LEAD Where You Stand: Event Tackles Intersection of Ethics, AI, Human Flourishing

Westmont host its 12th annual LEAD Where You Stand conference, “Leadership, Human Flourishing and Artificial Intelligence,” from June 4-5 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. The premier leadership event brings together a distinguished lineup of global thought leaders, bestselling authors and researchers to equip executives, educators and organizational leaders with the tools to navigate a rapidly changing technological and cultural landscape. Tickets, which are available until May 29, cost $595 per person are available at westmont.edu/lead. Discounted Santa Barbara-area accommodations are also available. 

This year’s conference specifically addresses the moral, ethical and organizational challenges facing modern leaders as emerging technologies redefine human work and community. Through a series of keynote presentations, collaborative panels and interactive audience question-and-answer sessions, attendees will explore how to ground their professional callings in enduring values.

“This conference is a rare opportunity to step back and rethink how we lead, helping individuals develop the clarity, courage and conviction to lead well, wherever they are,” says President Gayle D. Beebe.

Keynote speakers include David Brooks, former New York Times columnist, Yale University presidential fellow, and bestselling author of “The Road to Character”; Susan Cain, prominent TED Talk speaker and bestselling author of “Quiet” and “Bittersweet”; Zack Kass, former OpenAI leader and author of “The Next Renaissance”; Tyler VanderWeele, director of the Harvard Human Flourishing Program and author of “The Theology of Health”; Robert Tucker, renowned innovation strategist and author of “Build a Better Future”; and Beebe, who has authored or edited more than 40 articles and 11 books including, “The Crucibles that Shape Us.”

Keynote sessions will bridge cutting-edge social science with practical organizational leadership. Dr. VanderWeele will present insights from the Global Flourishing Study, a landmark five-year research partnership with Baylor University and Gallup tracking 200,000 participants across 22 countries to redefine well-being beyond traditional economic metrics. Additional sessions will cover cultural evolution, the role of introverts in corporate innovation, and the expansion of human potential through artificial intelligence.

The event is made possible through the generous support of local and national partners, including the Hugh E. and Marjorie S. Petersen Foundation.