Social, Community & Cultural Issues
Social Services- Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders
Social Services- Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders:
Singer/Songwriter
For more than 35 years, Debbie Gibson has been a true pioneer and force in the entertainment industry. A singer, songwriter, producer, musician, actor, and entrepreneur, she embodies what it truly means to be an icon.
Expert in Leadership Development
As CEO of S. Graham & Associates, a consulting company specializing in corporate and educational markets, Stedman Graham is an expert in leadership. He wrote You Can Make It Happen: A Nine Step Plan for Success.
Counselor & Stand-Up Comic
David Granirer is a counselor, stand-up comic and a pioneer in using humor to increase wellness, reduce stress, and cope with change. He also taught stand-up comedy to recovering drug addicts & cancer patient.
Psychologist & Author
Ross Greene is the creator of the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach, author of the acclaimed book The Explosive Child, and an advocate for compassionate treatment of behaviorally challenging kids.
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.
Biologist & Stress Expert, Author
Dr. Heiss is a stress expert dedicated to transforming our fears into fuel we can use through her T-minus 3 Technique. Her research has been designated “transformative” by the National Science Foundation.
Actress
April Hernandez Castillo's dream became a reality when she booked her first commercial as the “Yo girl” in the Visa Check Card spot starring Yao Ming and Yogi Berra. The commercial would air for the Super Bowl and become a sports classic.
Founder & Lead Coach, Brand Ninja; Producer and Host of The Gratitudeology™ Podcast
Jamie Hess is a keynote and TEDx speaker, media personality, podcaster, and professional development coach.
Globally Recognized Authority on Leading & Creating Cultures of Dignity, Harvard Professor and Award-Winning Author
Harvard’s Dr. Donna Hicks is an expert in human dignity and a specialist in conflict resolution. Through her work Dr. Hicks has identified a major obstacle in our human relationships and shares how to use dignity as a way of repairing relationships.
Champion for Mental Wellness & Breaking Stigma, Olympic Gold Medalist & WNBA Hall of Famer
Chamique Holdsclaw was the #1 Pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. Aside from her outstanding athletic career, Chamique has dedicated her life’s work to mental health and wellness activism.
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.
Former Child Actor, Author & Mental Wellness Educator
With more than 40 projects on her resume, including Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day, she left the film industry to find a life that felt more authentic to her.
Best-Selling True Crime Author & Journalist
Jones is a best-selling true crime author and journalist who uses her reporter’s hunch to investigate high-profile crimes and murder cases. Through her eyes, Jones sheds light on the dark motives and emotional truths lurking behind the headlines.
Author & Therapist
Co-author of Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence, Robin Karr-Morse helps provide parents with developmental knowledge for raising emotionally competent children from conception to adolescence.
TV Host, Author & Youth Motivational Speaker
In August of 2005, Randy Kearse stepped out of prison after 15 years. His path from honor student to dropout to federal inmate to talk show host, best-selling author and motivational speaker is extraordinary.
International Inspirational Speaker, TEDx Speaker, Expert on Creating Enduring Success & Founder of Enduring Success Strategies
Trish is proof that true success—enduring success—comes from making a choice. We each have the power to make that choice and achieve enduring success, no matter the obstacles.
Past Commissioner, US Food & Drug Administration
Former Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, David A. Kessler has had an accomplished career in medicine and government. He now serves as the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of CA.
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.
Pioneering Advertising Researcher & Filmmaker
Recognized for her work on the image of women in advertising and for her studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising, Jean Kilbourne is renowned for her ability to present provocative topics in a way that unites.
Mental Health & Recovery Advocate, Actor & Entrepreneur
Kevin Kreider is an actor, speaker, the breakout star in Netflix's Bling Empire, and Founder/CEO of Sans by Taejin Beverage Inc. and Taejin Entertainment, LLC.
Leadership & Resilience Expert, Former ICE Agent & 20+ Year Law Enforcement Veteran
Michael Laidler is a leadership speaker and resilience strategist with more than 20 years of experience navigating high-pressure roles in law enforcement and federal leadership.
Best-Selling Novelist / Educator
Earning two spots in Oprah’s Book Club, Wally Lamb wrote The Hour I First Believed, a docudrama of the Columbine massacre, and She’s Come Undone. His writing crosses genres and enthralls readers of all types.
Grief Advocate, Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author
Marisa Renee Lee is a called upon grief advocate, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Grief is Love: Living with Loss.
Speaker on Mental Health & Suicide Prevention
Susan Levine has been in the financial services industry for most of her career. That all changed when she suffered a suicide attempt in NYC, which left her a double amputee, having lost her right arm above the elbow and her left leg above the knee.
Author, Motivational Speaker & MA Retired State Trooper
Vladimir Louissaint is a motivational speaker, empowerment coach, retired Massachusetts State Trooper, and author of The Embrace Method, a transformative guide to healing and purpose-driven leadership.
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.
Bestselling Author, Speaker & Changemaker in Recovery and Student and Family Well-Being
David Magee is the bestselling author of the award-winning book Dear William: A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love and Loss (2021), a Publisher’s Weekly national bestseller featured on CBS Mornings.
Former Top NFL Draftee & Star, Addiction & Recovery Advocate
Tony Mandarich was featured on Sports Illustrated in 1989 as "The Incredible Bulk, the best offensive line NFL draft Prospect ever". Four years later, he was again featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as "The NFL's Incredible Bust."
Emmy-Nominated Storyteller, Classically-Trained Opera Singer & On Tour with NPR's "The Moth"
Prepare to embark on a powerful and inspiring journey with Deonna Marie as she shares her incredible story of triumph over adversity.
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.
Poet, Mental Health Advocate, Lawyer, WNBA Player
Imani McGee-Stafford is a WNBA player, lawyer, abuse survivor, mental health advocate and poet who encourages everyone to follow their passions while living their truth.
Writer, Journalist, Rabbi, Meditation Teacher & Scholar of Religion
Jay Michaelson is a writer & journalist, rabbi & meditation teacher, keynote speaker, and scholar of religion.