2. Welcome to the Emotion Revolution Summit! We are
so excited for you to join us for this important day of
discussion, reflection, and connection. The Yale Center
for Emotional Intelligence and Born This Way Foundation
cannot wait to hear from YOU about how emotions shape
your life and the tools and support you need to thrive.
We launched the Emotion Revolution this past spring to
build awareness of the critical role emotions play in young
people’s learning, decision-making, and overall wellness. It
began with an unprecedented online survey of high school-
age youth nationwide, providing data that will be essential
to strengthening the scientific understanding of how to
effectively build positive school climates and connect
young people with the emotional tools they need to lead
happy, healthy, and productive lives.
Today you will hear about the findings of the study which
explored how youth feel, how they want to feel, and how to
bridge the gap between the two. This Emotion Revolution
Summit will also serve as a platform for young people like
YOU to share your ideas for creating improved learning
environments with educators, academics, and policy
makers.
We will be joined by some very special guests – of all ages
– and we hope you will leave here inspired and motivated.
Transforming our understanding of emotions is a big job
and none of us can do it alone. That is why we’re counting
on you to take what you learn here today and bring it back
to your schools and communities. Working together, we will
make the world a kinder and braver place.
Thank YOU for joining the Emotion Revolution!
With Gratitude and Hope,
Marc Brackett Cynthia Germanotta
3. 7:00 AM
BREAKFAST & REGISTRATION
First Floor Dining Hall
8:30 AM
WELCOME
Zhang Auditorium
10:10 AM
MORNING WORKSHOPS & BREAKOUT SESSIONS
See Map for Locations
11:30 AM
GROUP A LUNCH
First Floor Dining Hall
GROUP B EXHIBITS
2nd Floor Concourse
11:45 AM
VIP LUNCH
Beinecke Terrace
12:15 PM
GROUP A EXHIBITS
2nd Floor Concourse
GROUP B LUNCH
First Floor Dining Hall
1:10 PM
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS & BREAKOUT SESSIONS
See Map for Locations
3:00 PM
RECONVENING
Zhang Auditorium
4:45 PM
CHARTER PRESENTATION
Zhang Auditorium
5:00 PM
CLOSING
Zhang Auditorium
First Floor
Youth Workshop // Zhang Auditorium
VIP Luncheon
Adult Workshop
Expo PavilionExpo Pavilion
Breakfast & Lunch
Second Floor
4. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is Director of the
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and
Senior Research Scientist in Psychology
at Yale University. Dr. Brackett has
published over 100 scholarly articles
and is the recipient of numerous
awards, including the Joseph E. Zins
Award for his research on social and
emotional learning. He is the co-creator
of RULER, an evidence-based approach
to teaching social and emotional learning
that has been adopted by more than
1000 schools reaching over a million
students, including their educators
and families. Dr. Brackett serves on a
wide-range of Advisory Boards, including
CASEL and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way
Foundation. For the last three years,
he has collaborated with Facebook
on three projects: (1) tools to help
adolescents manage online bulling, (2)
the bullying prevention hub, a resource
for children, families, and educators; and
(3) inspirED, a resource center to help
high schools build more positive learning
environments.
DIRECTOR, YALE CENTER FOR
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER, BORN
THIS WAY FOUNDATION
Daniella, a rising junior at Highland Park
High School in Illinois, is the co-founder
of GIVE.The project funds and installs
internet, films educational peer-to-peer
videos, and sends computers, letters, and
flip flops signed with messages of hope
to schools in India, Uganda and Rwanda.
Daniella has spoken at TEDxRedmond
about “The Evolution of Lunch Tables,”
School 21 in London, the Harvard College
Social Innovation Collaborative, and
Northwestern University’s “Opportunities
for the Future” conference. She has also
led Ashoka’s Youth Venture workshops
at George Washington University and
Marquette University. Daniella has
received several awards including the
Princeton Prize in Race Relations, Build-
A-Bear’s Huggable Hero, Prudential’s
Spirit of Community Award, and was a
finalist for the Gloria Barron Prize. She
was featured in “30 International Social
Entrepreneurs,” a documentary by
GoYoung and was awarded an Honorable
Mention in the White House Student Film
Festival for her documentary film “The
Impact of GIVE:White House Student Film
Festival 2015.”
