Scott Carney

Have the comforts of the modern age made us weaker? Human biology evolved in constantly changing environments and developed biological mechanisms to let them adapt quickly. But effortless comfort means that biology isn’t active anymore, and the lack of stimulus makes us less resilient.  In this riveting keynote talk based on his New York Times bestselling book What Doesn’t Kill Us, Carney explains how adding varied environmental stimulus can help you regain some of that environmental vigor. He teaches a breathing method that strengthens the connection between the conscious mind and autonomic nervous system to help people boost their immune system, lose weight and put their bodies into environmental equilibrium.

In 2005 Carney led an abroad program for American college students in India, visiting the holy sites along the ganga river. On a ten day silent meditation retreat in the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment his student, Emily O’Conner, jumped off the roof of the retreat center to her death. The last lines in her journal explained that she believed that she was on the verge of enlightenment and that all she had to do to transform into a Bodhisattva was to end her life. This experience led Carney on a several year investigation into the dark side of enlightenment. He found a little-talked about epidemic of people going insane or committing suicide while pursuing spiritual perfection. In this talk Carney explores a broad field of spiritual quests and gives insight into what a healthy spiritual life might look like.

Scott Carney takes the audience through an almost unbelievable-but shockingly true-journey through the darkest corners of the human supply chains. He weaves together moral and ethical dilemmas with insights that can be applied to any business. Carney stresses the importance of transparency to create an unassailable ethic of public accountability. In an era where businesses depend on complex and often hidden supply chains, Carney sheds light on the unexpected results of globalization in an effort to help businesses compete with integrity. Furthermore, Carney shares his fascinating and dangerous journey he took to uncover The Red Market, to expose the harsh realities that take place in poverty-stricken regions of the world. He continues to pose hard questions concerning the motives that lead to human organ trading and child trafficking, bringing to light larger issues of social justice, business integrity and accountability.

What does it mean to make a career as a freelance writer. In this talk New York Times Bestselling author, and writer for Wired, Playboy, Mother Jones, National Geographic and many other publications, explains the the ins and outs of the publishing business. By focusing on the business side of the industry, he gives practical advice for finding an agent, writing successful pitches and how to develop story ideas that can generate a sustainable income stream. Attendees to this talk will get a free e-copy of carney’s writing manifesto The Quick and Dirty Guide to Freelance Writing.