Mental Health KC Conference
Past Keynote Speakers
Welcome to the Mental Health KC Keynote Archive.
Each year, our conference brings together leading voices, clinicians, advocates, and storytellers to spark critical conversations around mental health, resilience, and community healing. Explore our past keynote speakers below to see the visionary leaders who have inspired our attendees and helped shape the movement for mental wellness across the Greater Kansas City area.
2026 Conference Keynote Speakers
Thursday, May 28
Dr. Jamil Zaki — The Science of Hope and Human Goodness
What if cynicism isn’t realism — it’s just a habit we can break? That’s the challenge Dr. Jamil Zaki brings to the Mental Health KC 2026 Conference. A psychologist at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Zaki has spent his career studying one of the most fundamental and most misunderstood aspects of being human: our capacity for empathy.
In his keynote, Dr. Zaki draws from his book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness to explore what research tells us about connection, compassion, and optimism. At a time when it’s easy to assume the worst, Dr. Zaki offers science-backed evidence that hope isn’t naïve — it’s a basic necessity.
Friday, May 29
Krizz Kaliko — Vulnerability, Resilience, and Honest Conversations
Kansas City knows Krizz Kaliko as an artist, but he’s also a dedicated mental health advocate. One of KC’s most recognized musical voices, Krizz Kaliko has built a career on authenticity that extends directly to his personal mental health journey.
In his keynote, Krizz speaks candidly about navigating mental health challenges in the public eye: the weight of visibility, the work of healing, and why vulnerability isn’t weakness — it’s the beginning of resilience. His message is a reminder that mental health doesn’t look one way and that powerful conversations start when someone is brave enough to go first.
2025 Conference Keynote Speakers
Thursday, May 29
Dr. Stephen Loyd — Leading the Fight Against Addiction
Dr. Stephen Loyd is an Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine physician, Vice-President of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, and Tennessee’s former “Opioid Czar.” He has dedicated his career to improving addiction treatment across the nation, serving as Assistant Commissioner for Substance Abuse Services and shaping chronic pain treatment guidelines.
In recovery from opioid and benzodiazepine addiction since 2004, Dr. Loyd combines scientific authority with lived experience. Serving as Chief Medical Officer for Cedar Recovery and Chair of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council, his keynote provides a candid, unflinching look at addiction, recovery, and the systemic changes required to support true healing.
Friday, May 30
Dr. Ashley Smith — Rethinking Happiness in “Unseen Joy”
In her keynote Unseen Joy: Finding Happiness Despite Circumstances, clinical psychologist Dr. Ashley Smith dives deep into the myths surrounding the pursuit of happiness and shares what it truly takes to find joy during life’s most difficult moments.
Drawing from personal experiences — including her own journey with vision loss — Dr. Smith blends psychology, neuroscience, and real-world wisdom.
As co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, she equips attendees with science-backed strategies to shift mindsets, overcome limiting beliefs, and build emotional well-being from within.
2024 Conference Keynote Speakers
Thursday, May 23
Corey Keyes — Languishing and the Path to Flourishing
Corey Keyes, author of Languishing, explores the state of mental exhaustion that impacts motivation, self-esteem, and sense of purpose. Keyed as a leader in positive psychology and famous for coining the psychological terms “flourishing” and “languishing,” Keyes addresses how this middle-ground state can spiral into a crisis without support. A former researcher for the CDC and member of the Positive Psychology Network, his talk focuses on moving beyond languishing to rediscover life’s meaning.
Friday, May 24
Wesley Hamilton — Overcoming Adversity Through Resilience
Wesley Hamilton, Executive Director of Disabled But Not Really (DBNR), shares his personal story of surviving multiple gunshot wounds, adjusting to life with a disability, and overcoming deep depression. Hamilton uses his platform as an inspirational speaker to tap into positivity, empowerment, and self-worth, motivating others to adapt and thrive through extreme adversity.
2023 Conference Keynote Speakers
Thursday, May 11
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor — The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters that Drive Our Life
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor — a neuroanatomist whose viral TED Talk has reached over 28 million views — delivers an interactive keynote on how brain health shapes overall wellness. She breaks down the internal architecture of the human brain to help individuals understand their choices, emotional responses, and mental clarity.
Friday, May 12 (Morning)
Dr. Richard Gaskill — Childhood Brain Development and Therapy
Childhood therapy expert Dr. Richard Gaskill explores the evolution of neurodevelopmental understanding in children and outlines cutting-edge therapeutic models designed to support young minds and families.
Friday, May 12 (Closing)
Alvin Brooks — What Binds Us Together
Renowned Kansas City civil rights leader, public servant, and community advocate Alvin Brooks delivers the conference closing keynote, sharing powerful reflections on community unity, shared responsibility, and social healing.
2022 Conference Keynote Speakers
Thursday, May 12
Dr. Susan Biali Haas — Burnout Prevention, Stress Management, and Resilience
Award-winning medical doctor Dr. Susan Biali Haas opens the conference with actionable tools to combat burnout and build long-term resilience. Having personally overcome clinical depression and severe burnout, Dr. Biali Haas shares research-backed methods to help professionals equip themselves for optimal mental health.
Friday, May 13
Jason Kander & Diana Kander — Living with PTSD and Navigating Healing as a Family
Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander and entrepreneur/author Diana Kander share their family’s experience navigating mental illness. Jason speaks candidly about stepping back from a high-profile political career to treat PTSD and depression stemming from his military service in Afghanistan (as chronicled in his memoir Invisible Storm). Diana adds her perspective on supporting a spouse through treatment, delivering a joint message of strength, survival, and hope.
2021 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE – WEBINAR KEYNOTES
Thursday, May 6
Laura van Dernoot Lipsky — Topic: Trauma
Laura van Dernoot Lipsky is the founder and director of The Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others and The Age of Overwhelm. Recognized globally as a pioneer in the field of trauma exposure, she brings over three decades of experience working with individuals and communities through crisis and recovery.
Friday, May 7
Bruce Franks Jr. — Topic: Social Justice & Racial Equality
Bruce Franks Jr. is a battle rapper, community activist, and former Missouri State Representative whose story is featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary St. Louis Superman. Dedicated to public service, youth mentorship, and political bipartisanship, Franks speaks on eliminating oppression, advocating for disenfranchised communities, and driving actionable social change.
EARLY CONFERENE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Explore the keynote speakers who helped shape the early years of the conference.
2020
- No Conference — Cancelled due to the COVID Pandemic
2019
- Kevin Hines & David Covington — Suicide Prevention
2018
- Dr. Bruce Perry — Trauma and Child Development
2017
- Dr. Rick Gaskill — Trauma
2016 – FIRST OFFICIAL CONFERENCE
- Dr. Nancy Spangler — Workplace Mental Health
2015 – PRESS CONFERENCE
- Metro Council holds press conference for Mental Health Awareness Month: “It’s OK to Talk” — Held at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center