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Social Ethicist and Scholar of American Religions
Social ethicist and scholar of American religions Jonathan L. Walton, Ph.D., is the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard University and Pusey Minister in Harvard's Memorial Church. He is…
Professor, Author and Activist
Charles M. Payne is the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, where he is also an affiliate of…
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Acclaimed Memoirist
Tracy K. Smith is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Ordinary Light (Knopf, 2015), a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award in Nonfiction and selected as a Notable…
Grammy-Winning Singer & Cookbook Author
Beautiful, simply does not describe the incomparable force known to the world as Patti LaBelle. As time continues to evolve, the soulful songbird’s name has become synonymous with grace, style,…
Grammy Award Winning Hip-Hop Artist and Author of the Autobiography, Unashamed
Lecrae is a two-time GRAMMY Award winning hip-hop artist whose 2014 album, Anomaly, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, Rap, Digital, Christian, Gospel, and Independent charts.
Professor, Author and Activist
Horace G. Campbell is a noted international peace and justice scholar and Professor of African American Studies and Political Science at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Born in 1945…
Award-Winning Author & Novelist
Novelist, essayist and cultural critic Zadie Smith was born in North London in 1975 to an English father and a Jamaican mother. She studied English at Kings College, Cambridge, where…
Scholar, Teacher, Author, Administrator and Race Relations Expert
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum is a psychologist, administrator, and educator who has conducted research and written books on the topic of race, focusing specifically on race in education, racial identity…
New York Times Best-Selling Author, Founder/CEO, Keynote Speaker, Angel Investor, Podcast Host and Innovation Advocate
Amy Jo is the author of New York Times best-seller Renegades Write the Rules, and host of the Why Not Now? podcast. She founded Digital Royalty in 2009 to help…
Star and Creator of HBO's "Insecure," Writer, Director & Producer of the YouTube Comedy "Awkward Black Girl"; Author of "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl."
With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae’s content has garnered over 20 million views and close to 160,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Composer, Lyricist & Star of Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda is an award-winning composer, lyricist, and performer, as well as a 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient. His most recent musical, Hamilton - with book, music and lyrics by…
Author of Queen of Katwe & Former Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated
Tim Crothers is a former Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated and teacher at University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism. His most recent publication, The Queen of Katwe: One Girl’s…
TV Persona, Entrepreneur and President & CEO of Emmitt and Pat Smith Enterprises
Pat Smith, a successful television personality and inspirational speaker, is President & CEO of Pat Smith Enterprises. The company manages Smith’s many business interests, chief among them Treasure You a…
Civil Rights Advocacy and Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL. A leading progressive Christian activist and cultural critic, Dr. Moss is…
One of the Nation’s Leading Historians of African American Photography
Deborah Willis, Ph.D, is University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and has an affiliated…
American Soccer Player and Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
Abby Wambach is a retired forward of the 2015 Women’s World Cup Champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. One of the world’s greatest players of all time, Wambach is the…
Holocaust Survivor & Author
Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Inge Auerbacher spent three years as a child imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, where out of 15,000 children, barely 1 percent…
Award-Winning Author, The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities
Dr. Lawrence Ross is the author of several books about African American culture – namely The Divine Nine: History of African American Fraternities and Sororities – Mr. Ross will discuss…
U.S. Army Veteran, Amputee & Finalist on "Dancing With The Stars"
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Sergeant Noah Galloway was assigned to the 1st of the 502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, during Operation Iraqi…
A New York Times Bestselling Author 'The Red Bandanna' & ESPN/ABC Correspondent
Tom Rinaldi is one of the most respected sports journalists in America. An ESPN correspondent since 2002, Rinaldi has 12 national Sports Emmy Awards and more than 40 Emmy nominations…
Founder & CEO Of InternQueen.com; Best-Selling Author; Nation's Leading Internship & Millennial Expert
Lauren Berger is a best-selling author and the founder & CEO of Intern Queen Inc.
Grammy Award-Winning Singer & Author
Grammy-winning I Will Survive was recorded in 1978 as Gloria Gaynor’s tale of personal strength and would become the greatest disco anthem of all time and the banner for social…
Award-Winning Teacher | Acclaimed Spoken Word Poet and staff writer at The Atlantic
Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic.
