Ashanti Johnson Speaking Fee: $10,000 and Below

Ben O'Keefe

Storyteller, Strategist, and Cultural Force for Change

Ben O’Keefe is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, award-winning writer, activist, and sought-after public speaker whose influence spans entertainment, politics, and culture. From crafting campaigns for folks like Alicia Keys and Amazon Studios to advising leaders like Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ben’s work drives national conversations and cultural change. As a producer, he was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He brings fearless honesty, cultural fluency, and a passion for moving conversations—and culture—forward.

Kimberlé Crenshaw

Civil Rights Advocate & Professor of Law

Kimberlé Crenshaw, Professor of Law at UCLA and Columbia Law School, is a leading authority in the area of Civil Rights, Black feminist legal theory, and race, racism and the law. Her work has been foundational in two fields of study that have come to be known by terms that she coined: Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality. Crenshaw’s articles have appeared in the Harvard Law Review, National Black Law Journal, Stanford Law Review and Southern California Law Review.

Angela Davis

Legendary Human Rights Activist & Author

Through her activism and scholarship over many decades, Angela Davis has been deeply involved in movements for social justice around the world. Her work as an educator has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender justice. Professor Davis is especially concerned with the tendency to devote more resources and attention to the prison system than to educational institutions. Having helped popularize the notion of a “prison industrial complex,” she now urges audiences to think seriously about the future and to help forge a 21st century abolitionist movement.

Mikki Kendall

Best Selling Author | Diversity Consultant | Feminist

Mikki Kendall a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling HOOD FEMINISM, and the women's-history graphic novel AMAZONS, ABOLITIONISTS, AND ACTIVISTS. Her essays can be found at TIME, the New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, Ebony, Essence, Salon, The Boston Globe, NBC, Bustle, Islamic Monthly, and a host of other sites. Her media appearances include BBC, NPR, the Daily Show, PBS, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, WVON, WBEZ, and Showtime. She has discussed race, feminism, education, employment, food politics, police violence, sexual assault, tech, community.

Dr. Akilah Cadet

Founder, Speaker, and Executive Coach of Change Cadet

Dr. Akilah Cadet is the Founder and CEO of Change Cadet, an organizational development consulting firm that offers services that support embedding belonging into overall company culture, identity and strategy. As a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur her work is behind some of the biggest brands you use everyday. Dismantling white supremacy through storytelling is at the core of her work as a leader, speaker, creative director, producer, writer, editor and author of forthcoming book White Supremacy is All Around: Notes From a Black Disabled Woman in a White World.

Mike Africa Jr.

Hip Hop Artist | Writer | Member of MOVE

Mike Africa, Jr. is the son of two political prisoners who were each sentenced to 100 years in prison. Mike and his family became the subject of the HBO Film "40 Years A Prisoner" about his life and struggle to get his parents released from prison. He's now a member of The MOVE Organization, and the Black Philly Radical Collective. Mike is a motivational resilience speaker who pushes his powerful “Never Give Up” message with his dynamic stage performances mixing music in his orations.

Michael Eric Dyson

Academic & Radio Host

Michael Eric Dyson is an academic, author, preacher, and radio host. He is a Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. Described by Michael A. Fletcher as "a Princeton Ph.D. and a child of the streets who takes pains never to separate the two", Dyson has authored or edited more than twenty books dealing with subjects such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marvin Gaye, Barack Obama, Nas's debut album Illmatic, Bill Cosby, Tupac Shakur, and Hurricane Katrina.

Shaniqua McClendon

Political Strategist & Senior Political Director, Crooked Media

Shaniqua McClendon has worked in politics for more than a decade and currently serves as Vice President of Political Strategy for Crooked Media, home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America. In this role, Shaniqua led the creation of their voter and volunteer engagement program, Vote Save America, that has raised more than $55 million for progressive candidates and causes, while mobilizing more than 500,000 voters, volunteers, and grassroots donors across the country to support Democratic victories in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Bree Newsome

Community Organizer and Activist Who Removed the Confederate Battle Flag from the South Carolina State House

LaTosha Brown

Award-Winning Community Organizer | Political Strategist | Consultant | Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter

At the intersection of social justice, political empowerment, human development and the cultural arts one will find LaTosha Brown. As a catalyst for change, thought leader and social strategist, her national and global efforts have been known to organize, inspire and catapult people into action—not just lip service—enabling them to build power and wealth for themselves and their community. As co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund organization, LaTosha is dedicated to increasing the political power of Black people.

Sheena Meade

Chief Executive of the Clean Slate Initiative, Second Chance Advocate

Born into a family of labor organizers, Sheena Meade was exposed to the fight for economic justice early on. That fight became her own when a bounced check led to an arrest record that continually limited her opportunities. Determined to do something to help everyone get a shot at redemption, she now leads the Clean Slate Initiative, where her bipartisan approach has helped drive the clearance of more than seven million conviction and non-conviction records.