Spring 2025 Lineup

Welcome to the Berkeley Forum!

We are a non-partisan, student-run organization at the University of California, Berkeley. Since our founding in 2012, we have been committed to serving as an accessible forum that delivers on our mission of discourse by hosting a variety of debates, panels, and talks by leading experts in a wide range of fields.

With speakers ranging in expertise from academia (former Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fauci, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan) and business (Chief Marketing Officer of Rare Beauty Katie Welch, founder of Rotten Tomatoes Patrick Lee) to sports (6-time Olympic medalist Missy Franklin, Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown) and entertainment (Oscar-winning editor of “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Paul Rogers, actor Dylan O’Brien), our events have covered a broad array of topics and themes. We sincerely hope our events catalyze discussion and broaden our understanding of the issues and the world around us.

Recognizing the criticality of hearing a wide range of perspectives and experiences, the Berkeley Forum remains dedicated to bringing a diverse lineup of speakers to campus. As we continue to operate fully in person, we aim to leverage this opportunity to engage with a greater diversity of speakers and provide enriching experiences through dynamic, face-to-face events. Additionally, we stream all of our events for those who cannot attend in person, ensuring accessibility and inclusion for a broader audience.

All of the Berkeley Forum’s events are made possible by the tireless work of our student staff, who are brought together by a strong commitment to our mission and desire to elevate discourse within the Berkeley community. Our members constitute seven committees and run every aspect of our events, including speaker invitations, marketing, finances, multimedia, moderating, and much more. In addition to our live events, the Berkeley Forum is proud to run our own DeCal, History of Free Speech at Berkeley, to honor a legacy of activism, the Free Speech Movement, and issues that matter today.

The Berkeley Forum’s events are open to the general public and free for all UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff. To receive notifications about our upcoming events, please follow us on social media and subscribe to our email updates. On behalf of all of our members, we look forward to engaging you at a future Berkeley Forum event and we thank you for your curiosity and for welcoming discourse in your life.

Carolyn Nguyen (she/her/hers)

Spring 2025 President, The Berkeley Forum