Renowned speaker Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She also holds the position of professor of practice in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

Brené is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and the host of two award-winning podcasts. Brené spends most of her time working in organizations around the world, helping develop braver leaders and more courageous cultures. In 2024, she was named executive chair of the Center for Daring Leadership at BetterUp. She lives in Houston, Texas.

Emily Ramshaw is the co-founder and CEO of The 19th*, the nation’s first independent nonprofit newsroom at the intersection of gender, politics and policy. The 19th* aims to elevate the voices of women and LGBTQ+ people at the margins of American media with free-to-consume and free-to-republish daily journalism, newsletters and live events. 

Prior to The 19th, Ramshaw was editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, an award-winning local news startup and the largest statehouse news operation in the nation. She is the former board chair of the Pulitzer Prize, where she served for nine years. In 2020, Ramshaw was named to Fortune’s “40 Under 40” list. 

Ramshaw started her career at The Dallas Morning News, where she broke national stories about abuse inside Texas’ youth lock-ups, reported from inside a West Texas polygamist compound and uncovered “fight clubs” at state institutions for people with disabilities.

A native of Washington DC, Ramshaw graduated from Northwestern University in 2003 with dual degrees in journalism and American history. She lives in Austin with her filmmaker husband, their 10-year-old daughter and a puppy named Waffles.

Yola is a six-time GRAMMY nominated artist, songwriter, and actor

Unwilling Founder, Pierce’s Pledge

Lexi’s Mom, President and Co-Executive Director of Lives Robbed