From Rock Bottom to Triathlete. Three years ago, RAYMOND BRAUN had never run more than three miles and was struggling with debilitating Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Since early childhood, Raymond struggled with OCD related to contamination, germs, and mortality. Raymond began training for his first triathlon in 2021 as part of an intensive OCD recovery program. He created the World Triathlon 777 Challenge to destigmatize conversations about mental health and honor the life of his best friend, Maya Amoils, a mental health advocate who passed away in 2021.

Braun now dedicates his time to mental health awareness and other social impact causes, making fitness more inclusive and accessible, and sharing stories to encourage and uplift. “I want to demonstrate that we have so much more potential than self-limiting thoughts, stereotypes, and social pressures lead us to believe,” he says.

Watch the trailer for Raymond Braun's 777 talk here >>

Watch Raymond Braun's mental health journey here >>

RAYMOND BRAUN grew up in a rural farm town in Ohio, without any openly gay peers or role models. Raymond went on to become a social media activist, and created a YouTube channel to celebrate LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance, eventually creating the documentary 'State of Pride' which premiered at SXSW. The documentary explores what 'pride' means to members of the queer community in the 50 years since the Stonewall Riots.

With extensive experience as a diversity consultant and strategist for major Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit leaders including Google, YouTube, Viacom, and Human Rights Campaign, Raymond brings a unique perspective to this vital conversation.

Social media, diversity, financial pressures and societal expectations. How to cope with the pressures of the Venn diagram. RAYMOND BRAUN has spoken about how he had to step away from his social media for a period of time and the LGBTQ+ community on social media because he felt as though he was constantly having to fight battles and justify himself to those who didn’t think in the same way he did. Raymond will talk about the pressures of social media, the pressures of maintaining the status quo in terms of finances and how the bar has moved for Millennials and Gen Z.

RAYMOND BRAUN spent 6-7 years in the corporate world before making the transition to Talent. Raymond has led a team of up to 45 people, so can speak to managers on how to look out for mental health issues within their team and foster a healthy working environment. Raymond was struggling with his own mental health whilst he was in his corporate roles and felt that sharing his vulnerability with his team helped them to open up.

RAYMOND BRAUN had achieved so much by the time he was 31 in terms of climbing the corporate ladder and being recognised on the forbes 30 under 30 list but at the same time had never driven a car or been in a relationship. Sometimes what society defines as winning isn’t winning at all.

RAYMOND BRAUN’s social media resume is impressive: he partnered with Instagram to launch its first-ever LGBT video series (#VisibleMe), which trended at #1 upon launch; he developed and hosted a hugely successful online social media series with Hillary Clinton’s campaign (“On the Trail”) that involved online videos, interviews, Snapchat takeovers, Twitter Q&As, etc. that racked up over a million views; with his over 150,000 followers, he was recently named one of MTV’s “Social Stars to Watch in 2016”; he formerly led YouTube’s social media campaigns and programs, reinventing their strategy and spearheading more than five #1 organic trending topics globally; and he recently founded RWB Media, a consulting company focused on social outreach, which counts several Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit leaders as clients. Raymond shares his secrets and strategies for creating content and campaigns that cut through on social media. He explains what questions to ask, how to measure your impact, how to grow your profile, how to create value for your organization or personal brand, and how to maximize your reach whether you’re a major corporation or a passionate person trying to get your voice heard in an increasingly crowded space. This topic is easily tailored to a specific company, organization, or individual’s needs and context.

A mental health advocate with experience leading teams in the corporate space, RAYMOND BRAUN brings a breadth of experience to the role of panelist and moderator that guarantees a meaningful conversation. With topics ranging from mental health, to redefining success, to fostering healthy working environments, to the connection between mental and physical health, Raymond's unique perspective resonates with audiences of all kinds.