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Speakers

2026: These are our amazing Speakers!

Matt Dillahunty

Speaker, debater, co-host of The Line call-in show, magic & mentalism performer, American Atheists board member

Matt Dillahunty is an American public speaker, avid gamer, magician and internet personality who hosted “The Atheist Experience” for over a decade and now co-hosts the call-in show The Line. A Southern Baptist for more than 25 years, he sought to become a minister until his investigation of his religious views led him to reject supernatural claims. He now identifies as a skeptic, humanist and atheist.

Matt has engaged in formal debates and traveled the world speaking to secular organizations, churches and university groups on religion, philosophy, skepticism, atheism, humanism and magic. Matt has also produced videos designed to help atheists become more comfortable and proficient at debating. He enjoys performing magic and mentalism, especially when they can be used to teach lessons about skepticism. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Featured Event: a full-length Magic & Skepticism Show on Saturday evening! (8:30 - 10:00 pm on the main stage)

Promise Backlund
(streaming by video)

Author, activist, content creator @eve_wasframed

Promise Backlund is author of Gospel of Lies, and activist content creator best known for creating @Eve_WasFramed, a widely followed platform exploring atheism, philosophy, and life after evangelicalism. Drawing on her experience leaving a high-profile evangelical family, she challenges religious assumptions and contributes to the counter-apologetics movement. She also co-creates musical projects as Caydus with her husband, award-winning producer Jukka Backlund, in his home country of Finland where they reside.

Topic: Prioritizing humanity in the midst of the inhumane

I want to share with you some things I've learned about engaging with those that are the most difficult to engage with… and the importance of not falling for the “us vs them” mentality. If we want to make claims about humanism, we have to be consist in our humanity.

Monte Mader

Former Christian Nationalist, culture critic, metal vocalist, podcaster, content creator on theology & deconstruction.

Monte Mader is a writer, speaker, podcaster, and educator focused on theology, Christian nationalism, and the cultural consequences of religious extremism in the United States. Educated exclusively within Christian nationalist institutions from kindergarten through high school, she received over a decade of private instruction in Christian theology and American history, including five years of intensive apologetics training. She later completed college-level theology electives in Israel while earning her degree at Liberty University, and holds a degree in Clinical Exercise Science with a pre-med focus. After leaving Christian nationalism, she spent more than ten years in sustained theological deconstruction and critical study. She now teaches and speaks publicly on Christian nationalism, whitewashed history, and the mechanisms by which ideology is transmitted through religious education and culture. https://montemader.com/

Topic: Christian Nationalism - history, harm, and once it's gone

The history of Christian Nationalism in the United States, how it's been weaponized politically and culturally, the threat it is now, and what we build when it's gone.

Forrest Valkai

Biologist, science communicator, content creator, call-in show host, evolution educator, nature tour guide

Forrest is a biologist and science communicator with an infectious enthusiasm and boundless love for life. As a PhD Student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, he has an engaging presence on YouTube and TikTok. Known for his dynamic presentations at conferences and conventions, and hosting shows like SkepTalk and The Atheist Experience, Forrest brings together captivating science lessons, thought-provoking discussions on skepticism, and heartfelt advocacy for social progress. Over the course of his online career, Forrest has championed science and reason, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, and taught audiences of all ages to love science and each other. Whether you're diving into the wonders of evolution, questioning and deconstructing long-held beliefs, or simply wanting to make the world a better place, Forrest is hard at work cultivating a conscientious community for people who strive to be kind, to stay curious, and to never stop learning! https://www.valkailabs.com/

Topic: Title: How to Debunk Literally Every Creationist

Drawing from years of experience in science communication, Forrest Valkai takes us on a journey through the most frustratingly common creationist arguments and shows how they're all rooted in the same basic problems.

Tickets for 2026

Fish Stark

American Humanist Association Executive Director, educator, activist, content producer, stand-up comedian

Fish Stark is an organizer, educator, social entrepreneur, and lifelong humanist. Prior to joining the AHA as Executive Director, Fish was the Head of Program + Curriculum at Legends, an educational technology startup helping children. Fish lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where he is President of the Speaker Mike Busch District 30 Democratic Club, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, and serves on several nonprofit boards. He moonlights as an award-winning stand-up comedian and has performed in 13 states.

Topic: When We Win - Envisioning a Humanist World

We know what and who we're fighting against. But what are we fighting for? What does a humanist world look like? We know what our rights, our economy, and our culture look like in a country dominated by Christian Nationalists. What do they look like in a humanist world?

Hemant Mehta

Writer, YouTuber, Podcaster at Friendly Atheist

Hemant Mehta is the founder and editor of FriendlyAtheist.com, a YouTube creator, and a podcast co-host. He is the author of several books, including The Young Atheist's Survival Guide: Helping Secular Students Thrive Based in Naperville, IL, he is a former National Board Certified math teacher and continues to coach a nationally competitive public speaking team. A former Jeopardy! champion, his crosswords have appeared in the New York Times and Slate.

Topic: How a Christian Nationalist lie harmed us all.

We tend to discuss Christian Nationalism through a lens of legal rulings and symbolic legislation. But it also impacts the safety of our country in ways that are not discussed. Here's a story you may not have heard that is directly tied to how our country cares about religious feelings instead of secular facts.

