Earning Trust in a Time of Crisis and Misinformation

Sarada Peri is a writer and communications strategist who has helped top leaders and thinkers—from Fortune 50 CEOs to the President of the United States—inspire and persuade audiences. She was special assistant and senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama. Prior to joining the White House, she was a principal at West Wing Writers, where she worked with corporate, political and nonprofit clients on speeches, op-eds, books and message strategy.  She was also a member of the 2012 and 2016 Democratic National Convention speechwriting teams. A recovering policy wonk, Perl was an education and health care policy aide to former Senator Mary Landrieu. She began her career as a high school teacher in New Orleans through Teach for America. Perl is a graduate of Tufts University and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Chris Michel, Speechwriter, former President George W. Bush

Stephen Krupin served in the White House as a senior speechwriter to President Obama, in the State Department as chief speechwriter to Secretary John Kerry, on President Obama’s re-election campaign as director of speechwriting, and in the U.S. Senate as chief speechwriter to Majority Leader Harry Reid. Today he leads the Executive Communications practice at the public affairs and political consulting firm SKDKnickerbocker, partnering with CEOs, elected officials, and nonprofit advocates to help them achieve their strategic objectives from behind the podium and in front of the camera. He also teaches the graduate-level speechwriting course at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

John Pollack was a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and now serves as an adviser to Fortune 500 CEOs, global nonprofits and leading philanthropists. Previously, he was a speechwriter on Capitol Hill, a foreign correspondent in Spain, and a project manager at The Henry Ford—a museum of American innovation. Pollack graduated with distinction from Stanford University; he also won the O. Henry World Pun Championship. His books include “The Pun Also Rises,” “Cork Boat,” “The World on a String” and “Shortcut: How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation and Sell Our Greatest Ideas.” He lives in New York.

Noam Neusner is a principal at 30 Point Strategies. He has experience in speechwriting and speech preparation, editorial thought leadership and strategic communications planning. Neusner draws on nearly three decades of communications experience in the private sector and the U.S. government and as a journalist. This knowledge and his strong writing skills enable him to help clients to shape opinion, inform the public and achieve their goals. He worked in the White House under President George W. Bush, first as a presidential speechwriter and later as director of communications at the Office of Management and Budget.