UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Business leader Susan Robinson and Indigenous chef Tawnya Brant will be hosted by the Penn State Forum Speaker Series for fall 2024. The forum series is modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series and includes a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions.
The buffet-style luncheons are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in venues on the University Park campus. All events are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public.
Tickets for the Penn State Forum are $25 each, or $250 for a table of 10, and include a buffet lunch. To purchase tickets and register for a lecture, see the individual links below.
Oct. 7 — Susan Robinson
Penn State alumna Susan Robinson, business leader, inspirational speaker and entrepreneur, will present a talk on Oct. 7 in the Dean's Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center. Robinson's talk is co-sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Visit the registration page to purchase tickets/tables for Robinson's talk.
Robinson learned during her time at the University that she had a genetic visual impairment for which there was no correction or cure and would leave her legally blind — or partially sighted, as she said she prefers to describe it. She focuses her audiences on salient issues and ambitious outcomes, building bridges to dedicated action and instilling confidence for their success. In her role as business adviser, Robinson partners with executive leaders and boards of directors on enterprise-wide issues. Her work has impacted the lives of people in more than 130 countries.
Robinson also is the vice president of the Penn State Alumni Association’s board of directors, and also serves on the governing boards for the New York State Preferred Source Program for People Who Are Blind, InTandem Cycling, and the Pavilion Project. Visit Robinson's website to learn more.
Nov. 11 — Tawnya Brant
Chef Tawnya Brant will share her journey with Indigenous food and her work with the Indigenous food sovereignty movement, on Nov. 11, in the Dean's Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center. Visit the registration page to purchase tickets/tables for Brant's talk.
Brant is an accomplished Indigenous chef, Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) woman, and mother of two children. She is the chef and owner of YawékonFoods, a catering business in Ohsweken that provides Haudenosaunee fusion cuisine. According to Brant, in the Mohawk language “Yawekon” means “It tastes good!"
After being a contestant on the wildly popular "Top Chef Canada," Brant shares her Indigenous food knowledge and recipes with her own series, "One Dish One Spoon," which focuses on her entrepreneurial journey.
To learn more about her journey and content around Indigenous foods and cooking techniques, and health and food security in Indigenous communities, visit Brant's website.
About the Penn State Forum Speaker Series
More information about the series, and forthcoming topics and speakers, is available on the Penn State Forum Speakers website.