Meet the Speakers
Explore science, skepticism, secularism, and the issues shaping our world with an engaging lineup of thinkers, communicators, and advocates.
Kallie Moore
Co-Host of PBS Eons, ‘Fossil Librarian’, Author and Paleontologist
Kallie Moore is an enthusiastic paleontologist and science communicator. She is the Collections Manager, or ‘Fossil Librarian’, of the paleontology collection at the University of Montana, preserving and organizing thousands of specimens, supporting paleontological research, developing exhibits, coordinating public programs, and introducing visitors of all ages to the stories fossils can tell.
Since 2017, she has served as a co-host and content consultant for PBS Eons, an award-winning YouTube channel that explores the history of our planet and the evolution of life.
Her debut children's book, Tales of the Prehistoric World, was released by Neon Squid in 2022. And she is an Executive Producer on Why Dinosaurs? a 2023 award-winning documentary about dinosaurs and the people that love them.
Brandon J Wolf
Senior Director of Communications Strategy, Equality Florida and Author
Brandon Wolf is a bestselling author, nationally recognized advocate for civil rights and gun safety reform, and survivor of the 2016 mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. He frequently appears on CNN, MSNOW, and other network and new media outlets, and often goes on-the-record with The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Teen Vogue, and more. Brandon has been named one of Logo TV’s 30 LGBTQ Trailblazers, Huffington Post’s 30 LGBTQ Influencers Under 30, and Out Magazine’s 100 Most Influential LGBTQ People in the world. Brandon’s memoir, A Place For Us, was Amazon’s top selling memoir on release day and has received acclaim from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, and USA Today. A Place For Us was a finalist for the 2024 Audie Award for Best Autobiography/Memoir.
In 2019, at the invitation of the late Congressman John Lewis, Brandon became the first survivor of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy to testify before Congress. He went on to serve as a national surrogate for Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign and an advisory council member for President Biden’s general election bid. In 2021, he was appointed to the Florida Advisory Council to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, studying voting rights in the Sunshine State and making policy recommendations to improve access to the ballot box. And in 2022, Brandon was a featured speaker at the White House’s inaugural United We Stand summit on combatting hate violence in America, where he introduced Vice President Kamala Harris in the East Room.
Most recently, Brandon served as National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, where he oversaw political communications strategy, messaging, and acted as chief spokesperson for the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.
Dr. Sarah Brosnan
Professor of Psychology, Philosophy and Neuroscience & Co-Director of the Language Research Center at Georgia State University
Sarah Brosnan is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Philosophy and Neuroscience and Co-Director of the Language Research Center at Georgia State University. She graduated from Emory University (PhD 2004), where she studied under the direction of Frans de Waal.
Her research focuses on decision-making in humans and other primates, particularly decisions relating to cooperation and inequality, and how those decision processes evolved and are influenced by social and environmental factors. Although her research focuses primarily on capuchin monkeys and chimpanzees, two highly cooperative primates, she prefers broader taxonomic comparisons, including a variety of primates as well as canids and reptiles.
She has won numerous awards, is a Fellow of the APA and SESP, and an Editor of Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B. She has published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and PNAS and has received over $10 million in funding from NSF, NIH, and several foundations.
Her book, “Cooperation and Conflict: The interaction of opposites in shaping social behavior,” co-edited with Walt Wilczynski, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2021.
You can learn more about her research at http://www.sarah-brosnan.com
Seth Andrews
Author, Host of The Thinking Atheist Podcast
Seth Andrews, a video producer and former Christian broadcaster, now hosts www.thethinkingatheist.com, one of the most popular online atheist communities in the world. The Thinking Atheist is not a person. It is an icon encouraging all to reject faith and pursue reason and evidence.
Seth has authored four books, including: “Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot.” (no subtitle needed). Copies will be available for purchase and autographing. Seth’s previously released books are "Deconverted: a Journey from Religion to Reason" chronicles his journey out of superstition, "Sacred Cows: A Lighthearted Look at Belief and Tradition Around the World" is a wild romp through many of the world's strangest cultures and customs, and "Ghost Stories" is a fictional audiobook romp inspired by his annual Halloween radio show.
With a mix of humor and heart, Seth Andrews has spoken for audiences large and small in the U.S, Canada, Europe, and Australia about his former faith, the promotion of science and skepticism, the importance of Humanism in this often crazy world, and why we should all pursue a personal relationship with reality.
Jessica Bluemke Greiff
Writer & Podcaster
Jessica Bluemke Greiff has cohosted the Friendly Atheist Podcast for more than a decade. She is a writer and comedian from Chicago who graduated from Ball State University in 2008 with degrees in Literature and Anthropology and an incomplete Dance minor.
In 2011, Jess began writing with Hemant Mehta's Friendly Atheist blog and, by 2014, successfully bullied him into starting a podcast, which looks at current events through the lens of humanism, feminism, and atheism. The Friendly Atheist Podcast hasn't missed a week in more than 12 years.
A lifelong horse girl, she has worked as a ranch wrangler, a riding instructor, and currently participates in a therapeutic riding program for children with developmental challenges. She will gladly talk your ear off about that, as well as many subjects such as: romance novels, true crime, her rescue dog Dottie, and the LBJ biography series by Robert Caro.
Genetically Modified Skeptic, Drew McCoy
Activist, Educator, Creator & Host
Drew McCoy is the creator and host of Genetically Modified Skeptic, a popular YouTube channel that examines religion from a secular perspective. A former fundamentalist Evangelical Christian, McCoy draws on his own experience leaving the faith while exploring religion, psychology, biblical scholarship, skepticism, pseudoscience, and the political influence of the religious right.
His work often includes conversations with scholars of religion and other experts, as well as deeply researched video essays and personal stories. Rather than simply arguing against religion, McCoy says his goal is to help both religious and nonreligious viewers critically examine ideas about belief while approaching the subject with compassion.
McCoy has appeared at major secular and humanist gatherings including the American Atheists National Convention, the American Humanist Association Annual Conference, and BAHACon. His recent work has increasingly examined Christian nationalism, religious influence in American politics, and the ways religious movements intersect with culture and public policy.
Hemant Mehta
Writer, Creator, & Founder of FriendlyAtheist.com
Hemant Mehta is a writer, YouTube creator, podcaster, and founder and editor of FriendlyAtheist.com, where he covers atheism, religion, politics, and issues affecting the secular community. He is the author of several books, including I Sold My Soul on eBay and The Young Atheist’s Survival Guide, and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and other national media.
Hemant holds degrees in Mathematics and Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s degree in Math Education from DePaul University. A former National Board Certified high school math teacher, he continues to coach a nationally competitive public-speaking team. He has also served in leadership roles with the Secular Student Alliance and Foundation Beyond Belief. Outside the secular world, his crossword puzzles have appeared in The New York Times and Slate, and he is a former Jeopardy! champion.
Mickey Dollens
Regional Governmental Affairs Manager, FFRF
Mickey Dollens fights to uphold church-state separation and protect religious freedom for all. Dollens has a diverse background as a state representative, author, teacher, NCAA Division I football player, and Team USA bobsledder, he brings a unique and dynamic perspective to advocacy.
Based in Oklahoma City, Mickey continues to push back against religious extremism in politics, efforts to weaken direct democracy, and policies that deepen economic inequality. At FFRF, he works to ensure that lawmakers prioritize reason over religion and that public policy is shaped by constitutional principles—not religious doctrine.
