Past Speakers – MARK Leadership Conference

Past Mark Leadership Conference Main Stage Speakers

Mariah Grippo

Director of VIP Brand Relations, Little Words Project

Dr. Mark Gregory Robson

Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor at Rutgers University

Bryan Terrell Clark

Broadway Actor in Hamilton and Co-founder of inDEFINED

Pierce Freelon

Professor, Musician and Social Entrepreneur

Founder of Blackspace and Co-founder of Beat Making Lab

John and Mark X. Cronin

Founders of John’s Crazy Socks

Tamika D. Mallory

National Co-chair for the Women’s March

Nyle DiMarco

Winner of America’s Next Top Model and Disability Rights Activist

Kyle MacDonald

Author of one Red Paperclip & Blogger

Rudy Francisco

Professional Spoken Word Poet

Amanda Ebokosia

Forbes Magazine “Millennial on a Mission”
Founder & CEO of The Gem Project, Inc.

Sir Jose Bright

Founder of Teboho Trust

Ron Clark

Founder of the Ron Clark Academy Best-Selling Author

William Yosses

Former Executive Pastry Chef for the White House

Gene Muller

Founder and President of Flying Fish Brewery

Patty Webster

CNN Hero of the Year and President of Amazon’s Promise

Dr. Zee Madueke

International Educator
Professor and Practitioner of Management, Leadership and Organizational Dynamics

Paula Stone Williams

Internationally Known Speaker on Gender Equity, LGBTQ Advocacy and Human Understanding

Sahar Aziz

Dr. Christopher Young

Professor of business ethics in the Department of Management and Global Business and a research fellow at Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership.

David Iacono

Multitalented star on the rise with passion for theater, film, and television

Jennifer Osaki

Video Producer & Audience Development Strategist

Toshia Shaw

Founder of Purple W.I.N.G.S Organization

Elizabeth Demaray

Associate Professor of Fine Arts and head of the sculpture concentration at Rutgers University, Camden
Co-Founder of the Art and Artificial Intelligence Lab in the Department of Computer Science

Akbar Cook

Principal at West Side High School, Newark, NJ

Fraidy Reiss

Founder and Executive Director of Unchained At Last

Griffin Matthews and Matt Gould

Creators of Invisible Thread

Kofi Genfi

Playwright and Artist

Laurie Hernandez

Gold Medalist & Olympic Artistic Gymnast

Leah Gunn Garrett

Executive Director
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV)

Dr. Wise Young

World’s Leading Neuroscientist

Ruha Benjamin

Professor of Sociology & African Studies at Princeton University

Author

Tyson Wooters

Consultant, Motivational Speaker, and Former Mascot for University of Oregon

Tom Krieglstein

Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Swift Kick

Mike Bernstein

Director of Youtube’s Soulpancake Channel

Kern Beare

Director of Communications and Enrollment Management Feelgood.org

Jim Donovan

Leader of Sun King Warriors and Assistant Professor at Saint Francis University

Claribel Cortes

Award-winning Business Executive, Advocate, and Community leader with more than two decades of experience in digital media, communications, and community outreach.

Priscilla O. Agyeman, MPH

Creative Entrepreneur, Thought Leader, and Mental Health Activist

Brad Jenkins

Founder & CEO of Enfranchisement

Jim Keady

Founding Director of Educating for Justice, Inc

Thomas von Oehsen

Co-Founder of the Trenton Circus Squad

Kate Sweeney

Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor and founding partner of The Sweeney Group

Josh Rossi

Commercial Photographers and Viral Philanthropist

Dan Parris & David Peterka

Traveling Documentarians

Matt Pittman

Producer of Youtube’s Soulpancake Channel

Geena Rocero

Model, Producer, Trans Rights Activist, Founder of Gender Proud

Kate Sweeney

Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley

Ella Watson-Stryker

2014 Time’s Person of the Year & Health Promoter for Doctors Without Borders

Maysoon Zayid

Actress, Comedian, & inspirational TED Speaker with Cerebral Palsy

Rosemarie Ruglio

Senior Vice President of Curriculum & Content for Sesame Street
Rutgers Alumni

Cierra Jones

Winner of Miss New Jersey 2014

Julian Huguet

Host of Youtube’s Soulpancake Channel

Corin Blanchard

Program Manager
Feelgood.org

Adios America

Poets

Tamecka Dixon

Zealous businesswoman, a dedicated entrepreneur, and a former professional basketball player who represented Los Angeles Sparks, Houston Comets, and Indiana Fever.

Ciara Chantelle

Writer, Performer, and Visual Artist

Marti Gould Cummings

Drag Queen, TV Personality, & Political Activist

Chris Temple

Activist, filmmaker, and Co-Founder of Living on One

John Bunn

Founder of A Voice 4 the Unheard

Rowaida Abdelaziz

Journalist at Huffpost

Kimberly A. Brown

Founder of ManifestYourself.com

Jonah Evans

Executive Producer of Dear World

Yasmine Mustafa

CEO of ROAR for GOOD

Kacy Catanzaro

American Gymnast & American Ninja Warrior

John Dau

“Lost Boy” of Sudan & Genocide Survivor

Rachel Turkel

Program Manager for
Unite For Sight

Stephen Shedletzky

Purpose Consultant from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why Team

Molly Barker

Founder of Girls on the Run

Frank Warren

Creator of the Post Secret Project

Dr. Anisa Ismail

L’Oreal USA Women in Science Fellowship Recipient at Princeton University

Richie Reseda

Cell Block Feminist, Hip Hop Artist & Co-founder of Initiate Justice

Rashad Anderson

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Campus Director of the Call Me MiSTER Program, Honors College at SC State University

Nipun Mehta

Founder of ServiceSpace, a global community at the intersection of technology, volunteerism and gift-economy. Most recently, ServiceSpace’s pandemic response has showcased the unique beauty of its global ecosystem.

Alyssa Carson

Astronaut-in-Training & Future Mars Explorer

Jeremiah Josey

Pastry chef and published author of “Here’s What I Want You to Know”

Ken E. Nwadike, Jr.

Peace Activist, Motivational Speaker, and Video Journalist

“Free Hugs Guy”

Patrice Banks

Former Auto Airhead and Founder of Girls Auto Clinic

Ms. Iana J. Daniels

An active duty Major in the U.S. Army who breaks the stigma of mental health

Jacy Good & Steve Johnson

Founders of Hang Up & Drive

Theresa Flores

Human Trafficking Survivor, Best Selling Author, and Victims’ Advocate

Sean Forbes

Hip-Hop Artist

Timothy Harris

Owner of Tim’s Place Restaurant & Founder of Tim’s Big Heart Foundation

Jaclyn Friedman

Top Selling Author, Performer, and Rape Activist

Mark Travis Rivera

Activist, Choreographer, and Founder of Marked Dance Project

Cathy Bao Bean

Global Multicultural Educator Comedian and Author of “The Chopsticks-Fork Principle”

Marc Elliot

Motivational Speaker

Gabriel Hurley

Speaker on Consequences of Reckless Driving

Scott Dikkers

Founder of the iconic comedy empire The Onion; Public Relations and Marketing Authority

Jonathan Holloway

a U.S. historian, took office as the 21st president of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, on July 1, 2020. He also serves as a University Professor and Distinguished Professor

Tara Schuster

Once best known as the Executive in Charge of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning show, Key & Peele, Tara Schuster turned her struggle with chronic anxiety and depression into a best-selling book and a mission to help others.