Adam Seagrave is Associate Professor of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. He is co-author (with Stephanie Shonekan) of the book Race and the American Story (Oxford University Press, released March 2024), and co-founder of a wide-ranging educational project of the same name in 2017 at the University of Missouri. He served on the Executive and Steering Committees, and co-chaired the Political Science Task Force, for the Educating for American Democracy project from 2019-2021. He was awarded the American Legion National Education Award in 2021 for his achievements in K-12 civics education. He also spent seven years as the inaugural Managing Editor of the academic journal American Political Thought (published by the University of Chicago Press). Professor Seagrave writes and teaches widely on topics relating to American political thought and history, with a particular focus on the relationship between racism and American historical ideals.

ALEXANDRA O. HUDSON is a writer, popular speaker, and the founder of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to beauty, goodness, and truth. She was named the 2020 Novak Journalism Fellow and contributes to Fox News, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, TIME Magazine, POLITICO Magazine, and Newsweek. She earned a master's degree in public policy from the London School of Economics as a Rotary Scholar and is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy. She is also the creator of a series for The Teaching Company called "Storytelling and The Human Condition. "Her first book, "The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves," is from St. Martin’s Press. She lives in Indianapolis, IN, with her husband and children.

Christina LaRose is a writer and educator. She received the University of Michigan English Department’s Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award and has taught writing at the University of Michigan, Purdue University Northwest, Ohio State University, and in the Ohio State Young Scholars Program. She has created K-12 and college-level curriculum with the Mercatus Center’s Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), and the Institute for Humane Studies. Her science and technical writing has appeared in multiple publications, including Live Science, and her academic and creative writing has been published in Third Coast literary journal and others. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan in English Literature.

Dennis entered the Organizational Development field in 2002 after a 10-year career in Health Care Management. Currently serving as Vice President, Coaching & Development in the Beverage industry, Dennis leads a team of 25 Learning Professionals in the US and Canada, serving over 10,000 associates. Enthusiastic to share experiences and learn from others, he is a frequent speaker at the Long Island Society for Human Resource Management, a panelist on sales coaching by the Corporate Executive Board and interviewed on the subjects of Organizational Learning and Empathy in the Workplace by T&D Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Dennis is certified as a Master Trainer through Development Dimensions International (DDI) and the Association for Talent Development (ATD). In the classroom and virtually, Dennis facilitates interactive sessions on leadership topics including Delegation, Coaching, Communication, Diversity & Inclusion, Change Management and Developing Talent. Dennis is a former member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation, Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching and The Gallup Corporation. In his individual and team coaching, Dennis employs Personality Type, Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, 360 Feedback, Psychological Safety, and Strengths-Based tools and assessments. Dennis is a facilitator with Braver Angels and also served as Board Chair for Heritage Instructional Services, an Educational Co-Op in Maryland and on the Advisory Board of Louisiana State University’s Leadership Development Institute.

Erec Smith is a research fellow at the Cato Institute and an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, his primary work focuses on the rhetorics of anti‐​racist activism, theory, and pedagogy as well as the role of rhetoric in a free, pluralistic, and civil society. He is a co‐​founder of Free Black Thought, a nonprofit dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black communities. Free Black Thought includes a compendium of black artists, writers, academics, and public intellectuals not discussed in mainstream media. The organization also has a Journal of Free Black Thought, that publishes anything–from poetry to scholarly work—that discusses or displays a variety of viewpoints within the black diaspora. Smith is the author of A Critique of Anti‐​Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment (2020), a book in which he scrutinizes contemporary modes of anti‐​racism in his field. The book was conceived after Smith's observations of his field led him to conclude that anti‐​racist initiatives did more to disempower students and faculty than empower them.

