Public Speakers
Inspirational
Model and fashion icon Kimora Lee Perkins fashion design career
started shortly after marrying Russell. Her husband had begun creating baby clothing from his Phat Farm clothing line. Kimora Lee then took the project on herself, and Baby Phat was created in 1999. She was named creative director and president of the line, taking it from baby t-shirts to a full line of urban women's wear. In January 2004, Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons sold the apparel and licensing of the Baby Phat and Phat Farm brands to Kellwood Company for $140 million.
Topics: Fashion Industry, Personal Life story, Entrepreneurship
Kimora Lee Simmons
Stuart K. Robinson
Stuart K Robinson has been praised as one of the most exciting and inspiring public speakers in many years.” He is the author of the groundbreaking book, “It All Begins With “I”, the New Rules of Thinking and the Simple Secrets to a Rich, Joyous and Fulfilled Life.” Mr. Robinson has shared talks with organizations including:
Mr. Robinson is widely regarded as one of Los Angeles’ top acting instructors/career coaches, shaping the careers of numerous stage/screen/sports celebrities. He is featured in actor/singer Leslie Odom Jr.’s recent book “Failing Up.”
He is CEO/Owner of Brady, Brannon & Rich, one of the nation’s most successful commercial talent agencies, representing celebrities, models, hosts, internet artists, Broadway Theater, Film/TV, and Commercial actors. He also serves as Executive Vice president, Creative/Brand Extension for My Gym Enterprises, a worldwide corporation which franchises over 600 children’s fitness centers around the globe. Mr. Robinson’s personal success in business, along with his entertainment background, have culminated to make him an in-demand motivational and keynote speaker in the professional, business and entertainment arenas.
Andrew East, an American football long snapper, is currently playing
for the American football team in the National Football League. He
previously played college football at Vanderbilt. He is currently a free agent. Andrew is married to his longtime girlfriend, Shawn East Johnson. Together they run a successful YouTube Channel.
Topics: Sports, Fitness & Lifestyle, Health, Personal Life story
Andrew East
American Ultimate Disc League player and trick shot performer. Brodie
won two USA Ultimate College Championships playing for the University
of Florida, as well as two National Club Championships, first in 2012 with
Austin's Doublewide, and again in 2014 with Denver's Johnny Bravo. He
has played professionally with the AUDL's Indianapolis Alleycats, Chicago
Wildfire, Dallas Roughnecks, and Jacksonville Cannons. Brodie rose to
internet fame in 2011 when his Frisbee Trick Shots video went viral on
YouTube. Brodie's videos have made the ESPN "Top Plays" segment
numerous times and he has also been featured by the Huffington Post and
other major media outlets. He has a sponsored line of merchandise produced
by DiscStore.com
Topics: Sports, Personal Life Story
Brodie Smith
Doctors
Bio: A Board-certified Ob- Gyn, author and ABC News Chief Women's
Health Correspondent. Affectionately referred to as your all-in-one ‘BFF’/
Ob-Gyn, Dr. Jennifer Ashton marries an unparalleled medical background
with an accessible ‘girl’s-girl’ attitude. Though Dr. Ashton can easily speak
to the latest beauty and fashion trends, this Ivy League graduate means
business when it comes to women’s health.
Topics: Healthcare Trends, Women in Business, Beauty and Fashion
Dr. Jen Ashton
Bio: Nationally known psychotherapist and award winning reporter. The
relationship contributor for Investigation Discovery Network’s Scorned,
which presents reenactment and analysis of marital homicide stories. A
regular on CNN, Headline News and The Fox News Channel where she
talks about psychological/lifestyle issues as well as the criminal mind.
Dr. Robi Ludwig
Bio: Also known as People Magazine’s “Sexiest Doctor Alive,” Doctor
Mike is a New York based doctor focusing on family and preventative
medicine. He started documenting his medical journey through his popular
social media platforms, where he has amassed over 3 million followers
across Facebook, Twitter. Instagram and YouTube. He uses his social media
influence to motivate students from all over the world to pursue their
medical training and educate them on primary healthcare topics with a
unique approach. Doctor Mike has appeared on countless TV shows,
including Good Morning America, The Doctors, and The Today Show
Doctor Mike
Science
Bio: Winner of the 2016 TED Prize, Parcak is an American archaeologist,
space archaeologist, and Egyptologist, who has used satellite imaging to
identify potential archaeological sites.
