Clinical Psychologist, Bestselling Author, & Scientific Consultant for Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out 2

Dr. Lisa Damour is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and internationally recognized expert on adolescent development and student mental health. For more than two decades, she has worked directly with young people and families while translating psychological research into practical, accessible guidance for the adults who support them.

She is the author of multiple New York Times bestselling books, including Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, which have become essential resources for parents, educators, and clinicians seeking to better understand anxiety, stress, and the emotional complexity of adolescence.

Dr. Damour is also the host of the podcast Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Teens and Tweens, where she offers clear, steady psychological insight into everyday parenting, helping adults respond thoughtfully rather than reactively to young people’s emotions and behavior.

As a consultant on Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2, Dr. Damour helped shape the film’s portrayal of adolescent emotional development and contributed research-informed insight to one of the most visible cultural conversations about teen mental health in recent years. Her ability to bridge rigorous science with mainstream storytelling reflects her broader commitment: bringing accurate, compassionate psychological knowledge into everyday life.

A frequent contributor to national media, including The New York Times and CBS News, Dr. Damour is known for her calm, evidence-based voice during moments of heightened concern about youth mental health. Rather than amplifying panic, she offers grounded perspective, helping adults distinguish between healthy, developmentally appropriate stress and signs that a young person may need additional support.

For district leaders, school mental health professionals, counselors, and educators, her insights are both practical and urgent. As schools continue navigating rising youth mental health needs and building sustainable, integrated systems of care, Dr. Damour’s perspective provides a roadmap rooted in science, developmental understanding, and deep respect for young people’s emotional lives.

At the 10th Annual Wellness Together Conference, Dr. Damour will bring research, clarity, and actionable insight to a national audience committed to strengthening student mental health.

California Secretary of State

Shirley Nash Weber, Ph.D., was nominated to serve as California Secretary of State by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 22, 2020 and sworn into office on January 29, 2021. Voters elected her for a full term on November 8, 2022. Dr. Weber is California’s first Black Secretary of State and only the fifth African American to serve as a state constitutional officer in California’s 175-year history.

Dr. Weber was born to sharecroppers in Hope, Arkansas during the segregationist Jim Crow era. Her father, who left Arkansas after being threatened by a lynch mob, did not have the opportunity to vote until he was in his 30s. Her grandfather never voted as custom and law in the South, before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, systemically suppressed voting by Blacks. Although her family moved to California when Dr. Weber was three years old, it was her family’s experience in the Jim Crow South that has driven her activism and legislative work. She has fought to secure and expand civil rights for all Californians, including restoring voting rights for individuals who have completed their prison term.

Dr. Weber attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees by the age of 26. Prior to receiving her Doctorate, she became a professor at San Diego State University (SDSU) at the age of 23. She also taught at California State University at Los Angeles and Los Angeles City College before coming to SDSU. She retired from the Department of Africana Studies after 40 years as a faculty member and serving several terms as department chair.

Before her appointment, Dr. Weber served four terms as an Assemblymember representing California's 79th Assembly District, which includes parts of the City of San Diego as well as several cities and communities in the San Diego region. Dr. Weber also served as a Member and Chair of the San Diego Unified School District and has twice served as a California Elector, including chairing the California College of Presidential Electors on December 14, 2020.

During her tenure in the Assembly, Dr. Weber chaired the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee, Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety, and Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health. Dr. Weber was the first African American to serve as the chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. She also served as a member of the Standing Committees on Education, Higher Education, Elections, Budget, Banking and Finance. 

In addition, Dr. Weber chaired the Select Committee on Campus Climate, which was created to examine and mitigate hate crimes on California’s college and university campuses. The committee also explored student hunger, sexual assaults, homelessness, and freedom of expression. She formerly created and chaired the Select Committee on Higher Education in San Diego County, which explored the need for an additional higher education facility in San Diego and ways to improve the quality, affordability and equal access of higher education in the region.   

