My trust is in William He to be the first Gen Z president of the United States, the first Asian-American president and the most qualified individual to bring America together for a brighter future.

That is because two years ago on July 4, when he was 16, He founded Dream For America, and Dream For Action, a non-profit movement with 1,200 volunteers across the country, 1 million followers, 1 billion social media hits  and $600,000 in funds raised. He is speaking at Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference 2026, on Women’s Equality Day, August 26.

“Too many young people have lost faith in democracy,” says He, now 18, who recently completed his freshman year at University of Texas-Austin where he is a pre-law, government history major.

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“You can’t save the world, but you can take care of the postage stamp in your yard.”

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Ann Patchett, 62, best-selling author of 17 books, winner of the PEN/Faulkner award, Pulitzer Prize finalist, winner of the Women’s Prize For Fiction in the UK, the President’s National Humanities Medal, named Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the world, and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, told a crowd recently as part of the Chicago Humanities, that stories frame everything.

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In an on-stage conversation with Lisa Lucas, former senior vice president at Knopf Doubleday, and former executive director of the National Book Foundation, Patchett says, “What we all need is a sense of community, something we feel good about, that is something I am thrilled to be a part of.”

Her mission to use storytelling for leadership and change is aligned with the work of Kendall Cherry, Founder and Chief Storyteller at The Candid Collective, who is leading a Storytelling workshop at Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference August 26.

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Spend three minutes speaking with Wanjiku Kamau, founder, author, entrepreneur, and AI strategist and you believe everything and anything she has to offer. Because it is all backed up with knowledge and innovative insight.

“I’m unstoppable. AI is not the reason, but the tool that has helped me get here,” says Kamau, founder of Teal Voice, co-founder of Teal Bridge, author of Out of the Loop, Into the Algorithm: How I Finally Made Friends With AI, and speaker at Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference August 26.‍ ‍

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Her silence was heard around the world.

Immediately following the infamous June 27, 2024 presidential debate between Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump, the expectation was First Lady Jill Biden would publicly express her concern for her husband’s verbal stumbling, confusion and apparent incapacity.

But she only told her husband her thoughts privately and stayed mum publicly. When he waked off the Atlanta stage after the failed debate, he whispered to Jill, “I really f—cked up, didn’t I, Jill?”

Jill Biden, now 75, says she responded to him, “Yes, you did, Joe.”

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 You can trust a handful of people in your life—maybe—and they might include your mom, sister, best friend, college roommate, partner. Add Minda Harts to that special list. Trust me on that one.

Award-winning, best-selling author, consultant, filmmaker, global trust keynote speaker, equity specialist and workplace communications expert Harts is building trust everywhere she goes with her latest book, Talk To Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages For A Better Workplace.

 She will be sharing her trustworthy insight as a speaker at Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference 2026 August 26 in Washington, D.C.

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“We are carrying the baton of history,” says Kelsey Nicole Nelson, award-winning sports journalist, branding specialist, college instructor, entrepreneur, role model, activist, nationally renowned speaker and host of Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference on Women’s Equality Day, August 26. 

“I’ve always felt the role of journalist is to tell the story,” says Nelson, who recently founded her branding and communications firm, Kryptiann, where she is founder and CEO. She was awarded 2025 Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce.

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