Jonny 5 of Flobots

Polyglot MC of chart-topping band, The Flobots

Jonny 5 (aka Jamie Laurie) graduated Brown University in 2000 with a degree in Africana studies. In addition to being an emcee, his career has involved moonlighting as a community organizer, media columnist, talk-radio host, and storyteller. He has a passion for group-centered language acquisition, and is the co-creator of a weekly Spanish/English conversation exchange and karaoke night, as well as an experimental series of language-immersion game nights. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Project Worthmore, a non-profit fostering self-sufficiency for refugees in Denver.

The Beauty of Speaking Badly: How learning a few words of someone's language changes how you see each other.

Founding a rock band, making radio hits and touring the world has opened a lot of doors for Jonny 5. But in his quests to seek cultural understanding and fight for equity and social justice, it's Languages - not fame - that have been instrumental in helping him find, open, and walk through the most meaningful doors on his journey. In his inspirational keynote, hear about his own language explorations and learn what 30 years of learning languages and two years teaching refugees have taught him about what multilingual communities can look like in the coming years!

This presentation will be available for on-demand viewing on December 2nd during Global CRED. Register for Global CRED below, it’s quick easy and free!