From 2018 - 2020, Dr. Weber served as Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), which consists of the state’s African American legislators and has the goal of promoting equal opportunity for California’s African American community. Dr. Weber broke records during her tenure by garnering extraordinary support for CLBC’s efforts and its projects.

Dr. Weber’s genuine passion and tireless quest for equality and fairness in all sectors of life have resulted in her pursuit of reforms in education and criminal justice. Her equity-oriented legislation includes: school finance and accountability, classroom safety, ethnic studies, early learners, attendance and dropout rates, quality instruction, law enforcements’ use-of-force and body camera practices, reparations, the CalGangs’ database, Affirmative Action, inclusive jury selection and instruction, predatory lending, resources for exonerees, restorative justice, racial profiling, among others. Dr. Weber has also pursued public policy changes related to health, senior citizens, veterans and military families.

Secretary Weber is a mother of two adult children, three grandchildren and was married for 29 years to the late Honorable Daniel Weber.  She is number six in a family of eight children. Her parents, David and Mildred Nash, are deceased. Her hobbies include reading and traveling.

Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and seven books, including 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World and Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She writes the Generation Tech Substack.

California State Senator | District 39

Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson is a medical doctor, educator, former City Councilmember, San Diego native, wife and mom of four boys – two biological and two stepsons.

Dr. Weber Pierson is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, and she is the founder and past director of the Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Division at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. She also served as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at UCSD.

In 2018, Dr. Weber Pierson became the first African American to be elected to the La Mesa City Council. While on the Council she worked to implement the city’s Climate Action Plan and championed the creation of both a Community Police Oversight Board and the La Mesa homelessness task force. Her long record of community activism includes serving on the boards of La Mesa Conversations and the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club, and volunteering as the science coordinator for the Links to STEM program for children who are underrepresented in STEM fields.

In April of 2021, Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson was elected to represent California’s 79th Assembly District, which includes La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley/La Presa, and parts of the cities of El Cajon and San Diego. During her time in the State Assembly, Dr. Weber Pierson served as chair of the Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health, as well as a sitting member of the following policy committees: Business & Professions, Communications & Conveyance, Elections, Health, Higher Education, and Water, Parks & Wildlife. She has advocated for equitable access of maternal and reproductive healthcare, student safety at higher education institutions and improved care and treatment for individuals at our local correctional facilities. She also founded and chaired the Select Committee on the Social Determinants of Health, which focused on societal factors such as education, housing and the environment, and their impact on health and disparate health outcomes.

Dr. Weber Pierson is the founder and past director of the Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Division at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.

In November 2024, Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson became the first African American south of Los Angeles County to be elected to the California State Senate. She now represents the 39th State Senate District. She currently serves as Chair of the Senate Health Committee and is Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. Since joining the California legislature, Dr. Weber Pierson has had 35 bills signed into law by Governor Gavin Newson including SB 518 which established the first in the nation Agency dedicated to descendants of American chattel slavery.

Dr. Weber Pierson grew up in the Oak Park neighborhood of San Diego and graduated from Encanto Elementary School and Gompers Secondary School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Medical degree from the University of Rochester Medical School. Dr. Weber Pierson completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Chicago Cook County Hospital and her fellowship in Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Weber Pierson lives in La Mesa with her husband Andrew, and two sons Kadir and Jalil. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, and Jack & Jill of America, Incorporated.

Sociologist and Author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Three Mothers

Anna Malaika Tubbs is a New York Times bestselling author and multidisciplinary expert on current and historical understandings of race, gender, and equity. With a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Masters in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge in addition to a Bachelors in Medical Anthropology from Stanford University, Anna translates her academic knowledge into stories that are clear and engaging. Her articles have been published by TIME Magazine, New York Magazine, CNN, Motherly, the Huffington Post, For Harriet, The Guardian, Darling Magazine, and Blavity. Anna’s storytelling also takes form in her talks, including her TED Talk that has been viewed 2 million times, as well as the scripted and unscripted screen projects she has in development. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three kids.

