Activism is a form of self-expression and is the action of speaking up about certain causes, whether personal, social, political, economic, or environmental. Throughout history, the act of helping raise awareness has often proven to be a catalyst for positive change. Leadership, self-management, showing initiative, and making decisions are some of the many qualities exhibited through activism. Our speakers are founders, CEOs, changemakers, and purpose-driven marketers who are advocates for political, social, environmental, and human rights; they fight for injustice while creating long-lasting change. Contact us to book one of our activism speakers for your next event, conference, or seminar.
D’Lo (he/they) is a queer/transgender Tamil-Sri Lankan-American actor/writer/comedian whose work range includes stand-up comedy, solo theater, plays, films and music production, poetry and spoken word. Rooted in social justice, D’Lo brings the fierce with the funny through his stories and stand-up comedy.
Kimberly Seals Allers is an award-winning journalist, author of five books, international speaker, strategist, and advocate for maternal and infant health. A former senior editor at Essence and writer at Fortune magazine, Kimberly is a leading commentator on birth, breastfeeding and motherhood and the intersection of race, policy, and culture.
Rebecca Altamirano has dedicated her professional life to working within underrepresented communities to open up access to the culture of power. Her professional path has given her deep hands-on experience on working with the underserved and underrepresented. Many of these experiences she has shared as a co-author of “Be The Change: Reinventing Schools for Student Success”
A sought after voice of inspiration, Mandy is a columnist, founder, and prolific influencer. Her breadth of work in mind+body connection and unwavering optimism has earned her global attention and positioning alongside elite social leaders and sports figures around the world. Mandy now travels the globe inspiring resilience through her recent and personal triumph in mental and physical wellness.
Investigating homicides, leading international teams into scenes of crisis and disaster is not your normal path to global keynote speaker and business consultant. It was this unique path that provided insights into leadership which are so different yet offer relevant reflections and learnings to businesses facing change, growth or challenges of their own.
Andrea Barrica, author of Sex Tech Revolution, is CEO and Co-founder of O.school, a judgment-free multimedia platform to learn about sexuality and pleasure. Previously, Andrea co-founded accounting and tax platform, inDinero.com, where she led sales and operations. She also served as a venture partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at 500 Startups.
Chris is a master of transformation. His unique energetic approach challenges businesses to embed a dynamic creative culture within their company ethos. Brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Unilever, Sony, and WPP come back time and again as his results produce tangible returns on investment.
Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark. An advocate for equity inclusion in the entertainment industry (and the entire working world), Best regularly speaks at conferences and events about leveraging entertainment to build equity and sustainability for everyone, crowdfunding, and pitching, building equitable startups, and serves as an advisor and mentor to dozens of early-stage companies.
Mike Brown, a pro-athlete turned self-taught coder, transitioned from tackling to tech and went on to be the founder and CEO of Win-Win, a platform powered by gaming and giving. Win-Win enables pro athletes and influencers to monetize their fanbase and help brands engage with end consumers.
Madison Butler is a Black, queer woman, and a survivor. Her work is focused around designing spaces and creating scalable strategies to achieve psychological safety. An outspoken advocate for mental health, she is passionate about facilitating hard conversations through storytelling, data, and tough empathy, removing stigma around trauma, and advisor for being “human at work”.
Melinda Briana Epler has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs. As CEO of Empovia, Melinda works with the tech industry to solve diversity and inclusion together. Using her background in storytelling and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for tech companies, tech hubs, and governments around the world.
Professor Tonya M. Evans is a global leader, accomplished academic and administrator, and world-renowned speaker with over twenty years of experience in law, innovation, academia, and entrepreneurship. She writes, speaks and teaches primarily in the areas of intellectual property, blockchain and crypto assets, tech and innovation, information privacy, financial inclusion, and economic empowerment.
Arlan Hamilton is a remarkable entrepreneur who built a venture capital fund from the ground up, while homeless. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a VC firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT.
Jin-Ya Huang founded Break Bread, Break Borders, a social enterprise. She's a published writer, and TIME Magazine-featured Community Uniter focusing on equity, design, and social justice. A PLS Presidential Leadership Scholars fellow, Huang excels in bridge building, women's empowerment, and race relations for lasting social impact.
Jonas is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and storyteller, and an award-winning writer & producer of books, documentaries, and branded entertainment at storytelling boutique Koffler Pictures. Jonas regularly presents at conferences, organizations, and events on topics spanning personal innovation and unconventional thinking, the future of work, creativity and learning, community building, wellness, and resilience.
Russell Ladson is a creative technologist whose work sits at the intersection of emerging technologies, purposeful design, and visual art. His work investigates the use of emerging technologies like AR/VR (XR) to heighten the human-to-human experience through experimental concepts around information discovery in a post-smartphone world.
