Affion Crockett

AFFION CROCKETT is one of the most versatile entertainers around, as an accomplished actor, writer, dancer, rapper, comedian, music producer, and director - his YouTube videos have become an internet sensation. Affion began his career as a dancer at age 10, winning breaking and popping contests with his older brother. Later on, he honed his impression skills by imitating anyone from his...

Alexa Chung

Named one of U.S. Vogue’s 2009 Most Stylish Women of the year, Alexa Chung is a global style icon and trendsetter. As a model and television personality, the former host of MTV’s IT'S ON WITH ALEXA CHUNG, can regularly be seen on the covers of top tier fashion magazines across the globe including, Jalouse and L’Officiel in France, WWD in America and the UK editions of Harpers Bazaar, ELLE...

Antoine Fuqua

Antoine Fuqua has established himself as one of the foremost industry talents of his generation. Through his diverse body of work, he has achieved his goal of making highly stylized films that resonate thematically and personally with audiences around the world. Mr. Fuqua explores the complexity of free will complexity – the decisions that ordinary people make and the un anticipated...

Ayman Mohyeldin

All journalists hope that at least once in their career, they'll be covering the world's biggest story and be the best at doing it. With Egypt's revolution, Ayman Mohyeldin's hopes became reality. Many journalists did good work in Egypt at the country's - and the region's - historic turning point, but none matched Mohyeldin, 31. He put us in the middle of the action and took us behind the...

Baratunde Thurston

Baratunde Thurston is a technology-loving comedian from the future who cares enough about the world to engage with it politically. Yes, he votes. Regularly. With an ancestry that includes a great-grandfather who taught himself to read, a grandmother who was the first black employee at the U.S. Supreme Court building and a mother who took over radio stations in the name of the black liberation...

Cedric 'The Entertainer'

Cedric ‘The Entertainer’ is best known for his crowd-pleasing roles in the recent hit films Barbershop with Ice Cube, Be Cool with John Travolta, Madagascar (animated feature), Intolerable Cruelty with George Clooney, and The Original Kings of Comedy, MTV’S documentary feature directed by Spike Lee. Additionally, in April 2004, Cedric was star and producer of the box office hit Johnson Family...

Chris  Webber

Millions of fans know Chris Webber best for his outstanding athletic ability on the basketball court but Cwebb, as he is affectionately known, leads the pack in more than just sports. Businessman, broadcaster and philanthropist are also a part of his impressive repertoire...

Christy Haubegger

Christy Haubegger founded Latina magazine in 1996 following her graduation from Stanford Law School. It was in a business course there that Haubegger conceived of and developed a business plan for a groundbreaking magazine that would showcase fashion, beauty, lifestyle and empowerment for Hispanic women.

Connie Chung

An award-winning investigative reporter/anchor and one of the most recognizable faces on American television, Connie Chung has been a powerful force in the news industry for more than 35 years. On the lecture stage she draws on her unique experiences as a working mother in addressing the challenges today’s women face, advocating diversity in the workplace, and inspiring younger journalists...

Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is best known for his Oscar winning portrayal of the charmingly arrogant professional football player, Rod Tidwell, in Jerry Maguire. Starring opposite Tom Cruise in the Cameron Crowe directed film, Cuba solidified his position as one of Hollywood's most talented actors. In addition to the Academy Award, Gooding was also honored with the Screen Actors Guild Award...

Diana Ross

In a remarkable career spanning over 30 years, Diana Ross has proven herself the consummate music artist as well as the most successful female singer of all time. In the 1960s as lead singer of the pop group The Supremes, she achieved the unprecedented feat of fourteen consecutive number one hit records, rivaling The Beatles for the position of most successful recording act of that generation.

Earvin Magic Johnson

Earvin Johnson, Jr. may best be known for his winning ways during his illustrious 13-year NBA career, but today the basketball legend directs his efforts toward his growing business and philanthropic empire, Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE).

Eva Longoria

The youngest of four sisters, Eva Longoria grew up on her family's ranch outside of Corpus Christi, Texas. After attending Texas A&M-Kingsville, where she received her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology, she entered a talent contest that brought her to Los Angeles. Longoria stars as Gabrielle Solis on the ABC-megahit "Desperate Housewives." The show is a multi-Emmy, Golden Globe...

