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Kristin Baker Spohn is head of client success at Collective Health, a technology firm offering a cloud-based self-insurance platform for employers.

 \nKristian Hammond is Narrative Science's Chief Scientist and co-founder, as well as a professor of Computer Science and Journalism at Northwestern University. Prior to joining the faculty at Northwestern, Kris founded the University of Chicago’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. His research has been primarily focused on artificial intelligence, machine-generated content and context-driven information systems. Kris currently sits on a United Nations policy committee run by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). Kris received his PhD from Yale.\n

Kris Miller, #1 Best Selling author and Safe Money strategist, has advised over 5,000 families in the past 22 years on retirement and estate planning issues. She coined the phrase, “pretirement” to emphasize how we need to prepare for our Golden Years way before we retire. Her new book, Ready For PREtirement, 3 Secrets for Safe Money and a Fabulous Future (Morgan James, September 2012) is a comprehensive guide to help anyone at any age to plan for retirement.\nIn addition to her estate planning practice, Miller owns Trust Unlimited and the Living Trust Institute, a document preparation service for creating revocable living trusts. Miller has conducted numerous workshops to educate people and organizations about wise money management for their senior years, how to provide income for retirees, how to avoid probate, reduce taxes, secure the proper insurances, avoid asset-seizure to pay medical debts, and how to create a Living Trust.

Kol Birke is a financial behavior specialist at Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA\/SIPC, a registered investment adviser, in Waltham, Mass. At Commonwealth, Kol helps advisors make financial planning easier and more effective by lowering psychological and behavioral roadblocks that often get in clients’ way—in essence, aligning their actions with their goals. He has a BA in Economics from Brandeis University and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kimberly Chin is a contributor writing based in New York.

Kimberly Wright-Violich is President of Schwab Charitable™, a leading national provider of philanthropic services. Ms. Wright-Violich has guided the organization’s growth from a six-month old non-profit start-up to the largest charity in California and one of the top 10 charities in the US. She has introduced numerous innovative programs to facilitate grant making and charitable asset management, resulting in over $4 billion dollars in contributions. Most recently, she pioneered the Schwab Charitable Microfinance Program—the first program of its kind. It allows donors to use charitable assets in their accounts twice: first to guarantee small business loans to the world’s poor, and then after the guarantee period, for granting to other charities.Ms. Wright-Violich is a sought-after thought leader on the topic of charitable giving. She is published and widely quoted, including in The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, CNBC, Investment News, Stanford Social Innovation Review and Trust and Estates Magazine. Ms. Wright-Violich has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions including: being named one of San Francisco Bay Area’s 100 Most Influential Women in Business by the San Francisco Business Times (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009), receiving a WATCH award (Women at the Center of Leadership and Vision) from the Junior League of San Francisco, and being named one of the 50 most influential women in the US for 2009 in wealth management by Wealth Manager magazine.Ms. Wright-Violich has held a series of leadership positions at major non-profit organizations in Northern California, including on the Board of Directors of Northern California Public Broadcasting, Inc. (2007-2009), the Non-Profit and Public Management Program of the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley (2006-present), World Affairs Council Bay Area (2009-present), Volunteer Center of San Francisco (1992-97), Marin Youth in Arts (1990-96), and President of the Junior League of San Francisco (1993-1994). She received an undergraduate degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, did post-graduate work at the Mass Media Institute at Stanford University, and completed the Business School Executive Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Kim Sharan is the President, Financial Planning and Wealth Strategies, and Chief Marketing Officer for Ameriprise Financial, the country's largest financial planning company with approximately 10,000 financial advisors.\nSince 1894, Ameriprise has been helping clients plan for and achieve their financial goals. During the firm's 2005 spin-off from American Express, Ms. Sharan led the rebranding effort that took Ameriprise from a new brand to a Fortune 250 company today.\nMs. Sharan is responsible for driving the company's overall marketing strategy, as well as developing and executing programs that drive profitable growth and innovation. In addition, she is responsible for the direction of the firm's central consumer value proposition, financial planning. Some of her responsibilities include brand strategy, advertising, corporate identity, client and advisor communications, and the digital and social media strategies for the company. She and her team have been recognized with a variety of awards for their work, including several Financial Communications Society Portfolio Awards, which celebrate the best in financial services marketing.\nMs. Sharan is a champion of both women advisors and clients. She leads programs that support and build community for women advisors at Ameriprise, including the Franchise Women's Interest Network, with the goal of attracting even more women advisors to the firm.\nWith a background in the financial services industry encompassing more than 30 years of experience in markets across the globe, Ms. Sharan joined Ameriprise Financial in 2002 after holding senior leadership positions at Merrill Lynch and Citibank. Sharan received her B.A. in economics from Drew University and her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. \nMs. Sharan is passionate about giving back to the community. She serves on the board of Women Certified and the National Board of Girls Inc., a non-profit organization that inspires girls to be "strong, smart and bold" through research-based programs that build academic and life skills.\nMs. Sharan lives on Long Island with her husband Onkar.

