Opening Keynote: Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Brittany Packnett Cunningham is a powerhouse at the intersection of culture, policy, and social change. A trusted voice in justice and leadership, she moves audiences to rethink power, equity, and what it truly means to lead with impact. As founder of Love & Power Works, host of the critically acclaimed podcast UNDISTRACTED, and an on-air political analyst, Brittany brings a sharp, engaging perspective to the most pressing issues of our time. She has shaped conversations at the highest levels—from advising the White House and U.S. Congress to driving corporate and cultural change with brands like Gucci, Spotify, and Olay. Through compelling storytelling and deep expertise, Brittany doesn’t just talk about change—she mobilizes audiences to create it.

Brittany’s journey is one of unwavering commitment to justice. From serving on President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force to shaping national narratives on racial and gender equity, she has been at the forefront of movements that matter. She has led social impact initiatives at BET Media Group and Teach for America, worked alongside Vice President Kamala Harris as a senior advisor, and played a key role in the Ferguson Commission following the unrest in 2014. She partners with brands such as Olay, Spotify, Procter & Gamble, and Warner Brothers to ensure their corporate philanthropic efforts have maximum impact by channeling critical resources and funding to grassroots social justice movements, and further extends her work through social impact board memberships with Gucci, Sephora, The Children’s Defense Fund, and New Disabled South.

Recognized as one of TIME’s 12 New Faces of Black Leadership, Brittany has graced the covers of British Vogue and Essence, and has been honored by Politico, Marie Claire, The Trayvon Martin Foundation, The National Urban League, and Beyoncé.com. Her insights have enriched the pages of New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, and enhanced documentaries like Oscar-shortlisted Stamped from the Beginning, Netflix’s Amend, HBO’s Pod Save America and Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, and Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly.

Brittany’s TED Talk, “The Revolution of Confidence,” has been translated into 22 languages, amassed over eight million views, and was ranked among the top ten talks of the year. A three-time fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, she spoken to audiences worldwide, imparting lessons of social change and redefining power. Her debut book, We Are Like Those Who Dream: Black Women’s Blueprint for a New Power, set for release in 2027, cements her position as a leading voice in reimagining leadership and progress. Her rallying call remains, “Let’s go get free.”

Closing Keynote: Chinyere Oparah

Dr. Chinyere Oparah is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Liberated Leadership, where she provides executive and trauma-informed coaching, leadership development, and organizational strategy for higher-education and mission-driven leaders. With more than 30 years of experience as professor, dean, VPAA, and movement builder she brings extensive expertise in leading change in volatile and politically charged contexts; building high-trust, high-performance teams; fostering engaged and equitable campus climates; developing community-driven strategic plans; and guiding organizational restructuring with heart.

A sociologist and social-justice-oriented activist scholar, Dr. Oparah developed the Liberated Leadership paradigm, a humanizing, purpose-centered approach to transformational leadership. Her coaching practice supports leaders in identifying and overcoming internal and external barriers so they can unleash their innate wisdom and power and lead with authenticity, clarity, and joy. She is also the creator of NeuroSpicy Leaders, serving autistic and ADHD leaders.

Recognized nationally for her visionary and deeply human approach to leadership, Dr. Oparah integrates lived experience, systems thinking, and embodied practices to help leaders thrive without burning out.

ACPA26 Session Description
Rooted and Rising: Anchoring Transformational Leadership Without Burning Out

In a time of political pressure, institutional turbulence, and rising exhaustion in higher education, many leaders feel unmoored from the values that first called them into this work. In this interactive keynote-style session, Dr. Chinyere Oparah introduces the Liberated Leadership paradigm – an approach that helps leaders stay grounded in courage, clarity, and purpose while navigating complex change. Centering practices such as disrupting harmful norms, re-imagining leadership possibilities, co-designing with others, pausing for clarity, and replenishing for sustainability, Dr. Oparah invites participants to consider how to lead boldly without burning out. This session offers strategies for staying anchored in one’s deepest values, leading alongside others rather than in isolation, and cultivating a grounded presence in an era of uncertainty.

Featured Session: Things We Imagined with Candance N. Hall and Charles H.F. Davis III

Things We Imagined is a feature-length documentary film about Black college and university professors and the futures they imagined for themselves. The film takes a narrative approach, drawing primarily from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with more than 30 faculty members from across the United States. Also included are behind-the-scenes moments from academic conferences, campus visits, and everyday interactions between colleagues and friends.

The film premiered at the 2025 Association for the Study of Higher Education conference in Denver, Colorado and is currently accepting invitations for campus screenings during the 2026-2027 calendar year.

Candace N. Hall, Ed.D.
Dr. Candace N. Hall is is a faculty member and graduate program director of the higher education and student affairs program at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Dr. Hall’s her research focuses on recruitment, retention, and support of faculty across institutional types to understand
faculty job satisfaction. In 2023, Dr. Hall created and produced the award-winning documentary clusterluck, which highlights the experiences of Black faculty and unpacks what community means for Black scholars within their departments at predominantly white institutions. Dr. Hall is the creative director and producer of the documentary film Things We Imagined.

Charles H.F. Davis III, Ph.D.
Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III is a faculty member in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. Dr. Davis is an award-winning scholar whose teaching, research and creative practices focus on issues of race, racism, and anti-Blackness in higher education and its social contexts. In partnership with TVOne/InteractiveONE, Dr. Davis wrote and produced Saving Tomorrow, Today, a documentary film examining the challenges and possibilities of Black youth in urban education. He serves as the film director and director of photography of the documentary film Things We Imagined.