Eva Mendes

Eva Mendes captured the attention of moviegoers in a small, but pivotal role in the critically acclaimed film, Training Day. Since then, Mendes has proved she is adept in both comedic and dramatic roles. In a very short time, she has had the fortunate and unique opportunity to work with such esteemed directors as Carl Franklin, Robert Rodriguez, Antoine Fuqua, the Farrelly Bros. and John Singleton

Fantasia Barrino

From high school dropout to American Idol winner to four-time Grammy nominee, Fantasia Barrino is proof that sometimes life can be a fairy tale. In her empowering stage appearances the soulful songstress discusses the joys and pitfalls of single motherhood, talks openly about her efforts to overcome her difficult past and to become fully literate, and draws on her triumphs as a woman and as...

Gentry Humphrey

How do you take a brand from big to huge? How do you make a brand part of the everyday lexicon? Gentry Humphrey, the man who helped make Air Jordans a standard wardrobe accessory, tells audiences how to move consumers by innovating, imagining and inspiring. If you doubt the influence the Jordan Brand has had on popular culture, think about this: Before the first AIR JORDAN...

Geoffrey  Fletcher

Geoffrey Fletcher is an Academy Award winning writer and director who has penned numerous screenplays and directed many short films. Initially working with a video camera and cast of toys and action figures, he began making films as a child. Those films in part led to his acceptance to NYU's Tisch Graduate Film Program, which he attended after his graduation from Harvard University. He has also...

George Lopez

Time Magazine has called him one of “The 25 Most Influential Hispanics In America;” a Gallup Poll recently named him one of America’s top-ten television personalities. In 2004 Harvard University presented him with their Artist of the Year and Humanitarian Award. His own charity, The George & Ann Lopez-Richie Alarcon CARE Foundation, provides significant community and arts resources for...

Giuliana Rancic

Giuliana is co-anchor of E! News, E!'s flagship show, with Ryan Seacrest. In 2005, Giuliana was appointed solo anchor and managing editor of E! News and, within 6 months, the show went from the lowest rated on the network to #1. Giuliana is also a producer under a new banner with her husband, Bill Rancic, called You & I Productions. She is the creator and executive producer of CELEBRITY RAP...

Gladys Knight

The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight has long been one of the greatest. Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her unassailable artistry. This seven-time Grammy winner has enjoyed #1 hits in pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance...

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan, an international superstar, is one of the most recognized artists in the world. With five Grammy Awards and more than seventy million albums sold world-wide, Estefan is the single most successful crossover performer in the history of Latin music.

Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah was born in Sierra Leone on November 23, 1980. When he was eleven, Ishmael’s life, along with the lives of millions of other Sierra Leoneans, was derailed by the outbreak of a brutal civil war. After his parents and two brothers were killed, Ishmael was recruited to fight as a child soldier. He was thirteen.

Jay Sean

Jay Sean is the international superstar behind songs such as "Down," featuring Lil Wayne, and "Do You Remember," chart-topping hits from his U.S. debut album All or Nothing, which helped catapult him into a league reserved for just a few. Now, he is gearing up for the release of his fourth album, the highly anticipated Cash Money/Universal Republic follow-up Freeze Time, with music, including...

Jay Williams

Jay Williams is an entrepreneur, community leader, and an up-and-coming College Basketball Analyst for ESPN. Known for his passion, determination, work ethic, and leadership, Mr. Williams parlayed a prolific basketball career at Duke University and the NBA into a successful career off the court. After retiring from the NBA, Williams joined a sports agency as Chief of Basketball...

Jeffrey Wright

Critically acclaimed actor Jeffrey Wright continually pushes the boundaries of his craft with inspiring and celebrated performances in an illustrious career that has spanned the worlds of theatre, film and television. In addition to acting, Wright is Vice Chairman of Taia Lion Resources and Chairman of Taia Peace Foundation. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Tribeca Film...

John Legend

Recording artist, concert performer and philanthropist John Legend has won nine Grammy awards and was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. John launched his career as a session player and vocalist, contributing to best-selling recordings by Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Kanye West before recording his own unbroken chain of Top 10 albums -- Get Lifted (2004), Once...

John Leguizamo

A multi-faceted performer and Emmy Award winner, John Leguizamo has established a career that defies categorization. With boundless energy and creativity, his work in film, theatre, television, and literature covers a variety of genres, continually threatening to create a few of its own.

Keith Black, MD

“If you want to understand the artist, you study his art. If you want to understand God, you study the anatomy of the brain. Art is a discipline that is practiced with passion and science is a passion that is practiced with discipline. ” - Dr. Keith Black

Kelly Choi

Kelly Choi is a die-hard foodie and former host of Bravo’s hit series, TOP CHEF MASTERS, one of the highest rated programs on the network, and highest rated show for that time slot in Bravo TV history, beating Project Runway and the original Top Chef. As an acclaimed food journalist, producer, creator and host of NYC’s restaurant show EAT OUT NY, Kelly won a New York Emmy from the New York...

Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson is in his fourth season on Saturday Night Live. He has made numerous contributions to the show including impressions of Bill Cosby, Rev. Al Sharpton and Star Jones, and entertained us as DJ Dynasty Handbag, the scathingly fierce co-host of Club Traxxx. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Thompson made his television debut as a member of Nickelodeon’s all-kid sketch comedy series...

Kerry Washington

Winner of “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” for Ray at the NAACP Image Awards in 2005 and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for “Best Actress” in the film Lift in 2002, Kerry Washington is a versatile and fearless actress who has built an impressive list of credits in a relatively short amount of time. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in The Last King of Scotland...

Kevin Carroll

Kevin Carroll is the founder of Kevin Carroll Katalyst/LLC and the author of three highly successful books published by ESPN, Disney Press and McGraw-Hill. As an author, speaker and agent for social change (a.k.a. the Katalyst), it is Kevin’s “job” to inspire businesses, organizations and individuals - from CEOs and employees of Fortune 500 companies to schoolchildren - to embrace their spirit...

Kip Fulbeck

Kip Fulbeck is a pioneering artist, spoken word performer, author, and filmmaker exploring multiracial identity. He has been featured on CNN, MTV, The TODAY Show, and PBS, and has performed and exhibited in over twenty countries and throughout the U.S. He is the author of several books including MIXED: PORTRAITS OF MULTIRACIAL KIDS; PART ASIAN, 100% HAPA; and PERMANENCE: TATTOO PORTRAITS, as..

Lee Daniels

LEE DANIELS’ background is filled with bold stories as real and gritty as the narratives from the films he creates. By the age of 21, Daniels had founded and was running his own health care agency, providing nurses to private homes and hospitals; he was simultaneously trying to be a screenwriter. After selling his health care business, and giving up screenwriting, he began managing actors such...

Lynn  Nottage

Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined has also received an OBIE, the Lucille Lortel Award, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play (Manhattan Theatre Club, Goodman Theatre). It premiered in London at the Almeida Theatre in April 2010 and is touring several US regional theatres in 2010-2011. Other plays include Intimate...

Maria Contreras-Sweet

Founder and Chairwoman, Promérica Bank; Former Secretary of Business, Transportation & Housing for the State of California At the age of five, when Maria Contreras-Sweet's family emigrated from Mexico, her mother told her that with hard work, someday she could be a secretary. With tremendous drive, ambition and a deep appreciation for the opportunities afforded to her in America...

Michael Wilbon

Michael Wilbon, the longtime Washington Post sports columnist, is co-host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, the popular weekday sports debate and discussion program, as well as an NBA studio analyst for both ESPN and ABC. A pioneer in sports journalism, Wilbon was one of the first sports writers to broaden his success beyond newspapers to include television, radio and other media.

Natali Morris

Natali Morris, formerly Natali Del Conte, is a news anchor for CNET TV and a technology contributor for CBS News. Her daily newscast on CNET TV is called Loaded. CNET is owned and operated by CBS Interactive. Natali is also a regular guest/contributor on national and local news networks including The Today Show, CNBC, MSNBC, BBC, ABC, The CW, WNBC, Fox News, Fox Business News, G4TV...

Neal Katyal

Neal Katyal, a Professor at Georgetown University Law School, recently won Hamdan v. Rumsfeld in the United States Supreme Court, a case that challenged the policy of military trials at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba. The Supreme Court sided with him by a 5-3 vote, finding that President Bush's tribunals violated the constitutional separation of powers, domestic military law, and...

Rev Run

Recognized as a hip-hop pioneer, Rev Run is best known for being one-third of the legendary rap group Run-D.M.C. His brother, Russell Simmons, formed the hip-hop management company Rush Productions in the early '80s. By the mid-'80s, Russell had formed the pioneering record label Def Jam with Rick Rubin. Encouraged by his brother, Run and his friend Darryl McDaniels formed the rap group...

Rosario Dawson

Discovered on the streets of New York, Rosario Dawson is an actress/singer who has been featured in various films such as Josie and the Pussycats, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, The Rundown, Alexander, Sin City, and Eagle Eye. She displayed her musical talent in the film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Rent. She also starred alongside Will Smith in Seven Pounds and was recently seen in...

