$10,001 - $20,000

<p>Through his love for chess, Maurice Ashley not only made history as the first African-American Chess Grandmaster in the annals of the game, but he has managed to translate this passion to others as a three-time national championship coach, author, ESPN commentator, iPhone app designer, puzzle inventor and inspirational speaker. </p><p>Maurice Ashley is one of a kind. A native of Jamaica who moved to New York at the age of twelve, he learn his craft in a secluded sanctuary of privilege.

<p>Mindful leadership expert, author, and former urban monk Pandit Dasa helps organizations create a mindful work culture—leading to greater workplace happiness, employee engagement and retention, and stronger rapport with customers. </p><p>Pandit Dasa inspires organizations to create a more mindful workplace by encouraging them to lead by example, appreciate the contributions of their colleagues, communicate mindfully and manage one’s emotions.

<p>One of the freshest and most unpredictable voices in opinion journalism, Ruben Navarrette is a nationally syndicated columnist and CNN.com contributor who analyzes and comments on—with equal measures of passion and wit—pressing issues like immigration, politics, the media, Mexico&#39;s drug war, race relations, the Hispanic vote and the changing demographics of the U.S.</p>

<p>Sophia A. Nelson, Esquire is an award-winning author, award winning journalist, and renowned international inspirational speaker. She is also an award-winning corporate Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Trainer. </p><p>Nelson has worked almost exclusively with women corporate ERG groups for the past fifteen years. She is a highly sought after conference keynote speaker on issues of work-life balance, wellness and mental self-care in the workplace, emotional intelligence skill building, collaboration vs. competition, and equity for women of color in the c-suite.

<p>Ijeoma Oluo is a writer, speaker, and internet yeller. She is the author of the #1 <i>New York Times</i> Best Seller <i>So You Want to Talk About Race</i>, and most recently, <i>Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America</i>. </p><p>Her work on race has been featured in <i>The Guardian, The New York Times,</i> and <i>The Washington Post</i>, among many other publications. She was named to the 2021 <i>TIME </i>100 Next list and has twice been named to the <i>Root </i>100.

<p>Best known for her groundbreaking turn as the first Black lead on ABC’s <em>The Bachelorette, </em>Rachel Lindsay shares anecdotes from her incredible career as a media host and sports attorney, inspiring audiences to blaze their own personal and professional trails. </p><p>Throughout her journey to find love, Rachel Lindsay became a fan favorite for her intellect, authenticity, and ability to navigate difficult situations with confidence and poise.

<p>A’Lelia Bundles is an award-winning author and great-great-granddaughter of the entrepreneurial activist and philanthropist, Madam C.J. Walker. A Netflix Original series inspired by Bundles’ book (<i>On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker</i>) stars Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer and Tiffany Haddish, and is produced by LeBron James (March 2020). </p><p>A former network television news executive and producer at ABC News and NBC News, Bundles is also well-versed in American journalism as well as social justice and civil rights issues.

<p>Robert Bilott is the tenacious environmental lawyer who became “DuPont’s worst nightmare,” according to <i>The New York Times</i>. The story in his book, <i>Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against Dupont</i>, inspired the major motion picture, <i>Dark Waters</i> (November 2019), featuring Academy-Award nominee Mark Ruffalo as Rob Bilott.  </p><p>Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years until he took on an environmental suit that upended his entire career—and exposed a braze

<p>Nadya Okamoto is the Founder and Executive Director of PERIOD (period.org), an organization she founded at the age of 16. PERIOD is now the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health, and one of the fastest growing ones here in the United States.</p><p>Since 2014, PERIOD has addressed over 900,000 periods and registered over 600 campus chapters in all 50 states and 30 other countries. In 2017, Nadya ran for office in Cambridge, MA. While she did not win, her campaign team made historic waves in mobilizing young people on the ground and at polls.

<p>Best known for his role as the “Culture Vulture” in the Emmy Award-winning show <em>Queer Eye For The Straight Guy</em>, Jai has been helping to shape American culture—and the cultural representation of the LGBTQ community—for nearly two decades.</p><p> Emmy Award-winning actor Jai Rodriguez’s career began at age 18, when he was cast as Angel in the critically acclaimed Broadway musical <em>Rent</em>.