Agenda


The draft agenda for the FREE Forum Birmingham can be found here.

Confirmed Speakers


 
Ian Rowe

Ian Rowe

Senior Fellow, AEI

Ian V. Rowe is the founder of Vertex Partnership Academies and a Senior Fellow at the American Enter...

Robert Doar

Robert Doar

President, AEI

Robert Doar is the president of the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Doar became AEI’s 12th pre...

William B. Allen

William B. Allen

Resident Scholar, Center for Urban Renewal and Education

William B. Allen is a resident scholar and the former chief operating officer of the Center for Urba...

 
DeForest B. Soaries

DeForest B. Soaries

President and CEO, Corporate Community Connections

Dr. Soaries is the President and CEO of Corporate Community Connections, Inc., a company that assist...

S. Jonathan Bass

S. Jonathan Bass

Professor of History, Samford University

S. Jonathan Bass is a Professor of History and the University Historian at Samford University in Bir...

JW Carpenter

JW Carpenter

President, Prosper Birmingham

J.W. Carpenter began his tenure as the inaugural president of Prosper Birmingham in February 2021. P...

 
JP De Gance

JP De Gance

Founder and President, Communio

JP is the co-author of the book, Endgame: The Church’s Strategic Move to Save Faith and Family in Am...

Beverly Hallberg

Beverly Hallberg

Founder and President, District Media Group

Beverly Hallberg is the founder and president of District Media Group. An expert media coach, lectur...

Collin Hansen

Collin Hansen

Vice President for Content, Gospel Coalition

Collin Hansen serves as vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition. He h...

 
Alton Hardy

Alton Hardy

Pastor and Founder, Urban Hope Community Church

Alton Hardy serves as the pastor and founder of Urban Hope Community Church and an ordained teaching...

Helen Young Hayes

Helen Young Hayes

Founder and CEO, ActivateWork

Helen Young Hayes is the founder and CEO of ActivateWork. ActivateWork’s mission is to connect diver...

Liz Huntley

Liz Huntley

President, The Hope Institute

Elizabeth “Liz” Huntley is a committed child advocate and a passionate litigation attorney. She prac...

 
Ruth Ann Moss

Ruth Ann Moss

Executive Director, Birmingham Talks

Ruth Ann Moss’s passion for educational equity led her to start her career as a Teach For America co...

Herbie Newell

Herbie Newell

President and Executive Director, Lifeline Children's Services

Herbie Newell is the President and Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services and its minist...

Brent Orrell

Brent Orrell

Senior Fellow, AEI

Brent Orrell is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he works on job training...

 
Robert Pondiscio

Robert Pondiscio

Senior Fellow, AEI

Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on ...

Naomi Schaefer Riley

Naomi Schaefer Riley

Senior Fellow, AEI

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on c...

Ryan Streeter

Ryan Streeter

Director of Domestic Policy Studies and State Farm James Q. Wilson Scholar, AEI

Ryan Streeter is Director of Domestic Policy and the State Farm James Q. Wilson Scholar at the Ameri...

 
David Ian Walker

David Ian Walker

Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Alabama

Dr. David Ian Walker is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the Universi...