Michael Potts is an investor and strategy consultant with a leadership background spanning commercial and mission-based enterprises. His mission-oriented work includes eight years as board member and six years as CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the renewable energy think tank, and nine years on the board of Kripalu Yoga Foundation, the nation’s largest spiritual retreat center.
Today, Michael is Managing Partner of Advance Wave Partners, an investment partnership focusing on economically vibrant enterprises that also generate mission value. He is also trustee and finance chair for the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and trustee of Curious Theatre in Denver.
In his role as a strategy consultant (over 30 engagements), Michael has developed a creative methodology that helps teams break out of their day-to-day mindset and scan a wider horizon. He helps them define strategic issues, clarify challenges, and forge concrete, actionable long-term initiatives.
Michael has maintained an unbroken mindfulness practice for over 40 years, and he’s writing a book about how recent discoveries regarding the nature of time and causation can affect our search for meaning and purpose.
Professor Yael Latzer, former Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Haifa and Research Director at eating disorders (EDs) Rambam Medical Center, is internationally recognized for her expertise in EDs research, treatment, and policy advocacy. She holds advanced degrees in Clinical Social Work from the University of Haifa and a Doctorate in Medical Science from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Her clinical training includes a fellowship in ED treatment at the Menninger Foundation, USA. Prof. Latzer has contributed over 200 peer-reviewed publications and edited several landmark books on EDs. She has shaped the field in Israel by founding Rambam’s multidisciplinary ED treatment institution and pioneering the development of innovative rehabilitation residential program for young women with severe EDs. Her research spans EDs, sleep disturbances, night eating syndrome, alongside family and societal factors influencing ED development. Following the October 7 events, her focus shifted toward the psychological, physiological, and traumatic impacts on mental health providers. Her work explores compassion fatigue and resilience among clinicians in conflict zones, particularly within Israeli contexts. A recipient of numerous awards, including international leadership recognition from the Academy of Eating Disorders, Prof. Latzer continues to influence both clinical practices and public health policies worldwide.
Dr. Liat Shklarski serves as an Assistant Professor at The Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, New York. Her scholarly work is centered on promoting equitable access to mental health services among diverse populations, utilizing mixed-method research methodologies. Her research agenda includes the examination of compassion fatigue among mental health providers operating in conflict zones, with a focus on enhancing their resilience, well-being, and professional efficacy. Dr. Shklarski engages in interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars and practitioners on both local and global scales. In addition to her academic work, she is a licensed clinical social worker in New York City, specializing in providing therapeutic support to adults with histories of trauma.
Sebrina L. Doyle Fosco is an Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, where she also received her PhD in Educational Leadership in 2022. Sebrina’s research explores novel and sustainable ways to support wellbeing for adults working in high-stress services such as school, community mental health, and juvenile justice. Her current focus is on the use of evidence-informed mindfulness-based and social and emotional learning programming for youth and adults in educational settings using a systemic lens. As a researcher-practitioner, she is actively involved with facilitating mindfulness-based professional development programs like Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education in addition to researching outcomes and best practices for implementation. She also addresses issues that affect sustained use of evidence-based programs through development of implementation monitoring tools and program cost analysis.
