Arctic Encounter — Anchorage, AK, USA — April 15-17, 2026
the 2026 flagship will be PRODUCED & DIRECTED AT THE DENA’INA CONVENTION CENTER & The anchorage museum
- confirmed 2026 summit speakers -
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator R-AK, United States Senate (United States)
U.S. Senator Peter Welch, United States Senator D-VT, United States Senate (United States)
Ambassador Svanhildur Hólm Valsdóttir, Ambassador of Iceland to the United States (Iceland)
Ambassador Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States (Austria)
Ambassador Iztok Mirošič, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United States (Slovenia)
Ambassador Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary to the United States (Hungary)
Ambassador Kenneth Høegh, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council (Denmark/Greenland)
Ambassador Piotr Rychlik, Ambassador for Arctic and Antarctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Poland (Poland)
Ambassador Katsuhiko Takahashi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
Ambassador Virginia Mearns, Senior Arctic Official and Arctic Ambassador for Canada (Canada)
Ambassador Mike Sfraga (ret), PhD, Former U.S. Ambassador for Arctic Affairs (United States)
Ambassador David Balton (ret), Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)
Ms. Ruth Bajada, Deputy Chief of Mission, Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America (European Union)
Ms. Sara Cohen, Deputy Head of Mission, Foreign Policy & National Security, Embassy of Canada in the United States (Canada)
Dr. Bjørn Kunoy, Head of Representation of the Faroe Islands to the United States (Faroe Islands)
Dr. Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (2022-2026) (Greenland)
Dr. Ruth L. Perry, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State (United States)
Ms. Vivian Korthuis, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Village Council Presidents (United States)
Ms. Melanie Bahnke, President & CEO, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)
Ms. Vernae Angnaboogok, Inuit Arctic Policy Director, Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (United States)
Mr. James Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Davie Shipbuilding (Canada)
Mr. Michael Perkinson, Managing Partner, Autilus Partners (United States)
Mr. Paul Barrett, Chief Communications Officer, Davie (Canada)
Ms. Umji Kim, Director, Polar Strategy Research Division, Korea Maritime Institute (South Korea)
Mr. Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President & CEO, Contango Ore, Inc. (United States)
Mr. Douglas Vincent-Lang, Commissioner, Department of Alaska Fish and Game, State of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Aaron Leggett, President & Chair, Native Village of Eklutna (United States)
Mr. Simen Ekblom, Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington (Norway)
Ms. Emilie Åsberg, Chief Executive Officer, Havguard AS (Norway)
Mr. Matt Beck, VP of Operations, Quartermaster (United States)
Mr. Ethan Tyler, Sr. Director, Public Policy and Lands, Aleut (United States)
Dr. Edward Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, Research Associate Professor, University of Washington’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences (United States)
Mr. Cyrus Harris, Co-Production Team Member, Drivers & Ecological Consequences of Arctic Change, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)
Ms. Vera Metcalf, Director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)
Dr. Ginny Selz, Senior Program Director, Ocean Visions (United States)
Dr. Katrine Gorham, Deputy Director, Methane Removal, Spark Climate Solutions (United States)
Dr. Dwayne Menezes, Founder and Managing Director, Polar Research and Policy Initiative (United Kingdom)
Ms. Libby Casey, Award-Winning Journalist; NPR, former Washington Post and Alaska Public Media (United States)
Mr. Benjamin Kellie, CEO & Co-Founder, Applied Atomics; Arctic Encounter Board of Directors (United States)
Dr. Brendan P. Kelly, Chief Scientist, International Arctic Research Center (United States)
Ms. Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President, Alaska Airlines; Board Chair, Arctic Encounter Board of Directors (United States)
President Pat Pitney, President, University of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Rachel Kallander, J.D., Founder & CEO, Arctic Encounter; Chief Strategist, Kallander & Associates; Owner & Publisher, The Cordova Times; Honorary Consul of Iceland for Alaska (United States)
Ms. Reed Davidson, Program Director, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Mr. Jackson Blackwell, Advisor, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Ms. Harmony Jade Sugaq Wayner, Northern Vision Fellowship Coordinator, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Ms. Rayna Paul, Environmental Director, Native Village of Kipnuk (United States)
Mr. Walter Nelson, Managed Retreat Coordinator, Native Village of Napakiak (United States)
Ms. Lucy Martin, Tribal Resilience Coordinator Assistant, Native Village of Kwigillingok (United States)
Mr. Dustin Evon, Tribal Resilience Coordinator, Native Village of Kwigillingok (United States)
Mr. Rick Thoman, Alaska Climate Specialist, International Arctic Research Center/University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Director of Climate Initiatives, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (United States)
Ms. Teri Cothren, Associate Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs, University of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Adam Schwartz, State G3 Operations Noncommissioned Officer, Alaska Army National Guard (United States)
