2025 Speakers

  • Tyler Cowen

    Professor of Economics, Columnist, and Blogger

  • Dr. Nita Farahany

    Professor of Law and Philosophy at Duke University and author of The Battle for Your Brain

  • Chemi Lhamo

    Tibetan-Canadian Activist and the Canadian representative for the International Tibet Network's Steering Committee

  • Matthew Johnson-Roberson

    Dean of Vanderbilt University's College of Connected Computing

  • Greg Lukianoff

    FIRE CEO and Co-Author of The Coddling and Canceling of the American Mind

  • Rikki Schlott

    Journalist, Co-Author, and Podcast Host on Bill Maher’s network

  • Jonathan Rauch

    Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth

  • David French

    NYT Columnist and Co-Host of a leading legal podcast

  • Jacob Mchangama

    Founder and Executive Director, The Future of Free Speech

  • Sarah Isgur

    Senior Editor at The Dispatch, Legal Analyst, and Former DOJ Spokesperson

  • Thomas Chatterton Williams

    Atlantic Writer, Author, and Bard Visiting Professor

  • Yascha Mounk

    Persuasion Founder, Podcast Host, and Author of The Identity Trap

  • Nathasha Edirisooriya

    Sri Lankan Stand‑Up Comedian and Human Rights Advocate

  • Peter Boghossian

    Socratic Method Expert, Educator, and Founder at University of Austin

  • John Wood Jr.

    National Leader for Braver Angels, Columnist for USA TODAY

  • Michael Moynihan

    American Journalist, Former National Correspondent for Vice News.

  • Faisal Al Mutar

    Founder, Ideas Beyond Borders; Social Entrepreneur in Middle East Development

  • Renée DiResta

    Professor, Writer and Former Research Manager at Stanford Internet Observatory

  • Dr. William B. Irvine

    Philosophy Professor and Author of The Guide to the Good Life.

  • Samantha Barbas

    Professor of Law and Aliber Family Chair in Law at the University of Iowa College of Law

  • Prof. Randall Kennedy

    Professor at Harvard Law School , Author, and Public Intellectual

  • Peter Greste

    Journalism Professor and Press Freedom Advocate at Macquarie University

  • Glen Weyl

    Founder, Plural Technology at Microsoft and Tech Liberty Initiatives

  • Prof. Ge Chen

    Associate Professor at Durham Law School and 2025 Award Winner of the Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression

  • Bay Fang

    President of Radio Free Asia; Former Journalist and U.S. Diplomat

  • Tarik Beyhan

    Human Rights and Digital Rights Advocate; ex-Amnesty Campaign Director

  • John Tomasi

    President of Heterodox Academy, and for many years the Romeo Elton 1844 Professor at Brown University

  • Jonathan Turley

    American Attorney, Legal Scholar, Writer and Legal Analyst

  • Jodie Ginsberg

    CEO, Committee to Protect Journalists; Media Freedom Advocate

  • Kevin Goldberg

    Vice President and First Amendment Expert at Freedom Forum

  • Nikola Ilic

    Leadership Professor, Social Entrepreneur, and Life-long Democracy Activist

  • Alsu Kurmasheva

    Journalist and Editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

  • Mariam Southwell

    Co-Founder of Diatove and Georgian Activist

  • Dr. Alice Siu

    Political Communication Expert at Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab

  • Agustina Del Campo

    Law Professor and Director of CELE at Universidad de Palermo, specializing in freedom of expression and international human rights law

  • Mary Kate Cary

    Mary Kate Cary is Director of Think Again at UVA and a Former White House Speechwriter

  • Carlos Affonso Souza

    Professor at UERJ and Director of ITS Rio, known for his work on Brazil’s Internet Bill of Rights and current leadership in tech policy, data protection, and AI regulation

  • Daniel Diermeier

    Chancellor, Vanderbilt University

  • Ben Brooks

    Affiliate at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center and Head of Public Policy at Black Forest Labs

  • Usama Khilji

    Digital Rights Activist and Bolo Bhi Co-Founder in Pakistan

  • Rod Smolla

    Professor of Law at Vermont Law and Graduate School, and Senior Counsel at Meier Watkins Phillips Pusch in Washington, DC

  • Ashkhen Kazaryan

    A Senior Legal Fellow at The Future of Free Speech

  • Francesca Procaccini

    Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Law School

  • Jordi Calvet-Bademunt

    Senior Research Fellow at The Future of Free Speech and a Visiting Scholar at Vanderbilt University

  • Jacob N. Shapiro

    John Foster Dulles Professor of International Affairs at Princeton University

  • Shikha Dalmia

    Founder and President of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism and Editor of The UnPopulist

  • Kyung Sin Park

    Professor, Korea University Law School; Director, Open Net Korea