Antigone Davis is Head of Global Safety
at Facebook, where she works with
internal teams at Facebook and with
external safety organizations to ensure
that Facebook remains a leader in online
safety and that policymakers understand
the steps Facebook takes to promote
safety online.
Antigone also spearheads the efforts
of Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board, a
team of leading safety organizations from
around the world who provide Facebook
with cutting edge research and advice on
best practices.
Prior to joining Facebook,Antigone
spent 10 years working for the Attorney
General of Maryland.As Senior Advisor
to the Attorney General, she helped
establish the office’s online privacy
and safety unit, and led the National
Association of Attorney General’s 2012-
2013 presidential initiative “Privacy in
the Digital Age.” During this time period,
she also managed a number of statewide
and municipal campaigns.
Before serving in the public sector,
Antigone used her masters in education
to teach middle and high school students
and her juris doctorate as a corporate
attorney in Chicago.
Antigone is a graduate of Barnard College
of Columbia University and University of
Chicago Law School.
HEAD OF GLOBAL SAFETY, FACEBOOK YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER, BORN
THIS WAY FOUNDATION
Shadille Estepan currently attends the
Journalism and Communications College
at the University of Florida where she
fuses her passions for videography and
the nonprofit sector. Since high school
she has explored her interests in theatre
performance, video production, student
leadership, and community service. She
has been trusted with the responsibilities
of serving as Student Body President and
Student Representative to the District
Board of Trustees at Miami Dade College
West,Youth Advisory Board Member
of Born This Way Foundation, and full
time big sister.These experiences
have collectively influenced her current
passions and continue to serve as
motivation to create positive social
change.
5. Cynthia Bissett Germanotta, President
and Co-Founder of Born This Way
Foundation, launched BTWF alongside
her daughter, Stefani (Lady Gaga), in
2012 with the passionate intent to
“empower youth” and “inspire bravery.”
Cynthia, a former telecommunications
executive whose career in sales spanned
twenty-five years, has been the recipient
of numerous honors for her work with
the foundation, including the National
Association of School Psychologists
Special Friend to Children Award for
2013, the 2015 No Place for Hate’s
Making a Difference Award, FOSI’s
award for Outstanding Achievement,
and was recently honored by The
Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy for her and the
foundation’s effort to curb and prevent
campus sexual assault.
An honors graduate from West Virginia
University, Cynthia went on to earn her
Masters Degree in Public Administration
from The George Washington University
in Washington, D.C. Cynthia has been
an advocate for the Women’s Council on
Heart Health for the Ronald O. Perelman
Heart Institute, in addition to being on
the Board of the Empowerment Initiative
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
She also served on the Ladies Auxiliary
Committee of The Columbus Citizens
Foundation – as well as receiving the
CCF’s Humanitarian Award for 2015
- and is a member to the Board of
Governors for the Parsons New School
of Design.
PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER,
BORN THIS WAY FOUNDATION
NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS
Carmen Fariña is Chancellor of the New
York City Department of Education, the
largest school district in the nation,
serving 1.1 million students in over
1,800 schools. During her five-decade
career, she has distinguished herself
as an innovative teacher, principal,
superintendent, and deputy chancellor.
As Chancellor, her agenda focuses on
meeting the needs of the whole child;
engaging parents and families; ensuring
collaboration, trust, and accountability
within the system; and supporting
rigorous Common-Core based standards
to raise student achievement. Carmen
is co-author of A School Leader’s Guide
to Excellence: Collaborating Our Way to
Better Schools (Heinemann, 2008).
