Pronounced "Lee Schwin Sing," Li Cunxin is an extraordinary man descended from an extraordinary family. About his incredible life, he has written a fantastic book. Li describes his tenacity, vision, bravery, hard work, and determination in his best-selling autobiography, "Mao's Last Dancer." He also talks about how these qualities—particularly the integrity and sacred family values he learned growing up in... read full bio
Lisa Kay Solomon creates spaces, activities, and educational programs that support people in embracing complexity, growing as individuals, and fostering community. Her art combines possibility with creativity, fostering the ability to see the big picture even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. As a Designer in Residence at Stanford University, Lisa focuses on bridging the fields of design thinking and... read full bio
Businessman and politician Dan Glickman has served in multiple roles throughout the US government throughout his career. Most prominently he served as a member of the House of Representatives for Kansas 4th district from 1977 to 1995, when he was elected as the Secretary of Agriculture under President Clinton. He went on to serve as Chairman and CEO of the... read full bio
Shama Hyder is an award-winning CEO of Zen Media, a multinational marketing and digital PR agency, as well as a bestselling book, web and TV personality, and visionary thinker for the digital era. Entrepreneur Magazine and FastCompany.com have called her the "Millennial Master of the Universe" and the "Zen Master of Marketing," respectively. Shama has also received recognition as one... read full bio
Marcellus Wiley is a former American football player who played in the sport professionally for 10 seasons. Wiley grew up in Southern California and in high school became a football and track and field star. Being Valedictorian and a member of the National Honor Society, he attended Columbia University. Wiley had a very successful football career at Columbia. He was... read full bio
Dominique Dawes is a retired United States artistic gymnast. 10-year member of the U.S. national gymnastics team, U.S. all-around senior National Champion, a three-time Olympian, a World Championships silver medalist and a member of the gold-medal winning Magnificent Seven". Dawes is also notable as being the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics, and the... read full bio
Avery Brooks is a prolific actor and supporter of African American success. He was the first African American to get an MFA in directing and acting from Rutgers University. For his role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Brooks was the first African American to hold the role of captain on a Star Trek production. He was also only the... read full bio
Butler personifies the diversity often found in Smooth Jazz today while maintaining a very distinctive identity with his solo work. His South African roots yield a musical background flavored by the rhythms of World Music and Reggae yielding an end product which is refreshingly beat-driven at times thus bringing an interesting flavor to the musical blend we have come to... read full bio
Us The Duo vaulted to prominence via Vine. Their #Us6SecondCovers of Destiny’s Child and The Neighborhood gained major traction, but it was their medleys that launched them to stardom on the platform. Mash-ups of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry caught the attention of BuzzFeed, iHeartRadio and Business Insider and soon, their social media following grew to over 4 million. Us... read full bio
The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, similar to Cry of Love and Collective Soul, were an iconic hard rock band that emerged during the peak of the alternative and grunge music scenes. Collective Soul battled their way to the top of the charts because to their catchy music. The Wheelies were more successful than Cry of Love, who disappeared after a single hit, for... read full bio
Recording artist Danielle Bradbery has spent the better part of a decade perfecting her signature sound, which combines country with pop, R&B, and other genres. Her style is distinctive and soulful. Bradbery has collaborated with music heavyweights such as Diplo, Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett, Nick Jonas, Jordan Davis, and more, and she is famous for her profoundly intimate lyrics.... read full bio
Karlous Miller is a comedian and actor who is becoming well known for his stand-up act. He has appeared in many different television shows including Hell Date, Yo Momma, Who's Got Jokes, Comic View, Wild 'N Out, and Last Comic Standing Season 8. When he is not on the road performing or writing for television shows, he is at home... read full bio
Meg Myers captures her grungey roots in captivating radio ready songs that push the boundaries of the current pop agenda. After years of struggling to balance paying LA rent and trying to make it, she met producer Doctor Rosen Rosen. He signed her to his production company and the two began writing together. Meg released her debut EP Daughter In... read full bio
American singer-songwriter Angela Kristine Miller is also known by her stage name Zealyn. On the twelfth season of American Idol, she placed third. Weathered, her debut EP, was published on its own. Miller changed his identity and went by the stage name Zealyn. She has since put out two more EPs, Limbic System and A Weekend in Maine. Miller went to... read full bio
Lynn Nottage won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for her play Ruined," a hard-hitting tale of survival set among the denizens of a Congolese bar and bordello. "Ruined," based in interviews Nottage conducted in Africa, revolves around young women who have been raped and brutalized, casualties of the decades-long war in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Brooklyn-based... read full bio
Early in her career, she released songs that demonstrated poignant promise. Thanks to the late Heath Ledger, the young songwriter was thrust onto the worldwide scene and met Ben Harper, her first mentor, who would go on to record her debut album, Always Want. Beautiful fusion of inspirations that, when viewed through Woodroofe's particular perspective, echoed the sonic depth of... read full bio
Oftentimes the most true portraits of America have been rendered by those who have come from outside its borders, yet somehow seem to understand and inhabit our culture more than those of us who have lived here all our lives. Consider the Band, which several decades ago became the archetypal American outfit despite being four-fifths Canadian. Swedish native and current... read full bio
The Alban Berg Quartet is best known for being one of the best string quartets around. The quartet are former members of a Viennese chamber orchestra and they are known for their highly acclaimed recordings. The Quartet achieves its interpretations by consensus, not by the domination of any individual member. In addition to the given qualities of excellent ensemble is... read full bio
Andrea Martin is a comedic actress known for the films Black Christmas, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She has done considerable stage work including Pippin (2013 revival), My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof, and Cadide. She won a Tony for best featured actress for the Pippin. She has a large repertoire of voice... read full bio
Alejandro Escovedo is a musician and uncle to musician Shiela E. He has opened for the Sex Pistols as a member of the Nuns, he formed with the True Believers and launched a solo career that has produced more than a dozen albums. Alejandro Escovedo has maintained a punk rocker’s spirit. His song, We Used to be Friends, also appears... read full bio
