Social, Community & Cultural Issues
Homelessness & Poverty
Homelessness & Poverty:
Co-Chair, Poor People’s Campaign & NYT Best-Selling Author
The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II is the President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach; Co- Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign; Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries; and Visiting Professor at Union Theological Seminary.
Actress & Comedian
Speaker Lily Tomlin's success as a comedian and actress has spanned a range of media for decades. In her entertaining keynotes, she recalls her career with candor and charm.
Inspirational Educator & Author
The author of the memoir Nobody Don't Love Nobody, the story of her first teaching job at a school for homeless children, Stacey Bess shares a powerful message of mentorship and service.
President & CEO, TheCaseMade
Dr. Tiffany Manuel is the President and CEO of TheCaseMade, which is transforming communities by helping leaders effectively build the public's will to participate in equitable and inclusive systems change.
Law Professor & Author
A lifelong antipoverty advocate, Peter Edelman is the author of So Rich, So Poor: Why It's So Hard to End Poverty in America.
Inspirational Educator & Survivor
A decade ago, Brenda Combs Ed.D. was a homeless cocaine addict and criminal. Today, she's turned her life around and motivates others with her story of perseverance and rediscovery.
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.
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.
Abuse & Homelessness Survivor, Author of CinderGirl
Empowering others with her inspiring life story, Christina Meredith survived sexual, mental and emotional abuse, incest, trauma, aging out of foster care, poverty and homelessness to forge a life committed to helping others.
Entrepreneur, Author & Philanthropist
Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur whose autobiography, the Pursuit of Happyness, became a best seller and the inspiration for the movie of the same name. His talks aim to help others achieve their full potential.
Inner-City Youth & Education Advocate
Founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Canada addresses inner city poverty and violence. His model was featured in Waiting for Superman and has been replicated across the U.S.
CEO of Global Citizen/Global Poverty Project
Hugh Evans’ breakthrough brand of action-oriented humanitarianism has mobilized millions to end extreme poverty, climate change and gender inequality around the world.
Author & Motivational Speaker
She's the mother of one of the greatest athletes ever, but Lucille O'Neal is much more than just "Shaq's mom." A powerful motivator & moving speaker, she wrote Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go.
Founder, President & CEO of Raising Change
Kathy LeMay is the founder, president, and CEO of Raising Change, which helps organizations raise capital to advance social change agendas and individuals create Generosity Plans to help change the world.
Best-Selling Author & Community Activist
Author of the New York Times best-seller All Souls, Michael Patrick MacDonald shares his remarkable story of survival and redemption while examining the relationship between poverty and class he witnessed growing up in South Boston.
US Army Lieutenant Colonel / Education Advocate
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field in the US Army. She is recognized for her work on teen pregnancy, gang violence and parenting education.
Filmmaker & Former CEO, the Black Family Channel
Raised by a single mom on the West Side of Chicago, Townsend transcended his environment to become an actor, writer, director, comedian, producer and ultimately, the President and CEO of the Black Family Channel.
Subject of the Film Hoop Dream
Arthur G Agee Jr is featured in the award-winning, internationally acclaimed motion picture, Hoop Dreams. He tells audiences his story of resilience and the importance of community role models.
GRAMMY-Nominated Poet; Human & Civil Rights Activist; Filmmaker; Author of 16 Books
Kevin Powell is one of the most celebrated political, cultural, literary, and hip-hop voices in America today. Kevin has gone on to author 14 books, including When We Free The World, his new short essay collection about freedom in America.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer Scholly
Raised in poverty and determined to help others go to college, Gray sparked the biggest fight in Shark Tank history with Scholly, his breakthrough app that helps students find scholarships.
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.
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.
Gracie Award-Winning Media Personality, Motivational Speaker & Boy's Prep Basketball Coach
For nearly two decades, Gracie Award-Winning media personality and basketball coach, MalaniKai has dedicated her life to training and mentoring youth and daring to speak her mind on radio and television.
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.
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.
Founder, Homeboy Industries
Father Gregory Boyle is the founder and CEO of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention and re-entry program in Los Angeles County.
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.
Trauma Survivor & Internationally Recognized Trauma Informed Care Expert
Tonier works tirelessly to raise the awareness about trauma informed care around the world. Tonier is an advocate and educator, speaking all over the world on trauma, addiction, incarceration, homelessness, substance abuse and mental health.
Former Broadcaster & Professional Baseball Player
Roberto Clemente, Jr. is a universally respected philanthropist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, producer, former broadcaster, and professional baseball player.
Activist & Philanthropist
Speaker Malaak Compton is founder of the Angel Rock Project dedicated to volunteerism and philanthropy.
CEO and Member of Board of Directors for Sign Talent Solutions, Former NFL Player & Author
Success isn’t about talent alone — it’s about being able to LOCK IN on vision, values, and disciplined execution that drives long-term success. Damon Dunn has built a career proving that high performance is a mindset, not a moment.
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.
Former Surgeon General of California
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is an award-winning physician, researcher and public health leader who has spent her career on the front lines of some of our world’s most pressing public health challenges.
Education Policy Advocate, USC Policy Doctorate Student (DPPD) & Mental Health Children’s Book Author
Nicole Jain has dedicated her career to public service and leadership specifically in the realm of K-12 public education policy and management.
Olympic Hurdler & Bobsledder
Lolo Jones is a three-time summer and winter Olympian who competes in both track and field and bobsled.
Behavioral Economist & Social Entrepreneur
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.