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, LIFE IS GOOD
Bert Jacobs is Co-Founder and CEO
(Chief Executive Optimist) of The Life
is Good Company, which spreads the
power of optimism through inspiring
art, a passionate community, and
groundbreaking nonprofit work. Bert and
his brother John launched their business
with $78 in their pockets, selling T-shirts
in the streets of Boston.Today, Life is
Good is a $100 million positive lifestyle
brand sold by over 4,000 retailers across
the US and Canada.
Bert worked as a ski instructor and pizza
delivery guy in Vail, CO before teaming
with his brother John to design and sell
T-shirts in college dorms up and down
the East Coast.After five years traveling
in their van together, the brothers
officially launched Life is Good.
Bert focuses his energy on guiding the
Life is Good brand vision, and developing
strategic partnerships and collaborations
with organizations that extend the Life is
Good brand to new product categories
and customers. He enjoys live music,
travel, and surfing. His shoes do not
always match.
To inspire others to choose optimism and
grow the good in their lives, Bert and
John wrote Life is Good:The Book/ How
to Live with Purpose and Enjoy the Ride,
published by National Geographic in
September 2015.
Bert has been awarded honorary
doctorates from several universities for
entrepreneurship, business innovation
and philanthropy. He and Life is Good
have been featured on “CNNMoney,”
CNBC’s “Business Nation,”ABC News’
“Nightline,” NBC’s “The Today Show,”
and in The New York Times, The Wall
Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men’s
Health Magazine, among others.
Kamey Gomez is an alchemist.A
17-year old from East Harlem New
York, she has transformed traumatic
experiences into stories of inspiration
through spoken word, rhymes, and
motivational speeches.Attending the
NYC Lab School down in Chelsea, NY as
a Junior, she uses education as an outlet
of escape from harsh circumstances.
She uses life’s trials as inspiration for
her work–pushing herself and others to
create lives others deem impossible.An
empowerment advocate and aspiring
actress, she dreams of a world in which
boys and girls from even the harshest
circumstances can attain their wildest
dreams.
STUDENT
7. Dr. Susan M. Swearer is the Willa Cather
Professor of Educational Psychology
at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln
(UNL); Co-Director of the Bullying
Research Network (http://brnet.unl.edu);
Director of the Empowerment Initiative
(http://empowerment.unl.edu); and
Chair of the Research Advisory Board
for the Born This Way Foundation (www.
bornthisway.foundation).
Susan is the co-author of Bullying
Prevention and Intervention: Realistic
Strategies for Schools (2009) and
co-editor of the books, Handbook of
Bullying in Schools:An International
Perspective (2010) and Bullying in North
American Schools, 2nd edition (2011).
She was one of four invited presenters
at the 2011 White House Bullying
Prevention Conference and she was a
panel member at Harvard University for
the launch of Born This Way Foundation
along with Lady Gaga, Oprah, Deepak
Chopra, and Secretary of HHS Kathleen
Sebelieus. From January 2013 through
March 2013, Dr. Swearer conducted an
evaluation study of the Born Brave Bus
Tour, a youth empowerment experience
that reached over 150,000 participants.
The Born Brave Experiences research
study has surveyed over 10,000 youth
and young adults about their experiences
with mental health, help-seeking
preferences, psychological functioning,
and the tools that they need in order to
create a kinder and bravery world.
PH.D., WILLA CATHER PROFESSOR OF
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, UNL CHAIR,
RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD, BORN
THIS WAY FOUNDATION
WESTBROOK HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
Serena Trudel is currently a senior
at Westbrook High School. She has
been closely involved within the
school enhancing school climate with
teachers and students through training
and activities which promote positive
relationships and school atmosphere.
She is presently enrolled as a leader
in the school’s Teen Leadership School
Climate Senior Seminar and is involved
in the training of underclassmen. She
is planning on going to attend college
to become a Certified Registered Nurse
Anesthetist.
