Looking to her great grand uncle, Sarah Caldicott explains some of the thinking processes Thomas Edison used that could help us think more creatively. Part of this, is how Edison brought his teams together with a "Midnight Lunch". These lunches were informal gatherings where coworkers would learn from each other, think up new ideas, and even sing songs. Sarah Miller Caldicott is an innovation process expert. Sarah works with organizations that want to bring innovation to the center of their business practices, driving new levels of growth and relevance. A great grandniece of Thomas Edison, Sarah is a highly sought after content developer and speaker on the subjects of innovation and collaboration. Sarah offers consulting services that enable today's organizations to tap the brilliance of Thomas Edison's Five Competencies of Innovation and his Four Phases of True Collaboration. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Fast Company, and on CNBC as well as PBS. She currently writes on innovation for Forbes.com, and was named a Top 50 Innovation Tweeter in 2013 by InnovationExcellence.com.

By using things found in many kitchens, Dr. Katti creates nanoparticals on stage. An outstanding leader with sustained international acclaims for his work in biomedical sciences, Kattesh V. Katti is the first immigrant American to receive the Sate of Missouri's highest civilian honor of 'Outstanding Missourian' award from the Governor of Missouri State in recognition of his contributions in Nanomedicine and Green Nanotechnology. For his stellar scientific contributions and ground breaking inventions in chemical, green nanotechnological and nano- biomedical sciences, which have made transformative differences in cancer diagnostics and therapy, Dr. Katti has been awarded a number of international awards and citations which include: one of the '25 Most Influential Scientists In Molecular Imaging in the World' award by RT Image, the 'Father of Green Nanotechnology' citation by the Nobel Prize Winner Norman Borlaug, Gauss Professorship from the Gottingen Academy of Sciences, 'Outstanding Scientists Fellows' award and induction as a Fellow of the Academy of Science, St Louis - one of the oldest scientific academies of the world and many more. In 2013, Dr. Katti was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science with a citation "for distinguished contributions encompassing main group, transition metal and nanoscale chemistry, particularly for ground breaking discoveries enabling application of chemical concepts for biomedical applications" (SCIENCE : 30 NOVEMBER 2012, VOL 338, ISSUE 6111, PAGES 1117-1248). His unprecedented discovery of the production of tumor specific gold nanoparticles through 100% green processes have been cited as the Editor's choice in Nature, Future Medicine, in Science (AAAS), in Popular Science, by the Discovery Channel and have been highlighted in scientific/medical programs of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, London).

Each day, decisions are made that change the course of human events. Some few of these decisions have made us an Earthbound species for far longer than we could have been. In this stimulating retrospectacle, Shane Kincaid will show how America could have made space its playground in the last decades of the twentieth century, and will muse about the fantastical worlds humans might stride upon today, had some decisions been made differently. Having completed his Religious Studies and Philosophy majors, and graduating from Westminster College this May, Shane is almost wholly unsure what he's going to do with his life, but he has a few ideas. He wants to be a writer of fiction, perhaps of some acclaim. He also wants to enact his passions, such as space exploration and human compassion, upon the world. In this befuddled context you may find his What If...? question: what if space were America's playground?

To probe humanity's greatest trait, we must first turn to the most creative of us all- the writers and musicians and children whose thoughts race too fast for their forming mouths. This What If...? ponders whether we could exhume the soul of adults who have lost the ability to create with such a reckless abandon- or if we never needed to. Sloane's entire life philosophy revolves around living bravely, often followed by some form of consequence. When not being a miscreant, she can be found playing her cello, getting far too into Charles Bukowski, or wandering woodlands.

What would happen if every collage student took a course in entrepreneurship? Would we have more business people? Would less-traditionally "business people" step into a new way of being? What are the upsides? Sara Cochran uses her own research to answer. Sara Cochran is a Higher Education PhD student in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri where she focuses her research on entrepreneurship education. Additionally, Sara is the Proprietor of Treehouse Treasures, an online boutique offering eco-friendly baby and children's items at www.TreehouseTreasures.net. Sara holds both an M.A. in Communications and a B.A. in accounting from Drury University and previously worked as the Assistant Director of the Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at Drury where she still serves as an adjunct instructor. In the Columbia community, Sara serves on the #BOOM Task Force and is involved with the Columbia Chamber of Commerce through Emerging Professionals in Columbia and the Women's Network.

