Eric Liu

A dynamic leader, educator, and author, Eric Liu inspires and energizes audiences everywhere.

In settings ranging from the World Economic Forum to the Seeds of Compassion event with the Dalai Lama, from the campus of Harvard to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, Liu brings a message of possibility and connection that is unique and powerful.

Hailed by The New York Times and The Washington Post as a leading voice of his generation, Liu has served in senior leadership roles in politics, media, and business. He was a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and later Clinton's Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor. He has been a regular on-air commentator for MSNBC and has been named by the World Economic Forum a "Global Leader of Tomorrow." And he has authored several acclaimed books that showcase his power as a storyteller and idea generator.

Liu's acclaimed book Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life describes the ways of transformative mentors from all walks and was named the Official Book of National Mentoring Month. The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker – his book about race, identity, and assimilation – was a New York Times Notable Book and was featured in the PBS documentary Matters of Race. The True Patriot, co-authored with Nick Hanauer, was a national bestseller and argues that progressives must reclaim patriotism. And most recently, he is author, with Scott Noppe-Brandon, of Imagination First: Unlocking the Power of Possibility, which reveals a set of practices for cultivating imagination at work, at school, and at home. Liu and Nick Hanauer have also co-authored December 2011's The Gardens of Democracy.

What connects his wide-ranging work, and what Liu speaks about with passion and clarity, is the power of being part of something larger than oneself. Whether the topic is mentorship, imagination, diversity, or American identity, Liu sparks the awareness that we always are influencing one another and creating new possibility.