There are moments in life that remind us that true leadership is often reflected in character rather than title. Attending A Conversation with Dr. Jill Biden in Boston, Massachusetts, was one of those moments.
The event centered on Dr. Jill Biden's new memoir, View from the East Wing, an intimate reflection on her years as First Lady of the United States and the experiences that shaped her journey as an educator, wife, mother, grandmother, and public servant. Rather than focusing solely on history, the conversation explored resilience, service, compassion, and remaining grounded while living under extraordinary public scrutiny.
Interviewed by Sophia Bush an American actress, Dr. Biden offered personal stories from her time in the White House, sharing what it meant to balance family, teaching, and the responsibilities of serving the American people. Her reflections painted a picture of leadership rooted not only in policy, but also in empathy, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to education and public service.
One of the most meaningful moments of the evening came after learning about my humanitarian background and international work. Upon hearing about my journey and the causes I represent, Dr. Biden smiled warmly and said:
"You're one of the good ones."
Those few words carried a significance far beyond the brief exchange itself. They served as an affirmation that genuine service, regardless of where it begins, has the power to connect people across cultures, professions, and borders.
Meeting the former First Lady was a privilege, but more importantly, it was an opportunity to witness someone whose life has been dedicated to education, advocacy, military families, cancer awareness, and public service. Her authenticity and warmth reflected the same values that have defined much of her public life.
As the wife of former United States President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden has spent decades in public service while continuing her lifelong passion for teaching. Throughout her time as First Lady, she remained committed to the classroom, making history by continuing to teach while serving in the White House. Her work has consistently emphasized education, support for military families, cancer research initiatives, and expanding opportunities for future generations.
Leaving the event, I was reminded that titles may open doors, but it is humility, kindness, and purpose that leave a lasting impression. Conversations like these demonstrate that leadership is measured not only by the offices people hold, but by the lives they inspire.
Congratulations to Dr. Jill Biden on the release of View from the East Wing. It is a powerful reflection on service, resilience, and finding purpose while navigating one of the most visible roles in the world.
Some moments in life deserve to be shared, and I would be honored to share this one with you.
I am excited to invite you to my official Meet & Greet and Book Signing Event for my new book, Living Affirmed: Becoming Whole, Finding Purpose, and Living Fully, on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Troiano Law PLLC in Farmington, Connecticut. This event is more than a book signing. It is an opportunity to connect personally, exchange stories, discuss purpose, leadership, faith, and humanitarian service, and celebrate the release of a book that has been written from years of life experience, resilience, and a deep desire to encourage others. Whether you have followed my humanitarian journey, supported my work through Chris Foundation Inc., or are simply looking for inspiration to live with greater purpose, I would love the opportunity to meet you in person. Come say hello, have your copy of Living Affirmed personally signed, take photos, ask questions, and spend time with a community of people who believe that every life has value and every person has the potential to make a lasting impact. I am truly grateful for everyone who has encouraged me throughout this journey. Your support has made this moment possible, and I look forward to celebrating it together. I hope you'll join me for an afternoon of meaningful conversations, inspiration, and connection. I can't wait to meet you!
Program recorded Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET
Human trafficking, also referred to as modern slavery, is a heinous crime that has shown no signs of abating. Throughout the world, human trafficking in all its various forms continues despite national, regional, and international instruments such as the United Nations Transnational Organized Crime Convention’s Palermo Protocols, which focus on trafficking and smuggling.
While there is a clear need to strengthen existing laws worldwide, victims of human trafficking continue to come forward to make a difference. This has led to increased visibility of different victim groups, initiatives considering different types of trafficking, and movements towards protecting victims of human trafficking, such as the Non-Punishment Principle. Additionally, with the rise of artificial intelligence, the internet has emerged as a new battleground requiring strong measures to safeguard people from online exploitation and scams.
Join this international panel of lawyers, academics, and investigators as they discuss their work in combatting human trafficking.