Our gender boundaries also create mental boundaries. How could we mix that up? What would happen if we thought more about, and through, gender? As a kid Sam got really good at asking supremely annoying questions (like Why do we use forks?), which her parents mostly entertained. She turned this curiosity into an anthropology degree from Westminster, along with sociology and Spanish. Sam likes to travel and has lived in 3 foreign countries for extended periods, giving her the opportunity to feel enough like an outsider to examine American culture in all its weirdness. Her other interests include dollar pint night at McNally's, yoga, watching movies, and smashing the patriarchy.

Thanks to digital technology, companies and the government have an ever growing reach into our privacy and software freedoms. Free software means freedom. Stallman talks about the four essential freedoms and gives examples of how others are watching us. Democracy is in danger when the government is more invasive than the USSR. Richard Matthew Stallman is a software developer and software freedom activist. He worked at the Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT from 1971 to 1984. He wrote the first extensible Emacs text editor there in 1976, and developed the AI technique of dependency-directed backtracking, also known as truth maintenance. In 1983 Stallman announced the project to develop the GNU operating system and has been the project's leader ever since. With that announcement he also launched the Free Software Movement. In October 1985 he started the Free Software Foundation, of which he is president as a full-time volunteer. The GNU/Linux system is used in tens or hundreds of millions of computers. However, the distributors of these systems often disregard the ideas of freedom which make free software important, and even include nonfree software in those systems. That is why, since the mid-1990s, Stallman has spent most of his time in political advocacy for free software, and spreading the ethical ideas of the movement, as well as campaigning against both software patents and dangerous extension of copyright laws. Stallman pioneered the concept of copyleft, and is the main author of the GNU General Public License, the most widely used free software license, which implements copyleft.

Nancy loves learning and doing things. She never stays still and throws herself into projects that she loves. Along the way, she makes many friends that bring her even more energy. She loves people, a trait that has helped her develop great relationships with the students and families she works with. When she's not working on projects, she's probably doing crossfit or cuddling with her chihuahua. Nancy is the founder of The Mosaic School in Charlotte, NC. After six years of teaching in public and private schools, she decided to take time off teaching to learn everything she could about alternative schools. She thought about going to grad school, but figured she'd learn more starting her own school. It took her a year to create TMS, which now serves 15 children and provides Nancy with the most incredible hands-on learning that she could have ever asked for!

What if using current genetic technology, scientists created Pokemon? Is it ethical? Does the science exist/ could the science ever exist? Would the complete integration of animals into our technology and daily lives (transport etc.) result in a semi-pastoral society? This presentation goes into these questions and deepens their real world meaning. Sarah Grant spends her time in school, learning what she can about our world, playing bassoon, listening to music (obsessing over The Beatles), watching doctor who and adventure time and playing Pokemon.

Ayush Manandhar is a student at Westminster College, MO currently majoring in Transnational Studies and Economics. In 2013, he interned at Winrock International, assisting the disadvantaged in Nepal to increase economic opportunities. He also worked as a teacher for the University of Cambridge Young Learner's English at DAV Sushil Kedia School in Nepal. He was a High School Prefect and a Student Council Representative as well. He has received numerous awards for his academic records, and all round performances. He aims to inspire and motivate more people and make changes in Nepal as a social entrepreneur.

Does your language shape your thought? Michael brings a new perspective to research on linguistic cognitive barriers. Michael Applegate helps others get their voice heard. Whether it be collective action problems or cognitive differences, Michael is there, lending her hands.

Through a reading, Justin and Michael explore a witty scenario. Justin A. Cave was born in Kansas City, were he resides to this day sans a near decade stint in Fulton, Missouri. Some of that has been enjoyable, some less enjoyable. In either instance, he is here to talk to y'all about some of what he thinks. But he can't do it openly, for fear of being too gauche. So here's his roundabout way of getting to his point. Bare with us.

Our brains and bodies change in response to the environment, which, in turn, is changed by us. Medicine attempts to manipulate our brains and bodies in very specific ways, usually over a short period of time; thus, it's often necessary to keep taking pills over a lifetime to sustain physiological changes which protect against degenerative or chronic diseases and disorders. If both medications and the environment make physiological and neurological changes in us, could it be possible to design the environment to both engender and habituate attributes and behaviors in ourselves in order to prevent, or even reverse, diseases and disorders? Josh likes figuring out how to heal people in effective and holistic ways. Specifically, his research focuses on the ways in which the built environment can be dynamically configured to function as medicine. He's explored these concepts in various neuroscience laboratories, including the Mayo Clinic and Yale School of Medicine, as well as architecture firms, including Philippe Rahm Architectes and Estudio Teddy Cruz Architects. His educational goal is to pursue a Master of Architecture and PhD in neuroscience, to eventually become an architectural pharmacologist.

