Alexis Coe is a renowned historian, primarily known for her work on U.S. history and historical figures. Her critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling biography of George Washington, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, made very major "Best Books" list during its release year (TIME, NPR, and more). Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis was praised by the New Yorker as having “the liveliness of a novel.” Coe has been sought-after for speaking engagements at Columbia, HistoryCon, NYHS, West Point, and many others, and has given public talks sponsored by Hulu, Chanel, and Madewell. Coe's passion for history and ability to relate complex historical topics to a broad audience make her an approachable and inspiring speaker, seamlessly bridging the gap between academic rigor and accessible conversation.

Coe’s experience with podcasts, interviews, and public appearances makes her a polished communicator, capable of engaging diverse audiences. Coe regularly contributes to the New York Times, the New Yorker, the New Republic, Paris Review, Elle, and many others. She has appeared on CNN, the History Channel, C-SPAN, and CBS. Coe served as a consulting producer on the History Channel’s three-part series on Washington, hosted The Wing’s award-winning podcast No Man’s Land, and co-hosted Audible’s Presidents Are People Too! podcast. Coe is a recognized public figure who can captivate listeners, making her a strong choice for events that aim to inspire or educate. 

Known for her engaging, informative, and charismatic delivery, Coe consistently receives rave reviews: "Alexis was a delight, and gave us important context for today's events at both of her talks” (Enoch Pratt Free Library) and "We had a terrific event.  Alexis Coe was amazing.” (Muskingum County Library System).

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Lilly Singh is an Emmy-winning entertainer, actress, producer, New York Times best-selling author, gender equality advocate, and President of Unicorn Island. A leading force in pop culture, she has pivoted her successful online career to the big and small screens. Up next, Lilly’s first feature film, DOIN’ IT, will premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival. She co-wrote, produced, and stars as the lead in the comedy. During the Festival, Lilly will also receive the “Comedy Crossover” Award at Variety’s Power of Comedy honors. She is also partnering with AAVRANI, an Ayurvedic science-backed beauty brand, to launch the hair care collection she helped create alongside founder Rooshy Roy, inspired by Indian cultural rituals.

Most recently, Lilly starred in the Emmy-winning Disney+ comedy series The Muppets Mayhem, DreamWorks Animation action-comedy THE BAD GUYS, and voiced the lead in her animated series, The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island, now available on YouTube. She currently hosts CTV’s Battle of the Generations, a primetime quiz show that she also executive produces, and is a judge on Canada’s Got Talent. She is the author of two international chart-topping books, How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to ConqueringLife and Be a Triangle: How I Went from Being Lost to Getting My Life Into Shape. With every innovative project, business endeavor, and keynote, Lilly is redefining the rules – breaking norms that led to exclusion – and leading us toward a richer and more inclusive future. 

Through her Unicorn Island Productions company, its non-profit arm Unicorn Island Fund, and her Lilly’s Library book club, Lilly continues to blaze new paths in storytelling, spotlighting underrepresented voices and challenging social norms to transform the way the world sees, values and invests in girls and women. In her live events, Lilly offers empowering insights about building her career, creating equity, leading with authenticity, and more, and always with her signature blend of humor, vulnerability, and keen observation.

Celebrated journalist, bestselling author, and revered political analyst Tiffany D. Cross delivers every time in motivational, insightful, and thought-provoking events. She is the current co-host of iHeart Media’s Native Land Pod, which debuted in 2024 on Apple as the number one downloaded podcast in America across all categories. Cross also hosts ACross Generations, a broadcast show and podcast with Will Packer Productions and iHeart Media, where she focuses on a variety of topics from a multigenerational perspective. Cross previously hosted The Cross Connection on MSNBC, averaging 4.6M viewers a month. She is a longtime cultural commentator, having previously served as the D.C. Bureau Chief for BET Networks, an Associate Producer for CNN, and freelancer. She is also the founder of The Beat DC, a platform that provides critical analysis of national politics, policy, business, and media, highlighting their impact on and relationship with communities of color. An influential voice in the discourse of the moment, Cross is in-demand with groups including the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., the Society of Social Work Research, TriNet, Howard University, and more.

A 2020 fellow of Harvard University Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, Cross has spent more than 20 years navigating politics, media, labor, communities of color, and the private sector. She is the bestselling author of Say It Louder: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy, which Kirkus Reviews hailed as “a compelling exploration of how Black voters have the power to shape the country's future.” Cross regularly receives stellar feedback for her events, such as: ”Tiffany was superb. A joy to work with, engaging and fully invested in making the event a stand-out” (Robert Toigo Foundation Annual Gala) and ”The event was absolutely wonderful and well received! Tiffany Cross was outstanding and prolific.” (Society for Social Work Research)

As one of the 20th century's most respected and influential people, Billie Jean King has long been a champion for social justice and equality. She has created new inroads for both genders in and out of sports during her legendary career and she continues to make her mark today, primarily through the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, which is dedicated to promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace.

King, who won an astounding 39 Grand Slam tennis titles during her career, blazed trails for women everywhere in 1970 when she became one of nine players to break away from the tennis establishment and accept a one dollar contract to compete in the newly created Virginia Slims Series. The revolt led to the birth of women's pro tennis and the formation of the Women's Tennis Association. King went on to star in one of the greatest moments in sports history when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous match dubbed “The Battle of the Sexes,” which was immortalized on the silver screen in the film of the same name. Her memoir, ALL IN: An Autobiography, published by Knopf in August 2021, is garnering rave reviews.

Named one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" by Life, King is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, and France's Légion d'honneur. King moves audiences with empowering lessons on leadership, inclusivity, equality, and finding your purpose.

The co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, founder of Know Your Value, and New York Times bestselling author Mika Brzezinski is a celebrated, go-to voice on current events, world affairs, and women's empowerment. A former anchor of CBS Evening News Weekend Edition and CBS News correspondent who frequently contributed to CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes, Brzezinski has covered some of the most pivotal moments of the 21st century, from the September 11 attacks to multiple presidential elections. Brzezinski is also the author of seven bestselling books that serve as essential and inspiring guidebooks for empowering women, offering encouragement and practical advice on claiming and communicating their worth. As a speaker, Brzezinski brings a powerhouse combination of journalistic integrity, leadership insights, and empowering advocacy to your event.

Brzezinski offers empowering insights into women's equality and work-life balance as well as a dynamic perspective on the current political and media landscape, which she has shared with hosts including Harvard University, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and the Lake Nona Institute.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and bestselling author Peggy Noonan has provided unique and thoughtful analysis of our nation and its leaders to millions of readers worldwide. Her Wall Street Journal column, Declarations, has run weekly since 2000. Forbes Magazine hailed her column as “principled, perceptive, persuasive, and patriotic.” Her most recent New York Times bestseller, A Certain Idea of America, is hailed as a masterclass in how to see and love America.

She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary in 2017. Noonan has also served as a Special Assistant and speechwriter to President Ronald Reagan. In the Reagan White House, she worked alongside the President on speeches that span the 40th anniversary of D-Day, the Challenger disaster, and his Farewell Address. Noonan’s speeches are filled with humorous anecdotes and political insight, as entertaining as they are thought-provoking.

A current political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, Noonan provides unique and thoughtful analysis of our nation and its leaders. Noonan has spoken to groups as diverse as the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, World Affairs Council, the University of Charleston, the 92Y, and more.

Award-winning author, writer, and cartoonist Liza Donnelly uses her creativity to draw (literally) connections between global events, feminism, and what’s funny. An innovator of digital visual journalism, Liza has live-drawn events including the Oscars, the Olympics, presidential debates, and White House Press Conferences. By disrupting how we make sense of everything from global politics to pop culture to gender equity, from history to the present, Liza invites audiences to shift their perspective, think differently, and innovate better.

Liza is known for her viral TED Talk “Drawing on humor for change,” which has been translated into 40 languages. She has written 18 books for adults and children, and is a contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, Medium, CNN, and CBS News. Liza’s most recent book, Very Funny Ladies: The New Yorker’s Women Cartoonists, is being developed into a documentary about women cartoonists globally. She teaches a virtual class with the 92Y on the history of the famous and beloved cartoons in The New Yorker and writes a wildly popular Substack newsletter “Seeing Things,” with an ever-growing readership. Liza’s unique and interactive programs enhance events, empower teams, and inspire innovation.

Legendary artist and creator Whoopi Goldberg is one of an elite handful of entertainers and the first Black woman to achieve the EGOT status by winning an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. She has also won the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. She is also a prolific producer, and successful entrepreneur, and she is recognized worldwide for her humanitarian endeavors. Goldberg is a New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for children and adults, including The Sugar Plum Ballerinas series, Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners, and retrospective memoirs reflecting on her illustrious life and career. She is the moderator of ABC’s Emmy Award-winning The View.

Beyond her remarkable film, theater, and television career, Goldberg is equally well-known for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of children, the homeless, human rights, education, substance abuse, and the battle against AIDS. Among her many charitable activities, Goldberg is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations. Her engaging stage presence, inspiring story, and signature wit have been sought out by 92Y, Kean University, DragCon NYC, Goodwin College, and more.

Former Texas State Senator and Founder of the non-profit Deeds Not Words, Wendy Davis is renowned as a passionate advocate for women in social, economic and political spheres. After skyrocketing to near celebrity status through her historic 13-hour filibuster in the Texas Senate to stop a legislative effort that would have dramatically reduced women’s access to healthcare, Davis emerged as a leader in the national conversation surrounding women’s leadership and issues which threaten our individual opportunities. Long before she was a Texas State Senator and Texas’ Democratic nominee for Governor in 2014, Davis struggled with the same obstacles faced by women around the country. Determined to break the cycle of poverty she’d been born into, Davis fought to juggle school, career and single motherhood and uses those experiences to connect with others in order to shape perspective. Through Davis’ work at Deeds Not Words, for which she earned a spot on Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business,” she is shaping the next generation of leaders and directly working to foster diversity, inclusivity, and change at the highest levels of business and government.

At the podium, Davis combines the power of personal storytelling with her deep policy understanding to explain why equitable policies matter in the lives of women as well as the overall health and vibrancy of our economy, guiding organizations across industries toward a better understanding of the institutional value in creating diverse work environments, and key issues such as pay equity, family leave, and harassment policies. A living testament to the ability we each possess to rise above challenges and succeed, Davis demonstrates the power of each of our unique voices, and the value in raising them for what we believe in. Audiences are left inspired to utilize their individual strengths into meaningful contributions, and organizations are left with the tools and insights needed to advance positive change.

Political leader, business owner, and bestselling author Stacey Abrams is heralded for her candid insights on politics, leadership, entrepreneurship, social justice, and being a true force for change. A tax attorney by training, Abrams served eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Minority Leader, and became the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022. She has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, national and local voter engagement, tackling social issues, and building a more equitable future in the South.

An incomparable entrepreneur, Abrams has built a remarkably broad portfolio across nonprofit, political, and business sectors. She co-founded financial services firm NOWaccount Corp., Nourish, Inc. – a beverage company with a focus on infants and toddlers, and Insomnia Consulting to specialize in development, investment, and consulting for complex infrastructure projects, including transportation, waste-by-rail transfer, energy, facilities, and water. Abrams and her business partner published Level Up – a guidebook for entrepreneurs.

Abrams is also the CEO of Sage Works Productions, Inc., an entertainment production company. She conceptualized and produced the Academy Awards-shortlisted documentary All In: The Fight for Democracy and wrote the New York Times bestselling books Our Time is Now and Lead from the Outside. She is also the author of the political thrillers While Justice Sleeps and Rogue Justice, two children's books, and several romantic suspense novels, three of which are under development. She has been nominated for an Emmy and received the NAACP Image Award in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Sought-out to speak everywhere from TED, where her talk has almost 7M views and counting, to college campuses, to corporate board rooms, to the Commonwealth Club and Chatham House, Abrams is a powerful and passionate speaker. As TIME wrote of her, "People tend to remember the first time they heard Stacey Abrams speak, and it’s easy to see why."

As the world knows, Serena Williams is more than a record-smashing, boundary-breaking tennis champion. Serena has overcome insurmountable odds to win a staggering 23 career Grand Slams. Her remarkable tennis achievements, combined with her off-court success in business and fashion make her one of the most recognizable icons in the world and a powerful voice for women and mothers. Serena’s lifelong passion for design led her to fashion school, which she attended in between winning Grand Slams. In 2018, she launched her clothing line, S by Serena, designed to empower people to look and feel their absolute best. Focused on investing in companies that embrace diverse leadership and opportunity, Serena is effecting change in the financial investments sector with her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, taking 14 startups to unicorn status. Serena has also flexed her star power in the media and entertainment worlds with roles in movies, series, music videos, and more. Her award-winning docuseries, Being Serena, continues to inspire people around the world. Her many philanthropic and world-changing endeavors, including the BirthFUND health initiative, prove Serena’s ability achieve anything she sets her mind to.

Serena’s strategic thinking, champion mindset, and transformative perseverance are palpable, lighting up the room. Representing a small portion of her accolades, Serena is the winner of the NAACP Image Award, the People’s Choice Game Changer Award, Associated Press’s Female Athlete of the Decade, and the Independent’s Woman of the Decade. She has also been named to TIME’s “Most Influential Women of the Past Century” list as well as Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women in the World” and “America’s Richest Self-Made Women.” Serena has inspired audiences live at LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce, and more. 

Legendary tennis champion, New York Times bestselling author, and entrepreneur Venus Williams has made a lasting impact on and off the court with her entrepreneurship, advocacy, and fight for equality. Venus has won 7 Grand Slam titles, 5 Wimbledon championships, and 4 Olympic gold medals, and was formerly ranked No. 1 in the world. One of the most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports, she has been a steadfast advocate for equal pay, women’s empowerment, and social justice. Venus is also the New York Times bestselling author of Come to Win. Venus shares her insights in motivational speaking events for groups including Capital One, Ernst & Young, Infor, Gannett, and many more.

Heralded for her innovative business acumen, Venus is the Founder of V Starr, a full-service commercial and residential design firm. She has expanded her portfolio with the launch of her plant-based protein company Happy Viking. Venus recently served as the Executive Producer on the Academy Award-winning Warner Bros. biopic King Richard – which told the story of her father’s impact on her childhood and career as she became a tennis icon and changed the sport for generations to come. Venus has been honored with Variety’s “Power of Women” Award, as Glamour Magazine’s “Woman of the Year,” CARE Impact Award for Gender Equality, ESPN’s “WTA Player of the Year,” and one of Forbes’ “Celebrity 100.”

Venus consistently receives glowing reviews for her events, such as: “Venus was absolutely incredible. Everyone is still talking about her fireside chat. She was so gracious with her time and brought such amazing energy to the event.” (eXp World Holdings)

CBS Sunday Morning’s Jane Pauley is one of broadcasting’s most respected journalists and hosts. Prior to anchoring on CBS, Pauley spent over a decade on NBC's Today, was a co-founding anchor of Dateline NBC for over a decade, and hosted the daytime series The Jane Pauley Show. Pauley is the recipient of multiple Emmys, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement, and the Gracie Allen Award from the Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television. Pauley is a member of the Broadcast and Cable Hall of Fame. She is the author of two New York Times bestsellers: a memoir, Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue and Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life. A familiar face on television, Pauley’s celebrity fills the room with optimism, and audiences often ask her to return, citing their audiences’ warm reception.

Pauley is praised by audiences for her relatable and personal inspirational message. She advocates for people 50+ starting different careers, making a difference, and pursuing their dreams. She is also a highly regarded advocate for mental health, children’s health, and education issues. Pauley has shared her inspiring message with hosts including the American Academy of Physician Assistants, National Association of Community Health Centers, California State Association of Counties, and more.

Powerhouse journalist Joanne Lipman has transformed newsrooms across the country – and now she’s turned her keen eye to transforming work and life in the post-pandemic era. In her blockbuster new book, Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work (March 2023), she offers a deeply reported, delightfully readable look at how to change your life, your workplace, or your career -– and how to inspire innovation in others. It follows her No. 1 bestseller That’s What She Said, about achieving gender equity at work and at home, inspiring men as well as women to join together to promote diversity, innovation and excellence.

One of the nation’s most prominent journalists, Lipman is the former editor-in-chief of USA Today and the USA TODAY Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and The Wall Street Journal Weekend Journal, leading those organizations to six Pulitzer Prizes. Dubbed “innovator in chief” by The New York Times and “star editor” by CNN, Lipman began her career at The Wall Street Journal, where she rose to become the highest-ranking woman in the paper’s history. Lipman has been in-demand with groups such as Motorola, Google, Aetna, Chevron, NBC Universal, among many others.

Lipman is sought after for her insights, appearing on ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, and CBS, and is an on-air contributor at CNBC. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, TIME, Fortune, and Harvard Business Review. She teaches a popular Yale University course on Media & Democracy, focused on issues including polarization and combatting misinformation. A lively and entertaining speaker, Lipman offers action-oriented insights and critical analysis into issues ranging from workplace culture, to personal and business growth and transformation, to fostering diverse and equitable organizations, and more.

Award-winning political analyst, New York Times bestselling author, and MSNBC national correspondent Joy-Ann Reid was the longtime host of MSNBC’s beloved The ReidOut. Reid made history with her namesake show as the first Black woman to host a primetime cable news program. Prior to The ReidOut, she hosted the hit weekend morning news show AM Joy. Reid is the author of Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons, and the Racial Divide, We Are the Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barack Obama, which she co-edited, and the New York Times bestseller The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story. She also hosts two podcasts Reid This, Reid That, with Emmy-winning journalist Jacque Reid, and a books podcast What to Reid. MSNBC’s new special, The Culture Is, features Reid as co-host, moderator, and executive producer for the first episode, The Culture Is: Black Women. A sought-after keynote speaker, Reid is celebrated for her no-nonsense commentary and insights, taking audiences beyond the headlines in impactful engagements.

Reid has been featured in Washington Post, Forbes, The New York Times, Vogue, Black Enterprise, Fast Company, Ms., among many others, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Miami Herald, New York Magazine, and The Daily Beast. She was a 2025 NAACP Image Award winner for her #1 New York Times bestseller Medgar & Myrlie. a 2022 NAACP Image Award winner for The ReidOut, 2003 Knight Center for Advanced Journalism fellow, and has received awards from the Women’s Media Center, the National Action Network, the National Association of Black Journalists, and been nominated for an Emmy, a GLAAD Media Award, and two prior NAACP Image Awards. Reid has taught at Syracuse University and is a Hearst Visiting Professor at Howard University, teaching a course on the impact of race and gender on political coverage. Drawing on her decades-long experience in politics and passion for addressing the intersections of race, justice, and culture, Reid offers in-demand analysis on today’s most important issues.

Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated standup comedian, actress, writer, producer. and director Amy Schumer’s combination of humor, authenticity, and advocacy fosters a genuine connection with audiences worldwide. Schumer is the creator, star, writer, and executive producer of Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, which won a Peabody Award, a 2015 Writers Guild Award for Best Comedy/Variety Sketch Series, the first-ever Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sketch Variety Series, and a nomination Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Schumer’s Universal Pictures film Trainwreck (2015), dominated the worldwide box office as the hit summer comedy. She won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy and was nominated for a Writers’ Guild Award in the category of Original Screenplay. That same year, the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) honored Schumer with The Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy.  In 2016, she was nominated for a Tony for her role in Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower. Schumer’s three-part documentary series, Expecting Amy premiered on HBO Max, an intimate look at Schumer’s fertility battles difficulties while documenting the formation of her latest comedy special. She also premiered the second season of her Food Network cooking show, Amy Schumer Learns to Cook, with her husband Chris Fischer, an award-winning chef. Her comedy specials routinely receive Emmy nominations and top ratings.Her most recent projects include critically-acclaimed series from Hulu’s Life & Beth Season 2 which Schumer stars in, created, wrote, and directed and the Golden Globe-nominated Netflix comedy special, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact.   

Schumer’s first book, The New York Times bestseller The Girl with The Lower Back Tattoo, earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album. Schumer also recently co-hosted the 94th Academy Awards alongside Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. Known for her candid approach to discussing topics spanning self-confidence, gender equality, and mental health, Schumer’s relatable humor resonates with any room, making her message both impactful and accessible.

Actor, activist, and New York Times bestselling author Ashley Judd is heralded for her unforgettable performances and tireless advocacy work. From starring roles in box office hits and award-winning independent films, Judd’s films tell very personal stories that tap into larger issues, and she brings this gift for storytelling to all her speaking engagements. A voice for the often voiceless, she shines an illuminating light on the vulnerable and the at-risk. Judd has traveled the world with her international public health work, from maternal health to child survival, human rights to disease prevention and treatment. She has been working with NGO’s, grass roots organizations, governments, and supranational bodies since 2004, and detailed her experience in her New York Times bestselling book, All That Is Bitter and Sweet. For her sought-after speaking engagements, Judd regularly receives glowing praise such as: “Ashley Judd walked onto the Ford Hall Forum stage and hit it straight out of the park from her first word to her last. She is not only incredibly intelligent and a top-notch presenter, but also thoroughly knowledgeable and committed... It was clear that the audience found Judd completely captivating and a true inspiration.” (Ford Hall)

Judd was named one TIME’s “Persons of the Year” for her role as a silence-breaker and change-maker of the #MeToo movement, shifting the culture and conversation around sexual abuse and harassment. She is a sought after public speaker and frequent OpEd author on topics as diverse as conflict mineral mining and child marriage. She serves as the Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA, the Global Ambassador for Population Services International, and is Chairperson of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project: Curbing Abuse, Expanding Freedom. She has received the Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian Award and her alma mater, the University of Kentucky, established the Ashley T. Judd Distinguished Gradate Fellowship in the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women. Judd illuminates topics of women’s rights, mental health, the environment, and more with her indelible storytelling and global experience, and hosts rave about her impact: "Ms. Judd was the perfect choice for the closing keynote. She had obviously done her homework on the ATHENA leadership principles because she connected her remarks directly to them. She was intelligent, thought provoking, humorous, sincere, warm and extremely engaging. Conference attendees raved about her and she and her staff were delightful to work with. I would highly recommend her as a speaker." (Güd Marketing | Marketing That Matters)

Please visit ashleyjudd.com to learn more about Judd's latest projects and advocacy work.

Award-winning poet, author, performance artist, and scholar Caroline Randall Williams is a change-maker and a catalyst. She rose to the international stage with her powerful New York Times piece You Want a Confederate Monument? My Body Is a Confederate Monument, a reckoning in the movement to dismantle systemic racism. A multi-genre writer, Caroline co-authored the NAACP Image Award-winning cookbook Soul Food Love with her mother, as well as The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Prince, which won the Harlem Book Fair’s Phyllis Wheatley Prize. Her debut collection of poetry, Lucy Negro, Redux, has been turned into a critically-acclaimed ballet by the Nashville Ballet, and she is currently working on her first non-fiction book, under the working title Body Politik, which will examine the stories written on and by the body, through the lens of her lived experience. Caroline will host Disney+’s Hungry for Answers, a new docuseries and revelatory cooking show focused on Black food history in America produced by Viola Davis. A highly sought-after speaker, Caroline speaks to the places where art, business, and scholarship intersect, moving people closer to their best lives and corporations closer to their ideal identities.