Dr Luskin founded and currently serves as Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects. Dr. Luskin created and taught for 10 years the Happiness Class based on Positive Psychology as well as co-founded the Life Works and Wellness Education programs at Stanford School of Medicine. He is on faculty for the Stanford School of Business Executive Education program where he teaches an 8-hour series on Mindfulness and Happiness to business executives from all over the world. Dr. Luskin is the author of the best-selling books Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness and Forgive for Love: The Missing Ingredient for a Healthy and Happy Relationship. His book Forgive for Good is the best-selling self-help book published on the topic of forgiveness. His research has shown that the Forgive for Good forgiveness methodology leads participants suffering from a wide range of concerns to improved physical and mental health. Dr. Luskin’s forgiveness work has been applied in veteran’s hospitals, and churches, in resolving legal disputes, with cancer patients as psycho-education and in psychotherapy. He has helped people recover from the murder of their family members as a result of political violence in Northern Ireland, as an aftermath of the attacks on 911, in Sierra Leone and Columbia after their civil war and in arctic Canada where native populations deal with the loss of their ancestral lands. Dr. Luskin’s work has been made into a PBS pledge drive video called Forgive for Good. He has been interviewed many hundreds of times in worldwide media on forgiveness including the New York Times, O Magazine, Today Show, Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, Huffington Post, and CBS Morning News. He is also the author of Stress Free for Good: Ten Scientifically Proven Life Skills for Health and Happiness which emerged from his 10 years as a researcher in preventive cardiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His work showed the effect of enhancing stress management and positive emotion skills to help patients cope with congestive heart failure and arrhythmia. He also did some consulting work for Stanford Hospital nurses in managing their emotions. Dr. Luskin teaches stress management, emotional intelligence and happiness skills to corporate clients throughout the United States. His work focuses on the research-proven triad of a healthy and happy life: Enhancing interpersonal relationships, creating a positive purpose in life and guided practice in appreciation and other positive emotions.

George Yancey is a professor of sociology at Baylor University specializing in race relations and anti-Christian attitudes in the United States. He has developed a Christian model for race relations, advocating for unity beyond colorblindness and anti-racism, as detailed in his books "Beyond Racial Division" and "Beyond Racial Gridlock." His scholarly work also addresses cultural progressives and conservative/progressive Christians. Yancey's latest book, "Beyond Racial Division," presents a vision for fostering unity in race relations.

Jake Mackey is Associate Professor of Classics at Occidental College, where he teaches Greek and Latin languages and literature and their transformative reception in Revolutionary and Early America by our Founding Fathers and Mothers, both black and white. He is the faculty advisor for the student Persuasion club, which provides a space for the free exchange of ideas on campus. He grew up between Austin, TX, and a small village in Kerala, in south India. He is the author of Belief and Cult: Rethinking Roman Religion (Princeton University Press, 2022); co-author/editor (with Lawrence Eppard and Lee Jussim) of Poisoning of the American Mind (George Mason University Press, forthcoming 2024); and a founding member of Free Black Thought.

Jason Caplan is the Founder and President of The Bridge Institute. In 2004, Jason began to create and implement The Universal Language Room (ULR). He has devoted his life to interpersonal communication and bridge-building through improvisational music. The Bridge Institute now supports musicians teaching the ULR concept in Uganda, Indonesia, Rajasthan, and Israel. Jason also leads his music group, Naqshon's Leap, a multi-faith music group in Memphis, TN. The group released their first single, Unity/One God, One Human Family featuring jazz legend, saxophonist David Liebman.

Kent Lenci taught, coached, and occupied several leadership positions during the twenty years he spent as a middle school educator. In 2019 he left the classroom to found Middle Ground School Solutions, which helps prepare today’s students to ease tomorrow’s political polarization. Kent has created curriculum and programming for the Better Arguments Project, Courageous Rhode Island, and the National Week of Conversation, and he has worked with schools and school associations across the country to help educators navigate the complexities of political polarization. He is a recipient of various honors, including the Margot Stern Strom Teaching Award from Facing History and Ourselves and the NAIS Teacher of the Future designation. Kent earned his Ed.M. in Learning and Teaching from Harvard University, and he is the author of Learning To Depolarize: Helping Students and Teachers Reach Across Lines of Disagreement.

Mary Jane Rein is the founding director of the Center for Civic Friendship at Assumption University in Worcester, MA. Prior to joining Assumption, she served as the Executive Director of the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University from 2008-2024. She is co-editor of the volumes “Documenting the Armenian Genocide: Essays in Honor of Taner Akçam” (2023) and “Agency and the Holocaust: Essays in Honor of Debórah Dwork” (2019). A life-long Zionist and committed advocate for Jewish life and culture in her Central MA community, she has been active on behalf of Israel Bonds, as a board member and past president of the Worcester JCC and Solomon Schechter Day School of Worcester, a past board member of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts, and a supporter of other local Jewish institutions. Her resignation from Clark University, published in the Wall Street Journal, described a public assault by Strassler Center PhD students who threatened her and demanded her resignation due to her outspoken support for the Jewish victims of October 7 and her pro-Israel views. Senior leaders from Clark University admonished her rather than affirming her right to freedom of expression. In light of this experience, she has become an advocate for civil debate and viewpoint diversity. Trained as a classical archaeologist, she earned a Ph.D. in Classical Art and Archaeology from Harvard University and has excavated in Greece, Israel, and Turkey.

