United for the Future: Tocqueville. Tomorrow. Together.

Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur, international best-selling author and award winning film producer. Gardner’s autobiography, The Pursuit of HappYness became a New York Times #1 best seller, has been translated into over forty languages, including six dialects of Chinese and is currently being translated into Arabic. Gardner is also the inspiration for the critically acclaimed film “The Pursuit of HappYness” for which Will Smith received the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nominations for his performance.

Gardner’s second book, “Start Where You Are” also a best seller was published in 2009. Chris is currently finishing his newest book “Permission to Dream: The Blueprint” which could be available this year.

Gardner has recently won a Peabody Award for producing “And Still I Rise,” a documentary about the life of his dear friend and mentor Dr. Maya Angelou.

Gardner has, as he says, re-enlisted in the United States Navy. Last year, he was honored to receive The Lone Sailor Award from the United States Navy Memorial Foundation. Some of the previous winners of this award include: Arnold Palmer, Senator and Astronaut John Glenn and President John F. Kennedy.

Chris Gardner’s sole goal of his media projects and speaking engagements is to help others achieve their fullest potential.

Mariel Harding is the Director of Health and Food Security at United Way of the Midlands in Omaha, Nebraska. Mariel leads UWM’s investments and partnerships in health and food security for the Omaha metro. Driven to create healthy communities and support health for all, Mariel works to unite partners around common causes and solutions. Mariel spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive community food security plan for the Omaha metro, overcoming historical barriers to collaboration and uniting multiple paradigms under one cause. Mariel earned an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, BSN from University of Nebraska Medical Center, and undergraduate degree from McGill University.

Maggie Kane is the Founder and Executive Director of A Place at the Table, the first pay-what-you-can cafe in downtown Raleigh. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 2013 and began working for a nonprofit with people experiencing homelessness. By befriending many people living on the margins, she knew something needed to be done. Maggie has a heart to serve, a desire to always be inclusive, and a passion for loving people. Through her work with people on the streets, she realized the power of community, the importance of dignity, and the beauty in bringing people together over incredible food. February 2015, A Place at the Table was birthed and Maggie never looked back.

A Place at the Table finally opened in January of 2018 serving thousands of people in Raleigh with a dignified, healthy, and affordable meal. However, more importantly, a meal that feeds more than just the stomach-- it feeds your hearts, souls, and minds. Outside of the cafe, you will catch her running marathons and eating peanut butter! But...you will mainly find her at the cafe right now loving on people all day!

maggie@tableraleigh.org; http://www.tableraleigh.org

Suzanne McCormick was named U.S. President of United Way Worldwide (UWW) in June 2019. She is responsible for helping the 1,100 local United Ways across the U.S. trailblaze in the philanthropic space to build more resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities. That includes leading in equity, tackling community problems with innovative and systemic solutions, and driving the ongoing digital transformation.

McCormick came to UWW from Tampa, Florida, where she spent five years as President and Chief Executive Officer for United Way Suncoast, one of Florida’s largest United Ways. In that time, she cultivated growth, increased community impact and led a strategic plan to break the cycle of generational poverty. Having previously served as the former chair of the United Way Network Partnership Group and National Professional Council, she will continue to enable the teams to develop and leverage powerful philanthropy initiatives, such as Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud. She brings invaluable insights as immediate past chair of the United Ways of Florida that will lend to the ongoing collaboration with United Way State Associations.

McCormick began her nonprofit leadership career at the International Center of New York and then as CEO for both the American Red Cross of Southern Maine and People’s Regional Opportunity. She joined the United Way of Greater Portland in Maine, where she provided 13 years of leadership, including four as President and CEO.

McCormick holds a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University and is an alumna of the Peace Corps, where she taught English in Thailand. She is the proud mother of two children: Jack, who serves in the U.S Army, and Fiona. Her husband of 25 years, Bill, is a physical therapist. McCormick enjoys running, being a “soccer mom” and spending time with her family and two Boston terriers, Finnegan and Olive.

Nicholé Morgan is the Co-Founder and CEO of TheGifted Arts, a minority founded and led organization with a mission to strengthen the character, confidence and leadership skills of youth through the arts. As a woman of color, foster alum and beneficiary of supplemental education and community recreational programs, during her youth, Nicholé has a sincere connection to education reform, social services and the performing arts. For just over half of her life, she has been dedicated to being an advocate and catalyst for change and opportunity for all young people.

Before devoting her full attention to TheGifted Arts, Nicholé served in many education and youth development capacities and organizations; including as an AmeriCorps member serving in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Durham Public Schools, the YMCA’s youth programs, and Citizen Schools’ national leadership Talent team.

A proud first generation college student, Nicholé holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology, with a concentration in Criminology from Hampton University, a Masters of Education and Leadership from Lesley University and is an International Event and Wedding Planning Professional certified by QC Event School.

She is honored to be named one of the Triangle’s inaugural “10 to Watch,” by the United Way of the Greater Triangle, a 2018 Goodmon Fellow and recently recommended for the Women Who Lead Campaign, by Carolina’s Emerging Women NC.

Ted Smith is an associate professor of environmental medicine and deputy director of the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His research program is focused on the how human health, broadly defined, depends upon components of the built and natural environment. Ted also served as the first Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Louisville Kentucky where, with bold philanthropic partners, he created the largest real time asthma surveillance research program: AIRLouisville. Ted received his B.S. in Biology and Psychology from Allegheny College, his M.S. and PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from Miami University and completed his post-doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Cato Institute Senior Fellow Michael Tanner heads research into a variety of domestic policies, with an emphasis on poverty and social welfare policy, health care, and Social Security and entitlement reform.

His most recent book, The Inclusive Economy: How to Bring Wealth to America's Poor, looks at the ways government contributes to poverty in the United States and suggests reforms that will enable the poor to more fully participate in a growing economy. Tanner is the author of numerous other books on public policy, including Going for Broke: Deficits, Debt, and the Entitlement Crisis, Leviathan on the Right: How Big-Government Conservatism Brought Down the Republican Revolution, Healthy Competition: What's Holding Back Health Care and How to Free It, The Poverty of Welfare: Helping Others in Civil Society, and A New Deal for Social Security.

Tanner's writings have appeared in nearly every major American newspaper, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He writes a weekly column for National Review Online, and is a contributing columnist with the New York Post. A prolific writer and frequent guest lecturer, Tanner appears regularly on network and cable news programs.

The New York Times refers to him as "a lucid writer and skilled polemicist." And Congressional Quarterly named him one of the nation's five most influential experts on Social Security. Time magazine calls Tanner, "one of the architects of the private accounts movement."

More recently Tanner has undertaken a major project to develop innovative solutions to poverty and inequality.

Dr. Weston is a physician, business owner and investor. He is co-founder, President and Medical Director of Synergy Healthcare, and founding member of The Westrock Companies.

His philanthropic interests include healthcare disparities, leadership & mentorship.