 1:00 PM

Dr. Jennifer McWhorter

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Dr. Jennifer McWhorter is an Oceanographer with the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division. Jennifer’s research spans climate science, physical oceanography, and coral reef ecology to better understand climate threats to reef ecosystems. She is currently researching the biogeochemical Argo float data applications in the Gulf of Mexico, correlations between satellite data and Biogeochemical Argo floats, Biogeochemical model analysis and characterizing open ocean influences on mesophotic reefs.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84077440897?pwd=dBXK6PrgqXxnhrAxfX0t9zEK1jM0ht.1

Meeting ID: 840 7744 0897

Passcode: 191313

1:15 - 2:00 PM

Owen Haacke

Supply Chain Shark

Owen Haacke is a co-founder of Supply Chain Shark, a toolkit to help start-ups and growing businesses optimize their supply chains and reduce costs. In addition, Owen is the owner of Empress Brokers International LLC, a licensed customs brokerage. In this role, he supports companies and individuals with product sourcing, logistics management, and import compliance. Owen has held various positions in the public and private sectors, focusing on international trade and business. He previously served as the Director and Chief Representative of the US-China Business Council Shanghai office, where he worked with US multinational company leadership on strategy, operational best practices, supply chain challenges, and regulatory changes affecting US companies operating overseas. Owen also worked at the United States Senate Committee on Finance, collaborating with the trade policy team on multilateral trade agreement policies and legislation impacting import tariffs.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84077239875?pwd=ngqfOxMaedbaixCKJpHGYgrelISgst.1

Meeting ID: 840 7723 9875

Passcode: 483836

9:15 - 10:00 AM 

Josh Lozman

Pivotal Ventures

Josh is Senior Director for Impact at Pivotal Ventures. In that role, he leads the social impact work of Phoebe Gates and Jennifer Gates Nassar. For 20 years, Josh has worked on and led policy efforts, political campaigns and philanthropic programs to empower people and work towards a more equal and just world. 

He spent nearly 12 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, serving in leadership positions in the Global Policy & Advocacy and Gender Equality Divisions and leading the advocacy and communications work of co-chair Melinda French Gates at the foundation.

Immediately prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Josh served in the Obama Administration as the Chief of Staff to the National Economic Council in the White House. He spent more than four years at the global advocacy organization, ONE, including roles as Policy Director and Chief of Staff. Josh has worked at development policy organizations including the Global Health Council and the Center for Global Development and has worked on several election campaigns.

Josh holds a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and graduated from Dartmouth College. Josh lives in Montana with his wife Kristen, his two children Maya and Noah, and his dog Luna..

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3980921390

10:15 - 11:00 AM

Christina Henderson

Montana High Tech Business Alliance

Christina has served as executive director of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance since its launch in April 2014. She worked previously as the Marketing Director for the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research and as Director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance in Escanaba, Michigan. She has been an instructor in the University of Montana College of Business and writes for Montana Business Quarterly and other publications. Christina holds an English/Education degree from the University of Iowa and an MBA from the University of Montana.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89747458174?pwd=7n7ZI7IUlCVlgrwYxEmKEcHftAIiLL.1

Meeting ID: 897 4745 8174

Passcode: 668778

11:15 - 12:00 PM

Weston Merrill

Montana Department of Agriculture

I grew up on a ranch in Central Montana. After high school, I served a two year church mission in Argentina, where I fell in love the Spanish language and Argentine culture. Later, I returned to Montana and received a B.S. in Business Management from Rocky Mountain College. After college I returned to work on family ranch raising cattle, grain, and hay. While I was there realized there was a huge need for people who are bilingual in agriculture. This led me to my current position as a Marketing and Business Development Specialist for the Montana Department of Agriculture. My job is to help connect Montana value added ag companies and producers to markets and buyers for their products in the U.S. and abroad.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88174368883?pwd=8xJJdHdNZa3aF6VlNXpk4zSheYeZ5H.1

Meeting ID: 881 7436 8883

Passcode: 786443

12:15 - 1:00 PM

Katie Deuel

Center for Large Landscapes

Deuel is a lifelong student of conservation and the American west: its natural and human history, ecology, current people, cultures, and problems. Raised in St. Louis, she self-proclaims as a typical Midwest teenager (this equates to many hours at the local mall). But throughout childhood and adolescence, time spent outdoors emerged as a common theme for her fondest memories—typical of many environmentalists’ pasts. During school breaks, the family frequently backpacked, even heading to the Wind River Range in Wyoming. These early travels would later influence Deuel to work as a course leader at NOLS, the well-respected National Outdoor Leadership School. Guiding for seven years, Deuel led expeditions in the Rockies, Colorado Plateau, Southwest U.S., Alaska, and Kenya. 

