Former U.S. Representative (D-RI) and Founder of The Kennedy Forum

During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy was the lead author of the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law), which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction.

In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction, which details a bold plan for the future of mental health care in America. In 2023, The Kennedy Forum launched the Alignment for Progress, a movement to align leaders from across industry and across the aisle to achieve 90/90/90 by 2033: 90% of all individuals will be screened for mental health and substance use disorders; 90% of those screened will be able to receive evidence-based treatment; 90% of those receiving treatment will be able to manage their symptoms in recovery. Kennedy’s second co-authored book Profiles in Mental Health Courage delves into the compelling stories of a diverse group of Americans who have struggled with their mental health – many of whom are sharing their stories for the first time.

Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.

Author, Activist, Founder of Together Rising, and Host of the We Can Do Hard Things Podcast

Glennon Doyle is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller UNTAMED, a Reese’s Book Club selection, which has sold over two million copies. She is also the author of GET UNTAMED: The Journal; the #1 New York Times bestseller LOVE WARRIOR, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and CARRY ON, WARRIOR.

Glennon hosts the WE CAN DO HARD THINGS Podcast, which debuted at #1 in May 2021 and was named the #1 New Podcast of 2021 on Apple Podcasts. An activist and “patron saint of female empowerment” (People), Glennon is the founder and president of Together Rising, an all-women-led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy – raising over $50 million for women, families, and children in crisis.

Glennon lives in California with her wife Abby Wambach and their three children.

Award-Winning Internet Safety Expert & a Forbes 30 under 30 Honoree

Fareedah Shaheed is an Award-Winning Internet Safety Expert and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. She founded Sekuva & the Protect Kids Online (PKO) Membership with the mission of helping parents protect their children online. Her work has been featured in Cisco, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, NASDAQ, FOX 46, AfroTech, NBC4, Ebony Magazine, Yahoo!, Worth Magazine, and many more.

California Surgeon General

Dr. Diana E. Ramos is a renowned public health leader and California’s second Surgeon General and first Latina Surgeon General. As California’s Doctor, she is the leading spokesperson on the most pressing public health issues of the time within the State of California. Her mission is to advance the health and wellbeing of all Californians.

Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Dr. Ramos received her medical degree from the Keck University of Southern California School of Medicine and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from UCLA and a Master of Business Administration degree from UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business.

Over the past three decades, Dr. Ramos has provided reproductive care to thousands of Californians as an Obstetrician Gynecologist at Southern California Kaiser Permanente.

Dr. Ramos’ leadership spans from the local level in Los Angeles County where she previously served as the Director for Reproductive Health, State leadership as the prior chair for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, California & Ecuador (IX) District, Nationally on the Women’s Preventive Service Initiative, American Medical Association Foundation board, as a prior executive board member for the National Hispanic Medical Association, and many others. Prior to her appointment as the California Surgeon General, she served as the Assistant Deputy Director of Chronic Disease Prevention for the California Department of Public Health.

Within the academic sector, she has served as an adjunct Associate Professor at the Keck University of Southern California School of Medicine for many years.

Dr. Ramos has written and contributed numerous articles to the obstetrics and gynecology and public health literature and has lectured in Spanish and English, locally, nationally and internationally.

In 2024, the California Latino Legislative Caucus awarded Dr. Ramos with

Founder & CEO, Wellness Together, Inc. & Host of This Helps Podcast

Marlon Morgan is the Founder & CEO of the California-based national nonprofit organization, Wellness Together School Mental Health. He works with school districts, universities, state offices of education, and the U.S. Department of Education to increase awareness, advocacy, and access to mental health interventions for students, families, and school staff. Marlon is a curriculum consultant for Harvard Medical School and works with leading corporations, including Amazon.com, to support employee mental well-being. He has received special recognition from the U.S. Congress, California State Senate, and the California State Assembly for his innovative work promoting mental health and wellness in education.

Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District

Alberto M. Carvalho has served as Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest school district, since February 2022. He was selected by the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education in a unanimous vote following a comprehensive community ngagement process and a nationwide search.

Since starting at Los Angeles Unified, Superintendent Carvalho has led the development and implementation of the District’s unanimously approved 2022-2026 Ready for the World Strategic Plan. Numerous initiatives and ideas have enhanced the plan, including the launch of the STEAM Lab Makerspaces, Education Transformation Office, Cultural Arts Passport, and Family Academy. Through Superintendent Carvalho’s leadership, Los Angeles Unified has also established nine new education compacts between the District and local municipalities, made significant progress in greening schools, and secured upgraded credit ratings, generating millions in savings.

