2024 Keynote - Creating a Beloved Community with Dr. Damon A. Williams
Visionary and inspirational leader, and Dr. Williams is one of the nation’s most recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility, and organizational change.
Watch the 2024 Keynote Watch Dr. Williams on Across the Fence Visit Dr. Williams' websiteMore on Dr. Williams
Dr. Damon A. Williams is a visionary and inspirational leader, and one of the nation’s recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility, and organizational change.
For four years, he led a $250M social impact portfolio for the world’s largest youth development company, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, representing the interests of nearly 4M diverse youth and teens as Senior Vice President for Programs and Chief Education Officer.
One of the original architects of the Inclusive Excellence concept in American higher education, he is author of the best-selling Strategic Diversity Leadership and the Chief Diversity Officer, he is a global thought leader having worked with more than 1,000 colleges and universities, Fortune 100 companies, foundations, and government agencies, as keynote speaker, strategist, educator, and social impact leader.
As the University of Michigan celebrates her 200-year anniversary, he was recently awarded the Bicentennial Leadership Award, a one-time honor given to 20 trailblazing alumni, who exemplify the best of the academic and leadership values of the Universities 200,000 living alumni.
He is currently chief catalyst for the Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation and a Senior Scholar and Innovation Fellow at the Wisconsin Equity, and Inclusion (Wei) Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he previously served as Associate Vice Chancellor and inaugural Chief Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement Officer.
Dr. Williams received his PhD from the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education (CSHPE) in Organizational Behavior and Management, and his MS and BS degrees from Miami University in Educational Leadership and Sociology and Black World Studies, respectively.
2023 Keynote - The Fullness of Ourselves with Carolynn Finney, Ph.D.
The 2023 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Keynote with was presented by Dr. Carolyn Finney. Carolyn is a story teller, author and a cultural geographer who is deeply interested in issues related to identity, differences, creativity and resilience.
Watch the 2023 Keynote Visit Carolyn's website