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Meet Our 2026 Speakers
JON MEACHAM
Sunday, September 13, 2026 / 4 pm CT
Hope Through History: How to Survive Turbulent Times
Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. He returns to the Sinai Forum to present Hope Through History: How to Survive Turbulent Times — drawn from his critically acclaimed History Channel podcast of the same name. Meacham is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, a sweeping anthology tracing the American story from 1619 to the present. A distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, where he holds the Rogers Chair in the American Presidency, Meacham is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the Society of American Historians. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2024.
NEAL KATYAL
Sunday, October 4, 2026 / 4 pm CT
The Future of the Supreme Court
Neal Katyal brings unparalleled insight to one of the most pressing conversations in American public life: the future of the Supreme Court. As a former Acting Solicitor General who has argued before the Court more than almost any attorney of his generation, Katyal offers a rare insider’s perspective on how the institution works — and where it is headed. He examines the forces reshaping the Court, from shifting judicial philosophies to debates over ethics reform and institutional legitimacy, helping audiences understand what is at stake for the rule of law and the American system of government. Katyal runs one of the world’s largest Supreme Court practices and is a tenured professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Recipient of the Edmund Randolph Award, named one of GQ’s Men of the Year, and a graduate of Yale Law School and Dartmouth College.
DR. DAVID FAJGENBAUM
Sunday, October 25, 2026 / 4 pm CT
Chasing Cures: One Doctor’s Race to Save His Own Life — and Others
David Fajgenbaum is a physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Every Cure, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying new uses for existing drugs to accelerate treatments for rare diseases. After nearly dying from Castleman disease while in medical school, Dr. Fajgenbaum helped identify a treatment that put his own disease into remission—fueling his mission to expand access to life-saving therapies for patients around the world. Named to TIME100 Most Influential People list, Dr. Fajgenbaum shares a deeply personal story of resilience, hope, innovation, and medical discovery that is transforming the future of medicine.
JOHN O'LEARY
Sunday, November 8, 2026 / 4 pm CT
Live Inspired: Resilience, Gratitude, and the Strength to Overcome
John O’Leary is an internationally recognized speaker, bestselling author, and host of the Live Inspired podcast. At age nine, O’Leary was severely burned in a home accident that left him with burns on 100 percent of his body and less than a one percent chance of survival. After enduring months in the hospital, multiple surgeries, and years of painful rehabilitation, he was profoundly shaped by the encouragement of legendary sports announcer Jack Buck, whose friendship helped inspire O’Leary’s lifelong message of resilience, purpose, and gratitude. His bestselling book On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe — along with the feature film Soul on Fire — share his extraordinary story of perseverance and hope.
PAT HUGHES
Sunday, December 6, 2026 / 4 pm CT
The Soundtrack of Summer: Baseball, Broadcasting, and the Stories That Connect Us
Pat Hughes is one of Major League Baseball’s most respected voices and a recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Over a broadcasting career spanning more than four decades, Hughes has called unforgettable moments alongside legendary figures including Bob Uecker and Ron Santo, culminating in the Chicago Cubs’ historic 2016 World Series victory. Known for his warmth and storytelling, Hughes reflects on how baseball connects generations through shared memories, traditions, and the soundtrack of summer.
Full bios of our speakers can be found here.
