Human Progress and Flourishing Workshop

Be part of an interdisciplinary conversation addressing the world's biggest challenges.

About the Workshop

Our workshop on Human Progress and Flourishing invites internationally-renowned scholars and speakers from across the country to present research and engage in discussion with the Fargo-Moorhead community. The series focuses on solutions and policies that contribute to opportunity, innovation, and individual and societal flourishing. 

All are invited to attend these free presentations and participate in a lively discussion. Seminars will be held every other Friday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central. Attendees are encouraged to join us in-person in the Beckwith Recital Hall or virtually on Zoom. Light food and refreshments will be provided after each seminar in the Challey School of Music Atrium. 

Students of any major, undergraduate or graduate, can register for the 1-credit course BUSN 491/690. To join the class, email Tayt Rinehardt at tayt.rinehardt@ndsu.edu 

*You do not need to enroll in the course or be a member of the NDSU community to attend the speaker presentations. Everyone is welcome. 

Guests to campus are encouraged to park in the T2 lot, and can receive a parking validation code at our event check-in table. Please let us know if you need one.

Fall 2024 Speakers

Entrepreneurship and Innovation
September 6 | Leah Kral
Title: “Innovation for Social Change: Entrepreneurial Thinking for Nonprofits”

Leah Kral is an expert facilitator and author who helps nonprofits doing the hard work of building civil society to innovate and be more effective. She writes about her work in Innovation for Social Change: How Wildly Successful Nonprofits Inspire and Deliver Results (Wiley, 2022).

Kral is a sought-after speaker at nonprofit industry events, writes frequently about her research, and for decades has provided tailored consulting to nonprofit teams and coaching to social entrepreneurs across the country.

She has a passion for helping organizations achieve their missions and is an active volunteer in her community. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Duquesne University and is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Jamaica 2002-2004). To learn more, visit LeahKral.com.

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September 27 | Daniel Bennett
Title: “Political Economy of Entrepreneurship Policy”

Daniel Bennett is Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Director of the Entrepreneurship PhD program, and Associate Director of the Center for Free Enterprise at the University of Louisville. He is also an editor at Small Business Economics. Daniel’s research seeks to better understand how environmental change influences entrepreneurship and innovation, and the implications for regional and national economic development.


His work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of International Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Venturing, Small Business Economics, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Institutional Economics, European Journal of Political Economy, and World Development. He has also published numerous book chapters, policy papers, and essays in the popular press.

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K-12 Education
October 18 | Daniel Buck
Title: “Innovate Forward by Looking Back - The Effectiveness of Old School Education”

Daniel Buck is a policy and editorial associate at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, former English teacher, and frequent author. His writing has appeared in various national publications including the Wall Street Journal and National Review Magazine as well as policy and academic journals such as National Affairs and Education Next. His first book is What Is Wrong with Our Schools? published through John Catt Educational.

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November 1 | Patrick Wolf
Title: “School Choice in North Dakota”

Dr. Patrick J. Wolf is a Distinguished Professor of Education Policy and the 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Choice at the University of Arkansas. Recently he completed three years of service as Interim Head of the Department of Education Reform. He has led influential studies of private school voucher programs in Washington, DC; Milwaukee, WI; the state of Louisiana; and Delhi, India. Research projects led or co-led by Wolf have received 45 research grants and contracts totaling over $23 million. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited five books and over 200 journal articles, book chapters, and policy reports on private school choice, public charter schools, special education, civic values, public management, and campaign finance. Education Week consistently ranks him among the 200 most influential education scholars in the U.S. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and his master’s and doctorate from Harvard University.

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Artificial Intelligence and Policy
November 15 | Neil Chilson

*Special Event Location: Louise Auditorium in Barry Hall

Title: “A Smarter, Better World: The Present and Future Role of AI in Human Flourishing

Neil Chilson is the Head of AI Policy at the Abundance Institute, where he works to restore optimism and sense of adventure to U.S. cultural and policy discussions about technology.

Neil is a lawyer, computer scientist, and author of the book “Getting Out of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World.” He is the first known human to file AI-generated comments on behalf of AI bots in a federal regulatory proceeding. Neil was previously the Senior Research Fellow for Technology and Innovation at philanthropic community Stand Together, where he guided efforts to understand and promote the legal and cultural paradigms that enable people to discover, innovate, and improve all our lives. Neil served as the Chief Technologist at the Federal Trade Commission, where he focused on the economics of privacy and blockchain-related issues. He also was as an attorney advisor to Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. In both roles he advised Chairman Ohlhausen and worked with staff on nearly every major technology-related case, report, workshop, or other FTC proceeding. Neil joined the FTC from telecom firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer.

Neil is frequently quoted by the press and his work has appeared in numerous news outlets, including The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostUSA Today, and Newsweek. Neil has a J.D. from The George Washington Law School, a M.S. in computer science from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. in computer science from Harding University.

December 6 | Jeremy Straub
Title: “AI Policy”

Jeremy Straub is a senior fellow at the Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth and an associate professor of computer science at North Dakota State University. His research focuses on the intersections between technology and policy in both the artificial intelligence and cybersecurity areas. He is the lead inventor on two U.S. patents and has published over 50 journal articles and hundreds of conference papers. He is a member of multiple professional societies, including the American Society for Engineering Education and SPIE. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Security Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other sources. He is the associate director of the Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research.

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