Meet our Keynote Speakers

Marlee Matlin received worldwide critical acclaim for her film debut in Paramount Pictures’ Children of a Lesser God, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Actress. At 21, she became the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar and only one of four actresses to receive the honor for her film debut. And in 2022, her Apple TV+ film CODA swept every category it was nominated in at the 2022 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In 2021, Marlee was nominated once again as Executive Producer for the Live Action Short, Feeling Through.

Marlee has also starred in numerous television projects, including Seinfeld, The West Wing, Law and Order SVU, The L Word, Switched At Birth, The Magicians and Quantico, garnering four Emmy nominations along the way. In 2022, Marlee made her first foray into directing, being the first network television director who is Deaf for the Fox TV anthology drama, Accused.

In addition to her film, TV and stage work, Marlee broke barriers when she starred on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and in 2012, Marlee released her first app, appropriately titled Marlee Signs, teaching American Sign Language to millions of smart phone users. She has also penned three novels for children, as well as her New York Times best-selling autobiography, I’ll Scream Later.

In 1994, Marlee was appointed by President Clinton to the Corporation for National Service and in 2010, Marlee joined President Barack Obama at the White House in ceremonies celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In June 2022, Marlee was elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, representing the Actors Branch.

Despite the odds, Marlee’s journey is an inspiration to everyone, regardless of the barriers they face and she has refused to let the naysayers get in the way of her dreams of success. As she so aptly stated, “The only thing I can’t do is hear. The rest is there for the taking.”

Tara Roberts spent the last seven years following, diving with, and telling stories about Black scuba divers as they search for and help document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “null” and featured in the March 2022 issue of National Geographic magazine. Tara became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of the magazine. That same year, she was also named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Currently, Tara is an Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society. Her book “Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging” hit stands in January 2025.
Tara is also a former magazine editor and indie publisher, a nonprofit communications director and editor of several non-fiction books for girls. 
She calls Atlanta home but loves to hit the road ... Her motto is - have suitcase, will travel.

Steve Young is a former NFL quarterback best known for his time with the San Francisco 49ers, where he earned three Super Bowl titles and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXIX. He was a 7-time Pro-Bowl selection, 2-time NFL league MVP, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Steve’s #8 jersey was retired by both the 49ers and the BYU Cougars and he remains one of the most celebrated figures in football history.

Beyond the field, Young is an accomplished author, broadcaster, and businessman. His book, The Law of Love, offers a heartfelt exploration of how unconditional love can transform relationships and communities. He is passionate about philanthropy through his Forever Young Foundation and is active in business as managing partner of HGGC.

Young and his wife, Barbara, are the proud parents of four children.

Sa manao José M. Hernández o le enisinia a le NASA e lele i le vanimonimo talu ona ia faalogo ua filifilia le uluai Amerika-Sipaniolo e malaga i le vanimonimo. "Sa ou suaina se laina o sugar beets i se fanua e latalata i Stockton, Calif., ma sa ou faalogoina i lau tamai leitio e faapea ua filifilia ia Franklin Chang-Diaz mo le Astronaut Corps [Marini o le Vateatea]," o le tala lea a Hernandez, o le sa avea ma se tagata o le tausaga faauu i le aoga maualuga i lena taimi. "Sa ou fiafia i le saienisi ma le enisinia," na manatua ai e Hernandez, "ae o le taimi lena na ou faapea ifo ai, 'Ou te fia lele i le vanimonimo.' Ma o se mea lena sa ou tauivi i ai i aso taitasi talu mai lena taimi." Ma o lenei ua tauia lena galuega faigata. Sa filifilia o ia e amata aoaoga faamasani o se tagata tomai faapitoa o le misiona o se vaega o le vasega o le vateatea o le 2004.