Caroline has been recognized by Southern Living as “One of 50 People Changing the South,” and she was named to The Root’s list of “The Most Influential African Americans in 2020.” She is the Writer in Residence in Vanderbilt University’s Medicine, Health, and Society Department, where she has been a Cave Canem Fellow and a Global Voices Fellow. Caroline has appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Dr. Oz, among many others, and her writing has been featured in The Iowa Review, The Massachusetts Review, Essence, The New York Times, and more. Her recipes can also be found in the feature cookbook for Cherry Bombe, as well as Southern Living Magazine. Caroline regularly receives rave reviews of her speaking engagements, such as: “After you hear Caroline your life will never be the same! And if it is the same… you weren’t listening!” (Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission)

Sunny Hostin is a five-time Emmy Award-winning legal journalist, two-time New York Times bestselling author, and co-host of The View. She is a sought-after keynote speaker who earns rave reviews for her events. Hostin’s debut novel Summer on the Bluffs, first in her "Summer" trilogy, skyrocketed to #11 on the New York Times Bestseller List and is being adapted as the first major project for Sunny Hostin Productions alongside Octavia Spencer's Orit Entertainment. She recently released the second book in her acclaimed ‘Summer’ series, Summer on Sag Harbor, an instant New York Times bestseller. In the fall of 2020, Hostin released her memoir, I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds, with HarperOne. 

Hostin has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Woman, Essence, The CUT, Latina, and Ebony, amongst others. A sought-after public speaker, she has spoken at and moderated panels for the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Corporate Counsel Women of Color, the National Bar Association, and more. Hostin served as a witness at the Federal Judiciary’s Congressional Hearing for the Public’s Right of Access to the Courts, and was she was part of the groundbreaking ABC primetime newscast, “Soul of a Nation,” the first broadcast network newsmagazine aiming to put Black life in America front and center. An inescapable voice from the top echelons of news and entertainment, Sunny continues to use her platform to advocate for and give a voice to the marginalized.

A Phenomenon of Courage, Connection, & Change

Glennon Doyle isn’t just a speaker; she’s a phenomenon. With electrifying authenticity and unshakable honesty, she transcends traditional labels to become a voice of hope, empowerment, and transformation for millions. Doyle doesn’t merely tell people they can “do hard things”—she shows them how, using raw vulnerability, sharp wit, and deeply resonant stories that touch audiences across all walks of life. Her meteoric rise to global influence is no accident—it’s a testament to the power of her message and her extraordinary ability to connect on a profoundly personal level.

Doyle’s influence stems from her unique courage, relatability, and multi-platform presence. Her personal journey is a testament to resilience and authenticity, inspiring millions to live unapologetically. Her bestselling book UNTAMED, which sold over 2M copies, sparked a global movement, encouraging readers to break free from societal expectations and embrace their truest selves. Glennon doesn’t just speak about bravery—she lives it, becoming a living example of what it means to lead with heart and truth. Her most recent book, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions, created with Abby Wambach, Amanda Doyle and Treat Media, is being hailed as “the guidebook for being alive.”

Her themes of authenticity, vulnerability, mental health, relationships, and social justice are not only timely but vital in today’s complex world. Glennon captures the spirit of the moment with unmatched clarity, offering solace, guidance, and inspiration in times of uncertainty. Her words are universal yet deeply personal, making her a beacon of hope for those navigating personal challenges, seeking social change, or striving for clarity amidst life’s noise.

Beyond the stage, Glennon’s impact extends through her bestselling books (UNTAMED, LOVE WARRIOR, and CARRY ON, WARRIOR) and her acclaimed podcast, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS. She is one of the 40 Most Powerful People in Podcasting. Her massive social media following and ability to trend with every new release have solidified her status as one of the most influential voices of our time. Whether making audiences laugh, cry, or feel seen, Glennon Doyle’s transformative impact is undeniable.

Glennon is more than a speaker—she’s a global movement. She’s the trusted friend, fearless leader, and relentless advocate for truth the world needs. Whether inspiring a room of 50, reaching thousands at a conference, or connecting with millions through her books and podcasts, Glennon leaves her audiences braver, stronger, and ready to embrace their own “hard things.” It’s no wonder she’s one of the most sought-after voices in the world today.

Glennon also speaks in conversation with Abby Wambach. 

Powerhouse Maria Sharapova is known not only as an international tennis star, but also as an inspirational leader and successful entrepreneur. Sharapova became a professional tennis player at age 14. She went on to win five Grand Slam titles (the first, Wimbledon, at age 17), became the 7th female player to complete the career Grand Slam, and rank #1 in the world on five separate occasions. She will be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2025. Sharapova chronicles much of her tennis career in her New York Times best-seller, Unstoppable: My Life so Far. In her live engagements, Sharapova gives insight into the upbringing, mindset, and tools that made her amazing success possible.

Outside of tennis, Sharapova is an active founder, CEO, and business investor. Sharapova paved the way for athlete founders, creating and scaling her own premium candy line, Sugarpova. She is widely respected for her business acumen currently serving on the boards of Moncler and Wolf & Shepherd, a successful early investor in companies like Bala Bangles and Supergoop!, and was a guest judge on Shark Tank. Sharapova has also served as an investor and advisor to Bala as well as a board member of Moncler and Wolf & Shepherd. Now, Sharapova is using her experience on-and-off the court to inspire and empower audiences to achieve elite performance in all aspects of their lives, particularly women in business.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time World Cup champion, and New York Times bestselling author Carli Lloyd is an iconic American soccer star heralded for her contribution to U.S. and world soccer history. Lloyd is the two-time recipient of the highest, most prestigious award in soccer: FIFA World Player of the Year. She played for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team for 17 years (2005-2021). Lloyd is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a bronze medalist. She is the only American player to score in four different Olympics and holds the record for All-time leading scorer in USWNT Olympic history with 10 goals. She also competed in four Women’s World Cup tournaments and is a two-time World Cup Champion. She became the first player in FIFA Women’s World Cup to score a hat trick in a World Cup final. She was awarded the Golden Ball (MVP) and Silver Boot at the 2015 World Cup. Carli has played in more World Cup (25) and Olympic matches (22) than any other USWNT player. She has scored 134 goals across in 316 games, ranking 3^rd of all-time for men and women internationally. Carli currently runs her own CL10 Soccer Clinics. She is also a minority owner in her prior NWSL club, Gotham FC, making a splash in investing, entrepreneurship, and team ownership. Her own grit was proved yet again while winning FOX’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, proving toughness is a mindset. Lloyd’s career has been marked by consistent production over the course of her career, her extreme dedication to the game, and her relentless pursuit of self-improvement.

Carli is a role model who empowers and inspires others to be “Better Every Day” and to never give up on achieving their goals. The New York Times bestselling author of When Nobody Was Watching, Carli empowers audiences to find their own success with lessons from both in and beyond the world of sports. She has spoken to audiences at Golden Sachs, Bank of America, Cornell University, Microsoft, Intuit, and more.

Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and advocate for cross-cultural understanding and conflict prevention and recovery issues such as refugees, missing persons, poverty, climate change, and disarmament. Her Majesty’s work in Jordan and the Arab world has focused on national and regional human security in the areas of education, conservation, sustainable development, human rights, and cross-cultural understanding. Overall, her peace-building work has focused on the Middle East, the Balkans, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Her Majesty received the United Nations Environment Program Global 500 Award for her activism in environmental protection, promoting awareness and initiating community action for the preservation of Jordan’s natural heritage. Her Majesty has worked with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Seeds of Peace, Council of Women World Leaders, and Women Waging Peace and as a member of the Pew Global Attitudes Survey International Advisory Board.

Her Majesty authored Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, a New York Times #1 bestseller published in 17 languages. In recognition of her efforts to advance sustainable development, democracy, and peace, the Queen has been awarded numerous awards and honorary doctorates in international relations, law, and humane letters. World Awards Media and countless other hosts have commended her speaking style as “eloquent, graceful, and warm.”

As the Executive Vice President of Forbes, Moira Forbes has played a key role in the company's transformation into a digital-first global media company and a preeminent destination for today's business leaders. She’s been at the forefront of driving innovation and shaping the future of the brand, and she also represents the fourth generation of the Forbes family. Through her dedicated column, live events, and video series, Moira spotlights the world's most dynamic leaders and is a prominent advocate for gender equality. Moira’s work has fostered a culture of innovation at the global publication, shaping the future of media and business.

Notably, Moira has been instrumental in shaping Forbes’ editorial focus on the many paths to becoming a successful leader as a prominent advocate for gender equality in the corporate world. She is the Founder, President, and Publisher of ForbesWomen, now the world’s largest media platform dedicated to women in business and leadership. Moira also oversees Forbes’ annual list of the World’s Most Powerful Women, the definitive ranking of female influence on the global stage, in addition to the annual Power Women’s Summit which she launched in 2013. Moira has shared her insights on leadership at prestigious industry gatherings, including the World Economic Forum, Cannes Lion, SXSW Conference, Massachusetts Conference for Women, and EY Entrepreneur of Year. She is also a regular media and television commentator on the state of women's leadership worldwide.

Olympia Snowe is recognized as a policy thought-leader in Washington. She is also an inspiration for the barriers she overcame to become one of the most powerful women in Washington. The Washington Post summed up Senator Snowe's powerful legacy as a politician, "with several historic distinctions to her name: She is the first woman in U.S. history to serve in both chambers of a state legislature and both chambers of Congress. She was the first Greek American woman to serve in Congress, the youngest Republican woman elected to the House and the first Republican woman to serve on the Senate Finance Committee." 

She made the decision not to seek a fourth term in the United States Senate when she arrived at a stark reality: that the excessive political polarization in Congress would not diminish in the short term.  As a result, she joined the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, to take her fight for bipartisanship in a different direction.  At the BPC, she serves as a Senior Fellow where she is able to harness her insider’s knowledge to promote change from outside of Congress.  

Seven-time Emmy-winning journalist Ann Curry is a cornerstone of U.S. news and journalism. Her reporting is raw, bold, and deeply personal, fueled by human connections. She has appeared before the camera on some of America’s largest networks, including NBC News, PBS, TNT, and more. Her TED talks have been viewed around the world. Curry brings the same deep meaning, message, and sharp intellect to her speaking events as she does her iconic interviews.

Curry is recognized not only as a journalist but also as a humanitarian. Her work has garnered honors such as the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Medal of Valor, the NAACP's Excellence in Reporting Award, the Centre for Responsible Leadership's Truth in Media Award, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award, and more. Hosts such as Colgate University, the Holocaust Memorial Center, the National Court Reporters Association and more have been captivated by her memorable stories.

Founder of Drybar, serial entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author Alli Webb shares actionable and inspiring business insights in captivating talks. Webb is is the co-founder of Drybar, Squeeze, and Becket + Quill. In her informative, actionable, and inspiring remarks, Webb demystifies creating a company and brand culture that will transform any industry.

The Inc. Magazine How I Did It cover girl has been named to Fast Company's “100 Most Creative People in Business,” Fortune’s “40 Under 40” list, Marie Claire’s “Most Fascinating Women,” and Inc.'s “100 Women Building America’s Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses,” Webb is a bonafide business powerhouse and an innovative leader paving the way for aspiring entrepreneurs the world over. Webb also appeared as a guest shark on hit TV series, Sharktank and currently serves as an advisor to many budding brands. Webb delights and motivates audiences with talks ranging from business innovation, to how to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit, to the challenges and opportunities in being a female entrepreneur, and beyond.

Actor, author, and podcaster Jenna Fischer is best known for playing Pam Beesly on the acclaimed TV series The Office, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress and two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Comedy. Fischer and The Office cast-mate and real-life best friend, Angela Kinsley, host the wildly popular podcast Office Ladies, which won iHeart Radio’s Podcast of the Year award in 2021. The pair co-authored the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Office BFFs: Tales from The Office From Two People Who Were There. In memorable and highly engaging moderated conversations, Fischer shares her journey to becoming part of one of the most beloved television shows, behind-the-scenes memories from the set of The Office, and inspiration for audiences of all kinds.

After wrapping The Office, Fischer went on to star in the Off-Broadway play Reasons to Be Happy, as well as the world premiere of Steve Martin's newest play Meteor Shower for a record-breaking run at the Old Globe Theatre. Her film credits include Brad's Status (opposite Ben Stiller), Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris (with Michael Dougals), The Giant Mechanical Man (which she also produced), the Farrelly Brothers’ Hall Pass; Solitary Man, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story from producer Judd Apatow, The Promotion, Are You Here; and Blades of Glory opposite Will Ferrell. Other TV credits include starring in ABC’s Splitting Up Together, FOX’s The Grinder, and Comedy Central’s Drunk History, among others. Fischer’s first book, The Actor’s Life, was published in 2018. She received the Screen Actors Guild Emerging Actor Award at the St. Louis Film Festival in 2004. With her characteristic warmth and humor, Jenna offers an authentic perspective on creativity, grit, and following your dreams that resonates across industries.

Athlete icon, entrepreneur, and advocate Allyson Felix is the most decorated Track & Field Olympian in U.S. history. An eleven-time Olympic medalist. Seven-time Olympic Champion. World Record Holder. She has won a mind-blowing thirty-one global medals at the Olympics and World Championships. Felix has redefined athletics as she continues to cement her iconic status on and off the track. She is an investor in multiple companies, serves as an advisor to a female-led and focused venture fund, and is the Founder of her own shoe company for women, Saysh. Sought after for her empowering insights about striving for greatness in business and in life, Felix has captivated audiences across industries.

Felix has been featured in major publications including Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Glamour, Essence, Self, O Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Elle. She is passionate about her community and serves on the Board of Directors for &Mother, Right to Play, and others, and through partnerships with Voice in Sport, the Women’s Sports Foundation, and more. Felix has received numerous accolades for her athletics and her advocacy, including being named to TIME’s “100 Most Influential People of the Year” in both 2020 and 2021 as well as the Sports Illustrated ‘Unrelenting List’. In demand with groups such as Trellance, Princeton University, Paypal, and World 50, Inc., to name a few, Felix consistently receives rave reviews for her speaking engagements: “The event with Allyson Felix was a great success! She presented such a genuine, focused, inspirational story that displayed her journey of ups and downs; her great lessons and appreciation of what teamwork can bring. A true champion.” (ATG Global Entertainment)

Deshauna Barber is a dynamic international motivational speaker, Army veteran, former Miss USA and founder of the Women Veterans For Change. Renowned for her impactful and inspiring approach, Barber recently partnered with E.L.F. BEAUTY and Emerald Audio Network as the host of their new limited podcast series, Valor, to highlight the extraordinary stories of courageous servicewomen throughout history, celebrating their bravery and resilience. 

Leveraging her unique experiences as an Army officer, STEM graduate, and advocate, Deshauna exemplifies the power of perseverance and resilience. Her journey from a decorated military career to becoming a top- rated speaker, sought after by Fortune 500 companies, underscores her remarkable ability to inspire and motivate. In 2019, Deshauna made history as the youngest President and CEO of the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), a leading nonprofit dedicated to advocating for servicewomen and female veterans. During her tenure, she championed women’s rights and resources on Capitol Hill, making significant strides in support of our nation’s service members. She has also launched a speaker mentorship course called Thrive, a cohort-based training program with 18 aspiring students pursuing careers as motivational speakers. Deshauna holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Virginia State University, a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Services from the University of Maryland University College, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. Crowned Miss USA in 2016, Deshauna became the first soldier to win the title. She used her platform to advocate for increased support for soldiers with Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

With over 11 years of military service, she continues to emphasize the importance of mental health for service members and veterans. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Deshauna channels her experiences into empowering others, dedicating her life to inspiring and uplifting those around her. As a motivational speaker and advocate, her global mission is to encourage, inspire, and strengthen individuals, embodying her commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

Esteemed broadcast journalist, sports anchor, and television personality Cari Champion has advanced the sports media industry for women today. For nearly a decade, she served as anchor and host at ESPN – her roles included co-hosting SportCenter’s Coast to Coast, hosting SportsNation, and moderating ESPN’s popular debate talk show, First Take. Champion’s influence resonates across mediums, and she is the host of the podcast Naked with Cari Champion, showcasing her authentic interview style that brings refreshing and nuanced conversations to the forefront from thought-leaders and culture-shifters within the entertainment industry. Champion recently hosted CNN's New Year's celebration and she can be seen frequently as a regular contributor to the network. She currently hosts TNT’s The Arena, creating a thought-provoking forum for provocative topics from the most popular voices in sports. She hosts the eponymous Cari Champion Show, which aired on Amazon. She served as co-anchor of NBC’s primetime studio show, Tokyo Tonight on NBC’s Peacock Channel during the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, as well as co-host of NBC’s reality competition series The Titan Games. Champion made history with her move to Vice TV, working alongside Jemele Hill as the first Black women to host a late-night cable show, Cari & Jemele: Stick to Sports. Champion shares her unparalleled insights about creating her own path to working at the top of her field, the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender in sports and media, and how to cultivate leadership, teamwork, and perseverance at work and in life.

Champion has been profiled in Sports Illustrated, Vogue, Bustle, The Grio, Essence, and more, and she was honored by Essence at its inaugural Black Women in Sports event. She was selected to host the prestigious 2021 SI (Sports Illustrated) Awards. She is the Founder of Brown Girls Dream, a powerful mentorship network supporting high potential women of color, inspired by the mentorship she received early in her career. She also writes a bulletin for META, ‘I Said What I Said’, debunking harmful stereotypes and unpacking provocative stories. Champion is a gifted keynote speaker and moderator, getting to the heart and soul of today’s biggest issues, and making a lasting impact on audiences of all kinds.

Groundbreaking Hollywood visionary and power player Mara Brock Akil is the writer and producer of nearly 400 episodes of television, truly leaving her mark on the industry. A trailblazer in many ways, Akil created the seminal television series Girlfriends-- a witty, intelligent and honest exploration of the many facets of black womanhood. Additionally, Akil developed the spin-off series The Game, which became the most-watched scripted-series premiere ever on ad-supported cable. The series continued on for a total of 9 seasons, earning praise throughout its run for its verisimilitude and, during the reality television boom, as one of the few shows on television that felt truly specific to its moment. Akil is also the creative force behind BET’s Being Mary Jane, which further cemented her ability to tell powerful and engaging stories that speak to women through honest, true-to-life reflections, The CW’s Black Lightning, and OWN’s Love Is___. Now, she is co-executive producing Netflix's adaptation of Ibram X Kendi's three anti-racism books, which will be a mix of a documentary and scripted features. 

A regular on the Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power100, Akil is a leader in her field. She's been honored with the prestigious Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award; the American Black Film Festival's Industry Visionary Award, Essence magazine’s Visionary Award; named to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter’s Showrunner Power Lists; and been inducted into Northwestern’s Medill Hall of Achievement.  

As a passionate, dynamic, and empowering speaker, Akil has been sought-out to speak at Google, George Washington University, The Wing, and more. Akil shares remarks on self-growth and love, finding the power to be bold, loving life at every age, and breaking barriers in all facets of life. 

Laura Brown was the Editor in Chief of InStyle, one of the world’s most successful fashion media brands, where she was responsible for InStyle’s voice, content, strategy and brand extensions, until February 2022. Helming a brand that reaches more than 30 million women, Brown oversaw the print magazine, digital across all platforms, and 13 international editions. In addition, she lead development of the ‘ InStyle Badass Women’ platform and live events such as the annual InStyle Awards and the Golden Globes party.

Heralded for ushering in a new generation of Editor-in-Chief, Laura's philosophy of “Everybody’s In,” helped her reach and appeal to a wide range of audience. Her invaluable contributions to the media and fashion industries have garnered extensive coverage and recognition – with profiles in The New York Times, The Business of Fashion, New York Magazine, Fast Company and Digiday, among many others.

Lauded for her fun, informative, and relatable speaking style, Laura captivates audiences with conversations about her storied career, the intersection of fashion and politics, and following your path in an organic way.

Lara Spencer is an Emmy-winning anchor and reporter for Good Morning America, and has been a journalist with ABC news since 2000. She is also the creator, host and Executive Producer of HGTV’s Emmy® Award-winning “Flea Market Flip” as well as “Everything But the House."

Spencer has written two New York Times Bestselling books: I Brake for Yard Sales, and Flea Market Fabulous. In addition to her career, Spencer is the mother of two children and very active at her Alma Mater Penn State University where she was an All-American platform diver.  She is also a dedicated advocate for pet adoption and has 3 rescue dogs of her own. 

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Helene Cooper is a Pentagon correspondent with The New York Times and a New York Times bestselling author. Working previously at the Wall Street Journal, Cooper was the foreign correspondent, reporter, and editor in the London, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta bureaus. For The New York Times, she covered the White House and was the diplomatic correspondent, reporting from 86 countries. Her autobiography, The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood, is a New York Times bestseller and National Book Critics Circle finalist. Cooper also wrote Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, bringing her unparalleled journalistic skills to this biography of the leader of the women’s movement in Liberia. Cooper’s high-level analysis of today’s most important issues, thoughtful insights, and unwavering pursuit of the truth makes for indelible conversations that will have an enduring impact.

Cooper has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, an Overseas Press Club Award for International Reporting, and a George Polk Award for Health Reporting for her coverage of the Ebola crisis, as well as the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for International Journalism. She has appeared on Meet the Press, Washington Week, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Morning Joe, and This Week, and her stories appear in The New York Times.

Award-winning scientist and internationally bestselling author Hope Jahren is an expert on global climate change who helps us see our interconnectedness and interdependence with the world around us. Jahren’s New York Times Notable book Lab Girl won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography among other accolades. In a review of her book The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here, Nature called Jahren “the voice that science has been waiting for.”

Jahren is the recipient of three Fulbright Awards and is one of four scientists, and the only woman, to have been awarded both of the Young Investigator Medals given within the Earth Sciences. While a tenured professor at the University of Hawaii, she built the Isotope Geobiology Laboratories, with support from National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the NIH. She currently holds the J. Tuzo Wilson professorship at the University of Oslo, Norway.

For her sought-after keynote speeches, Hope receives consistent praise: “The presentation was flawless” (Medical Library Association), “Hope was absolutely brilliant” (Merwin Conservancy), and “Hope’s entire visit was a HOME RUN for us… She set a high bar for future presenters” (Howard Hughes Medical Institute).

Elizabeth “Betsy” Duke is a highly regarded banker with many firsts as a woman in banking. Although she has been a key decisionmaker in the boardroom of both the Federal Reserve and a major US bank, her commonsense view of the world was shaped in 30 years of community banking and small business lending. She joined the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2008, just as the financial crisis got underway. With her practical understanding of the banking industry, she was the Fed’s point person on housing, consumer and small business issues during the crisis and the recovery. She stepped up to chair the board of directors of Wells Fargo after the discovery of serious sales practices issues required that company to take a hard look at its culture. As Board Chair she oversaw a nearly complete replacement of the board and management team and maintained regular dialogue with investors and regulators.

Today, her understanding of the perspectives of both investors and public policymakers combines with her high-level experience and crisis-tested judgement to give color and texture to her remarks. Audiences appreciate that Duke has walked down Wall Street, Main Street, and Constitution Avenue. Her speeches and panel discussions highlight the interplay between the banking system and the economy with a focus on fiscal, monetary, and regulatory policy. With a conversational style, she approaches policy from the standpoint of the factors that shape it and the consequences that flow from it.

As an economist, policy-maker, professor, and former business school dean, Laura D'Andrea Tyson has long been a leading champion of ways to re-think the role of business in society. Currently a Professor and Director of the Institute for Business and Social Impact at the Haas School of Business and the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley, Tyson has also served as Dean of London Business School from 2002 through 2006 and as Dean of the Berkeley Haas School of Business from 1998 through 2001.

