We’ve gathered some amazing humans to talk about what it means to be human.
Speakers
Liz Forkin Bohannon
Liz Bohannon is the founder of Sseko Designs, a socially conscious fashion brand, and the author of Beginner’s Pluck. She was named a top speaker by Forbes and a Transformational Leader by John Maxwell. She spends her days encouraging and equipping women to build lives and businesses of purpose and impact. She spends her nights and weekends wrestling, snuggling and wrangling her two sons with her husband and business partner Ben.
Dharius Daniels is a cultural architect and trendsetter for his generation. He is the founder and Lead Pastor of Change Church, a vibrant ministry that impacts people of all ages, socioeconomic classes, and ethnic backgrounds. Pastor Dharius has developed a Breathtaking Ministry concept that describes the standard of excellence: a standard that is apparent in his commitment not only to ministry but also to education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Dharius is a certified personal coach with a versatile gift who speaks frequently in seminaries and churches across the country. He is married to Shameka Daniels and they are the proud parents of two sons, Dharius Seth and Gabriel Micah.
Dani is an illustrator and advocate using art and words to help good people become better neighbors. Her artwork seeks to encourage faith, inspire justice, and guide you through loving your neighbors well.
As Dani began posting her social justice & faith-based artwork to social media in January of 2020, thousands of new friends began to join her across all of my online spaces. In the face of horrific racial injustice, people everywhere decided that they had a part to play in the journey towards anti-racism, and she saw almost 300,000 new followers on her Instagram within one week.
What started as a hobby has blossomed into a brand new journey of using art and words to make complex social justice-related issues more digestible and easy to understand for people around the world.
Brad is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning director. He is the mind behind “Kid President,” the internet sensation featured on Rainn Wilson’s SoulPancake YouTube channel. Brad’s work has garnered more than 800 million views, been translated into countless languages, and captured the attention of many well-known people such as Tom Hanks and Beyoncé. He is the force behind “Socktober,” the worldwide annual drive connecting people with their local homeless shelters, and “Wondersparks,” free classroom resources designed to cultivate empathy and imagination. He and his wife Kristi live in Tennessee with their two children. They have collaborated with the United Nations, Disney Channel, the Fred Rogers Center, Microsoft, AllState, and the list grows. Brad and Kristi also operate Montague Workshop, a creative studio working to reimagine the future by creatively communicating hope to kids and adults everywhere.
Kara is the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she received a PhD in practical theology in the year 2000. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch,” Kara serves as a youth and family strategist for Orange and also speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. She is the author or co-author of a number of books including “Faith in an Anxious World” and “The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family.”
Ryan is the Young Adults Director at Covenant Church in Dallas, Texas. After graduating in 2009 from North Central University with a degree in Business, he began consulting with churches all over the country in the areas of media and staffing. Ryan made headlines for getting engaged and married on the same day to his now wife, Amanda Roman, in a wedding he secretly planned for two years. The entire day was captured on film and the video quickly went viral. They’ve been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, The Queen Latifah Show, and many other media outlets. Ryan and his wife travel and speak all around the country encouraging healthy relationships.
Kristen Ivy is the President at Orange (The reThink Group, Inc.) and the Co-founder and Director of The Phase Project. Kristen earned her Bachelor of Education from Baylor University in 2004 and a Master of Divinity from Mercer University in 2009. She worked in the public school system as a high school Biology and English teacher where she learned firsthand the joy and importance of influencing the next generation. At Orange, Kristen has played an integral role in the development of the elementary, middle school, high school, and parenting curriculums and has shared her experiences at speaking events across the country. Kristen is author of It’s Just a Phase So Don’t Miss It, Don’t Miss It, When Relationships Matter, It’s Personal, and the 18-volume Phase Guides for parents.
Award-Winning Storyteller and the Youth & Education Advisor for the Center for Humane Technology
Max Stossel is an Award-Winning Storyteller and the Youth & Education Advisor for the Center for Humane Technology, an organization of former tech insiders dedicated to realigning technology with humanity (as featured in The Social Dilemma on Netflix). Before working with CHT, Max was a media strategist with an extensive background in social, running social media for multinational brands, and later working for a social media company where he designed some of the same notification structures to distract people that he now raises awareness about.
He has spent the past four years speaking with 100,000+ students, parents, and educators around the world about
social media's impact on our lives, and creating resources to help manage that impact. Max provides a unique and
much needed perspective on the role of technology in our homes, schools and in our society.
Max is also an award-winning poet, and filmmaker named by Forbes as one of the best storytellers of the year.
Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of seven books, including his most recent Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller, “Finish: Give yourself the gift of done.”
Published in more than a dozen languages, his work is both critically acclaimed and adored by readers. When he’s not writing, Acuff can be found on a stage, as one of INC’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers. He’s spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences, colleges and companies around the world including FedEx, Nissan, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Chick-fil-A, Nokia and Comedy Central.
For over 20 years he’s also helped some of the biggest brands tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, and Staples. His fresh perspective on life has given him the opportunity to write for Reader’s Digest, Fast Company, The Harvard Business Review and Time Magazine.
He lives outside of Nashville, TN with his wife Jenny and two teenage daughters.
Carlos is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. He spent 10 years at Sandals Church in California, before moving to Atlanta to become the Service Programming Director at Buckhead Church. Carlos is the author of two books, including Kill The Spider. From speaking at The White House to winning a People’s Choice Award, Carlos loves to help people live their life as opposed to their life living them. Currently Carlos is regularly teaching at churches and conferences worldwide—including Catalyst Conference, Embrace Church, FreshLife Church, and many more. He and his wife, Heather, have three children.
