2018-19 HYPE speakers revealed

The votes are in and we are excited to announce the speakers for the 2018-19 HYPE Career Ready Program. For the third year, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from six speakers who are sure to inspire you.

Terry Crews

Sept. 13 ǀ Work Styles

Terry Crews is the true definition of a renaissance man: athlete, artist, author, filmmaker, actor and even a furniture designer. Terry’s life on-screen is as exciting and dynamic as his public persona. He dedicates his free time to keeping physically fit – both in mind and body – while also working with the non-profit organization The Polaris Project, a leader in the global fight against human trafficking. For his tireless dedication to The Polaris Project, he was awarded the United Nations Global Generation Award at the U.N. Headquarters in the summer of 2015.

Immaculée Ilibagiza

Oct. 17 ǀ Conflict Management

In partnership with the Lichtman-Behm Genocide Lecture Series

Born in Rwanda, Immaculée Ilibagiza studied electronic and mechanical engineering at the National University in Rwanda. She is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that took the lives of nearly 1 million Tutsi, including her entire family except for one brother. She survived by huddling silently with seven other women in a bathroom for 91 days. She realized that refusing forgiveness would not change anything and eventually, she met the man who massacred her family and forgave him face to face. Today, she is regarded as one of the world’s leading speakers on faith, hope and forgiveness. Today, she is regarded as one of the world’s leading speakers on faith, hope and forgiveness.

Scott Dikkers

Nov. 13 ǀ Communication

Scott Dikkers encourages everyone to think outside the box and seize opportunities to create something new. He is co-founder and the longest-serving editor-in-chief of The Onion, which evolved into one of the most popular humor destinations in the world with millions of readers and followers. The Onion has spawned countless viral videos, three TV series and two New York Times best-selling books. With a comic’s command of timing, Scott paints the picture of a starry-eyed kid who loved reading Mad Magazine and dreamed of one day getting his work published, to improbably founding the world’s first humor website and heading up America’s longest-surviving humor publication.

Dr. Jen Welter

Jan. 30 ǀ Collaboration

The first female coach in NFL history, Dr. Jen Welter serves as a powerful role model and an inspiring reminder that barriers are meant to be broken. She made history when she coached the Arizona Cardinals’ inside linebackers for their 2015 training camp. She also was the first woman to play running back in a men’s professional football season with the IFL’s Texas Revolution. She released Play Big, in which she reveals the grit and determination it took to be a trailblazer in one of the country’s toughest boys’ clubs. With germane anecdotes drawn from her experiences on and off the field, she inspires and enlightens with insight on breaking barriers, authentic leadership, achieving the impossible and the true value of diverse teams.

Tarana Burke

Feb. 26 ǀ Job Search Skills

Tarana Burke shares the heartbreaking story behind the genesis of the viral 2017 Time magazine Person of the Year winner, the #MeToo movement, and gives strength and healing to those who have experienced sexual trauma or harassment. The simple yet courageous #MeToo hashtag campaign has emerged as a rallying cry for people everywhere who have survived sexual assault and sexual harassment. A sexual assault survivor herself, Tarana is now working under the banner of the #MeToo movement to assist other survivors and those who work to end sexual violence.

Kevin Hines

March 21 ǀ Values

As a man who survived a suicide attempt by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, Kevin Hines inspires and educates others about living mentally healthy in the hope of preventing more suicides. He is a best-selling author, documentary filmmaker and suicide prevention and mental health advocate who has reached millions with his personal story. At 17, Kevin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder; his suicide attempt came two years later. Since then, Kevin’s strong will to live and stay mentally healthy has inspired people worldwide, and his journey to wellness has become a bridge of hope between life and death for others who seek ways to overcome emotional pain and suffering.