CODACON27 · Closing Keynote · Louisville, KY
David Epstein
On the Main Stage
Closing keynote
What helps people learn, adapt, and do their best work? David Epstein investigates those questions through science and stories from sport, business, and the arts.
His work explores the value of broad experience and the unexpected ways that limits can sharpen creativity.
Join David for the closing keynote at CODACON27, bringing a curious, research-informed perspective to the conversation about how people develop and thrive.
About David
David Epstein is a science and investigative journalist and the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. His other books include The Sports Gene and Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, published in 2026.
Before becoming a bestselling author, he reported for ProPublica and was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. His reporting connects research with the experiences of people working at the limits of human performance.
He holds master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism. His own path has included ecology research in the Arctic, work aboard a research vessel, and collegiate athletics as an 800-meter runner at Columbia University.
That breadth of experience informs his questions about learning and achievement: how people develop useful skills, connect ideas across fields, and respond to unfamiliar challenges.
The Books
Inside the Box
How Constraints Make Us Better
Can fewer options make better work possible? Epstein examines how carefully chosen limits can bring focus to a project and open new paths for creativity and collaboration.
Range
Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
Through research across different fields, Epstein explores how trying varied activities, following unexpected paths, and connecting different kinds of knowledge can support long-term success.
Ideas to bring back to camp
Camp offers room to explore: new activities, unfamiliar roles, and friendships across interests. David’s writing offers camp leaders a starting point for thinking about that breadth—and about how the boundaries of a day, a space, or a shared challenge can invite creative solutions.
A TED talk
Why specializing early doesn’t always mean career success
David looks at the advantages of trying different things before committing to a narrow specialty—and why a winding path can build valuable skills.
Get a sense of his research and storytelling in this previously recorded talk.