Educator & Social Justice Advocate
A former urban teacher, Jonathan Kozol is a long-term public education activist. He confronts the mania of high-stakes tests, the invasion of private corporations in schools, and the inequalities of urban schools.
Emmy Award Winning TV Personality & Style Expert
Emmy Award winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer, interior designer and New York Times best-selling author are some of the credits of the multi-talented and unforgettable Carson Kressley.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning NYT Columnist
How good do you really have to be, to be christened the reporter’s reporter…by other reporters? You have to be Nicholas Kristof – good.
Social Entrepreneur & Founder of Social Bite
Josh Littlejohn is one of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs having founded pioneering social enterprises and led a global movement to tackle homelessness and displacement.
Author & Child Advocate
Regina Louise’s life story is one of a child who prevails against all odds, whose resilience shines through each attempt to break her and whose sheer will to not only survive but to thrive, is a beacon to us all.
Heart Inspired Speaker, Leadership Consultant & Author
Dr. Luff is an overcomer! As the son of a single-parent housekeeper, he was homeless in high school but went on to become a first-generation college graduate three times over despite being told that he was not college material.
Entrepreneur, Experienced CEO, Investor, Advisor, Philanthropist & Athlete
Anne Mahlum is an American entrepreneur, motivational speaker, experienced CEO, investor, advisor, philanthropist and athlete. She is extremely passionate about empowering people how to live life on their own terms.
Subject of the Disney+ film Safety
The Disney+ film Safety shares Ray Ray’s story as a shining example of perseverance triumphing through repeated adversity and the message of family above everything.
Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Desmond Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC).
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.
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.
Award-Winning Journalist & Humanitarian
A journalist and humanitarian, Betty Nguyen’s work has taken her across the globe. Her striking authenticity and powerful storytelling moves audiences to explore pressing issues that affect us all.
Author of KooKooLand
Gloria Norris’s heartbreaking and hilarious memoir, KooKooLand, was named a best book of the year by NPR. Some of the issues Gloria has spoken passionately about include domestic violence and mental health issues.
Granddaughter of Bob Marley; Filmmaker & Poet
Continuing her grandparent’s legacy and message, Donisha offers an inside look into her family’s life and speaks on how to embody the idea of “One Love” in the community.
Journalist, Award Winning Non-Fiction Author & Photographer
Sam Quinones is a journalist, storyteller, former LA Times reporter, and author of four acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction. His most recent book is The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth.
Attorney, Trayvon Martin & Michael Brown Family
Known for her representation of the Trayvon Martin family, Jasmine Rand excels in the civil rights arena. Rand is currently scheduled to provide lectures worldwide on her I Am the Change World Tour.
Domestic Violence Activist, Actor & Author
Born in Cuba, Rivers came to the US at the age of two, endured horrific child abuse and witnessed domestic violence at the hands of his father, which he chronicles in his bestseller, A Private Family Matter.
“Skid Row CEO” & Inspirational Leadership Speaker
Joe Roberts embodies the power of possibility. Celebrated in national media as the “Skid Row CEO,” his astounding transformation from substance abuse and homelessness to leading executive has inspired countless audiences.
2014 Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Child Rights’ Activist
Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi has been a tireless global advocate of children’s rights for four decades now. He left a lucrative career and started Save the Childhood Movement to rescue children from the shackles of slavery.
Founder of LiberatED
Dr. Dena Simmons is the founder of LiberatED, a liberatory approach to social and emotional learning, racial justice, and healing. She is also the inaugural scholar-in-residence at the Institute for Racial Justice at Loyola University of Chicago.
Actress & Human Rights Advocate
Mira Sorvino is an Academy Award-winning actress, documentary filmmaker, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and a passionate voice for victims of social injustice. She's a powerful voice for global causes.
Motivational Speaker, Musician, Author, Veteran & Entrepreneur
Sleeping in a homeless shelter. Bouncing between foster homes. Losing his mother to suicide. And that’s just the beginning. Ryan Stream’s story didn’t start in the spotlight, it started in survival mode.
Educator, Author, Intersectionality Expert & Award-Winning Change-Maker
Twice named one of the 100 most influential people in Philadelphia and named one of the top 50 feminists in the world, Dr. Michelle Taylor—the social media icon known as Feminista Jones—is an educator, writer, public speaker and community activist.
Author & Community Advocate
What is your why? What is your purpose? These two questions are asked by Logan Taylor to ensure that his audiences are maximizing their full potential. The founder of Y.B.Normal?, Taylor has spoken to thousands upon thousands of people worldwide.
Inspirational Speaker on Homelessness & Resilience, Professor, Principal Tubist & Best-Selling Author
With over two decades of performing on the world’s classical music stages, tubist Richard White has matured into a musician known for his clear sound and stylistic flexibility.
CEO, Core Health & VP, Centene Corporation
Speaker Gloria Wilder is the founder of Core Health, which helps health providers in underserved communities improve their quality of service.
Serial Social Entrepreneur, Storyteller & Author
Growing up in Washington, DC, Chris Wilson was surrounded by violence and despair. At 18, he was sentenced to life in prison, with no hope of parole. While behind bars, Chris embarked on a remarkable journey of self-improvement.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist
Sheryl WuDunn, the first Asian-American reporter to win a Pulitzer Prize, is a business executive and best-selling author. She co-founded FullSky Partners, a consulting firm focusing on double-bottom line ventures in new media, technology and health.
Co-Founder of Vox.com
A pioneering political blogger since the Internet Dark Ages of 2002, Matthew Yglesias co-founded the popular Vox.com in 2014 where he currently works as a senior correspondent covering politics and economic policy and hosts The Weeds podcast.