Arno Michaelis, a former Neo-Nazi and author of "My Life After Hate," and Mubin Shaikh, a former jihadist supporter turned counterterrorism expert share their journeys from radicalization to redemption. They reflect on their transformations, the beliefs that once fueled their hatred, and the turning points that led them to turn their lives around and be agents of change.

Harvard Book Store welcomed Caroline Maguire, in-demand expert in social emotional learning and a sought-after key-note speaker with more than 200 speaking engagements, for a discussion of her new book, "Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults: A Guide for the Anxious, Uniquely Wired, and Easily Distracted".

Friendship can be hard for many neurodivergent adults. There is an assumption that good, worthwhile friendships “should” come easy. However, for neurodivergent adults, there are brain-based reasons why friendship can feel less intuitive. From differences in the parts of the brain that are vital to managing the logistics of a fulfilling social life to difficulty with self-regulation, the way neurodiverse individuals experience social bonding and connection can feel unintuitive.

"Friendship Skills For Neurodivergent Adults" is a guide to navigate these differences, broken into three parts: How friendship works; How to find your people; How connecting will get you in motion.

Maguire will be joined in conversation by Brendan Mahan, host of the ADHD Essentials Podcast.

Silkroad artistic director and Grammy award-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens leads a trio in a performance that demonstrates the power of musical storytelling. The event honors the legacy and impact of Boston’s Black Pullman Porters and brings history to life with the recognition of porter family members in attendance.

MassINC Greg Torres fellow Charlotte Golar Richie will convene her fellowship cohort as their two-year terms come to completion. Each Torres Fellow is a civic leader with a distinct project and a vision for the future they hope we’ll see in Massachusetts 30 years from now.

Author Chris Wrenn, a member of the Boston hardcore punk music scene, had a dream of his own—to start his own record label. Embracing the do-it-yourself ethos of the scene, Chris set out to make it happen, networking and forging relationships with local bands.

What was once a marketplace for personal information has evolved into a permanent, powerful infrastructure: one that federal agencies, law enforcement, and even the Department of Defense increasingly rely on to monitor, classify, and track people in ways the public rarely sees. At the center of this shift is the data-broker economy, a vast, lightly regulated industry that buys and sells the intimate details of our lives. These datasets now feed into AI systems used for policing, immigration enforcement, and risk assessment. More recently, they have also begun informing the Pentagon’s exploration of autonomous technologies capable of identifying and targeting individuals without direct human oversight.

Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Kade Crockford, director of Technology and Justice Programs at the ACLU of Massachusetts, sit down for a timely investigation into how these systems work, who they empower, and what they mean for the future of democratic participation.

Andrew H. Knoll studies the interdependence of the evolution of life and the evolution of our planet. He presents his book, "Earth and Life: A Four Billion Year Conversation," in conversation with his colleague, environmental scientist Robin Wordsworth.

Renowned legal scholar, civil rights advocate, and former judge, Margaret A. Burnham is the founder of Northeastern University School of Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ) and author of By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners. Through CRRJ, Burnham has led teams of law students in investigating acts of racial violence in the Jim Crow era, including hundreds of unsolved murders of Black people among other historical failures of the criminal justice system.

She joins Boston College to discuss her recent case in which the Dallas County Commissioners Court delivered a posthumous exoneration of Texas man, Tommy Lee Walker, 70 years after his wrongful conviction and execution.

Massachusetts is home to the second-largest Brazilian population in the country, with thriving communities across Greater Boston and MetroWest. Brazilians are launching businesses, revitalizing neighborhoods, and creating pathways to economic opportunity.


Five local business leaders in the Brazilian community joined us for a conversation about entrepreneurship, economic mobility, and the growing influence of Brazilians in Massachusetts—and what their success means for the region’s future.

Learn what industries Brazilian entrepreneurs are building here and how are they shaping the state’s economic future.

From construction and real estate development to professional services, food, retail, and a growing number of women-led and family-owned enterprises, Brazilian entrepreneurs are helping drive innovation, job creation, and community investment across the Commonwealth.

Our panelists include:

• Real Estate Development & Construction - Nelson de Oliveira, Founder & CEO at Nelson Group
• Professional Services - Fernando Castro, President of Income Tax Plus
• Food Services - Renato Valentin, Co-founder of Tavern in the Square
• Personal Services - Flavia Leal, Owner of Flavia Leal Beauty School
• Consulting and Investment - Manuel Mendes, Global Executive Director of IXL Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership

Thanks to these organizations for an evening of networking in the GBH Atrium:

1. Brazilian American Center (BRACE)
2. Brazilian Women’s Group
3. Brazilian Workers Center
4. Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CDLE USA)
5. Downtown Framingham INC
6. Brazilian Consulate
7. Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers ( MAPS)
8. Brazilian Community Heritage Foundation 
9. Instituto Diáspora Brasil (IDB)

Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, will accept the Third Lantern Award, which is presented annually to an individual who embodies the values symbolized in Old North’s iconic signal lanterns: leadership, courage, hope, tenacity, and active citizenship.