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Commencement Speaker

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Actor, Author, and Producer

There are a few celebrities who take up an environmental cause and actually move beyond a superficial commitment. Ted Danson is one of those celebrities. He is the co-founding member…

Award-Winning Journalist, Best-Selling Author, & Co-founder of Stand Up to Cancer

Katie Couric is an award-winning journalist and TV personality, well-known cancer advocate, documentary film producer and The New York Times best-selling author of "The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons…

Academy Award-Nominated Director: Known for "Empire," "The Butler," and "Precious"

Lee Daniels background is filled with bold stories as real and gritty as the narratives from the films he creates.  By the age of 21, Daniels founded and ran his…

Anthropologist, Educator and Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Cole Was The First African-American Female President of Spelman College

One of the most powerful and well-regarded African American women in the US, Johnnetta B. Cole has a way with making history. She was the first female African American president…

Stand-Up Comedian, Comedy Icon and Actor

Named a “comedian phenom and icon” by Entertainment Weekly, Dane Cook has maintained his reputation as one of today’s most prolific stand-up comedians while simultaneously distinguishing himself as a charismatic…

Anchor, CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°

Anderson Cooper is the anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°, a nightly newscast that goes beyond the headlines—keeping politicians and policy makers honest with in-depth reporting and investigations. The show…

Television News Anchor and Correspondent, Radio Host, and Best Selling Author

Rita Cosby is one of the most recognized and respected broadcasters in America and has been quoted and profiled by hundreds of media outlets across the country and overseas. Born…

Sheyann Webb Christburg | PDA Speakers

Civil Rights Activist, MLK's Smallest Freedom Fighter and The Recipient Of The Congressional Gold Medal from President Obama in 2016

Civil rights & voting rights activist, author, humanitarian & the recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal From President Barack Obama.

Host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS

Stephen Colbert, the host, co-writer and executive producer of Comedy Central’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series “The Colbert Report,” Stephen Colbert is a best-selling author, political satirist, writer, comedian, former…

Actress, Comedian and Voice Artist; Best Known for her Role as Bart Simpson

Spend an entertaining evening with Nancy Cartwright, Emmy Award-winning actress, who not only created the voice of Bart Simpson; she scribed the ultimate insider’s guide to “The Simpsons”, the longest-running…

Stand-up Comedian, Actor, Writer, and Producer

David Chappelle is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. After beginning his film career in 1993 as Ahchoo in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights, he landed supporting…

Former Chairman and CEO American Express Co. He was the CEO and Chairman of American Express from 2001 until 2018.

Kenneth Chenault joined American Express in September 1981 as Director of Strategic Planning. He was named President of the Consumer Card Group in 1989, and in 1993 he became President…

Film Star, Comedian, Musician, Writer/Director, Philanthropist; Host, "Wild N Out" and "America's Got Talent"

Cited by People Magazine as one of the Top Ten most successful young people in Hollywood and featured on the Cover of Black Enterprises 40 Under 40, Nick Cannon, 28…

Comedian, Actor and Host, "The Price is Right"

Drew Carey is a stand-up comic turned actor and producer who had the distinction of having two hit shows simultaneously: the long-running comedy "The Drew Carey Show," which ran from…

Historian and Award-Winning Filmmaker

Ken Burns has been making films for more than 30 years. Since the Academy Award nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, Burns has gone on to direct and produce some of…

Best-Selling Author

Augusten Burroughs was born Christopher Richter Robison  in Pittsburgh, PA on October 23, 1965 and raised in Western Massachusetts.  His father chaired the Philosophy department at the University of Massachusetts…

Former Director-General, World Health Organization

Considered the “mother” of sustainable development, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland attributes her passions for public health, the environment, and politic al activism to her father, a doctor and cabinet minister.…

Emmy Award-Winning and GRAMMY-Nominated Actor and Comedian

Wayne Brady, actor, singer, dancer, improviser, songwriter and television personality is known for his work as a regular on the improvisational comedy television series, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” He has…

Politician who served as the 47th Vice President of the United States, having been jointly elected twice with President Barack Obama

The keynotes by Joe Biden reflect his decades of experience as a politician and leader in the United states of America. Biden's career as a politician began at the early…

Swizz Beatz | PDA Speakers

Hip-Hop Recording Artist, Record Producer, Disc Jockey, Creative Director, Fashion Designer

Swizz Beatz, Artist. Designer. Producer. Philanthropist. Each label describes Swizz Beatz, but none define him.

Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Musician, and Singer. With a film career spanning more than 55 years, Known for "Argo" and "Little Miss Sunshine"

Alan Arkin performed with folk music groups from the late 1950s to the late '60s. He was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his screen acting debut,…

Emmy Award-Winner Actor known for role in "The Simpsons"

Emmy Award-winner Hank Azaria provides multiple voices on FOX's animated hit series THE SIMPSONS, including Moe the bartender, Apu the Kwik-E-Mart owner, Police Chief Wiggum, Professor Frink, Dr. Nick Riviera…

Recognized four times as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America

Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. president and executive director of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, Under Andrade's direction, the Institute has trained 200,000 present & future leaders, registered 2 million new…

A Living Hero, An American Patriot and a Space Pioneer

Buzz Aldrin grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army Chaplain and his father Edwin Eugene Aldrin was an aviation pioneer. Buzz…

Emmy Award-winning Journalist, Bestselling Author, Talk Show Host and Speaker

Janus Adams is the author of three books and creator of the groundbreaking BackPax children's book-and-audio series. An Emmy-winning journalist and talk show host, she writes the syndicated column, "What…

Lawyer, Former Judge, Television Personality, Producer, and Author. Host of Daytime Emmy Award–Winning Reality Courtroom Series, Judge Judy

After nearly 25 years in New York's Family Court, Judge Sheindlin retired from the bench in 1996 to start the syndicated program that bears her name. Judge Sheindlin began her…

R&B Singer and Actor; Fast and Furious Franchise

R&B singer Tyrese began his career at the age of 14, performing in local talent shows around his home in Los Angeles' Watts section; his big break came when he…