NCA 2018 Convention Keynote Speakers

World-renowned artist and urban designer CANDY CHANG engages communities to share everything from their greatest hopes to their deepest anxieties in public. The Atlantic calls her artwork Before I Die “one of the most creative community projects ever.” In her captivating and intimate talks, she demystifies the creative process, inspires personal reflection, and provokes new ideas for community and well-being.

Through the activation of public spaces around the world, Candy Chang provokes both playful and profound visions for how we can connect, reflect, and nurture the health of our communities. Chang is best known for the Before I Die project, which began when she stenciled the words “Before I die I want to _______” on a chalkboard wall on an abandoned house in New Orleans after losing someone she loved. The participatory project has since grown into a global phenomenon and today there are over 2,000 Before I Die walls in over 70 countries, including Iraq, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and South Africa. The Before I Die project and subsequent book, which features walls around the world and insights into our aspirations, have been featured on CNN, NBC, TED, AP News, and Wired.

A TED Senior Fellow, Urban Innovation Fellow, and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Chang has also created installations for people to share their hopes for vacant storefronts, a confessional sanctuary in a Las Vegas casino, designated sites for crying in Hong Kong, and a civic tool called Neighborland.com for people to collaborate on the future of their communities. Her work has been exhibited in the Venice Architecture Biennale, New Museum, and Tate Modern. She was also named one of the Top 100 Leaders in Public Interest Design by Impact Design Hub and a “Live Your Best Life” Local Hero by Oprah Magazine.

James Kane helps organizations build and maintain business relationships by outlining the essential loyalty-building behaviors that promote unwavering and unlimited support from customers.

Combining the latest research in neurology, anthropology, and behavioral psychology, James presents an entirely new understanding of what it means to be loyal, how and why it exists, and what organizations and individuals can do to achieve it.

While highlighting the need to recognize and manage customer expectations, James draws from his experience as an advisor to some of the largest and most well-known organizations in the world — including Apple, Marriott Hotels and Major League Baseball — along with research from his upcoming books “The Loyalty Switch" and "Virtually Loyal."

With compelling visuals, personal anecdotes and powerful analogies, James bridges the gap between business and science. In fascinating and highly entertaining presentations, he reveals the principles of loyalty in practical terms, providing tangible steps for audiences to translate what they’ve learned into effective organizational processes.

Dynamic. Informative. Insightful. Thought Provoking. Passionate. Timely. Impartial. These are some of the words used to describe Jeff Bush’s unique ability to decode difficult and confusing tax and fiscal information coming out of Washington. He simplifies this information for his audience and provides practical and usable takeaways that they can implement in their businesses.

Jeff is, as a colleague of Andy Friedman and an integral part of The Washington Update, the industry thought leader that guides domestic clients through the complex and ever-changing political and tax environment and helps international audiences understand United States politics. Jeff does more than 300 presentations yearly in the US and abroad to a client base that includes Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Fred Alger & Company, Edward Jones, Ameriprise Financial, LPL, Raymond James, Sun Trust, US Trust, Eaton Vance, Prudential, Transamerica MetLife, and Lincoln Financial Group and many others.

Jeff is a 27-year veteran of the financial industry. During a 10-year career at Merrill Lynch he was responsible for serving 7,500 financial advisors in the western United States by providing creative investment strategies and effective risk mitigation approaches. By the end of his career on Wall Street, he was managing a $50+ billion business. Before that, Jeff was the youngest managing partner in the 150-year history of New England Financial, an investment and tax risk consulting firm. He began his career at Principal Financial Group, where he handled complex underwriting issues before moving into the areas of research and development. Jeff is the recipient of numerous national awards for his leadership, sales and business growth.

An Eagle Scout, Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Management with emphasis in accounting and philosophy from William Jewell College. A licensed pilot, he was a founding member of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum where he served on the board of directors and as vice president of education. He is currently a board member of STARBASE, OK, an educational outreach program for the Air National Guard that serves at-risk elementary school children in a three-state radius. In addition, he serves as a member of the Financial Advisory Network for the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Michael is one of the four founders of Dig Insights, a market research consultancy that focuses on the food and beverage sector. Prior to Dig Insights, Michael worked at Kraft Foods for several years. This allows him to bring a manufacturer perspective to market research. Michael has led the National Coffee Association’s National Coffee Drinking Trends study for over 10 years.

G. Scott Clemons is the Chief Investment Strategist of Brown Brothers Harriman’s Private Banking business, a role he assumed after an earlier career managing portfolios for the firm in New York and London. Today he is the firm’s primary voice on the economy and markets, and appears frequently in print and broadcast media. Outside of his professional obligations, Scott serves as the president of the Grolier Club of New York City, and on advisory boards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Morgan Library and Museum. He is also on the board of directors of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement and the Journal of the History of Ideas.