Tan Le is recognized as one of the most influential pioneers in the emerging field of brain-computer interface. An inventor, explorer, and entrepreneur, she is the founder and CEO of EMOTIV, a San Francisco-headquartered neuroinformatics company that is on a mission to improve understanding of the human brain and to develop a platform for researchers, developers, and consumers around the world to be part of a global innovation task force. Her first-of-its-kind “brainwear” reads user’s brainwaves, making it possible to control virtual objects with mere thoughts. Her company’s brainwear is leading the way to a bold new future, tapping into the power of the human brain and pushing the boundaries of our cognitive powers to open up new possibilities for improving performance and health, and ultimately, to prevent disease.
Born in South Vietnam, Tan migrated to Australia as a refugee with her family in 1981. She began university studies at the age of 16 and went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in law (honors) and commerce (honors) in 1998 at Monash University. In 1998, Tan was named Young Australian of the Year, catapulting her into a prominent role as a social activist and public speaker. She was voted one of Australia’s 30 Most Successful Women Under 30, and her story was featured in the “Hope” section of the Eternity Exhibition of the National Museum of Australia. Tan was featured in Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010 and Forbes’ 50 Names You Need to Know in 2011. She was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2013 and has been honored by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Young Global Leader since 2009. Tan currently serves on the WEF’s Global Future Council on the Future of Neurotechnologies and Brain Science. The WEF’s Network of Global Future Councils is the world’s foremost interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking on the future.
Benjamin Le, Ph.D., is a native Californian and currently an assistant professor of psychology at Haverford College (Pa.), after having completed his undergraduate degree at Grinnell College and Ph.D. in social psychology at Purdue University. His research is on commitment, emotions and social networks in close relationships. Le has not yet applied to be on “Survivor,” for fear of being rejected.
Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Since 2003, under Paul’s leadership, SNHU has grown from 2,800 students to over 150,000 learners and is the largest nonprofit provider of online higher education in the country. Paul served as Senior Policy Advisor to Under Secretary Ted Mitchell at the U.S. Department of Education, working on competency-based education, new accreditation pathways, and innovation. He serves on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Board on Higher Education and Workforce (and served on its Committee on Quality in Undergraduate Education). He also serves on the ACE Board and chairs the AGB Council of Presidents. Paul immigrated to the United States as a child, was the first person in his extended family to attend college, and is a graduate of Framingham State University (BA), Boston College (MA), and the University of Massachusetts (PhD). From 1993 to 1996 he directed a technology start-up for Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company, was President of Marlboro College (VT) from 1996 to 2003, and became President of SNHU in 2003. His wife Patricia is an attorney and they have two daughters, Emma and Hannah.
Mike LeBlanc is a decorated Marine Corps major, Harvard Business School graduate, and proven entrepreneur with a track record of building and scaling companies at the highest levels. He is the cofounder of Foundation Future Industries, a defense-focused robotics company building autonomous systems for the Department of Defense, and previously served as the cofounder of Cobalt Robotics, a Silicon Valley startup backed by Sequoia, Founders Fund, and Coatue before its acquisition in 2024. With 13 years of service in the Marines LeBlanc deployed three times to the Middle East, led 150 troops against ISIS, and served as an economic and technology advisor to the Pentagon. His leadership and strategic vision have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fast Company, and Business Insider.
Lilo and Gerard Leeds met in a ski lodge in the Adirondack Mountains in 1950, were married in 1951 and now, more than 55 years later, have a family of five children and 13 grandchildren. Lilo and Gerard hold degrees in math and science, respectively, received their master’s degrees together in liberal arts, and have, between them, seven honorary doctorates. They live in Long Island, N.Y.
Books by Lilo and Gerard Leeds
Stephanie Lehmann is the author of the novels Thoughts While Having Sex, Are You in the Mood?, The Art of Undressing and You Could Do Better, which is about a curator at the Museum of Television. Her plays have been produced Off-Off Broadway, and her essays have appeared on Salon.com. Originally from San Francisco, she now lives in Manhattan with her husband and son. Stephanie finds it hard to believe that she no longer lives with her daughter. Stephanie’s mother says she’ll get used to it, which may or may not be insulting. Stephanie’s glad her daughter does come home from college to visit occasionally, and when she does, they enjoy drinking coffee and eating something with sugar in it and gabbing while watching TV. Stephanie does the same when she visits her mother. You can visit Stephanie at her Web site www.StephanieLehmann.com.
Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is an expert on the future of family life, career timing, and the influence of science and technology on fertility, pregnancy and family. She is also founder of StoryMade Studio, a boutique storytelling studio.
Books by Rachel Lehmann-Haupt
Justin Leiber is a professor of philosophy at the University of Houston. His nonfiction books include Can Animals and Machines Be Persons? (Cambridge, Mass.: Hackett, 1986), An Invitation to Cognitive Science (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991) and Paradoxes (London: Duckworth, 1992); his fiction includes Beyond Rejection (Ballantine, 1980) and its two sequels, and The Sword and the Eye and The Sword and the Tower (Tor Books). He did a B. Phil. at the University of Oxford, coming in first of 20-odd on a degree for which the minimum passing requirement is the equivalent of an undergraduate first in Greats. His daemon was Shasta IV, a cougar of the University of Houston, who had a deep rumbling purr and did loop-the-loops on the ceiling of her cage when he came alone in the evening to visit with her inside her cage. He misses her dreadfully.
Andrea Leigh Rogers is a wellness entrepreneur, celebrity trainer, and creator of groundbreaking fitness sensation Xtend, a creative combination of traditional Pilates methods, ballet, and cardio. Featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle, with live appearances on NBC, ABC, and CNN networks, she is a popular thought leader in health and movement communities and a youth skincare advocate, and her online workouts have been viewed millions of times.
Her lifelong love of movement started with a dedicated dance practice leading to a career as a professional choreographer and dancer (most notably as principal dancer for Walt Disney World), before mastering Pilates as a comprehensive classical trainer. Andrea soon created her own innovative fusion of core, dance, and Pilates fundamentals and, encouraged by her clients’ response, in 2008 she launched Xtend with locations worldwide. A super trainer on US fitness streaming platform BODi since 2022, Andrea is also a motivational coach and cofounder of tween skincare brand Lennie, as well as a mentor for Lennie Leaders, a business training program created to empower young individuals. She lives in Dallas, TX, with her two daughters and dog, Chedi.
Books by Andrea Leigh Rogers
Jeff Lenburg is a prolific, award-winning author and Hollywood biographer. He has written more than 30 books, including two national bestsellers. His books have been nominated for several major awards, including the American Library Association's "Best Non-Fiction Award" and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold Medallion Award for "Best Autobiography/Biography."