O se tasi o le tamaiti e toafa i se aiga faimai faifaatoaga mai Mekisiko, o Hernandez--o le sa lei aoaoina le Igilisi seia oo ina 12 ona tausaga - sa faaaluina le tele o lona olaga tamaitiiti i mea sa ia taua "o le taamilosaga i Kalefonia," sa malaga faatasi ma lona aiga mai Mekisiko i Kalefonia i Saute i masina taitasi o Mati, ona faigaluega lea i matu i le eria o Stockton ia Novema, i le tauina o strawberries ma kukama i faatoaga i le ala. Ona latou toe foi atu lea i Mekisiko mo le Kerisimasi, ma toe amata le taamilosaga atoa i le tautotogo e sosoo ai

"Atonu e manatu nisi tamaiti o le a manaia le malaga faapena," na ata Hernandez, "ae na tatau ona matou galulue. Sa le o se tafaoga."

Ina ua uma ona faauu i le aoga maualuga i Stockton, sa lesitala Hernandez i le Iunivesite o le Pasefika i Stockton, lea sa ia maua ai se faailoga i le enisinia eletise ma sa maua ai se sikolasipi atoa i le polokalama faauu i le Iunivesite o Kalefonia i Santa Barbara, lea sa faaauau ai ana suesuega faaenisinia. I le 1987, sa ia taliaina ai se galuega tumau i le Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory lea sa ia faigaluega ai i le kolisi o se tagata e tuufaatasia atamai aoaoina ma aafiaga moni [co-op].

A o i ai i le Lawrence Livermore, sa galue Hernandez i le faailo ma le faagasologa o talosaga o ata i ata i reida, faafanua komepiuta, ma faataitaiga o leo. Mulimuli ane i lana matata, sa galue ai Hernandez i le atiina ae o ata i fa'ata [x-ray] mo le polokalama o le x-ray leisa. Sa faaaoga e Hernandez nei metotia i le malae o le fisiki faafomai ma atiina ae ai ma se paaga le uluai polokalama o le faiga atoa faafuainumera o le fa'ata o suesuega o susu. Ua faamaonia le aoga o lenei polokalama mo le mauaina o le kanesa o le susu i se taimi vave atu nai lo metotia o iai nei o ata/lau o le faiga o fa'ata o susu. Ua manumalo Hernandez i faailoga o le aloaia mo lana galuega i lenei galuega faatino. Sa faigaluega foi o ia i le malae faavaomalo lea sa fai ai o ia ma sui o le Lawrence Livermore ma le Matagaluega o Malosiaga a le I.S. e faatatau i le le faasalalauina o faafitauli faaniukilia a Rusia.

I le taimi o le faagasologa o le faaaogaina o le vateatea, sa tatau ai ia Hernandez ona fono ma se komiti faafoe o iloiloga. O iina na ia faafesagai ai ma lana uluai musumusuga: o Franklin Chang-Diaz.

"Sa o se nofoaga ese i lou iai o a'u lava, i le iloiloina e le tagata na tuuina mai ia te au le uunaiga e oo atu iina i le taimi muamua," o le tala lea a Hernandez. "Ae sa ou iloaina sa i ai moni lava ni o ma aafiaga e tutusa ai-- e tutusa le tulaga na ola a'e ai, e tutusa faafitauli i le gagana. O lena mea na atinae ai lo'u talitonuga mautinoa. Soo se papupuni sa i ai, ua uma ona ia sao ai."

Na ataata Hernandez. "O lo'u taimi la lenei!

O le Auuso Gardiner o se ausiva Aialani ua faalima ona Siamupini i le Lalolagi, o ni foafoa o mea ua lauiloa, ma o ni tagata faafiafia autu o e ua maofa ai tagata maimoa i le lalolagi atoa. O le silia ai ma le 8 million tagata e mulimulitai ai ma le 1 piliona tagata maimoa i luga o ala o faasalalauga faaagafesootai, latou te tuufaatasia ai siva masani Aialani i musika faaonapo nei ma le faamatalaina o tala fatufatuai, ma maua ai le aloaiaina mai ituaiga kamupani eseese i le lalolagi atoa, ma ala o faasalalauga, ma tagata lauiloa.



