Managing Director, Emerson Collective

Arne Duncan served as U.S. Secretary of Education from January 2009 through December 2015 as part of the Obama Administration. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Duncan served as chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools. From 2001 to 2008, Duncan won praise for uniting the city’s stakeholders behind an education agenda that included opening 100 new schools; expanding after-school, summer learning, early childhood, and college access programs; dramatically boosting the caliber of teachers; and building public-private partnerships around a variety of education initiatives.

He currently leads Chicago CRED, a nonprofit trying to achieve a transformative reduction in gun violence in Chicago. Through partnerships with local business leaders, community organizers, and nonprofit groups, Duncan aims to provide outreach, therapeutic, education, and employment opportunities for the young men most likely to be engaged in gun violence. He is also the managing partner at Emerson Collective, an organization dedicated to removing barriers so people can live to their full potential. Secretary Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1987, majoring in sociology. At Harvard he served as co-captain of the basketball team and was named a first team Academic All-American.

Arne serves on the boards of Ariel Investments, Communities in Schools, Eat. Learn. Play., Edmentum, Education Advancement, ESS, Howard University, Lucas Museum, Metropolitan Family Services, MGT Consulting Group, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Peace for DC, Schoolhouse.world, and Chairs The Hunt Institute.

Author, The Happiness Handbook

Ken Harmon is the author of The Happiness Handbook and a professor at Kennesaw State University (Georgia), where he has spent decades serving as both an educator and senior leader. In addition to his faculty role, Harmon has held multiple executive positions at the university, including serving as interim president, where he guided the institution through periods of transition while maintaining a focus on stability, trust, and student success. His leadership experience spans academic affairs, organizational development, and campus culture, giving him a deep understanding of how large, complex institutions operate.

Harmon’s work centers on well-being, purpose, and human flourishing, informed by both scholarly research and hands-on leadership experience. He is widely recognized for his ability to connect theory with practice, helping leaders and individuals apply evidence-based insights to everyday decisions. Through his teaching, writing, and leadership, Harmon has influenced thousands of students, faculty, and administrators, earning a reputation as a thoughtful, steady leader who brings clarity, empathy, and practical wisdom to the challenges of higher education and organizational life.