Indian American celebrity Kal Penn will kick off the 2023 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo as the opening general session keynote speaker on Friday, November 17, 2023, at McCormick Place West in Chicago, Illinois.
At the event, Penn will address the importance of social activism and will focus on the importance of language education, international relations, global citizenship, and cross-cultural understanding, a news release noted.
A former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Penn is an actor, author, and lecturer. He is recognized for his starring roles in television and movies, as well as his appointed roles as part of the Obama administration.
Penn was a national co-chair for the Obama/Biden re-election campaign in 2012 and has served on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, focusing on arts education and cultural diplomacy.
Born to Gujarati parents, Penn is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has authored a book titled 'You Can't Be Serious.'
