Doomer Optimism Gathering: Speakers
Speakers
We are excited to announce our confirmed speakers which include our keynote speakers and panel organizers. We will announce more as they are confirmed.
Keynote speakers
NS Lyons
N.S. Lyons is author of The Upheaval, a Substack newsletter that analyzes cultural and political developments, particularly focusing on the influence of technology and ideology on society. Lyons contributes to publications like The American Conservative and UnHerd.
Freya India
Freya India is a London-based writer and journalist focusing sues facing young women at her Substack GIRLS. Her work has been published in various outlets including the Spectator, the New Statesman, The Independent, Quillette and UnHerd.
Ruth and Peco Gaskovski
Peco Gaskovski is the author of the science fiction novel Exogenesis and also writes Pilgrims in the Machine on Substack, a newsletter exploring being human in an age of acceleration. Ruth Gaskovski and Peco explore navigating the impact of technology in daily life on School of the Unconformed. As Swiss-Canadian dual nationals, they make their home on the borderlands of Mennonite country in Canada.
Other Speakers
Grant R. Martsolf
Grant Martsolf is a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and the Managing Editor of The Savage Collective, a Substack newsletter that explores themes related to class and human flourishing in a Machine age. He writes on topics related to class, fertility, marriage and family formation, hope, and bioethics. His popular work has been published in various outlets including Compact, Angelus Press, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michael Toscano
Michael Toscano is executive director of the Institute for Family Studies. Michael is a leader in efforts nationwide to adopt laws to make technology safer for kids. He has written on family policy, tech policy, the uses of technology to reshape work, and the effect of technological change on America's republican form of government. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The New York Post, First Things, Compact, The American Conservative, and National Review.
Ashley Fitzgerald
Ashley Fitzgerald is an environmental sociologist who co-founded the Doomer Optimism podcast. She is using all of her agency and willpower to find points of hope in the world.
Oliver Bateman
Oliver Bateman turns complex ideas into evocative stories that move people to action. He is a former professor turned marketing strategist. He still practices law. He is a columnist for UnHerd and regular contributor to The Ringer, RealClear, Washington Examiner, and Men’s Health. His work can be found at his Substack newsletter Oliver Bateman Does the Work.
Gord Magill
Gord Magill is a lifelong trucker who writes the Autonomous Truck(er)s Substack. His work has been published at USA Today, Newsweek, and Compact. His book End Of The Road: Inside the War on American Truckers is forthcoming in 2026.
