Brooks serves as President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council. Under his leadership, ULC champions the future of public libraries by engaging and uplifting members, focusing intently on equity and inclusion and leading on core policy issues that drive our communities forward. Throughout his career, Brooks has worked to advance urban policies that expand local democracy and provide funding for local programs related to economic opportunity, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and sustainability. Brooks holds a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Brian Bannon is The New York Public Library’s (NYPL) first-ever Merryl and James Tisch Director. He is the chief librarian responsible for directing the NYPL’s 88 neighborhood branches and the Library’s educational strategy. Prior to joining NYPL in 2019, Bannon had over 20 years of experience developing and implementing educational programs, as well as leading large-scale operations that maximize benefits for all citizens and contribute to a culture of learning, reading, and community education. A frequent guest speaker, Bannon was named to Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” in 2016. Bannon received his master of library and information science from the University of Washington Information School and is a Henry Crown Fellow as part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Vickery Bowles is the City Librarian at Toronto Public Library (TPL), which delivers services through a network of 100 branches and online channels. Vickery has worked in a number of leadership positions, spearheading service development to support capacity building, civic engagement, economic development and social cohesion. She is working to advance TPL’s strategic plan and its digital strategies that support new service models, digital literacy, the customer experience, e-learning, staff development and innovation.

Randy Boyagoda is a writer and professor of English at the University of Toronto, where he serves as the U of T’s advisor on civil discourse, the first such position in Canada. He is the author of seven books, including four novels, which have been nominated for the Giller Prize, IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and named New York Times Editor’s Choices and Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year. He writes about ideas, religion, politics, literature and culture for a range of publications, including the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Financial Times of London and the Globe and Mail. A frequent contributor to CBC Radio, he hosts a podcast for the Toronto Public Library and lives in the east end of the city with his wife and four daughters.

Tommi Laitio is an internationally recognized leader and expert on public life, cities and public innovation. Tommi’s advisory and consultancy builds on his background as a city executive and a researcher. Tommi was the City of Helsinki’s first Executive Director for Culture and Leisure where he led a team of 1,800 professionals delivering over 20 million annual arts and culture, sports, public library and youth work experiences. Based on his innovative leadership, he was appointed as the inaugural Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow at Johns Hopkins University where his international research focused on the partnership capabilities of local governments in creating public spaces.