Guests
The notable thinkers who take center stage on Intellectual Property.
Chuck Todd
Political Journalist & Analyst
Chuck Todd is a renowned political analyst and one of America's foremost experts on American politics. He is the host of The Chuck ToddCast, a thrice-weekly podcast offering in-depth interviews with political figures, experts, and thought leaders, and serves as Head of Politics and host of Sunday Night with Chuck Todd for the Noosphere App. A six-time Emmy Award-winner, Todd was NBC News's chief Political Analyst and moderator of Meet the Press—the longest-running broadcast in television history—from 2014 to 2023. He also hosted Meet the Press NOW, a daily program on NBC News NOW that brought timely political analysis to a digital audience.
Known for his sharp insight and encyclopedic knowledge of politics, Todd has co-moderated multiple high-profile presidential debates, including the record-breaking 2019 and 2020 Democratic debates. He previously served as NBC News's chief White House Correspondent from 2008 to 2014 and hosted The Daily Rundown on MSNBC.
Todd is the author of two books and a frequent contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. He teaches how Washington works as the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for the University of Southern California's Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. A native of Miami, he resides in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Kristian, and their two children.
Upcoming Appearance
Saturday, September 19, 2026 · 7:30 PM
Weinberg Center · Frederick, MD
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Ric Edelman
Founder, Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals
Founder, The Truth About Your Future
Founder, Personal Finance Institute
Ric Edelman founded the nation’s largest financial planning firm, which manages $350 billion for 1.4 million families across the United States. He was ranked three times as the nation’s #1 Independent Financial Advisor by Barron’s, is in two industry Halls of Fame and recipient of three Lifetime Achievement Awards. He holds two patents for financial product innovation, appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show five times and was once the answer to 21 Across in a New York Times crossword puzzle.
Edelman is the #1 bestselling author of 14 books on personal finance, with more than 1.2 million copies in eight languages worldwide. At Rowan University, he is Founding Head of the School of Financial Planning; benefactor of Edelman Fossil Park, the Edelman Planetarium and the Edelman Scholars; and the Ric Edelman College of Communications, Humanities and Social Sciences is named in his honor.
Latest Book
The Truth About College
Ric’s latest — an unbiased guide for parents and teens on choosing the right school and major, and graduating debt-free and on the dean’s list.
Get the book →Upcoming Appearance
Thursday, October 1, 2026 · Time TBD
Maryland Theatre · Hagerstown, MD
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Morris Pearl
Chairman, Patriotic Millionaires
He’s rich—and he thinks the rich need to pay more in taxes. As Chairman of Patriotic Millionaires, Morris Pearl advocates for multimillionaires and billionaires to pay more to the IRS. Would that be a solution to our massive deficits? Or would it stifle economic activity and creativity?
Morris Pearl chairs the Board of Directors at Patriotic Millionaires. He was formerly a managing director at BlackRock and had a long tenure on Wall Street, where he invented some of the securitization technology connecting America’s capital markets to consumers in need of credit. He has also co-authored two books: Tax the Rich: How Lies, Loopholes, and Lobbyists Make the Rich Even Richer (2021) and Pay the People: Why Fair Pay is Good for Business and Great for America (2024).
Join Morris Pearl and host Russ Hodge as they explore the idea and try to find solutions to one of our most vexing problems—then join the conversation during the second half of the program, when the audience gets to ask the questions.
Upcoming Appearance
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 · 7:30 PM
Weinberg Center · Frederick, MD
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Martha Raddatz
Pentagon Correspondent, ABC News
Author, The Hero Next Door
With Election Day just days away, how will the results affect our military? ABC News’ Pentagon Correspondent Martha Raddatz, author of The Hero Next Door, talks politics, the Pentagon, and what makes a real hero. A conversation where the audience gets to question the questioners about the future of our military.
Latest Book
The Hero Next Door
Martha’s New York Times bestseller — stories of patriotism and purpose.
Get the book →Upcoming Appearance
Monday, October 26, 2026 · 7:00 PM
BlackRock Center for the Arts · Germantown, MD
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