College & Independent Schools
Distinguished Lectures
Distinguished Lectures:
Professor of Economics, London School of Economics
A Harvard-trained economist, Dr. Keyu Jin is a global authority on international macroeconomics, geopolitics, international finance and the Chinese economy.
NAACP President & CEO
In 2017, the executive committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors elected Derrick Johnson President and CEO. Derrick Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors.
NYT Bestselling Author, Podcast Host, Political Commentator & Cultural Critic
Molly Jong-Fast is a New York Times bestselling author, political commentator, and cultural critic known for her sharp wit, fearless honesty, and unwavering commitment to truth.
Thought Leader & Founding Director, LBJ School of Public Affairs CSRD
In Fall 2015, Dr. Peniel E. Joseph joined the University of Texas at Austin as Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.
Founder of the Global Soap Project, Executive Director for Clean Production Action & Renowned Human Rights Activist
Derreck Kayongo's remarkable journey exemplifies the power of combining profit with purpose. As a successful entrepreneur, CEO, and renowned human rights activist, Derreck has demonstrated that businesses can thrive while making a positive impact on the world.
Son of Martin Luther King, Jr. & Civil Rights Activist
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parent’s legacy of nonviolent social change.
Contributing Opinion Writer for the New York Times & Author
Combining his breadth of historical knowledge, extensive global travels, and memorable anecdotes, James Kirchick illuminates the most important issue in the world today — freedom.
Chief Data Scientist of Lander Analytics, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School & a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University
Jared P. Lander is Chief Data Scientist of Lander Analytics, the Organizer of the New York Open Statistical Programming Meetup and The New York and Government Data Science & AI Conferences, an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, and a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University.
President of Argentina (2015 - 2019)
Mauricio Macri was President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. He was the three-time President of Boca Juniors Football Club and featured twice as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine in 2016 and 2018.
National Leader on Belonging & New York Times Bestselling Author
Rev. Ben McBride is a native of San Francisco, spiritual leader, and longtime activist for peace and justice in the Bay Area.
Environmental Policy Expert & Former EPA Deputy Administrator
Janet McCabe is an accomplished environmental policy expert with a distinguished career in public service, law, and academia.
Hall-of-Fame NCAA Basketball Coach, Best-Selling Author & Mental Health Warrior
When it comes to coaching, teamwork and the leadership needed to excel, no one does it better than Joanne “Coach P” McCallie, former NCAA Division I women’s basketball head coach for 28 years.
First-Ever White House Climate Advisor
The first-ever White House National Climate Advisor and former EPA Administrator under President Obama, as well as leading the White House’s newly formed Climate Policy Office under President Joe Biden for nearly two years, Gina McCarthy is one of the nation’s most respected voices on the environment and public health.
Expert on Interfaith, Interracial & Multicultural Experiences
Samira K. Mehta is the Director of Jewish Studies and an Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research and teaching focus on the intersections religion, culture, and gender.
Author, Rhodes Scholar & Aspiring Professor
By all rights, Caylin Louis Moore should be dead, in prison, or a gang member. Instead, he’s a Rhodes Scholar, author, speaker, and role model for every kid deprived of hope in downtrodden communities.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Founder & President of Nadia's Initiative
Human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad became a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence after surviving the horrific Yazidi Genocide in Iraq carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS).
2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Editor-in-Chief of Novaya Gazeta
Dmitry Muratov is a Russian journalist who, as editor in chief of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was a vocal advocate for an independent press and known for investigating abuses of power. In 2021 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, cited for his “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.”
Inspirational Speaker & Best-Selling Author
Formerly homeless, Liz Murray transformed her life of despair into an inspiring journey of determination, hope and hard-won success. Lifetime produced a movie about Murray’s life story entitled Homeless to Harvard, which was nominated for three Emmys.
Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law
Melissa Murray knows the transformational power of women’s rights and gender justice. As a leading scholar of constitutional law and reproductive rights and justice, she researches and writes about the structures, systems, and institutions.
Consumer Advocate
A former Green Party candidate for president, Ralph Nader fights for the people on the issues that matter most: healthcare, safety, environment, ethics, education, and economic & social equality.
Israeli Historian, Author & Politician
Statesman, historian, and parliamentarian, Ambassador Michael Oren has devoted his life to serving Israel and the Jewish people around the world.
Emmy Award-Winning Co-Anchor of ABC's Nightline & Best-Selling Author
Byron Pitts is an award-winning journalist who has covered some of the most horrific and dangerous news stories in the world, from Sept. 11 to Hurricane Katrina to the Boston Marathon to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Award-Winning Journalist & Author of The Family Roe
For more than twenty years, Joshua Prager, a former senior writer for The Wall Street Journal, has written about historical secrets. His work has shed new light on our cultural touchstones.
Award-Winning Scholar & Professor of Political Science at Brown University.
Melvin Rogers is an award-winning scholar and stands as a distinguished academic renowned for his insightful contributions to the discourse on race and democracy within the realms of American culture and politics.
Africa’s First Elected Female President
Known as “Africa’s Iron Lady,” Nobel Peace Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won international acclaim for leading Liberia through the Ebola Crisis and through reconciliation and recovery following her nation’s decade-long civil war.
Award-Winning Journalist at NBC News & Author of The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice
Dan Slepian is an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist at NBC News, a leading authority on the criminal justice system, and a seasoned public speaker.
Former US Ambassador to NATO (2021-2024)
Ambassador Julianne Smith is a distinguished national security expert with over two decades of experience in U.S. and European defense policy, transatlantic relations and geostrategic risk.
Chair of Stuckey's
Stephanie Stuckey is the Chair of Stuckey’s, the roadside oasis famous for its pecan log rolls. The company was founded by her grandfather, W.S. Stuckey, Sr., as a pecan stand in Eastman, GA in 1937 and grew to over 350 stores across the country.
Disability Advocate, Educator & Best-Selling Author, Sitting Pretty
Rebekah Taussig will challenge everything you think you know about disability as she invites us into her experience of living in a body that looks and moves differently than most.
Criminal Legal Reform Activist
With more than 23 years of lived experience, incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, Mr. Velazquez has worked tirelessly to redefine the humanity of men who are or have been incarcerated.
Distinguished Professor of History, Assistant Director, Center for Citizenship & Civility & Award-Winning Author
Dr. Robert Watson is an award-winning author, professor and Avron Fogelman Research Professor at Lynn University and historian and analyst for numerous media outlets.
Co-Founder, Apple Computer, Inc.
Speaker Steve Wozniak changed the computer world when he designed Apple's first product line: Apple I and II. He is also a philanthropist focusing on computer use in schools.