Bring global perspectives to your audience.
Invite a conversation about human rights, equality, inclusion, leadership, and the power of locally led change.
Our speaker roster brings together Out For Equality leadership and independent representatives of partner organizations. From international advocacy and peacebuilding to journalism, community empowerment, and corporate inclusion, our speakers offer perspectives shaped by their own experiences and work around the world.
Brian Rusch
Brian Rusch has built an unconventional career at the intersection of fashion, media, entrepreneurship, humanitarian leadership, and social change.
His professional journey began in fashion and entertainment, where he worked as a stylist and celebrity fashion editor before becoming an early digital media entrepreneur, founding FashionTeen.com in 1997. He went on to build businesses and creative ventures spanning fashion, publishing, and lifestyle media.
His path later took him into international humanitarian work, where he served in leadership roles with organizations associated with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Through this work, he engaged with Nobel Peace Laureates, human rights advocates, and influential voices working for peace, equality, and social transformation.
Today, Brian is the Founder and Executive Director of Out For Equality, a U.S.-based nonprofit supporting LGBTQIA+ human rights through partnerships with locally led organizations around the world. He is also developing House of Otra, a global queer publishing house bringing together independent regional voices across fashion, culture, lifestyle, and creative expression.
A compelling and engaging speaker, Brian draws on experiences that span continents and industries to explore human rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, visibility, inclusive leadership, peacebuilding, diversity, equity and inclusion, and the power of storytelling to shape culture and create change.
From international humanitarian forums and corporate stages to universities and community gatherings, Brian brings a global perspective and an engaging, personal approach to conversations about change. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil
Prince Manvendra became internationally known after publicly coming out as gay, challenging deeply rooted social expectations and becoming one of India's most prominent advocates for LGBTQ+ visibility and equality.
Drawing on his own experiences, he speaks about authenticity, acceptance, diversity in the workplace, and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in societies where discrimination and stigma remain deeply entrenched.
He is the Chairperson and Co-founder of Lakshya Trust, a Gujarat-based organization working on LGBTQ+ rights, HIV prevention, and community support. His advocacy also extends internationally through his work with Ekta Transglobal Foundation and other organizations.
His talks connect personal experience with a broader conversation about dignity, social change, and the importance of creating a more inclusive world.
Simeon Vasilev
Simeon Vasilev is the Chairman and Co-founder of GLAS Foundation, an organization working to advance the rights, visibility, and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in Bulgaria.
With extensive experience in the nonprofit and media sectors, Simeon regularly engages corporate audiences, government representatives, media professionals, and young people on the importance of equality and inclusion.
His speaking topics include LGBTQ+ rights, workplace inclusion, corporate responsibility, social acceptance, and the role that businesses and institutions can play in building more inclusive societies.
Shobhna S. Kumar
Shobhna S. Kumar is an entrepreneur, publisher, and advocate for queer storytelling. In 2009, she founded Queer Ink, one of India's pioneering online platforms dedicated to queer literature and culture.
Her work has helped bring queer Indian stories, voices, and experiences into wider public view through publishing, filmmaking, cultural documentation, and community initiatives.
Drawing on her background in community work and her experience in the publishing world, Shobhna speaks about LGBTQIA+ empowerment, representation, storytelling, and the importance of creating spaces where people can see their own lives and experiences reflected.
Gboko Stewart
Gboko Stewart is an award-winning Liberian journalist, human rights advocate, and founder of journalRAGE, an independent media platform dedicated to reporting on LGBTQ+ issues and experiences in Liberia.
Through his journalism, Gboko challenges misinformation, confronts discrimination, and brings attention to stories that are too often overlooked or misrepresented.
His speaking topics include journalistic integrity, independent media, human rights, LGBTQ+ visibility, responsible reporting, and the power of journalism to hold institutions and leaders accountable.
Wafula Silas Shoki
Wafula Silas Shoki, known as Shoki, is a Ugandan peace and human rights activist based in Nairobi, Kenya. His work focuses on youth empowerment and equipping young people with the skills and confidence to build peace within their communities.
His speaking interests include peacebuilding, mental health, youth leadership, and the intersections of faith, culture, and queer identity.