Motivation & Inspiration
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Motivation & Inspiration
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World-Renowned Performance Painter and finalist on 'America's Got Talent'
Artists transform an empty canvas into a work of art through their skill, experience, inspiration and senses. David Garibaldi’s life, itself, reveals such a transformation. The culture and color of…
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…
World-Famous Animal Scientist, Autism Self-Advocate, Author of "Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism"
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is one of the most accomplished and well-known adults with autism in the world. Her life, with all its challenges and successes, was brought to the screen…
Brown v. Board of Education Originators/Civil Rights Activists
Cheryl Brown is one of three daughters of the late Rev. Oliver L. Brown, who, along with 12 other parents led by the NAACP, filed suit against the local Board…
Choosing Happiness, Author, Entrepreneur and Award-Winning Blogger
Author, entrepreneur, award-winning blogger, Emmy-winning producer, and inspirational speaker, Shane Burcaw brings a spirited, humorous approach to everything he does. Born with a progressive neuromuscular disease, Shane has been battling…
Prominent Voice of Civil Rights, Social Justice, and Feminism
Tamika D. Mallory, an esteemed social justice leader, advocate and activist. A New York City native, this fiery, outspoken advocate for human rights and liberty has remained a consistent fixture…
Co-Host of 'Good Morning America,' Fox NFL Sunday Analyst, NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion
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…
Author, Hall of Fame Wide Receiver and Three-time Super Bowl Champion
Super Bowl MVP Jerry Rice has compiled his list of the most iconic, strategic, and record-breaking moments in football history from the Super Bowl’s inception to today—from the Green Bay…
"The Daily Show" Host and Best-Selling Author
Trevor Noah made his debut as host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Centra.
Founder Of Passion For Leadership
Lamarr Womble is the founder of Passion for Leadership. He was first inspired to become a speaker after he attended a National Conference on Student Leadership (NCSL) in Orlando, FL…
ESPN SportsCenter Anchor, Sports Journalist & Host
Cari Champion was named SportsCenter anchor in July 2015. Previously she served host of ESPN2’s First Take, where she shared the debate table with featured commentators Skip Bayless and Stephen…
Critically Acclaimed Author and World Renowned Speaker, Motivator and Educator
Eric Thomas, PhD. or “ET”, as he is better known, has taken the world by storm,with his bold & creative, high intensity, positive life changing messages!
Fashion Designer, TV Personality & Author
Perhaps most widely known for MTV’s reality-hit shows, The Hills and The City, California-born Whitney Port is intent on blazing her own trail in the fashion industry. Throughout 6 seasons…
Entrepreneur, Author, Coach and Winner of the CBS reality show, Big Brother
Dan Gheesling is a public speaker, entrepreneur, author, coach and winner of the CBS reality show, Big Brother. After two stints on reality TV, he was called the "best Big…
Co-Founder, Def Jam Records
Acknowledged as the Godfather of Hip-Hop, Russell Simmons is the visionary behind Def Jam, the legendary label that launched the careers of such artists as Run DMC, the Beastie Boys,…
Public Historian and Founder/Executive Director of The HistoryMakers
Julieanna L. Richardson followed a unique path in heading up the largest national collection effort of African American video oral histories on record.
Co-Founder and CEO, Airbnb
Brian Chesky is co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. He drives the company’s vision, strategy, and growth as it provides interesting and unique ways for people to travel. Chesky and Airbnb…
Diversity Advocate, Writer, Motivational Speaker, Entertainer, Former Miss America and Amazing Racer
Ericka Dunlap first rose to national acclaim when she was crowned Miss America 2004 on the iconic runway in Atlantic City. However, that was not the first time she excited…
Trainer, Author and Transformation Specialist on TLC and OWN's "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition"
Chris Powell is the trainer and transformation specialist from ABC’s highly rated documentary style series “Extreme Weight Loss.” With an unyielding dedication to helping others, Chris traveled the country using…
Leader of The Hustle Movement
James Chapman is a well-known innovator in both the civic and entrepreneurial community. He was nominated for the 2015 White House Demo Day for being Founder of Oil Drop; an…
Member of the "Little Rock Nine"
Ernest G. Green currently works at Matrix Advisory, an institutional asset manager.
