Distinguished Speakers

Jesse Eisenberg is a movie actor, known for his Academy Award nominated role as Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film The Social Network. He has also starred in the films…

Antonio "L.A." Reid is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American record executive, songwriter, and record producer. Best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records, he is responsible for signing and helping…

Slava Rubin is the Chief Business Officer, co-founder, and former CEO of Indiegogo, a company dedicated to empowering people from all over the world to make their ideas a reality.…

Ever since Hilary Duff first emerged on the public’s radar as the star of Disney’s enormously successful TV show Lizzie McGuire, the Houston native has distinguished herself as a highly…

Carly Fiorina is a true leader and a seasoned problem-solver. She is a passionate, articulate advocate for conservative policies that advance economic growth, entrepreneurship, innovation, and effective leadership. Through extensive…

Goldie Hawn is an Academy Award-winning actress, producer, director, best-selling author, and children's advocate. One of the most recognizable and beloved actresses in Hollywood, Hawn won an Academy Award for…

John Leguizamo is an outspoken and versatile actor, producer and playwright who has impressed audiences worldwide throughout his career. He has been seen in films including Ice Age, Moulin Rouge,…

As the Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Brett Yormark oversees the business enterprise that manages and controls the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, the New York Islanders business…

Andy Cohen is the host and Executive Producer of “Watch What Happens Live,” Bravo’s late night, interactive talk show. The series is the only live show in Late Night, and…

American music industry executive Jason Flom is the CEO of Lava Records and Lava Music Publishing. Flom previously served as Chairman and CEO at Atlantic Records, Virgin Records and Capitol…

Tamron Hall former anchor of NewsNation, which aired weekdays from 2-3 p.m. ET on MSNBC. NewsNation, which was launched in 2010, features high profile interviews and in-depth coverage of U.S.,…

Dolvett Quince is a force of nature. As a veteran health and fitness expert and one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser, Quince has dedicated himself to “helping people…

Is there anything Michelle Williams can’t do? The beautiful and talented star has evolved many times in her life and she is nowhere near done.

Best known as the author of the New York Times bestseller The Butler: A Witness to History, Wil Haygood is a distinguished writer whose career has spanned decades. He was…

Roy Choi is widely known as the godfather of the food truck movement thanks to his success with the much-celebrated Kogi Truck. At a time when chefs and food trucks…

Sage Steele is one of ESPN’s most popular and respected commentators, currently serving as the lead host for SportsCenter on the Road and for the weekend editions of NBA Countdown,…

From welfare mother to New York Times best-selling author, from the Brooklyn projects to Emmy Award winner, from broken pieces to peace, Iyanla Vanzant is one of the country’s most…

American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, Stevland Morris AKA Stevie Wonder, is one of the most celebrated and prominent figures in popular music, who at the age of 13, was…

Jeh Charles Johnson was sworn in on Dec. 23, 2013, as the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security. Prior to joining DHS, Secretary Johnson served as general counsel for the Department…

Hawa Abdi is a Somali human rights activist and physician, and Somalia’s first female gynecologist. She is the founder and chairperson of the non-profit Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation, which Dr.…

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…

Dr. Carla Hayden is the first ever African American and first female to be appointed to the role at the Library of Congress, which holds more than 162 million items,…

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,…

Shonda Rhimes is the prolific writer, executive producer and creator of the hit ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Scandal.”  In addition to creating the “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff series “Private Practice,”…

Shiza Shahid is a social entrepreneur, television personality, speaker and women’s rights advocate

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…

In an historic effort, Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun was elected to serve as the only black member of the United States Senate in 1992, and the first and only woman…

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…

Nicci Gilbert-Daniels is an entertainment industry veteran with over two decades in the business. As the lead singer and songwriter for Brownstone, the accomplished songbird has sold millions of records…

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…

Classically trained, award-winning actor, Viola Davis has conquered every medium from stage to television to film.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and nutrition expert, TV host, author, cooking enthusiast, founder and CEO of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, advocate for women and children, wife,…

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…

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…

Rigoberta Menchu-Tum was born on January 9, 1959 to a poor Indian peasant family and raised in the Quiche branch of the Mayan culture. In her early years she helped…

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…

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…

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…

Emmy winner and Super Bowl Champion Michael Strahan currently co-hosts ABC’s Good Morning America and serves as an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday. This summer, Strahan hosted the top-rated primetime…

Rosanne Cash is a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter. Her 16 albums, released over the last 25 years, have charted 11 No. 1 singles. She has earned numerous accolades for songwriting…

Trevor Noah made his debut as host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Centra.

Bill Simmons is a writer, TV host, analyst, and podcaster. He recently signed a multi-year, multi-platform deal with HBO, where his new weekly talk show that aired in 2016 and…

Max Weinberg is one of the most visible and recorded drummers of the late 20th century. As the long-time drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and director of the…

Dr. Richard Besser, M.D., is ABC News' Chief Health and Medical Editor. In this role, he provides medical analysis and commentary for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including World…