Michael D. Tubbs was making history. In 2016, he was elected Mayor of Stockton at 26- years-old. He was the city’s first African-American Mayor and the youngest Mayor of any major city in American history. As Mayor, Tubbs was lauded for his leadership and innovation. He raised over 20 million dollars to create the Stockton Scholars, a universal scholarship and mentorship program for Stockton students. Additionally, he piloted the first mayor- led guaranteed income pilot in the country. Currently, he is the Special Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom for Economic Mobility and Opportunity; the Founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI); and the Founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC).

Under his leadership, Stockton was named an “All-America City” in 2017 and 2018 by the National Civic League. The city saw a 40% drop in homicides in 2018 and 2019, led the state of California in the decline of officer-involved shootings in 2019, and was named the second most fiscally healthy city in California. Additionally, it was recognized as one of the most fiscally healthy cities in the nation and was featured in an HBO documentary film, “Stockton on My Mind.”

Tubbs has been named a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics and The MIT Media Lab, a member of Fortune’s Top 40 under 40, a Forbes 30 under 30 All-Star Alumni, the “Most Valuable Mayor” by The Nation, the 2019 New Frontier Award Winner from the JFK Library, and the 2021 Civic Leadership Award winner from The King Center. Prior to his tenure as Mayor, Tubbs served as a Councilmember for the City of Stockton District 6, a high school educator, and a fellow for the Stanford Design School and the Emerson Collective.

On November 16, 2021, Tubbs released “The Deeper The Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home ,” published by the Flatiron Books imprint, An Oprah Book. The book — which the LA Times describes as “intimate and insightful”—not only relates Tubbs’ story of growing up in poverty but lays his vision for leadership and policy that is more empathetic and responsive to people who are struggling.

New host of Reading Rainbow and Resident Librarian for PBS

Mychal Threets is a librarian, mental health advocate, and, by his own admission, the library’s number-one fan.

A lifelong lover of libraries, Mychal was homeschooled and raised among the stacks, receiving his first library card at the age of five.

He began his career as a library shelver at the same library he grew up in, eventually working his way up to become its Supervising Librarian. Mychal is open and honest about his mental health, sharing his experiences in hopes of helping others on their own journeys. He’s known for reminding people—again and again—that he’s genuinely happy they’re here.

He considers it an honor to the library people who influence and inspire him that he is a recipient of the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award from the American Library Association, inclusion in School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, a 2024 Webby Award for Social Impact, and a spot on TIME’s inaugural 2025 list of 100 Creators.

Mychal is the author of I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy (Random House Children’s Books), illustrated by Lorraine Nam. He currently serves as Resident Librarian for PBS and PBS Kids—and still can’t quite believe he’s the host of the revival of Reading Rainbow.

Author, comedian, and host of TED’s How to Be a Better Human podcast

Chris Duffy is a stand-up comedian who has worked as a television writer (Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas on HBO, National Geographic Explorer) and is currently host of TED’s hit podcast How to Be a Better Human, winner of the 2025 Webby Award for Advice & How-To Podcasts. He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC News, and NPR.

Superintendent, San Diego Unified School District

Dr. Fabi Bagula, Superintendent for the San Diego Unified School District, advances dynamic, large-scale change initiatives that improve outcomes for students and educators in public TK-12 systems. Her bicultural upbringing and experiences on the San Diego border have informed and guided her widely respected and visionary work.

As a teacher, teacher coach, principal, assistant superintendent, executive leadership coach, senior director of equity, deputy superintendent –– and now as superintendent –– Dr. Bagula consistently gains and maintains the trust of her students, colleagues, and community.

Dr. Bagula was adjunct faculty for the Graduate Program in Educational Leadership and Emancipatory School Leadership at California State University San Jose, the School of Leadership and Educational Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego (USD), and RISE San Diego, an organization that teaches adaptive leadership and equity action research to aspiring leaders in the community. Dr. Bagula was faculty for school administrator credential programs for both San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) and USD- teaching classes for future principals such as Finance, Budgets and Taxpayer Stewardship, Ethical Decision Making, Family and Community Engagement and Evaluation and Assessment.

