Emmy nominated Padma Lakshmi is known internationally as a food expert, award-winning author, television host, model and actor. Lakshmi just completed filming her ninth season as host of Bravo’s Emmy award winning Top Chef.

Called "the world's most famous Indian actor" by New York Magazine, Kal Penn is a rising actor in Hollywood. But what sets Penn apart is his off-screen eloquence, his passion for the intersection of pop culture, politics and race—and the fact that he stopped his career midstream to work full time for the...

Ken Burns is without a doubt one of America's most exceptional filmmakers. But he is also one of our great public speakers—a passionate and insightful auteur who reminds us of the timeless lessons of history and the enduring importance of the United States in the course of human events.

A rising star, Maulik Pancholy is among a handful of Indian-American actors changing the character, and the face, of Hollywood. Taking on smart, select roles, he is helping, in his own way, to broaden the cultural and racial diversity on film and in television.

How did Joel Cohen—a former "suit" in the corporate world—end up writing for The Simpsons? And what can he teach us about innovation, creativity, teamwork, and the value of a diverse workforce? A hilarious speaker, Cohen draws links between running a business and keeping a hit show fresh.

Anderson Cooper anchors Anderson Cooper 360, a provocative alternative on CNN/U.S. each weekday to the typical network evening newscast, going beyond the headlines to tell stories in-depth and from multiple points of view. He is also the host of his own nationally syndicated talk-show Anderson.

Sir Salman Rushdie is one of the most celebrated authors of our time—of any time. A brilliant provocateur, he's penned a handful of classic novels, influenced a generation of writers, and received a Queen's Knighthood for "services to literature." He stands as both a pop culture icon and one of the most thought-provoking...

Rick Mercer chronicles, satirizes, and ultimately celebrates all that is great and irreverent about this country. Known as "Canada's Unofficial Opposition," Mercer is our most popular comic, a political satirist who knows exactly what matters to regular Canadians and what makes them laugh.

“Culture moves before politics,” says Jeff Chang. In the seminal Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Chang used hip-hop culture to radically remix the last 25 years of America's political and social history. In his pulsating follow-up, Who We Be, he traces the rise of multiculturalism—its...