1:15 - 2:00 PM

Kathleen Davis

Clooney Foundation for Justice

Kathleen Davis is the Director of Strategic Engagement for the Waging Justice for Women initiative. Prior to joining CFJ, Kathleen served as the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where her work included promoting human rights and gender equality through the development and implementation of Canada’s feminist foreign and international assistance policies. She previously served as an advisor to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Kathleen has worked in various capacities in the field of international human rights, including at UN Women, the International Criminal Court, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and Human Rights Watch.

Kathleen has also worked as a freelance journalist and producer for Christiane Amanpour at CNN International in London. Kathleen completed her J.D. at Queen’s University and LL.M. in International Legal Studies at New York University. She has served as an Adjunct Professor of International Criminal Law at Osgoode Hall Law School and as a supervising lawyer at the International Human Rights Program at University of Toronto.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3980921390

9:15 - 10:00 AM

Jim Klug

Yellow Dog Flyfishing

Jim Klug, founder and Director of Operations for destination angling specialists Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures has worked in the fly fishing industry as a guide, sales rep, travel coordinator, photographer, filmmaker, and as past National Sales Manager for Scientific Anglers and StreamWorks.

He has guided extensively in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon, and has fished waters throughout the world in more than 35 countries.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83717983701?pwd=YSaGwYL1q1a43z39WmE5mqRMe1PdC6.1

Meeting ID: 837 1798 3701

Passcode: 087232

10:15 - 11:00 AM

Alysa McCall 

Polar Bear International

Alysa has a B.Sc. (Hon.) in Animal Biology from Thompson Rivers University and an M.Sc. in Ecology from the University of Alberta where her thesis focused on the polar bears of western Hudson Bay. She gained hands-on experience with polar bears from multiple fall and spring field seasons in Tuktoyaktuk and Churchill and has been heavily involved in tracking Hudson Bay polar bears, as well as coexistence efforts. She also spearheads Polar Bears International's Tundra Connections webcast program. Prior to joining Polar Bears International's staff, Alysa volunteered for several years in multiple capacities, including being a panelist on the Tundra Connections program and assisting with the Polar Bear Tracker. She is passionate about science education and polar bear conservation, and is dedicated to ensuring that future generations inherit a healthy planet. She lives in Whitehorse, Yukon.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86332104285?pwd=RKpuWHLhQuXp3LKhcmGYlhaDHN6Mne.1

Meeting ID: 863 3210 4285

Passcode: 838384

11:15 - 12:00 PM

Tom Tunny

International School Director

Tom is a retired International School Director having served more than twenty years in seven different international schools in South America, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Tom and his wife, Alene, are now based in Hamilton, Montana where they remain active in several local organizations. Tom serves on the Board of Directors, and Past President, for the Hamilton Lions Club and is President of the Hamilton Southside Historical Association. Tom was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81685603338?pwd=aD9BXwRCoZW5pgmb1A0YgWz8vLhOzQ.1

Meeting ID: 816 8560 3338

Passcode: 132446

12:15 - 1:00 PM

Dan Finch

Milky Whey, Inc.

The Milky Whey, Inc., a wholesale distribution company, was founded in 1993 and serves the dairy ingredient needs of the domestic United States and Canada. Our customers span the spectrum of food, industrial, and feed manufacturers. Our products range from dairy commodities such as nonfat dry milk, buttermilk powder, whole milk powder, whey powder, whey protein concentrate, cheese, butter, butterfat products, to specialty ingredients like nondairy creamers, cheese powders, and cream powders. The Milky Whey, Inc. and TMW International, Inc. are focused on the global dairy trade. We supply ingredients to food and feed manufacturers on several continents and we are committed to providing accurate market-based information, superior products and services, to better assist you in procuring the finest ingredients. We promise no-hassle communication, a fair price, and consistent delivery.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86937451473?pwd=B5KHqPZpHF4HxLVBTedVekchvYaYdQ.1

Meeting ID: 869 3745 1473

Passcode: 945233

1:15 - 2:00 PM

John Hansen

USAID & Power Africa

International Development Practitioner at USAID. Director for Private Sector Engagement at Power Africa.

Experienced Development Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the international affairs industry. Skilled in Sustainable Development, Government, Indigenous Rights, Natural Resource Management, and International Relations. Strong community and social services professional with a Master's degree focused in International Management from Biology/Environmental Science. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82752144759?pwd=Lvb99HIYwHbnuOqBl9L6WTVC9mPJtF.1

Meeting ID: 827 5214 4759

Passcode: 978354

9:15 - 10:00 AM

Laura Sundquist

Peace Corps & Newspaper Reporter

After studying engineering and biology and pursuing different careers, Laura Lundquist worked for five years as an award-winning newspaper reporter specializing in environmental and outdoor coverage in Montana and Idaho.

