FEATURED SPEAKERS

Davarian L. Baldwin, PhD

Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of American Studies, Trinity College

Susan E. Eaton

Professor of Practice & Director, Sillerman Center, Brandeis University

Keynote

Dr. Bettina Love

Dr. Love holds the William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the celebrated author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal, a New York Times bestseller. This groundbreaking work earned her the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism, a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize, and long-listed for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize. In 2022, the Kennedy Center honored her as one of their Next 50 Leaders for her dedication to fostering inspiration, inclusivity, and compassion, and in 2024, she was awarded the Truth Award for Excellence in Education from Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation. In 2024, she also received the Black Girl Magic Award at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Banquet Speaker

Garry W. Jenkins, JD—President, Bates College

President Jenkins became the ninth president of Bates College in 2023. A nationally respected authority on nonprofit organizations, corporate governance, lawyers and leadership development, and higher education, Jenkins has published articles, essays, chapters, and op-eds in a variety of venues, including the Southern California Law Review, North Carolina Law Review, Tulane Law Review, and Stanford Social Innovation Review, among others. He has received honors and awards for his academic scholarship (including recognition in three different subfields of nonprofit law, global justice, and corporate law) and for his academic administrative leadership.