FreedomFest 2026: Full Schedule

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9:30am PDT

Think Independent

Thursday July 9, 2026 9:30am - 9:32am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Valerie Leigh

CEO, FreedomFest, Founding Board Member, Freedom360

Valerie Durham is the President/CEO of FreedomFest, where her creative vision and strategic leadership have helped transform the event into the premier gathering of free minds from around the world. With a background in event design, cultural programming, and movement arts, Valerie... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 9:30am - 9:32am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

9:32am PDT

Welcome to Thursday

Thursday July 9, 2026 9:32am - 9:35am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Kennedy

The Punk Rock Libertarian

Kennedy is an American political commentator, broadcaster, and author known for her irreverent voice and independent perspective. She first gained fame as an MTV VJ in the 1990s before transitioning into political media. She later hosted the nightly show Kennedy on Fox Business Network... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 9:32am - 9:35am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

9:35am PDT

Global Economic Summit

Thursday July 9, 2026 9:35am - 10:00am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Moderators

Rob Arnott

The Market Contrarian, Research Affiliates

Rob Arnott is founder and chair of Research Affiliates, a research-driven asset management firm he launched in 2002. A widely respected financial analyst and innovator, he pioneered investment strategies including the Fundamental Index™ approach and tactical asset allocation. Arnott... Read More →

Speakers

Li Schoolland

Voice for Truth and Freedom

Li Schoolland is an author, speaker, and tireless advocate for liberty, whose life story embodies the devastating cost of tyranny—and the enduring power of the human spirit. Born and raised in Maoist China, Li survived the horrors of the Cultural Revolution, including forced labor... Read More →

Barbara Kolm

The Diplomat for Free Markets

Economist, policy strategist, and one of Europe’s most effective champions of classical liberalism. Barbara is President of the Austrian Economics Center and Director of the Hayek Institute, where she works to advance the ideas of the Austrian School of Economics on the global... Read More →

John Fund

The Watchdog of Power, National Review

John Fund is a veteran political journalist and investigative commentator known for his relentless scrutiny of government power and electoral integrity. A longtime columnist for National Review and former member of the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, Fund has spent decades... Read More →

Diogo Costa

President, Foundation for Economic Education

Diogo Costa is the President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). He holds a bachelor's degree in Law from the Catholic University of Petrópolis and a master's degree in Political Science from Columbia University. Diogo has been a researcher at the Cato Institute and the... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 9:35am - 10:00am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

10:00am PDT

Generational Wealth Planning – On YOUR Terms

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:00am - 10:15am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Moderators

Mark Skousen

America's Economist, FreedomFest

Mark Skousen is an economist, investor, and educator known for bridging academic theory and real-world markets. He is the founder and producer of FreedomFest and has spent decades advancing the case for free markets, entrepreneurship, and sound money.

A former professor at Columbia Business School and current professor at Chapman University, Skousen has authored more than 25 books on economics, history, and liberty. His latest book, The Greatest American: Benjamin Franklin — The Most Versatile Mind of His Era, reframes Franklin... Read More →

Speakers

Rick Durfee

The Legacy Architect

You've spent a lifetime building wealth on your own terms. The last thing you want is the government, a courthouse, or a family dispute dismantling what took decades to create. Rick Durfee has been preventing exactly that since 1988. As founding attorney of Durfee Law Group, he represents... Read More →

David T. Phillips

CEO and founder Estate Planning Specialists, LLC

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:00am - 10:15am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

10:15am PDT

The Freedom Dividend: How Kenyan Microfinance Is Delivering a Fixed 24% Return to American Investors

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:15am - 10:25am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Framed for FreedomFest's free-market audience, this positions InNova as the vehicle that brings financial freedom to both U.S. investors and Kenyan entrepreneurs. "Freedom Dividend" resonates with the 250-year celebration theme. Bold, declarative, and number-forward.

Speakers

Rudolfo Beltran

The MicroLending Master

Rudolfo Beltran is Vice-President of Capital Acquisition at InNova Global Fund, an SEC Regulation D 506(c) microfinance investment platform delivering a 12% to 24% APY return to accredited investors through deployment in Kenya's booming microfinance market. With over 25 years of experience... Read More →

Exhibitors

Innova Global Fund

504

InNova Global Fund is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to expanding access to financial opportunity in underserved communities around the world. While we do not issue microloans directly, we play a vital behind-the-scenes role by providing the administrative infrastructure that... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:15am - 10:25am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

10:25am PDT

Own the Well: How Everyday Investors Get a Real Piece of American Energy

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:25am - 10:40am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Adam Butcher

President, Basin Ventures

Adam Butcher is President and co-founder of Basin Ventures, a Texas-based oil and gas investment platform that gives accredited investors direct ownership in producing American shale wells. Basin partners alongside established operators across the country's most productive basins... Read More →

Tim Davis

The Patriotic Lawyer

Tim Davis is co-founder and Managing Partner of Basin Ventures. An attorney for nearly two decades, Tim is also a partner in the Fort Worth office of the largest statewide law firm in Texas, where his practice focuses on commercial businesses, government and political entities, and... Read More →