Frequently sought our for her economic insight from the highest levels of government, Tyson was a member of the US Department of State Foreign Affairs Policy Board (2011-2013) and served as a member of President Barack Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (2011-2012). She was also a member of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (2009-2011). 

Tyson is currently a Senior Advisor at Credit Suisse Research Institute and The Rock Creek Group. Among the many other esteemed positions Tyson currently holds are:

• Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
• Member of the Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution Hamilton Project
• An advisory board member of Generation Investment Management, H&Q Asia Pacific, and the Observatory Group
• Member of the Asia Commission of the Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute
• Advisory committee member of the Presidential Leaders Scholars
• Member of the international advisory council of Bocconi University
• Advisor to the Alliance for Competitive Taxation
• Special Advisor at the Berkeley Research Group
• Member of the Fair Shake Commission on Income Inequality and Middle Class Opportunity
• Serves on the economic advisory board of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School
• Member of the Berggruen Institute on Governance’s Think Long Committee for California, 21^st Century Council and Governance Index
• Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Women’s Empowerment
• Member of the Boards of Directors of AT&T, CBRE Group Inc., and Silver Spring Networks and Lexmark International Inc.
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Jacobs Foundation, The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and the Opportunity Institute

In addition to her economic work at the highest levels of governments and Fortune 500 companies, she is a leader in the blending of business and social change, exploring ways that for-purpose organizations can impact social change using for-profit principles, and vice versa. Additionally, she has tremendous experience and insight into global trade and trace policy, as she helped usher China into the WTO and was instrumental in the creation of NAFTA and other trade legislation.

As a former U.S. Chief of Protocol (2009-13), White House Social Secretary (1997-2001), and Special Assistant to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton (1993-97), Capricia Marshall has set the stage for diplomacy at the highest levels. Ambassador Marshall has devoted her life to public service, working to transform and create new methods of global engagement to build international goodwill.

Ambassador Marshall provides audiences with illuminating insight into the art of diplomacy, the power of protocol, and actionable strategies for effective communication and relationship-building. Consistently recognized as one of the leading female power players in Washington, Marshall is an inductee of the BizBash Hall of Fame as an "event industry game-changer," has been featured in Elle's "Setting the Agenda: How 43 Women are Changing the World for Women," as well as Elle's "10 Most Powerful Women in DC," and Washington Life's "Power 100."

Former White House Social Secretary and business executive Desiree Rogers has helped major organizations reinvent business models and reach new and more diverse audiences with tangible results. The first black CEO and Co-Owner of Black Opal Beauty and Fashion Fair Cosmetics, the first black female CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, and a former CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, Rogers is heralded for her uncanny business acumen and innovative approach to marketing and brand development. Beyond her experience in the private sector, Rogers was appointed by President Obama as White House Social Secretary, re-positioning the White House as the “People’s House” and implementing innovative events.

Named to the "50 Most Influential People in the Multicultural Market" by WWD, "Top 25 Women to Watch" by Crain's Chicago Business, and "Top 50 Most Powerful African American Business Women" by Black Enterprise, Rogers offers insights on everything from how to make marketing work in a digital and global age, to how to talk about race and foster a positive, inclusive work environment. Sought-out to speak at Chicago Ideas, TED, the Society for Human Resource Management, and more, Rogers has the unique ability to connect with her audience, energize and inspire teams, and illuminate new strategic pathways and operational approaches.

An entrepreneur, activist, politician, and philanthropist, President & Dr. Joyce Banda is the former president of Malawi, the country's first female president and Africa's second. Dr. Banda was instrumental in the formation of the African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (AFWE), currently running in 41 countries in Africa; the Council for the Economic Empowerment of Women in Africa (CEEWA); and the American & African Business Women’s Alliance (AABWA), of which she served as first President. Dr. Banda has taken on a Distinguished Visiting Fellowship at the Center for Global Development, jointly with the Woodrow Wilson Center, where she brings her invaluable experiences as a leader in African politics. Dr. Banda is also a member of the United Nation's Council of Women World Leaders and was recently named Honorary Chairperson of The Women Empowerment & Development Society in Asia-Africa. Continuing her tireless work encouraging women to enter political office and championing the rights of women and the disenfranchised, Dr. Banda speaks globally on topics of women’s empowerment, globalization, and policy.

Dr. Banda has been named one of both Africa and the world’s most powerful women by Forbes. Dr. Banda has championed women’s rights in Malawi and beyond, co-authoring the book From Day One: Why Supporting Girls Aged 0 to 10 Is Critical to Change Africa's Path. As a speaker, Dr. Banda adds a wealth of leadership experience and inspirational insights, motivating and empowering your audience to make a change in the world.

Called “the really indispensable Cheney” by columnist George Will, Lynne Cheney enlivens audiences and lights up TV screens while arguing for the need to teach America’s story fully and fairly. As chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and second lady, she brought this message to audiences across the country. 

With a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Cheney also speaks forcefully on the importance of nurturing a diversity of viewpoints on college campuses, as well as in the mainstream media. Through speeches and appearances on radio and television - including a stint as co-host on Crossfire Sunday - she has established her identity as an incisive commentator on culture and politics.

Dr. Cheney's 12th and newest book, The Virginia Dynasty: Four Presidents and the Creation of the American Nation, adds to her oeuvre on American history.  In a recent profile by the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Cheney said she hopes that by studying America's origins we can understand and reassert the 'civic glue that has held us together.' 

Small business expert, author, and venture capitalist Karen G. Mills is a leading authority on U.S. competitiveness, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Mills is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School, served in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet as the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2009 until 2013, and was a member of the President’s National Economic Council. During her tenure at the SBA, Mills took steps that led to record-breaking years for lending and investments in growth capital. Additionally, her efforts helped small businesses create regional economic clusters, gain access to early-stage capital, boost exports, and tap into government and commercial supply chains.

Mills is the author of Fintech, Small Business & The American Dream: How Technology is Transforming Lending and Shaping a New Era of Business Opportunity (second edition to be released in 2024), as well as numerous other publications on fintech, innovation policy, and the supply chain economy. She is a venture capitalist and the President of MMP Group, Vice Chair of Envoy, and a Director of several Churchill Capital entities. Mills is a trusted voice on how new technologies are revolutionizing how small businesses can leverage growth and economic opportunity, and how institutions large and small can be a catalyst for innovation and change.

One of the world's foremost communication strategists, Karen Hughes specializes in strategic messaging, crisis communications, and executive positioning with clients ranging from global corporations to Fortune 500 CEOs. She was inducted into the PR Hall of Fame for her work as worldwide vice chair of BCW Global. Hughes has also served as counselor to President George W. Bush and Under Secretary of the State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. As counselor to the President, she managed the White House Offices of Communications, Media Affairs, Speechwriting, and Press Secretary. As Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, she oversaw three bureaus at the Department of State: Educational and Cultural Affairs, Public Affairs, and International Information Programs, and participated in foreign policy development at the State Department. In the private sector, Hughes has served on the Microsoft Advisory Council for Policy and Politics (MAC) since 2011, as Principal of Message Matters, and as former Worldwide Vice Chair of global communications firm BCW (2008-2022). Hughes’ diverse expertise at the highest levels of communication across the public and private sectors imbues her with a compelling ability to tailor presentations to provide a directed expert perspective. 

Hughes has spoken at Boston College, Merril Lynch, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and many more. The Union League Club of Chicago, yet another happy host, said, “It was obvious from her remarks that she had given a great deal of thought to her address, and she touched upon all the right notes... A big home run!”

Hailed by the New York Times as “one of America’s most important novelists and an international literary sensation,” and by the Financial Times as “one of the great novelists working today,” Nicole Krauss’s work is a stunningly honest reflection of the contemporary human condition. Her first novel, Man Walks Into a Room, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book of the Year. Krauss is the author of many international bestsellers: Forest Dark, Great House, a finalist for the National Book Award and the Orange Prize, and The History of Love, which won the Saroyan Prize for International Literature and France’s Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger, and was short-listed for the Orange, Médicis, and Femina prizes. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages. She has been named one of Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists and was chosen by The New Yorker for their “Twenty Under Forty” list. In 2020 she was the first Writer-in-Residence at the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University, and in 2021 she was awarded the Sami Rohr Inspiration Award for career achievement. With thoughtful reflections and an engaging presence, Krauss inspires audiences to appreciate the transformative power of stories and the written word.

Krauss’s fiction has been published in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories. To Be a Man, her first collection of short stories, won the Wingate Literary Prize. Drawing from her rich body of work, Krauss explores themes of memory, identity, and the human condition.

Hadassah Lieberman charms audiences with stories from her extraordinary life, focusing on women’s health issues, assisting nonprofit organizations, and promoting international understanding. Ms. Lieberman successfully tailors her remarks to fundraising objectives that enable an organization to reach their goals.

Writer, cultural critic, and entrepreneur Aminatou Sow is renowned as co-host of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, which tackles the intricacies of feminism, pop culture and the latest in politics.

A member of the Sundance Institute Director's Advisory Group, and previous head of Social Impact Marketing at Google, Aminatou has been named one of Forbes "30 Under 30 in Tech." She is also the co-founder of Tech LadyMafia, an organization created to increase the visibility of women working in and around Technology. Her book, a TIME's 100 Must-Read Book of 2020, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close (June 2020), makes the bold and compelling argument that a close friendship is the most influential and important relationship a human life can contain—helping you improve as a person and in your relationships with others.

A passionate public speaker, Aminatou has been sought-out for events like SXSW, Chicago Ideas Week, and the Sydney Writers Festival. She convenes and facilitates conversations about the most important cultural issues of our time, and has interviewed everyone from Hillary Clinton to Roxane Gay, Kirsten Gillibrand, Ali Raisman, and so many more impressive women. At engagements, Aminatou shares candid insights into female ambition, money and power.

Peabody and Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Amna Nawaz currently serves as co-anchor & co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour. Her diligent reporting and skillful moderation have shaped coverage of some of the most important events in recent history. Amna’s portfolio is broad, delving into politics, foreign affairs, education, climate change, culture, and sports to great acclaim, with her NBC News Special ‘Inside the Obama Whitehouse’ earning her an Emmy Award. From her distinguished position as NBC’s Islamabad Bureau Chief & Correspondent to her Peabody Award-winning work, Amna’s signature thoughtful and thorough analysis establish her as one of the foremost voices in journalism today.

Leading notable panels such as the Aspen Ideas Festival and the RespectAbility #ADA30 Summit 2020, Amna’s insightful moderation elevates conversations. In a ground-breaking moment, she co-moderated a 2019 Democratic Primary Debate, becoming the first Asian American and first Muslim American to do so. Amna has interviewed international newsmakers, influential voices in the arts, and travelled from border towns to Appalachia covering vital issues and enriching national and international dialogue.

Amna’s work has appeared on ABC News, Nightline, NBC News, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, Dateline NBC, MSNBC, and MSNBC.com. Nawaz was a Fall 2021 Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service and she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Asian American Journalists Association, the South Asian Journalists Association, and the Inter-American Dialogue. Amna consistently receives rave reviews for her speaking engagements, such as: “Amna was outstanding! Gracious, delightful, simply perfect. The tone of her speech hit the spot. Everyone loved it.” (Greenwich Academy)

Former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi is a business powerhouse, globally renowned for leading the company through a decade of tremendous growth and change. Praised for her prescient and strategic thinking, she was responsible for growing PepsiCo's revenues from $35 billion when she became CEO, to $63.5 billion in 2017. She oversaw a portfolio of global brands and diversified products enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 180 countries and territories around the world. As PepsiCo’s director of global strategy for over a decade, Nooyi led the company's restructuring, including the divestiture of its restaurants into the successful YUM! Brands, Inc; the acquisition of Tropicana and merger with Quaker Oats; the merger with PepsiCo’s anchor bottlers; and the acquisition of Wimm-Bill-Dann, the largest international acquisition in PepsiCo’s history. An advisor to several early-stage companies, Ms. Nooyi currently serves on the boards of Amazon, Philips, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Partnership for Public Service, and is an independent director of the International Cricket Council. She is a trustee at the National Gallery of Art, and is on the Dean’s Advisory Council at MIT’s School of Engineering.

Celebrated for her hallmark motto of "do well by doing good," Nooyi was chief architect of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo’s pledge to do what’s right for the business by being responsive to the needs of the world through sustainable growth initiatives such as making healthier and more nutritious products, limiting the company's environmental footprint, and empowering associates and people in the communities PepsiCo serves. With multiple appearances in Forbes' "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women," Fortune's "Most Powerful Women," and TIME's "100 Most Influential People in The World," Nooyi has been sought-out for her unparalleled business insights and empowering messages on leadership, inclusivity and change everywhere from The World Economic Forum to The Aspen Institute. In 2019, her portrait was inducted into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and in 2022 she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our Future, published by Penguin Portfolio in September 2021, and teaches the MasterClass "Leading with Purpose."

Today’s unprecedented speed of change is forcing companies to pivot like never before and leverage their most innovative assets - their PEOPLE. For centuries, our workforce has been focused on specific roles and siloed divisions, but now the path to growth will come by inspiring every employee (from leader to individual contributor) with a new path to bring different, untapped sides of themselves to work, and ultimately become more curious, creative and action-oriented. This process of creating a more holistic person and organization is what Abigail Posner refers to as expansiveness. Tapping into her Harvard background in social anthropology, as well as her practical application in business through her work at Google, where she pioneers a focus around Humanizing Digital, Abigail provides an inspirational narrative and a roadmap for how people and organizations can embrace a new WHOLE-istic approach to business innovation and growth.

Posner is a member of ENDI Corp’s Board of Directors and sits on the advisory boards of the 890 Fifth Ave, SwiftArc Ventures, Global Leadership Diversity Exchange, Realm, TheSocialArchitects & the Conference Board’s Marketing & Communications Team; and has been featured in a host of publications including: NYTimes, Business Insider, Forbes, Adweek, Huffington Post, La Presse, CNBC, Mumbrella, AdNews, B&T & Globes Israel.

If you are looking to guide people in your organization to embrace more than a siloed vision of their roles, as well as become more vested in using their unique perspectives and skills to be more creative and innovative, then Abigail is the perfect guide to spark novel thinking and lead your people to action. Beyond her role at Google, she is a world-renowned speaker, podcaster, writer, beauty blogger, and lifestyle influencer. From appearances before packed audiences at Lincoln Center and SXSW, to speaking in over 10 countries, Abigail has shared her insights on culture, technology and leadership to audiences of thousands and proves that her own expansive approach to life has infused her work with a creative and innovative edge.

Former director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner has been at the forefront of the United States’ environmental and energy polices for nearly four decades. As President Clinton’s EPA Administrator, President Obama’s "Energy Czar," and one of six members of President Biden's Climate Engagement Advisory Council during his campaign, Browner has negotiated, developed, proposed, and implemented U.S. policy affecting global energy, environment, public health, and business matters. Today, Browner provides her expertise through dual roles in the business and policymaking arenas and serves as a Senior of Counsel at Covington & Burling, as well as board chair of the League of Conservation Voters. With deep understanding at the intersection of politics, business, and environmentalism, Browner’s expertise on sustainability is unparalleled.

Browner’s voice has been sought by organizations such as KPMG, Capgemini, UCSC’s Panetta Institute for Public Policy, and more. Browner regularly counsels industry leaders in transportation, energy, and consumer product sectors on regulatory matters spanning all sustainability concerns. Browner’s clear insights, deep expertise, and solution-oriented approach to sustainability inspire audiences to build a better tomorrow.

Angela Davis offers thoughtful analysis of ongoing liberation efforts and insights on the intersectional struggle for racial, economic and gender equality.

Angela has been deeply involved in our nation’s quest for social justice. Her work as an educator – both at the university level and in the larger public sphere – has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender justice.

The author of nine books, including Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement, she is now a Distinguished Professor Emerita of History of Consciousness, an interdisciplinary Ph.D program, and of Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Drawing upon her own infamous arrest, imprisonment and ultimate acquittal in the early seventies after being placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List,” Angela shares a powerful critique of racism in the criminal justice system. As both an observer and participant to consciousness-shifting global movements, she bridges the past and present with incisive insights on the interconnected fight for civil rights, feminism, and working class issues. Having helped to popularize the notion of a “prison industrial complex,” she now urges her audiences to think seriously about the future possibility of a world without prisons and to help forge a 21st century abolitionist movement.

Advocate, activist, artist and philanthropist, Tipper Gore brings her warmth and kindness to communities around the globe. She has dedicated her life to giving voice to parents, children and families, those with mental health challenges, the homeless, and so many more. 

Katty Kay is an award-winning journalist whose instinctively global perspective on American politics and global affairs comes from having lived and worked in the Middle East, South Africa, Japan, Europe, and the U.S. throughout her career.

Now Washington-based, Katty has been with the BBC for nearly 30 years as a reporter and lead anchor, reporting on six U.S. presidential elections, Washington politics, financial crashes, world trouble spots, sex scandals, global affairs, and much more. She is currently U.S. special correspondent for BBC Studios – where she hosts TV documentaries from both the U.S. and Europe, presents her own podcast series, and writes a weekly column. Katty is a regular contributor and substitute host of Morning Joe on MSNBC and also writes on the art and science of self-assurance in women and girls. She is co-author, with Claire Shipman, of four New York Times’ bestselling books: Womenomics, The Confidence Code, The Confidence Code for Girls, and Living the Confidence Code. Their new book The Power Code explores the nature of women's power — in the workplace, in politics, and at home — explaining how a new model, one designed by and for women, will not only make it possible for women to become their most powerful selves but will benefit everyone.

Katty is an engaging keynote speaker on a wide range of topics as well as a brilliant moderator, interviewer, and event host.

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall has tackled the world’s most pressing global and domestic challenges for four decades. Leading in top public roles, including as White House Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor (2021-2025), Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Energy (2014-2017), White House Coordinator for Defense Policy, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Arms Control (2013-2014), Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs (2009-2013), and at the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia (1994-1996), Sherwood-Randall has worked on the most complex and consequential global challenges, participating in the highest levels of international and domestic decision-making. Sherwood-Randall’s expertise spans a broad range of topics that are highly relevant today, including leading through crises, securing critical infrastructure, driving energy innovation, and conducting international diplomacy with both allies and adversaries.

Offering unique insights and unparalleled expertise across a spectrum of issues, from homeland security to national security, Sherwood-Randall presents the threats and opportunities that lie ahead through a compelling insider’s lens. Her work in both the top levels of the American government and with private sector partners highlights her ability to bring innovative solutions to complex challenges. She offers insights on reducing threats, navigating uncertainty, managing emergencies, and making tough decisions under pressure in the media spotlight. With first-hand experience as a defense and energy policy leader, global crisis manager, and proven female executive, Sherwood-Randall has inspired numerous teams to achieve ambitious goals, facing dynamic times with courage, steadiness, and grace under pressure.

Tina Tchen shares hope, ideas and strategies that inspire others to recognize the power of diverse teams and keep equality on the forefront of the global agenda.

A high-powered lawyer, Tina’s career accomplishments have established her as a powerful advocate for gender equality. As the former President and CEO of TIME’S UP Now and the TIME’S UP Foundation, Tina oversaw the organizations’ efforts to change culture, companies, and laws in order to make work safe, fair, and dignified for women of all kinds. In 2017, Tina co-founded the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, which has connected more than 3,600 people to legal or PR support for sexual harassment across dozens of different industries. Tina currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Policy Officer for the Obama Foundation.

During her eight years at the White House, Tina served as chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, special assistant to President Barack Obama, and the executive director of the Council on Women and Girls, leading the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families and the first-ever United State of Women Summit. 

A passionate champion for women’s and children’s issues, including women in positions of leadership, Tina shares her unique perspective and insights on workforce diversity and inclusion, breaking through male-dominated industries, and ending campus assault. Energetic, authentic and engaging on stage, she empowers the next generation to raise their voices and take action now to secure a better tomorrow for women and minorities across the country and world.

Donna Brazile is one of the best known, most influential African-American women in modern American political life. She was named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C.,” by Washingtonian Magazine and one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in America” by Essence Magazine. Ms. Brazile is a Senior Advisor at Purple Strategies, New York Times bestselling author, Chair of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, and sought-after Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning media contributor to such outlets as ABC News, USA Today and TheGrio.

She became the first African American woman to serve as the manager of a major party presidential campaign, running the campaign of former Vice President Al Gore.  She previously served as interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee and of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute.  She is a current member of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee. 

She is author of the 2004 best-selling memoir Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics and the 2017 New York Times Bestseller Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump In The White House. 

She serves as an adjunct professor in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Georgetown University and served as the King Endowed Chair in Public Policy at Howard University and as a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. She has lectured at nearly 250 colleges and universities on diversity, equity and inclusion; women in leadership; and restoring civility in American politics.

Carey Lohrenz knows what it takes to win in one of the highest pressure, extreme environments imaginable: in the cockpit at Mach 2.  

As the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy, having flown missions worldwide as a combat-mission-ready United States Navy pilot, Lohrenz is used to working in fast moving, dynamic environments, where inconsistent execution can generate catastrophic results. The same challenges are found in business: markets change, customer needs evolve and if you do not adapt quickly your company is at risk.

In her motivating and engaging keynote presentations, Carey shares her fascinating experiences operating in one of the world's most challenging environments—an aircraft carrier. She has been requested by name from some of the top Fortune 100 businesses and is uniquely qualified in the fundamentals of winning under pressure, reducing errors and overcoming obstacles. Her mastery of these fundamentals can help your team triumph in this high-risk, time crunched world.

Her ability to connect with both an audience and on a one-on-one level, coupled with her knowledge and experience in leading high-performing, diverse teams, has made her highly sought after as a business consultant and speaker.

Time Magazine called Gloria Allred "one of the nation's most effective advocates of family rights and feminist causes." President Barack Obama has introduced Ms. Allred as "one of the best attorneys in the country."

Gloria Allred is a founding partner of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, the leading women’s rights private law firm in the nation for 47 years, winning hundreds of millions of dollars for victims. Ms. Allred has won countless honors for her pioneering legal work on behalf of victims who have been discriminated against due to gender, race, age, physical handicap, sexual orientation, sexual harassment or because they have AIDS. Ms. Allred also founded the Women’s Equal Rights Legal Defense and Education Fund (WERLDEF).

Among her countless honors for her pioneering legal work on behalf of women's rights and rights for minorities, Gloria was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame to be stand among other notable stallwarts in the movement. Articles by or about Ms. Allred have appeared in publications such as Time Magazine, The New York Times, Ms. Magazine, The American Lawyer, The Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and The London Times. Ms. Allred is the author of Fight Back and Win, My Thirty-Year Fight Against Injustice - And How You Can Win Your Own Battles.

The first ever female head of The New York Times editorial board and op-ed columnist, Gail Collins is a noted women’s historian and author of When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present.

Ertharin Cousin possesses more than thirty years of national and international non-profit, government, and corporate leadership experience focusing on food, hunger, humanitarian operations, political organizing, community development and resilience strategies.

From 2009 until 2017 Cousin led the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as the twelfth Executive Director (ED). As WFP ED Cousin guided the world’s largest humanitarian organization with 14,000 staff serving 80 million beneficiaries in 75 countries meeting urgent food needs; while, championing and serving as a global advocate for longer-term solutions to food insecurity and hunger. 