Ms. Nicole Wojciechowski, President, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (United States)
Ms. Federica Eyja Scarpa, SATA 2.1 Executive Coordinator, UiT - Arctic University of Norway (Norway)
Ms. Leslie Canavera, Chief Executive Officer, PolArctic (United States)
Mr. Brian Rogers, Corporate Treasurer, UArctic Foundation; Former Alaskan House Representative; Former Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Margaret Williams, Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)
Mr. Ole Martin Brasøygård Flågan, Co-Founder, Capipro (Norway)
Captain Steve White, Executive Director, Marine Exchange of Alaska (United States)
Dr. David Schuster, Deputy Director, Arctic and Homeland Defense Center UARC, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (United States)
Mayor Asisaun Toovak, Mayor, City of Utqiagvik (United States)
Ms. Morgan Dulian, Executive Director, UArctic Foundation US (United States)
Dr. Jessica Garron, Research Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Adjunct Professor, U.S. Army War College (United States)
Ms. Nicoline Thomsen, Chief Executive Officer, Aaveq Robotics Aps (Denmark)
Dr. Laura Conner, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. James Gamble, Senior Director - Arctic Program, Pacific Environment (United States)
Ms. Jocelyn Fenton, Director, Denali Commission (United States)
Mr. Adam Low, Director, Teaching Through Technology (T3) Alaska Program (United States)
Ms. Rikke Østergaard, Phd Fellow, Ilisimatusarfik - University of Greenland (Greenland)
Ms. Penny Gage, Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer, Launch Alaska (United States)
Mr. Conrad Woodhead, CTE and Residential Director, Kusilvak Career Academy/Lower Yukon School District (United States)
Dr. Åsa Rennermalm, Professor of Geography, Rutgers University (United States)
Dr. Alexandra Middleton, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu (Finland)
Dr. Lars Smedsrud, Professor, University of Bergen (Norway)
Dr. Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law, University of Akureyri (Iceland)
Dr. Anna Karlsdóttir, Associate Professor/Docent, University of Iceland (Iceland)
Dr. Brandon Boylan, Director of Arctic and Northern Studies; Chair and Professor of Political Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Jessica Veldstra, Executive Director, Aleut International Association (United States)
Dr. Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen, Professor of Northern Studies, Barents Chair in Politics, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway (Norway)
Ms. Hillary King, Community Manager, Reclaim CDO (Canada)
Mr. Hans Peder Kirkegaard, PhD Fellow, University of Greenland (Greenland)
Dr. Elizabeth Rink, Professor, Montana State University (United States)
Mr. Walter Sampson, Assembly Member, Northwest Arctic Borough (United States)
Governor Mike Dunleavy, Governor, State of Alaska (United States)
Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska (United States)
Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, Mayor of the City of Anchorage, Alaska (United States)
Mr. George Noll, Senior Arctic Official, U.S. Department of State (United States)
Dr. Franziska Hagedorn, Head of Division, Head of Arctic Policy, German Federal Foreign Office (Germany)
Mr. Agostino Pinna, Special Envoy for the Arctic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic (Italy)
Mr. Jacob Isbosethsen, Head of Representation to the United States and Canada (Greenland)
Mr. Torsten K. Nielsen, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)
Head Consul Joongsuk Park, Head Consul, The Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Anchorage (South Korea)
Mr. Stephen M. Carmel, Administrator of the Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (United States)
Cabinet Minister Jamie Moses, Minister of Mining, Trade, and Job Creation, Government of Manitoba (Canada)
Ms. Eleanor Kiloh, Consul General of the United Kingdom in San Francisco, British Consulate-General in San Francisco, UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (United Kingdom)
Ms. Mary Davies, Counsellor Defense Policy and Strategy, British Embassy in Washington (United Kingdom)
Mr. Jean Lemire, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Nordic and Arctic Affairs, Government of Québec (Canada)
U.S. Senator Mark Begich (Fmr.), President & CEO, Northern Compass Group; Former United States Senator D-AK, United States Senate (United States)
Mr. Thomas Dans, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Mr. Paul Dziatkowiec, Director of Mediation and Peace Support, Geneva Center for Security Policy (Switzerland)
Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; 10th U.S. Homeland Security Advisor to the President; Former Commissioner, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Chief Bill Erasmus, International Chair, Arctic Athabaskan Council (Canada)
Mr. Hugh Short, CEO/Chairman, Pt Capital, LLC (United States)
Mr. Nagruk Harcharek, President, Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (United States)
Mr. Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council (Norway)
Mr. Steve Wackowski, President and CEO, Alaska Oil and Gas Association (United States)
Ms. Kasaŋnaaluk Marie Greene, President, Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (United States)
Ms. Bridget Anderson, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (United States)
Ms. Mary David, Vice President of Strategy and Policy, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)
Mr. Michael Kituralria Ulroan, Operations Manager, ANTHC Climate Initiatives (United States)
