Global Issues
Africa
Behavioral Economist, Social Entrepreneur & Author
Existing at the intersection of academia and practical implementation is Dean Karlan, a behavioral economist & Yale professor who uses his knowledge to solve problems in the nonprofit arena. |
Founder & CEO, Global Poverty Project
Hugh Evans is one of the first of a new breed of young leaders with an enviable reputation as an international humanitarian. |
Actress & Activist
Maria Bello is an internationally renowned actor and women's rights activist. She is co-founder of We Advance, a women's movement and NGO based in Cite Soleil, Haiti. |
Founder of Oliberté Footwear
Speaker Tal Dehtiar creates jobs in developing countries to build thriving middle classes - and healthy economies - there. |
First Female President of Liberia
Africa's "Iron Lady," President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the first woman to lead an African nation. She won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. |
Real Life Hero of Hotel Rwanda
Known as the "Rwandan Schindler," speaker Paul Rusesabagina saved countless lives during the Rwandan genocide. His story is chronicled in the film Hotel Rwanda. |
Award-Winning Journalist
Hunter-Gault made civil rights history as the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Georgia. Now, as a special correspondent for NPR based in South Africa, she challenges convention with... |
Social Entrepreneur & Veteran
The founder of an NGO and a former Marine, Rye Barcott has the distinction of being both a warrior and a peacemaker, a juxtaposition he explores in the memoir It Happened on the... |
Race & Gender Justice Activist
The daughter of Archbishop Tutu, Nontombi Naomi Tutu is an expert in international finance and third-world development. She helps groups deal with conflict. |
Global Policy Expert
Patel challenges preconceptions about the global economy through his work as a policy analyst and activist. His most recent book, The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy,... |
Civil Rights Activist & Politician
Former Presidential candidate, civil rights activist Reverend Jackson is one of the best known and most influential voices of American political and social activism. Called “the great unifier,” he has played a... |
The World's Leading Geo-Strategist
Parag Khanna is the leading next-generation voice on the future of global affairs. Named one of Esquire magazine's 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century, Khanna was a foreign policy advisor to... |
Humanitarian, Activist & Congolese Genocide Survivor
Rose Mapendo, a survivor of the Congolese genocide, is a global activist for peace and reconciliation. A victim no more, she is a true hero, an incredible survivor, and an inspiration to us all who proves that - even... |
Influential Global Leader
Committed to national and international community development, speaker Charles Stith is an ambassador to Tanzania and founder of the Organization for a New Equality. |
Author, Left to Tell
Ilibagiza is the author of Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, the international bestseller that has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide and has been made into a documentary. Some... |
First Female Bishop of African Methodist Episcopal Church
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie has made history as the first female bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Currently, she is honored to serve as the presiding prelate of the 13th Episcopal District, which... |
Actress & African Princess
Adopted at a young age, speaker Sarah Culberson later discovered she was an African princess. The author of A Princess Found, she raises awareness about Sierra Leone. |
Founder and CEO, Room to Read
Speaker John Wood left a career at Microsoft to form Room to Read, a nonprofit helping children in the developing world escape poverty through education. |
African International Affairs Expert
John Prendergast is a human rights activist and best-selling author. He is the co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Working for the Clinton Administration, he... |
Founder & Executive Director, War Child North America
Samantha Nutt, MD, is the author of Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies & Aid, a brilliant account of her experiences providing hands-on care in some of the world's most violent places. |