Exhibitors

Basin Ventures

606

Basin Ventures is a leader in energy asset management, focusing on non-operating working interests, mineral rights, and royalty purchases. With over 100 years of combined experience, we have acquired 10,000+ leases, reviewed over 2 million acres, and purchased 25,000 net mineral acres... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:25am - 10:40am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

10:40am PDT

Protect Your Hard-Earned Wealth from Market Volatility

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:40am - 10:50am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Daniel Metcalfe

Senior Portfolio Manager

Daniel is a veteran principal dealer, conference speaker, and advisor with more than 20 years of experience in wealth protection and asset accumulation strategies. He consults with international clients, private equity hedge funds, and auction houses on investment-grade gemstones... Read More →

Exhibitors

The Hard Asset Exchange

410

The Oldest Proven form of Wealth Accumulation may offer the Highest Returns going Forward!

When you compare the return to ownership of assets like Gold, Silver, and even the Stock Market over the past 20 years, one asset class return stands above ALL the others.

From a Wealth Accumulation standpoint, Double Digit Increases, ultimate Portability and COMPLETE PRIVACY OF OWNERSHIP, with the certification in BEARER form, Untreated Investment Grade Gemstones are completely unique in the Financial Hard Asset world... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:40am - 10:50am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

10:50am PDT

The Entrepreneurial Quest: How to Spot a Unicorn Investment; Learn from a Founder's Journey

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:50am - 11:00am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Kevin Bidner

CEO, Hotel Communication Network

Mr. Bidner is a serial entrepreneur and a founding C-suite executive of a company with a $500M "Digital Platform" exit in his resume.

Leveraging this expertise, he has applied his industry-shaping strategy to launch The Hotel Communication Network (HCN), a pioneering initiative poised to transform the travel industry - one of the world's largest and most dynamic sectors. Since its inception, he has led HCN's efforts... Read More →

Exhibitors

HCN, The Hotel Communication Network

605

Hotel tablets transform how guests interact with the hotel, the city, and their room. Increase room revenue, decrease room costs and delight your guests with an HCN hotel tablet in every guest room

Thursday July 9, 2026 10:50am - 11:00am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

11:00am PDT

Macro Forces, New Opportunities: Where Smart Investors Break from the Crowd

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:00am - 11:10am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Markets shift before headlines catch up. Learn to read macro forces early and position before the crowd wakes up.

Speakers

Frank Holmes

The Digital Infrastructure Investor, U.S. Global Investors, Inc.

Renowned global investor Frank Holmes leads the HIVE board of directors, contributing to the company's vision and strategy. Mr. Holmes is chief executive and chief investment officer at U.S. Global Investors, a leading mutual fund and asset management firm. Mr. Holmes is a sought-after... Read More →

Exhibitors

HIVE Digital Technologies

709

HIVE was the first crypto miner to go public in 2017. It has a focus on green, renewable energy and has data centers throughout Canada, Sweden and Iceland.

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:00am - 11:10am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

11:10am PDT

True Wealth Beyond Dollars: The New Currency of Legacy

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:10am - 11:25am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

True wealth is measured by impact, influence, and contribution. Learn how to build a meaningful legacy each and every day that creates value for generations.

Speakers

Sharon Lechter

Sharon Lechter is internationally recognized as a financial literacy expert, keynote speaker and business mentor. She is a 5 time New York Times Bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, and enjoyed a 35 year career as a licensed CPA. She has advised two US Presidents... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:10am - 11:25am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

11:25am PDT

My Greatest Entrepreneurial Success: Disrupting the Deep State

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:25am - 11:45am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Patrick Byrne

Entrepreneurial Disruptor

Patrick M. Byrne stands out as a prominent figure in the corporate business world, renowned for his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative leadership. As the founder and former CEO of Overstock.com, Byrne's career has been marked by groundbreaking achievements and forward-thinking... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:25am - 11:45am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

11:45am PDT

End of Thursday Morning at FreedomFest

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:45am - 11:45am PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:45am - 11:45am PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

3:45pm PDT

Think Independent

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:45pm - 3:47pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Valerie Leigh

CEO, FreedomFest, Founding Board Member, Freedom360

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:45pm - 3:47pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

3:47pm PDT

Welcome to FreedomFest

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:47pm - 3:50pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Kennedy

The Punk Rock Libertarian

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:47pm - 3:50pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

3:50pm PDT

Building What Comes Next: A Venture Model for Greater Human Flourishing

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:50pm - 4:05pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

At a time when trust in legacy institutions is declining and society's most important challenges remain unsolved, how do we build ventures capable of achieving breakthrough impact? Drawing on lessons from the University of Austin (UATX) and other pioneering efforts, Chad Thevenot and Dr. Pano Kanelos will share a practical framework for launching and scaling bold social ventures. This session explores why human flourishing depends on builders rather than bureaucracies, founders rather than plans, and experimentation rather than social engineering. Attendees will leave with a new perspective on innovation, philanthropy, and institution-building in an era of profound change.

