Ijeoma Oluo

Ijeoma Oluo (ee-joh-mah oh-loo-oh) is a Seattle-based Writer, Speaker and Internet Yeller. Her work on social issues such as race and gender has been published in The Guardian, Esquire, Washington Post, ELLE Magazine, New York Times, NBC News and more. She has been featured on The Daily Show, All Things Considered, BBC News, and more. Her #1 NYT bestselling first book, So You Want To Talk About Race, was released January 2018 with Seal Press. Her second book, MEDIOCRE: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, was published December 2020 with Seal Press and her newest book, Be A Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World - and How You Can Too, was released January 2024 with Harper One.

Ijeoma was named one of the Most Influential People in Seattle by Seattle Magazine, one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Seattle by Seattle Met, one of The Root's 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2017 & 2018, and is the recipient of the Feminist Humanist Award 2018 by the American Humanist Association, the Harvard Humanist of the year 2020, the Media Justice Award by the Gender Justice League, and the 2018 Aubrey Davis Visionary Leadership Award by the Equal Opportunity Institute.

Dr. Bettina Love

Dr. Bettina L. Love holds the esteemed William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal. This groundbreaking work garnered the prestigious Stowe Prize for Literary Activism and was a finalist for the LA Times Book Award. Recognized by the Kennedy Center in 2022 as one of the Next 50 Leaders dedicated to fostering inspiration, inclusivity, and compassion, Dr. Love's impact extends far beyond academia.

In 2024, she received the Truth Award for Excellence in Education from Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation. Dr. Love actively contributes to its mission of nurturing and empowering educators and parents committed to combating injustice within their educational institutions and communities. Additionally, Dr. Love played a pivotal role as a founding member of the Task Force behind the groundbreaking program "In Her Hands," a significant guaranteed income pilot initiative disbursing more than $13 million to support Black women in Georgia.

Renowned as a highly sought-after public speaker, Dr. Love covers a wide range of compelling topics in her engagements, including abolitionist teaching, anti-racism, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, educational reparations, and the use of art-based education to foster youth civic engagement. Her profound insights and expertise have earned her recognition in various news outlets, including NPR, PBS, The Daily Beast, Time, Education Week, The Guardian , and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2018, the Georgia House of Representatives honored Dr. Love with a resolution for her impactful contributions to the field of education. Her bestseller We Want To Do More Than Survive has sold close to 200,000 copies.

Jasmine Marie Mageno Torres (JT)

Jasmine Marie Mageno Torres (JT) brings over 17 years of experience in higher education, dedicated to advancing educational equity and creating transformative opportunities for minoritized and economically disadvantaged students. Her career spans across the California State University system, California Community Colleges, and the non-profit sector, where she has focused on dismantling systemic barriers and fostering inclusive practices. As a TRIO Director for nearly a decade, JT has developed impactful programs that empower first-generation college students and drive measurable outcomes.

At West Valley College, JT leads the TRIO Student Support Services program and co-leads the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Student Achievement Program (AANHPI SAP). Both programs focus on providing academic, personal, and career support to students with significant financial need. Beyond her institutional roles, JT is a sought-after consultant, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator, offering expertise in professional development, curriculum design, and equity-focused coaching for educators and practitioners.

JT’s personal journey as a mixed-race CHamoru and Mexicana who is formerly incarcerated, system-impacted, and neurodivergent profoundly shapes her work. These intersectional identities fuel her commitment to decolonizing systems of power, privilege, and oppression while advocating for culturally responsive practices and policies in education.
She completed her doctoral coursework in community college leadership at California State University, Fullerton, with a research focus on the cultural identity development of Indigenous and diasporic CHamoru students. Known for her collaborative and innovative approach, JT inspires transformation by sharing her story of resilience and empowerment, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming narratives and identities to drive meaningful social change.