Democracy, Policy, and Civic Life
Safiya U. Noble
Leading Voice on AI Ethics and Algorithmic Discrimination | Bestselling Author
“People adopt technologies with the understanding that these systems are reliable, neutral information sources. Yet, the companies behind them optimize for max profit. I reveal harmful biases to help us build something better.”
Predictive Anthropologist | Cultural Visionary | Social Leader | Acclaimed Author
Benjamin’s latest book, Talk to Me: Lessons from a Family Forged by History, encourages readers to become active agents of history and has been received “not only as a portrait of Benjamin’s family, but as a bold, pugnacious portrait of America.”
rich benjamin
nicholas buccola
Political Theorist | Philosopher | Awarding-winning Author | Expert of American Political Thought
Historical clashes over ideals still divide American politics today. As a political philosopher, I uncover dramatic stories of pivotal figures from history and reveal what they can still teach us about the practice of freedom.
Award-winning Archaeologist | Historian of Ancient Rome | Acclaimed Educator and Author
Doug’s books analyze the past to help readers navigate and better understand the present. Doug shares the hidden stories of history to ensure that Rome and all its stories remain accessible, compelling, and above all, unexpectedly relevant to all.
douglas boin
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR | DEMOCRATIC REFORM SCHOLAR | MATH PROFESSOR AND EDUCATOR
Ismar Volić is a mathematician and professor whose work explores how mathematics shapes society, democracy, and systems of power. He speaks widely on the mathematical foundations of democracy and how it can improve voting, electoral maps, and representation.
Ismar Volić
Brando Simeo Starkey
Groundbreaking Historian Fighting for Justice and Freedom from Caste | Law and Policy Expert
We can reform society with a focused framework. We often try to fight racial injustice with an anti-discrimination framework. Yet, to make real change, we need to expunge not discrimination but what I call castework.
andrea freeman
AUTHOR | LAW PROFESSOR | FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR | food oppression scholar
Andrea pioneered the theory of food oppression, which examines how food law and policy, influenced by corporate interests, disproportionately harms marginalized communities, and authored Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, from the Trail of Tears to School Lunch.
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Democracy and Tech Visionary | Media Scholar and Cultural Historian | Educator, Journalist, Author
“We have traded a system that was biased and commercially distorted for one that is biased, commercially distorted, and prone to simply making things up, all while sounding more confident than any of the sources it cannibalized to produce its answer.”
NOah Giansiracusa
Algorithms Expert | Award-winning Mathematician | Acclaimed Author | Media Literacy Advocate
“I want to help my audiences understand two life-changing ideas: Algorithms are everywhere. You can use basic math principles to understand them, fight exploitation, and take control of your life.”
davarian baldwin
internationally recognized Black scholar, urbanist, cultural critic, and public advocate.
The “ivory tower” model is failing. The future of higher education belongs to institutions that reclaim the public good through community partnerships and rebuilding public trust.