CDO, THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

Bio coming soon.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS

Bio coming soon.

CDO, VICE PRESIDENT OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT, THE COOPER UNION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART

FORMER CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER, NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

FORMER ASSOCIATE DEAN, SCHOOL OF ARTS, EMERSON COLLEGE

Isaac W. K. Thweatt serves as Vice President of Alumni Affairs and Development at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, where he leads advancement and public funding strategy.

A fundraising executive with more than two decades of experience across higher education, museums, and cultural organizations, Thweatt previously served as Chief Development Officer of the New York Botanical Garden, Associate Dean of the School of the Arts at Emerson College, and Executive Director of Individual Giving at Columbia University. Across those institutions he has advanced ambitious priorities, strengthened donor communities, and expanded access to transformative educational and community-building experiences.

Thweatt is also a scholar-practitioner whose research and professional practice explore the intersection of change leadership, organizational culture, identity, and the experiences of historically underrepresented communities.

Thweatt holds degrees from George Mason University and The Catholic University of America and has completed postgraduate study at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

BOARD MEMBER, BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION

PRESIDENT EMERITUS, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS LONE STAR

FORMER CEO, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS LONE STAR

Pierce spent ten years as President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, the largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. During his tenure, he transformed the organization through operational excellence, financial strength, and measurable outcomes for youth across Texas. In recognition of his impact, the Board named him President Emeritus at the conclusion of his service.  Pierce is a member of the board of the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation and often speaks at events on behalf of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation.  

Pierce was recently appointed as Managing Director at Voyager Interests in Houston.  Pierce holds a degree in American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Houston and enjoys spending time with his wife and their two young children.

AI AMBASSADOR, OFFICE OF THE CIO, ADOBE

Bio coming soon.

BOARD MEMBER, THE NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION

BOARD MEMBER, THE JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY FOUNDATION

FORMER CEO, THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM

"I didn't have a grasp on how to be a CEO, but I did know the importance of assembling a team with the expertise to make this happen." — Chris Cassidy, upon completing a $300 million campaign to build the National Medal of Honor Museum.

Chris Cassidy served as President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, where he led the effort to build the iconic Museum, Monument, and Institute. Prior to this role, he served as NASA's 14th Chief Astronaut and is a veteran of three spaceflights and ten spacewalks, accumulating 377 days in space.

A retired U.S. Navy SEAL, Cassidy was awarded the Bronze Star with combat 'V' and a second Bronze Star for combat leadership in Afghanistan. In 2004, the platoon he commanded received the Presidential Unit Citation for operations on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

Cassidy holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from MIT, and honorary PhDs from Husson University and the University of Maine at Augusta.

VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, PROMISE FUND

FORMER BOARD MEMBER, SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE

FOUNDING MARKETING TEAM MEMBER AND FORMER HEAD OF BRAND AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, JETBLUE AIRWAYS

Eric Brinker was recruited as the first volunteer when his mother, Nancy G. Brinker, founded Susan G. Komen in honor of Eric's late aunt, Susan. He went on to serve as a global ambassador, spokesperson, and national board member, helping establish many of the organization's most influential cause-related marketing partnerships. Since its founding, Susan G. Komen raised more than $3 billion for breast cancer research, education, and community health programs.

Eric is the CEO of Brinker 13, and currently serves as vice chairman of the board of the Promise Fund, which supports an innovative, community-based model connecting women—especially those in underserved communities—to screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Eric is executive producer of Promise Me, a feature-length documentary inspired by his mother's memoir and legacy, exploring how one promise helped ignite a global movement and how storytelling can continue to drive impact across generations.

SUMMIT CHAIR

CEO, TEAPOT MOUNTAIN ADVISORY

FORMER CDO, WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

As Chief Development Officer at the White House Historical Association, Rhett Wilson grew philanthropic revenues more than 20-fold in less than a decade and led an $85.5 million capital campaign — completed in 18 months — to build The People's House, a 33,000-square-foot interactive museum adjacent to the White House complex. He founded IIP because he believes the most important conversations in philanthropy aren't happening — and they should be.

Wilson is the founder and president of Teapot Mountain Advisory, where he serves as a strategy advisor to fundraising campaigns totaling between $250 million and $500 million cumulatively across clients at any given time.

Earlier in his career he held appointments as Associate Dean at Johns Hopkins University and Assistant Dean at George Mason University. He co-founded the Caravanserai Project and serves on the board of directors of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. He is an alumnus of Arizona State University and Mesa Community College.