With almost three decades of legal expertise in representing victims of human rights and human trafficking violations in their national and international court cases, alongside an unparalleled legal practice in providing high-level legal advice to organisations, Parliaments and States on trafficking and modern slavery laws, she is a multi-award winning, world-leading expert on the law relating to human trafficking, including for the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
Her landmark work and cases to protect victims and to require legal accountability by States for their safeguarding failures have given rise to a wealth of trafficking precedents in court judgments with far-reaching global influence in the anti-trafficking field, including in matters as diverse as asylum, non-punishment protection, criminal, sexual and child exploitation, slavery, servitude, forced labour, compensation and the legal accountability of diplomats for human trafficking.
She is the General Editor and co-author of the Human Trafficking Handbook, the world’s first multidisciplinary textbook on tackling trafficking (LexisNexis, 2011), a co- author of the Council of Europe’s comprehensive e-learning course on Combating Human Trafficking (2018, 2024 editions), the author of the Model Law on Orphanage Trafficking (Lumos, 2021), a member of the expert working group on orphanage trafficking of the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking and an expert advisor on sports trafficking for the NGO, Mission 89. She has contributed to numerous high-level publications on trafficking, including for the OHCHR, UNODC, OSCE, and has provided extensive training and legal advice to parliamentarians of Commonwealth States supported by the British Parliament’s Modern Slavery Project.
She brings cases, teaches, advises, publishes, provides legal training and supports civil society organisations that work towards protecting victims of trafficking the world over.
Cara Rose currently serves as the Unit Chief over Programs which encompasses the Training and Outreach and Victim Protection sections at The Department of Homeland Security‘s Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT). Prior to that she was assigned as the Section Chief over Training and Outreach at the CCHT, organizing and fulfilling training requests both domestically and internationally. Prior to transitioning into her roles at the CCHT, she was the Human Exploitation Group Supervisor at the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office in Baltimore, Maryland. She has 22 years of federal law enforcement experience including working as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Yuma, Arizona and Detroit, Michigan before joining HSI in 2008.
Ms. Rose has worked human smuggling and human trafficking investigations as a Special Agent in both Detroit and Maryland’s Eastern Shore areas of responsibility prior to becoming a supervisor. Since 2008, Ms. Rose has been committed to providing victim protection assistance and human trafficking outreach to law enforcement, non-governmental organizations, medical professionals, social service providers, and other community and religious organizations while also actively investigating and supervising cases of human exploitation and other Homeland Security-related offenses.
Joseph Andrew Kalie Sesay is a Sierra Leonean working as State Counsel and Customary Law Officer in the Law Officers’ Department, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Sierra Leone. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree specializing in International Relations, a Bachelor’s Degree in Laws with Honours (LL.B Hons.) from the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and a Barrister-at-Law Degree (B.L) from the Sierra Leone Law School, where he was called to the Bar in November 2012. Prior to joining the Law Officers’ Department, he worked as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Sierra Leone as a Criminal Defence Counsel and later as a Consultant Prosecutor, prosecuting sexual offenses and financial crimes. He also served as Senior Trial Monitor at the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone and the National Courts, where he looked at the conduct of proceedings, basic procedural improprieties, substantive legal issues in decisions, etc. He was also engaged in the analysis of legacy and residual issues as part of the Special Court’s winding-up strategy.
Mr. Sesay has been practicing for an uninterrupted eleven years and has a wealth of experience in financial investigations, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, public health-related crimes, and human trafficking, having attended various national and international training in intellectual property enforcement, financial investigative techniques, money laundering, and other public health crimes.
