Film Producer and Philanthropist Abigail E. Disney will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and serve as the keynote speaker for the 2024 commencement ceremony. Known for her passion for advocating for real change to capitalism as it exists in today’s world, Disney is a philanthropist and social activist who has worked with organizations supporting peacebuilding, gender justice, and systemic cultural change. Abigail E. Disney Also a documentary filmmaker, Disney won an Emmy for The Armor of Light, and her latest film, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, which she co-directed with Kathleen Hughes, made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is screened in select theaters and is available on demand. On her podcast “All Ears,” Disney used the film as a jumping-off point to ask big-thinking business leaders, union organizers, economists, and others how they would fix our economic system. Disney is also chair and co-founder of Level Forward, an ecosystem of storytellers, entrepreneurs, and social changemakers dedicated to balancing artistic vision, social impact, and stakeholder return. She created the nonprofit Peace is Loud, which uses storytelling to advance social movements, and the Daphne Foundation, which supports organizations working for a more equitable, fair, and peaceful New York City. She is an internationally sought-after speaker and panelist who has graced the stage at the Women’s Economic Summit-Paris, the Financial Times Women at the Top Summit, Fast Company Impact Council, and DealBook DC Strategy Forum. Her 2020 TED Talk, “Dignity isn’t a privilege. It’s a worker’s right,” has garnered nearly 2 million views.
