Social, Community & Cultural Issues
Activism, Philanthropy & Volunteerism
Activism, Philanthropy & Volunteerism:
Political & Social Activist
A leading voice in civil rights, speaker Al Sharpton is founder and president of the National Action Network, which supports community businesses and combats corporate racism.
Entrepreneur, Veteran & Bestselling Author
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 Way to War.
Producer, Writer, Entrepreneur, Women’s Health Advocate
Tonya Lewis Lee is an accomplished author, producer, entrepreneur and women's health advocate. She is director emeritus of the board of trustees of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
NYT Best-Selling Author & Motivational Leader
Moore energizes audiences with his remarkable personal story of overcoming adversity through education, embracing personal responsibility and emerging as an inspirational leader.
Emotional Intelligence Expert & Author
Brett Francis is a professional speaker and mental health advocate, with a TV and radio show. Her radio show, Not Broken® Radio has 1.8M+ listeners/downloads per month.
Documentary Filmmaker
Amy Ziering is a two-time Emmy Award–winning and Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker. Her most recent film, The Hunting Ground, was a piercing, monumental exposé of rape culture on college campuses.
Illusionist & Magician
From his astounding “Cage Levitation” and “Walking Through a Brick Wall” to his cutting edge “Teleportation” and “Plasma” illusions, Bishop features stunning & original state of the art magic.
Co-Authors of We Are Not Like Them & You Were Always Mine
Christine Pride partnered with Jo Piazza to write We Are Not Like Them, a story of an interracial friendship upended by a police shooting that hits close to home for two women.
Authors, Storytellers & Advocates
Twins Sarah Eagle Heart and Emma Eagle Heart-White are members of the Oglala Lakota Nation and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where they learned Native American storytelling traditions.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalist at NBC News & Criminal Legal Reform Activist
In 2002, Dan Slepian, award-winning NBC News journalist and veteran producer of its newsmagazine Dateline, received a letter from Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez, a man incarcerated and serving 25 years to life in person for a crime he didn’t commit.
Three-Time World Series Champion, Humanitarian & Philanthropist
Jeremy Affeldt is a Three-Time World Series Champion, humanitarian and philanthropist, speaker, author, broadcaster, and family man.
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.
TIME Women of the Year 2023, Journalist, Activist & Author
Masih Alinejad is an Iranian-American journalist and women’s rights activist who gained worldwide attention when she removed her veil, or hijab, and posted a photo on her Facebook page standing proudly with her hair blowing in the wind.
Maggie Anderson and her family lived exclusively off black business and talent in what they called "The Empowerment Experiment (EE)." She documented her family's journey in Our Black Year.
Co-Executive Director of the CPD
Ana María emigrated to the U.S. from Colombia at the age of 17 and has become a leading voice for racial justice, economic justice and immigrant rights in New York and nationally as co-Executive Director of the CPD.
Animal Advocate & Founder, The Asher House
Lee Asher is a renowned speaker, animal advocate, and founder of The Asher House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and providing lifelong care for high risk animals.
Expert on Inclusive Growth, Impact Innovation & Employee Engagement Through Purpose
After escaping the devastating effects of the Asian Tsunami in his home country of Sri Lanka, Fortune 500 executive Afdhel Aziz struggled with PTSD and Survivor Guilt: why had he survived and what was his Purpose in life?
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.
One of America's Most Provocative & Controversial Authors
Raymond Bechard is an Author, Publisher and Human Rights Advocate. For over 25 years he has worked to provide justice, tolerance and equality to people around the world.
Visionary Sustainability Expert, Award Winning Author & Entrepreneur
Maxine Bedat is a renowned expert in sustainability, the future of business, and an acclaimed author known for her groundbreaking book, Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment.
Author, Activist, Educator & Historian
As co-founder of the Free South Africa Movement, Berry helped to end apartheid. Today, she is one of the most respected activists in the cause of civil rights, gender equality and social justice.
Academy Award Winning Producer, Period. End of Sentence.
An Academy Award winning producer for Best Documentary Short (2019), Melissa Berton taught English at Oakwood Secondary School, where she inspired her students to make the film Period. End of Sentence. to raise awareness about menstrual health.
Founder & President, World Without Hate, 9/11 Hate-Crime Survivor
Rais Bhuiyan has a remarkable story — one that continually inspires people to interview him about his campaign, World Without Hate. His captivating speeches educate others on the regenerative power of forgiveness.
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.
Co-Founder of She’s the First
In the past decade as She's the First Co-Founder and Chief Programs Officer, Christen has revolutionized outdated models of philanthropy by shifting power to the most vulnerable.
Youngest Ever New York Times Opinion Writer & Host of ASK VIV Podcast
Bianca Vivion Brooks is a writer, artist, and designer from East Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Los Angeles and later raised between Atlanta and Oakland, Brooks was marked from an early age as an imaginative storyteller and critical thinker.
Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter
LaTosha Brown is an award-winning visionary thought leader, institution builder, Cultural Activist and Artist, and Connector. She is a nationally recognized, “go-to” expert in Black Voting Rights and Voter Suppression.
Senior ESPN Writer
The author of eight books on sports and legendary black athletes, Bryant’s latest work examines the intersection of race, sports, politics and patriotism in a divided America.
First Lady of North Dakota
Kathryn Burgum became First Lady in 2016 when her husband Governor Doug Burgum was sworn in as the 33rd Governor of North Dakota. Kathryn's priority is developing initiatives to eliminate the stigma of the chronic disease of addiction in North Dakota.
International Activist & Humanitarian
Danielle Butin is the Founder and Executive Director of the Afya Foundation. Since its inception in 2007, Afya has shipped several hundred 40-foot containers packed with recovered humanitarian and medical supplies to more than 70 countries globally.
Google’s Head of Black Engagement
Valeisha Butterfield-Jones is an award-winning political strategist, youth and women’s activist and lifestyle expert. Butterfield-Jones is currently Head of Black Engagement at Google as well as the author of the highly acclaimed book The Girlprint.