In The Area

Shawn Eckles is a touring guitarist and songwriter and guitarist/vocalist for "Andy Frasco & The UN," a Colorado based harmonic funk and rock band.

Casey Russell is a multi-instrumentalist and keyboardist for Colorado based Funk / Soul / Jam band "The Magic Beans."

Dave arrived to Vail from a small town in Kansas with ambition, drive, and integrity. Dave started with nothing except for his work ethic and built one of the most successful landscaping companies in the Vail Valley. He exemplifies the importance of living by your values and setting the bar high.

Mike is a rising star and singer-songwriter. His experiences on the road as a traveling musician across America and the globe have transformed his songwriting and life.

Dante is a co-founder of Underscore Ave - a creative platform connecting creatives to paid opportunities. Dante and his team are driven by the belief that creative people should not have to sacrifice their dreams of pursuing creative work to corporate 9-5 jobs.

Murray Stahl, CEO and Chairman of Horizon Kinetics, is a financial expert with deep insights into economics and cryptocurrency. In this discussion, he shares his early misconceptions about wealth generation and contrasts theoretical economics with real-world financial outcomes. Murray explores the value of autobiographies, recounts fascinating historical figures like Fitzroy McLean and Benjamin Franklin, and dives into the complexities of Bitcoin and Ethereum. He emphasizes the transformative potential of blockchain technology and the importance of resilience and personal narrative in achieving success.

Ken Schanzer, former president of NBC sports, played a key role in negotiating NBC's acquisitions of the Olympics, NFL, Nascar, and the Kentucky Derby. Ken shares the story of his career, the principles and values guiding his success, and provides a mini-lesson on how to lead effective negotiations.

Bratzo is the Executive Director at My Future Pathways, a non-profit supporting the education of low income students in the Vail Valley through scholarship, mentorship, life coaching, and personalized attention.

Vail Valley Citizen of the Year, Ann Smead shares stories about being one of the first female system engineers at IBM and the first female partner at a commercial real estate development company managing over four million square feet. Ann oversaw the real estate portfolio of Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics Corp and the University of Boulder's Aerospace Engineering Science's Department is named after Ann and her late husband H. J. Smead. Ann is currently the Board Chair at the Vail Valley Foundation and is deeply involved in finding ways to enhance the lives of children and the community in the Valley.

Dale went to college at 13 and graduated with two masters degrees by the age of 21. He oversaw the MRI lab at the University of Oregon and is currently developing machine learning software at a science technology company in Salt Lake City. We debunk some common misconceptions and myths about the brain, examine the sometimes faulty frameworks underpinning scientific discovery, philosophy, and the reasons you should stay away from cooking with seed based oils.