E ala i faafiafiaga e malosi le tiotio, aafiaga autu, ma faiga faapaaga, latou te musuia ai tagata taitoatasi ma pisinisi e talia suiga, galulue faatasi, ma le malosi o ala o faasalalauga faaagafesootai. I le avea ai ma tagata siva autu sa i ai i le Riverdance ma fetu o a latou lava faaaligafaataamilo, tatalaina, latou te aumaia le faatinoga sili ona mataina i le lalolagi ma suiga i tulaga uma—i luga o le initoneti ma faafesagai ma tagata.

O Jessica Soho o le tagata faasalalau Filipino lea e aupito sili ona patipatia ma sili ona tauia i Filipaina.  Sa fanau i le aso 27 o Mati 1964, ma o se Ilocano auuliuli , ma sa ia faia se talatuu e le mafaagaloina i le vaega o tusitala.



O le faamanatuina o le 40 tausaga o lona i ai i le vaega faasalalau a Filipaina, ua fausia ai e Soho se matata mataina ua faailogaina e ausiga e le mafaatusalia ma ua salalau atu le aloaiaina i le atunuu ma faavaomalo. Sa lauiloa o ia o le Filipino muamua ua manumalo i le Faailoga maualuga a le GeorgeFoster Peabody , ma o se tagata ua faalua ona mauaina—muamua i le 1999 mo ana faasalalauga moni o le Kamao ma le Kidneys for Sale, ma le isi i le 2014 mo lana faasalalauga maioio atoa o le mavae ai o le Afa Fulifao o Haiyan i Tacloban.



Sa avea foi o ia ma uluai Filipino na fautuaina atu mo le—ma ua manumalo i le New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, ma sa taliaina i le Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards Hall of Fame, ua taua ai o le “Most Trusted TV Host for News ma Current Affairs” mo le 13 o tausaga sosoo.



O Soho o loo umia se faailoga o le tagata muamua sa aotauina i le University of the Philippines College o le Mass Communication e tauaaoina le Faailoga aloaia o le Gawad Plaridel mo le Faatusitala.



O se tagata lauiloa tele i le televise Filipino sa amata e Soho ia lana matata faatusitala i ler  1988 o se tagata lipoti talafou. Sa tulai ae o ia e avea ma Uluai Sui Pelesitene mo le Polokalama o Talafou i le GMA News, i le faia o se matafaioi taua i le siitia o le upega o galuega i lona tulaga o le faalapotopotoga a Filipaina e aupito sili ona faatuatuaina ma iloga i talafou, seia oo ina litaea mai le GMA News i le 2014.



Ua lauiloa mo lana faamatala tala faatosina loto ma le tuuto mausali i le amiosao faatusitala, ua faaauau e Soho ona avea ma se leo manino i ala o faasalalauga a Filipaina. O loo ia faatautaia nei le Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho - o le polokalama a le GMA Network e maualuga lona tulaga, aupito sili ona tauia, ma o le polokalama Nu. 1 i le televise a Filipaina i le 2024.



O le tino o ana galuega ua lofia ai lipoti faalesuesuega , matapule o le fiailoa o tagata, ma le faaalia ai o mea taua ma iloga e tutupu. Faatasi ma se lotomalamalama, vaaiga mamao, ma se tuuto e le maluelue i le  mea moni, O Jessica Soho ua tumau ona avea o se poutu toa o le igoa tauleleia ma le tulaga lelei maualuga i le tulaga faatusitala.

O Arthur Antunes Coimbra, ua iloa lautele o Zico, na fanau i le aso 3 o Mati, 1953, i Rio de Janeiro, Pasila. Ua lauiloa o se tasi o tagata soka aupito sili o taimi uma, na maua ai e Zico le igoa tauvalaau " Pelé Paepae" mo ona tomai mataina faapitoa, vaaiga mamao, ma le tomai malosi e sikoa ai. O lana matata o se tagata osofai i le ogatotonu na silia ma le lua sefulu tausaga, lea na avea ai o ia ma se faatusa o le mea silisili ma le fatufatuai i le soka.



