KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Christina Blacken is the visionary founder of The New Quo Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering unity and overcoming social isolation. Through original media and free, community-driven storytelling initiatives, the foundation creates spaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds share authentic narratives of bravery. Prior to establishing the foundation, Christina developed evidence-based leadership and narrative frameworks, training over 31,000 professionals across nine distinct industries. Her methodology focuses on enhancing interpersonal trust and mitigating bias by leveraging the inherent wisdom found in personal histories.

Her expertise has been utilized by prestigious global institutions, including Microsoft, Pfizer, and Nextdoor, as well as academic centers like Yale, Cambridge, Barnard, and Columbia Universities. A prolific thought leader, her insights have been highlighted in prominent publications such as the NY Times, Forbes, TeenVogue, Business Insider, and Nasdaq.com. Originally from Utah and a resident of New York City for sixteen years, Christina brings a unique cultural perspective to her work, alongside an extensive, if perhaps unnecessary, knowledge of Jell-O applications.

Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg is an eminent specialist in food systems and social equity. She currently serves as the Managing Director for Africa at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, while also holding a position as a Trustee on the Board of Bioversity UK/USA. Before these appointments, she contributed her expertise as a Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation. Her professional history includes serving as the inaugural Executive Director and Founder of Black Women in Executive Leadership (B-WEL) and holding leadership positions within Schmidt Futures, specifically as an Executive-In-Residence and the first Executive Director of the Rise program.

Throughout her career, Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg has remained dedicated to fostering agricultural prosperity and gender-responsive innovation. This commitment was central to her tenure as Director of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). Additionally, she established Akili Dada, a recognized leadership incubator designed to empower high-achieving young women from modest backgrounds to lead transformation in their own communities. Her expertise is frequently sought by global organizations; she contributes to the selection committee for the Africa Food Prize and the Malabo Montpellier Panel, supporting advancements in food security across the continent.

Beyond her advocacy, Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg serves on the boards of the Syngenta Foundation, the Autodesk Foundation, the Global Food Banking Network, and the Council of Co-Impact’s Gender Fund. Her background in academia includes roles as an assistant professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco and a lecturer at Hekima College. Her scholarly work explored themes of African governance, democratization, and the intersection of technology with social activism. Her impactful contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including being named a White House Champion of Change and one of the 100 Most Influential Africans.

A native of Kenya, Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg earned her PhD and Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and an honorary doctorate from Whitman College. She is a recognized Ford Foundation Champion of Democracy and an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, continuing her work to ensure that agricultural resources and social structures are improved for future generations.

Sarah Moshman is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and TEDx speaker whose powerful storytelling has been featured on platforms including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, PBS, CNN, Good Morning America, Upworthy, and Marie Claire. Committed to spotlighting resilience, ambition, and the strength of women, she has directed and produced five short documentaries and three acclaimed feature documentaries: The Empowerment Project (2014), Losing Sight of Shore (2017), and Nevertheless (2020).

Her narrative work includes UNBOUND, a short film about the first mother in space starring Lauren Lapkus, which won First Place at NASA’s 2022 CineSpace Film Competition. More recently, she wrote and directed A MOTHER IS BORN, a poignant short film exploring the profound transformation into motherhood.

Sarah also directed SHE CHOSE WAR, a short documentary profiling a courageous young female soldier in Ukraine. She is currently directing two feature-length documentaries spotlighting history-making women—one in space and one in sports.

Sarah also works as the Artistic Director of Look What SHE Did! and we have a collection of over 150+ films of women we should never forget! I was able to start my own mentorship program for women filmmakers over 30 called Look What SHE’s Doing! to learn camera, audio and lighting so they can make their own documentaries.

Driven by a mission to uplift, inform, and inspire, Sarah is passionate about telling stories that champion strong female role models and spark meaningful conversations as well as mentoring the next generation of filmmakers along the way.

Corinne ‘Cor’ Sams (Cayuse/Walla Walla/Cocopah) is an elected Board of Trustees Member for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) serving since 2019. She began her profession in youth advocacy working as a Title 6 Indian Education Coordinator in the Pendleton Public School System. Later went on to work for Portland State University as an Assistant Data Analyst in the Department of Social Work. This experience set the stage for Corinne to embrace her role within tribal government, social and public service in the tribal community as an advocate for the CTUIR and surrounding communities.

Corinne is currently the Vice Chair of the CTUIR Law and Order Committee and the Chair of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, Secretary of the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, and Chair of the Oregon State Tribal Consultation Task Force. In addition to her responsibilities as a Tribal Leader, Corinne is one of the advisors for the CTUIR Youth Council. Corinne was a 2024 recipient of the ECO Trust Indigenous Leadership Award.

She is vigilant in protecting, and enhancing Treaty reserved rights. She is committed to restoring and protecting Salmon in the Columbia Basin. Corinne has fished most of her life on the Columbia River and tributaries, mainly scaffold/hook and line. As a fisher and commissioner, Corinne wants to ensure our resources, ecosystem, habitat, and aquatic species are maintained for those yet unborn.

Her interests include spending time with her family, coaching all sports, hunting, camping, fishing, gathering first foods, and anything and everything to do with tribal people.