Sam McGuire

American Atheists, Director of Grassroots & Advocacy

Sam McGuire has a diverse background in counseling, education, event planning, and volunteer management. As Director of Grassroots Organizing & Advocacy she works to expand the organization’s grassroots network, shapes state-level advocacy initiatives, and builds strong coalitions with allied organizations. In this role, she oversees volunteer organizers, community leaders, and field staff to mobilize supporters, influence policy, promote secular values, and foster thriving communities.

Sam became involved in secular organizing and activism following the 2012 Reason Rally, first becoming a founding member of the Southern Maryland Chapter of the Washington Area Secular Humanists (WASH) and later President of the regional organization. Sam has volunteered for the American Humanist Association, Camp Quest Chesapeake, and the Secular Coalition for America. In 2016, she was the volunteer coordinator for over 200 volunteers for Reason Rally, as well as helping coordinate on-site logistics. She was elected to the Board of Directors and as President of the Reason Rally Coalition. Sam previously served as a volunteer regional director overseeing the local activism in the Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas for American Atheists, earning her the Atheist Activist of the Year award in 2019. She joined American Atheists’ staff that same year as National Field Director.

Sam has a Bachelor’s of Science in Neuropsychology from the University of Massachusetts and a Master’s of Science in Counseling from Johns Hopkins. She is a National Certified Counselor and a Certified Humanist Celebrant.

Topic: In conversation with Wil Jeudy (below)

Wil Jeudy, M.D.

Secular Texas PAC founder, Church & State separation activist, humanist, community organizer

Wil is an urgent care physician by day and a secular activist the rest of the time. He is the State Director (Texas) for the American Atheists where he helps keep the secular groups in Texas healthy and active. He is the chair of the American Atheists’s “Secular Advocacy Team” which tracks and testifies for/against bills during the Texas legislative session. He is on the Advisory Board of the Center for Freethought Equality. He is very involved in the local secular groups including Houston Oasis, Houston Atheists, and SHORE. And finally, he formed the group Secular Houston which organizes the secular political voice in the greater Houston area, endorsing candidates that align with our values, and teaches constituents how and where to direct their energy to affect change through a secular prism aka Separation of Church & State.

Topic: An Important Conversation About Secular Political Advocacy

An organized voice at the local level, to push back on Christian Nationalism, is more important now than it ever has been. Wil has had success teaching others how to do just that, to focus their energy in an efficient way to affect change. To become part of a local grassroots movement and help bring back sanity to this nation.

Glenda Jordan

Artist, Model & Entertainer

Glenda Jordan lives in Las Vegas and works full time as an artist, model, and entertainer. She grew up on a farm South of Nashville, Tennessee where she was indoctrinated into the Southern Baptist faith from birth. After deconstructing religion in college, she became involved in activism for various causes. Joining the third wave intersectional feminist movement, Glenda believes that liberation from the patriarchy and the destructive influence of misogynistic faiths are inexorably linked. Focusing on atheistic feminism and sex positivity, Glenda is an active volunteer with Recovering from Religion and other non-profit organizations and her local queer kink communities. Other passions include fantasy and sci-fi, Star Trek, art history, traveling, and national parks. When she’s not in her studio or doing marathon Zelda gaming sessions, Glenda enjoys spending time with her partners and friends.

Topic: Neurodivergency, purity culture, and kink:
the bondage that connects them

Why are so many autistic adults into kink? What can the average person learn about structured consent and sexuality? What does any of this have to do with atheist activism and purity culture? This talk aims to explore these questions as well as many others. Learn about consent, some history of legislation against queer and open sexuality, and why Christian nationalism is a threat to foundational body autonomy.

Dr Darrel Ray

Founder of Recovering from Religion; Institute for Secular Leadership

Dr. Darrel W. Ray is an organizational psychologist, author, and internationally recognized leader in the secular movement. With more than 35 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit leadership development, he has worked with Fortune 500 companies and organizations across multiple continents, specializing in performance culture, team-based systems, and behavioral leadership.

Dr. Ray is the founder and president of Recovering from Religion, a global nonprofit that provides support, community, and practical resources for individuals questioning or leaving religion. He also created the Secular Therapy Project, which connects clients with vetted, evidence-based therapists who use non-religious approaches, helping thousands access appropriate mental health care.

Expanding his focus on long-term impact, Dr. Ray founded the Institute for Secular Leadership, an initiative dedicated to developing effective, evidence-based leaders within the secular community. The Institute aims to build a network of trained leaders equipped with shared tools, language, and best practices to strengthen secular organizations worldwide.

Dr. Ray is the author of several influential books, including The God Virus and Sex & God, which examine the psychological effects of religion. A sought-after speaker and educator, he continues to promote critical thinking, human-centered leadership, and sustainable secular communities.

Topic: Are You "Herding Cats"? That’s the Problem.

When someone says leading secular people is like herding cats, it says a lot about their leadership style. Unfortunately, many of us learned leadership in a religious context. That doesn’t work with skeptics. Let’s start developing effective leadership in our community that creates resilience and real power for secularism.

Gayle Jordan

Recovering from Religion executive director, lawyer, blogger

Gayle is a former Southern Baptist who left the faith 16 years ago. She ran twice for state senate as openly atheist, for which she was labeled "the most dangerous woman in Tennessee." She is the Executive Director of Recovering from Religion, and the co-founder of NaNoCon and Murfreesboro Freethinkers. Gayle is an attorney and former personal trainer. She blogs about life, endurance event training, and secularism at Happy. Healthy. Heathen. https://gaylejordan.net/