Shani Tran

A headshot of a woman with medium-dark skin tone smiling widely, her mouth open and teeth showing. Her black hair is in braids, fading to blue at the ends. She wears a light blue collared shirt.

Licensed therapist and author

Shani Tran is a Licensed Therapist who has been featured in Teen Vogue, Forbes, CBS mornings, and The New York Times. She is the author of “Dope Therapy,” a book about owning your mental health journey. You can find her on TikTok and Instagram making comedy sketches and telling personal stories to encourage people to laugh through the adversity.

Meet our 2023 Democracy Forum Speakers

nyt_likeabossbaratunde 4_cropped

Baratunde Thurston

Democracy Forum Host
Wemimo Abbey Headshot (Innovation and Inclusion in Business)

Wemimo Abbey

Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Esusu
Aleena Agrawal Headshot (Economic Inclusion)

Aleena Agrawal

Director of Talent Solutions at P33
Ellen Alberding

Ellen Alberding

President and CEO, The Joyce Foundation
Ian Bassin Headshot

Ian Bassin

Co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy
DeeseHeadshot

Brian Deese

MIT Innovation Fellow
Hany Farid Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Hany Farid

Professor at the University of California, Berkeley
Nancy Gibbs Headshot (Democracy-s Immune System)

Nancy Gibbs

Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice and Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
Photo-Credit-Jamie-Girdler-1920x2276 (Emma Gredde)

Emma Grede

Entrepreneur & Chairwoman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge and the CEO and Co-Founder of Good American
Regina Hall

Regina Hall

Award-winning actress and producer
Mary Kay Henry (Fair Economies and the Future of Work)

Mary Kay Henry

International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Darryl Holliday Headshot

Darryl Holliday

Journalist, civic strategist, and media organizer
Valerie Jarrett Headshot

Valerie Jarrett

Chief Executive Officer
Major Brandon Johnson

Mayor Brandon Johnson

Mayor of Chicago
Terah Lyons Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Terah Lyons

Founding Executive Director of the Partnership on AI
Anna Makanju Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Anna Makanju

OpenAI's Vice President of Global Affairs
governor-wes-moore-official-portrait

Governor Wes Moore

Governor of the state of Maryland
Alondra Nelson Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Alondra Nelson

Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study
Suzanne Nossel headshot (2) (1)

Suzanne Nossel

CEO, PEN America
Chiedo Nwankwor

Chiedo Nwankwor

Vice Dean for Education and Academic Affairs, Interim Director of SAIS Europe, Senior Lecturer, and Director of SAIS Women Lead
President Obama Headshot (Economic Inclusion) (Photo by Pari Dukovic courtesy of Penguin Random House)

President Obama

44th president of the United States
John Palfrey Headshot (Democracy-s Immune System)

John Palfrey

President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
DeMarioPhippsSmith 1200x1200

DeMario Phipps-Smith

Senior Manager of Community Learning at News Literacy Project.
Sonal Shah Headshot (Democracy-s Immune System)

Sonal Shah

Chief Executive Officer at The Texas Tribune
Alex Smith Headshot (Finding Meaningful Connections in a Digital World)

Alex Smith

Founder of The Cares Family
Stevenson headshot smaller

Betsey Stevenson

Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan
Mandy Teefy Portrait 0019

Mandy Teefey

Co-Founder and CEO of Wondermind
Shani Tran Headshot

Shani Tran

Licensed therapist and author
Raquel Vazquez Llorente Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Raquel Vazquez Llorente

Head of Law & Policy, Technology, Threats and Opportunities - WITNESS
Judy Woodruff Headshot (Democracy-s Immune System)

Judy Woodruff

Senior Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour

You can donate to help us inspire, empower, and connect leaders from around the world to take on the biggest challenges of our time.

Donate Today

Donate to the Barack Obama Foundation. The Barack Obama Foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 46-4950751).