Presently, Joseph serves as State Counsel and also doubles as the Customary Law Officer. He is in charge of proffering legal opinions and prosecuting all criminal offenses in the High Court of Sierra Leone Holden in the North-East Region of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Prof. Jill E.B. Coster van Voorhout is a Professor of Socio-Legal Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Associate Professor in (International) Criminal Law and Human Rights at Maastricht University. She publishes extensively in interdisciplinary fields, including improving financial investigations into human trafficking. As Project Director and Principal Investigator of the five-year project COMCRIM, she leads a public-private research consortium of more than 28 scholars from more than nine disciplines who jointly examine the systemic factors of organized crime. In COMCRIM, public and private partners collaborate to detect such crime using unconventional data sources such as banking records, follow the money, and discern criminal networks, patterns, and effects. Intended results are more proactive, evidence-based interventions that foster the resilience of democracy and the rule of law (COMCRIM and on NWO’s website, under budget range of 2-5 million euros, NWA-ORC).
She is also Research Lead on Crime and Terrorism at the Amsterdam-based Institute for Advanced Study (IAS).
Sean Bardoo serves as the Human Rights Ambassador for Queen Maria Amor. He is an expert with extensive experience combating sex and human trafficking in the United States and globally through education, policies, and procedures. His specialization includes the Middle Eastern, African, and American regions, with involvement in countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, the United States, Brazil, India, and Nepal. Sean was honored as Man of the Year UAE-Dubai 2023 at the WCH Royal Summit.
He has been recognized for his efforts, including by the Mayors of Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, for rescuing a young woman from Ohio who was in danger of being killed while being sex trafficked. He has spoken at various events and forums worldwide and has assisted numerous countries, agencies, governments, and law enforcement in developing a better understanding of the issues and solutions associated with combatting human trafficking. Additionally, he organizes campaign events to raise awareness and conducts workshops to educate and inform people about the sex and human trafficking industry.
Jenna Bush Hager and Emma Brodie Bring Literature to Life at Kiss 108's Lisa's Book Club in Boston
BOSTON, Massachusetts. Book lovers, literary enthusiasts, and supporters of childhood literacy gathered at The Newbury Boston on the evening of May 13, 2026, for a memorable edition of Kiss 108's Lisa's Book Club, where television personality Jenna Bush Hager joined acclaimed author Emma Brodie for an engaging discussion about Brodie's latest novel, Into the Blue.
Hosted in the elegant surroundings of The Newbury Boston, the intimate conversation offered attendees a rare opportunity to hear directly from both the celebrated author and the longtime TODAY co-host, whose passion for championing emerging voices has made her book recommendations influential among readers nationwide.
The evening centered on Into the Blue, a sweeping, decade-spanning novel published under Jenna Bush Hager's Thousand Voices imprint. The novel explores themes of love, ambition, identity, and the complexities of life in the world of acting and comedy, taking readers on an emotional journey that spans years of personal growth and self-discovery.
Throughout the discussion, Jenna Bush Hager and Emma Brodie reflected on the inspiration behind the novel, the creative writing process, and the importance of telling stories that resonate across generations. Their conversation offered thoughtful insights into the emotional depth of the characters while highlighting the enduring power of literature to connect people through shared experiences.
Beyond celebrating a remarkable new novel, the event also served a meaningful cause. Proceeds from the evening supported Raising a Reader MA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting early childhood literacy and helping families build lifelong reading habits. The charitable aspect of the event underscored how literature can inspire not only meaningful conversations but also tangible support for future generations of readers.
As an attendee, it was a privilege to witness such an engaging exchange between two accomplished women whose shared commitment to storytelling continues to shape today's literary landscape. The evening blended thoughtful discussion, personal reflections, and community impact, creating an atmosphere that reminded everyone in attendance why books remain such powerful tools for education, empathy, and human connection.
One of the highlights of the evening was the opportunity to meet Jenna Bush Hager and Emma Brodie following the discussion. Their warmth and genuine appreciation for readers made the experience even more memorable, transforming what was already an inspiring literary event into a personal moment that will be remembered for years to come.
Events like Kiss 108's Lisa's Book Club continue to demonstrate Boston's vibrant literary community, bringing together celebrated authors, influential literary advocates, and passionate readers while supporting causes that strengthen education and literacy.