\nA native Californian, Kimberly, her husband Tom and young sons T.J. and Marcus live in Pacific Palisades. The financial services business has been the only industry Kim has been affiliated with since her graduation from University of California, Berkeley in 1980. Kim is a General Agent for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a mutually owned financial protection, accumulation, and income management company headquartered in Springfield, MA. The company has over $363 billion assets under management at year-end 20081. Michel runs the Century City based firm with over 90 sales associates and 15 employees. A recipient of many awards and honors within her industry, Kim broke gender barriers becoming one of only three female General Agents in the country for her company. New thresholds were also reached when Kim was elected the first female President of the General Agent and Manager’s Association in 1995 and again as the first female President for the Los Angeles Insurance & Financial Advisors Association in 1999. In 2002, NAWBO, Los Angeles Chapter, elected Kim as a Hall of Fame Honoree, indicating successful female business leadership. In 2003 Kim was highlighted in the Los Angeles Business Journal under their Profiles of Excellence edition. Kim was a nominee for LA Business Journal’s “Women Making A Difference.” in 2005. The Century City Chamber of Commerce and Women’s Business Council bestowed the 2005 Woman of Achievement Award to Kim in 2005. The Santa Monica\/Westside YWCA honored Kim as their Woman of the Year in 2009. In 2010, Kim was the Honoree for the Lorraine Jackson Foundation Gala, “Pearls of Hope”. Active in many organizations, Kim enjoys being part of the Women’s Leadership Forum; Los Angeles Donor Circle; BTW – Big Thinking Women; EveryChild Foundation; Southern California Easter Seals Board of Directors; The Lorraine Jackson Foundation; YWCA Blue Ribbon Committee; MFG Women’s Advisory Board; MassMutual Mastermind Group; General Agents Advisory Committee. Her local firm, Michel Financial Group, has over 10,000 clients. A very significant philanthropic program her firm supports is LifeBridgesm , offered by MassMutual. This program provides free life insurance to qualifying parents or legal guardians to help provide a safety net if parent or guardian should die before eligible children complete their education. She has promoted this program to various Boys & Girls Clubs as well as Habitat for Humanity across Los Angeles. Her company currently has given away $ 2 billion in life insurance benefits. Michel’s corporate parent, MassMutual has given nearly $7 million in donations to the community. They are ranked among America’s “Most Admired Companies” in its industry category by Fortune magazine (March 16, 2009). Kim has been a perennial winner of MassMutual awards including, Highest Life Production in Brokerage years 1993, 1994, 1995; Frontline Manager of the Year 1996, 1997; MassMutual Bowl Winners 2001, 2002, 2003; Highest Overall Premium 2001, 2002, 2003Kim regards her recent diagnosis of malignant breast cancer and subsequent double mastectomy a private journey that should be made public. It is only with education, reinforcement and donations that breast cancer might be eradicated from our life. Throughout Kim’s chemotherapy, she believed in the phrase “live optimistically”. Her current diagnosis is excellent and she intends to actively promote awareness through continued support of organizations that support her common goals.(1 Assets under management include assets and certain external investment funds managed by our subsidiaries. All financial information is as of and for the year ended December 31, 2008.)