Women in Society Speakers
According to the premise of many social theories, “male” and “female”, and “men” and “women” are constructed norms based on mutually accepted traditions and beliefs. There is no doubt that women, in every culture, are dynamic and vital to their community. But the responsibilities and roles of women are indeed changing: how do we, as individuals and society overall, understand and act on women’s place in society? Several GBS speakers are available to discuss new gender trends, norms and challenges at any speaking engagement. Click the list below to learn more about our experts on women in society.
Judge Karen Mills Francis
Television Personality
- Association, At Risk Youth, Attitude, Black History Month, College Orientation, Commencement, Constitution Day, Domestic Violence, Emancipation Proclamation , Family, Homecoming, Law School, Women in Law, Women in Media, Women in Society, Womens Empowerment, Youth Motivational
- Call For Quote
- Florida
Judge Karen Mills-FrancisJudge Karen Mills-Francis has a colorful and engaging style that is as distinctive as her bold burgundy robe and her bright blonde hair. As quick to aid the helpless as she is to dismiss the hare-brained, Judge Karen confidently dished out justice to a national television audience with the half-hour syndicated courtroom series, Judge Karen. She is famous for the lines "Stay in your Lane, I know how to Drive". For fall 201...
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Lucille O'Neal
Author of Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go
As the mother of one of the greatest athletes of all time, Lucille O'Neal's journey is exceptional; but her story reveals that she is more than just "Shaquille O'Neal's mom." She is a woman you know; a woman you understand. Perhaps your own journey resembles hers. O'Neal has been a rebellious teen, a single mother, a wife, a college student, a divorcee and, above all, a woman of unique courage. Acquainted early in life with turmoil, O'Neal's ...
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Marshawn Evans
Beauty Queen Turned Corporate Attorney
Marshawn EvansAs one of the nation's leading experts on the art of maximizing potential, Reinvention Strategist™, Entrepreneur and Entertainment Attorney, MARSHAWN EVANS is Founder of ME Unlimited®, a consulting firm focusing on reinvention, diversity, women’s empowerment, leadership and peak performance strategies. She is founder of ME University® - The Ultimate Business & Branding Bootcamp, the industry’s premiere summit for equipping entrepren...
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Sophia Nelson
Political Strategist and Author of Black Women Redefined
Sophia A. NelsonSophia A. Nelson is an accomplished woman on the move. She is a much sought after speaker, media/political commentator, national columnist and first time author who is “redefining” the rules for 21st Century living and success. As one of only a handful of African American female national opinion writers and political/cultural pundits, Sophia contributes to The Washington Post, CNN Opinion, TheGrio.com, TheRoot.com, NPR, and is fe...
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Dr. Raye Mitchell
Entertainment attorney, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, author and social entrepreneur founder of I C HOPE
Dr. Raye Mitchell is an entertainment attorney, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, author and social entrepreneur founder of I C HOPE: The Making a New Reality Foundation. Dr. Mitchell is the Executive Producer of G.U.R.L.S. Rock Power TV (www.youtube.com/newhopenewreality), an Internet based TV program providing inspiration, training and leadership content for women and girls of color and G.U.R.L.S. Rock Global Leadership Summits (www.gurlsrock...
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MC Lyte
Undeniable queen of hip hop who supports worthy projects, events and fundraisers such as AIDS awareness, anti-violence and Rock-the-Vote
Lyricist, pioneer, icon, inspirational speaker, veteran and entrepreneur describe one of the most prolific and well-respected female Hip Hop artists of our time: MC Lyte. A pioneer in the industry, she opened the door for future female Hip Hop artists by daring to do what had never been done while doing something she loved. A role model to women and respected by men everywhere, Lyte never compromises who she is and consistently displays that a wo...
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Lynn Whitfield
Emmy Award Winning Actress
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lynn Whitfield first watched the likes of Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and Bette Davis in "All About Eve" from her grandmother's lap. She loved classic movies and with child-like confidence, she could see no reason she could not become an actress and some day play those same types of roles. Over the course of nearly three decades, the talent of the little girl who dreamed of being on the silver...
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Taraji P. Henson
Academy award winning actress
Taraji Henson earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress opposite Brad Pitt in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She co-stars with star and director Tom Hanks in Larry Crowne alongside Julia Roberts and Cedric the Entertainer that is set to release July 1, 2011. She starred in the hugely successful Karate Kid opposite Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan and in Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. For her role...
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Donna Brazile
Political Commentator and Chair of the Voting Rights Institute
Veteran Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile is an adjunct professor, author, syndicated columnist, television political commentator, Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation at the Democratic National Committee, and former chair of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute. Last, but never least, she is a native of New Orleans. Aside from working for the full recovery of her beloved New Orleans, Ms. Brazile’s passion is encouragin...
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Judy Smith
Real life inspiration behind ABC's hit show Scandal.
