Former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Liz Cheney served as the U.S. representative for Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023. She chaired the House Republican Conference, the third-highest position in the House Republican leadership, from 2019 to 2021, and served as the Vice Chair of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. She was also a member of the House Armed Services Committee, China Task Force, Natural Resources Committee, and the House Committee on Rules. Cheney served previously at the State Department as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and in positions for USAID and the Department of State working in Poland, Hungary, Russia, and Ukraine. Cheney practiced law with White and Case and at the International Finance Corporation.

She is the author of the newly released memoir, Oath and Honor, which tells her firsthand account of the moment our democracy threatened to unravel and the story of the brave men and women who fought to save it. A specialist in national security and foreign policy, she is the co-author, along with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, of Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.

Cheney received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School. In 2022, Cheney, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, received the the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s prestigious Profile in Courage Award, with a commendation for her “consistent and courageous voice in defense of democracy.”

Amy Webb

Wednesday, Jan.27

World-Renowned Futurist; Founder & CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group

Amy Webb is widely recognized as the global authority who transformed the practice of strategic foresight into a rigorous, data-driven discipline. Widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on foresight, she established foundational methodologies now used by leaders, organizations, and governments to anticipate disruption, shape long-term strategy, and drive sustainable growth amid accelerating change.

As Founder and CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group (FTSG), Amy created the world’s first foresight tools grounded in quantitative modeling. Her work translates early signals of change into actionable intelligence, helping organizations understand the implications of emerging forces—from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to climate systems and global economic shifts. Her and her team advise a significant portion of the Fortune 100, as well as boards, CEOs, and public-sector leaders navigating complex transitions.

Amy is a trusted advisor to governments and global institutions, including the White House, Congress, the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum. Ranked the #3 Most Influential Management Thinker in the World by Thinkers50, she is also a bestselling author of The Big Nine and The Genesis Machine, and a cultural advisor to major studios such as Netflix, Hulu, and Marvel, helping shape how the world understands plausible futures of technology, business, and society.

Gen James Mattis, USMC (RET.)

Secretary of Defense

Wednesday, Feb. 17

A dedicated patriot, intellectual, and strategist, former Secretary of Defense and retired Marine General James N. Mattis exemplifies principled leadership in times of turbulence.

One of the preeminent leaders of his generation, Gen James Mattis has spent nearly 50 years in the service of his country. Renowned for his diligent study of war, and his dogged efforts on the battlefield, Gen Mattis is described as a principled commander who isn't afraid to tell it like it is.

A rare combination of thinker and doer, and scholar and strategist, Gen Mattis knows the monumental powers and responsibility of our military forces, and the challenges of our dangerous and complex world. His matchless dedication to his job and country earned him universal respect and reverence – from allies and adversaries alike.

Gen Mattis served as the 26th Secretary of Defense of the United States for nearly two years before resigning with distinction. With his reputation as a sharp analyst and venerable wartime leader, Gen Mattis received nearly unanimous, bipartisan support for his nomination. A living Marine Corps legend, he made history by securing special permission from Congress to lead the Pentagon, sooner than he was eligible.

As Secretary of Defense, Mattis preferred not to play politics – a quality that boosted admiration for the retired general. Instead, he focused on making combat readiness one of his main priorities, and served as the primary author of a new American defense strategy whose central goal was to take on "revisionist" powers that "seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models."

Viewed as the steady hand in tumultuous times, he championed building a network of alliances and strategic partnerships around the world.

"Our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships," then Secretary Mattis wrote in a letter to President Trump. Without maintaining those alliances, he says, we cannot protect our interests or serve the role of an indispensable nation in the free world.

His resolve to amass and maintain positive relations with key countries served as a premier example of professionalism and stability in a political landscape wrought with unpredictability.

During his 44 years in the Marines, Gen Mattis rose from an 18-year-old reservist to the highest rank of four-star general. He capped off his military career as head of the U.S. Central Command, where he was in charge of all American forces serving in the Middle East and oversaw operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as parts of Syria, Iran, and Yemen. He retired from the post in 2013. It would be just four years later, in 2017, that he would answer the call to serve again, as the first member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet cleared to take office.

A veteran of three wars, Gen Mattis spent much of his career involved in overseas conflict. Described by colleagues and his staff as brave, honest, and humble, Gen Mattis proved to be an exceptional motivator of Marines and developed a leading style that endeared him to his troops.

"Believe so completely in subordinates they have no choice but to believe in themselves; act from integrity and authenticity, let your very goodness put ambition out of context," he counsels.

As part of his "hearts and minds" approach to counterinsurgency operations, Gen Mattis established the Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning, which remains active today. The academy for Marine officers and senior enlisted personnel provides cultural awareness and language skills training to ensure units can operate effectively in complex expeditionary environments.

A patriot who always put country above self, Gen Mattis steeped himself in the history and tradition of the military and dedicated himself to the Marine Corps.

Gen Mattis speaks with candor and thoughtful analysis about the threats that face our nation and military. Humorous, compassionate, and strategic, he also offers insightful lessons in leadership, with a deep focus on the art of empowering individuals.