Michael Wade is a management consultant in Phoenix, Arizona. His practice specializes in leadership, ethics, and equal opportunity issues. Prior to beginning his consulting practice in 1984, he served as the Command Equal Opportunity Officer for the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command in Washington D.C., and as the Equal Employment Opportunity Administrator for the City of Phoenix. He holds degrees in government and law from the University of Arizona and has written six books. He also wrote an online career advice column for U.S. News & World Report. He has advised executives, Army generals, professional athletes, police and fire chiefs, HR professionals, city managers, and first-line supervisors on sensitive management issues and has trained leaders and managers in 48 states and Puerto Rico. He has a particular interest in The Prohuman Foundation's capacity to promote healthy communities.

Quay Hanna is the author of Bus America: Revelation of a Redneck, which chronicles his 1993 journey around the U.S. by Greyhound Bus and the transformation of his previously held racist and prejudicial views to one of respect and understanding for his fellow human beings. That trip led him to continue traveling around the world and over the next 5 years, he eventually visited all 50 states, 27 countries, and 5 continents. He has told his story in more than 1,400 presentations over the last 27 years in schools around the country. Additionally, he works as a youth mentor in multiple school districts struggling with race and student relations. He is a Fellow of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and has been awarded the Human Relations Award from the National Conference of Community and Justice and the Child Abuse Prevention Award from the YWCA. In 2006, he was one of only 300 people invited to the White House Summit on School Violence.

Rabbi Michael Beyo joined the East Valley Jewish Community Center (EVJCC) as the CEO in November of 2015. Under his leadership, the EVJCC has experienced unprecedented growth in community outreach, partnerships & program expansion providing hundreds of programs every year and impacting the lives of thousands of people of all ages, backgrounds and religious affiliations. Rabbi Beyo previously served as the Chief Development Officer for Hillel of Georgia overseeing 12 colleges and universities and prior to that, he served as the Executive Director and Rabbi of Boston University Hillel, as well as the Jewish Chaplain for Boston University. He successfully ran several start-ups in Israel before dedicating his career to the non-profit world. Rabbi Beyo brings over 25 years of professional, entrepreneurial and non-profit experience in education, cultural, humanitarian, social and religious sectors. Ordained Rabbi in Israel earning three Rabbinical Ordinations of the highest honor and focused his graduate university studies on Jewish History, Philosophy, Jurisprudence, and Mysticism. A published author, accomplished speaker and guest lecturer at Colleges and Universities - Rabbi Beyo is involved in community work in the Greater Phoenix area serving on a number of committees, and interfaith dialogue. Rabbi Michael Beyo was born in Milan, Italy and has lived in Italy, England, France, Israel and the USA. He lives in Phoenix with his wife Karolyn and two sons.

Rob Feld is a filmmaker and journalist in New York. His recent documentary, Jesters and Fools, interweaves the social science of Duke professor Chris Bail and the observations of comedians Colin Quinn, Mo Amer, Jim Norton, Rosebud Baker, Nathan Macintosh, and Dean Edwards to reveal the truth that America is not nearly as polarized as our media landscape would have us believe. It can be seen at www.jestersandfools.com. Rob’s first dramatic short film, Love, Lots of It, starred Campbell Scott, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was acquired for distribution. The second short film he directed, Sand Castle, had its international premiere at the TIFF Kids International Film Festival. As a journalist, Feld hosted and produced Day for Night, a series of film screening events with filmmaker and actor interviews streamable on THE HUFFINGTON POST. He is a contributing writer to the DGA QUARTERLY, WRITTEN BY magazine and CINEMONTAGE, where his interviews with noted filmmakers publish regularly. Feld has appeared as a commentator on Entertainment Tonight, is a contributing editor of Newmarket Press’ SHOOTING SCRIPT book series, and has also written for AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER. Feld regularly directs and produces content for creative agencies and private clients. As head of production at Manifesto Films, he was associate producer of Michael Rymer's Sundance Film Festival film Perfume, starring Michelle Williams, Rita Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Mariel Hemingway, Leslie Mann, Paul Sorvino, and others. Feld is an Adjunct Instructor of screenwriting and directing at New York University, a proud Starts With Us Movement Partner, and a graduate of Cornell University.

