Monica Gagliano, PhD

Imagine Earth 2.3 billion years ago: a transformative event plunged the planet into deep freeze—yet from that crucible, new alliances across species boundaries were forged, and the complex, diverse life we know today emerged. In this keynote, we’ll step into that frozen chapter to explore how adaptability—and a capacity to pause, shift and change—spark renewal and flourishing. More than a tale of distant epochs, it’s also a story about the power of narrative: the way we choose to frame change can transform collapse into opportunity, despair into grounded optimism, and solitary struggle into unimaginable collective reinvention. By recognizing that the challenges we face are echoes of the past, this ancient narrative teaches us how to co-create the future.