2025 - 2026 Florida Forum
Speaker Series
Presented by
Caitlin Clark
Professional Basketball Player
October 29, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year
2024 First Team All WNBA
2x WNBA All-Star (2024, 2025-Captain)
2024 WNBA 1st Overall Pick
NCAA All-Time Leading Scorer (Men & Women)
NCAA All-Time 3-PT FG Leader (Women)
4x AP All American
2x Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year
2x John R. Wooden Award
Caitlin Clark is a record-breaking basketball phenom who became the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, First Team All-WNBA honoree, and the first rookie ever to record a triple-double. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and a two-time Naismith Award winner, she has redefined the game with her deep shooting range, elite court vision, and unmatched competitive drive. Off the court, she leads the Caitlin Clark Foundation, empowering youth through education, nutrition, and sports.
Former Russian Political Prisoner
February 3, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
Instrumental in advancing international Magnitsky sanctions against human rights abusers
Arrested in 2022 for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; sentenced to 25 years, later released in a 2024 prisoner exchange
Contributing writer at The Washington Post, winning a Pulitzer Prize for his columns written from prison
Active leader in global human rights organizations
Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian politician, author, and historian who played a central role in advancing international Magnitsky sanctions targeting human rights abusers. Arrested in 2022 for speaking out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison before his release in a landmark 2024 East-West prisoner exchange. Kara-Murza won a Pulitzer Prize for his columns for The Washington Post; he continues his advocacy through leadership roles in global human rights organizations.
Vladimir Kara-Murza
José Andrés
Chef, Restaurateur, Humanitarian
March 31, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
World-renowned chef and humanitarian
Founder of World Central Kitchen, providing meals during global crises
Twice named to Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Heads José Andrés Group, with 40 restaurants worldwide including the two Michelin-starred minibar
Founder of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University, advocating for food as a force for change
José Andrés is a world-renowned chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, which delivers meals in response to global crises. Twice named to Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he also leads the José Andrés Group, operating 40 restaurants worldwide, including the two Michelin-starred minibar. He is the founder of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University, championing the power of food to drive change.