Cousin has been listed numerous times on the Forbes "100 Most Powerful Women" list, as the Fortune "Most Powerful Woman in Food and Drink", on Time’s "100 Most Influential People" list, and as one of the "500 Most Powerful People on the Planet" by Foreign Policy magazine. 

Cousin has an international reputation as a leader, with an emphasis on visionary thinking, practical problem solving, and the capacity to articulate clearly an important perspective on the global political and social situation. 

Legend, Leader, & Changemaker

Named one of TIME Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World," Abby Wambach has built her legacy as a transformational leader. With two Olympic gold medals, a World Cup victory, and a record-breaking career as one of soccer’s greatest goal scorers, Abby’s impact on the field and the stage are undeniable. Momentive Inc. said "She was OUTSTANDING! The team felt so inspired and energized after her conversation. I think we could have listened to her for 5 hours."

Her legacy reaches far beyond the pitch; Abby is one of the 40 most powerful people in podcasting, putting the “can do” in We Can Do Hard Things. This guide to life empowers audiences to turn challenges into opportunities for growth, rooted in Abby’s personal experience as an elite global athlete. In her bestselling books, Forward and Wolfpack, Abby shares powerful lessons on leadership, authenticity, and creating lasting change. A masterclass in resilience and reinvention, Abby redefines leadership as empowering others, building trust, and amplifying every voice.

Abby Wambach proves that doing hard things isn’t just about overcoming challenges—it’s about breaking barriers, rewriting the script, and inspiring others to believe in their strength. Whether uniting teams or challenging injustice, Abby brings the same passion and grit that made her a legend into every arena she enters. Her journey sparks change and empowers everyone she touches. Beloved by hosts across industries, Dell Technologies said, "Abby was fantastic" and LeadingAge raved, “Best keynote ever.”

Abby also speaks in conversation with Glennon Doyle.

Seasoned political strategist, former CNN political commentator, and author Symone Sanders Townsend is a gifted communicator with a passion for problem solving, social justice, and in-depth analysis of today’s most important issues. Sanders Townsend previously served as the national press secretary for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, the youngest person to ever hold that title. She served as a senior advisor for President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and was appointed as a senior member of the Biden-Harris administration, and will now bring her nuanced and critical insight to MSNBC as the host of SYMONE, as well as serving as an anchor and hosting a show on The Choice, MSNBC’s digital streaming arm. In her book No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America, Sanders Townsend shares her take-no-prisoners approach to life, politics, and career success, advocating for a new generation to be powerful in their own right. A rousing call to leadership, Congresswoman Maxine Waters raved, “Symone’s honest and profound reflection on standing up and speaking out is sure to inspire young people across the country to become the change agents the world needs.”

Sanders Townsend is a highly sought-after commentator and speaker, from her TED Talk Stop asking permission!, to an invigorating conversation at SXSW, Politico’s 2019 Women Rule Summit, the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, and many more. She served as the National Chair of the Coalition of Juvenile Justice Emerging Leaders Committee, a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, and in her role as principal of the 360 Group, Sanders Townsend worked on leading-edge solutions to tough political and social problems. Sanders Townsend shares her expertise in communication and political strategy, in-depth analysis of key political issues, and the challenges and possibilities for radical change with authenticity, humor, and insight.

Ursula Burns made history as the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company when she became CEO of Xerox in 2009. Her journey from the lower east side projects, to earning two engineering degrees, and landing an internship at a company she would one day run, is a story that will inspire many. Burns is the author of Where You Are Is Not Who You Are: A Memoir, which received a rave review by the New York Times.

When Ursula took the helm at Xerox in 2009, she was tasked with turning around a company that was quickly becoming obsolete. Pushing for diversification and development of new products and services, and spearheading the largest acquisition in Xerox history, Ursula oversaw a monumental transformation and massive growth.

Ursula regularly appears on Fortune’s and Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women. She helped lead the White House national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) from 2009-2016, currently sits as the Chairwoman of the Board at Teneo Holdings LLC and is on the board of Exxon Mobil, Endeavor, and Uber, and was previously on the board at Nestlé. She is also Co-Founder of Integrum Holdings, a private equity firm. Burns is on the Board Diversity Action Alliance, leading an effort to support diversity on corporate boards. 

An absolute force and American icon, Ursula shares her executive insights on leadership in a time of disruption, and instructs leaders how to answer the call to create more inclusive and diverse organizations. Her powerful and important conversations challenge and inspire audiences.

Award-winning journalist, media executive, and author Isha Sesay has been covering global events and major breaking news for over a decade, with a focus on stories of social injustice and their impact on women and girls. Sesay is the CEO of OkayMedia, a media company dedicated to Black culture and uplifting Black voices, and serves on the board of directors. Previously, the celebrated journalist spent more than a decade with CNN International as an anchor and correspondent. Sesay led the CNN team that covered the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school in Chibok in 2014. CNN’s in-depth reporting was recognized with a Peabody Award, and Sesay received a Gracie Award for her coverage. Her painstakingly detailed account, Beneath the Tamarind Tree: A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram, is both heartbreaking and hopeful. Whether offering insights about the intersections of race and gender in the media, global events, or her significant advocacy work, Sesay’s perspective makes an impact with audiences of all kinds.

Sesay is the Founder and President of W.E. (Women Everywhere) Can Lead, a non-profit organization working in her native country of Sierra Leone to nurture and empower teen girls to become Africa’s next generation of dynamic female leaders. She serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s reproductive health and rights agency. As the host of the podcast The Accidental Activist, Sesay moderates riveting conversations with cultural icons who are united by their motivation to make a difference in the world. In addition, she has moderated and hosted events with groups such as the Gates Foundation, Coca Cola, The Obama White House, The World Bank, MasterCard Foundation, Women Deliver, and Brilliant Minds. She has been sought-after for talks with groups like Untitled Future, The Brookings Institution, the Global Citizen Festival, among many others.

A powerful and versatile speaker, Zozibini Tunzi first gained national attention after delivering a memorable winning answer to host Steve Harvey during the 2019 Miss Universe competition, wherein she rallied young women to “take up space.” Before becoming Miss Universe, Tunzi worked for a global advertising agency and has a huge passion for music and the arts. She spoke frequently about women’s empowerment, diversity and inclusion in the beauty industry, media, and other industries during her reign as Miss Universe. Tunzi will invariably inspire your audience with her journey from South Africa to the global stage, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and self-love.

Tunzi uses her platform to speak out against gender-based violence and push forward gender equality. She currently sits on panels across the world, and advocates for organizations including U.N. Women’s #HeForSheCampagin, Latino Commission on Aids, and Smile Train International. She has presented at the Forbes Women Summit, “This Girl Wins” Annual Empowerment Summit, and many more.

Entrepreneur, activist, sports analyst, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Candace Parker is one of the most influential athletes of this generation and one of the most decorated women’s basketball players of all time. A legendary basketball star, Parker has won two WNBA MVP Awards, is a two-time NCAA Champion, as well as a three-time WNBA Champion, leading both the Los Angeles Sparks and the Chicago Sky to victories. She is the only player in WNBA history to win three championships with three different franchises. She is also the first woman and WNBA player to appear on the cover of an NBA 2K game as the central athlete of the WNBA 25^th Anniversary Special Edition. Since her retirement from basketball, Parker has stayed close to the game, working as a sports analyst and commentator for the NBA on TNT, NBA TV, and NCAA Tournament coverage. She hosts the podcast Moments with Candace Parker, which celebrates the victories, messy failures, and brave decisions of parenthood. Her book, The Can-Do Mindset: How to Cultivate Resilience, Follow Your Heart, and Fight for Your Passions, shares the mindset that’s served her through many life phases, anchoring her through choppy waters. Parker is a highly sought-after speaker offering bold and inspiring thought leadership and passionate insights about the importance of women’s rights, voting rights, mental health awareness, racial justice, and Black Lives Matter.

Parker was the first woman to join the Social Change Fund, which invests in organizations working to make a greater impact in underrepresented communities of color. She was featured in the Disney+ docuseries Becoming, profiles for The New York Times, Forbes, and more, and was named to TIME's list of the "100 Most Influential People in 2022." Parker launched her media company Baby Hair Productions, and has produced a documentary exploring the impact of Title IX. Expanding her entrepreneurial portfolio, Parker and her daughter became co-owners of the Angel City FC National Women’s Soccer League expansion team. Parker gave an electrifying TEDWomen Talk How to break down barriers and not accept limits that went viral instantly with over 1M views, sharing her journey as a trailblazing sports icon, what it takes to break barriers, and the lesson she learned from her daughter about not accepting limitations.

Linsey Davis is an award-winning journalist, ABC News Live "Prime with Linsey Davis" and ABC World News Tonight Radio correspondent, and bestselling author whose timely and balanced reporting have earned her many honors including two Emmy Awards, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, and multiple Gracie Awards. Davis is renowned for her tough but fair moderating skills in the arena of political debate, as well as insightful interviews with major influential figures, including Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. She is a sought-after moderator, having led the first roundtable discussion with Black female mayors of Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, and Tacoma, as well as a series of interviews with the spouses of presidential candidates in a series called Running Mates. In addition to her wave-making reporting, Davis is the author of six books, including The New York Times bestsellers Girls of the World and The Smallest Spot of a Dot, and the titles How High Is Heaven, Stay This Way Forever, The World Is Awake, and One Big Heart. As a speaker and moderator, Davis’ voice is in-demand on a dynamic array of subjects and audiences are energized by her presence.

Trailblazing chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Melissa King is a proud Chinese American and queer chef who is also a creative entrepreneur outside of the kitchen. King (she/they) is the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars: Los Angeles (Season 17) and the winner of All-Star’s Fan Favorite. With more challenge wins than any other competitor in the history of Top Chef, King has gone on to serve as a culinary judge on the series as well as The Food Network’s The Julia Child Challenge. Known for her technical precision and ability to blend modern California cuisine with Asian flavors, King has helmed several Michelin starred kitchens in San Francisco and has cooked for notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore, and curated the menu for the 2022 Met Gala alongside Anna Wintour. Called on as a creative consultant for companies around the world, Chef King is a sought-after motivational speaker supporting women’s empowerment, sustainability, food education, and entrepreneurship. 

King has been recognized as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco,” and was named FSR Magazine’s “40 Under 40: Rising Star.” They launched a company focused on partnerships and culinary experiences, as well as a brand of small-batched sauces called King Sauce, an apparel line, and virtual cooking classes. Chef King is passionate about cultural inclusivity, media representation, environmental sustainability, and social justice – working with groups such as Stop AAPI Hate, The Trevor Project, and World Central Kitchen, among others. She is the face of IBM Research’s “5 in 5” series, focused on five innovations that will change our lives within five years. King is a featured chef in the Williams-Sonoma’s Chefs’ Collective. They have performed at food & music festivals from Coachella, Outsidelands, BottleRock, and more, and spoken for groups including Google, Facebook, Chase, and Capital One.

Award-winning country music star, actor, TV personality, chef, New York Times bestselling author, and entrepreneur Trisha Yearwood has been entertaining and inspiring audiences for decades. Yearwood made history as the first female country artist to have a debut single, ‘She’s In Love With The Boy’, reach #1 on music charts. She has been awarded numerous Grammy, CMA, and ACM Awards for countless multi-platinum albums, and continues to release new music that extends the legacy of her powerhouse voice to a new generation of fans. In addition to being a music icon, Yearwood hosts the Emmy Award-winning Food Network show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen as well as her Facebook Live pre-show T’s Coffee Talk. She has written three New York Times bestselling cookbooks, including Trisha’s Table, and launched a lifestyle brand as well as Trisha Yearwood’s Pet Collection, collaborating with Williams Sonoma on signature lines. Yearwood shares incomparable insights from her personal journey as a music icon, beloved chef, and entrepreneur with an open-heart, giving memorable keynotes and moderating meaningful conversations that are impactful for audiences of all kinds.

Dr. Sian Leo Proctor is a futurist poet and visionary artist. In 2021, astronaut-explorer Dr. Proctor made history as the first artist selected to go to space on the Inspiration4 mission. She is the first woman commercial spaceship pilot and the only African-American woman to be a mission pilot. She was selected to go to space by writing an original poem called Space2inspire. She is frequently hired to write and read original works of inspirational poetry for conferences and special occasions.

Dr. Proctor shares her historic journey and leadership message through the concept of Packing for Space - an inspirational message about how the most important thing you pack on any journey is yourself. She shares her perspective on space diplomacy and STEM workforce opportunities on the global stage as the U.S. Department of State Science Envoy for Space. She believes that when you solve for space you are actually solving for grand challenges here on Earth. She is the founder and CEO of Space2inspire, an art and media entertainment company. She is an international speaker and science communicator and has authored multiple books including the science book Earthlight - all about Earth's unique luminous signature that makes life possible. 

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire was the scientific lead of the Vaccine Research Center’s coronavirus team at the U.S. National Institutes of Health where she studied coronavirus biology and vaccine development. Those 6 years of research led to the groundbreaking discovery that a stabilized version of a spike protein, which is found on the surface of all coronaviruses, would be a key target for vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her colleagues were central to the development of the Moderna mRNA vaccine and the Eli Lilly therapeutic monoclonal antibody, both of which were first to enter clinical trials in the world. As a result, her work is having a substantial impact on ending the worst respiratory-disease pandemic in more than 100 years. Dr. Corbett-Helaire is now an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her work now extends beyond the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines to the outlook of this pandemic and future viral pandemics.

Perhaps just as important as her scientific accomplishments, Dr. Corbett-Helaire has burst onto the public stage as the face of a diverse and rising generation of talented scientists who will transform the world. She is a stellar science communicator, explaining the vaccine and the virus in highly accessible ways to media outlets, two U.S. presidents, and audiences around the globe. 

Naval Aviator and Air Force Combat Pilot Colonel Merryl Tengesdal (Ret.) shares a story of relentless determination. One of the most interesting and compelling maverick women in aviation, Colonel Tengesdal piloted the “Dragon Lady” high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, deploying worldwide in support of combat and military operations for over two decades. She has served as the Director of Inspections for the Air Force Inspector General, Commander of Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, and made history as the first and only African American woman USAF U-2 Pilot. With experience flying in combat zones, she offers insights into staying focused and making critical decisions in high-risk situations. Colonel Tengesdal’s lessons translate seamlessly for business leaders, executives, and professionals navigating fast-paced industries.

Colonel Tengesdal’s remarkable career is chronicled in her memoir Shatter the Sky. She invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood in the Bronx, to her years deployed in the Middle East, South America, and Asia, to her experience on the hit reality show Tough As Nails. Colonel Tengesdal speaks on overcoming obstacles, pushing past limitations, and succeeding in any industry, no matter the odds. 

Colonel Tengesdal has also appeared as a commentator on PBS’ UNLADYLIKE2020: The Bessie Coleman Story, as a technical consultant on Bridge of Spies, and as a featured contributor for Smithsonian Channel’s Air Warrior. Colonel Tengesdal was inducted into the 2019 Gathering of Eagles Foundation as an aviation pioneer and is a dedicated advocate for women and children of color in STEM. Her story is one of relentless determination, making her an excellent choice for audiences seeking motivation to break barriers and embrace changes.

Lindsay Gottlieb is a groundbreaking figure in the world of basketball, whose leadership and expertise have left an indelible mark on both college and professional sports. Currently the head coach of the USC Lady Trojans, Gottlieb is dedicated to honoring the storied legacy of the program with her deep knowledge of the game, unwavering passion, and authentic approach to leadership.

Her journey has been defined by excellence, including seven NCAA tournament appearances and a Final Four run with the Cal Bears women's team. As the first NCAA women’s head coach to join an NBA staff, when she was hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019, Gottlieb continues to break barriers and redefine what is possible for women in sports. In 2025, Gottlieb was both the Big 10 Conference Champion and Big 10 Coach of the Year. Her remarkable career speaks not only to her success but also to her role as a trailblazer, making her a compelling and inspiring speaker who can share powerful insights on leadership, resilience, and the power of authenticity in achieving success.

Sanna Marin is the Former Prime Minister of Finland (2019-2023) and the leader of the Finnish Social Democratic Party. Appointed at the age of 34, Marin served as the youngest Prime Minister of the world when taking office in 2019. In 2015, Marin was elected to Parliament on her first run, where she was a member of the Grand Committee, Legal Affairs Committee, and Environment Committee. She has also served as Chair of the Social Democratic Party since 2020. Marin’s government has been considered one of the most successful in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of lost lives and economical damage caused by the pandemic. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marin led her country through the most swift NATO accession process in the whole history of the alliance. Marin now specializes in topics of geopolitics, strategic autonomy, climate change, and female leadership.

Marin has been actively engaged in politics since 2006. “Being involved and making a difference represent civil rights for me. Changing things takes commitment. The welfare state or the ground rules for working life should not be taken for granted; they are the result of hard work and determined efforts.” Environmental values are also close to Sanna Marin’s heart: “Climate change and loss of biodiversity are some of the biggest problems of our times. Addressing them takes strong political will and determination.”

Marin made history as the longest-serving woman prime minister of Finland, leading a parliamentary coalition entirely headed by women and a majority-women cabinet. She has spoken at Davos AM23, the Lowy Institute, the Munich Security Conference, and for New York University’s 2023 Commencement, among others. In addition to the historical challenges during her leadership, Marin’s government passed many progressive reforms in Finland, including world's most ambitious climate laws aiming for carbon neutrality by 2035, family leave reform sharing paid leave with both parents equally as well as major reforms improving healthcare, education and human rights.

Elizabeth Nyamayaro is an award-winning humanitarian, author, and former United Nations Senior Advisor on gender equality. Born in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth has worked at the forefront of global development for over two decades improving the lives of underserved populations, and has been instrumental in fighting global inequalities, advancing social justice, and challenging the status quo to accelerate women’s rights around the world – through her leadership roles at the World Bank, World Health Organization, UNAIDS, UN Women and the United Nations World Food Programme. Elizabeth is the mastermind behind HeForShe, a United Nations global solidarity movement for gender equality that took the world by storm, generating more than 1.2B conversations on social media and galvanizing men in every single country in the world in just five days. With her TED Talk garnering more than 1M views in its first weeks alone, Elizabeth is a prominent thought-leader and has engaged at global forums such as World Economic Forum in Davos, Cannes Film Festival, Skoll World Forum, Harvard, Oxford, the British Parliament, among others.

Named as Apolitico’s "100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy" in 2018 & 2019, Elizabeth has been touted by The New York Times as “one of only two women transforming Davos.” She has been featured in Vogue, Fast Company, Wired, Fortune, Elle, BBC, and CNN. She has also served as a Glass Lions jury at Cannes Lions and has received the PR Council Trailblazer Award for Social Impact and the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Global Women’s Rights Award. A Political Scientist by training, Elizabeth holds a Masters of Science in Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science and leadership education from the Harvard Business School. Elizabeth wrote a memoir about her life and experiences, I Am A Girl From Africa.

Award-winning whiskey master blender Victoria Eady Butler is one of the key women behind the fastest-growing whiskey brand in U.S. history, Uncle Nearest, Inc. A relatively new face in the spirits world, whiskey is definitely in her blood. Butler is the great-great-granddaughter of the first known African American master distiller Nearest Green and carries on her family’s legacy first-hand. An Imbibe 75 alumnus, Butler was concluding a successful career as an analytical manager for the Regional Organized Crime Information Center in Nashville when Uncle Nearest Whiskey Founder and CEO Fawn Weaver invited her onboard. Butler quickly transitioned to master blender after curating a definitive batch of whiskey for the brand, which sold out immediately and won numerous awards, including two double-golds at international competitions.

Butler is a member of the executive team, and oversees the blending process of the core and Master Blend portfolios for the many-time award-winning Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Butler has been sought after to speak for groups including the Bourbon Women Association, the Vibe Conference, The Mercantile Library, Tennessee Whiskey Festival, the Black Bourbon Society, to name a few.

Butler is one of Imbibe Magazine’s “75 People to Watch,” and has been featured in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, The New York Times, Garden & Gun, Food & Wine, and many more. Butler currently oversees the Nearest Green Foundation, a 501(s)(3) non-profit organization that provides scholarships to Nearest Green’s descendants, which is funded by the sales of Uncle Nearest whiskeys. An industry trailblazer, she was the first female to be awarded Master Blender of the Year at the American Icons of Whisky Awards and in 2022, she became the first person in history to win that title back-to-back. In compelling keynotes, moderated conversations, and Q&As, Butler shares her incredible journey to the top of her industry and her insights about building a purpose-drive and profitable brand.

Nationally-recognized policy expert and leader Rohini Kosoglu has been at the forefront of driving transformative change and shaping critical policy discourse in the areas of technology, social, and economic policy. Kosoglu is a Venture Partner at Fusion Fund – focused on early-stage technology and health care investments. Kosoglu has served the last two decades as a senior White House official, chief of staff in the United States Senate, and organizational leader on multiple presidential campaigns. As the first South Asian American woman to hold the roles of both Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President and Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate, Kosoglu promoted domestic policies to lift up the middle class, invest in American innovation, and strengthen our nation’s democracy. Vice President Harris praised Kosoglu as “a brilliant and trusted leader” who “brought vision, strategic judgement, and a depth of experience as our Administration has addressed some of the most urgent challenges facing our nation.”

Kosoglu is also a Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) and Director of Innovation Policy at the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign. Her career in Congress included over a decade of leadership positions designing policy initiatives, leading negotiations on bipartisan laws around social and economic policy, technology, and health care. Kosoglu offers unique insight on the perspectives driving politics and policy today, and reveals how the potential outcomes will effect individuals and industries.

Veteran journalist, Peabody Award finalist, and bestselling author Brooke Baldwin has covered some of the biggest breaking stories in the U.S. and around the world, and is a champion for women’s empowerment. Brooke hosted her own live daily news show CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin for more than a decade, and was renowned for her versatility, authenticity, and humanity at the news desk. During her time at CNN, the widely respected journalist had the privilege of meeting Presidents and interviewing former first ladies, members of Congress, scientists, teachers, nurses, astronauts, actors, activists, rock stars, and ordinary Americans in extraordinary circumstances from surviving mass shootings to hurricanes to COVID-19. Brooke is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power, redefining the ‘huddle’ to explore how women lean on one another to provide support, empowerment, inspiration, and the strength to enact meaningful change. In addition to the book being a WSJ bestseller, Huddle is also included in Amazon’s Top Ten Books in Biz & Leadership.

Brooke is a highly sought-after speaker and a gifted moderator for events with groups Women in the World, 92^nd Street Y, Buick x TOGETHXR, Commonwealth Club of California, Acronis #CyberFit Summit, among many others. She and her writing have been featured in The Atlantic, Fast Company, Self, Fortune, and she is currently traveling the country hosting “huddles” in partnership with media and commerce company Togethxr, along with corporate sponsor Buick, to elevate women’s voices, particularly around sports. From her experience reporting on the most important issues of today with a front row seat to history, to her work amplifying and advocating for women around the world, Brooke makes a lasting impact on audiences of all kinds with her unique insights on current events, transformational workplace strategies, and authentic motivation.

Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár is the International Chess Federation's official greatest female chess player of all time. At the age of 12, Polgár took the lead in the adult women’s world ranking, which she would hold for the next 26 years. By 14, she was already a two-time Women's Chess Olympic Champion (1988, 1990). Polgár won two further silver medals as member of the Hungarian men's team. At the age of 15 years and 4 months, she became a male international grandmaster, breaking Bobby Fischer's age record. In October 2005, Polgár ranked 8th in the absolute world ranking, as the first and, to date, the only female top 10 chess player. Polgár gave the informative and entertaining TED Talk “Giving checkmate is always fun,” and her talks on breaking the glass ceiling and strategic decision-making have delighted audiences worldwide.

