For the past 40 years, some of the region’s most influential voices have come together as the East Bay Leadership Council (EBLC) to help shape the future of the East Bay. And to kick off its 2026 season, the EBLC Series will feature American politician, voting rights advocate and author Stacey Abrams at its annual event Thursday at the Hilton Concord.
Chosen by a committee that identifies voices to bring their perspectives, experience and depth, EBLC focuses on distinctive leaders of our time. Abrams’ keynote will explore how business and politics converge, what their dynamics mean for the region, and how everyone can take action to create the future desired by participants.
“Stacey Abrams brings a perspective shaped by legislating, leading nationally and building institutions beyond elected office, which adds real depth to the conversation,” EBLC President Mark Orcutt said.
With major concerns such as aging infrastructure, climate risk, housing costs and economic volatility, Orcutt said the goal of the event is to educate and inspire leaders to take action while raising critical funds to support EBLC’s mission.
Alongside Abrams, the event will highlight the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The nonprofit is one of the largest hunger-relief organizations in California that provides food and other resources to people facing food insecurity. As it enters 2026, the food bank reports it still sees a huge increase in need –– especially from seniors. Resonating with Abrams’ advocacy for low-income families, it’s a perfect match, said the food bank’s president and CEO Caitlin Sly.
“It’s such an honor. Stacey Abrams is such a wonderful thought leader, and we’re so excited to have her coming to the Bay Area and to be able to be part of that is just wonderful,” Sly said. “So we’re very grateful for the East Bay Leadership Council for making that happen.”
Abrams was born in 1973 in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Gulfport, Mississippi. She later moved to Atlanta with her parents, where she was the valedictorian of her high school and pursued degrees in political science, economics and sociology at Spelman College. Involved in activism, she cofounded Students for African American Empowerment at the Atlanta university. Upon graduating, she studied public policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and attended Yale Law School.
After becoming Atlanta’s deputy city attorney in 2006, Abrams was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, becoming the first African American woman to serve as a minority leader in the House. She has launched several nonprofits, including Fair Fight Action, Fair Count, the Southern Economic Advancement Project and the American Pride Rises Network — all as a collective effort to tackle social and economic issues at the state and national level, according to her personal website.
Abrams founded Sage Works Production, saying she believes entertainment should be fun and complicated so that stories can inspire and transform. The creative venture primarily focuses on telling insightful stories and empowering women of color.
As a New York Times bestselling author, Abrams has written award-winning political thrillers, children’s books, nonfiction and romantic suspense novels, such as “Our Time is Now,” about democracy and systemic inequalities.
Abrams also cofounded the financial services firm NOWaccount Corp. and Insomnia Consulting, with a focus on infrastructure and energy, and the beverage company Nourish.
Though she announced that she is not planning to run again for governor of Georgia, Abrams confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she will continue her fight against the direction America is going under President Donald Trump as she remains committed to a multigenerational democracy that delivers real freedom and opportunity for all.
