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Charity Blackwell

Spoken Word Artist + DEI Practitioner

Charity Blackwell is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner, spoken word artist, host, emcee, and poetry specialist who has spent several years contributing to the arts scene in DC and across national platforms. She is a Trinity University graduate, where she received her B.A and M.A in Communications. She also holds a certificate in Executive Leadership for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Georgetown University. She is the Senior Advisor of Arts and Culture at DC SCORES and the D.O.P.E (Director of Poetry Events) at Busboys and Poets. She has performed her original work on international networks and platforms including BBC News, TEDxTysons, DC UNITED, The Kennedy Center, and numerous stages across Washington D.C. and the east coast.

Chike Ukaegbu

CEO at Startup52, Former Candidate for President of Nigeria

Chike is a dynamic speaker and inspiring storyteller with a unique and extensive background that captivates diverse audiences. He believes in the untapped potential of each audience as he engages them to unlock new ideas through experiential storytelling.

Chip Wade

Chief Executive Officer, Union Square Hospitality Group

As Chief Executive Officer of Union Square Hospitality Group, Chip is responsible for further enhancing and evolving the company’s culture, driving an even greater guest experience, and bolstering the excellence and growth of its businesses. Chip joined the USHG executive team as President, in 2019, following a rich 30-year career in operational leadership in the hospitality industry. In 2022, he was named Chief Executive Officer.

Chris Barton

Founder and Creator of Shazam, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Tech Investor

Spend time with inventor Chris Barton and you’ll be inspired to believe anything is possible. His positive energy to make seemingly impossible ideas come to life is absolutely contagious. Chris’s latest venture, Guard, uses AI to detect drowning in swimming pools – a never-before accomplished effort. Chris’s best-known creation is Shazam, the app that changed the way the world discovers music and laid the groundwork for the consumer AI industry we know today. With over 2 billion downloads, Shazam is a global phenomenon and Apple's sixth-largest acquisition. The app lets people identify songs out of thin air from anywhere they are, making it nothing short of pure magic. Chris holds 12 patents and played key roles in the early days of Google and Dropbox. He believes his dyslexia helps him uncover novel solutions to obstacles and to achieving audacious goals. In his speeches, Chris shares his Start From Zero thinking method of questioning assumptions and challenging conventional wisdom. His amazing story and storytelling completely captivate audiences and inspires them to make big things happen in their organizations – to create magic in defiance of the obstacles.

Dawn Dickson

SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR & INVENTOR, Automated retail & WEB3 Pioneer

Dawn Dickson is a serial entrepreneur and inventor with over 20 years of experience in technology and business development. She has founded six successful cash flow positive companies since 2001, including Flat Out of Heels (2011) and PopCom (2017) and has successfully exited one company (Lifestyle Cafe, 2021). Dawn is the first female founder globally to raise over $1M secure token offering under a Reg CF of the JOBS Act. She is considered to be a pioneer in Web3 and equity crowdfunding and her company PopCom leverages AI, facial recognition, and blockchain technology to revolutionize retail.

Daymond John

Founder & CEO of FUBU, Star of ABC’s Shark Tank

From humble beginnings to a self-made multimillionaire with over $6 billion to date in global product sales and a starring role on ABC’s business reality TV show, Shark Tank. As "The People's Shark", Daymond continues to set standards of excellence while expanding his interests in fashion, branding, marketing, consulting, entertainment, and beyond. Virtual Programs Now Available

Denice Frohman

Award-Winning Poet, Performer, & Educator

Denice Frohman is an award-winning poet whose work explores the intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and the “in-betweenness” that exists in us all.

Diane Guerrero

Author & Actress from Orange is the New Black & Jane the Virgin

Named one of the top 10 Latina actresses to watch by Variety magazine, Diane Guerrero draws from her personal and professional experiences to inspire audiences that success is possible—no matter the obstacles in your way.

Dr. Jane Goodall

Legendary Primatologist & Environmentalist

Jane Goodall, dubbed by her biographer "the woman who redefined man," has changed our perceptions of primates, people, and the connection between the two. Over the past 45 years, Goodall herself has also evolved — from steadfast scientist to passionate conservationist and humanitarian.

Dr. Rick Stevenson

Filmmaker, Philosopher, Listener

Through The 5000 Days Project and the StoryQ Method of inquiry, he is on a mission to help create a generation of self-empowered game-changers who realize that the choices they make every moment of every day can help them become exactly who they wish to be.