Sa amata e Zico lana matata faapolofesa i le Flamengo i le 1971, lea na vave ai ona ia siitia i le tulaga lauiloa. Sa ia taitaia le kalapu i le tele o faalagiga i le lotoifale ma faavaomalo, e aofia ai le Copa Libertadores ma le Ipu Faavaomalo i le 1981. O lana matata o le kalapu na aofia ai foi ni faiga atofaina faamanuiaina ma le Udinese i Italia ma Kashima Antlers i Iapani, lea na avea ai o ia ma se tagata faaaloalogia ma maua ai le igoa tauvalaau o le "Atua o le Soka" i paaga Iapani.



I le faavaomalo, sa avea faatolu Zico ma sui o Pasila i Ipu o le Lalolagi a le FIFA (1978, 1982, ma le 1986), na sikoaina ni ai e 48 i ni taaloga e 71, ma avea ai o ia ma tagata sikoa lona lima aupito maualuga i le talafaasolopito o le au a le atunuu o Pasila. E ui lava sa lei manumalo Pasila i le Ipu o le Lalolagi i lona vaitaimi, o le au o le 1982 na ia taitaia o loo manatulia pea o se tasi o au e sili ona lauiloa i le talafaasolopito o le soka.



I le lauiloa ai i lona atamai e kiki saoloto, ua talitonuina e faapea o Zico ua sikoaina le silia ma le 100 ai mai le kiki tuusao, ma e 62 ua faamaoniaina i taaaloga aloaia. O lona tomai e faapio ai le polo i le saolele ma le malosi o loo tumau pea e le mafaatusalia, ma e masani ona ta'ua o ia i tagata tomai faapitoa e sili ona maoae i le talafaasolopito o le soka.



Ina ua litaea mai le taalo i le 1994, sa sui atu Zico i le avea ma faiaoga ma le au pulega o le soka. Sa ia faiaoga i le au a le atunuu o Iapani, ma taitai atu ai ilatou i le manumalo i le 2004 i le Ipu a Asia ma se faaalia malosi i le Ipu o le Lalolagi a le FIFA i le 2006. O lana matata faapulega sa aofia ai foi matafaioi ma le Fenerbahleleie, CSKA Moscow, Olympiacos, ma Iraki, faatasi ai ma isi.



I tausaga talu ai nei, ua faaauau ai pea ona saofaga atu Zico i le soka o se faufautua faatekinolosi mo le Kashima Antlers ma o se amepasa i le lalolagi atoa mo le taaloga. Sa ia faia se matafaioi taua i le atiina ae o le soka i le matafaga i Pasila i le vaitau o le 1990, ma fesoasoani ai e faaaloaia le taaloga ma musuia ai se tupulaga fou o tagata taaalo.O le talatuu o Zico ua faauigaina e le gata i mea ua ia ausia ae faapea foi i lona lotomaualalo, taalo tausaafia, ma le faatosinaga tumau i le au soka i le lalolagi atoa. O lana talaaga o loo tumau pea o se punavai o musumusuga mo tagata taaalo tauatiae ma paaga i le salafa o le lalolagi.

O Stephen T. Rockwood o le peresitene ma le PFS (CEO) o le FamilySearch Faavaomalo, o se tagata e le sue tupe i le lalolagi atoa e lagolagoina e le O Le Ekalesia a Iesu Keriso o le Au Paia o Aso e Gata Ai. A o lei auai i le FamilySearch, sa faapitoa Rockwood i le fatuina o taulaga tulaga ese mo tagata faatau i le lalolagi atoa o na ituaiga o galuega e pei o le MasterCard International, AT&T, Disney, Office Depot, ma le Citibank faatasi ma isi. Sa ia amataina foi ni kamupani se lua lea na maua mulimuli ane e ni kamupani toatele atu. Talu ai nei na auauna atu ai Steve o se faatonusili o le vaega faavaomalo i le FamilySearch.