As Into the Blue begins its journey into the hands of readers across the country, its message of love, perseverance, and finding one's place in the world is certain to leave a lasting impression, much like the unforgettable evening that celebrated its release.
There are moments that remind us why humanitarian work is not simply a profession, but a calling. Attending One Can Help's 20th Annual Benefit was one of those moments.
Celebrating two decades of compassionate service, the evening brought together advocates, legal professionals, community leaders, philanthropists, and friends united by a single purpose: ensuring that vulnerable children and families receive the support they need to overcome barriers and build brighter futures. The event celebrated not only an extraordinary milestone, but also the countless lives that have been transformed through the generosity of people who believe every child deserves an opportunity to succeed.
Throughout my years serving as a humanitarian, international mediator, and human rights advocate, I have learned that lasting change rarely begins with grand gestures. It begins with people who choose to care. Organizations like One Can Help demonstrate that when communities come together with compassion and determination, they become powerful agents of hope.
What impressed me most was the unwavering commitment to ensuring that financial hardship never becomes a permanent obstacle for children and families navigating difficult circumstances. Access to education, healthcare, mental health services, transportation, clothing, and essential resources can often determine whether a child merely survives or truly thrives. One Can Help has spent twenty years bridging those gaps with dignity and compassion.
As Co-Founder of Chris Foundation Inc. and through my humanitarian work around the world, I have witnessed the universal truth that poverty, injustice, and inequality know no borders. Yet I have also witnessed something stronger: the incredible capacity of ordinary people to create extraordinary change when they choose service over indifference.
The evening served as a reminder that philanthropy is not measured solely by financial contributions. It is measured by our willingness to invest our time, our voices, our expertise, and our hearts in lifting others. Every volunteer, donor, sponsor, and supporter plays a vital role in creating opportunities that can change the course of a child's life.
I extend my sincere congratulations to the leadership, staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters of One Can Help for reaching this remarkable twenty-year milestone. Your dedication continues to inspire all who believe in justice, compassion, and equal opportunity.
As we look toward the future, let us remember that every child empowered today becomes tomorrow's leader, innovator, educator, advocate, or humanitarian. The investments we make in children today will shape the communities we inherit tomorrow.
I am grateful to have been part of this meaningful celebration and look forward to supporting initiatives that place humanity, dignity, and hope at the center of service.
Together, we can ensure that no child is left behind because someone chose to care.
When Kym Whitley arrived in Boston for her East Coast spring tour stop at City Winery Boston on April 25, 2026, the atmosphere inside the venue immediately shifted. Before the show even started, there was already excitement throughout the room. People came ready to laugh, relax, and enjoy a night away from the pressures of everyday life, and from the moment Kym stepped onto the stage, she delivered exactly that.
What stood out most throughout the evening was how natural her performance felt. Kym has a way of turning ordinary life experiences into moments that people instantly connect with. Her comedy feels personal because it comes from real experiences, real emotions, and honest storytelling. The audience spent the entire night laughing, but beyond the humor, there was also a genuine sense of connection in the room. People were not just listening to jokes; they were relating to the stories being shared.
Meeting Kym backstage made the evening even more meaningful. Beyond the success, television appearances, and years in entertainment, she carries herself with warmth, humility, and authenticity. Some individuals naturally make people feel comfortable around them, and Kym has that kind of presence. It is always refreshing to meet someone who has achieved so much while still remaining grounded and genuine.
The evening also carried a personal connection for me because I previously had the opportunity to interview Kym’s close friend, Emmy-winning television personality Sherri Shepherd, during an episode of The Jayman Show. Having conversations with influential women like Sherri Shepherd and now sharing this moment with Kym Whitley continues to remind me how important authenticity is within the entertainment industry. Both women have built careers not only through talent, but through personality, resilience, and the ability to genuinely connect with people.
Boston showed Kym tremendous love throughout the performance. Every joke landed, every story connected, and the energy inside City Winery remained alive from beginning to end. It was one of those rare nights where people allowed themselves to simply enjoy the moment. In today’s world, where many individuals quietly carry stress and personal struggles, experiences like this become more valuable than people sometimes realize.
