Multi-talented and award-winning musician, actor, activist, fashion icon, and bestselling author Janelle Monáe is a uniquely original artist whose work examines questions of identity, power, and belonging. Following her critically acclaimed album Dirty Computer, Monáe recently released her album, The Age of Pleasure. They serve as a co-chair to Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote, and has established their own initiative, Fem the Future, which aims to create opportunities for not just fellow creatives but society. Monáe is known for starring roles in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Hidden Figures, Homecoming, Antebellum, and the Best Picture Oscar-winner Moonlight, to name a few. Heralded for their artistry and activism, Monáe is a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and social movements toward justice and the end of systemic prejudice and racism. Their debut book, the Afrofuturist story collection The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories from Dirty Computer, became an instant New York Times bestseller and captures Monáe’s mesmerizing gift of storytelling and boundless creative voice.

Monáe has received countless Grammy nominations, and has won an MTV Video Music Award, the Critics Choice's SeeHer Award, the ASCAP Vanguard Award, Billboard’s Women in Music Rising Star Award as well as the Trailblazer of the Year Award, and a Hugo Award nomination for the short film for her album Dirty Computer. She has been recognized as the Trevor Project’s Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Amanpour, Washington Post Live, and many more. A global icon, Monáe is sought after for captivating and profound conversations about artistry, activism philosophy, challenging the status quo, and the future.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

CEO of the Daily Beast and New York Times bestselling author Ben Sherwood offers game-changing insights on bold leadership in times of disruption. Most recently, he was the founder and CEO of MOJO, a venture-backed tech and media platform, which quickly won the Webby Award for best sports app on the internet, was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and recognized as one of the best employers in sports by Front Office Sports. In April 2024, IAC chairman Barry Diller announced a strategic partnership with Sherwood, naming him publisher and CEO of The Daily Beast, the digital news platform, and a significant shareholder in the company. Previously, Sherwood was co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney ABC Television Group. There, he oversaw the company’s global television business with 12,000 employees, $12.5B in revenue and 25,000 hours of original programming per year. Before that, Sherwood served as president of ABC News, leading the organization to #1 in the ratings, every major award in broadcast journalism, record profitability, and groundbreaking strategic partnerships with Univision and Yahoo! A compelling keynote speaker, Sherwood regularly receives rave reviews such as: “Ben's message is deep, highly relevant, and of great intrinsic value. He hit the ball deep into the seats.” (The Masters Forum)

Sought after for his masterful storytelling, Sherwood shares the secrets to unleashing creativity and innovation, and leading through disruption. Sherman has also exec produced Good Morning America, senior produced NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, and wrote a few bestselling books, including Charlie St. Cloud (which was made into a Universal feature film), The Man Who Ate the 747 (in development as a Warner Brothers Discovery feature film), and The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life, a New York Times nonfiction bestseller. Consistently ranked in The Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of “Most Powerful People in Entertainment,” Sherwood provides unparalleled insight into leadership, storytelling, and business.

Award-winning and internationally bestselling author Mohsin Hamid is a radically inventive storyteller with his finger on the pulse of the world. Called “one of his generation’s most inventive and gifted writers” by The New York Times, Hamid is the author of several books including the New York Times bestsellers The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Exit West, and The Last White Man – which was named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker, Vogue, and NPR. Foreign Policy described him as “a master critic of the modern global condition” and named on its list of “100 Leading Global Thinkers.” Hamid transports audiences with universal themes and timeless storytelling, touching on today’s most vital issues with his wide-reaching perspective as a journalist and visionary storyteller.

Hamid has spoken at universities around the world such as Princeton University, the University of California at Berkeley, the London School of Economics, and the National University of Singapore; at festivals such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Jaipur Literary Festival, and the Melbourne Writers Festival; at government and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the U.S. State Department; and at corporate events for firms such as GSV Ventures and Baillie Gifford.

