Speaker Series:
Leadership in Action
Join today’s most impactful changemakers for deeply human conversations about their leadership journeys.
Learn directly from experienced leaders who are addressing challenges across the globe. Unlike traditional lectures, each conversation is live, unscripted and student-led, featuring alumni moderators and questions from students.
Global Citizen Year is proud to offer these monthly speaker events to our community of students and alumni. Select events are also open to the public.
Past Speakers
Abby Falik
Founder, Global Citizen Year
Adam Grant
Organizational Psychologist, Wharton School of Business
Agapi Stassinopoulos
Author, motivational speaker & Thrive Global facilitator
Alexandra Bernadotte
Founder & CEO, Beyond 12
Amy Brooks
Chief Innovation Officer, National Basketball Association
Andrew Youn
CEO, One Acre Fund
Arianna Huffington
Founder & CEO, Thrive Global
Ashanti Branch
Founder & Executive Director, Ever Forward
Baratunde Thurston
Writer, Actor & Comedian
Bill George
Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School
Chido Govera
Founder, The Future of Hope Foundation
Courtney Martin
Journalist
Deepak Chopra
DeRay Mckesson
Civil Rights Activist, Educator, Podcaster, & Author
Dereca Blackmon
CEO, Inclusion Design Group
Doug Hirsch
Co-founder & Co-CEO, GoodRx
Jennifer Aaker
General Atlantic Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Raj Panjabi
Last Mile Health & Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Eddie Ndopu
United Nations Secretary-General's Global Advocate for Sustainable Development
Edel Rodriguez
Artist
Edgard Gouveia Júnior
Founder of Livelab & Ashoka Fellow
Garvita Gulhati
Founder, Why Waste?
Jay Shetty
Storyteller, Podcast Host, Former Monk
Jennifer Kaberi
Founder, Mtoto News
Jennifer Morgan
Executive Director, Greenpeace International
Jeremy Heimans
Co-Founder & CEO, Purpose
Jerome Foster II
Executive Director & Founder, OneMillionOfUs
Jéssica Silva Rios
Partner & Leader of the Impact Management & Measurement Strategy at Vox Capital
Joey Hubbard
Chief Training Officer, Thrive Global
Jonas Vannar
Indigenous Sami Reindeer Herder & Activist
Julie Lythcott-Haims
Author, former Stanford dean
Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder & President, Emerson Collective
Mandana Dayani
Creator & Cofounder, I am a voter.
Matt Dalio
Founder, Endless
Maxine Williams
Chief Diversity Officer, Facebook
Melinda Gates
Philanthropist, Author, & Co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Michael Brun
Haitian DJ & Record Producer
Miguel Mckelvey
Co-Founder, WeWork
Niketu Iralu
Social Worker restoring community relationships in India and Myanmar
Paul Ninson
Photographer & Filmmaker
Premal Shah
Co-founder Kiva.org
Priti Krishtel
Co-Executive Director, I-MAK
Rufus Gifford
U.S. Ambassador (fmr)
Selena Sermeno
Psychologist, Educator and Facilitator
Selina Tobaccowala
Chief Digital Officer, Openfit
Seth Godin
Author, Teacher, akimbo.com
Shawn Mendes
Singer/Songwriter
Sheryl Sandberg
Chief Operating Officer, Facebook
Simona Levi
Playwright, Activist, & Technopolitical Strategist
Sonal Shah
Founding President, The Asian American Foundation
Sophia Bush
Actress & Activist
Sundar Pichai
CEO, Google and Alphabet
Toni Townes-Whitley
President, US Regulated Industries
Valarie Kaur
Varshini Prakash
Executive Director and Co-founder of Sunrise Movement
Wendy Kopp
CEO & Co-founder, Teach For All
Wes Moore
CEO, Robin Hood
Yinuo Li
Yolanda Coentro
Ziad Ahmed
21-year-old entrepreneur, student, and speaker
Alumni Moderators
Adya Sinha
Academy, Fall '21
Aiman Marzio
Fellow, Senegal ‘15
Alexander Taylor
Fellow, Senegal '19
Angela Busheska
Academy, Fall '20
Emiliana Reinoso Gutierrez
Fellow, India '19 & Academy Spring '21
Erica Gonzales
Fellow, Brazil ‘16
J.I. Cruz
Fellow, Senegal '15
Joan Hanawi
Fellow, Ecuador ‘12
Jordan Lee
Fellow, Ecuador ‘13
Lara Solis
Fellow, India ‘20
Lauren Starre Guido
Fellow, Ecuador '14
Leandra Pedretti
Fellow, Ecuador '18
Madeline Lisaius
Fellow, Ecuador ‘14
Manya Gupta
Academy, Fall ‘20
Marvellous John
Fellow, Senegal’17
Maya Foster
Fellow, Ecuador ‘19
Munya Munyati
Fellow, Ecuador '16
Rara Dzikrina Istifadah
Academy Fall '20
Sahar Thomson
Fellow, Ecuador ‘17
William Shain
Fellow, Ecuador ‘19