2023 Speaker Bios & Talks

 Millions of people and their families are affected by diseases – Alzheimer’s,  Parkinson’s – caused primarily by our own proteins going rogue. Ongoing research is revealing new approaches for diagnosis and treatment. 

Byron Caughey, PhD, is a biochemist at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. After graduate work at the Universities of Wisconsin-Madison and London, and post-doctoral work at Duke University, he moved to RML in Hamilton in 1986. His lab’s research has focused mostly neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and prion diseases. Their recent discoveries range from solving the first structures of highly infectious and deadly prion pathogens to developing much-needed ultra-sensitive and accurate diagnostic tests for a variety of protein misfolding diseases. He has published over 250 scientific papers and served as an editor of several scientific journals.

 An education in the true costs of fashion, and what the price of our clothes tells us about the social and environmental impacts of our consumption. 

Mallory Ottariano grew up in a highly creative family that prioritized creative arts and individual expression, leading her to pursue an education in design and get a BFA in Architecture. The day she graduated from college, she bought a $100 sewing machine on eBay and started sewing clothes she sold on Etsy. That has since turned into a multi-million dollar women’s clothing brand called Youer which today is based out of Missoula Montana. 10 years later, her career as an apparel designer entrepreneur and business leader has led her to be an impactful voice for American-made clothing and manufacturing. 

Mallory is passionate about sustainable & ethical apparel-making and is leading the charge in

this industry here in Montana while she works to build her own activewear factory to support her brand and other small woman-owned brands. She has made it her focus to become an expert in the American apparel industry and has worked with dozens of factories and suppliers over her career. Her storytelling and educating on the apparel industry has been shared in Forbes, Inc Magazine, Outside Magazine, and Buzzfeed. She lives in Lolo Montana with her husband Jeff and their dog Luna where she enjoys the many recreation opportunities theBitterroots offer.

 Hope is available to everyone, and you can cultivate “hope habits” daily. The power of the second thought renews your mind as you intentionally direct your thoughts.  

Jesse Bradley is a pastor, speaker, author and former professional athlete. After graduating from Dartmouth College, his childhood dream came true, playing professional soccer as a goalkeeper in Zimbabwe. A prescribed medication built up toxic levels in his system, and it ended his career. He was fighting for his life for one year, and it took ten years to fully recover. In this tragedy, Jesse discovered a hope greater than his challenges. The pain formed and forged a new purpose and passion in his life. 

Jesse authentically brings hope to millions of people around the world through daily conversations, major media appearances on shows like Good Morning America, and empowering videos on how to cultivate hope habits. Jesse and Laurie have four children and a patient dog named Bella. They live in Seattle where Jesse serves the city in many roles, including pastoring Grace Community Church, a vibrant multiethnic congregation.  

 Charities are hobbled by public habits, outdated prejudices and arbitrary guidelines. It’s time to reimagine nonprofits and let them get back to making our world a better place to live, work, and play.  

denise rose, who has not capitalized her name since the 7th grade, is a long-time resident of Hamilton.  She has been the Executive Director of Hamilton Players, a local 168-seat nonprofit community theater, since 2011.  She is also the owner of Rose Grant Works and Consulting, a local grant-writing and nonprofit consulting business. denise has worn many hats in her lifetime. She worked as a massage therapist, a line cook, a trail guide, a lab tech at the University of Washington - Department of Pharmaceutics in the Regional Primate Research Center, a lodge hostess/fish processor/deckhand in Alaska, and a caterer/event planner.  In addition to her formal work history, denise has volunteered with many nonprofits over the past 20+ years. In 2018, denise received a professional certificate in nonprofit management, followed by her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Montana. Before the pandemic, she hosted a monthly nonprofit executives’ brown bag luncheon and hopes to resume the event in 2023.

 If an injustice is meaningful — it matters. Enough to grieve. Enough to make meaning. 

Mary-Ann Sontag is an Associate Professor at the University of Montana with professional expertise in loss, grief, and end-of-life care. Reflecting a commitment to using her position and privilege in service to others, Mary-Ann is a past Chair of the University of Montana Faculty Senate, works collaboratively with colleagues and students to expand and enhance mental and behavioral health services across Montana, and is an active community volunteer. Mary-Ann has three degrees, including a Ph.D., from the University of California at Berkeley and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Those words – the professional bona fides – are juxtaposed with what else is real about Mary-Ann. She is a high school drop-out. Teen-age mom. She lives her childhood dream, training and showing her beloved Bernese Mountain Dogs – and not training six rescue cats. She loves her family, her friends, Montana, all-things Peloton, and chocolate. She is a Meaning Maker, a skill she inadvertently learned when her mother died of breast cancer at age 45 and started Mary-Ann on a path to understanding loss, grief, end-of-life, and now – Meaningful Injustice.

 From cathedral builders who would never see their finished works to arborists planting forests they will never walk under, we have the capacity and obligation to shift our gaze into the future, to be a “good ancestor”. 

Mara has been a bookseller at Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana for

 18 years, though she would not have believed it possible when she started. As

 an enthusiastic beginner, she struggles with the finishing of things. In bookselling, 

she has found the sweet spot between serving her community and constantly 

learning something new. Mara also uses her enthusiasm for learning as a parent to

 an hilarious 9-year-old.