Elaine Welteroth and Bradley Whitford will join newly announced speakers Dolores Huerta and Diego Mariscal at the second annual Social Impact Summit: Philanthropy, Power and Purpose, taking place July 24 in Los Angeles.
Hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and the Social Impact Fund, and presented by Gilead Sciences, the summit brings together changemakers, creatives and leaders across industries to inspire accessible, inclusive philanthropy by breaking down barriers to meaningful change.
Welteroth — journalist, author and founder of birthFUND — will moderate “Who Runs the World? Trailblazers in Women’s Health and Wellness,” a conversation featuring Olympic track and field champion and Black maternal health advocate Allyson Felix; globally renowned fitness instructor and NKO Club and NKO Fund founder Kendall Toole; SisterLove founder and global sexual and reproductive justice advocate Dázon Dixon Diallo; and Deborah Wafer, executive director of public affairs at Gilead Sciences. The group will explore themes including wellness, mental health, sexual health and Black maternal health.
Actor, director and activist Whitford will moderate “Protect the Block: Safeguarding Communities,” joined by two newly announced panelists: Dolores Huerta, civil rights leader and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and Diego Mariscal, disability rights advocate and founder of 2Gether-International. They will join Dr. Eric Esrailian, UCLA physician and co-founder of Together California, and Ashlee Marie Preston, media personality, activist and co-founder of KaleidoCollective, to discuss advocacy for immigrants, the disability community, LGBTQ+ rights and the foster-care system.
As previously announced, comedian, actor and philanthropist George Lopez will deliver the keynote address. CORE, co-founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee, will be honored as Philanthropic Organization of the Year for its global humanitarian response work, while John Legend will be recognized as Philanthropist of the Year for his longtime commitment to advancing equity and criminal justice reform.
Additional participants include The Hollywood Reporter co-editors-in-chief Maer Roshan and Shirley Halperin; Social Impact Fund executive director Craig Cichy; A New Way of Life founder Susan Burton; ABC News reporter Zohreen Shah; comedian and Easterseals Disability Film Challenge founder Nic Novicki; and Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott.
The 2025 Social Impact Summit is made possible by returning lead sponsor Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing medical breakthroughs to create a healthier world for all. Additional sponsors include Public Interest Registry, Heineken, Open Water and Casamigos.
Aiming to “inspire efficient and accessible philanthropy,” the Social Impact Fund has served as a platform for the philanthropic efforts of such Hollywood luminaries as Legend, Will.I.Am, Kerry Washington, Shawn Mendes, Alex Cooper, Lilly Singh, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, Madonna, Jonathan Bailey, Hailey Bieber, Chris Powell, The Kid Laroi and Lily Collins.
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