College & Independent Schools
Independent Schools
Independent Schools:
Olympic Gold Medal Winning Power Couple
Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall are an Olympic power couple with a remarkable love story. Their journey of determination, love, and excellence has cemented them as one of the most iconic couples in sports today.
Deputy Superintendent & Senior Executive Officer of the Office of Equity & Access (OEA) for New York City’s Department of Education
With an unyielding commitment to a vision of transforming the lives of adults, children, communities and school systems, Dr. Ruby Ababio-Fernandez comes to the work with over twenty-three years of experience in education and leadership.
Award-Winning Author & Curator
Samina Ali is an award-winning author, curator, and popular speaker. Her debut novel, Madras on Rainy Days , was the winner of France’s prestigious Prix Premier Roman Etranger Award and a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in Fiction.
President of the ACLU
The first person of color to lead America’s premiere civil rights and civil liberties organization in its over 100-year history, Deborah Archer is a leading civil rights and civil liberties advocate, civil rights lawyer, professor and writer.
Award-Winning Multidisciplinary Artist, Writer & Cultural Worker
Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, writer, pedagogue, and cultural worker based in Philadelphia PA.
Best-Selling Author, Permission to Speak
Samara Bay is a sought-after speech coach and thought leader on a mission to change how power sounds. Her clients include top actors in Hollywood, C-suite execs and thought leaders, candidates for U.S. Congress, celebrities, activists, diplomats, moms returning to work, and high school girls who want to make a difference.
Theologian, Essayist & Social Media Influencer
Candice Marie Benbow is a theologian and essayist whose work lies at the intersections of beauty, faith, feminism and culture. As a public educator, Candice cares about bridging the gap between the academy and community through digital projects.
Mother of Olympic Gold Medalist Noah Lyles & Certified Life Coach
30.6 million! That is the amount of people who watched the Paris 2024 Olympics on television. Keisha Caine Bishop was arguably the “Mom of the Olympic Games.”
Plays “Nessarose” in Universal’s Wicked Duology, PRWeek’s Communicator of the Year & Inspirational Changemaker
Marissa Bode is a groundbreaking actor and disability advocate who made her feature-film debut as principal character Nessarose in Universal’s Wicked duology, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Author & Professor
Corey Brettschneider has studied and taught politics and constitutional law for nearly all of his adult life. Corey has written and taught in Brown's political science department and his focus has been on issues central to our democracy.
Former US Senator & Ambassador
Known as a builder of political bridges with deep expertise in both the public and private sector, Ambassador Scott Brown speaks from more than 30 years of experience as a diplomat, senator, military officer, trade negotiator and bestselling author.
Chief Science Officer, Athletes Mental Health Organization; Co-Author of The Price She Pays
Tiffany Brown, Ph.D., LMFT, is an award-winning senior faculty member at the University of Oregon Couples and Family Therapy graduate program and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with student-athletes.
CEO of Robin Hood
Richard is the CEO of Robin Hood and former Chief Executive Officer of Achievement First, a network of 37 public charter schools providing an excellent education to 15,000 students across New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Former Child Slave, Modern Day Abolitionist
Francis Buk is a native of southern Sudan. At age 7, he was captured and enslaved during an Arab militia raid on the village of Nymlal (outside Aweil) in 1986. When Buk speaks, he tells the story of his life in captivity and in freedom.
Counseling Psychologist, Former Chief DEI Officer & Former President of the American Counseling Association (ACA)”
Dr. S. Kent Butler is a dedicated advocate for social justice and a passionate supporter of family, firmly believing in the power of community to uplift and inspire.
12th U.S. Secretary of Education
Dr. Miguel A. Cardona is an American leader and educator. He served as the 12th United States Secretary of Education, a position he was nominated for by President Joe Biden.
Sociologist & Happiness Expert
The author of Raising Happiness Dr. Christine Carter shares science-based parenting advice and skills for building emotional intelligence.
Best-Selling Author, The Campus Color Line & Higher Education Thought Leader
Dr. Eddie R. Cole is Associate Professor of Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA. His research focuses on college presidents’ historic role in shaping racial policies and practices both inside and outside of the educational sphere.
Award-Winning Actress, “Taylor McKessie” in Disney’s High School Musical
Monique Coleman is an award-winning actress, producer, host, and humanitarian whose career has spanned over three decades. She’s most recognized for her role in Disney's High School Musical Franchise, but Monique's impact goes far beyond the screen.
America’s First Latina Fighter Pilot
Turned away from flight school because she was a woman, Custodio went on to break barriers (including the sound barrier) as the first Latina USAF pilot and commercial pilot for American Airlines.
Track & Field Athlete & 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist; YouTuber & Content Creator
Tara Davis-Woodhall is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in the long jump and has remained undefeated for the past two years.
New York Times Bestselling Author, Living Well & Performance Expert
Michael Easter is a New York Times bestselling author who's made a career of traveling the world to uncover innovative and practical ideas that help people live healthier, happier, and more productive and remarkable lives.
Pulitzer Prize Winning Author
James Forman, Jr. started the Maya Angelou Public Charter School and is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He also worked as a law clerk for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the U.S. Supreme Court and is a Pulitzer Prize Winning Author.
Educational Leader, Social Justice Advocate, Strategist & Author of Being Black in America’s Schools
Brian Rashad Fuller is educational leader, social justice advocate, strategist and author with a passion for addressing the needs of historically underserved students.
Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter
Alicia Garza is someone who believes that black communities deserve what all communities deserve — to be powerful in every aspect of their lives. That’s what drives Garza as an innovator, strategist, internationally recognized organizer and writer.
Environmental Justice Warrior, Rhodes Scholar & Founder of Black Girl Environmentalist
Wanjiku "Wawa" Gatheru is an environmental justice advocate, writer and current graduate student at the University of Oxford.
New York Times Bestselling Author & James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University
One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience.
Intersectional Activist & Co-Founder of March For Our Lives
X González (they/them) is a gun-violence prevention activist born and raised in Parkland, Florida. A survivor of the Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School shooting, X became a leading voice in the gun-violence prevention movement.
Former White House Press Secretary for Donald Trump
Stephanie Grisham is a public relations specialist and television pundit with over 15 years of experience at the highest levels of government and media relations. She is one of just 31 people in American history to hold the title of White House Press Secretary.
Senior Fellow M-RCBG at the Harvard Kennedy School & Former College President
Gregory Haile has exceptional leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. By the time he was 40 years old, he had become the president of Broward College, one of the largest colleges in the United States.
Environmentalist, Educator & Founder of QueerBrownVegan
Isaias Hernandez is a full-time content creator for QueerBrownVegan and has experience in diversity inclusion work in environmental spaces, academic research, and creative work.
New York Times Politics Reporter & Podcast Host
Astead W. Herndon is a national politics reporter for the New York Times and a political analyst for CNN. He reports and hosts "The Run Up," a political podcast from The New York Times that debuted ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.