In addition to his practice as a novelist and essayist, he studied international affairs at Princeton and law at Harvard, worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in New York and at Wolff Olins in London, was involved in starting a music technology company in the UK, helped establish the Lahore Literary Festival and the Lahore Biennale, and has lectured and taught pro bono at schools and universities in Pakistan. This background shapes and informs his public appearances, and he speaks on topics ranging from literature, the arts, and culture, to migration, technology, business, and politics.

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.

New York Times bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz is known for crafting spellbinding plots across mediums, which keep audiences engaged and inspired. Korelitz is the author of the novels The Latecomer, You Should Have Known, which was adapted by HBO as The Undoing, Admission, which was made into a film, The Sabbathday River, A Jury of Her Peers, The White Rose, The Devil and Webster, and The Plot, a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book of 2021, as well as an Editor’s Pick on Amazon, and which is being adapted by Hulu to star two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. She is the Founder of BOOKTHEWRITER, which hosts Pop-Up Book Groups for readers to discuss new books with their authors. Korelitz shares her expertise in storytelling, the creative experience, the writing process, as well as insights about the intersection of art and the human condition in compelling and memorable events.

Korelitz has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, for which her novel The Plot was selected as the “Fallon Summer Read,” Zibby Owens’ podcast Mom’s Don’t Have Time to Read Books, and she has been featured in The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, which called The Plot her “most consequential book yet,” among others. She is also the author of Interference Powder, a novel for children, and a collection of poetry, The Properties of Breath. Korelitz and her husband, Irish poet Paul Muldoon, adapted James Joyce’s The Dead as an immersive theater piece, The Dead, 1904, which premiered at the Irish Repertory Theatre in NYC. She is sought-after for events with groups like Talks at Google, The National Arts Club, and many more.

Author Laura Dave has written multiple bestselling books that capture the imaginations of readers by tapping into current events and timeless themes. Her novels have been published in twenty-three countries, and five have been optioned for film and television, boasting Hollywood’s biggest names as stars. Dave is the author of the instant New York Times #1 bestseller The Last Thing He Told Me, which was selected by Reese's Book Club and was named “Best Book of 2021” by Real Simple and Vogue. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers Eight Hundred Grapes, The Divorce Party, The First Husband, Hello, Sunshine, London is the Best City in America, and appears consistently on “most-anticipated” and “best book” lists across mainstream publications. Dave writes and speaks with insight and candor about relationships, family, modern love, and hope, and her keynotes and conversations leave lasting impressions on audiences of all kinds.

Dave’s fiction and essays have been featured in The New York Times, The New York Observer, Redbook, Glamour, and The Huffington Post, among others. She has appeared on CBS’s The Early Show, FOX’s Fox & Friends, and NPR’s All Things Considered, and more. In 2008, Cosmopolitan named her a “Fun and Fearless Phenom of the Year.” A masterful storyteller, Dave inspires audiences to rewrite our own stories to overcome adversity, find strength, and fulfill our aspirations.

Over the past four decades, Rick Springfield has worn many hats as an entertainer and performer. The creator of some of the finest power-pop of the ’80s, he’s a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and musician who has sold 25 million albums and scored 17 U.S. Top 40 hits, including “Jessie’s Girl”, “Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “An Affair of the Heart”, “I've Done Everything for You”, “Love Somebody”, and “Human Touch”. He’s an accomplished actor who has starred opposite Meryl Streep in the feature film, Ricki and the Flash, gave a chameleonic performance as the creepy Dr. Pitlor in HBO’s prestige drama True Detective, earned great reviews for his portrayal of Lucifer on the CW hit, Supernatural, and most recently played Pastor Charles on American Horror Story: Cult. In 2014, Springfield was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located around the corner from the first apartment he lived in when he first arrived in the U.S. from Australia in 1971.

Rick’s latest album The Snake King finds Rick travelling down a dusty dirt road to explore the blues side of his rock ‘n roll and marks a definite departure from the power pop he has been known for.