Serena has been a pioneer working
with School Climate for three years
in Westbrook High School and has
participated in state and national
conferences focusing on students’
utilization as resources for school climate
improvement. She has presented at
the National School Climate Center in
Manhattan and numerous presentations
through the Connecticut Association of
Schools and the Connecticut Department
of Education serving both adult and
student audiences. She recently
presented at the 4th Annual Girls
Symposium Workshop sponsored by the
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation
Fund for Women & Girls. Serena utilizes
her school climate training for promoting
females in leadership roles and
manifests the maturation and changes
that takes place in the high school
years through personal development
of emotional intelligence and social
learning.
The Yale Spizzwinks(?) are America’s first
and oldest underclassman a cappella
group. Since 1914, they have entertained
audiences around the world with our
unique blend of sweet harmony and
tongue-in-cheek humor.
PRINCIPAL, BARD HIGH SCHOOL EARLY
COLLEGE CLEVELAND
Dumaine Williams, a native of Kingston,
Jamaica moved to the United States
at age 18 to attend Bard College in
New York. He is currently the founding
Principal at Bard High School Early
College (BHSEC) Cleveland. Before
joining the team at BHSEC Cleveland
he served as the Dean of Students at
BHSEC Newark and as the Director of
the College Preparatory Program at
New Jersey SEEDS, a Newark-based
educational non-profit. His first teaching
job was as an English teacher at a
small school in rural Thailand. Before
working as an administrator Dumaine
was a lecturer and research associate
in the Department of Endocrinology at
Albert Einstein College of Medicine,
and a post-doctoral research fellow in
the Department of Pharmacology and
Systems Therapeutics at Mount Sinai
Hospital. During his graduate studies
he worked to develop various academic
programs focused on supporting
underrepresented populations in the
fields of science and medicine. He now
lives in Cleveland with his wife Erika,
two kids (Maya and Theo - both under
the age of 5) and a beagle-mix named
Maybe
8. The BULLY Project is a full spectrum advocacy campaign inspired by the award winning film BULLY. Powered by partnership,
we build will and capacity for social and emotional learning practices as the key to creating safer schools and improving
educational outcomes for all.
WWE is a global entertainment company whose purpose is to make people smile.WWE, a publicly traded company, is
an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment.The company consists of a portfolio of
businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience.WWE is committed to family friendly
entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms.WWE programming
reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages.WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium
network that includes all 12 live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently
available in more than 175 countries.
Six Seconds is a global nonprofit network working toward one billion people practicing emotional intelligence (www.6seconds.
org ).With offices and representatives in 25 countries, we provide powerful, evidence-based tools and methods to make
emotional intelligence practical, scientific, and transformational.
Dancing Classrooms helps children succeed in life by unleashing rapid development of essential social, emotional and
cognitive skills.A distinctively rich, in-school experience, the program engages students in the joy, discipline and teamwork
of the art of social dance and creates mutually respectful and effective learning environments. Started in one New York City
public school in 1994 by ballroom champion Pierre Dulaine, Dancing Classrooms Global has worked its magic on more than
400,000 students, their teachers, and families in 31 cities in the U.S. and abroad.We currently serve over 50,000 students a
year.
The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and
fair treatment to all.” Now the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agency,ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of
bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all.ADL is proud to be one of the leading providers of anti-bias
and anti-bullying programs in Connecticut.
The Flawless Foundation is revolutionizing the way the world perceives, prevents and treats brain based behavioral
challenges.They see the perfection in every person and envision a society where everyone is understood and embraced as
Flawless.
Active Minds is the leading national organization that engages students to change the conversation about mental health.The
nonprofit is transforming the culture on campuses and in the community by providing information, leadership opportunities
and advocacy training to the next generation.Through a rapidly growing network of hundreds of student-led chapters at
colleges, universities and high schools,Active Minds increases students’ awareness of mental health, provides education
regarding mental illness, and encourages students to seek help as soon as it is needed. For more information visit www.
ActiveMinds.org.