Mr. Walter Sampson, Assembly Member, Northwest Arctic Borough (United States)
Dr. Kelsey Frazier, Affiliated Researcher, Alaska Center for Energy and Power (United States)
Mr. David Palmer, Arctic Security Development Strategist, KBR (United States)
Ms. Melanie Welsh, Executive Director, Alaska Unlimited (United States)
Ms. Kristi Swain, PhD Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. James Stevens, Tribal Administrator, Native Village of Atka (United States)
Ms. Crystal Dushkin, President, Native Village of Atka (United States)
Mr. Ben Corwin, Director of Lands and Natural Resources, Aleut Corporation (United States)
Mr. Karlin Itchoak, Assistant Regional Director, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife (United States)
Ms. Bernice Glenn Kissinger, Managing Member, Kissinger Advisors (United States)
Ms. Gretchen Fauske, Director of Special Programs & Strategy, Alaska Small Business Development Center (United States)
Dr. Pearl K. Brower, President/CEO, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (United States)
Ms. Ruth Wolfe, Rural Center Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center (United States)
Mr. Miguel Roncero, Visiting International Professional Scholar – International Relations Officer, University of Washington – European Commission (European Union)
Ms. Sheyna Wisdom, Executive Director, Alaska Ocean Observing System (United States)
Ms. Lynn-Marie Church, Nalaquk LLC (United States)
Mr. Thomas Farrugia, Alaska Ocean Observing System (United States)
Ms. Karen Pletnikoff, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (United States)
Ms. Adrienne Canino, Tetra Tech Inc. (United States)
Major General Torrence Saxe, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (United States)
Mr. Stanley Wright, Military and Veterans Adviser, Office of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (United States)
Ms. Wanetta Ayers, Executive Director, Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (United States)
Mr. Clark Hill, Director of Marine Services, UIC Bowhead Transport (United States)
Dr. Diane Hirshberg, Director, University of Alaska Anchorage Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Lieutenant Commander Samuel Krakower, Coast Guard Arctic Fellow, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (United States)
Dr. Nettie La Belle-Hamer, Deputy Director, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (United States)
Dr. Robert McCoy, Director of the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Jeff Libby, Arctic Professor, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Mr. Peter Rybski, Writer, Sixty Degrees North Substack (Finland)
Mr. Oliver Peetook, Board Chairman, Olgoonik Corporation (United States)
Mr. Richard Marshall, Member of Board of Directors, Arctic Winter Games Team Alaska (United States)
Ms. Sarah Frampton, Executive Director, Arctic Winter Games (United States)
Mr. Kyle Worl, Wellness Administrator, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Megan Cromarty, General Manager, 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse (Canada)
Ms. Leanna Williams, PhD Candidate, Arctic & Northern Studies, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Dan Berriochoa, Logistics Manager, The Great Alaskan Bowl Company (United States)
Dr. James Crowell, Founder & CEO, Crow Industries (United States)
Ms. Katherine Keith, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transportation, State of Alaska (United States)
Dr. Aaron Dotson, UAA Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Mr. William Bieber, Executive Director, UAF/CTC Mining and Petroleum Training Service (United States)
Ms. Jacelyn Keys, Director of Workforce Development, University of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Sara Taylor, Congressional Affairs & Policy Advisor, Alaska Region, U.S. Department of the Interior (United States)
Ms. Tami Fordham, Alaska Operations Office Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (United States)
Ms. Shirley Kelly, Economic Development Representative to Alaska, Economic Development Administration (United States)
Mr. Michael McEleney, Acting Director, Arctic Energy Office, U.S. Department of Energy (United States)
Ms. Xochitl Castaneda, Pacific Northwest and Alaska Gateway Director, Maritime Administration (United States)
Mr. Eric Koan, State Director of Alaska, Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture (United States)
Dr. Hyoung Rok Kim, Chief Principal Researcher, Agency for Defense Development (South Korea)
Ms. Jean Craciun, Sociologist and Senior Advisor, North Star Group (United States)
Ms. Amanda Loach, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Municipality of Anchorage (United States)
Ms. Lydia Ruddy, Managing Director, Mosaic North (United States)
Ms. Kelsey Wallace, President & CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center (United States)
Mr. Merle Apassingok, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)
Ms. Darlene Turner, Co-Production Team Member, Human Well Being, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)
Mr. Ryan O'Donnell, Senior Advisor, Renaissance Philanthropy (United States)
Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, Owner and Principal Consultant, Sauyaq Solutions (United States)
Dr. Sappho Gilbert, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (United States)
Dr. Wayne Clark, Assistant Professor, University of Alberta (Canada)
Ms. Jennie Kellie, PhD Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Dr. Lill Rastad Bjørst, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen (Denmark)