Her work at SDCOE allowed her to coach county superintendents and their cabinets on leadership, education, equity, and group dynamics. She worked closely with the following districts and superintendents: Poway, Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Ramona, Coronado, Lakeside. Dr. Bagula also led learning for Superintendents across the state of California.

As a leadership scholar, Dr. Bagula also launches and delivers keynote presentations across our county (Chula Vista School District, Coronado School District, San Ysidro School District, to name a few), state and some international locations such as Verona Italy, Vienna Austria, and Zurich Switzerland for the International Leadership Association (ILA).

She has been the recipient of the 2024 Finalist for the Matusak Award for Courageous Leadership, a 2023 “Cool Woman” Finalist from the Girl Scouts Organization, the 2023 California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) Central Office Administrator of the Year, the 2013 César Chávez Visionary leader award, a nominee for San Diego’s 79th district Educational Leadership Award from Representative Dr. Shirley Weber, and a former National Equity Project fellow.

Dr. Bagula is currently a Yale-Broad Leadership fellow. Additionally, Dr. Bagula has served as a founding member of Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) and Board member of the Social Publishers Foundation (SPF), which supports practitioner-researcher projects and the democratization of knowledge around the world.

Dr. Bagula is a recent Yale-Broad Leadership fellow. She holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. Her research areas include leadership and identity formation. She has published both academic and literary works, including a chapter in the 2021 book, Latinas Leading Schools, two chapters in the 2022 book Recipes to Combat the ‘isms and one chapter in the newest 2024 publication, Hispanic Perspectives on Student Support and Community Empowerment. Likewise, she is certificated in Stakeholder Centered Coaching with The Marshall Goldsmith Group and certified in Leading Dialogue through Conflict with Public Conversations Project. Dr. Bagula frequently facilitates seminars on topics of educational and systemic equity, dialogue facilitation, authenticity, improvement science, and adaptive leadership.

James is an award-winning musician, speaker, author and choirstarter whose work explores the power of collective singing to build connection and belonging. For more than two decades, he has brought together tens of thousands of people across the world from choirs to conferences, workshops to workplaces, from festivals to football stadiums.

He is currently musical director of Bantam Of The Opera, the acclaimed choir of Bradford City supporters whose journey has been featured by the BBC, with performances including BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Wembley Stadium and for King Charles III.

James is the founder of The Sofa Singers, a global online singing community that has brought together people from more than sixty countries since its launch in 2020. In recognition of this work, James received a UK Points of Light Award from the UK government.

A familiar voice across UK media, James has appeared on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC One and NBC in the United States, alongside features in national newspapers and a regular column for Psychologies magazine. He is the author of Do Sing: Reclaim Your Voice. Find Your Singing Tribe, described by Cerys Matthews as "an open door to the joyous world of singing."

As a speaker and facilitator, James works with organisations including Coca-Cola, Lloyds Banking Group and the NHS, creating powerful shared experiences that build trust and connection.

James lives in North Wales with his young family and is currently writing his second book, due for publication in summer 2027.

Elyse Cohen is the Chief Impact Officer at Rare Beauty and President of the Rare Impact Fund, the nonprofit launched by Selena Gomez with the goal of mobilizing $100M to expand access to mental health services for young people around the world. A pre-launch hire, Elyse helped shape Rare Beauty’s social impact strategy from day one, working closely with Selena to embed purpose into every layer of the brand – from its community and corporate culture to its philanthropic reach.

A recognized expert in corporate social impact and mental health advocacy, Elyse brings  20 years of experience leading breakthrough social impact programs, partnerships, and campaigns across the private, nonprofit and public sectors. She served on First Lady Michelle Obama’s senior staff and has advised leading brands and cultural leaders as they navigate a range of social and political issues, harnessing their influence to drive both societal change and profitability.    

Elyse has been featured in Time Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, Bloomberg Business, WWD, Well+Good, and more and was recently named a 2026 CNBC Changemaker. She is widely known for designing bold, high-impact initiatives that position brands and public figures as credible leaders in social change – bridging influence and intention to shift culture at scale.