Change Agent and Activist; Founder of Project Footprints
Andre Norman's mission is simple – to motivate others to make a change. Through sharing his life experiences, Andre’s goal is to empower those with a desire to make a…
Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer, Motivational Speaker and Model
Amanda Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at the age of 14. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, and a…
Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
Cullen Jones proved that he is one of the fastest swimmers on the planet in 2008 when he became the second African-American in history to win an Olympic Gold medal…
Inspirational Gold Medal Olympian and Cancer Survivor
Eric Shanteau broke onto the national scene at the age of 16 when he swam at the 2000 Olympic Trials. Competing in the 200 and 400 IM against many of…
Athlete, Runway Model, Actress & Double Amputee
Aimée Mullins currently stars in the hugely successful Netflix series, STRANGER THINGS, which is now the most-searched for title in Netflix history. 8.2 million people watched the entire series in…
Mother of Trayvon Martin and Social Change Agent
Sybrina Fulton is dedicating her life to transforming family tragedy into social change. Since the death of her 17 year old son, Trayvon Martin, during the violent confrontation in 2012,…
Father of Trayvon Martin
Since the 2012 death of his son, Trayvon, in a violent confrontation, Tracy Martin has committed his life to transforming tragedy into change. Despite his devastating loss, Martin was able…
Academy Award-Nominated Director & Producer; Best Known for "Selma" and the Netflix Documentary "13th"
Ava DuVernay is a writer, producer, director and distributor of independent film. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, DuVernay became the first black woman nominated in the Golden…
Actor, Musician & Activist; Known for Fox's "Empire"
The multi-talented Terrence Howard is best known for his Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated work in Hustle & Flow, as well as for his supporting role in Crash, for…
CEO of Notional, Co-founder of CollegeHumor, CEO of CollegeHumor and Vimeo Co-Founder
Keynotes by Ricky Van Veen provide insightful information about the relationship of people and the type of content they consume online. Van Veen's interest in comedy led him to co-found…
Eating Disorders Advocate. Television Personality and Commentator. Miss America 2008
Kirsten Haglund is an international women’s empowerment speaker, television news personality, President of the Kirsten Haglund Foundation and served as Miss America 2008. During her year with the Miss America…
Broadway Actor, Inspirational Speaker, Recording Artist, Entrepreneur, Author, and Nationally Recognized Storyteller
Charles Holt is a native of Nashville, TN and a graduate of Rhodes College. Charles is a gifted Broadway actor and dynamic speaker. He inspires audiences around the world including…
First Openly Gay Player In Major League Sports, NBA Player & Equality Advocate
Jason Collins, the first openly gay National Basketball Association "NBA" player, recently was in a Sports Illustrated cover story, Collins became the first active male player in any of the…
Award-Winning Author, Poet, Musician and Native American Cultural Educator is a member of the Nipmuc Tribal Nation
Larry Spotted Crow Mann, is a internationally acclaimed writer, poet, cultural educator, Traditional Story Teller, tribal drummer/dancer and motivational speaker involving youth sobriety, cultural and environmental awareness. Mann is also…
President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore
Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, has served as President of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) since 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special…
Public Relations Expert & Activist
Terrie M. Williams, one of Ebony magazine’s “Power 150” for Activism and Woman’s Day magazine “50 Women On A Mission To Change The World,” is an advocate for change and…
Renowned Award-Winning Top Motivational Speaker Known For Motivating People at Business, Schools and other events. Founder of Headbands of Hope
During the summer of 2011, Jess Ekstrom participated in an internship at a wish-granting organization for kids with life-threatening illnesses. During this incredible experience, she quickly discovered that there were…
Consultant, Motivational Speaker, and Former Mascot for University of Oregon. Promotes Leadership Development with Solutions Corp and Edu Orgs of all Sizes
For four of his years of college, Tyson Wooters carried a secret.
Actress, Most Well Known for her Role as Becky in "Glee"; In November 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Potter to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
An inspiration to all, Lauren Potter has proven herself a young woman of strength and character. She's overcome bullying and the challenges of living with a disability, and is currently…
Has energized almost two million leaders, educators, volunteers, and students worldwide with his authentic, inspiring messages of hope
An original Freedom Writer whose story is told in part in the 2007 hit movie, Freedom Writers, Manny Scott has energized over a million leaders, educators, volunteers, and students worldwide…
Politician
Former Minnesota Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann became the first Republican woman elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was listed in Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People”…
America's No. 1 Crisis Management Expert and Inspiration for ABC's Hit Show, "Scandal"
As a result of her wide ranging and ground breaking career, Shonda Rhimes, creator of ABC’s hit television dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, developed a television drama about the…
Actor, Director and Producer; Best Known for his Role as Gustavo "Gus" Fring on AMC's Breaking Bad
Giancarlo Esposito is a celebrated television, film and stage actor whose acting career spans over several decades.
Professor, Africana Studies, English and Comparative Literature, Cornell University
Dr. Carole Boyce-Davies is a student-first, Caribbean-American radically intellectual committed to social justice. Currently, Professor of Africana Studies and English at Cornell University, from the mid1980’s and throughout the 1990’s,…
Spoken Word Poet
Dwayne Morgan began his career as a spoken word artist in 1993. In 1994, while still in high school, he founded Up From The Roots entertainment, to promote the positive…
Grandson of Mohandas K. Gandhi, Acclaimed Human Rights Advocate
Dr. Arun Gandhi is proof that one can change his ways. Although he is the grandson of the legendary Mohandas Gandhi, he overcame tremendous prejudice and anger in order to…
Host, Fox’s ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd’
Colin Cowherd, one of the most thought-provoking sports hosts in the country, joined FOX Sports and Premiere Networks in September 2015 as a television, radio and digital personality. His three-hour…