Peabody Award-winning comics creator and Amazon and New York Times bestselling author Brian Michael Bendis is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. In almost two decades at Marvel, Brian completed historic runs on Spider-Man (18 years), Avengers (9 years), Iron Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy, a 100-issue run on the X-Men franchise, and wildly successful projects Avengers Versus X-Men, House of M, Secret War, Secret Invasion, Age of Ultron, Civil War 2, and Siege. Brian’s multi-faceted move to DC Entertainment made international headlines. He currently writes Superman, Action Comics, Batman:Universe, Legion of Superheroes, and curates Wonder Comics featuring the return of Young Justice, Dial H for Hero, Wonder Twins, and the breakout original new character Naomi, which has become a series for The CW executive produced by Ava DuVernay. Brian has been in demand for events with TEDx, MIT, and many more, sharing his engaging and unique perspective on creativity, imagination, and focusing on positive.

Brian has received countless awards for his work: five Eisner Awards, including ‘Best Writer of the Year’ two years in a row, the prestigious Inkpot Award for comic art excellence, the Cleveland Press ‘Excellence in Journalism’ Award, and a Certificate in Excellence from the CIA for his work on diversity issues. Brian’s Words for Pictures – an intricate look at the creation of comic books and graphic novels – shot to #1 on Amazon. He is the creator of the Jinx line of crime comics, which has spawned graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso with Marc Andreyko, and Total Sell Out. His creator-owned imprint Jinxworld includes the return of the United States of Murder, Inc. with his Powers co-creator Mike Avon Oeming. Brian executive produced and wrote for Sony’s live-action series based on Powers. Brian also served as Executive Producer and consultant for the Oscar-winning Spiderman: into the Spiderverse. He co-created the character Miles Morales alongside Sara Pichelli and won a Peabody Award for his work as the co-creator of Jessica Jones on Netflix from Marvel TV. From inspiring stories about his work on some the world’s most beloved characters, to deep insights about what comics have to say about our culture and our world, Brian creates a memorable impact with audiences of all kinds.

Award-winning writer, actor, and New York Times bestselling author Bob Odenkirk is known for playing slippery lawyer “Saul Goodman,” a character he originated on AMC’s Breaking Bad and went on to play in the hit spinoff Better Call Saul. He has been nominated for numerous awards for his work, including Emmys, Golden Globes, and has won the Critic’s Choice Award twice. As an actor, Odenkirk has also appeared in The Larry Sanders Show, Oscar-nominated film Nebraska, the Sundance hit The Spectacular Now, and Netflix original Girlfriend’s Day, which he also co-wrote. From his cult status as a comedy writer, to his reinvention as an award-winning actor in drama and an action-film star, Odenkirk shares his journey in engaging and hilarious events.

A legend in the comedy-writing world, Odenkirk has won Emmys and acclaim for his world on Saturday Night Live, Mr. Show with Bob and David, and many other seminal TV shows. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Vice Magazine, and Filter Magazine, among other publications. Odenkirk is the author of A Load of Hooey, which resembles nothing so much as a hilarious sketch comedy show for your mind, and the New York Times bestseller Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir. His memoir, which is an Editor’s Pick on Amazon, has been called “essential” (Entertainment Weekly) and “hilarious” (AV Club). In memorable moderated conversations, Odenkirk opens up about the highs and lows of his career and shares his trademark unflinching drive, inspiring audiences of all kinds.

Julie Andrews has been a beloved and much-honored star of stage, screen and television for more than half a century. She was already a Broadway legend when she made her feature film debut in 1964’s Mary Poppins. Andrews’ iconic performance in the title role of the magical nanny brought her an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. The following year, she earned a second Oscar® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her unforgettable portrayal of Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. She received her third Academy Award® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her “dual” role in Victor/Victoria. Ms. Andrews received her honours as a Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and was also a Kennedy Center Honoree.

Today’s young film audiences may be more familiar with Andrews as a queen trying to train her teenaged granddaughter to be a princess in the hit films, The Princess Diaries, and its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement. Andrews also voiced the character of Queen Lillian in the blockbuster hits Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third. She also voiced the narration of the hugely successful Disney release of Enchanted. In 2010, Ms. Andrews added to her multi-generational appeal with the release of films The Tooth Fairy, Shrek Goes Fourth and Despicable Me. Her earlier motion picture credits also include The Americanization of Emily, Hawaii, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Star!, Darling Lili and 10, to name only a few.