Move This World fosters a healthy, safe, and supportive school climate where effective teaching and learning can occur by
providing teachers and students with social and emotional coping skills needed to reduce and manage the multiple stresses
of day to day life whether a result of poverty, tensions at home, or trials at school. By collaborating with MTW, schools
decrease suspensions, incident reports, chronic absenteeism, teacher attrition and other barriers to teaching and learning and
improve educator morale and organizational health.
Microsoft is a leading global technology company with the mission to empower every person and every organization on the
planet to achieve more.
Narrative 4 (N4) is a global organisation that fosters empathy by breaking down barriers and shattering stereotypes through
the exchange of stories. Headed by the world’s most influential artists, educators, students and community advocates, N4 is
committed to developing the next generation of empathetic leaders and citizens.
DoSomething.org is one of the largest global orgs for young people and social change; our 4 million members in 130
countries tackle volunteer campaigns that impact every cause. poverty. discrimination, the environment, and everything else
that matters. Our promise: any cause, anytime, anywhere.
Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for people in crisis via text. For more, visit www.crisistextline.org. Interested in
volunteering to be a crisis counselor? Visit www.crisistextline.org/volunteer to learn more.
CEO STARFISH MEDIA GROUP
Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning
journalist, documentarian, news anchor
and producer.At the forefront of the
biggest breaking news stories of the past
two decades, Soledad is one of the most
sought-after journalists today. In June
2013, Soledad launched Starfish Media
Group, a multi-platform media production
and distribution company, dedicated to
uncovering and producing empowering
stories that take a challenging look at
the often divisive issues of race, class,
wealth, poverty and opportunity, through
personal narratives.
Soledad was the originator of the highly
successful documentary series for
CNN,“Black in America” and “Latino
in America,” which continues to be
produced under Starfish Media Group
(“SMG”).Through SMG, Soledad
contributes additional programming to
CNN and Al Jazeera America in the form
of documentaries and feature stories.
She also hosts several specials for the
National Geographic Channel. In 2013,
through SMG, Soledad entered into
a multifaceted partnership with HBO,
joining the “Real Sports with Bryant
Gumbel” team, giving her the opportunity
to contribute her brand of storytelling
through the vast prism of sports.
Earlier in her career, Soledad co-
anchored “Weekend Today”, on NBC,
and contributed segments to the “Today”
show and “NBC Nightly News.” In
2003, Soledad joined CNN, where she
anchored the morning news program for
many years. Soledad’s coverage of race
issues has won her two Emmy awards
and she earned a third for her reporting
on the 2012 presidential election. Her
coverage of Hurricane Katrina for CNN
earned her and the network a George
Foster Peabody Award. She also won the
Peabody for her coverage of the BP Gulf
Coast Oil Spill, and her reporting on the
Southeast Asia tsunami helped CNN win
an Alfred I. DuPont Award.
Called “the Maya Angelou of the
Millennial generation”Azure Antoinette
is a poet, CEO of multi-brand startup
Antoinette & Marie Holdings, brand
humanist and creative strategist. She has
forged creative partnerships with dozens
of Fortune 500 companies, worldwide
brands, and national organizations by
using her unique talent to curate and
custom write the story of a brand.Azure
Antoinette has become a stoic and
towering voice in the digital age. In her
words “technology is brilliant, however it
is an accessory for us to become more
efficient, not a replacement.”Azure was
included in Forbes’s “100 Most Powerful
Women in the World” issue in 2012
and was featured in a special section
titled “Women Helping Women.” Most
recently, in December 2013,Azure closed
TEDWomen in San Francisco and was
named brand ambassador for Gap and
Clean & Clear for the 2014 calendar
year. Her most recent commission clients
include Motown Records, Born This Way
Foundation and Yale Center for Emotional
Intelligence.
MODERATOR
CEO OF ANTOINETTE & MARIE HOLDINGS
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
9. The Emotion Revolution Summit is
brought to you by the Yale Center for
Emotional Intelligence and Born This Way
Foundation, in partnership with Facebook
and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
This event was made possible by the generous
support of our sponsors.