Bold Ideas@Synapse

Join us for this thought-provoking series aiming to highlight uniquely dynamic thinkers sharing their big, bold ideas related to our school’s program priorities: Innovation, SEL, and Leading-edge Academics. These speaker events are designed for conversation, with time for mingling before and after, and opportunity for audience members to ask questions.

Jean-Claude Brizard

on new frontiers in learning

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30pm, Synapse School

Jean-Claude Brizard is President & CEO of Digital Promise, a global nonprofit organization focused on shaping the future of learning.

Maureen Fan

on wonder and creativity

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6:30pm, Synapse School

Maureen Fan is CEO & co-founder of 6-time Emmy award winning Baobab Studios, the world's leading interactive narrative animation studio.

RJ Scaringe

on innovation and creation

Tuesday, March 4, now at 5:00pm, Synapse School

RJ Scaringe is founder & CEO of automotive startup Rivian, an electric vehicle company dedicated to the shift toward carbon neutrality.

Our final Bold Ideas talk for 24-25 will take place on March 4 with RJ Scaringe in conversation with our own Jim Eagen, Head of School. RJ founded Rivian in 2009 to help accelerate the world’s shift toward carbon neutral energy and transportation. He believes the faster we transition to a planet powered by electrons, the better we can protect our one and only home for generations to come. Since starting Rivian from a clean sheet, he has built up every aspect of its technology, manufacturing, partnerships and vision. He operates from the belief that the only way to build the kind of world our kids’ kids deserve is through collaboration, not only within organizations, but also across industries and society. We're thrilled to have him speak on the topics of innovation and creation. RSVP and share any questions you might have for RJ via the button below:

RSVP for Bold Ideas now!

All Bold Ideas talks will be held in the Synapse Annex, behind SportsHouse. These speaker events are designed for dynamic conversations with our Head of School Jim Eagen, with time for mingling before and after, and an opportunity for audience members to ask questions.

Past Bold Ideas Recordings

Want to watch any previous Bold Ideas talks? Take a look at the recordings here.

April 10, 2024

23-24 Bold Ideas @ Synapse Speaker Series: Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang

Dr. Mary Helen is well known for her groundbreaking research on the intersection of emotions, self-awareness, and social interactions with learning and personal growth. Jim and Mary had a lively conversation, ranging from how emotions affect all learning to SEL can encourage critical thinking and many other skills. Jim also asked for her take on a question he's asked often, how can a school be focused on human connections and development as well as be “academic.”

Oct. 17, 2023

23-24 Bold Ideas @ Synapse Speaker Series: Boz Bosworth

A revisit to the conversation on AI with CTO of Meta, Boz. Jim and Boz engaged in a lively conversation about the benefits and challenges of new emerging technologies such as ChatGPT, and how the future of AI could improve or challenge our existence as humans. As Boz reminded everyone, “we don’t cease to be human, but we have to rethink things.”

May 24, 2023

22-23 Bold Ideas @ Synapse Speaker Series: Cristina Spencer

Cristina and Jim speak on gender diversity and how, rather than being a social construct, gender is "a process that happens over time." Cristina, an expert in gender diverse kids and parent coach who regularly hosts gender education workshops and has also authored a book to be published next year, shared this quote to best define the word "gender" — "Gender is nature through nurture in culture." [Dr. Erica Anderson UCSF Gender Clinic]

Jan. 31, 2023

22-23 Bold Ideas @ Synapse Speaker Series: Brooke Stafford-Brizard

Brooke, the vice president of Research to Practice at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, has spent much of her career researching the whole child social-emotional learning approach to education and development. She stressed the importance of building confidence in children and making sure they have strong role models. As parents and educators, some of the best ways to nurture a child’s social-emotional development are by “supporting a child’s ability to be self-aware, curious and have a sense of purpose in life.”

Oct. 13, 2022

22-23 Bold Ideas @ Synapse Speaker Series: Boz Bosworth

As CTO of Meta and a leading voice and visionary on all things AR/VR/AI, Boz and Jim discuss and debate how machine learning and new immersive technologies are set to change the face of education. An impressive thinker and spirited conversationalist, Boz’s views and ideas are bound to be enlightening and entertaining.

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