Ms. Andrews has joined talents with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, to pursue the publishing of books committed to stimulating a sense of wonder in children and young readers. The Julie Andrews Collection has released over 25 books to date, many of which have achieved #1 status, including the Little Bo series, the Dumpy The Dump Truck franchise, The Great American Mousical, Thanks to You and Simeon’s Gift. Her latest franchise of books, entitled The Very Fairy Princess, has repeatedly produced bestsellers, while simultaneously introducing a whole new generation to Julie Andrews.

In addition to her stage and screen work, Julie has dedicated her life to her family and to serving important causes, including Operation USA, an international relief organization with which Julie has traveled to such places as Vietnam and Cambodia. She has served as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which provides financial and technical support for low-income women in developing countries. In 2012 she received The Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Cancer Society.

Acclaimed and award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and producer Attica Locke is an unparalleled storyteller whose uplifting delivery resonate with audiences of all kinds. A New York Times bestselling author, Locke’s novels include: Heaven, My Home, sequel to the Edgar Award-winning Bluebird, Bluebird; Pleasantville, winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and longlisted for the Bailey’s Prize for Women’s Fiction; The Cutting Season, winner of the Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence; and her debut Black Water Rising, which was nominated for an Edgar Award, an NAACP Image Award, as well as a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was short-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her books have appeared on countless Best Book of the Year lists including The New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and receive glowing praise by critics and devoted readers alike. As she does in her creative work, Locke offers a powerful experience for audiences, leaving them feeling more motivated, connected, and hopeful than before.

Locke is also an award-winning screenwriter and producer for TV and film. A former fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Feature Filmmaker’s Lab, she wrote and produced on Ava Duvernay’s Netflix miniseries When They See Us, Fox’s Empire, and Hulu’s Emmy-nominated limited series Little Fires Everywhere – for which she won an NAACP Image Award. Locke co-created and executive produced an adaptation of her sister Tembi Locke’s bestselling memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home for Netflix, which was a top 10 hit in 50+ countries during its first weeks on air. In her delightful and engaging talks, Locke shares insights about authenticity, transformation, leadership, and teamwork that resonate with audiences across industries.

#1 New York Times bestselling political thriller novelist, TV show creator, and comic book author Brad Meltzer is a dynamic speaker with the powerful belief that ordinary people change the world.

Named to The Hollywood Reporter's "25 Most Powerful Authors," Meltzer is behind many bestselling books including, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy―and Why It Failed (an instant NYT Bestseller), The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, The Tenth Justice, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, and The President’s Shadow. He is also the author of books of advice, Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter; Children’s Books, I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln; and even a comic book, Justice League of America, for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.

Meltzer is the the host of Brad Meltzer’s Lost History on H2, in which he hunts down artifacts, and famously found the missing 9/11 flag the firefighters raised at Ground Zero. He's also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, in which he searches for answers to some of history's most provocative, perplexing mysteries.

Beyond his work in media, Meltzer supports many worthy causes including putting mentors in underserved public schools with City Year, fighting breast cancer with Sharsheret, and serving on the Board of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation.

In recognition of his work, Meltzer has been selected to join America250 to help commemorate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, and will be serving on the Arts & Culture Advisory Council.

Sought-out to speak everywhere from TED to the Library of Congress, Meltzer provides bold inspiration for us all to dream big and work hard in order to leave our mark, shares lessons on heroism and leadership drawn from his work, and shares a fascinating look into some of the most perplexing and important moments in history. 

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.

More than an electrifying speaker, Jamie Metzl is a trusted and sought-after expert on the ever-evolving global geopolitical and biotechnology landscapes. Having spoken around the world and at major companies from Walmart to Google on the geopolitical outlook, how a rising China is transforming the world as we know it, and the latest advances in biotechnology, Metzl is praised as “a fantastic authority” (HSBC) and “an absolute tour de force” (Network 20/20), guaranteed to leave your audience engaged and more deeply informed.  A current Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, and an founding member of the WHO Expert Advisory Committee on Developing Global Standards for Governance and Oversight of Human Genome Editing, Metzl is frequently in-demand by major outlets such as CNN and Bloomberg for his sharp, dynamic analysis on the most pressing foreign policy issues and expertise on Asia’s economy and politics.

