Rue Mapp candidly documents her personal experiences while pioneering and shifting a new visual representation of Black people in the outdoors. The outdoorswoman transformed her kitchen table blog into a nature-inspired enterprise and movement. Today, Mapp is the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. For more than a decade, the national not-for-profit organization has continued to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature across the United States. Mapp’s work in nature and outdoor-related fields started in her hometown of Oakland, California, and has since grown to inspire international headlines.

Mapp has served on several nonprofit boards, including the Outdoor Industry Association, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and the American Camp Association. She was appointed by California governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission where she served for eight years and was voted to chair. Currently, she’s vice chair for The Wilderness Society and on the executive committee of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership boards both based in Washington, D.C.

Mapp is an awarded and inspirational leader, speaker, public lands champion, outdoor gear designer, and published author. She established not-for-profit enterprise Outdoor Afro, Inc. in 2021 and subsequently launched a 22-piece hike collection with outdoor retailer REI Co-op. Her first national book titled “Nature Swagger” released with American publisher Chronicle Books on Nov. 1, 2022.

Stress and adversity can forever change your life—for the better! Just ask resilience expert, Dr. Deborah Gilboa. Popularly known as “Dr. G.,” she teaches individuals, teams, and companies some of the most valuable skills they need to learn—how to transform fear, stress, and anxiety into resilience, productivity, and innovation.

Dr. G is a popular TV guest and a board-certified family physician who frequently appears on top television programs including TODAY, Good Morning America and The Doctors. She is also a contributor to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Forbes, and other print and digital outlets. Dr. G is also the author of five self-development books, which include From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less.

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a core faculty member and Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation. and a podcaster with Learning How to See. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellow and is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt (January 2021), and Do I Stay Christian? (May 2022). His newest release, Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart, was released in May 2024.

Brian has been active in networking and mentoring church planters and pastors since the mid 1980’s, and has assisted in the development of several new churches. He is a popular conference speaker and a frequent guest lecturer for denominational and ecumenical leadership gatherings – across the US and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. His public speaking covers a broad range of topics including postmodern thought and culture, Biblical studies, church leadership and spiritual formation, pastoral survival and burnout, inter-religious dialogue, and global crises.