Judy A. SmithJudy A. Smith is the founder and President of Smith & Co, a leading strategic and crisis communications firm with offices in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. Over the last 25 years, Ms. Smith has brought her unique combination of communication skills, media savvy, legal and political acumen to clients facing a wide array of issues and challenges throughout the United States and abroad. Ms. Smith honed her skills through her experien...
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Jasmine Guy
Dancer, actor, singer, director, and writer - Star of A Different World
Actor-dancer-director Jasmine Guy has enjoyed a diverse career in television, theater and film. She began her professional career at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. Jasmine starred on Broadway in the original productions of Beehive and Leader of the Pack, and reprised hit productions of Grease, The Wiz and Chicago (as Velma Kelly). After years on Broadway and touring the globe, Jasmine landed the role of Whitley Gilbert ...
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Phyllis Yvonne-Stickney
Best Selling Author, Custodian of the Cultural Consciousness Award recipient, Inducted into Black Hall of Fame in 1998
PHYLLIS YVONNE STICKNEY has longevity and staying power in the industry. She has been at the vanguard for many of the improvements to the Theater and Arts Festivals that are presented annually such as THE NATIONAL BLACK THEARER FESTIVAL THE ANTIONAL BLACK THEATER FESTIVAL THE SHADES OF BLACK THEATER FESTIVAL THE URBAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL, THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL among other contributions. She is a born leader. An ambassador of arts she has ...
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Nikki Giovanni
World-renowned poet and thought leader on black social commentary
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past thirty years, her outspokenness, in her writing and in lectures, has brought the eyes of the world upon her. One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Always...
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Dr. Julianne Malveaux
Academician, Author, and Media Personality Committed to Raising Awareness of Issues Facing the Black Community
- Academic, Association, Author, Black History Month, Black Social Commentary, Black Student Union , Business School, Civil Rights, College Leadership, College Success, Commencement, Economic Development, Education, Multicultural Affairs, Race Relations , Women in Society, Womens Empowerment, Young Black Women
- $10,000 - $20,000
- North Carolina
Dr. Julianne MalveauxRecognized for her provocative, progressive and insightful observations, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, an economist, author and commentator, is the President and CEO of Last Word Productions, Inc, a multimedia production company. Described by Dr. Cornel West as “the most iconoclastic public intellectual in the country”, Dr. Malveaux’s contributions to the public dialogue on issues such as race, culture, gender, and their economic im...
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Lauren Maillian Bias
CEO, Luxury Market Branding
Lauren Maillian BiasLauren Maillian Bias is the Founder and CEO of Luxury Market Branding™, a strategic marketing company.A serial entrepreneur, at age 19, Lauren founded a boutique winery that quickly became an internationally recognized award-winning wine brand, making her the youngest self-made winery owner in the country. She served as the Chief Operating Officer of the company from inception through the brand’s acquisition in 2011.Lauren is ...
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Dr. Avis Jones DeWeever
Executive Director of The National Council for Negro Women
Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeeverAn authoritative voice on race, gender, politics, and the production of positive social change, Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever is widely regarded as one of the most engaging and informative political and social commentators in the US. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the National Council of Negro Women, the nation’s oldest organization devoted to the advancement of both civil rights and women’s rights, her work catal...
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Hydeia Broadbent
International HIV/AIDS Activist & Humanitarian
Hydeia BroadbentAt birth, Hydeia Broadbent was abandoned at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas where Patricia and Loren Broadbent adopted her as an infant. Although her HIV condition was congenital, she was not diagnosed as HIV-positive with advancement to AIDS until age three. The prognosis was that she would not live past the age of five. Now at the age of 27, Hydeia spends her time spreading the message of HIV/AIDS a...
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Allison Samuels
Award-winning Writer
Allison SamuelsAllison Samuels has spent the last 18 years as a writer for Newsweek magazine and now also writes for its sister site The Daily Beast. For nearly two decades Samuels has covered sports, entertainment, fashion and politics for the weekly publication and continues to focus a great deal on the impact of race in the worlds of sports, politics and Hollywood. Samuels has interviewed and written extensively about the likes of First Lady M...
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T'Keyah Crystal Keymah
Award-winning Performer, Writer, Producer, and Director
Performer, writer, producer, director, T'KEYAH CRYSTAL KEYMÁH is her name personified: a prism of energy and vision, known world wide for her acclaimed work on TV’s In Living Color, Cosby, and That’s So Raven. Keymáh voiced Bumblebee on Teen Titans and Trixie’s mom on American Dragon. Stage credits include Love Letters (w/ David Alan Grier), her critically acclaimed one-woman show, Some of My Best Friends: A Collection of Characters, the Moscow p...
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Sil Lai Abrams
Inspirational speaker, domestic violence awareness & prevention activist, and relationship expert for the online version of EBONY Magazine
Sil Lai Abrams is a NABJ award-winning New York City based writer,inspirational speaker, domestic violence awareness activist, and relationship expert for the online version of EBONY magazine. Her passionate belief in the transformative power of greater self-awareness and personal accountability is the motivating force behind her work to empower others to create empowered lives, healthier relationships and end violence against women and children....
