Arts, Humanities & Lifestyle
Theater
Theater:
Actress of Stage & Screen
Jasmine Guy played the iconic southern belle "Whitley Gilbert" on the Cosby Show spinoff A Different World. She has performed on stage, screen, and TV, directs, writes, and has toured with her self-titled album.
“Coach E" & Founder of The Miracle Project
Elaine Hall developed "The Seven Keys to Unlock Autism" and used these methods to train staff & create The Miracle Project, an arts program for children of all abilities, which was profiled in AUTISM: The Musical.
Broadway Star
One of the greatest voices of the new millennium, Jennifer Holliday gives concerts across the world. Having lived with depression for over ten years, she shares that there is a healing path out of the darkness.
Co-Founder, The Miracle Project
Diane Isaacs is a film and TV producer and is the co-founder and President of Green Moon Productions where she produced And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself. She is a co-author of The Seven Keys to Unlock Autism.
Broadway Star
Sandra Joseph is a legendary Broadway star who played the leading female role (Christine) in The Phantom of the Opera longer than any other actress in history — more than 1,500 shows in a record-breaking 10 years.
Resilience Mode Founder, Inspirational Leader, Author & Justice Advocate
You would probably be incredibly angry after spending nearly a quarter of a century in prison before being exonerated for a crime you didn’t commit. But not Ricky Kidd. Instead, Ricky focused on the positive—no matter how unfairly he was treated.
Emmy Award-Winning Actress
With a career spanning across TV, theater and film, Judith Light is best known for her portrayal of “Angela Bower” on Who's the Boss? She is a passionate speaker on AIDS-related human rights issues.
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.
Acclaimed Cinematic Pioneer & CalArts Faculty
Considered a cinematic feminist pioneer and one of America’s foremost independent filmmakers, Menkes has shown widely in major international film festivals including multiple premieres at Sundance, the Berlinale, Cannes and more.
Writer, Poet & Performance Artist
A third generation Japanese American, Mura authored Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei, which won a 1991 Josephine Miles Book Award and was listed as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Emmy, Tony & Grammy Award-Winning Actress
Cynthia Nixon has completed her final season of HBO's celebrated series, Sex and the City, in which she played "Miranda Hobbes," a role that garnered her 2002 and 2003 Emmy nominations.
Award-Winning Actor
One of the most celebrated actors in cinematic history, Al Pacino has starred in The Godfather & Scent of a Woman. Pacino now steps behind the podium to offer audiences engaging & entertaining keynote speeches.
Actor, Ugly Betty / Education Advocate
With an acting career in film, television, and theater spanning almost thirty years, starred on the hit series Ugly Betty. A former teacher, he maintains his passion for education.
Actress & Singer
Anika Noni Rose was the voice of "Princess Tiana" in Disney's animated hit movie, The Princess & The Frog. She also starred in the smash hit Dreamgirls, and stage shows like "Footloose" and "Caroline or Change."
Poet, Professor & Activist
Speaker Sonia Sanchez authored the American Book Award winner Homegirls and Handgrenades. She speaks on a variety of topics from racial justice to hip-hop.
Former Russian Minister of Culture
The former Russian Minister of Culture and a member of the Academy of Humanities, speaker Mikhail Shvydkoy speaks on politics, art and culture.