Karen Armstrong

Karen Armstrong's keynotes focus on her personal experiences with religion and culture. Armstrong, previously a nun with the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, has a distinguished church background. As a graduate from St. Anne's College at Oxford University, where she graduated with a Congratulatory First, Armstrong went on to teach at an all-girls school in Dulwich. Her memoir 'Through the Narrow Gate' on this experience was published in 1982 and met excellent reviews.

Upon leaving the school, Armstrong became an independent writer and broadcaster. She has since gone on to publish dozens of religious based books. Armstrong is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar, which is a meeting group of scholars who look into religious backgrounds and historical occurrences. She was honored with being one of three speakers at the United Nation's first ever religious conference. In 2008, Armstrong was awarded with a $100,000 dollar TED prize money, among many other distinctions and awards.