Conference Sessions

Josh Linkner— a New York Times bestselling author — is a rare blend of business, art, and science.

On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award. While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. He’s been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world. His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian, bestselling author, and partner in Pastimes Productions. Frequently sought by media and organizations, she provides historical insights on leadership and current events. Her book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller in 2024, blending memoir, biography, and history. In Fall 2024, she released The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, her first book for young readers. Goodwin has written eight critically acclaimed books, including Team of Rivals, which inspired Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, and The Bully Pulpit, winner of the Carnegie Medal. She won the Pulitzer Prize for No Ordinary Time. Her work has influenced political and business leaders, including President Obama. Through Pastimes Productions, she has executive-produced documentary series on George Washington, Lincoln, and the Roosevelts. An upcoming eight-part series, Kevin Costner’s The West, premieres in 2025. A former White House Fellow, she worked with President Johnson on his memoirs. A Harvard Ph.D. and dedicated Red Sox fan, she lives in Boston.

Brett Carmichael is the Associate Vice President of Strategic Accounts leading the annuity account management team for Nationwide Financial. Brett is also an active member with the Bank Insurance Securities Association (BISA) where he currently is Co-Chair of their Leadership Advisory Board and has served a 6-year term on their Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, and has served on their conference planning committee. He has been in the financial services industry for the last 14 years. Prior to his existing role at Nationwide Financial, Brett was a Senior National Account Manager for Protective Life where he was responsible for both annuities and simplified issue life insurance products distributed through their financial institution and specialty partnerships. Brett was also a product manager and strategic relationship manager for Cetera Financial Institutions where he managed all product partnerships. He also has retirement plan experience working with Securian and was an auto loan officer for Wells Fargo Bank. Brett earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from St. Cloud State University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Concordia University – St. Paul, MN. Brett holds his Minnesota Life & Health license along with his FINRA Series 6, 26, and 63 licenses. He also holds the Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) designation from Cannon Financial Institute. In his spare time, Brett enjoys coaching youth basketball and has been a volunteer coach for the last 15 years. He also is a board member of Literacy Minnesota which is a non profit in Minnesota that provides literacy services to adults, children, and community programs around Minnesota. Brett resides in Maple Grove, MN.

Cris Carter was raised in Middletown, Ohio. In high school, he played football and basketball, eventually leading to being recruited in football by Ohio State University. Carter was successful as a Buckeye, becoming the university’s first All-American wide receiver. His freshman year, Carter set a Rose Bowl record of nine receptions for 172 yards. During his time at Ohio State, Carter set the school record in receptions (168). Following his college career, Carter was picked in the 4th round of the 1987 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1989, he led the team with 11 touchdown catches. He then joined the Minnesota Vikings where in 1992, he helped lead the team to its first NFC Central Division title since 1989. In 1994, Carter set the then-NFL record for receptions in a season (122), which he would repeat the following season. Carter ended his NFL career as the NFL’s second all-time leader receiver, led the league in receiving touchdowns three times, was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, and a member of the All-Decade Team of the 1990s. Most notably, in 1999 he won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Additionally, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Following his playing career, Carter joined HBO’s Inside the NFL and was an analyst for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. In addition to his analyst duties, Carter became an ordained minister and an assistant coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Currently, Carter is the host of his podcast titled WR1.

Gene Goldman is responsible for the strategic direction and continued growth of the firm’s research offerings. Gene has more than 31 years of experience in the development of investment strategies, money manager research and overseeing investment analysts. He is frequently cited in a range of national media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, Forbes, CNN, and Reuters and he is a regular guest on high-profile news networks including Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business News and Schwab Television. Mr. Goldman earned his Bachelor of Science in engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Northeastern University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA).

Melanie Coffin is an Investment Strategist serving as the client-facing extension of Lord Abbett’s Investment team, communicating with institutional clients and prospects regarding asset allocation topics, market environment, current portfolio positioning, and the firm’s market outlook. She currently has a focus on Innovation Growth, Health Care and Convertibles. Ms. Coffin joined Lord Abbett in 2018. Prior to her current role, she served as Product Consultant responsible for covering the firm’s value equity and dividend income strategies. In this role, she was responsible for sharing product and market insights in the form of portfolio commentaries, asset class updates, competitive analysis and ad hoc responses to client requests. Her previous experience includes serving as Global Asset Management Consultant at FactSet Research Systems. She has worked in the financial services industry since 2015. She earned a BA in economics from Lafayette College and is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation. She also is a holder of the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.