Our 2026 Speakers
Esera Tuaolo
Esera Tuaolo, affectionately known as “Mr. Aloha,” is a former NFL player, singer, chef, author, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized advocate. He played nine seasons in the NFL, including with the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons, and later shared his experience as a gay professional athlete in his book Alone in the Trenches. Esera is founder and Executive Director of Hate Is Wrong, a nonprofit dedicated to combating bullying and discrimination. A contestant on NBC’s The Voice, he continues to use his story and platform to bring people together through courage, authenticity, and Aloha.
Jill Amsberry
Dr. Jill Amsberry is a pediatrician and leader in medical education in Central Minnesota. She serves as Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud and as Director of Undergraduate Medical Education at CentraCare. A longtime CentraCare pediatrician and former medical director of pediatrics, she brings extensive clinical experience to her work preparing and supporting future physicians.
John Larson
John Larson is Vice President of Plant Readiness and Startup at Niron Magnetics, where he is helping lead the development of the company’s first full-scale Iron Nitride magnet production facility in Sartell, Minnesota. An executive leader with 26 years of experience in semiconductor and magnetic materials technologies, he joined Niron as its second employee and has helped build its team, technology, culture, and operations. John previously spent 17 years in the semiconductor industry and holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Njeri Clement
Dr. Njeri Clement is Director of Cultural Fluency, Equity, and Inclusion at St. Cloud Technical & Community College, where she leads efforts to strengthen collaborative leadership and inclusive excellence across campus. She is a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award and a Humphrey Policy Fellow. Njeri holds master’s degrees in Public and Nonprofit Administration and Social Responsibility, as well as a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies.
Nora Hertel
Nora Hertel is the founder and executive director of Project Optimist, a nonprofit news organization serving greater Minnesota with solution-focused journalism. An award-winning journalist with more than a decade of experience, she has worked as an investigative reporter, political and public issues correspondent, and environmental journalist for organizations including The Associated Press, Wisconsin Watch, the St. Cloud Times, and USA TODAY Network-Wisconsin. Nora holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and was a 2022–2023 Initiator Fellow.
Sucharita Mukherjee
Dr. Sucharita Sinha Mukherjee is a professor of Economics at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, where she also teaches in the Honors, Data Analytics, and Gender Studies programs. Her research focuses on feminist economic development, comparative economic development, gender inequality, and innovative approaches to teaching economics. Born and raised in India, she earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Riverside. She is passionate about interdisciplinary learning, global perspectives, experiential education, and making economics accessible to students.