Reggie Joiner is the founder and CEO of Orange, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to influence those who influence the next generation. Orange provides resources and training for churches and organizations that create environments for parents, kids, and teenagers. Prior to Orange, Reggie co-founded North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, with Andy Stanley. During his 11 years as the executive director of family ministry, he developed a new concept for relevant ministry for children, teenagers, and married adults. He has found a way to wear orange for 3,453 days and counting. Joiner has authored and co-authored several books including Think Orange, The Think Orange Handbook, Zombies, Football, and the Gospel, Seven Practices of Effective Ministry, Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, Lead Small, and Creating a Lead Small Culture. He and his wife Debbie have four grown children and a growing number of grandchildren.
Dr. Ward, a third-generation minister, serves as an associate pastor at Abundant Life Church where her husband is the senior pastor. For the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, she also serves as the dean of the Boston campus and executive director of the Northeast Region. Her local and national involvement in the training and development of youth leaders spans three decades. She teaches youth ministry, leadership, and urban ministry development courses for the Boston Campus. Dr. Ward comes with extensive experience as an urban pastor, ministry organizer, and youth ministry expert. After an initial study in management at Northeastern University and courses at Harvard Extension School, Dr. Ward pursued an education in ministry, focusing on urban ministries. She received a Master of Arts in youth ministry and a Doctor of Ministry in emerging generations.
Danielle Strickland loves Jesus. And she loves people. Her aggressive compassion has loved people firsthand in countries all over the world where she has embraced, learned, cared, evangelized, taught, and exhorted individuals and crowds to surrender to the boundless love of our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. She has sought to cultivate authentic Christian community in deprived neighborhoods. Danielle is the author of Just Imagine: The Social Justice Agenda, Challenging Evil: Dispatches From the Front Lines of Radical Justice, The Liberating Truth: How Jesus Empowers Women, A Beautiful Mess: How God Recreates Our Lives, and Boundless; Living Life in Overflow. Danielle is passionately committed to seeing God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, is married, and is the mother of three boys.
Mark Batterson is a New York Times best-selling author of fifteen books, including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, and Chase the Lion. He is the lead pastor of National Community Church, one church with multiple campuses. NCC also owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, the Miracle Theatre, and the DC Dream Center. Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry from Regent University. He and his wife, Lora, have three children and live on Capitol Hill.
Albert Tate is the founding pastor of Fellowship Church, one of the fastest-growing, multi-ethnic churches in the United States. He began ministry by pastoring families at Sweet Home Church in Mississippi before serving the historic Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California. Hearing the call from God to plant a church, Albert and his wife, LaRosa, launched Fellowship Monrovia in January 2012. As a dynamic communicator, Albert is passionate about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ both to the local church and the global community. Blending the power of storytelling with a good sense of humor, Albert enjoys illustrating God’s amazing grace and love in church, academic, and conference settings. In 2018, Albert launched the “Albert Tate Podcast,” and most recently, he was published in Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Albert and LaRosa have four beautiful children.
Joseph Sojourner (aka Sojo) has emerged as a refreshing voice of creativity and leadership for this generation, harnessing the power of story to connect people to purpose. Sojo is owner of Two Cents Creative Thinkers, an Atlanta-based creative agency, as well as creative consultant for Trilith Studios, where he lives.
Sojo is a trusted voice on next generation business leaders for many events throughout the world, has been featured on NBC’s Your Move in candid conversations with leadership guru Andy Stanley, and inspires schools, universities, churches, and teams alongside Orange and Growing Leaders. In 2022, Sojo launches The Moonwalkers Podcast, a place for the doers to uncover the steps needed for true success and the dreamers to discuss the leaps needed for the betterment of mankind.
Doug is a veteran of over 30 years of church-based youth ministry. He’s the co-founder of Downloadyouthministry.com, an author of 50+ books, a speaker, consultant, and Family/Parenting/Marriage-ministry leader for both HomeWord and Orange.
Sam Collier is a pastor, speaker, writer, and host of the A Greater Story with Sam Collier TV show and radio podcast that currently airs in 100 Million Homes.
He also communicates nationally and internationally as a speaker and contributor regularly at North Point Ministries (Founded by Andy Stanley), the ReThink Group (Founded by Reggie Joiner), Orange Network, Orange Tour, Alpha International Leadership Conference, Global Leadership Summit, and more.
He has also been interviewed on numerous TV shows, podcasts, and radio programs. Collier lives with his wife, Toni, and their daughter in Atlanta, Georgia.
Gerald serves as the Founder and President of the Stello Initiative, a 501c3 organization that mobilizes young adults to serve through service based conferences (For God So Loved Tour). Gerald’s passion for the next generation is best expressed by preaching biblical truth to students and adults around the globe. This passion has positioned him as a trusted voice for multiple organizations including North Point Ministries, Bigstuf Camps, Passion City Church, Calvary Chapel, Newsprint Church, Orange Conference and many more.
Gerald is the author of “Before You Go,” a resource designed to help students follow Jesus and grow in their faith after high school. He also co-authored Starting Now, a devotional for college freshman. His most recent book entitled “When Life Gives You Lemons,” serves as a practical guide for navigating seasons of adversity for all ages.
Prior to his current role, Gerald spent 3 years doing non-profit work for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, and 5 years as a student pastor at Browns Bridge Church.
Gerald is happily married to his beautiful wife Kiley and loves spending his free time cheering on Lebron James and browsing through the SNKRS app. They live in Atlanta and are proud parents of identical twin girls (Wesley Grace & Zoey Faith).