Since retiring, Polgár has focused on the international promotion of the sport of chess, writing, and the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation. The World Chess Hall of Fame inductee has authored many books on chess, including Chess Palace, the Best European Learning Materials award-winning program now used by 40K children daily. Polgár has been an expert commentator at major international tournaments. Polgár has spoken at TED Conference, Morgan Stanley, CITI Bank, Exxon, the Warwick Economics Summit, and McKinsey: “We collectively think the speech Ms. Polgar gave during her presentation at our Executive event in September was excellent.”

White House Correspondent and political analyst Laura Barrón-López is an expert on current U.S. politics. She is the White House Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, where she covers the Biden administration for the nightly news broadcast. She is also a political analyst on CNN. Her expertise in U.S. government affairs reflects over a decade of covering breaking news in politics. Previously, Barrón-López was a White House reporter for POLITICO, where she covered the national Presidential election. She has led the Washington Examiner’s coverage of the Democratic Party, coverage of Congress for HuffPost, and coverage of environmental policy for The Hill. Barrón-López’s sharp analysis, compelling storytelling, and engaging presentation style captivate audiences globally.

Barrón-López is an expert on the hottest political issues on voters’ minds today. Her voice has been sought by UVA’s Miller Center, the Texas Tribune Festival, the Atlantic Festival, the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference, and more. Pairing personal stories from her time as a reporter with her in-depth knowledge of current events, Barrón-López leaves audiences feeling inspired and informed.

Jane Coaston is an expert on American conservatism. Her current podcast, What A Day, is a 20-minute morning overview of "what truly matters," bringing on experts to discuss the big stories shaping today. She is a Fall 2024 Fellow at USC Center for the Political Future, where she leads students in a close study of cultural and political movements. Coaston also is an on-air contributor for the Chris Wallace Show and other CNN shows. She was previously a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times and former senior politics reporter at VOX. She hosted the popular New York Times podcast, The Argument, which offered context, analysis, and good-faith engagement on current political debates. Her work has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, NPR, The Ringer, Buzzfeed, and The Washington Post, and she has written for publications ranging from ESPN Magazine to The National Review. Coaston’s compelling perspectives and commentary challenge conventional thinking, offering fresh insights into today’s most important debates.

As a foremost expert on the American Conservative movement, Coaston is highly sought-out among top political institutions for her thought leadership. She is a current resident at the USC Center for the Political Future former resident fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. Coaston has spoken to the Texas Tribune Festival, SXSW, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Stony Brook University, University of Virginia, University of Southern California, University of Michigan.

Artist Development & Performance Director Keanna "KJ Rose" Henson, author of The Rose Effect: Eight Steps to Delivering The Performance of Your Life, is a powerful change agent with real world experience. KJ delivers real world results. KJ worked with Clive Davis at J Records and coached Lil Nas X, the Lumineers, 24k Goldn, The Kid Laroi, Rubi Rose, Justine Skye, Polo G., and others. She also performed with Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Janet Jackson. KJ directed talent on national campaigns such as Doritos (Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sam Elliot) Uber Eats (Lil Nas X & Elton John), Taco Bell (Lil Nas X) & Roblox (Lil Nas X)

KJ Rose has shared her expertise on WGN America, NBC's News Now, Bloomberg News, and NBC's California Live. Additionally, KJ contributed by coaching talent on shows that include Saturday Night Live, The Voice, The Grammy Awards, MTV Music Video Awards, BET Awards, Amazon Music Holiday Plays, American Music Awards, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. KJ currently works as an actress on TriDestined Studios & BET+ The Family Business. KJ's dedication to excellence catapulted her to influencer status and creative innovator for initiatives led by TikTok, Janie and Jack, Harlem Fashion Row, REVOLT, and BET.com.

KJ's compelling creative destiny and infectious energy lead brands such as Adidas, L'Oreal, Google, Pandora Media, Omnicom, Nickelodeon, Sony Music, Columbia Records, TriDestined Studios and Disney to deem her to be the "ultimate solution" to motivate and encourage their pool of talented employees.

Ginni Rometty is a leader, innovator, and convener who believes that how we work and lead is as important as what we achieve. As the ninth Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM, Ginni transformed the 100-year-old company, reinventing 50 percent of its portfolio, building a $25B hybrid cloud business, and establishing IBM’s leadership in AI and quantum computing. She drove record results in diversity and inclusion and supported the explosive growth of an innovative high school program, P-TECH, to prepare the workforce of the future in more than twenty-eight countries. Ginni is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World (Harvard Business Review Press). In the book, as she does in sought-after events, Ginni shares milestones from her life and career while redefining power as a way to drive meaningful change in positive ways for ourselves, our organizations, and for the many, not just the few – a concept she calls “good power.”

Through her work with the Business Roundtable, Rometty helped redefine the purpose of the corporation. She has been named Fortune’s #1 Most Powerful Woman three years in a row, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and has been honored with the designation of Officier in the French Légion d’Honneur. Today, Rometty serves on multiple boards including J.P. Morgan Chase, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and co-chairs OneTen, a coalition committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting one million Black Americans without four-year degrees by 2030 into family-sustaining jobs and careers. She offers unparalleled insights on leadership, organizational and societal transformation, DEI, the future of work and education, and more, and is in-demand for events with groups including the World Economic Forum at Davos, The Milken Institute, Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit, the Consumer Electronics Show, and Grace Hopper, to name a few.

Trailblazing leader, entrepreneur, and executive Christine Simmons brings vast experience in some of the most prominent organizations in the world to her spellbinding keynote presentations. Simmons is the Founder of consulting firm Alis Volat Propriis, LLC – which means “she who flies with her own wings” in Latin – advising businesses at every scale on operational excellence, strategic planning, business development, and representation initiatives, and more. Her clothing and merchandise line, Unapologetically™ Christine, encourages everyone to live UNAPOLOGETICALLY™ - which she defines as “Being Bold, Attacking Life’s Challenges in Extraordinary Fashion, & Loving Oneself – Flaws and All!” In 2019, Christine was named Chief Operating Officer at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science – the first Woman and Black person to hold the position. Prior to this role, Simmons was President & Chief Operating Officer of the three-time WNBA Champion Los Angeles Sparks, and was an Executive Vice President with Magic Johnson Enterprises, where she evaluated investment opportunities and was responsible for business development. Speaking globally on topics including business, strategy, leadership, inclusion, and empowerment, Simmons has been sought after by groups including the Bank of America Women’s Conference, UCLA Velocity Conference, and The Black Employee Network from Blue Shield of California, among others.

With over two decades of leadership experience in creating strategic alliances, leading business development, and driving corporate initiatives, Christine has worked with many Fortune 500 corporations and multi-million-dollar companies including Disney and NBCUniversal. A proud UCLA graduate, Simmons currently holds seats on UCLA Foundation Board of Directors and the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Advisory Board. Previously, she served on the UC Board of Regents, where she served on the Finance and Capital Strategies, Public Engagement and Development, Investments & Basic Needs committees. She is a Past President and Director on the Board of the UCLA Alumni Association representing all 500,000 global Bruins. Simmons is on the Advisory Council for Playbook Makers, Spry, Next Play Capital, Shared Harvest Fund, and MyCOVID MD. She also volunteers for Better Futures for Thomazeau – a small, grassroots nonprofit that provides aide and is currently building a vocational school in Haiti. A huge advocate of mentoring, Christine formally mentors the next generation of Black and Brown women through Cari Champion’s foundation, Brown Girls Dream, and has informally mentored countless others.

Award-winning writer, sociologist, and cultural critic Tressie McMillan Cottom is celebrated for her profound yet personal ideas and the dynamic accessibility of her analysis. Dr. Cottom’s first book, Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy, led to appearances on The Daily Show, NPR’s Marketplace and Fresh Air, and has been name-checked by Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and activists like The Debt Strike Collective. Since the release of her second book, Thick: And Other Essays, Dr. Cottom’s career has skyrocketed. Thick became a Finalist for the 2019 National Book Award, and the following year Dr. Cottom received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship – known as the ‘genius grant’. Her work is prolific – beyond her books and celebrated New York Times opinion column, she has written a Substack newsletter “Essaying,” is a contributor for Vanity Fair, co-hosted the Black feminist podcast Hear to Slay with Roxane Gay, and has sat in as a guest host for The Ezra Klein Show. Her books have become modern classics, and her commentary is in demand on a wide range of topics like inclusive marketing, creating policy narratives, technology, the future of democracy, and the cultural zeitgeist.

Dr. Cottom is a public academic whose work is as impactful on Twitter as it is in groundbreaking research, and continually reimagines how our society might function better on behalf of the most marginalized. She has a devoted fanbase for her essays (Tressays, as her fans call them), which defy the form – she explores the intersections of race, class, and gender, in the same breath as incisive pop culture critique and personal history. Dr. Cottom is currently a professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and is sought after as a consultant for both global brands and on Capitol Hill.  In her writing, as well as in luminous keynotes and moderated conversations, Dr. Cottom tells creative stories of her research and herself – taking theory into real-world understanding for audiences of all kinds.

Public academic, writer, entrepreneur, and philanthropic innovator Rachel Cargle is a thought leader in the spaces of social justice and equity, intersectionality, mental health awareness, and accessible learning through ground-breaking social ventures. Cargle is the Founder and President of The Loveland Foundation, Inc., a non-profit offering free therapy to Black women and girls. Under her umbrella company, The Loveland Group, she has created The Great Unlearn, a self-paced donation-based learning community, The Great Unlearn for Young Learners, an online learning space for young folks launching in 2022, and Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Centre – an innovative literacy space designed to amplify, celebrate, and honor the work of writers who are often excluded from traditional cultural, social, and academic canons. As a keynote speaker, Cargle is highly sought-after for her insights on the history of race and its present-day impacts, intersectional and inclusive feminism, and values-based goal setting for individuals and organizations.

Cargle and her work have been featured in The New York Times, InStyle, Glamour, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, The New Yorker and Forbes. She is a regular contributor to The Cut, Atmos, and Cultured Magazine. In addition to her TEDx Talk Coming to Terms with Racism’s Inertia: Ancestral Accountability, Cargle has appeared on TIME100 Talks, Red Table Talk, NBC News Now, and more. Her signature public lecture Unpacking White Feminism has been featured on campuses around the country including American University, Yale, and Harvard, and Cargle has spoken at Apple, Spotify, and Facebook. Her book A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining is a deeply personal and insightful testament to the power of reimagining to dismantle the frameworks and systems that no longer serve us while building new ones that do.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Jemele Hill is known for bringing a unique perspective to her analysis of sports and social issues. Hill’s 20-plus year journalism career has included stops at the biggest sports media network and several reputable newspapers. She is currently a contributing writer for The Atlantic, after rising to prominence through ESPN, where she provided undeniably fresh takes on sports content as a host of SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters, and Outside the Lines. Her independent commentary took off with a weekly, late-night show on Vice Network called Cari & Jemele: Won’t Stick to Sports, co-hosted with Hill’s longtime friend, former ESPN anchor Cari Champion. As fans flocked to her personal brand, Hill’s podcast career launched with the two-time Webby award-winning podcast Jemele Hill is Unbothered, featuring in-depth, thought-provoking conversation with some of the biggest newsmakers across entertainment, culture, music, and politics. Previous guests include Vice President Kamala Harris, Ice Cube, Spike Lee, Chelsea Clinton, Stephen Colbert, Issa Rae, and more A-listers. Her memoir, UPHILL, one of Oprah Daily’s Best Nonfiction Books, reveals her tumultuous childhood, complicated family dynamics, and her life-saving journey into journalism. Hill explores topical and controversial issues with humorous, candid commentary.

Hill’s career emphasizes the power of dialogue and conversation in bridging divides, fostering understanding, and driving positive change within society. Hill founded a podcast network, Unbothered, and co-founded Lodge Freeway Media to empower other women of color in sports media production. She is a highly lauded journalist, honored with two NAACP Awards and the National Association of Black Journalists’ Journalist of the Year Award. Hill has been invited to speak at Harvard University, Stanford University, Google, and many more.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Her lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread she weaves through both humanitarian and business ventures. Her core belief that representation matters and her connection to community have helped define her as a cultural catalyst for positive change.  

She was named one of TIME Magazine’s "100 Most Influential People" in 2018 and 2021. She is also noted as one of the most powerful women in the world, topping lists such as The Financial Times’ "25 Most Influential Women of 2022" and British Vogue’s "Vogue 25" in 2021.  She was the first guest editor in the history of British Vogue for their July Issue in 2019, which was the fastest selling copy in the history of the publication.

Alongside her husband, Prince Harry, she co-founded The Archewell Foundation, whose mission is: ‘show up, do good’, reflecting the ways in which they work to support communities, offline and online, in ways big and small. Meghan is a New York Times bestselling author with her children’s book, The Bench, and continues to create compelling content as she did in 2022, when she launched Archetypes, a record-breaking podcast which topped the charts at number one in 47 countries and received a Gracie Award. Her 2025 Netflix series, With Love, Meghan highlights her love of entertaining and finding the joy in every day, and also complements her consumer products brand, As ever. She is the creator of Confessions of a Female Founder, a new podcast with Lemonada Media that invites listeners to be a fly on the wall for candid conversations with fellow female founders and friends.

Meghan resides in California with her husband, Prince Harry, and their children, Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Together, they remain dedicated to building a more compassionate, equitable world for future generations.

Grammy-Award winning R&B artist Ciara is a multi-platinum musician, songwriter, philanthropist, entrepreneur, mom of 4 children, and force of fashion. Over her two decades in music, she has sold over 23M records and 30M singles worldwide. Ciara was recently honored an NAACP Image award for her role as Nettie in 2023 adaptation film of The Color Purple. Ciara is an entrepreneurial female founder with brands launched both independently and with her husband Russell Wilson. She is the CEO of Beauty Marks Entertainment, Ten To One Rum, and OAM (On A Mission) skincare.

Ciara is also a philanthropist who co-founded the Why Not You Foundation with husband Russell Wilson, which is dedicated to fighting poverty through education and empowering today’s youth. This cause is close to her heart as a working mom and wife. Onstage, Ciara shares her perspectives on achievement, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.

Elite professional rock climber Sasha DiGiulian is constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility. An Female Overall World Champion, three-time U.S. National Champion, and decade-long undefeated Pan-American Champion, DiGiulian has traveled to over 50 countries while accomplishing 30+ First and First Female Ascents. As a woman making a career within a traditionally male-dominated space, DiGiulian stands for equality in sport, access, pay, and treatment of female athletes.

DiGiulian’s amazing story has been recounted in her memoir, Take the Lead, and the HBO Documentary on her life, Here to Climb. She has been featured in or on the cover of Oprah, Good Morning America, The Today Show, 60 Minutes Sports, Nightline, CNN, BBC, Vogue, TIME, and many more. Deeply focused on giving back to her community, DiGiulian sits on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation and Ascend Afghanistan and is an ambassador for UN Goodwill, Protect Our Winters, and Right to Play International. She has testified in front of the US House Committee of Natural Resources to support the EXPLORE Act. In motivational talks, DiGiulian offers inspirational and actionable strategies for setting and achieving courageous goals for individuals, teams, and organizations.

When a handsome young senator showed up at her door in the seventies, Jill Biden never imagined that it would be the start of a love story that would one day take her to the White House—twice. She had no idea how quickly she would have to learn how to balance life as a political spouse, a lifelong educator, and a mother, then a grandmother, and now a great-grandmother.  

Jill Biden, Ed.D, served as First Lady of the United States from 2021-2025. She also served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009-2017. She worked as a full-time community college professor as Second and First Lady, making her the first presidential spouse to maintain a career while living in the White House. 

She was a leading messenger for the Biden-Harris Administration’s most urgent priority of navigating out of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic: urging communities to get vaccinated, safely reopening schools, and supporting President Biden’s agenda to rebuild a shuttered economy. 

As First Lady, Dr. Biden championed the causes that have defined her public life: supporting military families like her own; advocating for workforce development programs, community colleges, and the teaching profession; ending cancer as we know it through the Biden Cancer Moonshot; and galvanizing overdue investments and structural changes to women’s health research. She traveled to more than 40 states, 200 towns and cities, and 19 countries. By adding interactive technology and educational content to the White House public tour route, Dr. Biden reimagined the visitor experience and made the People’s House open and accessible to more Americans than ever before.

A proud and self-described Philly girl, Dr. Biden published her New York Times Bestselling memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself, in 2019, and has published three children’s books, most recently in 2024, WILLOW the White House Cat.

Award-winning wordsmith, change-maker, and #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Amanda began writing at only a few years of age and has become one of the most recognizable poets in the world. A committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice, her activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, and Essence. Amanda has performed multiple commissioned poems for CBS This Morning, and she has spoken at events and venues across the country, including the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center.

Amanda has appeared on the cover of TIME, was the first poet to grace the cover of Vogue, was one of 5 Variety Power of Women honorees and cover star, as well one of 3 cover stars for Glamour's Women of the Year. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, is the recipient of the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.

Amanda is the author of the special edition of her inaugural poem The Hill We Climb, as well as the poetry collection Call Us What We Carry and the children’s book Change Sings, all debuting at #1 on New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Her next children’s book, Someday, Something, is due out in the fall of 2023. Amanda’s profound and uplifting remarks ensure an unforgettable experience for her audience.

Leadership and security expert Keechant Sewell is currently the Senior Vice President of Security and Guest Experience for the Mets at Citi Field. Previously, Sewell was a U.S. police officer and administrator who served as the 45th New York City Police Commissioner, where she oversaw a comprehensive strategy focused on the safety of New Yorkers and improving core features of the NYPD. During her tenure, Sewell launched the Innovation Steering Committee, which made nearly 250 recommendations for improved data analytics, community engagement, technology, officer safety, and more. She has also leveraged technology to better connect to the public and keep officers and the city safe, in addition to a myriad of crime-reduction strategies. Sewell has forged meaningful and lasting relationships between the Department and communities, businesses, elected leaders, and government agencies. Sewell’s innovative leadership has resulted in a more diverse workforce, measurable results, and community initiatives. Sewell brings a unique perspective to topics including innovative leadership, manager effectiveness, teambuilding, and public safety.

Sewell has the distinction of becoming the first sitting NYPD Commissioner to be named “PBA Person of the Year” and recognized with the first annual Torch Award from MovementForward Inc., among numerous other awards and accolades. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, where she was selected to give the commencement address. To learn more on transforming institutions through innovation both human and digital, turn to Sewell’s expertise spanning both the private and public sectors.

Former Congresswoman and Orlando Police Chief Val Demings is a rising political star who has made an impact with her message, “everyone counts, and everyone is accountable.” A lifelong public servant, Demings broke numerous glass ceilings in her rise through the Orlando Police Department, her election to Congress, her appointment to prosecute the first impeachment of former president Donald Trump, her campaign for Senate in Florida, and her consideration as a potential running mate to President Joe Biden. She is heralded as a tireless champion for public safety, civil rights, the rule of law, and the American Dream – Demings shares her perspective and insights as a riveting keynote speaker.

Demings served as the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 10^th District from 2017-2023, and held positions on numerous House Committees including Judiciary, Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Oversight and Government Reform. Demings was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Women’s Caucus, and New Democratic Caucus, as well as a member of the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Review Board and the Elections Security Taskforce, to name just a few. At sought-after events with groups including the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, the Orlando Economic Partnership, League of Women Voters, 92^nd Street Y, and many others, Demings shares her uplifting and inspiring vision for the promise of what America could be, if we have the courage to fight for it.

New York Times bestselling author, activist, educator, and consultant Kate Schatz has been talking, writing, and teaching about race, gender, social justice, and equity for many years. Her “Rad Women” books – Rad American Women A-Z, Rad Women Worldwide, and Rad American History A-Z – have sold over 300,000 copies and been translated into four languages, and her book Rid of Me: A Story is part of the cult-favorite 33 1/3 series. Schatz is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book, with W. Kamau Bell, the comedian and Emmy-winning host of CNN’s United Shades of America. An accessible and engaging keynote speaker, Schatz has given talks at hundreds of events including: ComicCon, United Nation’s GirlUp! Summit, the American Library Association, Facebook, Spotify, Pixar, and more.

Schatz’s writing has been featured in Buzzfeed, LENNY, Oxford American, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and she has appeared on Conan, MSNBC, NPR, WNYC, WBUR, and Minnesota Public Radio, and on podcasts like Nerdette, Sibling Revelry, Inflection Point, and Politically Reactive. She co-led Solidarity Sundays, a nationwide network of 200+ feminist activist groups aimed at empowering women to become effective political activists. In all she does, Schatz is committed to sharing radical histories that shine light on the marginalized people who've truly made America great, making a major impact on audiences of all kinds.

Global Fashion Editor, Fashion Director, and Stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson is known for her stylistic vision and ability to tell stories through an inclusive gaze. A New York-based stylist and editor of Caribbean and West African descent, Karefa-Johnson has a keen eye for up-and-coming designers and a narrative-led approached aimed at diversifying representation in fashion. She worked as an associate fashion editor under fashion director Tonne Goodman at Vogue, and later became Vogue’s Global Contributing Fashion Editor at Large. Karefa-Johnson made history as the first Black woman to style a Vogue cover and has styled more than a dozen international covers of Vogue featuring Serena Williams, Paloma Elsesser, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Amanda Gorman, among many others.

Gabriella is known for her fierce propagation of inclusion in the industry, breaking barriers and disrupting the status quo to tell a more expansive story about the world – one that is full of possibilities. In 2017, she was named Fashion Director of biannual fine art and high fashion publication GARAGE Magazine, where she harnessed her expertise in contemporary American Art, and has served as a guest judge for Netflix’s Next in Fashion. Karefa-Johnson has shared her vision for a more inclusive fashion landscape with groups including Fashion Scholarship Fund, LVMH Prize, Woolmark Prize, Vogue Forces of Fashion, and Barnard’s Class of 2023 Commencement.

Serial entrepreneur, two-time New York Times bestselling author, and groundbreaking business mogul Fawn Weaver is an expert in crafting compelling stories; as a writer, powerhouse investor, and values-driven leader. Weaver, CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc., is one of only five African American women to found and lead a $1B+ company in U.S. history. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history, the best-selling Black American-founded spirit brand of all time, and was the most award-winning Bourbon of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Weaver also built the $50M Uncle Nearest Venture Fund, investing in minority founded, owned, and led brands with the greatest potential to grow into legacy brands. A multi-hyphenate and popular TED speaker, Weaver is a highly sought-after voice in conversations about accelerating growth without sacrificing values, inclusive organizational strategy, and leadership, making an impact with audiences of all kinds.

Weaver has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, CNBC, Fast Company, Oprah Magazine, Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and more, and she has appeared on FOX Business, the TODAY Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, among countless others. She is a regular contributor to Inc. Magazine, and her revelatory segment on NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz had the internet abuzz for weeks. A committed philanthropist, Weaver is the Founder of the Nearest Green Foundation, which offers full scholarships to every descendent of Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green, the world’s first known African American master distiller. She is certified as a Corporate Director by Harvard Business School and sits on the Endeavor Group Holdings board of directors, where she also serves on its audit committee. In riveting conversations, Weaver offers key insights and impactful takeaways about cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and what it takes to succeed across industries in business and in life.