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Towanna Freeman
Award Winning Author | Life and Career Strategist | Advocate for Teen Girls
Towanna B. Freeman is one of those rare “Triple Threat Women.” She is an entrepreneur, mother of two, and a military wife. She is a successful life coach, inspirational speaker and advocate for young women. Freeman conducts workshops and conferences where she imparts a life-changing message that presents hope and inspiration. It is her purpose. It is her success. So much, in fact, that she has co-authored an award winning book, Purposeful Action,...
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Mia Wright
Inspirational Speaker, Co-Pastor, Fountain of Praise and Executive Director of the Metamorphosis Women's Empowerment Conference
Mia K. WrightMia K. Wright is inspiring women around the globe to pursue their passion for living. Through her renowned “Metamorphosis” organization, which encompasses a non-profit foundation, a mentoring program for girls, and the world renowned annual women’s “Metamorphosis” conference hosted in Houston, Texas, Mia is helping women and men alike to positively change their lives. She does so with a unique blend of ministry, personal enrichm...
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Kaneisha Grayson
Founder of The Art of Applying and CEO of Crazy Girl Nation
Kaneisha Grayson is an entrepreneur, writer, and speaker who provides practical tips for achieving one’s dreams despite the odds. She founded her business “The Art of Applying” to coach non-traditional applicants as they apply to top MBA and other graduate programs. She uses the power of effective storytelling to propel people to achieve their most audacious goals and dreams. Kaneisha Grayson has been featured on MBAPodcaster as well as Vault.com...
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Tiphani Montgomery
Learn how to STAND UP + SHINE with unshakable SELF-WORTH.
Tiphani MontgomeryWhen I was 12, they told me I was stupid — and prescribed ‘smart pills’ (aka, Ritalin) to wrestle my brain into a state of submission. I fed them to my Rottweiler. They worked like a charm. When I was 21, they told me I’d never amount to anything — so I took my baby daughter, moved to a new state, self-published a book of poetry, and sold 2,500 copies in less than a month…from behind the bar where I mixed drinks & hustled ti...
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Dr. Deborah Stroman
Sports Entrepreneur and Marketing Leadership Professor at UNC Chapel HIll
Dr. Debby Stroman is a faculty member of the Sport Administration specialization of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Her teaching focus is the theory and practical application of economics and finances, leadership, and the marketing of sport. Her research interests are leadership, entrepreneurship, and social issues of sport. Additional responsibilities include faculty advisor to the ...
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Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder
Sociolgist and Scholar who specializes in Diversity, Race Relations and Gender Issues
Dr. JeffriAnne WilderDr. JeffriAnne Wilder is a sociologist and scholar specializing in diversity, race relations and gender issues.She is currently an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of North Florida. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida. In addition to her studies in sociology, JeffriAnne also completed a concentration in Women's Studies and Gender Research. Dr. Wilder completed her MA in Sociology fr...
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For Ms. Shannon Leon the journey to achieve success as an entrepreneur included an equity partnership in both a Hampton Inn and a Marriot Courtyard property in Atlanta; the sole proprietor of a Cold Stone Creamery in Atlanta; co-owner of BreathLes Printing and BreathLes Publishing, both based in Miami; owner of Clover Entertainment, a television and film production investment company; and several commercial buildings. Ms. Leon is a member of the ...
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Kimberly E. Stone
Model, Designer, and Mastermind behind POSHGLAM
Kimberly E. Stone Kimberly E. Stone, founder of POSHGLAM.com, is an entrepreneur with a knack for recognizing creative talent and pinpointing successful lines. POSHGLAM started out as a side venture while Stone attended school. During the growth stages of POSHGLAM, Stone worked as a weekend entrepreneur while working as a Relationship Manager for an IT Staffing Augmentation Firm. Stone pushed forward with the development of POSHGLAM and ...
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Dr. Amanda Kemp
Founder, Theatre for Transformation, Poet and Playwright
Dr. Amanda Kemp blends politics and spirituality, theatre arts and history. A survivor of the New York City foster care system, Dr. Kemp has been a lifelong poet-performer and advocate of racial justice and equality since her first anti-apartheid march in 1983. She earned her B.A. from Stanford University where she helped to lead the Stanford out of South Africa divestment movement and the successful struggle to revamp the University's Eurocentri...
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Amy Freeman
Professor, Author, and Advocate for Women in STEM: Science | Technology | Engineering | Math
Amy L. FreemanAmy Freeman is the Assistant Dean of Engineering Diversity at The Pennsylvania State University serving as an advocate for underrepresented students and women in engineering.She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from Washington State University and completed a Master of Science degree in Architectural Engineering at Penn State. Contributing to her career path in Engineering Education, she also compl...
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