During his 14-year tenure as Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), Superintendent Carvalho garnered local, state, national, and international recognition. His honors include being named Florida’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year, the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year, the 2016 Magnet Schools of America Superintendent of the Year, the 2016 winner of the Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education, the 2018 National Urban Superintendent of the Year, and the 2019 National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Superintendent of the Year.

Under his leadership, M-DCPS became one of the nation’s highest-performing urban school systems, receiving systemwide accreditation from AdvancEd in 2014 and 2019. M-DCPS was named as the 2014 College Board Advanced Placement Equity and Excellence District of the Year and the 2012 winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Superintendent Carvalho is now seeking to elevate Los Angeles Unified to the premier spot in American urban education.

Superintendent Carvalho was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education to serve on the National Assessment Governing Board. He has served as a committee member for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and is currently serving as an Advisory Committee Member to the Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance.

Superintendent Carvalho is also a dedicated member of the Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council, the National Board of Directors for Common Threads, the Posse Foundation, the Aspen Institute’s Planet Media Task Force, and Code.org. He is a member of the Leadership Table for the Los Angeles County Executive Committee on Homelessness and serves on the Board of Directors of The Music Center of Los Angeles.

Superintendent Carvalho has been awarded many honorary degrees. He has been honored by the President of Portugal with the “Ordem de Mérito Civil” and by Mexico with the “Ohtli Award.” He was also knighted by King Felipe VI of Spain with the Cross of the Orden de Isabel la Católica.

Former Major League Baseball Player & Mental Health Advocate

Drew Robinson is a former Major League Baseball player, mental health advocate, and co-founder of the Better Universe Foundation who is using his platform to advocate for mental health and end the stigma surrounding it.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Drew was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school and went on to play parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants organizations. In 2020, Drew miraculously survived a suicide attempt that resulted in the loss of his right eye. In 2021, ESPN released an E60 documentary to tell Drew’s story, create awareness around mental health, and reduce the stigma around it. After Drew’s attempt, he made a comeback to professional baseball and retired after the 2021 season to pursue a role in the mental health & wellness department with the San Francisco Giants.

Joe Toscano

Award-Winning Designer, Published Author, and International Keynote

Joe Toscano is an award-winning designer, published author, and international keynote speaker who left his role consulting for Google because he felt the industry was misusing data and that the issues needed to be addressed through innovation rather than strict regulation. Since leaving, Joe has written a book, Automating Humanity, and started DataGrade, both focused on increasingtechnology literacy and purpose-driven innovation.

Comedian & Actor on 30 Rock, Hello Jack!, Wreck it Ralph, and more

Jack McBrayer was born in Macon, GA, and moved to Conyers, GA, when he was 15. McBrayer studied theater administration at the University of Evansville. He later worked at The Second City and IO Theater (1995-2002), an experience that introduced him to 30 Rock creator Tina Fey and prepared him "100%" for his role on her show.

McBrayer also had a minor recurring role as a waiter at the Bluth family's country club in Arrested Development. He works as a voice actor in the American animated series Ugly Americans and appeared in the 2010 film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore with a recurring role on the third season of Phineas and Ferb, playing the part of Irving, a fan of Phineas and Ferb. He also regularly appears in the skit "Knock Knock Joke of the Day" on the hit children's television show, Yo Gabba Gabba! since season 2 and stars in Craig McCracken's new TV show Wander Over Yonder on the Disney Channel. In the fall of 2012, Jack lent his voice to the Disney animated film Wreck-It Ralph, playing the title character's video game opponent 'Fix-It Felix, Jr.'.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Lead in the Mental Health Center of Excellence at Google

Dr. Schneider is passionate about the dissemination of evidence-based interventions for mental health problems and has a special interest in supporting children, teens, and parents.  At Google, she works with teams whose products directly or indirectly impact the mental health of users, including Search, YouTube, and generative AI features.   Dr. Schneider earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a doctoral degree from the University of Georgia.  She completed fellowships at the Palo Alto VA and Stanford University School of Medicine.  Before joining the team at Google, Dr. Schneider was the VP of Clinical Quality at Lyra Health, a mental health start-up, where she oversaw care and conducted clinical research on the efficacy of evidence-based approaches outside of academia.

International Speaker, Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University

Dr. Louise Hayes is the Past President of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science, and organization of 8000 members. She trains professionals, writes, and works clinically with adults and teens on how to thrive and grow. Together with Joseph Ciarrochi, she developed DNA-V, a leading acceptance and commitment therapy model that has sparked international studies. In 2022, she released a new book for helping adults thrive in the face of change – What Makes You Stronger. She is also the co-author of three best-selling books for assisting young people to thrive, including The Thriving Adolescent.