KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Newbery Medal-Winning Author of "Number the Stars" & "The Giver"

Newbery Medal-Winning Children's Book Author Known for "The Watsons Go To Birmingham 1963"; First African-American Man to Win the Newberry Medal

Writer & Social Activist Known for Her Work on Issues of Race & Identity; NYT Bestselling Author of "So You Want to Talk About Race"

Children's Books Author & Illustrator Known for "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

Award-Winning Literary Advocate, Author & Founder of Well-Read Black Girl; Host of the "Well-Read" Podcast

New York Times Best Selling Author, Award-Winning Children's Musician & Original Author of the "Pete the Cat" Series

NYT Bestselling Novelist Known for "Crank"

Authors of the Children's Book Series "Dork Diaries" & "The Misadventures of Max Crumbly"

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet & Former Poet Laureate to the Library of Congress; Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia

Award-Winning Children's Author & Anti-Bullying Advocate; Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame Inductee

Award-Winning Christian Cowboy Rancher & Author; Best Known for his Classic Children’s Series, "Hank the Cowdog"

Contemporary Crime & Supernatural Fiction Author, Known for "The Ridge" & "An Honest Man"

Best-Selling Author Known for "Call Me by Your Name"; Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature

Founder of Backstage Capital & Venture Capitalist; Author & Tech Inclusion Activist

Writer, Filmmaker; Black Studies Scholar & Founder of BYP100

New York Times Best-Selling Author of "Red, White & Royal Blue"

Activist, Entrepreneur, Author, LGBTQ+ Advocate & Chairwoman of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Award-Winning Motivational Speaker on Maximizing your Personal & Professional Potential; Media Personality, Bestselling Author of "An Attitude of Excellence"

Presidential Professor at CUNY Graduate Center, BET News Correspondent, Human Rights Activist & Author

Stand-Up Comedian, Actor, Author & Activist; Chicano Art Collector; Best Known for "Cheech & Chong"