Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Photo Credit: Michael Yamashita
If 2020 showed us anything, it’s that DEI is no longer a “nice to have” policy. We are stronger and more resilient when all voices are heard, all faces are present, and all perspectives are considered. These speakers personally represent, or work on behalf of a range of diverse voices with the goal of co-creating a more just future.
Paleoanthropologist.
Proudly 2% Neanderthal.
Nerdy Stand-Up Queen.
Driven by a desire to understand who journeyed here alongside us, Ella is undeterred by war zones, pirates, and politics in her quest to unearth the fossil record before it’s too late.
Pioneer.
Bridge Builder.
Rule Breaker.
The answer “No” is merely a rejection of the status quo and an opportunity to reinvent your world. This is one of the many lessons that fleeing Iran as a young girl during the revolution taught Sheila.
Bridge Builder.
Artist.
Cultural Visionary.
Through her photographs and films, Endia Beal reveals the people in our communities who feel mostly unseen and unheard. Merging fine art, quirky humor, and uncanny insight, Beal engages her audiences in revelatory discussions.
Turnaround Queen.
Publishing Icon.
Chief Fun Officer.
A trailblazing figure in publishing and programming, Melina Bellows has a boundless imagination and a passion for education that has elevated every project she has undertaken.
Rocketman.
Space Engineer.
Optimism Personified.
Driven by the pursuit of knowledge and an insatiable curiosity, NASA’s Chief Engineer for the ambitious Europa Clipper Mission is convinced he has the best job on Earth.
Travel Writer.
Digital Nomad.
Black Penguin.
Andrew invites us to move beyond the tourist selfie to open ourselves to the rich kaleidoscope of humanity, adventure, and experience the world offers, to become a more evolved version of ourselves.
Pulitzer Prize-winner.
Eyewitness.
Trailblazer.
For 20 years, Deanne served as a photojournalist for the San Francisco Chronicle, documenting the AIDS crisis, pivotal SCOTUS rulings, sports, and pop culture.
Sports Photographer.
Grassroots Baseball Founder.
Heavy Hitter.
Instead of a seat at the table, she’ll take the spot behind the diamond with a straight shot down the third base line. Meet baseball’s biggest fan and top sports photographer.
Storyteller.
Global Women’s Champion.
Revolutionary.
With National Geographic and at the creative helm of her nonprofit, Ripple Effect Images, Annie travels the planet to show the vibrant tapestry of human experience, and how much we share—oceans apart.
Visual Explorer.
Pathfinder.
Culture Whisperer.
Highly decorated photojournalist David Guttenfelder is celebrated for his thorough study of geopolitical conflict, conservation, culture, and technology, with a keen and curious eye to the future.
Himalayan Mountaineer.
Global Philanthropist.
Climbing Royalty.
The name Hillary is synonymous with Himalayan mountaineering and philanthropy. Peter Hillary has been on 40 expeditions around the world, including five to the top of the world—Mount Everest.
Rising Phoenix.
Disney's Photo Mom.
Believer.
Find out why Oprah, Kelly & Ryan, and Disney can’t get enough of Photographer Me Ra Koh. Through photos, stories and laughter, Me Ra shows us how to thrive, despite failure and rejection.
Mama Bear.
Community Builder.
Visual Storyteller.
Whether documenting her journey through depression or celebrating the world through the eyes and words of her two boys, Photographer Marvi Lacar is the consummate creator.
4-Time Olympian.
Breast Cancer Survivor.
Champion.
Chaunte trained for 28 years to keep her edge as one of the world’s best, but it wasn’t until a breast cancer diagnosis inspired her to champion self-care, that she tapped into an unexpected source of strength.
Her Wildness.
Anthropologist.
Curious Mind.
Who says you can’t have it all? This primatologist, TV Host, university executive, O mag Insider, National Geographic Explorer, and mother of six begs to differ.
Globetrotter.
Blue Zones Documentarian.
Brand Wizard.
In his longest-running project, Photographer David McLain travels alongside author Dan Buettner to document the diet and lifestyle habits shared by the longest-lived people in the world.
Futurist.
Polymath.
Ironman.
Author of the bestseller, Hacking Darwin, Jamie is a leading technology and healthcare futurist who has served in the U.S. National Security Council, the State Department, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Conservation Photographer.
Ocean Advocate.
Enough.
Cristina’s commitment to conservation extends beyond the Ocean to what it means to be human...understanding that the history of every living thing that has ever existed on this planet also lives within us.
Special Correspondent.
Eyewitness.
Pulitzer Prize Winner.
Getty Images Special Correspondent John Moore bears witness through photography to the most pressing stories of our time, from conflict, to immigration reform, climate change, and COVID-19.
First Lady of Iceland.
Journalist.
Iceland Writers’ Retreat Co-Founder.
Journalist, editor, and critically acclaimed author of Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They are Changing the World.
Audacious Explorer.
Man Out of Eden.
Chief Listener.
To get a fresh perspective of humanity today, this two-time Pulitzer Prize winner is on a 24,000-mile walkabout around the entire planet. He calls it the Out of Eden Walk.
Serial Entrepreneur.
Brand Accelerator.
Multitasker.
Moms are the original multitaskers, this is why former attorney and Brown grad, Jill Salzman decided to build her third company as an accelerator for this untapped juggernaut of talent.
Chief Innovation Officer.
Biomedical Engineer.
World’s Best Minister.
A Bill Gates Hero in the Field, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Education and Chief Innovation Officer strives to improve lives through reforming, and redesigning healthcare and education systems.
Nature Whisperer.
Illuminator of the Invisible.
Mad Scientist.
In biologist/photographer Anand Varma’s hands, a camera is not just a tool to capture what he sees—it’s a way to illuminate the layers of beauty and complexity that are otherwise hidden from the naked eye.
Elephant Whisperer.
Wildlife Advocate.
Badass Woman.
In the hands of Nikon Ambassador, Nat Geo photographer, and nonprofit Chief Ami Vitale, the camera is a tool for change. Her work celebrates how and where we are learning to coexist with wildlife.
Left Seater.
Trailblazer.
Afghan Refugee.
What if the first Afghan woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license went on to break the world record as the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine plane? Meet Shaesta.
Culture Keeper.
Far East Expert.
Early Adopter.
Photographer Michael Yamashita has trained his lens on Asia for more than 40 years. With a love of history and culture, his body of work is a photographic time capsule and a compass forward.