Speakers

Chad Thevenot

Builder of Bold Social Institutions

Chad Thevenot is the co-founder and managing partner of The Athos Group, an advisory firm that helps to launch and scale bold new social ventures. From 2021 to 2025, Chad served on the founding leadership team of the new University of Austin (UATX), where he engineered and led the... Read More →

Pano Kanelos

Founding Partner, Athos Group

Pano Kanelos is a senior fellow in the Civitas Institute and the Director of the Center for the Future of Higher Education. A higher education leader, public intellectual, and nationally prominent advocate for the liberal arts, Pano Kanelos was the founding president of the University... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:50pm - 4:05pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

4:05pm PDT

The Food Industrial Complex

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:05pm - 4:25pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Andrew Gruel

The Anti-Establishment Chef

Andrew Gruel is a chef, restaurateur, and outspoken advocate for small business and food freedom. As founder and CEO of the seafood restaurant group Slapfish, he built a nationally recognized brand grounded in transparency, sustainability, and entrepreneurial grit.

Beyond the kitchen, Gruel has become a prominent voice challenging government overreach, supply-chain dysfunction, and regulatory burdens that impact independent businesses. During the COVID era, he emerged as a vocal defender of restaurateurs and workers navigating shifting mandates... Read More →

John Mackey

The Conscious Capitalist

John Mackey is the co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market and a leading advocate of stakeholder-driven enterprise. Over nearly four decades, he built Whole Foods into a global brand rooted in quality, purpose, and entrepreneurial innovation before its acquisition by Amazon... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:05pm - 4:25pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

4:25pm PDT

Healthcare in America

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:25pm - 4:50pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Moderators

John Goodman

President and CEO, Goodman Institute

One of the nation’s leading thinkers on health policy, John C. Goodman is President and CEO of the Goodman Institute and Senior Research Fellow at the Independent Institute. The Wall Street Journal calls Dr Goodman “the father of Health Savings Accounts.” Modern Healthcare says... Read More →

Speakers

Andrew Langer

Champion of Regulatory Reform

Andrew Langer is a public policy and broadcast professional with nearly two decades of experience in media and more than three decades in public policy. In 2026, he founded the Main Street Foundation, an entity dedicated to bringing a common sense world view to public policy. He also... Read More →

Twila Brase

The Watchdog of Medical Freedom

president and co-founder of the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF), a patient-centered
national organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. S

Andy Schoonover

Founder and CEO, CrowdHealth

Andy Schoonover is the founder and CEO of CrowdHealth, a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance focused on transparency, affordability, and patient empowerment. A healthcare entrepreneur and investor, Schoonover launched CrowdHealth after a personal experience... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:25pm - 4:50pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

4:50pm PDT

Who Owns the Classroom? The War for America’s Children

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:50pm - 5:10pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Marissa Streit

The Education Freedom Firebrand, PragerU

Marissa Streit is CEO of PragerU, where she leads one of the most influential digital education platforms in America. Under her leadership, PragerU has expanded its reach across classrooms, homes, and online audiences — producing short-form videos and curriculum designed to promote... Read More →

Exhibitors

PragerU

820 and Parking Lot

Prager University is the world's leading conservative nonprofit that is focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media. Taking full advantage of today's technology and social media, we educate millions of Americans and young people about the values that make America... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:50pm - 5:10pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

5:10pm PDT

Running the Campaign You’re Not Allowed to Run — An Unprecedented Announcement

Thursday July 9, 2026 5:10pm - 5:20pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Mike ter Maat

Political Boundary Breaker

A longtime Republican, Mike recruits for the Republican Liberty Caucus. He served as Libertarian Party 2024 VP nominee and 2022 Congressional candidate. Mike has served as White House economist, professional free-market advocate, entrepreneur and economics professor. He retired in... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 5:10pm - 5:20pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

5:20pm PDT

My Most Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Government Fraud in Minnesota and California

Thursday July 9, 2026 5:20pm - 6:00pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Nick Shirley

The Next-Gen Truth Teller

Nick Shirley is an independent investigative journalist and digital content creator who began his career on YouTube at age 15, documenting youth culture before shifting to political and on-the-ground reporting. Following a two-year church mission in Santiago, Chile, he returned in... Read More →

Adam Carolla

America’s Unlicensed Comedic Philosopher

Adam Carolla is a comedian, broadcaster, and bestselling author known for blending sharp humor with unfiltered cultural commentary. Host of The Adam Carolla Show — one of the most downloaded podcasts in the world — Carolla has built a massive audience by saying what others won’t... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 5:20pm - 6:00pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

General Session

6:00pm PDT

End of Thursday at FreedomFest

Thursday July 9, 2026 6:00pm - 6:00pm PDT

Main Stage Room 130-135

Speakers

Kennedy

The Punk Rock Libertarian

Thursday July 9, 2026 6:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Main Stage Room 130-135

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