Topics: Protecting Ancient Artifacts, Satellite Archaeology
Sarah Parcak
Celebrity
Sissy Spacek
As a kid, Sissy Spacek climbed trees, rode horses, swam, and played in the woods. She was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas, to Virginia Frances (Spilman) and Edwin Arnold Spacek, Sr., a county agricultural agent. Her father's family was of Czech and German origin.
Sissy attended Quitman High School and was homecoming queen. After graduating, she embarked on an acting career, gaining interest in the profession through her cousin, actor Rip Torn. Sissy relocated to New York, and through him, enrolled in the New York branch of the Actors Studio. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute while also pursuing work as a model and singer, appearing in West Village showcases such as the Bitter End for $10 a night. Sissy eventually broke into film and one of her first roles was as Holly in the classic Badlands (1973). The art director on that film was Jack Fisk, with whom she would marry in 1974 and ultimately collaborate on eight films. Sissy followed this landmark film with a star-making and Oscar nominated performance in Carrie (1976), in which she played a humiliated prom queen who goes postal with her telekinesis. Sissy has had an enduring and award winning career in movies and television, which includes an Oscar as Best Actress for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). The parents of two grown daughters, Sissy and Jack live on a large horse ranch in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Even though she continued to appear in film and television during the late 1980s and 1990s, Sissy devoted most of those years to her family. Then, in 2001, Sissy returned to the big screen in a major way with a powerful performance in In the Bedroom (2001), which not only earned her a sixth Best Actress Oscar nomination, but a win for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, Independent Spirit Awards, and numerous critics association awards. Sissy continues to work steadily as an actress, but in 2012, her credits expanded even further to include a memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life.
Brooke Burke
Brooke Burke is a TV host, fitness guru, podcaster, author, and
entrepreneur. She is one of social media’s most followed moms and a constant source of information regarding health and fitness, with an outreach of over 4 million followers via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and her monthly blogs. In 2007,
Brooke founded and launched BabooshBaby.com, the online store for her
popular post-pregnancy belly wraps, called Tauts. Brooke later developed
Baboosh Body, a fitness product (belly wrap) made to trim the tummy. In
2011, Brooke launched the online mommy destination ModernMom.com,
of which she remains the Co-CEO. Her trusted mommy brand is the
foundation of ModernMom.com and Forbes acknowledged her work by
listing her as one of America’s top ten moms to follow. Brooke is recognized for first winning and then going on to co-host eight consecutive seasons of the iconic
“Dancing with the Stars.” Brooke also had a recurring role as Joey Lawrence’s ex-girlfriend on the ABC Family Network hit sitcom, “Melissa & Joey.” As a foodie and nutrition enthusiast, she guest-hosted and judged on “Beat Bobby Flay.” Brooke also co-hosted Miss America for three years and was part of the cast of The Celebrity Apprentice to raise money and awareness for Operation Smile.
Brooke was the face of the Skechers Fitness shoe line for six years, starring in almost a dozen national commercials for the brand. She also collaborated with Guthy-Renker for ten years, hosting two of their most successful programs, the “Core Secrets” fitness videos and the “Sheer Cover” cosmetic line.
Brooke wrote her first biography entitled “The Naked Mom, A Mother’s Fearless Revelations” which was published by Penguin. She also inked Chicken Soup for the Soul's "The Joy of Less.” Brooke has graced the cover of every major fitness magazine. She has been on the cover of Health twice and the cover of Shape three times; her 2012 cover of which was the largest-selling issue of the magazine that year. Brooke has also been featured on the cover of Fitness, Women’s Health, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, and many more
Sope Aluko
Sope Aluko (pronounced “Shaw-peh Ahlookoh”) is a Nigerian-born actress
primarily raised in the UK. She spent her younger years traveling and living all
over the world, including France, Tanzania, Trinidad &Tobago, and Indonesia. She
has dual-citizenship in both the US and the UK, and speaks four different
languages, including her native language, Yoruba. While in the UK, Sope attended drama classes at the London Academy of Musicand Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) and extended her study into dance. She had the privilege of performing the world famous South African “Ipi Tombi” dance at the National Arts Theater in Nigeria.
