Meet the next 20 speakers joining TribFest 2025

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This November marks 15 years for The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. Each fall we come together to celebrate the value of conversation, connection and civic curiosity. We gather to understand the ideas — and the people — shaping Texas’ and our nation’s future.

Today we’re excited to announce 20 more influential voices joining this year’s Festival lineup—a mix of first-time speakers bringing fresh perspective and those who’ve led some of our most powerful TribFest conversations in years past. They include:

• Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church
• Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur and co-founder of Palantir and 8VC, who, in 2021, became the founding chairman of the board of the University of Austin
• Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso
• Katie Phang, journalist, trial lawyer, political commentator and podcaster
• Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center

These five join a group of speakers representing a wide range of professions, backgrounds and viewpoints who will opine on a second Trump administration, the upcoming midterm elections, state politics and how those all interact with topics like education, religion, technology, business, the arts and more.

Also joining us for our 15th year are Raney Aronson-Rath, executive producer of “Frontline” on PBS; Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia Journalism School; John Bolton, former U.S. national security adviser and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; George Conway, contributor to The Atlantic and president of the Society for the Rule of Law; Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis; U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Florida; Anand Giridharadas, publisher of The Ink; Katrice Hardy, CEO of The Marshall Project; Nathan Hecht, former chief justice, Texas Supreme Court; Peniel Joseph, Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values at UT-Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs; Tarrant County Commissioner Matt Krause; Amanda Litman, president of Run for Something; Jennifer Rubin, editor in chief of The Contrarian; Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura; and journalist and author Katherine Stewart.

As we mark 15 years of TribFest this November, we’re excited to welcome both fresh voices and familiar perspectives — speakers who help us make sense of the forces shaping our future. The only thing missing from the conversation is you.

Get your TribFest tickets today and join us this fall.