Rudy Crew

Former Superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and former Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, Dr. Rudy Crew has made it his mission to overhaul and strengthen the educational system in America. From the podium he draws on his 25 years as a professional educator to galvanize teachers and students to reach for the stars - and grasp them.

Russell Simmons

Acknowledged as the Godfather of Hip-Hop, he is the visionary behind Def Jam, the legendary label that launched the careers of such artists as Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Jay-Z and Ludicrous; his immensely successful fashion empire of Phat Fashions defines the next generation of chic style, while his Def Comedy Jam, Run’s House and Def Poetry Jam shows breathed new life into comedy and..

Sanya Richards

Sanya Richards is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and one of the world’s fastest women. She represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and brought home a Gold Medal in the 4x400m relay as well as a Bronze Medal in the individual 400m. In the 2007 World Championships, Sanya won a Gold Medal in the 4x400m relay.

Sarah Jones

Sarah Jones is a Tony Award winning playwright and performer. Her multi-character solo show Bridge & Tunnel was originally produced Off-Broadway by Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, and went on to become a critically acclaimed, long running hit on Broadway.

Sherri Shepherd

Whether on stage or screen, Emmy® award-winning talk show host, comedienne/actress Sherri Shepherd never fails to delight audiences with her magnetic personality and hilarious sense of humor, which is showcased in her position as co-host of ABC’s The View. Sherri will star and executive produce her new Lifetime series, SHERRI. The show is loosely based on her life and stand-up comedy, and...

Sidney Poitier

Academy Award-winning actor, writer, director, and diplomat (he serves as the Bahamas’ ambassador to Japan and UNESCO), Sidney Poitier has been a political and artistic trailblazer for more than half a century. On the lecture stage he recounts the uplifting story of his life from his childhood as the son of poor tomato farmers to his pioneering cinematic career in inspiring audiences to pursue...

Spike Lee

Spike Lee, is a writer, director, actor, producer and author who revolutionized the role of Black talent in cinema. Widely regarded as a premiere African-American filmmaker, Lee is a forerunner in the ‘do it yourself’ school of independent film. An avid sports enthusiast, Lee recently completed a one day 18 camera documentary shoot focusing on NBA standout Kobe Bryant. Produced for ESPN, the...

SuChin Pak

SuChin Pak is a veteran media personality and television host. She is currently an MTV News Correspondent and host of the environmental news program, G Word on Planet Green (Discovery Networks). SuChin is one of the most recognizable faces in the environmental media space and has focused much of her work on issues involving social change. She currently spearheads two pro-social campaigns...

Talib Kweli

Ever since emerging as a member of Black Star in the late 1990s, Talib Kweli is one of the few artists making commercially viable music that matters. The Brooklyn bred rapper’s hard-hitting music has been able to educate and entertain simultaneously. So it is no wonder that at the peak of their fame, both Jay-Z and 50 Cent named Talib Kweli as one of their favorite rappers.

Warrick Dunn

NFL running back Warrick Dunn is truly one of the good guys in the world of sports. And in his revealing autobiography, “Running for My Life”, Dunn tells his incredibly moving, inspirational story of courage and determination in the face of devastating loss, a story that makes his achievements on the football field that much more amazing. Warrick Dunn and his five brothers and sisters all...

Yang Lan

Ms. Yang is a leading television anchor in China. She is also the co-founder of Sun Media Investment Holdings Ltd, one of China’s most prominent private media groups. Businesses include television production, newspapers and magazines, as well as on-line publishing. In 2005, she founded Sun Culture Foundation with a mission to promote the relief of poverty, advancement of education...

Yul Kwon

Anyone who’s ever watched a reality show knows not all winners are deserving. But it’s hard to find much bad to say about Yul Kwon, who took home the million on Survivor: Cook Islands. Yul admitted he had manipulated and deceived people, but smartly pointed out that this is how the game has played, and he’d managed to do his manipulation while staying as loyal and honest as possible.

Terrence  Howard

The multi-talented Terrence Howard is best known for his Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated work in Hustle & Flow, as well as for his supporting role in Crash, for which he received a National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. Born in Chicago, IL, Howard began his acting career as Jackie Jackson in the ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, which was quick...

Katori Hall

Katori Hall is a playwright performer from Memphis, TN. Hurt Village won the 2011 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and was a finalist for the Ruby Award. The script is being adapted into a film and was developed at the 2011 Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Hall’s other plays include: The Mountaintop (2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play), which recently ran on Broadway at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre...