Bradley Whitford, Elaine Welteroth, Dolores Huerta and Diego Mariscal Join Lineup of 2025 Social Impact Summit, Hosted by THR and Social Impact Fund

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Elaine Welteroth and Bradley Whitford are set to join previously announced speakers Dolores Huerta and Diego Mariscal at the upcoming second Social Impact Summit focused on Philanthropy, Power and Purpose, happening in Los Angeles on July 24th.

Organized by The Hollywood Reporter, the Social Impact Fund, and sponsored by Gilead Sciences, this summit aims to gather influencers from various sectors such as changemakers, artists, and industry leaders. Their objective is to foster a more accessible and inclusive philanthropy by dismantling obstacles that hinder significant change.

Journalist, author, and Birthfund founder Welteroth will lead a discussion titled “Who Runs the World? Trailblazers in Women’s Health and Wellness.” This conversation brings together Olympic track and field champion and Black maternal health advocate Allyson Felix, globally recognized fitness instructor and NKO Club and NKO Fund founder Kendall Toole, SisterLove founder and global sexual and reproductive justice advocate Dázon Dixon Diallo, and Deborah Wafer, executive director of public affairs at Gilead Sciences. The panel will delve into various topics such as wellness, mental health, sexual health, and Black maternal health.

Whitford will lead a discussion titled “Protect the Block: Safeguarding Communities,” with two new panelists: Dolores Huerta, a renowned civil rights leader and head of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and Diego Mariscal, an advocate for disability rights and founder of 2Gether-International. This conversation will also feature Dr. Eric Esrailian, a UCLA physician and co-founder of Together California, as well as Ashlee Marie Preston, a media personality, activist, and co-founder of KaleidoCollective. The panel aims to explore advocacy efforts for immigrants, the disabled community, LGBTQ+ rights, and the foster care system.

Previously announced, it’s George Lopez, a comedian, actor, and philanthropist, who will be delivering the main speech. CORE, an organization co-founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee, will receive the award for Philanthropic Organization of the Year, in recognition of its significant humanitarian work globally. Lastly, John Legend will be celebrated as Philanthropist of the Year, due to his longstanding dedication to promoting equity and criminal justice reform.

Also joining are editors-in-chief Maer Roshan and Shirley Halperin from The Hollywood Reporter, Craig Cichy, the executive director of Social Impact Fund, Susan Burton who founded A New Way of Life, ABC News reporter Zohreen Shah, comedian Nic Novicki who established Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, and Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott.

The 2025 Social Impact Summit is being made possible by our returning lead sponsor, Gilead Sciences – a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to driving medical innovations that aim to make the world healthier for everyone. Other sponsors include Public Interest Registry, Heineken, Open Water, and Casamigos.

Striving to “encourage philanthropy that is both effective and inclusive,” the Social Impact Fund has acted as a stage for various humanitarian initiatives spearheaded by notable figures from Hollywood, including but not limited to Legend, Will.I.Am, Kerry Washington, Shawn Mendes, Alex Cooper, Lilly Singh, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, Madonna, Jonathan Bailey, Hailey Bieber, Chris Powell, The Kid Laroi, and Lily Collins.

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2025-07-21 21:24