Rosie Kay (BA Hons) FRSA, MCR St Cross College, Oxford was born in Scotland and trained at London Contemporary Dance School. Rosie founded the Rosie Kay Dance Company 2004-21 and is now the CEO and artistic director of K2CO LTD touring this year with a new adaptation of 5 SOLDIERS. Rosie’s works include Romeo + Juliet (2021), Adult Female Dancer (2021) celebrated as the ‘top 5 dance works of 2021’ by The Observer and nominated for a National Dance Award 2022, Outstanding Female Performance (Modern), multi-award winning 5 SOLDIERS (2010- present) based on intense research with the British Army and 10 SOLDIERS (2019), Fantasia (2019), The Guardian’s ‘top 10 dance of 2019, MK ULTRA (2017) on conspiracy theory, 'Best Dance 2017, The Observer', as well as many theatre and site-specific works. Kay is currently developing new work and preparing for the national touring Spring 2024 of Fantasia and Adult Female Dancer. Rosie choreographed the live Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony (2018) & the film Sunshine on Leith (2013). She was Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the School of Anthropology, University of Oxford (2013). Her awards include Best Independent Company, National Dance Awards; Royal Society for Public Health Award; Bonnie Bird Choreography Award, and Young Achiever of Scotland by the Queen. In 2023 Rosie Kay and Denise Fahmy set up a new organisation Freedom in the Arts to support and protect artists and freedom of expression and work with arts institutions to protect freedom of artistic creation, debate, and programming. Kay also writes and speaks on the state of the arts and freedom of expression.

Seth D. Kaplan, author of "Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time", is a leading expert on fragile states, societies, and communities. He is a Professorial Lecturer in the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, Senior Adviser for the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT), visiting fellow with the Mercatus Center’s Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange, and consultant to international organizations such as the World Bank, U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, and OECD as well as developing country governments and NGOs.

Dr. Tabia Lee, EdD, a founding member of Free Black Thought, has contributed to the design, implementation, and evaluation of numerous educational and professional development programs. Her commitment to teacher education and pedagogical design is grounded in her experience as a lifelong educator and a National Board Certified English, Civics, and Social Studies teacher in urban American public middle schools. Dr. Lee prepares K-12 and higher education faculty to work with diverse students by focusing on better understanding the pedagogical and curricular implications of ideology-in-practice. Her Race Ideologies Resource Site features interactive dialogical activities and resources for exploring race ideologies that may be used by DEI professionals, faculty, staff, and students.

In his role as Artistic Director and President of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Tom Oppenheim created a number of programs with a focus on public access to world-class culture. The centerpiece of his vision is the Stella Adler Arts Justice Division, founded in 2004, which has since provided free theater training to over 15,000 severely underserved New Yorkers. Participants in a free, public art series he created have included Julianne Moore, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Cornel West, Donna Murphy, John McWhorter, Joanna Gleason, Ron Carter, Harold Bloom, John Ashbery, Harold Mabern and many more. Tom co-edited The Muses Go To School (New Press 2012) and his writing is featured in Arthur Bartow’s Training of the American Actor (TCG, 2006) and The Technique of Acting by Stella Adler (Echo Point, 2024). He has acted at Theater for a New Audience, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, The Provincetown Playhouse among others. Directing credits include all of Chekhov's plays for the Harold Clurman Lab Theater, Mercy Killers by Michael Milligan which received the Edinburgh Fringe Fest award and many more. Tom studied acting at the National Shakespeare Conservatory and with his grandmother, Stella Adler.

Wilk Wilkinson is a devoted husband, father, Christian conservative, host of the “Derate The Hate” podcast, and volunteer leader with Braver Angels. Starting from humble beginnings in rural towns across the upper Midwest, Wilk began working at the age of 10 to provide for himself what his parents could not afford. Challenged by frequent moves and bullying during his formative years, he emerged with valuable lessons on resilience and empathy. Through his podcast, Wilk speaks candidly of his personal experiences and the power of personal accountability, gratitude, and civility. He believes that our reactions to life's challenges define us more than the challenges themselves and that civility means recognizing the humanity in everyone, regardless of differences. Wilk's journey from adversity to success in his career, marriage, and parenting exemplifies the transformative power of perseverance and self-improvement. By offering practical tips and tools for positive change on his podcast and through his work with Braver Angels, he hopes to inspire others to embrace personal growth, cultivate gratitude, and approach life's hurdles with grace and understanding.

Zander Keig is an award-winning social worker, educator, speaker, and first-generation Latino transsexual man specializing in delivering impactful emotional intelligence and constructive conflict resolution presentations.