Daniel Gilbert is Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He is the author of the best-selling book, Stumbling on Happiness, which has been translated into 30 languages. His research focuses on prospection — the ability to imagine oneself in the future — and the mistakes people make when they attempt to predict their hedonic reactions to future events.

Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, author, translator, and photographer. He has lived, studied, and worked in the Himalayan region for over forty years.

Ann Harada is best known for originating the role of Christmas Eve in Avenue Q on Broadway and in London. She is currently playing Charlotte, a stepsister, in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Peter Staley has been a long-term AIDS and gay rights activist, first as a member of ACT UP New York, then as the founding director of TAG, the Treatment Action Group. He served on the board of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) for 13 years.