Speakers and Topics

Rick Atkinson
Best-Selling and Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author and Military Historian

Rick Atkinson is a best-selling author, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and former Washington Post journalist. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling The British Are Coming, the first volume of his acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, which has earned numerous honors including the George Washington Prize and the New-York Historical Society’s Zalaznick Book Prize. The second volume in the trilogy, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777–1780, continues the sweeping narrative of the American Revolution, capturing the conflict’s critical middle years with vivid storytelling and deep historical insight. Atkinson also serves as a historical advisor for Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series The American Revolution, which commemorates the Revolution’s 250th anniversary.

Alicia Rainwater
The Center for Generational Kinetics

The Center for Generational Kinetics is the #1 Millennials, Gen Z, and generations research, speaking, and consulting firm. CGK’s team has repositioned global brands to win every generation, advised companies on multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, and taken clients from last to first in employee retention. Alicia is a Millennial who has a reputation as a leader in her own generation. She has extensive experience working firsthand to bridge generations in a variety of organizations from hospitals to global non-profits. Alicia has received a tremendous response to her engaging delivery that combines CGK’s latest research and how-to with her unique experience
working with clients.

David Urban
CNN political commentator & Managing Director at BGR Group

David J. Urban is a Managing Director at BGR Group. He has more than three decades of experience in the military, law, business, politics, and public service sectors. David provides strategic advice and counsel to BGR clients throughout the firm.
Prior to joining BGR, David served as Executive Vice President of North American Corporate Affairs for ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. In this senior role, he worked alongside the company’s top leadership, helping them navigate public policy and communications challenges, as well as advising on Environmental, Social, and Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility issues.

As President of the American Continental Group (ACG), a premier bipartisan government affairs and strategy consulting firm, he provided high-stakes counsel to key clients, including the CEO of Zoom during the early tumultuous days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the CEO of 7-Eleven, to help the company adapt to a rapidly changing regulatory environment. He also has experience in the nonprofit space, working with groups ranging from the Human Rights Campaign to the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Before joining ACG, David served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania for five years. Senator Specter was an influential member of the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations Committees. In this role, David was the Senator’s senior advisor on all legislative, political, media, and administrative matters in Pennsylvania and Washington.
David was appointed by former President Donald Trump to serve as the 11th Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, playing a leadership role in the commemorations of the 100th Anniversary of the World War I Armistice, the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy, and the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. He was also appointed by the President to the Board of Visitors (Trustees) for the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.)

A 2019 National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, Colonel Nicole M. E. Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) has more than 21 years of experience as an officer, leader, and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. Upon commissioning, she was competitively selected to fly combat aircraft and became part of the first group of women to fly modern fighter jets. Nicole served as a mission-ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E squadrons, accumulating over 2,300 flight hours, including 188 hours in combat.

She has had the honor of commanding an Air Force fighter squadron, flying as a Thunderbird pilot, serving as a White House Fellow, advising a former First Lady of the United States, and subsequently serving as a Presidential appointee. Nicole forged a successful path through immense cultural change within the military while also navigating significant personal adversity.

Following her medical retirement from the Air Force due to the severe impacts of late-stage Tick Borne Illness, Nicole reinvented herself as a highly successful entrepreneur, professional speaker, and leadership consultant. She has been happily married to her husband Paul, an Air Force veteran, for over 24 years. When not chasing their fifteen-year-old twins, she finds deep meaning in traveling and advocating for those impacted by Tick Borne Illnesses.