Having served in high level positions in the White House, State Department, and Senate, as well as run a major international affairs organization, Metzl draws from his cutting edge experience in both the public and private sector to provide transformative insights and actionable takeaways for every audience. Whether shedding light on what Asia’s economic growth means for the global geopolitical outlook and how businesses can best prepare, or diving into the future of the genetics revolution and the impacts that should be on company’s radars, Metzl’s researched-based, thought-provoking talks leave individuals and organizations equipped to keep up with changing times.

Internationally renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author of 40 books, Emmy-winning producer, and educator Kwame Alexander is on a mission to change the world one word at a time. His latest book, Why Fathers Cry at Night, is a powerfully intimate and non-traditional memoir steeped in family history, recipes and poetry. With this vulnerable new offering, Kwame offers people the opportunity to get to know and appreciate his writing on a deeper and more personal level.. Kwame has led cultural exchange delegations to Brazil, Italy, Singapore, and Ghana, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as a part of LEAP for Ghana – now LEAP Global – an international literacy program he co-founded. He is the Writer and Executive Producer of the Disney+ series The Crossover, based on his bestselling novel of the same name, is the founder of Big Sea Entertainment, and is the Executive Producer and Host of the groundbreaking reality TV series America’s Next Great Author. In sought-after engagements, Kwame offers inspiring insights and his powerful storytelling resonates with audiences of all kinds.

Twice long-listed for the National Book Award, Kwame is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including The Newbery Award, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, three NAACP Image Award Nominations, the Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award, The Dominion Energy Strong Men and Women of Virginia, and the Penn State Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition and NPR’s Poet in Residence, he has appeared in or on: The Today Show, Comedy Central, BET, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parade Magazine, and ESPN’s TheUndefeated.com. Kwame has delivered hundreds of riveting keynote speeches for corporations, educational institutions, commencements, and annual organization conferences such as Hallmark, Qualtrics, Kidscreen, Teachers College Columbia University, OpenText, and The International Literacy Association.

HP Newquist is one of the foremost authorities on the history and application of artificial intelligence.

His career in AI spans four decades, beginning with the creation of AI TRENDS, the first-ever publication to explore the practical use of artificial intelligence. Since then, he has given numerous presentations about the potential of AI around the world, and his work has appeared in and been cited by such diverse publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Variety, Forbes, Popular Mechanics, Computerworld, and USA Today.

Newquist is the author of more than two dozen books that have received awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Library Association, and the National Science Teachers Association. His book on the effort to create machines that think, The Brain Makers, is considered the definitive book on the history of artificial intelligence.

Currently, Newquist oversees The Relayer Group, which brings advanced technology to people of all ages through engaging and educational experiences. Its most recent exhibition is “Artificial Intelligence: Your Mind & The Machine,” an interactive experience that makes AI real and relevant to museum visitors.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, composer, and lyricist Michael R. Jackson is the creator of A Strange Loop, which the New York Times has called a “bravura meta-musical.” The piece – which took Jackson eighteen years to create – won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020. A Strange Loop went on to receive eleven Tony Award nominations and was called a “gutsy, jubilantly anguished musical with infectious melodies” by The New York Times. The musical received a New York Drama Critics Circle Award and won two Tony Awards – for Best New Musical and Best Book. In The New Yorker, Vinson Cunningham wrote, "To watch this show is to enter, by some urgent, bawdy magic, an ecstatic and infinitely more colorful version of the famous surreal lithograph by M. C. Escher: the hand that lifts from the page, becoming almost real, then draws another hand, which returns the favor." In engaging moderated conversations, the much-lauded creator shares the importance of making an impact in your own time, and leaves audiences feeling inspired and connected through shared empathy.

