“New Horizons” 2024 Presenters
(Stay tuned for the full program)
Mark Beal: Introducing Gen Z: The New Transformers
Generation (Gen Z) born between 1997 and 2012 are no longer exclusively students. The oldest Gen Zers are already several years into their careers. They survived the pandemic during their formative years and demonstrated incredible resilience and adaptability. Now, Gen Z is a top priority for employers looking to recruit and retain them, marketers who are attempting to engage them as customers, and media companies who want them to tune in to their content. However, Gen Z is unprecedented. They are the first generation who swiped before they wiped, launched their careers remotely, and do not turn to traditional media to consume content. They are the new generation of change agents and transformers.
A 30-year public relations and marketing executive, Mark Beal is a Rutgers University School of Communication and Information professor, author, and keynote speaker. He spent the first 30 years of his career creating integrated marketing campaigns for leading brands around high-profile sports and entertainment properties, including the Olympic Games, Super Bowl Halftime Show, and The Rolling Stones. Collaborating with members of Gen Z each day in the classroom, Mark has authored eight books, including four books focused on Generation Z. Mark's most recent book, published earlier this year, is titled, Win The Job & Thrive In A Multigenerational Workplace.
Mark Levy: Your Secret is Obvious
In trying to solve a difficult problem, we sometimes get in our way. We figure if the problem is complex, the solution must be equally complex. But that’s not always the case. There’s a rich problem-solving source that’s available to you right now, but you may be ignoring it.
Mark Levy is a business strategist and differentiation advisor. The ideas Mark and his clients have created are known by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Mark has consulted some of the world’s most prominent companies and individuals, including CEOs of major organizations and thought leaders, such as Simon Sinek of “Start with Why” fame.
He is also a writer. Mark has written for the New York Times and has written or co-created five books, including “Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content,” published in multiple languages.
He has taught research writing at Rutgers University.
Besides his strategy work, Mark creates magic tricks and shows. One of the shows he co-created, “Chamber Magic,” has run in New York City for well over two decades and has a day of celebration by proclamation of the mayor.
He and his wife, Stella, a veterinarian, live on a historically preserved farm in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Philip Hamilton: Can we afford to lose another one?
Philip Hamilton is a filmmaker, photographer, director, producer, and author with over thirty years of experience in diving and navigation. He has documented most marine animals on the planet, from the majestic blue whale to the smallest underwater creatures.
Before turning to ocean conservation, Philip had a successful 24-year career in finance, specializing primarily in emerging markets.
As the founder and director of Ocean Souls Films Ltd, a conservation production company based in the United Kingdom. Philip is also the director of the non-profit organization based in the United States, Wildlife Media.
In 2018, Philip published his first marine conservation book, 'Call of the Blue,' a highly acclaimed non-profit project launched under the presence of Hope, the blue whale, at the Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum in London. In early 2024, Philip released the second edition, updated with new chapters and extraordinary photos.
Philip’s work has been featured on TV and in books and quoted in several titles, including The Times, GQ Magazine, The Economist, CNN, and The Guardian. His conservation projects have also been presented on BBC Earth and at the United Nations and have generated multi-million views on social media.
His first film, Ocean Souls (2020), won over 16 international film awards. It is an unprecedented collaboration of over 100 filmmakers, 25 scientists, and several leading experts about the wonderful cetacean family.
In July 2021, Philip released The Blue Forest (2021), a 35-minute-long film about the importance of seaweed and kelp ecosystems and the exploitation of wild kelp forests in Chile (the world’s largest exporter).