CableLabs Summer Conference 2019

In his instant Wall Street Journal bestselling book Loonshots, Safi Bahcall reveals a surprising new way of thinking about innovation and group dynamics, challenging everything we thought we knew about radical breakthroughs. In talks based on his book—which Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman calls “Not to be missed by anyone who wants to understand how ideas change the world”—Bahcall shows how we can stoke innovation, create better leaders, and support “loonshots”: the imperfect but ingenious ideas that have the potential to change the world.

As a consultant at McKinsey & Company, and co-founder and CEO of Synta Pharmaceuticals, Safi Bahcall spent nearly two decades of his life bringing big, innovative ideas to fruition. Frequently, this meant assessing and developing loonshots—the widely dismissed ideas whose champions are often written off as crazy. Along the way, he noticed the obstacles that innovators came up against, which seemed to stem from “the mysteries of group behavior.” As he dynamically explains, small changes in the structure of a company, rather than in its culture, can transform the behavior of the distinct groups involved, allowing innovation to flourish.

In his talks, Bahcall shows how the science of phase transitions—think water becoming ice—suggests a useful new way of nurturing radical breakthroughs. He explains the mystery of why good teams—even those with excellent people and the best intentions—can kill great ideas. With humor, history, and a dash of physics, Bahcall offers audiences the tools to become initiators of innovative surprise rather than witnesses to it.

Bahcall is a physicist and biotech entrepreneur, and in 2011 worked with President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on shaping the future of national research. After working for three years as a consultant for McKinsey, Bahcall co-founded the biotechnology company Synta Pharmaceuticals, where he helped develop new drugs for cancer treatment. He led Synta’s IPO and served as its CEO for 13 years. In 2008, he was named the Ernst & Young New England Biotechnology/ Pharmaceutical Entrepreneur of the Year. His first book, Loonshots, is out now from St. Martin’s Press. Business Insider, Inc. Magazine, and The Washington Post all included Loonshots in their Top 10 and Must-Read booklists of 2019.

Additional Information:
View Safi Bahcall's website

What would it be like if you were known for the worst thing you’ve done? Or known for the worst thing you never did? Don’t we all need second chances?

In 2004, Catherine Hoke toured several Texas prisons and discovered that many of the incarcerated men she met possessed strong business acumen, sales skills, and entrepreneurial qualities. She also found that many gangs and drug rings are run similarly to corporations —with bylaws, bookkeeping functions, marketing strategies, and quality control programs. Following these realizations, Catherine Hoke founded two of the most successful and disruptive nonprofits in corrections: Prison Entrepreneurship Program and Defy Ventures.

Her efforts have inspired 7,000 executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to volunteer as mentors and employers. Over 5,000 incarcerated people have graduated from these programs, and in doing so, many have earned Baylor University MBA certificates. The programs reduce violence and have produced industry-leading recidivism rates of less than 7% and 5% respectively.

Most recently, Cat launched a company called Hustle 2.0. Hustle 2.0's vision is to be the first self-sustaining, for-profit company delivering life-transforming education to millions of justice-involved Americans. To produce the most cutting-edge product, Cat established a computer lab within California's Pelican Bay State Prison, one of the most notorious prisons in America. In doing so, she is bringing together the most talented incarcerated people along with leading professors, industry experts, and correctional leaders to contribute to the program.

Cat inspires audiences to use failure as a catalyst for innovation and reinvention. Cat will challenge you to ‘step to the line,’ forgive yourself and others, and move forward by making a difference.

Seth Godin published her best-selling book, “A Second Chance: For You, For Me, and for the Rest of Us,” a powerful reflection on the struggles and triumphs of her journey, and her graduates’ journeys.

Fast Company named Cat one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business.” Forbes named her on “40 Women to Watch Over 40.” She received the MDC Partners Humanitarian Award.

Additional Information:
View The Power of Second Chances TEDx Talk
View Catherine Hoke's website

Michael K. Powell is the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), nominated by President Bill Clinton and sworn in on November 3, 1997. He served as a member of the FCC for eight years during which time he was designated its chair by President George W. Bush in January 2001 and continued in that capacity until April 2005.

During his time as FCC chair, Chairman Powell oversaw the rapid transformation of communications markets into the Digital Age. During his tenure, the Internet came into widespread commercial use, as did smart phones, Wi-Fi networks and satellite radio.

In his current role as President & CEO of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association,
Mr. Powell leads one of the largest trade associations in Washington, D.C., representing the communications and content industries. Prior public service includes Chief of Staff of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and service as an armored cavalry officer in U.S. Army. In the private sector he practiced law and was a senior advisor in a private equity firm. Chairman Powell also served on the boards of Cisco and AOL.

Chairman Powell serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Mayo Clinic, The William and Mary Endowment Board and America’s Promise Alliance. At America’s Promise, he co-chairs the Grad Nation project, an effort to address the high school dropout crisis.

Powell received his bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and also holds an honorary doctorate from the College. He also served as Rector of the school’s Board of Visitors. He received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center.