Scholar-activist, cultural critic, award-winning author, and consultant Dr. Yaba Blay centers her scholarship, work, and practice on the lived experiences of Black women and girls, with a particular focus on identity/body politics and beauty practices. Widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on Black racial identity, colorism, and beauty politics, Dr. Blay is a globally sought-after speaker and consultant with an extensive client list of over two dozen academic institutions including Harvard University, Duke University, Spelman College, New York University, to name a few; and such corporate entities as Netflix, Revlon, International, SheaMoisture, Estee Lauder Companies, Procter & Gamble’s ‘My Black is Beautiful’, and the #meToo. Movement. Her commentary is featured in A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, a permanent installation exhibited in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and she is the author of the award-winning book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. In riveting keynotes and conversations, Dr. Blay inspires both critical thinking and grounded, meaningful action, offering incomparable insights from her personal experience, research, and creative work that make an impact with audiences of all kinds.

Dr. Blay served as a producer on CNN’s television documentary, Who is Black in America? and has since been named one of today’s leading Black voices by “The Root 100” and Essence Magazine’s “Woke 100.” She has appeared on CNN, BET, MSNBC, BBC, and NPR, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, EBONY, Essence, Fast Company, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Colorlines, and The Root, to name a few. Lauded by O Magazine for her social media activism, she has launched several viral campaigns including Locs of Love, #PrettyPeriod, and #ProfessionalBlackGirl, her multi-platform digital community. Dr. Yaba has been sought after for events with groups including Shondaland, National Anti-Racist Book Festival, Courageous Conversation, and more.

Respected political and cultural organizer Alexis McGill Johnson is the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Planned Parenthood, which provides vital health services to 2.4M people each year through more than 600 health centers across the country, offers a vision of a world of equity: where sexual and reproductive rights are basic human rights; where access to health care doesn’t depend on who you are or where you live; and where every person has the opportunity to choose their own path to a healthy and meaningful life. Alexis, a researcher by training, co-founded and co-directed the Perception Institute, which creates solutions that reduce bias and discrimination and drive equity and belonging. Alexis is a thought leader on brain science and narrative change, has written and spoken extensively on equity, race, and culture, and is sought-after for events with groups like Viacom, SXSW, MAC World AIDS Day, the United Nations Global Compact Gender Equality Summit, and more.

A tireless advocate for reproductive freedom, Alexis has served in Planned Parenthood’s leadership for more than a decade. She also serves on the boards of Color of Change and is the Founder of The Culture Group. Alexis is uniquely positioned to offer in-depth analysis, actionable insights for individuals and organizations, and shares an affirmative vision of protecting and expanding reproductive health care.

Organizational leader, political strategist, and senior advisor Stephanie Schriock is a strategic, adaptive leader with a 20-year record of success in both startups and mature organizations. An inspirational visionary, Stephanie’s strengths in management, strategy, and media relations are underpinned by her down-to-earth ability to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and views. From 2010 through 2021, Stephanie was President of EMILY’s List – a national organization dedicated to electing women to office. During her tenure, she tripled its income to $120M, quadrupled its staff to 120, built an online community of over 5M, and trained more than 14K women to run for office. She is the author of Run to Win: A Leadership Guide to Women Who Want to Change the World, an Amazon Editor’s Pick in Best Nonfiction. Stephanie has been sought-after to speak for groups including Yale University, George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, the Harvard Women in Law Program, America Votes, and more.

Before joining EMILY’s List, Stephanie managed the successful U.S. Senate campaign of Jon Tester in Montana, building a campaign organization from scratch and defeating an 18-year incumbent. She served as Senator Tester’s Chief of Staff until 2010. Stephanie also managed Al Franken’s Senate campaign in Minnesota and was the national finance director for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, where she pioneered the digital techniques that have since transformed political campaigning and fundraising. She serves on the boards of the Goldman School’s Center on Security in Politics at UC-Berkeley, Priorities USA, and Democracy Docket, and is currently consulting for Precision Strategies, FrontRow, and the Strategic Victory Fund. With expertise spanning leadership, politics, business, and more, Stephanie is an uplifting speaker who offers actionable strategies for growth and empowerment.

MIT-trained engineer and tech entrepreneur Krisztina “Z” Holly, curator of the first ever TEDx event, has been at the forefront of innovation throughout her career. She started her career as a serial tech entrepreneur in Boston and Silicon Valley before spending over a decade building pioneering innovation centers at MIT and USC. The White House subsequently invited her to help spread her novel model across the United States. Today, she invests in early-stage complex science and technology startups as an operating partner at Good Growth Capital and is a sought-after advisor and speaker to organizations around the world. She has been recognized by Rolling Stone, Forbes, WIRED, and Entrepreneur Mag for her ability to scout and cultivate talent and catalyze global initiatives. With a proven track record of fostering innovation, Z’s insights come from real-world experience.

Z has spoken at Davos, the White House, YPO Entrepreneurial Energy, NBC Universal, and the National Academy of Sciences Innovation Summit; she has facilitated numerous sessions for the World Economic Forum with heads of state and CEOs of Fortune 100 companies. She regularly appears as a public expert and interviewer, leading conversations with tech “rockstars” such as Biz Stone and Tim O'Reilly, interviewing world-famous extreme athletes, and facilitating panels with university presidents and global leaders. Z’s authentic style and tailored messages resonate with a wide range of audiences, from students and aspiring entrepreneurs to academics and top executives. 

Founder, entrepreneur, and mentorship expert Denise Woodard is the groundbreaking Founder and CEO of Partake Foods – a natural food company inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s delicious, allergy-friendly products can now be found in more than 9,000 retailers including Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market. Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1M publicly for a consumer-packaged goods (CPG) food startup, and the company has raised over $19M to date from investors including HER, Rihanna, Cleveland Ave, FF2032, and Marcy Ventures Partners. Partake was recently named #45 on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list, and Denise was named on Inc.’s “100 Female Founders” list for building a fast-growing snacking brand that everyone can enjoy. After winning a pitch competition with just the idea, Denise conducted hundreds of demos, leveraged her supply chain expertise, and created a product and company that has attracted the attention of major funders and publications alike. She delivers actionable, no-nonsense insights with optimism, creating an uplifting and memorable event for groups including Microsoft, Victoria’s Secret, Danone, Carta, and Target, to name a few.

Denise serves on the board of Naturally New York, the advisory board for the UNC Shuford Center for Entrepreneurship, and on the WP Carey School of Business Dean’s Council. Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in CPGs at various Fortune 100 companies. A mentorship expert, she has participated as a mentoring founder-in-residence for three cohorts of Target’s Forward Founder’s program supporting 30 founders in that time. Denise is also the Founder of Black Futures in Food & Beverage, a fellowship program that offers mentorship, internships, and job opportunities within the food and beverage industries for active HBCU students. From her commitment to excellence in branding, to growing a strong team that exceeds goals, Denise shares her leadership perspective that resonates with everyone from entrepreneurs looking to make their mark to C-suite executives looking to inspire their teams around a unified vision.

Multi-talented comedian, writer, actor, and producer Robin Thede is a powerhouse Hollywood creative and acclaimed storyteller who uses comedy to change the world. A five-time Emmy-nominee, Thede is the Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer, and Star of HBO’s Emmy-winning sketch comedy series, A Black Lady Sketch Show. Previously, she was the Creator, Executive Producer, Writer, and Host of The Rundown with Robin Thede on BET – where she made her mark as one of the only Black women to ever host a late-night television talk show. In profound and hilarious talks, Thede speaks to creativity and comedy, diversity and inclusion, and creating a path for your vision in any industry.

Thede holds the title to many firsts. She served as head writer and correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, becoming the first Black woman to earn the title of Head Writer in late-night television. She was also the first Black woman to be head writer for the White House Correspondents Dinner. Thede has received numerous awards and accolades, including being honored with the Innovator of the Year Award by the Culture Creators in 2022. She was named to the Variety 2022 Comedy Impact Report as well as to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2022 "Most Influential People in Comedy" list. She won a Black Reel Award in the category “Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series.” Thede currently develops projects for TV and film under her For Better or Words, Inc. banner, which has an overall deal at HBO/Max/Warner Brothers, and will star alongside Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross in the upcoming Amazon Studios feature, Candy Cane Lane.

Global icon and historic human rights leader Ayọ (f.k.a. Opal) Tometi is one of the most influential human rights leaders of our time. For years, the award-winning advocate, strategist, and writer has used her voice to ensure that race, immigration, and gender justice remain at the forefront of global conversations. Tometi served as the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration for a decade, and co-founded the Black Lives Matter digital platform and chapter-based network, for which she and her fellow co-founders received numerous accolades, including a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. She is the Founder of Diaspora Rising, a new media and advocacy hub strengthening the bonds amongst members of the global Black family, and serves on the board of Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity and the International Living Future Institute. She is a highly sought-after speaker for her advocacy and thought leadership, and her keynotes have had a resounding impact at venues like the Atlantic Ideas Summit, Harvard University, the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Summit, Yale University, the United Nations, and more than 100 stages internationally. 

Tometi has been honored with countless awards for her groundbreaking work, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, International Peace Honors, the Heirs of Afrika Social Justice Award, the Amplify Africa Leadership and Policy Award, the Global Citizen Prize, and the Coretta Scott King Center Legacy Award, among many others. She was named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People," appeared on the “Most Influential People” lists for Forbes, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan, and was named one of the most influential women of the century by USA Today and TIME. Tometi holds an Honorary PhD and was honored by the City University of New York with a scholarship in her name to support immigrant students pursuing law degrees. In addition to illuminating keynotes and conversations about social justice, racial bias in tech, and values-driven leadership, Tometi is also in demand for her insights about wellness and support along the childbearing continuum, social change & sustainability, and the future of tech. 

Oscar-winning filmmaker, actor, and author Sarah Polley is a storyteller focused on personal stories with powerful cultural resonance. Polley’s film Women Talking received a Best Picture nomination and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, reverberating with critics and audiences alike as a “powerful act of non-violent protest” (Variety). Polley's previous films include Away From Her - which was nominated for two Academy Awards, Take This Waltz, and her documentary film Stories We Tell, which won Best Documentary Film awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, National Board of Review, and the New York Film Critics Circle, as well as a Writer’s Guild of America award for its screenplay. Polley executive produced and wrote the acclaimed Netflix limited series Alias, Grace, adapted from Margaret Atwood’s novel. In memorable events, Polley speaks on the creative process, the value of storytelling, confronting fear, and what it means to be the author of one’s own life.

Polley starred in a wide variety of films including The Sweet Hereafter (Best Supporting Actress award from the Boston Society of Film Critics), Go (Independent Spirit Award nomination), Dawn of the Dead, Mr. Nobody, and The Weight of Water, to name a few. Polley is the author of the New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory, a well-received collection of essays detailing her relationship with her body and how her memory of past and present experiences has contributed to her evolving understanding of self. In profound and ultimately uplifting conversations, Polley inspires her audiences to harness the power of storytelling to live a fuller life.

College baseball player Marika Lyszczyk made history by becoming the first female catcher to play on an NCAA men’s baseball team, and the first Canadian woman to play US college men’s baseball. Recruited to play NCAA Division 3 men’s baseball as a catcher at Rivier University, Marika has broken gender barriers that others thought were improbable or impossible. She has moved up to NCAA Division 2 and is currently playing for Sonoma State University as a pitcher. Marika continues to break barriers and uses her motivational speaking events to inspire her audiences to do the same.

Determined to follow her dream no matter how difficult it gets, Marika has overcome adversity and learned to adapt along the way by working on her strengths, not taking no for an answer, and forging relationships with others that support and believe in her through her journey. She was a member of the MLB Creator Class of 2022, selected for her social media content which focuses on being a woman in male-dominated sport. T-Mobile tapped Marika to do on-field commentating at the MLB Home-Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium, where she also conducted red carpet interviews. An up-and-coming sports reporter in addition to being a trailblazing player, Marika uses her platform to inspire young women and others to follow their dreams and pursue their goals no matter the obstacles.

Watch the SPORTSNET interview, "How Marika Lyszczyk is paving the way for all young women in sports" >>

Olympic gold and silver medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield is “the fastest woman in hockey,” serving as captain of the U.S. women’s national hockey team. Capturing an astounding twenty-three medals in international competition, Schofield has had a ground-breaking career of ‘firsts’ – as the first female NHL All-Star Skills competitor, the first female player development coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, the first woman to serve as an analyst for a Chicago Blackhawks regular season game, and as a member of the first all-women NBC Sports and NHL Tonight broadcast teams. Her bestselling autobiography As Fast As Her reached #1 on Amazon in several categories, scoring a hat track as #1, #2, and #3 on Amazon in teen and young adult hockey in hardcover, audio, and Kindle.

Schofield earned her title as “the fastest woman in hockey” in 2019 when she became the first woman to compete in the fastest skater challenge at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. Her time of 14.346 seconds was less than one second behind the winning NHL skater sending shockwaves throughout the sports world in a breakthrough moment for women’s hockey. Schofield has been named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” and is a leader on and off the ice. She is the Co-Founder of the Schofield Family Foundation, serves on the board of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, and founded the “Golden Coynes” – an all-girls hockey development program in partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Kendall Coyne Hockey Camp. Schofield is a champion of resilience, and in her motivating keynotes inspires audiences to get outside their comfort zone to accomplish their goals.

For more than four decades, Kay Bailey Hutchison has leveraged her expertise in the public and private sectors. She served in the U.S. Senate for twenty years representing the state of Texas. As a member of Senate leadership, she was elected Vice-Chairman of the Republic Conference and later Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-highest ranking Republican Senator. Then in 2017, she became the permanent Representative of the U.S. to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, where she held the alliance together and strategized the U.S. working relationships with Russia, China, and the rest of the world. Highly regarded for her commitment to bipartisan solutions, Ambassador Hutchison offers an insider’s perspective and practical, non-partisan insights to issues central to the national economy, homeland defense, and foreign affairs in her engaging talks.

Kay Bailey Hutchison was named one of the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes. She served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and previously worked as a prominent attorney at Bracewell, LLP, an established international law firm in Dallas, Texas. She is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s greatest challenges, and is the namesake for the KBH Center for Energy, Law and Business at the University of Texas. Ambassador Hutchison is the New York Times bestselling author of three books, including Unflinching Courage: Pioneering Women Who Shaped Texas, Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers, and American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country. With her breadth of experience, she is a masterful, knowledgeable speaker on national security, foreign policy and America's agenda on the world stage.

Award-winning gender economist and former Global 500 global executive Katica Roy is a programmer, data scientist, and the CEO and founder of an award-winning SaaS company, Pipeline. Pipeline uses advanced technology to enable companies to realize the economic opportunity of intersectional gender equity and launched the first gender equity app on Salesforce's AppExchange. Pipeline, which is backed by both Accenture and Workday, was named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019 and awarded Fast Company’s: 2023 and 2020 World’s Most Innovative Companies, 2021 Next Big Things in Tech, and 2022 World Changing Ideas.

CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Bloomberg, Cheddar, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Wharton Business, Newsy, and NBC have sought Katica for her sharp and unconventional take on the day’s headlines.  She has interviewed President Biden, Vice President Harris, Senators Booker and Gillibrand, Secretary Pete, Canadian Pay Equity Commissioner Karen Jensen, Sophia Bush, Eve Rodsky, Gretchen Carlson, and Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings.

She has spoken on over 100 stages across the world including major stages at SXSW, CES, Web Summit, The Atlantic, and for major corporations such as JP Morgan, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Cisco, Edelman, BNP Paribas and more. Katica Roy is disrupting the business world with data-driven content that dynamically changes the audience. Ultimately compelling them to take action!

Katica’s high-octane, visionary articles have been published by the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg, NBC, Entrepreneur, The Hill, The Advocate, Harvard Business Review, and Morning Consult, garnering over 2.9 billion impressions. She has received numerous accolades, including being named a 2019 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business and awarded the 2019 Stevie Entrepreneur of the Year—Gold Award, the 2020 Colorado Entrepreneur of the Year as well as one of LinkedIn’s Top Influencer for gender equity in 2022. She is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council, Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum, The Aspen Institute's Tech Accountability Coalition, and the US Small Business Administration’s National Women’s Business Council (as an advisor to the President, Congress, and the SBA). Katica offers illuminating insights into fixing the leaky talent pipeline, the economic opportunity of gender equity, engineering gender equity into the future of work, AI and the future of revenue, the intersection of gender equity and climate change, and more.

The child of drug-addicted parents who routinely ate from dumpsters and sought refuge at all-night subway stations to survive, Liz Murray was homeless at age 15—and fending for her life. Determined not to be defined by her circumstances, she recognized education as the key to a fresh beginning and a whole new way of living. She earned her high school diploma in just two years and won a scholarship to Harvard University that would turn her bleak circumstances into a future filled with limitless possibility.

With sincerity, maturity and graciousness, Murray takes audiences along on her personal journey from street smarts to classroom triumphs, instantly becoming an inspiration to both student groups and business audiences alike in need of the motivation to overcome their own obstacles. She is the author of Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard, which became the film Homeless to Harvard and was nominated for three Emmy Awards. Murray graduated from Harvard in 2009, and went on to receive her Masters in the Psychology of Education at Columbia University. Today, as co-founder of The Arthur Project, Murray is a passionate advocate for under served youth, working to end generational poverty through relationship-based learning.

In July 1960, Jane Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Tanzania. Her work at Gombe Stream would become the foundation of future primatological research and redefine the relationship between humans and animals.

In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues the Gombe research and is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. The Institute is widely recognized for innovative, community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa, and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the global environmental and humanitarian youth program.

Dr. Goodall founded Roots & Shoots with a group of Tanzanian students in 1991. Today, Roots & Shoots connects hundreds of thousands of youth in more than 130 countries who take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.

Dr. Goodall travels an average 300 days per year, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, other environmental crises, and her reasons for hope that humankind will solve the problems it has imposed on the earth.

Dr. Goodall’s honors include the French Legion of Honor, the Medal of Tanzania, and Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize. In 2002, Dr. Goodall was appointed to serve as a United Nations Messenger of Peace and in 2003, she was named a Dame of the British Empire.

Republican strategist, analyst, and TV personality Ana Navarro is a vital voice in political media today. The Miami New Times named her a “Republican power-consultant,” and the Tampa Bay Times called her “a sought-after voice in Republican politics and an adviser for any presidential hopeful.” Navarro is respected on both sides of the aisle for her straight shooting and candor.

Navarro first served as ambassador to the United Nation’s Human Rights Commission, a special advisor to the government of Nicaragua, and one of the primary advocates for NACARA (Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act). Navarro then transitioned to the private sector. She has also played a role in several federal and state races in Florida. She served as the national Hispanic co-chair for Governor Jon Huntsman’s campaign and the national co-chair of John McCain’s Hispanic Advisory Council. She served on Governor Jeb Bush’s transition team and was his first director of immigration policy.

Navarro frequently appears in the media, sought after by Meet the Press, Bill Maher’s Real Time, Anderson Cooper 360, and more. She is a co-host of ABC’s The View. From both her media work and political insider perspective, Navarro is in touch with the political issues of today. In presentations, Navarro discusses the latest hot button issues in politics, giving audiences a roadmap for where the country is headed.

Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 14 books for children, teens and adults, including The Take, the Front Desk series (Front Desk, Three Keys, Room to Dream, Key Player, Top Story, and Chef’s Secret), New From Here, Finally Seen, Finally Heard, Parachutes, Private Label, as well as the picture books Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country and Little Bird Laila.

With over 2 million copies sold to date, the Front Desk series has changed the landscape of children’s literature. Based on Kelly’s childhood experience living and working in a motel as a first-generation immigrant child from China, the Front Desk series authentically describes the immigrant experience through its heart-warming, spunky protagonist, 10-year-old Mia Tang. Named “one of the 30 most influential children’s books of all time,” Front Desk has won some of the most prestigious awards in literature, including the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the Parents' Choice Gold Medal, was the 2019 Global Read Aloud, and many other honors.

Kelly immigrated to America when she was 6 years old and grew up in Southern California, where she and her parents worked in three different motels. She went on to attend college at the age of 13 and law school at the age of 17. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School, where she was one of the youngest women ever to graduate. Her experience going to school early provided Kelly a unique perspective on aging, which she used to write The Take, her adult debut novel, forthcoming in Spring 2026 from Berkley/Penguin in the US, and Little, Brown in the UK. The Take is about two women, a young Asian American writer in her 20s, struggling to be taken seriously, and a white powerful Hollywood producer in her 50s, clinging to relevancy. Both are tired of being judged by society for their age. They make a deal that upends their lives. The Take interrogates not just the way we look at aging, but how it intersects with power, privilege and race. 

Kelly is the founder of The Kelly Yang Project in Hong Kong, the leading writing and debating program for kids in Asia. She’s written op-eds for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. In addition to being a novelist, she is also a screenwriter. She has written screenplays and television pilots for Netflix, CBS Studios, and the CW. She has three children and lives in Los Angeles. In 2023, she served as the Honorary Chair of the American Library Association for National Library Week.

A passionate and dynamic speaker, Kelly has appeared on Good Morning America, NPR, NBC, ABC, and frequently gives interviews to The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, as well as many other publications.

Tara Palmeri is a deeply sourced political columnist who uncovers the machinations at the highest levels of power in Washington. Her quick wit and unvarnished reporting offer a deeper level of understanding of the intrigues of the permanent political class, going beyond the headlines to the egos and ambitions driving it all.

Determination. Bravery. Adventurousness. Testing the limits of human endurance. These concepts are the hallmark of Lynne Cox’s spectacular career. A bold risk- taker with a proven record for overcoming monumental obstacles, Ms. Cox is one of the most dynamic motivational speakers to emerge in recent decades.

Lynne’s speaking is inspired by her accomplishments as a world-class athlete, author, advocate, and environmentalist – spanning more than 35 years of challenge and success. Her athletic achievements have shaped the sport of open water swimming. Her swims have brought nations together, advocated to solve environmental problems, and supported vital causes Lynne immerses audiences in her stories, inspiring them to pursue amazing goals. She builds connections between her athletic achievements and success in life – from business to personal growth to the vital human need for love, friendship, and support.

Lynne draws on her experience to inspire audiences to realize that the human heart is strong, resilient, and enduring.

Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah is an experienced executive and strategic consultant to Fortune 500 companies and has worked with local, state, and federal governments for over 25 years. As atrained behavior specialist, she brings to the boardroom a unique ability to ascertain and discern complex issues and deliver thoughtful insights that help companies achieve strategic agendas. With both domestic and international experience, she works as a senior advisor to CEOs, heads of state, ambassadors, secretaries/ministers, and members of Congress across diverse industries and sectors (including consumer brands and products, government, behavioral health, education, and entertainment). Adjoa has extensive risk management, regulatory, and compliance expertise. Additionally, she is responsible for allocating a $76 billion dollar appropriated budget. She leverages cultural intelligence and behavioral insights to create national multicultural marketing campaigns that improve brand image, corporate social responsibility, and companies’ market share. 