Renowned Health, Diet and Nutrition Expert
Dean Ornish, M.D., is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Ornish received…
Clinical Researcher, Health Advocate and Author of books like "Power Foods for the Brain: An Effective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind and Strengthen Your Memory"
Neal Barnard, M.D., is a clinical researcher, author, and health advocate. He has been the principal investigator or coinvestigator on several clinical trials investigating the effects of diet on health.…
Best-Selling Author, Social Activist and Humanitarian. Author of the million-copy best-seller Diet for a New America, which became a PBS series
John Robbins's work has been the subject of cover stories and feature articles in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Life, The Washington Post, The New York…
Host, PBS' "Avec Eric" & Chef, Le Bernardin
Eric Ripert is the chef and co-owner of the New York restaurant Le Bernardin. The celebrated restaurant has held three stars from the Michelin Guide since its inception in 2005,…
MSNBC Correspondent, Political Author & Former Host of "The Reid Report"
Joy Reid is the former host of The Reid Report on MSNBC. Reid is the former Managing Editor of theGrio.com, a daily online news and opinion platform devoted to delivering…
Author of Best-Selling Memoir "Wild"; Inspired Oscar-Nominated Film Starring Reese Witherspoon & Laura Dern
Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild. At age 22, Strayed found herself shattered by two major life events: her mother’s sudden death…
Iconic Actor, Comedian, Author, Playwright & Musician
Steve Martin is one of the most legendary and diversified performers in the entertainment industry today. An actor, comedian, author, playwright, producer, and musician, Martin is an iconic figure whose…
Co-Founder of Apple Computer & Philanthropist
Steve Wozniak is best known as the co-founder of Apple Computer, which helped shape the personal computer industry with the popular Macintosh. An inductee to the National Inventors Hall of…
Author of Best Selling Book "Lilac Girls"
Martha Hall Kelly will to discuss her new novel Lilac Girls. In Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly has crafted a remarkable novel of unsung women and their quest for love,…
Story Suicide Survivor, Activist, Storyteller and Filmmaker
Kevin Hines continues to speak to over three hundred thousand people about a firsthand experience with suicidal thoughts and his eventual attempted suicide. He is one of 33 Golden Gate…
Educator, Social Activist and Author. Inner-City Youth & Education Advocate
Geoffrey Canada has been president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, for the past 20 years. Canada is nationally recognized for his pioneering work helping children and families in…
Presidential Endowed Professor in Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University, Executive Director of the Pro Humanitate Institute, & Former MSNBC Host
Melissa Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University. There she is the Executive Director of the Pro Humanitate Institute and founding director of the Anna Julia…
Best-Selling Author, LGBTQ Campus Pioneer and Civil Rights Champion. He is founder and executive director of Campus Pride, the leading national LGBTQ
Shane L. Windmeyer, M.S., Ed. is a best-selling author, LGBTQ campus pioneer and civil rights champion. He is founder and executive director of Campus Pride, the leading national LGBTQ organization…
Professor of Art, UCSB - Award-Winning Filmmaker, Author, Artist & Spoken Word
Kip Fulbeck is a pioneering artist, spoken word performer, author, and filmmaker exploring multiracial identity. He has been featured on CNN, MTV, The Today Show, and PBS, and has performed…
Legendary Civil Rights Activist and co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center
Civil rights and diversity speaker Morris Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit group specializing in lawsuits involving civil rights violations, domestic terrorism, and hate-motivated…
College Spoken Word Artist & Author
Elizabeth Acevedo was born as the youngest child of Dominican immigrants.
Comedian, Host of Chelsea Lately, Best-Selling Author
Chelsea Handler is one of the most exciting and successful figures in the entertainment industry. Chelsea has built a multi-platform media empire as a best-selling author, talk show host, stand-up…
Host, "My Cat from Hell" & Author, "Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean"
A cat behaviorist by day and rock ‘n’ roller by night, Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet’s My Cat From Hell, challenges the traditional cat lover persona with his tattoo…
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author & Journalist
An award-winning journalist, committed to tackling some of this country’s most intractable problems, author and activist, Sonia Nazario, is a leading advocate responsible for generating national attention to critical social…
Former Congressional Intern Credited with Saving Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford
Daniel Hernandez Jr., is a native Arizonan, lifelong Democrat, and Member of the Arizona State Legislature representing South Tucson, Sahuarita, Green Valley and Santa Cruz County. He currently serves on…
Pakistani-American Award-Winning Writer
A well-respected author and lecturer, Asma Gull Hasan has established herself as a highly sought expert on the American Muslim community. Her two published books, American Muslims: The New Generation…
Author and Subject of Oscar Best Picture "Argo," Retired CIA Officer
Tony Mendez is a retired CIA officer, an author and an award-winning painter with an international reputation. He lives and works in his studios and gallery on his forty-acre farm…
Naturalist, Adventurer and Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo
Jack Hanna, animal celebrity and zookeeper extraordinaire. Hanna revolutionized zoo habitats for animals by transitioning the Columbus Zoo from cage-like enclosures to "habitat environments" during his tenure there as zoo…
Chairman, Kurzweil Technologies & A Director of Engineering, Google
Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers, and futurists, with a thirty-year track record of accurate predictions.