Closing Presentations (Bovard Auditorium)
Hear from three powerful changemakers who will inspire you to make a positive difference.
The Feminist Movement’s Next Wave
In the United States, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 2 Black women have an incarcerated loved one. What if this startling human rights crisis also held the solution to gender injustice? Learn how we can build our communities to be safer and drive social change by following the leadership of women with incarcerated loved ones.
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Gina Clayton-Johnson ’05
Founder and Executive Director, Essie Justice Group
Gina Clayton-Johnson is the founder and executive director of Essie Justice Group, the nation’s leading advocacy organization for women with incarcerated loved ones. She is also a central architect of the BREATHE Act, the largest piece of federal legislation delivered by a social movement to the U.S. Congress. For more than 15 years, Clayton-Johnson has been an advocate for Black communities, serving as an organizer, attorney and activist. During her tenure as a public defense attorney, she specialized in representing low-income women facing eviction because of a family member’s criminal record. Clayton-Johnson is a USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences alum. |
You Won’t Break My Soul: A Love Story
This story is about life, leadership and love—a journey of transformation through the lens of a gay, black woman leading in the hypermasculine military and tech bro cultures. Be inspired to step toward agency, lead with humanity, create inclusive organizations and make a positive impact in the world.
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Kristen Kavanaugh MSW ’12
Vice Chair, Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, U.S. Department of Defense
Kristen Kavanaugh is the vice chair of the U.S. Department of Defense’s inaugural Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. This committee provides advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the improvement of racial/ethnic diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity within the department, with a primary focus on military personnel. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Kavanaugh is a co-founder of the Military Acceptance Project (MAP), which helped lead to the military’s repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding LGBTQ+ service members. She is a USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work alum. |
Make Taste, Not Waste! Shaking Up the Food Industry with Upcycled Snacks
The United States wastes up to 40% of its annual food supply, with a devastating impact on climate change. The foods we waste most are exactly the foods we should be eating more of: fruits and vegetables. Discover how an alum is transforming upcycled ingredients into nutritious snacks to fight food waste.
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Kaitlin Mogentale ’15
Founder, Pulp Pantry
Kaitlin Mogentale is a self-proclaimed food waste warrior and the founder of Pulp Pantry, which transforms upcycled ingredients—the overlooked, nutritional byproducts of fruit and vegetable processing—into wholesome snack staples. Her forward-thinking, upcycled products are currently sold in Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, Thrive Market and top natural retailers across the country. Mogentale is a USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences alum. |