Multiple award-winning national and international CNN senior correspondent Sara Sidner is renowned for exposing injustices and uncovering truth in the most extreme environments. In 2016, Sidner took on a beat which focused on social, racial, and political conflict across the U.S. and in 2020, she helped lead CNN’s coverage in Minneapolis, Minnesota after the police killing of George Floyd. She has shaped the national dialogue with her work covering the first known coronavirus outbreak, the Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally as well as the trial of the Neo-Nazi who killed anti-racism protestor Heather Heyer, and the protests in Ferguson, Missouri following the police murder of the unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown. Previously, Sidner worked for CNN as an international correspondent based in India, then Jerusalem, and later Abu Dhabi. She hosts The Big Picture for CNN+, an in-depth look at the most important and interesting story of the day. Sidner has received rave reviews as a keynote speaker and moderator from groups such as the Alliance of Women Philanthropists, NAACP, the 92^nd Street Y, the Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism, and many others.

Sidner has received numerous honors including a regional Emmy, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and multiple Gracie Awards from the Women in Media Foundation. She has reported from over twenty countries around the world, from the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks to the fall of Tripoli. She was part of the team that won a Peabody Award for CNN’s coverage of the Arab Spring, and shared the Achievement of the Year Award from SKY Women in Film & Television in the U.K. for her work. As an insightful moderator, inspiring keynote speaker, and renowned investigative journalist, Sidner offers her compelling and candid perspective as a journalist, woman, and citizen on the most intense and important news stories of our time.

Lesley Stahl is one of America's most honored and experienced broadcast journalists and offers a historical look at politics from a career that has spanned over fifty years. Her rich career has been marked by political scoops, surprising features and award-winning foreign reporting, a body of work that won her the RTDNA's 2015 Paul White award for lifetime achievement. She has been a 60 Minutes correspondent since March 1991 and began her 30th season in 2020. She is the author of the best-selling book Becoming Grandma.

An award-winning television journalist, New York Times bestselling author, sought-after motivational and keynote speaker, successful entrepreneur, and one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, Joan Lunden is one of the most visible women in the country.  In her refreshingly straightforward style, she shares the candid advice that has motivated her throughout her career, inspiring audiences to take charge of their health, their happiness, and their success.  s a moderator, Lunden is a seasoned veteran and is known for making panelists feel comfortable with her warmth and her natural way of guiding a discussion. Lunden has an unparalleled ability to bring her own insight to a panel discussion, while skillfully navigating the personalities of many experts on one stage.

Tamika Tremaglio is an accomplished finance professional with a distinguished career spanning various leadership roles. For over 30 years, she has been instrumental in driving success and growth in professional services in the areas of strategy development, operations management, risk management, talent development, forensic accounting, and regulatory compliance.

Most recently, Tamika served as the Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and held the positions of Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Think450, the NBPA's commercial arm.

Known for her adeptness in establishing robust corporate governance practices, Tamika's leadership ensured compliance with regulatory and financial frameworks and implemented impactful compliance programs at global companies such as Exxon Mobil, Olympus, Embraer and Johnson & Johnson, among others. Tamika’s professional finance and accounting experience, includes leading large, high-profile global and domestic corporate investigations, matters involving collective bargaining agreements, modeling player licensing, and earnings distributions, strategy development, operations management, talent development, compensation, corporate governance, corporate citizenship initiatives, franchise disputes, board compliance, and real estate matters.

• On Sports Illustrated Power List: "The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports"
• Received the Triple-Impact Executive Award from the Positive Coaching Alliance 
• "Managing Partner of the Year," Washington Business Journal 
• Listed as one of Washington’s "150 Most Powerful Women" 
• Listed on Essence's Game Changer's Power List
• Serves on numerous Boards of Directors, including Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, United Way of the National Capital Area, & Tuskegee University

Former professional racing driver, motorsport executive, and entrepreneur Susie Wolff has spent more than 20 years at the forefront gender diversity and representation internationally. At the 2014 British Grand Prix, she made history by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years by driving for 16-time World Champions Williams Racing. After retiring from competition, Susie continued to be the driving force of change in the sport by founding Dare To Be Different – a mission to inspire the next generation and increase female participation in all levels of motorsport.

Susie took her first steps into management and ownership as Team Principal and shareholder of Venturi Racing in Formula E. After building the series’ most gender-diverse team, she became the marque’s Chief Executive Officer and secured two vice World Championship titles before leaving in 2022. Now, as the Managing Director of the all-female driver category, F1 Academy, Susie continues to inspire the next generation of female talent by creating opportunities and improving accessibility.

For her services and contribution to women in sport, Susie was awarded an MBE in 2017 and received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Edinburgh and continues to be an inspirational role model for women across the world.

Business executive Lisa Wardell has more than 25 years of experience managing business strategy, operations, finance, and mergers and acquisitions, while driving shareholder value, stakeholder engagement, and company mission. Lisa currently serves as the Chairman of Adtalem Global Education Inc. – which aims to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community. Lisa previously served as Adtalem’s President and CEO, then CEO & Chairman, and Executive Chairman. During her tenure as CEO, Wardell oversaw the strategic repositioning of Adtalem’s portfolio, and was the only African American woman CEO in S&P’s MidCap 400 Index. Under her leadership, gender and ethnic diversity has increased at the Adtalem board to 67%. Wardell has also led the higher education sector in implementing new standards in transparency and financial literacy, and in cultivating quality partnerships to fill critical global workforce needs. With expertise in business strategy, mission-driven growth, fostering diverse workforces, higher education, and advancing equity in healthcare, Lisa has been sought-after for her perspective by groups including Bloomberg, ASU+GSV Summit, Executives Breakfast Club, and more.

Prior to her work with Adtalem, Wardell was the Executive VP and COO for The RLJ Companies, a Principal at Katalyst Venture Partners, and a Senior Consultant for Accenture. She has also worked extensively in the media, entertainment, sports, gaming, and hotel industries, including assisting with the founding and management of Our Stories Films Studio and the now Charlotte Hornets. Lisa serves as the Vice Chair on the executive committee of The Business Council, and as Vice Chair of the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund. She also serves on the boards of American Express and GIII Apparel Group, Ltd., has served on the Adtalem board since 2008, and previously served on the Lowes Home Improvement board. A fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion and access to education at scale across diverse communities, Lisa also is a member of the board of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Executive Leadership Council, CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Fortune CEO Initiative. Lisa has been featured on CNBC and Cheddar as well as in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Business Insider, Black Enterprise, and other publications.

Merline Saintil – a software engineer turned Silicon Valley COO and investor who has taken six companies through their IPOs – is an active investor in dozens of companies that are shaping the future of work, e-commerce and technology.

A frequent featured speaker and with her perspectives quoted in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Forbes, Merline is now starting a $50M fund that invests in early stage management teams.

She is a Fortune 500 board member and co-founder of Black Women on Boards, a global organization of 200 executives at market-leading companies who help prepare, place and propel Black top talent into boardrooms of the most innovative companies.

Her Carnegie Mellon master’s degree in software engineering serves her well as lead independent director of Rocket Lab. She also advises the C-suite as a board member and committee chair at GitLab, Symbotic, Lightspeed Commerce, and TD Synnex.

Away from cap tables and quarterly meetings, Merline is a passionate fan of the Stanford Women’s Soccer team, which conveniently plays home games near her office in Palo Alto and which includes her daughter, an equally ardent student of computer science.

Claire L. Evans is a writer and musician. She is the singer and coauthor of the multiple Webby and GRAMMY-nominated pop group YACHT, known for their expansive investigations into the intersection of art and technology. Their groundbreaking 2019 release, Chain Tripping, was produced in collaboration with machine learning researchers and artists, and Claire has spoken about YACHT’s unique working process—and the significance of AI as a creative tool—at academic computer science conferences and music festivals alike.

Claire has her hands in past and future simultaneously: as the founding editor of VICE’s Terraform, she has published leading and emerging voices in speculative fiction, and as the author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women who Made the Internet (Penguin Random House, 2018), she helps audiences understand the true history of technology. Broad Band has received acclaim from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Scientific American, and been featured on NPR’s Science Friday.

Claire writes extensively about computation, biology, and technology culture and history for outlets such as VICE, Rhizome, The Guardian, WIRED, Rest of World, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Document Journal, Eye on Design, Quartz, OneZero, PioneerWorks, and Aeon, among others. She lives in Los Angeles, where she is a faculty advisor to graduate design students at Art Center College of Design.

Award-winning investigative filmmaker and activist Amy Ziering is the woman behind the last decade’s most important films about sexual assault that have directly impacted American culture and politics.

Alongside her creative partner Kirby Dick, Ziering’s work is a lightning rod for conversation with lauded works such as The Invisible War, The Hunting Ground, The Bleeding Edge, On the Record, and Allen v. Farrow. Ziering is the recipient of countless prestigious awards including an Oscar nomination, two Emmy awards, a Peabody, an Independent Spirit Award, a duPont-Columbia award, and the George Polk Award. An advocate for equity and justice, Ziering has been instrumental in making documentaries that have resulted in real world change with over 35 laws and 5 congressional hearings directly related to her filmography.

Passionate, candid and inspiring, Ziering’s on-the-ground approach to her work makes her the perfect person to speak about the impact of media on transforming culture, improvising activism on topics that have previously been impenetrable for a national discourse, and on the difference equity and parity on screen makes.

Lesley Visser is the most highly acclaimed female sportscaster of all time. In six Halls of Fame, she was the first woman enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. She is the only female sportscaster to have carried the Olympic Torch; the only woman to have presented the Championship Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl; the first woman on the Network Broadcasts of the Final Four, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the Olympics, the Triple Crown, the World Figure Skating Championships, and the US Open Tennis. She was voted the Outstanding Female Sportscaster of All-Time by the National Sportscasters of America. Her career began at the Boston Globe in 1974 after she won a Carnegie Foundation grant, given to only 20 women in the country who wanted to go into jobs that were 95% male.

Lesley was elected to the Sportswriter’s Hall of Fame for her work at the Boston Globe, magazines and CBS.com. She was voted to the Sports Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame for her work at CBS, ABC and HBO. Visser was the first and only woman to win the Billie Jean King “Outstanding Journalist” award, and was honored as the first woman “Lombardi Fellow.” She has been named a Muhammad Ali “Daughter of Greatness” and was honored for her achievements by the 18th World Congress of Sport. In June of 2018, she won the Al Neuharth/Newseum award for Lifetime Achievement, first given to Walter Cronkite. Lesley had the privilege of reporting from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and had the honor of throwing out the first pitch for her beloved Red Sox in 2013.

A graduate of Boston College, which awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2007, she has passionately served on the board of the V Foundation for cancer research for more than 20 years, while also serving on the board of NYU’s “Sports and Society”. Visser has mentored young women for decades, while speaking at colleges and businesses around the world - from Doha, Qatar, to Charleston, South Carolina, where she spoke at the prestigious Renaissance weekend, founded by President Clinton. Lesley’s book, “Sometimes You Have to Cross When it Says Don't Walk” is a memoir of breaking barriers.

A sportscaster at CBS for more than 25 years, Lesley spent nearly 10 years at ABC Sports, where she became the first woman on Monday Night Football and the first woman on a Super Bowl sideline, while also covering the World Series, World Figure Skating Championships, the World Skiing Championships, and the Triple Crown. She has been voted one of the “Women We Love” by Esquire magazine and one of “the Five Ideal Dinner Guests” by GQ.

For nearly 20 years, tennis great Chris Evert provided fans throughout the world with one guarantee - she gave every match all she had. She was always more than just the best tennis player in the world. Evert was ranked number one for seven years and had a 90 percent win average spanning her 17 year career as a pro. She won 18 grand slam titles including three Wimbledons, seven French Opens, two Australian Opens, and six U.S. Opens.

Since retiring in 1989, the Hall of Fame tennis player has become active in more than a dozen organizations including the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, Save the Children, The American AIDS Association, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She founded Chris Evert Charities, Inc. which has raised over fifteen million dollars to combat substance abuse and to assist neglected, drug-exposed, and abused children.

Chris is also a partner and coach at Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, which she opened in 1996. The Center offers junior and adult programs for all skill levels from beginning to professional. Active in all aspects of the junior tennis program, Chris founded the academy to give something back to junior tennis and to ensure that the tradition started by her father will continue in South Florida. The Evert Tennis Academy quickly became, and continues to be, the home to countless national and international junior champions and some of the world’s finest pros. The Academy has recently been chosen as a USTA National Training Center. Chris works with global brands such as Wilson and Nike and is also the publisher of Tennis Magazine.

Of all of her accomplishments, she considers being the mother of 3 children to be her greatest.

Today, Chris Evert remains one of the most prominent female athletes of our time as well as one of the most recognizable women in the nation. 

Dara Torres is a 12-time Olympic medalist in swimming and arguably the fastest female swimmer in America. A top-selling author, her memoir, Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life, was listed as one of the top 25 best-selling business books just two months after publication. Her second book, Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program is a New York Times bestseller. She is currently a correspondent on CBS Sports' women's show We Need to Talk. 

She entered her first international swimming competition at age 14 and competed in her first Olympic Games a few years later in 1984. At the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, Dara became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympic Games

Widely considered the most powerful woman in Israel since Golda Meir, Tzipi Livni is a former Foreign Minister of Israel, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Leader of the Opposition. A politician, diplomat and lawyer, she is known for her efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Livni has served in eight different cabinet positions throughout her career, setting the record for most government roles held by an Israeli woman. Consequently, she has achieved a number of milestones in Israeli government, as the first female Vice Prime Minister, Justice Minister, Agriculture Minister, Immigration and Absorption Minister, and Housing Minister.

Named one of "150 Women Who Shake the World" by Newsweek and The Daily Beast, and included in the "Time 100" and Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women," Livni has been sought-out to speak everywhere from The World Economic Forum to Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" Summit.

A champion on and off the court, Martina Navratilova is not only a tennis legend, but an inspirational leader who demonstrates wit, candor and sheer motivation.

A life long advocate for women, children and the underserved, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s career has focused on creating public and private partnerships to solve some of the most intractable problems facing America today.

Brenda Feigen, a crusader for feminism and women’s rights, has long guided and shifted the discussion and progress made for women over the last few decades in the U.S. Having survived cancer, Ms. Feigen has much to say on law, health, and women in America.

More than just a technologist, businesswoman or global leader, Dr. Cheryl Shavers is an inspiration, a role model for individuals and organizations faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.

Mia is widely recognized as the world's best all-around women's soccer player, with her leadership and passion motivating countless others to pursue their own dreams and go for it.

Award-winning actor, serial entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author Eva Longoria is paving the way for future women and minority producers, directors, and industry leaders in Hollywood and beyond. Since her rise to fame in ABC’s Desperate Housewives, Longoria has established herself as an in-demand director for television and a media trailblazer through her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment production company, which focuses on purposeful projects that accurately represent stories of the Latinx and other underrepresented communities. Longoria is also a partner in The MACRO Episodic Lab Powered by The Black List, which seeks to discover, support, and empower storytellers of color who typically do not have access to the traditional Hollywood system.

A dedicated philanthropist and activist, Longoria was named one of People Magazine’s “Women Changing the World.” She lends her voice to issues from immigration to reproductive rights, co-founded the nonprofit Eva’s Heroes, and established the Eva Longoria Foundation to help Latinas build better futures through educational programs, scholarships, mentorship, and entrepreneurship. Longoria is a co-founder of the Latino Victory Fund, a movement building political power in the Latinx community, and She Se Puede, a digital lifestyle community and media platform. She is the New York Times bestselling author of cookbooks Eva’s Kitchen and My Mexican Cookbook. Longoria empowers audiences of all kinds with stories of her personal journey and insights about fearless, values-driven leadership.

Public servant and New York Times bestselling author Huma Abedin began her career in national politics as an intern in First Lady Hillary Clinton’s office in 1996, later serving as a Senior Advisor to Senator Clinton and Traveling Chief of Staff for Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. She was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of State, served as Vice Chair of Hillary for America in 2016, and currently serves as Hillary Clinton’s Chief of Staff. Abedin is the New York Times bestselling author of BOTH/AND: A Life in Many Worlds, a stunning memoir grappling with family, legacy, identity, faith, and more through her profound believe that in an either/or world, she can be both/and.

Abedin is a regular contributor for MSNBC on issues ranging from politics to foreign affairs to women’s leadership. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Forbes 30/50 Annual Summit held every March in Abu Dhabi to mark International Women’s Day. In 2023, Huma was awarded the Celebrating Women Award from the New York Women’s Foundation. She is on the board of Vital Voices, a non-profit organization that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women's political participation, and human rights.

Abedin is a contributor for MSNBC and has been featured in Vogue, The Washington Post, The Cut, Puck, The New York Times, and more, and appeared on Bloomberg, CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, Morning Joe, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Drew Barrymore, BBC, The Guardian, Snap Chat Good Luck America, Twitter Spaces, among many others.  She has been sought-after for events with groups like 92Y, Forbes 30/50 Women’s Summit, The Asia Society Texas, and many others. Abedin shares her journey through opportunities and obstacles, as well as insider insight into the political landscape and today’s most pressing issues, with compassion, courage, resilience, and grace.

Comedian, writer, and actress Ziwe has captured audiences with her signature candor, wit, and salient commentary on race and politics in America. Ziwe hosted the A24 produced late-night variety sketch show, Ziwe, which was heralded by audiences and critics alike. As one of TIME’s 100 Next Gen Leaders, her refreshing approach to broadcast journalism represents the renaissance of late-night. Her guests have included Fran Leibowitz, Gloria Steinem, Stacey Abrams, Chet Hanks, and Julia Fox, among others. Ziwe is the author of a much-anticipated book of essays, Black Friend.

Hailed as the multi-hyphenate comedic voice to emerge from social media, Ziwe garnered attention during the early months of the pandemic with her provocative and hilarious interviews on her Instagram Live & YouTube talk series, Baited. The show featured interviews full of hard truths with the likes of Caroline Calloway, Alison Roman, Rose McGowan, and Jeremy O. Harris. She has released an album of songs from her Showtime show, Ziwe: A Famously Iconic Soundtrack, and has been featured as an actor on Succession, The Great North, Dickinson, and more. Ziwe’s iconic comedic voice, balanced with her incisive perspective as a cultural critic, ensures a memorable event that will resonate with audiences of all kinds.

Beloved style expert, TV host, and author Stacy London is one of America’s foremost style experts and a pop culture icon. Best known as the co-host of TLC’s iconic show What Not to Wear for ten seasons, Stacy also hosted and executive produced Love, Lust, or Run. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Dress Your Best and The Truth About Style, and has served as a style correspondent for the Today Show, Access Hollywood, Rachel Ray, and The View. Throughout her career, Stacy has made her mark by raising the confidence of others through empowering and uplifting projects and speaking events.

In 2021, Stacy became the Founder and CEO of State of Menopause – a holistic product line for women which addresses the symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause. By tackling this topic – which is wrapped in shame and stigma – Stacy is leveraging her expertise as a brand leader and continuing to help people from suffering silently, raising their confidence and self-esteem. In 2023, she sunset the company in favor of a long-term educational and advocacy platform about the culture of mid-life, aging, and menopause which she will debut in 2024. She currently advises several other brands on menopause and mid-life.

She previously hosted the mental health podcast Could Be Better, tbh, in collaboration with the Crisis Text Line and The Jed Foundation (JED). Stacy has spoken for groups including Harvard University, Meijer, Vassar College, The Global Wellness Conference, and Women in Retail Summit on the topics of style, self-esteem, and giving menopause the makeover it deserves!

World-renowned, award winning professor of business administration Anita Elberse is acclaimed for her publications on products in the entertainment, media, sports, and other creative industries, using econometric modeling techniques and case studies to examine media-industry problems. Professor Elberse teaches an MBA course covering the "Businesses of Entertainment, Media, and Sports," which ranks among the most sought-after courses at HBS and chairs an eponymous executive education program. Professor Elberse has published her case studies on dozens of entertainment companies, personalities, and other entities across major industry publications, such as the Harvard Business Review, Marketing Science, the Journal of Marketing, and several other journals. Several of her case studies are described in her bestselling book, Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment.

Professor Elberse is acclaimed for her work on furthering equality in sports media. She chairs a semester-long mentoring program, "Crossover Into Business," specifically designed for professional athletes and leads the Summer Venture in Management Program for college students from minority backgrounds. Poets & Quants named her one of the "World's Best Business School Professors Under the Age of 40," and she has received teaching awards on multiple occasions from both students and Harvard Business School itself. Professor Elberse provides actionable takeaways for organizations to effectively manage products and talent in media, reflecting her fruitful work on digital-media strategies. As a speaker, Professor Elberse provides insightful stories, commentary, and case studies unpacking the best of sports, media, and pop culture.

Professional tennis player and ESPN commentator Monica Puig is celebrated as the first-ever Puerto Rican to win an Olympic gold medal. Monica’s professional career, which spanned for over a decade and with a career high ranking of #27, saw her win one WTA title (Strasbourg, 2014) as well as reaching the finals of four additional WTA events. Monica’s biggest victory, and the one that changed her life forever, was becoming the first ever gold medal winner for Puerto Rico by winning the women’s singles title at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The win in Brazil captivated a nation and propelled her to overnight stardom both in her home country of Puerto Rico as well as in many other parts of Central and Latin America.

Monica announced her retirement from tennis in the spring of 2022 and has since transitioned into a role with ESPN and the Tennis Channel, where she covers a number of tennis events around the world as both a commentator, host, and guest analyst. She has also fulfilled roles for ESPN around the 2022 MLB All-Star Game and is expanding into other areas of sports, business, and the entertainment world. As part of her transition from a championed tennis player, Monica is competing in three marathons this year as well as the Augusta Half Iron Man. In engaging and motivational talks, Monica shares lessons in cultivating an athlete’s mindset, overcoming adversity, women in sports, and her historic Olympic win.

Author, Emmy-winning journalist, and Latinx advocate Paola Ramos is sought after for her informative, relatable, and engaging programs. Ramos uses multi-media platforms – in both English and Spanish – to uplift the voices of marginalized communities, break down stereotypes, and mobilize people toward civic engagement. She was the former Deputy Director of Hispanic Media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign, a political appointee during the Obama Administration, and also served in President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Ramos is a host for VICE News, as well as a contributor for MSNBC and Telemundo News. An in-demand voice for making sense of the latest headlines as well as meaningful shifts in culture and politics, Ramos has been an impactful speaker for groups such as Comcast, Planned Parenthood, UTA, Athena Health, Syracuse University, Orrick, and more.

Ramos is the author of Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity and Defectors, assiduously reported explorations of the political and ideological experiences of Latinx Americans. Ramos and her work have been featured in Forbes, Washington Post, The Cut, Hola!, among many others. Ramos is a Hauser Leader in the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, where she received her Masters in Public Policy, and recently joined her alma mater Barnard College’s Board of Trustees. With every speaking engagement, Ramos receives rave reviews, such as: “We had an incredible fireside chat with Paola Ramos. She was informative, relatable, and engaging. Our audience learned about different Latinx communities and shared their own experiences during the event.” (Athena Health)

Content creator and activist Taylor Cassidy teaches unsung Black history with quick wit and strong passion. As seen in her series Fast Black History and Black Girl Magic Minute, she uses her platform to advocate for inclusion, representation, and love for one’s culture. Cassidy currently is a correspondent on Nickelodeon’s Nick News, a radio host for Sirius XM's TikTok Radio Channel, and recently became the first youth speaker at the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Cassidy’s Ted Talk, “Why Real Change is About More Than Just Going Viral,” invites listeners to rethink impact both on and offline.

