A former teacher and disability rights activist, Tim Shriver is one of two Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute Public Impact Scholars at the University of Utah. As a leader of the Social and Emotional Learning movement and the Dignity Index, Tim is actively working to bridge the gaps that divide us, creating pathways that bring us together as Americans.

Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America, is a technology industry titan and University of Utah alumnus. A skilled communicator whose career has spanned the globe, Doug’s steady hand and proven success — first at Proctor & Gamble and now at Nintendo, have firmly established his reputation as an exceptional corporate leader.

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell delivered the 2021 General Commencement Keynote Address virtually due to the pandemic. President Ruth Watkins described Mitchell as "a favorite of basketball fans and our community because of his commitment to excellence, education and social justice. He shows by example what one person can do to influence the lives of countless others and how to step forward to advocate for change with grace and goodwill.”

John Warnock, a computer scientist and visionary co-founder of Adobe Inc., received three degrees from the U. He used his vision, passion and intellect to launch a business that revolutionized graphics, desktop publishing and web and electronic document technologies. Today, Adobe is one of the largest, most recognized software brands in the world.

Before becoming the leader of Utah’s most prominent Black church—Calvary Baptist Church—Rev. France A. Davis was a participant in the civil rights campaigns of Martin Luther King Jr. His decision to devote his life’s work to ministry came after his participation in the March on Washington in 1963 and the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march in 1965.

Ben Nemtin, No. 1 New York Times best-selling author and star of MTV's "The Buried Life," gave the keynote address at commencement and provided students with five steps to make the impossible possible.