What originally started as a forum for women who were active and passionate about technology and it's powers to change our lives, and the world, quickly became so much more. Since December 2011, NYTechWomen has been changing the environment for women in NYC, but it quickly became incredibly clear that the environment needed to change for women outside of NYC as well. For many mid-career women, technical literacy is not a given, but great minds are. What if city-based resources were taken to rural areas? Would women find a new self they never new existed? Would women open new doors they never thought possible? Would women transform from consumers to creators? Jenn Shaw is Founder of NYTechWomen and Bella Minds and former Senior Data Analyst for comScore. Jennifer hales from rural Nebraska, and uses her All-American roots as fuel for empowering people to leverage technology and improve the state of STEM education and workforces in the US. Ms. Shaw quickly established NYTechWomen as the authority for women in tech in the NYC area. With Bella Minds, she is leading the way to educating rural areas of the US and tackling the urgent need of increased participation and attainment rates. Jennifer is a recognized innovator by several NYC-based ventures, and has spoken at TEDxHobokenWomen. Her mission remains focused in mentoring opportunities and empowering women who are serious about the technology sector.

Organisms are complex living organisms made up of people. By re-aligning that reality, we can unlock our hidden potential. Collin empowers people to become entrepreneurs which will fundamentally change the world. Optimistic about the internet and the networks we're creating.

When Audrey isn't trying to change the way publishers and commenters engage online, she can be found curating content and sparkles @MeddleIt. With a background in e-commerce and fundraising; Audrey has served on the Advisory Board for Catholic Charities Los Angeles and as an Emerging Leader for United Way of Greater Los Angeles. She currently serves as a development and marketing liaison for UrbanTxT taking back the streets of South LA through technology. Audrey is passionate about building connected communities and can often be found urban exploring downtown LA.

The life you have doesn't mean it's the life you've been given. Sometimes we can make the biggest impact on the world by starting with our family. What if we were all family generation changers defines generation changers and suggests steps that you can to take to set the stage for those who come after you. I am the Advisor in the Student Success Center at Missouri S&T where I graduated with my BS and MS in Technical Communication. I'm an avid reader, a lifelong learner and a fitness lover. I am the creator of Remarkable180 that encourages people to stop existing and start living by making changes in their life. During my free time, I love hanging out with my husband Fred.

What if we had superpowers? defines what a feasible superpower is, how a superpower could be applied practically, and what 'superpowers' would mean for our species. Combining a look into the physics of comic books and real world applications of super powers, What if we had superpowers? is a hopeful vision of a better future. Johnly Cummings gathers new books for his comic book collection as he spreads his free time between the internet, Xbox, and reading. Otherwise, Johnly studies biology and education as an undergraduate student at Westminster College. Snowboarding at every opportunity he can, Johnly also utilizes his skills as an Eagle Scout to camp outdoors.

Some of the most celebrated dystopian novels of the twentieth century toyed with the idea of a post-literary world in which books, and institutions of learning, were censored or outlawed entirely. Perhaps one of the greatest humanitarian achievements of the twentieth century was the explosion in worldwide literacy rates, yet non-literary activities occupy a far greater percentage of our free time. Why should we treat those dystopian novels as more than mere thought experiments? How did literature come to be outlawed in those dystopian worlds? Why is it important that we as individuals and as a culture push back? Andrew's academic interests span from biology to Spanish literature to philosophy. If he is not absorbed in a class-related text book, you will probably find him talking about coffee and lattes - if you can find him. He may be making a latte instead of talking about one. Otherwise he is probably lost on a mountain bike trail, writing poetry or short stories, exercising, engaging in philosophical discourse, or wearing some other hat. He also invests himself in social and health care justice, medical ethics, sustainability, playing his trumpet, neuroscience, origami art, and making sure that everyone in the room is smiling. He will graduate from Westminster College in Fulton, MO this May.

Can young students provide unique perspective into education? This group thinks so. Kids have to live in what adults create, but we can change that by asking the right questions. (And, by including everyone in the decision-making process.) From the Columbia MO public schools, this group participates in Future Problem Solvers International and has been working with What If...? for a year. In 02013, they put on their own micro-conference in Indiana at the FPSI gathering.