Fresh from delivering his fantastic keynote address at the GACEP Spring Conference in April, Evolutionary Biologist, TV Host, Keynote Speaker, and Bestselling Author, Dan Riskin, Ph.D. shares how principles from evolutionary biology and human behavior can help organizations design more connected, memorable customer engagements. From the role emotion and curiosity play in how people learn and retain information to the impact of active problem-solving and diverse team dynamics, we discussed how brands can create experiences that deepen engagement, strengthen relationships, and influence buying decisions. Known for blending humor with science-backed insights, Dan brings a unique perspective on human behavior, communication, and connection that organizations can apply today

Highlights

• Emotion
  • Experiences like Adrenaline - stimulates the amygdala
  • When emotionally connected, more memorable
  • Brain works better when have an emotional connection
  • Examples of how we connect when take a journey
    • Sports highlights, comedy, crying at movies
• Curiosity
  • Don’t just tell your guests the answer
  • Engage them and let them figure it out
  • Science conservation example
    • Have students or guests get involved, then explain why
• Teamwork
  • Teams with conflict are better able to find solutions to complex problems
  • Embrace diversity and different points of view
  • Board games: safe ways to find smart and calm team members
  • New paper: people work better together if in sync (i.e. singing)
    • Check out ‘The Bat Signal’ Newsletter

Resources

• Dan Riskin’s Webpage
  • The Bat Signal - Weekly Newsletter (be sure to subscribe)
  • Science TV Shows
  • Wildlife Tours

Guest Thought Leader

Dan Riskin, Ph.D., Evolutionary Biologist, TV Host, Keynote Speaker, and Bestselling Author, Noctillo.com

Dan is an evolutionary biologist turned science journalist whose career spans research, media, and public engagement. Dan did his PhD at Cornell, studying how vampire bats move on the ground. Then he worked at Brown University, flying bats in wind tunnels, trying to understand how they fly, maneuver, and land. His research earned international recognition, and Dan took that opportunity to slide into science TV. He has since become a prominent television personality, hosting shows on the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, National Geographic, the Smithsonian Channel, and elsewhere. Beyond television, Dan is a bestselling author and sought-after keynote speaker known for using humor to translate science into insights people can apply to everyday life.

Our latest episode derives from a series of LinkedIn articles that highlight ‘Influences that Create Thoughtful Leaders.’ Amos Wampler, former Director of the Executive Briefing Program at Gore, shares how his life and career experiences shaped his leadership style and passion for the briefing profession. Building on principles like continuous improvement and beginning with a clear intent, Amos offers real-world insights showing how effective leadership is grounded in adaptability, trust, and self-awareness. He emphasizes the importance of identifying your team’s strengths while supporting their growth, embracing diverse viewpoints, and earning credibility through consistent action. At its core, strong leadership means elevating others' voices, fostering an environment where people can thrive, minimizing distractions, and having the courage to push boundaries, all while staying anchored in the values that shape meaningful outcomes.

Highlights

• ‘Begin with the End in Mind’ (Peter Bay Method) - orchestra practice
• ‘What if the Baton Goes Missing?’ - the team executes on their own
• ‘Holmes & Watson: Data vs Stories’ - a Watson among the Holmes
• Diversity Mentoring for Development (DMD) - mentors understand mentees' backgrounds
• “Leadership Comes From Followship” - help others believe, then lead
• “Innovation From Collaboration” - the “Lattice”, develop the next great idea
• ‘The Slide and the Show - Parts I, II & III’ - always prepare for your audiences
• ‘Be true to yourself and you will never fall’ - Beastie Boys

Resources

• University of Chicago Leadership Lab - The Craft of Writing Effectively
• Annotated Beastie Boys
• Impact Podcast
• Amos’ LinkedIn Articles
• The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
• The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Guest Thought Leader

Amos Wampler, Former Director, Executive Briefing Program at Gore

Amos’s career has spanned classrooms, manufacturing floors, and analytical labs with a consistent track record of making meaningful contributions in each space. For the past several years, he led a high-visibility executive briefing program, overseeing thousands of interactions annually with customers, partners, board members, legislators, and media. His work operates in close partnership with senior leadership and spans strategy, operations, content, technology, facilities, and team development. It’s a role that demands sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to deliver high-stakes moments with consistency and impact at scale.

Born from a passionate presentation sharing his joy for creative technology, our latest episode features Matteo Mosca, CEO and Founder, at Leva (Impossible) Engineering. Matteo shares how crafting meaningful moments pushes their team to explore how people process the world around them; how the brain interprets movement, light, sound and space, shaping emotion and memory. He explains how each project begins by understanding what the client wants their guests to feel, remember and carry with them long after they leave. In our discussion, Matteo defines key elements to designing kinetic environments that bring guests into an ‘awake state of wonder’, capturing their attention and fostering greater participation. He also encourages us to think of this approach as a new language that speaks to both logic and emotion.

Highlights

• Approach to designing memorable experiences - ‘Suspension of disbelief’
• Designing spaces to bring people into an ‘Awake State of Wonder’
  • Wonder is intense presence
  • Predictability kills wonder
  • Movement triggers attention
• Emotionally charged information is more memorable and builds stronger human connections
• Use technology to tell the story, speaking to both logic and emotion
• The discovery phase: strategy before technology and using movement to amplify meaning
• Best Practices shared: ‘Stop Selling, Start Storytelling’, ‘Use Edutainment to Make Learning Stick’, and ‘Shake People Awake, Intentionally’
• ‘Safe Ideas are Forgettable’ - Differentiate your brand from others
• Turning motion into emotion - see Resources to visualize

Resources

• Leva Reel 2026: Motion into Emotion
• Leva in EBC
• Aramco EBC (Visitor Center Kinetic Welcome Wall)
• Microsoft EBC (Experience Center One)
  • Kinetic Smart Board and Kinetic LED Wall

Guest Thought Leader

Matteo Mosca, CEO and Founder, Leva (Impossible) Engineering

Matteo is a founder and media engineer working at the intersection of creative technologies, design and communication, with a focus on interactive environments that foster meaningful human connections.

At Leva, Matteo leads a multidisciplinary team of engineers and creatives designing custom kinetic and immersive installations that blend mechanical movement, motion content and spatial storytelling. Their work turns physical, brand spaces into responsive, participatory environments that people can explore and connect with, not just observe.

Matteo also spearheads Leva’s strategy, developing marketing and business growth initiatives, while building the structure that allows technical experimentation to become scalable, real-world solutions. With a background in computer engineering and a strong creative drive, he brings a structured, results-oriented approach to innovation, combining technical rigor with a strong understanding of customer and market needs.

His goal is to help organizations leverage cutting-edge technology to connect with audiences, support growth and drive long-term competitiveness – with the type of experiences that break through the noise and reshape the way people interact with brands.