As someone involved in humanitarian work and advocacy, I often speak about emotional wellness and the importance of finding light even during difficult moments in life. That evening served as another reminder that laughter has real power. Entertainment is not always just entertainment. Sometimes it becomes healing. Sometimes it becomes relief. Sometimes it simply reminds people that joy still exists.
Kym Whitley continues to leave a lasting impact because her work goes beyond making audiences laugh. Her authenticity, confidence, and ability to connect with people are what continue to make her stand out after many years in the industry. Boston was fortunate to experience that energy during her recent tour stop, and it was truly an honor sharing that moment with her.
Although her Boston engagement has ended, supporters can continue following upcoming appearances and tour updates through Kym Whitley’s Official Website.
At some point, you realize there’s a difference between going to a show and actually experiencing one.
Having recently sat down with Sherri Shepherd on the The Jayman Show with Jaiye Bynoe, I had already seen a side of her that felt real, unfiltered, and grounded. Being at this show, courtesy of that experience, gave me the chance to see that same person in a completely different setting. And what stood out immediately was this, nothing about her changed.
This past stop of the Make It Make Sense Comedy Tour at the Wilbur Theatre reminded me of that in a very real way.
I’ve had the privilege of meeting Sherri Shepherd a few times now. This wasn’t our first interaction. But what stood out to me this time wasn’t just the show. It was the consistency of who she is.
Nothing about her has changed.
The same warmth. The same openness. The same kindness that people see from a distance is exactly what you encounter up close. There’s no switch. No performance behind the performance. And in today’s world, that’s not something you take lightly.
But let me take you inside the room for a moment.
Because what happened in that theater was something I didn’t expect.
Before anything else, you could feel it. People had come from everywhere. Not just across the city, but across states, even across borders. I remember speaking to one person who had traveled from Hong Kong just to be there. Another had come in from New York. That alone told me something important before the show even began.
This wasn’t just an audience.
This was a gathering.
And once Sherri stepped on that stage, it all made sense.
There’s a way she carries the room that goes beyond comedy. Yes, people laughed, and they laughed a lot. But it never felt shallow. It felt shared. It felt like everyone in that space was in on something real.
At one point, she did something simple. She asked the audience about their ages.
You’d think that’s a small moment. It wasn’t.
Hands went up across the room. People in their 20s, 30s, 40s, all the way into their 80s. Some smiled, some hesitated, some chose not to say. But what became clear in that moment was this, what she was creating on that stage wasn’t limited to one generation.
Everyone was part of it.
That’s rare.
I’ve been in many rooms, many stages, many events across the world. You don’t often see something that genuinely connects across that kind of range without feeling forced. This didn’t feel forced at all.
It felt natural.
Throughout the night, she spoke about life in a way that didn’t try too hard to impress. She touched on family, on personal moments, even stories about her father, and you could feel how those moments landed in the room. People weren’t just laughing. They were relating.
And that’s where it shifted for me.
Because it stopped being just a show.
It became a space.
A space where different cultures, different backgrounds, different generations all sat together and found something in common. For a few hours, nothing else mattered. Not where you came from. Not what you believed. Just the shared experience of being present.
And honestly, it felt good.
After the show, I had the chance to spend a little time with her backstage. Conversations like that, they don’t always come with a clock. You don’t rush them. You don’t try to force them into something structured. You just let them be.
And once again, she was exactly who she’s always been.
Kind. Present. Real.
That’s not something you can fake over time.
Walking away from that night, I found myself reflecting on why it stood out so much.
Yes, it was one of the best shows I’ve attended. But not because it tried to be.
It stood out because it didn’t need to try.
It was honest.
It was human.
And most importantly, it brought people together in a way that felt effortless.
In a time where division seems louder than connection, moments like this remind you that there’s still something powerful about simply sharing a room and feeling understood.
And that, more than anything, is what I’ll remember.