Emmanuel Acho

Wednesday, March 24

Emmanuel Acho is a modern thought leader who inspires audiences to challenge the status quo and drive meaningful, lasting change. As a former FOX Sports analyst, Acho is renowned for his influential voice in both sports and social discourse. He also hosts and produces the Emmy Award-winning series executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Uncomfortable Conversations with Emmanuel Acho , which has amassed over 100 million views across social media. This groundbreaking series tackles complex conversations about race in America, advocating for safe spaces, community bridgebuilding, and the crucial role of open dialogue, empathy, education, and personal responsibility in addressing systemic issues. Acho's impact has earned him two Emmy Awards—Outstanding Sports Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent and Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series. What began as a digital initiative has grown into New York Times bestselling books under Oprah’s imprint, expanded online content, panels, and thought leadership initiatives that continue to shape national conversations.

In his book, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew, which quickly became a New York Times bestseller , Emmanuel Acho and co- writer Noa Tishby confront challenging questions about antisemitism. The book examines sensitive topics such as Jewish stereotypes, power dynamics, and the essence of Judaism, providing profound insights into the roots of Jewish hatred in America. With Tishby’s Israeli- American perspective and Acho’s Nigerian- American background, the book offers a diverse range of viewpoints that make complex concepts more accessible. Their dialogue is designed to educate and empower readers to recognize and address bigotry, underscoring that hatred against any group threatens us all.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, the third title under the “An Oprah Book” banner, debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestsellers list. Following this success, Acho published Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy and Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits. In Illogical, he inspires readers to embrace the role of changemakers. Whether launching a revolutionary startup, advocating for societal change, or pursuing a personal passion with vigor, he advocates for transformation. This concept also forms the core message of his TED Talk, “Why you should stop setting goals (yes, really),” which has over 1 million views.

After earning his undergraduate degree in Sports Management, Emmanuel Acho was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. The next year, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent most of his NFL career. During the off-seasons, Emmanuel pursued a master’s degree in Sports Psychology at the University of Texas. In his transition from the football field to broadcasting, Emmanuel became the youngest national football analyst and was recognized as a Forbes "30 Under 30" honoree. In his time at FOX's FS1, he hosted SPEAK and The Facility. He is active within his family’s non-profit organization, Living Hope Christian Ministries, and successfully raised funds to build a hospital in rural Nigeria.

Father Greg Boyle

Wednesday, April 28

Fr. Gregory Boyle, best known as "Father Greg" by all who meet him, was born in Los Angeles as one of eight children. His father was a third-generation Irish American who worked in the family-owned dairy in Los Angeles County and his mother worked to keep track of her large family. As a youth, Fr. Greg and several of his siblings worked side by side with their father in the dairy. After graduating from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1972, he entered the order of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was ordained a priest in 1984.

Prior to 1986, Fr. Greg taught at Loyola High School and worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Working as a Jesuit priest from 1986 to 1992, Fr. Greg served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, which was then the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles with the highest concentration of local gang activity in the city.

Fr. Greg witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence on his community during the so-called “decade of death” that began in Los Angeles in the late 1980s and peaked at 1,000 gang-related killings in 1992. In the face of law enforcement tactics and criminal justice policies of suppression and mass incarceration as the means to end gang violence, Fr. Greg and parish and community members adopted what was a radical approach at the time: treat gang members as human beings.

In 1988 Fr. Greg started what would eventually become Homeboy Industries. To address the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, Fr. Greg and the community developed positive alternatives, including establishing an elementary school, a day care program, and finding legitimate employment for young people. Most importantly, the organization provided the opportunity for rival gang members to work side by side.

In his 40 years of ministry to gang members in Los Angeles, Father Boyle has learned you cannot “save” young men and women trapped in gang life. Wanting a gang member to have a different life is not sufficient; the gang member needs to have the desire to change. He has also learned that working with individual gang members (as opposed to the whole group) is the path to hope and success.

Homeboy Industries became official in 2001. Today, their nonprofit economic development enterprises include Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy/HomegirlMerchandise, and HomegirlCafé. Fr. Greg is also a consultant to youth service and governmental agencies, policymakers and employers.

As Executive Director of Homeboy Industries and an acknowledged expert on gangs and intervention approaches, Fr. Greg is a nationally renowned speaker. Fr. Greg and several “homies” were featured speakers at the White House Conference on Youth in 2005 at the personal invitation of Mrs. George Bush. In 1998 he was a member of the 10-person California delegation to President Clinton’s Summit on Children in Philadelphia.

Fr. Greg is a member of the National Youth Gang Center Advisory Board (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention). He is also a member of the National Leadership Council of the Iris Alliance Fund and serves on the Advisory Board for the Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law and Policy. Previously, he was a member of the State Commission on Juvenile Justice, Crime, and Delinquency Prevention.

Fr. Greg has received numerous honorary degrees, awards, and recognitions. They include the Civic Medal of Honor, the California Peace Prize, Humanitarian of the Year from Bon Appetit Magazine, a Champion of Change award from the White House, the Humanitarian of the Year award from the James Beard Foundation, and the University of Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, which is the oldest honor given to American Catholics. In 2024, Fr. Greg Boyle received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. In 2011, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

Fr. Greg is the author of the New York Times best-seller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion and the Los Angeles Times best-seller, Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship.

2018 marked Homebody Industries' 30th anniversary. The organization is recognized as the largest gang intervention and re-entry program in the county and has become a national model.