Hoan Do to headline Power in Diversity Leadership Conference

The child of Vietnam War refugees, Hoan Do graduated from Pepperdine College and now speaks nationally to college and high school students.

Reality-show athlete, speaker and trainer Hoan Do is one of five speakers at the Power in Diversity Leadership Conference Jan. 28-31 at St. Cloud State.

In its seventh year, the conference uses speakers, workshops and panel discussions to build leadership and communication skills, promote academic excellence and reinforce education and cultural development — all in the spirit of change.

Student leaders use the Power in Diversity Leadership Conference to connect with others from colleges across the region. Advisers, faculty and staff use the conference to share ideas and strategies.

This year’s theme, Intersectionality In Action, offers a framework for conversations about power, privilege, discrimination and systems of oppression. Intersectionality theory analyzes overlapping social identities and related systems of oppression.

A Seattle resident, Do travels America sharing practical life-advice with college and high school students. He competed on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” during Season 6 in 2014. He also is a corporate trainer who has led sessions for Century 21, Bank of America, Honda, Toyota and the U.S. Army, among others. Do presents 7 p.m. Jan. 29 in Ritsche Auditorium.

Other speakers include:

• Steve Birdine is a radio host, diversity educator and self-styled “edu-tainer”
• Consultant Ted Robinson has worked more than four decades in education and business
• Harvey Katz is a transgender educator, writer, performer, producer and activist
• Sandra Kim is the founder/publisher of Everyday Feminism, which has more than 4.5 million monthly visitors

The conference hosts a Diversity Job Fair, which attracts some of Minnesota’s largest business, technical, healthcare, government and human service employers, and a Graduate School Fair, which has representatives from graduate schools.