Now on her own, she covers land, water and wildlife related issues of Montana as the state faces issues of a growing population, economic disparity, and a slowly declining interest in traditional lifestyles.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85697023302?pwd=YeHeQugPwBI8J0z3laElrrw9TP7Hm3.1

Meeting ID: 856 9702 3302

Passcode: 316997

10:15 - 11:00 AM

Jeremiah Knight

Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State

Jeremiah’s first tour in the U.S. Foreign Service was as a consular officer in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and served in Santiago, Chile and Islamabad, Pakistan, where he served as the Deputy Spokesperson and Assistant Press Attaché of the U.S. Embassy. He held the position of Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. Also, while in Washington, DC he took on the role as director of the Hometown Diplomats, Intergovernmental Affairs Programs in the Bureau of Public Affairs, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Jeremiah later worked in the Strategic Planning Office of the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. He later went on to serve in the Dominican Republic Embassy’s Press Attaché. He went on to serve as Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan. Prior to his assignment as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Majuro, Marshall Islands, he held the position of Counselor for Public Affairs at U.S. Embassy in Kingston. Recently, Jeremiah served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs and currently holds the position of Deputy Director in the Africa Bureau’s Office of Public Diplomacy/Public Affairs.

Jeremiah is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and studied at the University of Westminster in London, England. He began his graduate studies at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy/International Affairs where he received his master’s degree. He is also the recipient of the Thomas J. Pickering Foreign Affairs and DACOR-Bacon International Affairs Fellowships. His foreign languages are Spanish and French.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86314860955?pwd=kmIIJbfH6nn1rERnboIEE5GldgbTZ4.1

Meeting ID: 863 1486 0955

Passcode: 922101

11:15 - 12:00 PM

Director Paul Green

Montana Department of Commerce

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Commerce Director Paul Green assumed leadership of the agency in 2024 after serving in the Montana House of Representatives. Director Green championed tax relief, economic development, red tape reform and workforce housing development while he represented House District 41.

Director Green has extensive leadership experience earned in the private and public sectors, as well as a strong background in economic development, serving as executive director of Two Rivers Economic Development Authority and as a leader with the Montana Economic Developers Association. He later started and ran a small business, and oversaw maintenance and civil engineering for Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Bureau of Land Management, respectively.

In addition to farming and ranching with his family near Hardin for nearly three decades, Director Green has held various volunteer leadership positions in the area. He has served on the Board of Directors for Little Horn State Bank since 2007, and in 2019, helped found the Big Horn County Search and Rescue for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Persons, where he served as director until 2022. For nearly 20 years, Director Green has coached football, baseball, softball and wrestling in Big Horn County.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84078384177?pwd=90rBeuac5OSISHQkDqnOrx7Jzz9POm.1

Meeting ID: 840 7838 4177

Passcode: 279071

12:15 - 1:00 PM

Sabre Moore

Carter County Museum

Sabre Moore is the Executive Director of the Carter County Museum in Ekalaka, Montana. She received her Ph.D. in American Studies with a focus in Public History from Montana State University in 2023, her M.A. in Museum Studies & Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University in 2016, and a B.A. in History from Montana State University in 2013. Her research focuses on museums and rural community vitality, and how power is exercised in practices of place. Sabre is the Chair of the Montana Governor’s Tourism Advisory Council and has held leadership positions on the Board of Directors for the Museums Association of Montana, Visit Southeast Montana, Starry Skies Montana, and Carter County Chamber of Commerce. She is a Site Steward for Medicine Rocks State Park and the Bureau of Land Management in Carter County, Montana.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82348535389?pwd=CwXfYB8WtsTI361f3jf0EXR65bLPqU.1

Meeting ID: 823 4853 5389

Passcode: 154294

1:15 - 2:00 PM

Melissa Cristina Marquez

"Mother of Sharks" - Marine Biologist and Conservationist

Melissa Cristina Márquez is a marine biologist and conservationist known as the “Mother of Sharks.” She is determinedly working to champion diversity and inclusion in the STEM fields and to dispel the myth that sharks are nothing but mindless predators. Known as the "Mother of Sharks," Melissa Cristina Márquez is a Latina marine biologist and conservationist who studies sharks and their relatives (the skates, rays, and chimaeras- collectively, this groups of animals are known as 'Chondrichthyans'). Márquezspecifically studies their habitat use (why they are where they are) and how their portrayal in the media influences attitudes towards marine predators and conservation initiatives. She founded The Fins United Initiative (TFUI; www.finsunited.co.nz) a program that introduces audiences worldwide to the diverse sharks and scientists who study them. You may have seen her on Shark Week or watched her TEDx talk on Youtube, "Sharks & Female Scientists: More Alike Than You Think." She is also a freelance wildlife writer and regularly covers marine science in regards to sharks as a Forbes contributor. You can follow Melissa's worldwide science communication efforts on her Twitter (@mcmsharksxx) or Instagram (@melissacristinamarquez) and learn more about her research and outreach there.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86146986365?pwd=0VXaqiMlxYtwSMd9Knp0TEBsbmcvHG.1

Meeting ID: 861 4698 6365

Passcode: 835996