Meet the Keynote Speakers
Deputy Chancellor and Provost, Riverside Community College District
Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey has served as the Riverside Community College District as Deputy Chancellor and Provost since 2025. She joined the district after more than 25 years of leadership and service in California鈥檚 community college system, most recently as the superintendent/president of Palomar Community College District.
A first-generation college graduate and daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, Dr. Rivera-Lacey is deeply committed to expanding educational opportunity for diverse communities. Her work has championed guided pathways, strengthened workforce-aligned programs, and integrated diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility into every level of institutional planning and decision-making.
Dr. Rivera-Lacey earned a Doctor of Philosophy in education from Claremont Graduate University and a Master of Arts in Counseling from San Diego State University. She is a UC Davis Wheelhouse Fellow, an Aspen Rising Presidential Fellow and president-elect of the National Community College Hispanic Council.
She was named 鈥淲oman of the Year鈥� in 2025 by California State Assembly District 76 for her transformative contributions to education and community advancement.
Artivist/concept artist/Bestselling author
Nikkolas Smith is an artivist, concept artist and No. 1 New York Times bestselling picture book creator, as well as a film concept artist for movies such as 鈥淪inners鈥�, 鈥淏lack Panther Wakanda Forever鈥� and 鈥淛udas and the Black Messiah.鈥� He has turned his passion for social justice into an inspiring portfolio of art that resonates across generations. Smith鈥檚 visual journey explores art as a transformative tool of empathy, empowerment, protest and bold reimagination. As a Black illustrator, Smith focuses on creating captivating art that can spark important conversations in today's world and inspire meaningful change towards social justice and equity, making him one of the most recognized talents of our time.
His creative journey began at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he designed theme park experiences and reimagined iconic superheroes. Today, his artwork spans film, publishing and public art, inspiring audiences of all ages to envision positive change through the transformative power of creativity.
He鈥檚 a proud 2016 White House Innovators of Color fellow and the creator of the 2023 and 2024 Marvel Artist Series in collaboration with Target for an apparel line featuring Black superheroes.
Smith has multiple books, including 鈥淭he History of We鈥� and 鈥淭he Artivist鈥� featured at the Obama Presidential Center branch of the Chicago Public Library.
