Cosmological expert, doctor, author, entrepreneur — the list of occupational descriptors for Peter Diamandis goes on. This modern-day renaissance man, best known as the founder of the X Prize Foundation, is coming to speak at the Eisenhower Auditorium on April 1.

An MIT Graduate, Peter Diamandis is an inspirational figure– through all of his work as a business busy-body, he has been either a founder or CEO of 9 different space-oriented organizations, even writing his recent bestseller, Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think.

Even earlier this month he launched his latest venture, Human Longevity, Inc., with geneticist J. Craig Venter and stem cell pioneer Dr. Robert Hariri. The three plan to use advances in genetic research to increase the health and lifespan of the human populace.

Diamandis will be the keynote event of the Schreyer Honors College’s Shaping the Future Summit, a year-long educational apogee meant to inspire highly motivated thinkers in the community to gather and share their ideas. As the capstone experience, Diamandis’ lecture will tie together all of the concepts of the summit; sustainability, medicine, entrepreneurship and technology.

The X Prize foundation, one of his most promoted achievements, was created in 1996 to encourage privatized space innovation. The nonprofit offers cash prizes for inventive engineering feats. Penn State’s Lunar Lion Team is competing with other groups from across the globe for the $20 million reward for being the first private entity on the moon, a challenge being funded by X Prize.

Starting at 8 p.m., the lecture will take place at Eisenhower Auditorium, and there will be a press conference earlier that day to elucidate some of the finer points of the summit. Tickets will be available starting March 24, and they are both free and open to the public. For all of you aspiring cosmonauts and business moguls out there, you can learn more at futuresummit.psu.edu.