Cassidy has been widely recognized as a premier creative. In 2020, she earned a Creator Honor from Liza Koshy at the Streamy Awards and was featured on TikTok's Top 100 list as one of 10 "Voices of Change: Most Impactful Creators." Cassidy has also been named to Teen Vogue's "21 under 21" and Forbes’ “30 Under 30” lists. Generous with sharing her story on Black identity and finding her creative voice, Cassidy is passionate about encouraging others to dream bigger for themselves.

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Now entering its 21st successful season, Top Chef is rated the #1 food show on cable television. She was most recently co-host of The Good Dish, and was formerly host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE. Gail’s first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Her first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012. Gail is the co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions and sits on the board of several other nonprofit organizations including Children in Conflict, City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen.

Simmons' background in both media and culinary spaces affords her the fantastic rhetorical skill of a food writer paired with the expertise of a head chef, making for educational, enriching live engagements. She makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The View, and the Tamron Hall Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Women’s Health, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. She has received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating.

Former Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Dr. Rochelle Walensky is a renowned expert exploring the challenges and gifts of what it means for leaders, organizations, and the world to protect public health. Dr. Walensky was the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as the 19^th director of the CDC and the ninth administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Having received an M.D from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she also trained in internal medicine and earned an MPH in clinical effectiveness from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2001. In the earliest part of the pandemic, Dr. Walensky served on the front lines, taking care of patients, serving on the Massachusetts General Hospital incident management team, and conducting research on vaccine deliver and strategies to reach underserved communities. Dr. Walensky’s tenure at the CDC began on January 20th, 2021, when she led the nation - and the world - through unprecedented times, facing the largest density of infectious threats likely ever seen in this country.

Dr. Walensky has worked to improve HIV screening and care in South Africa, led health policy initiatives, and researched clinical trial design and evaluation in a variety of settings. She was chair of the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council at the National Institutes of Health from 2014 to 2015. She has also been a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents and had been co-director of the Medical Practice Evaluation Center at Massachusetts General Hospital since 2011 before assuming the position of CDC Director. She is currently current Menschel Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Sought-after for her perspective on public health and crisis management, Dr. Walensky has spoken for groups including Boston University, Northeastern University, Bloomberg, Milken Institute, Aspen Ideas, and more.

Rising WNBA star Aliyah Boston is a trailblazer in the new generation of athletes. From an early age, Aliyah has courageously pursued her dream of a future in basketball. At the age of 12, Aliyah and her sister Alexis moved to Massachusetts from their hometown St. Thomas, USVI to live with their aunt and pursue more basketball opportunities. Aliyah joined USA’s national basketball team, was a McDonald’s All-American in high school, and led the University of South Carolina’s program to their 2^nd national championship – winning both the SEC Player of the Year and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as the most decorated player in program history.

Aliyah was the #1 overall draft pick in the 2023 WNBA season, joining the Indiana Fever as the team’s centerpiece. A celebratory New York Times profile declared that Boston “has already become the face of the WNBA just months into her professional career.” She is the only player ranked in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive win shares, demonstrating her dominance on both ends of the court. And Boston is the youngest player and only the eighth rookie ever to start a WNBA All-Star game. Aliyah’s outgoing personality is showcased in everything she does, including her role as NBC Sports’ lead women’s college basketball studio analyst for the network’s Big Ten women’s basketball coverage. Sought-after for her motivational story, Aliyah speaks about staying true to yourself, focusing on faith and family, and how to apply teamwork on and off the court.

Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has inspired millions on her path to become a top track and field athlete. The youngest U.S. Olympian to compete in track and field since 1972, McLaughlin set both junior world and NCAA records before winning two gold medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Named the Gatorade National Girls Athlete of the Year two years in a row, McLaughlin-Levrone is known for her dedication both to sports and her ability to inspire. Her her status both as an athlete and a cultural icon. She expands on her uplifting story in her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith and through her work as a brand ambassador for New Balance. In her motivational talks, McLaughlin-Levrone helps us see that our dreams are possible with hard work, perseverance, and determined pursuit.

Touching both on her faith and the obstacles she has faced on her way to success, McLaughlin-Levrone offers empowering and inspiring remarks on perseverance, learning and evolving from your mistakes, staying open to new experiences, and the pursuit of success. When recognized by TIME Magazine as an emerging leader, her teammate and world-record holder ALLYSON FELIX described her as someone with “a quiet confidence that demands your attention...[and] the potential to impact lives.”

Award-winning community organizer, political strategist, and jazz singer LaTosha Brown is a trusted expert and resource in political strategy, rural development, and special programming for philanthropies. Brown is the co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute – a power-building southern-based civic engagement organization – leveraging over two decades of experience as a revered institution-builder in non-profit and philanthropy sectors. A renowned philanthropic consultant, she has served as an advisor for groups such as the Ford Foundation, Friends of New Orleans, and the Clinton Global Initiative for over 25 years, and is the principle owner of TruthSpeaks Consulting, Inc. Brown is the Visionary, Founder, and Co-Anchor of the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium, a $100M, 10-year initiative to invest in organizations that serve Black women and girls. Beyond her regular media appearances on MSNBC, CBS, ABC, BET, Fox Soul, CNN, NPR, PBS, Brown was recently featured in three documentaries, including "Finding Justice " "Battleground Georgia," and "Vigilantes." She has launched and served countless organizations with her nationally recognized expertise in issues related to social justice, economic and leadership development, wealth creation, and civil rights.

Brown has served as an American Democracy Fellow with the Charles Warren Center at Harvard University, and is a Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She was named to Forbes' "50 Over 50" list. She serves on the board of the National Coalition on Black Civic Engagement (NCBCP), the Southern Documentary Fund, and is an active member of several national and international organizations. She and her work have received numerous awards, including the Beloved Community Award from The King Center, Forbes "50 Over 50 Impact List," the Dove Crown Award, Ms. Foundation's "Woman of the Year," the Humanitarian Choral Arts Award at the Kennedy Center, and many more.

In recent years, Brown has delivered over 50 keynote addresses, spoken at more than 20 colleges and universities, and served as commencement speaker for Harvard Black Students graduation and Pitzer College. Sought after for her uplifting keynote speeches, Brown shares message of hope and shared humanity, inviting audiences to envision a future and a democracy we deserve.

Chelsea Clinton is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, advocate, and public health expert.  As Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, Dr. Clinton provides vision and expertise to flagship programs like the Clinton Global Initiative, Too Small to Fail, and the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), a global program that empowers student leaders to turn their ideas into action. Dr. Clinton also serves as the vice chair of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which has helped over 11M people in more than 70 countries access critical HIV/AIDS medications and works across more than 125 countries around the world to build and strengthen sustainable health systems. 

In addition to her Foundation work, Chelsea teaches at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She has written several books for young readers, including the bestselling She Persisted series. She is also the co-author of The Book of Gutsy Women with her mom Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the two star-in and executive produce the adapted, critically-acclaimed series GUTSY on Apple TV+. Chelsea consistently receives rave reviews for her speaking engagements, such as: ”Chelsea was an incredibly generous speaker. The audience raved about her and she drove her message home in a very compelling manner. She was honest and personal and all around a huge hit. It was both a pleasure and an honor to interview her on stage.” (Business and Creativity Conference)

Thai Randolph was most recently CEO of Kevin Hart’s global media company HARTBEAT, fundraising over $100M. As an award-winning marketer, business leader and architect of NextGen media companies, Thai has been honored on Variety and Entrepreneur's "Women of Impact" lists and AdAge's "40 Under 40," to name a few.

She has built her career at the intersection of content, commerce, and community and led the launch of Women Write Now – a first-of-its-kind screenwriting fellowship developed in partnership with the Sundance Institute and HARTBEAT to champion the next generation of Black women in comedy through mentorship, advocacy, production, and exhibition. Continuing her mission to carve out spaces for overlooked – yet influential – voices in the industry, Randolph and co-founder/actress Tika Sumpter also launched Sugaberry, an audio-first media company for and by Black women – and co-host the Gracie-award winning podcast, The Suga.

Thai’s leadership perspective is in demand at high profile events such as Advertising Week, CES, Sundance, SXSW, Cannes Lions Festival, The Wrap’s TheGrill, Variety’s Inclusion and Entertainment Summits, Future of Television Conference, Digital Entertainment World, Adobe’s Digital Marketing Conference, YouTube's Publisher Summit, Cynopsis’ Big TV Conference, and Streaming Media East, among others. As a result-focused and empathetic leader, she continues to advocate for inclusive representation in entertainment and advertising, pay equity across industries and maternal and mental health for women and people of color.

Afua Hirsch is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and former barrister known for her work on culture, social justice, identity and anti-racism. She is the founder of Born in Me, a TV and film production company which creates scripted and non-scripted television documentaries, dramas, and podcasts, with a focus on compelling storytelling that has authenticity and purpose. Afua is the presenter of the BBC series African Rising and Enslaved, the 6-part series about the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L Jackson, as well as a podcast series for Audible. She was creative chair of the 2022 Edinburgh TV Festival, the most prestigious TV event in the UK. She currently hosts the podcast series LEGACY for Wondery. In sought-after keynote speeches and moderated conversations, Hirsch delves into how communities and organizations can explore identity and find belonging.

A journalist for more than twenty years, Afua began writing for the Voice Newspaper – Britain’s oldest black newspaper – as a teenager in the mid 1990’s. Since then she has been a senior Guardian correspondent, Sky News editor, and regularly writes for publications including the New York Times, Time Magazine, American and British Vogue, where she is a contributing editor. In 2019, she became the Wallis Annenberg Chair of Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she teachers graduate students on international reporting. Afua’s bestselling book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging is the winner of the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize. Her other books include Equal to Everything, about the UK Supreme Court, and Empire: Look Again. Her fourth book Decolonising My Body was published in 2023. Afua holds a degree from Oxford University, and honorary doctorates from London’s South Bank University and The University of Oxford Brookes. She has been voted one of the ten most influential black people in the UK and the 100 most influential people of African descent in the world. Hirsch regularly receives rave reviews, such as: “It all went fantastically well! Afua was really inspiring and generous with her time, we have received lots of excellent feedback on her keynote speech.” (Transport for London)

www.afuahirsch.com

Olympic Gold Medalist, two-time World Champion, and U.S. and World Hall of Fame figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi is a powerful force of nature both on and off the ice. Yamaguchi has appeared as an NBC Olympics broadcast analyst for NBC’s Universal Sports Network, a special correspondent for the Today Show, and was the celebrity champion of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Throughout her career, Yamaguchi has been a highly sought-after corporate spokesperson, working with Kellogg’s and the American Lung Association, Celanese Acetate, as well as serving as the Goodwill Ambassador for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, performing at the opening and closing ceremonies. She has been invited to speak to Marriott International, Illinois Libraries Present, Philips Oral Healthcare, and many more.  

Yamaguchi’s philanthropic passions include promoting early childhood literacy through her Always Dream, which finds innovative ways to improve access to books, technology, and family engagement strategies for children of historically and intentionally excluded communities. Yamaguchi authored the New York Times bestselling children’s books Dream Big, Little Pig! and It’s a Big World, Little Pig!, among other titles. She has received the Inspiration Award from the Asian Excellence Awards, the Women's Sports Foundation Flo Hyman Award, the Heisman Humanitarian Award, and the USPOC Jessie Owen’s Olympic Spirit Award. Yamaguchi’s commitment to excellence, clear vision, and uplifting message provide inspiration to all audiences.

Actress, entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author Jana Kramer is beloved by her fans for her honest vulnerability. She is best known for her TV appearances in One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights, 90210, and Entourage. Kramer regularly stars in films such as 20th Century Fox’s Heart of the Country, Hallmark Channel's Love at First Bark, and Lifetime’s Christmas in Mississippi. A multi-hyphenate creative, Kramer’s musical career took off with her eponymous debut album, Jana Kramer. Seven of her singles charted on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. She won the Academy of Country Music’s “New Female Vocalist of the Year” award for her work.

In 2019, Kramer launched her award-winning iHeartRadio podcast, Whine Down with Jana Kramer, where she shares advice on love, life, and more. Audiences connect with the candid but uplifting transparency she carries through her work. Authenticity, vulnerability, and care are all central to her New York Times bestseller, The Good Fight: Wanting to Leave Choosing to Stay, and the Powerful Practice for Loving Faithfully and latest book, The Next Chapter: Making Peace with Hard Memories, Finding Hope All Around Me, and Clearing Space for Good Things to Come. Drawing on her personal relationships and experiences, Kramer provides spiritual guidance and practical advice to audiences worldwide.

Kramer’s wonderful stage presence, authenticity, and ability to connect with the crowd leaves audiences dazzled at every engagement.

CNN Senior Political Correspondent Abby Phillip anchors CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip and Inside Politics Sunday. She joined the network in to cover the Trump Administration and served as White House Correspondent before transitioning to the campaign trail. In January 2020, she moderated CNN's Democratic Presidential Debate in Iowa. She also anchored special coverage of Election Night in America surrounding the 2020 election and hosted the CNN Special Report: Kamala Harris: Making History about the Vice President's barrier-breaking career. Prior to CNN, Phillip worked at The Washington Post as a national political reporter and ABC News as a digital reporter for politics. She also covered the Obama White House for POLITICO as well as campaign finance and lobbying. She was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy for her powerful hour-long documentary on Black maternal health: Homebirth: Saving Black Moms. She was part of CNN's Emmy Award-winning coverage of the Israel-Hamas War and for her contributions to The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. With her engaging presence and incisive commentary, Phillip illuminates key issues and sparks meaningful dialogue on the forces shaping our democracy.

Phillip has been honored with the National Urban League’s Women of Power Award, named to the TIME “100 Next” list, and named to the Ebony "Power 100" List. She serves on the board of the News Literary Project and is committed to advancing democracy at every opportunity. Phillip has spoken to Kean University, the National Press Foundation, the University of Rhode Island, and many more.

Political commentator, bestselling author, and gay rights activist Margaret Hoover is the host of PBS’ Firing Line with Margaret Hoover – a smart, civil, and engaging contest of ideas. Firing Line is a public affairs, multi-platform program that engages in long-form interviews and a rigorous exchange of ideas with the guiding principle that civil discourse is a civic responsibility. A CNN contributor, Ms. Hoover has served in The White House under President George W. Bush, in the Department of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill and on two presidential campaigns. A gifted analyst and moderator, Ms. Hoover connects with a broad audience to amplify bipartisan solutions to the pressing challenges facing American businesses and individuals.

Ms. Hoover is the bestselling author of American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, The Daily Beast, CNN.com, and FoxNews.com. She is the President of American Unity Fund – a political organization focused on achieving full freedom and equality for LGBT Americans. Ms. Hoover serves on the boards of Stanford University's Hoover Institution, the Hoover Presidential Foundation, the Belgian American Educational Foundation, The Markle Foundation, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. A persuasive and impassioned speaker, Ms. Hoover brings a unique perspective to topics including individualism, the future of politics, and more.

Filmmaker, television writer, and producer Adriana Trigiani is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world, and her screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine, and director of Then Came You. Her novels have been chosen by Book of the Month Club, UK's Richard and Judy Book Club twice, USA Today Book Club, People’s Book of the Week seven times, Lifetime Book Club, as well as other renowned national and international book clubs. Adriana has been profiled in The New York Times, USA Today, British Vogue, Publishers Weekly, Red Magazine, Writer’s Digest, Hallmark Magazine, Italian America Magazine, among others. She was featured in The New York Times 'By the Book', regularly contributes to the Richmond Times-Dispatch op-eds, and wrote the advice columnist ('Agony Aunt') for the Irish Independent. Adriana is in demand as a guest speaker with organizations and universities, including New York University, Fordham University, the Authors Guild, The New School for Social Research, and the New York City Italian Welfare League, to name a few.

Adriana is host of the hit podcast, You Are What You Read, where she is in conversation with the luminaries of our time about the books that built their souls. Her live recording events include her conversation with Kristin Hannah with the Lancaster Public Library System, as well as her conversation with Whoopi Goldberg at the 92nd Street Y. She has appeared on The Today Show for 22 years, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS This Morning, The View, Good Morning America as a featured summer read, and regularly appears on Good Day New York, PBS and NPR, making her one of the most sought-after speakers in the world of books today. She is also a popular host and emcee for galas, fundraisers, and large venue engagements around the country, including the Authors Guild Gala, Audie Awards, Poets and Writers Gala, New York City ArchCare Gala, the Order of Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Gala and serves as the permanent host of the Erma Bombeck Arizona Women’s Board Authors Luncheon, the Charleston Post & Courier Book and Author Luncheon, and the Library of Virginia Literary Awards. With her swath of knowledge in storytelling, filmmaking, and the Italian American experience, Adriana offers enlightening and lively presentations, discussions, and workshops that challenge audiences to lead creative and impactful lives, and she does it with comedy.

Pulitzer-winning playwright, author and Tony-winning musician Quiara Alegría Hudes offers audiences the opportunity to hear untold stories. Her memoir, My Broken Language, is a lyrical exploration of coming of age against the backdrop of a Philadelphia barrio, with her sprawling Puerto Rican family as a collective muse. Hudes won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for her play Water by the Spoonful. She wrote the script for Tony Award-winning In the Heights, a Broadway play adapted into a major motion picture, in collaboration with Lin Manuel Miranda. The accompanying book, In the Heights: Finding Home, is a New York Times bestseller. Hudes’ screenplay for Netflix, Vivo, is her animation debut. As an essayist, she has written for The Nation, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more. She is one of the most innovative artists of this generation, expanding the boundaries of storytelling.

Hudes’ material impact as an activist is as strong as her cultural influence as a writer. Hudes and her cousin founded Emancipated Stories, a nonprofit helping people behind bars share one page of their life story with the world. Hudes’ accolades include the USA Artists Fellowship, the Lucille Lortel Award, the HOLA Award, and more. Her work uplifting marginalized communities, sharing often untold stories, and creating brilliant art captivates audiences worldwide. Hudes has been invited to speak for centers of creative innovation such as Vanderbilt University, Americans for the Arts, Google, and more.

Civil rights litigator and New York Times bestselling author Qian Julie Wang uses her unique gift for storytelling to transcend the business, legal, political, and literary worlds and focus on the humanity at the heart of these issues.

Qian Julie’s debut Beautiful Country: A Memoir became an instant New York Times bestseller, and was heralded as “an incandescent debut from an astonishing new talent.” Lauded as an “essential book for our times” and named one of the New York Times Book Review’s “Notable Books of 2021,” Beautiful Country is a poignant and heartrending literary memoir that intimately retraces Qian Julie’s childhood footsteps where at age seven, she moved from China to Brooklyn, New York with her parents, and overnight went from being the daughter of professors to being deemed “illegal.” As a litigator, Qian Julie has been praised by clients as "exceptionally talented" and "exemplary.” For a decade, she has represented Fortune 500 corporations, governmental entities, and individuals in complex civil litigation. Qian Julie is now a managing partner at Gottlieb & Wang LLP and is dedicated to advocating for marginalized communities' education and discrimination rights.

Qian Julie’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Cut, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and she has appeared on PBS Newshour, ABC News, NPR, BBC World Outlook, C-SPAN, The TODAY Show, among many others. A highly sought-after keynote speaker, Qian Julie is in demand for events with groups like the Association of Small and Rural Libraries, Datadog, the Nantucket and Savannah Book Festivals, Sentara Healthcare, and Central Synagogue, to name a few. For her open heart and strong passion for advocacy and bringing awareness to marginalized communities, she regularly receives rave reviews, such as: “Thanks to Qian Julie for a tremendous program last night. She gave such a beautifully crafted, powerful talk that had the audience alternatively chuckling, nodding, wiping their eyes, and occasionally even startled… Qian Julie is a supremely talented writer and thinker, and I am sure she will continue to challenge the world with her sharp and nuanced insights. And she couldn’t have been nicer and more gracious to staff and guests and trustees alike." (Museum of the City of New York)

Women’s health expert Dr. Sharon Malone has been active in advocating for reproductive rights, reducing teen pregnancy, and eliminating health care disparities. She is the Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Women’s Health, a telehealth company focusing on women over 40. Before joining Alloy, Dr. Malone was a partner at one of the oldest and most successful OB/GYN medical practices in Washington, D.C. She is board-certified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and certified by the North American Menopause Society as a Certified National Menopause Practitioner. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Grown Woman Talk, called a “must-read” by Michelle Obama. Dr. Malone’s speeches are informed by her extensive clinical experience, advocacy work, and commitment to improving health outcomes for all women.

Dr. Malone believes that all women should be able to make decisions regarding their health and quality of life based on facts – not fear. Dr. Malone serves on the D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Board and the regional panel for the White House Fellows Program selection. She was appointed to the selection committee for the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction awarded by the University of Alabama School of Law. In addition, Dr. Malone has consistently been voted one of Washingtonian Magazine’s “Best Doctors" and named to Forbes' "50 Over 50" list. Dr. Malone’s compassionate approach to patient education and care allows her to make any audience feel welcome, comfortable, and informed.

Two-time Olympian and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Becky Hammon made history when she became the first woman to coach full-time in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs. Hammon had a successful career as a player, including two Olympic appearances, an Olympic medal, a six-time WNBA All-Star, and being named one of the leagues “Top 15 Players of All-Time.” No stranger to breaking barriers in the sports world, Hammon joined the Spurs in 2014 in a leadership role as assistant coach. When Head Coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in the second quarter of a Spurs game, she made history again as the first woman head coach to lead an NBA team in a regular season game. Hammon is now the Head Coach of the WNBA Las Vegas Aces, back to back WMBA Champions. She is the first rookie WNBA coach to be named "WNBA Coach of the Year." She is joining ESPN as an Analyst, and will contribute to the network’s signature NBA shows, including Get Up, First Take, SportsCenter and NBA Today. Hammon offers her unique perspective as the first female coach in a men’s league, offering takeaways for those looking to become game-changers at work and in life.

Hammon has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and named to the Sports Illustrated “Unrelenting List,” the most powerful, influential, and outstanding women in sports right now. She is included on The W25, a list of the 25 most influential players in WNBA history. In impactful keynote speeches and moderated conversations, Hammon shares her journey to the NBA, revealing vital leadership lessons and inspiring audiences to pursue their dreams relentlessly and stand up for what they believe in.

New York Times bestselling author, sociologist, and advocate Anna Malaika Tubbs holds a Ph.D in Sociology and a Masters in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge, in addition to a Bachelors in Anthropology from Stanford University. Her research, writing, and talks are centered on gender and race issues in the U.S., especially as these relate to the erasure of Black women. Tubbs is the author of The New York Times bestseller The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an Amazon Editor’s Choice book, among many other accolades. She is currently working on her first fiction, and recently sold her next two non-fiction books. Tubbs’ TED Talk How Moms Shape the World has already garnered over 1.4M views, and she is highly sought-after for her focus on feminism, intersectionality, and inclusion, offering profound insights that make an impact with audiences of all kinds.

Tubbs has been published in TIME, New York Magazine, The Guardian, CNN, and Motherly, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, and more. She has appeared on MSNBC, CBS, C-Span, and NPR, among others. Tubbs previously served as the First Partner of Stockton, CA, and co-authored the first ever “Report on the Status of Women in Stockton” to help guide policy decisions with the experiences of diverse women in mind. As a result of her work while in Stockton, she was named one of six pivotal powerbrokers in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine in 2019. Tubbs has given compelling keynotes for groups including Cisco, Wells Fargo, Proctor & Gamble, Blavity, Yale University, Goldman Sachs, Google, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and many more.