Although a cultivated artist, Sope received an undergraduate degree in
Engineering and a master’s degree in Marketing. After a very successful career in
the corporate arena in both London and the US, Sope turned her sight back onto
acting and performing. Since then, she has booked recurring roles on Netflix’s
“Bloodline”, NBC’s “Law & Order SVU” and “Parks & Recreation”, and guest
appearances on USA Network’s “Burn Notice” "Graceland", Fox's "Shots Fired",
ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder" and Lifetime’s “Army Wives”. Her film credits include supporting roles in feature films like Identity Thief, Pitch Perfect 2, The Good Lie and more. Sope can be seen in supporting roles in both Marvel’s “Black Panther”, released in February 2018 and “Venom”, released in October 2018. She can also be seen in “The Best of Enemies” alongside Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson, releasing in 2019.
Due to the phenomenal success of the movie Black Panther, Sope has been invited by various not for profit organizations, and prestigious colleges/institutions to speak on a range of topics, from her personal journey to the ‘Impact of Black Panther on African American Youth/Community, The African Diaspora, Black Female Empowerment, Gender Equality, Race Relations in America, Representation in Hollywood etc. Some of her speaking engagements this year include Harvard University, Wellesley College, The 100 Black Men
of America National Conference, The National Women of Color Conference and The Women of Empowerment Conference. She is already booked for speaking opportunities in 2019. Sope is happily married and a mother to two teenage boys, and currently splits her time between Miami and Los Angeles.
Morgan Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow as Jennifer Pace from 1973 to 1977. In 1978, she appeared on the primetime soap opera Dallas as the first actress to portray Jenna Wade, before taking a lead role on the NBC series Flamingo Road in 1980 (for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama). In 1984, she co-starred on ABC's short-lived television drama Paper Dolls, and then appeared on Falcon Crest as attorney Jordan Roberts from 1985 to 1986. Fairchild has also performed in theater and played guest roles on television comedies, including Murphy Brown (for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series), Roseanne, Cybill and Friends.
Morgan Fairchild
Peter Paige
Peter Paige was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Boston University School of Theatre with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree summa cum laude.
Best known for his role as Emmett Honeycutt on Showtime's hit series Queer as Folk, Paige's other television credits include Will & Grace, Time of Your Life, Girlfriends, Caroline in the City, American Dad!, Related, Grey's Anatomy, The Closer and Without a Trace. His first audition in Los Angeles earned him a guest-starring role on Suddenly Susan.
Paige spent summer 2004 starring in his feature directorial debut, Say Uncle, alongside Kathy Najimy, Anthony Clark, Melanie Lynskey, Lisa Edelstein and Gabrielle Union. Other film credits include Don McKellar's Childstarwith Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dave Foley, Showtime's Our America (which debuted at Sundance in 2002), indie Pop and the award-winning shorts The Four of Us and The Shooting.
An accomplished stage actor, Paige has appeared at major regional theatres throughout the country, most notably in world premieres at La Jolla Playhouse, Portland Center Stage, and Playwrights Horizons. He has performed nearly every genre of play, from the Greeks to Shakespeare to contemporary American work. Plays on his resume include A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rivals, Secret Agents, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Pantophobia, his two-man show written and performed with Abraham Higginbotham.
On February 6, 2013, it was announced that The Fosters, a show that Paige created along with Bradley Bredeweg, and produced by Jennifer Lopez and through production company, Nuyorican Productions was picked up by the ABC Family. The series follows the lives of the Foster family, an interracial lesbian couple who are married and raising biological and adoptive children together. The series began airing on June 3, 2013. On January 10, 2017, the network announced a fifth season was picked up.
In 2020, Paige made a guest appearance on Station 19.
In 2019, Paige wrote and directed the television film The Thing About Harry, which premiered on Freeform in 2020.