Max Lenderman has a pulse on the future so that you and your business can win today. As founder and chief creative officer, he is a pioneering authority on purpose-led brand building, experiential marketing, and large-scale advertising campaigns.
Mark Levy is a seasoned globally-minded Employee Experience Leader who has chosen to work for big-hearted companies and focus on how he can unleash the talents and passions of a company’s employees. Mark was the pioneer of designing the Employee Experience at Airbnb and most recently at Allbirds, showing organizations what is possible when you empower employees and rethink HR.
Bianca Mabute-Louie is a keynote speaker, award-winning sociologist, and forthcoming author. Her speaking, publishing, and research centers Asian Americans in the national discourse on race and politics. Her first book, UNASSIMILABLE, comes out January 2025 with Harper Collins.
A survivor, entrepreneur, and international keynote speaker – Liza is a force globally recognised for her achievements and accolades. She is Founder of Mind Hub Directory, improving mental health is a passion and commitment for Liza and her team. She is a qualified psychotherapist, transformation executive coach, entrepreneur, storyteller, and keynote speaker, inspiring individuals to live their best possible life. Liza presents an impassioned and compelling story of true grit and resounding resilience. A story of overcoming impossible adversities, triumphing against all odds, and becoming a self-made, highly successful entrepreneur.
Damian Pelliccione (they/them) is the CEO and Co-Founder of Revry, the world’s first LGBTQ Global Content Streaming Network. With over 15 years of experience in the digital and new media world and as an avid speaker, passionate about supporting the LGBTQ community in both authentic representation and entrepreneurship, Damian has spoken at more than over 250 conferences and film festivals around the world.
Milagros Phillips designs strategic learning initiatives for clients seeking to enhance their diversity and inclusion programs by adding race literacy to their initiatives. With more than 25 years of experience in learning and development, Milagros has consulted with, designed and delivered customized programs across many industries and services, including financial/insurance, healthcare, higher education, and national and political leaders.
Christie Pitts is an investor, operator, and activist. Formerly VP of Operations at Mahmee and investor at Backstage Capital, she co-founded the VCs for Repro initiative, focused on the intersection of the economy and reproductive justice, and hosts the Moms at Work liveshow to build community, raise awareness, and advocate for better experiences for working moms.
Hanli Prinsloo is a multiple South African freediving record holder and Founder of I AM WATER Ocean Conservation. Growing up on a horse farm in rural South Africa her love of nature and the need for wilderness experiences were instilled at an early age. With a background in social-political documentary filmmaking, Hanli has traveled the world seeking and telling stories of transformation, hope, and inspiration.
Ryann Richardson made history when she became the 50th Anniversary Miss Black America. The tech marketer-turned-founder and Diversity & Inclusion advocate spent 10 years building brands and culture for companies spanning early-stage startups to billion-dollar "unicorns" to the Fortune500. Her work earned her a spot as the youngest honoree on Savoy Magazine’s list of Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America, and set her on the path to discovering her unique purpose as a champion for underrepresented voices.
Dr. Kryss Shane, a renowned LGBT+ expert, boasts over 25 years of experience in guiding leaders globally. Featured in The New York Times, ABC News, and more, she specializes in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, helping businesses navigate these areas effectively. Holding a doctorate and multiple master’s degrees, Dr. Shane is an esteemed educator, serving at Columbia University and other institutions. Author of impactful books, including "The Medical Professional's Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion," she advocates for LGBT+ rights and inclusivity on various fronts.
As one of the world’s foremost experts on accountability and commitment, Alex is a five-time TEDxTalk speaker, author, podcast host, internationally-recognized humanitarian, social entrepreneur & innovator, author, and Founder of the because I said I would movement. His work, featured on shows like The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, CNN, Fox News, and many other programs, inspires people to honor their commitments.
Dr. Natalie Stavas, a healer and educator, leads as Program Director for Child Protection Pediatrics at UC San Diego. Her heroic response during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings earned recognition from President Obama and media outlets. She's committed to preventing childhood violence and providing medical care in Haiti. Dr. Stavas conducts research on vulnerable children and COVID-19's impact. Featured in Runner's World and NY Times, she inspires with her remarkable journey.
Aniyia Williams is a systempreneur, creator, inventor, tech changemaker, and investor. She is a principal on the Responsible Technology team at Omidyar Network, and works to help the tech world live up to its promise of changing lives for the better. She served as Executive Director of Black & Brown Founders, co-founder of Zebras Unite, and founded and led the fashion tech company, Tinsel.
Ramona Wright, a TEDx speaker, author, tech investor, producer, tech investor, and philanthropist, has more than 15 years of strategic communication expertise. She’s a trailblazer who taught public relations and social media marketing to more than 200. Ramona is an accomplished speaker who has spoken on behalf of the American Heart Association, Google, and Microsoft. She worked with Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar Award-winning talent.