Jackson has been named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” (2022) and has received numerous awards including a New Professional Theatre Festival Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, an ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, a Whiting Award, the Hellen Merrill Award for Playwriting, the Windham-Campbell Prize, among many others. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CBS Sunday Morning, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, to name a few. The Pulitzer Prize-winner also wrote the book, music, and lyrics for White Girl in Danger, which will premiere in New York City in 2023. Jackson has been sought after for candid and compelling conversations about art and authenticity by audiences worldwide.

Award-winning author Jack Gantos is known as an entertaining and inspiring speaker who uses humor to engage audiences of all ages in the craft of storytelling. He has written over fifty books for readers of all ages, from picture books and middle-grade fiction to novels and a gritty prison memoir. His works include Dead End in Norvelt, the 2012 Newbery Medal Winner and the Scott O’Dell Award Winner for Best Historic Fiction, Hole in My Life, a Michael L. Printz and Robert F. Sibert Honors-Winner, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, a National Book Award Finalist, and Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor book. He delivers Creative Writing and Literature presentations at schools and universities both here and abroad and is a frequent speaker at teacher and literacy conferences.

New York Times bestselling author and psychotherapist Amy Bloom has been described by The New Yorker as getting “more meaning into individual sentences than most authors manage in whole books.” Bloom is the author of the NYT bestselling novels White Houses, Lucky Us, and Away, and Love Invents Us, a National Book Award Finalist. She has written the critically acclaimed short story collections Where the God of Love Hangs Out, Come to Me, a National Book Award nominee, and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her most recent book, the widely acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir In Love, has been described as "the most heartbreaking, honest and funniest" writing about life, offering profound insights about grief, loss, and cultivating resilience.

Bloom’s work has appeared on numerous “Best of the Year” lists including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Real Simple, and O: The Oprah Magazine. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The London Times, The Guardian, and from Shanghai to Seville. Her work has been translated into 18 languages. A practicing psychotherapist for four decades, Bloom’s first book of nonfiction, Normal, is a staple of university sociology and biology classes. From the intersection of her expertise as a writer and psychotherapist, Bloom offers hilarious and compelling takeaways about building community, creating (and surviving!) change, balancing home and work, and mastering effective communication, that make an impact on people of all kinds, from diverse backgrounds, bringing together an unusually wide audience.

Anirban Basu is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy consulting firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland with an office in Indonesia.  The firm provides strategic analytical services to energy suppliers, law firms, medical systems, government agencies, and real estate developers among others. 

In 2014, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan appointed Anirban to Chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission.  He also serves as chairman of the Baltimore County Economic Advisory Committee.  He is also the Chief Economist to Associated Builders and Contractors and Chief Economic Advisor to the Construction Financial Management Association.  He serves or has served similar functions for Visit Baltimore, Maryland Realtors, and Marcum, LLC.  

He lectures at Johns Hopkins University in Global Strategy and has also taught international economics, urban economics, micro- and macroeconomics at Hopkins. His radio show can be heard weekdays on 88.1FM, WYPR, Baltimore.   

In both 2007 and 2016, the Daily Record newspaper selected Mr. Basu as one of Maryland’s 50 most influential people. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.

Mr. Basu has been on many boards over time, including First Mariner Bank, the Baltimore City Public School System, Port Discovery, the Baltimore School for the Arts, and Union Memorial Hospital.  He is currently on the boards of the University of Maryland School of Law,  St. Mary’s College, the University System of Maryland Foundation, the Center for Emerging Media, the Lyric Opera House and the Archdiocese of Baltimore School System.

Mr. Basu earned his B.S. in Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1990.  He earned his Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and his Master’s in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.  His Juris Doctor was earned at the University Of Maryland School of Law.  His doctoral work is in health economics and has taken place at UMBC.

Daniel Silva is an international bestselling author who has been called his generation’s finest writer of international intrigue, and one of the greatest spy novelists ever. His books have been described as compelling, passionate, haunting, and brilliant; and have been translated into more than 25 languages and published across Europe and around the world.

Bestselling Author Amy Sohn has skillfully captured the zeitgeist of a whole generation of women in her novels.