Arianna Huffington is a globally recognized entrepreneur, author and advocate for well-being. (Photo/Courtesy of Thrive Global)
Arianna Huffington named speaker for USC’s 2025 baccalaureate ceremony
COMMENCEMENT: The trailblazing entrepreneur will be honored and speak at the event on the eve of the university’s May 15 commencement.
Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global and co-founder of HuffPost, has been selected to speak at USC’s 2025 baccalaureate ceremony, part of a series of events leading up to USC’s 142nd commencement.
Baccalaureate is a nondenominational, interfaith celebration open to all students and their guests. The event, which will be held at Bovard Auditorium at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, will feature keynote speaker Huffington, as well as several university dignitaries and religious leaders. The event typically closes with a benediction.
USC will confer more than 18,000 degrees at commencement this year, including over 1,000 doctorate degrees.
Huffington is a globally recognized entrepreneur, author and advocate for well-being. She founded The Huffington Post, now known as HuffPost, in 2005 and later launched Thrive Global, a leading behavior change technology company dedicated to improving health outcomes and productivity. Thrive’s AI-powered platform helps individuals and organizations enhance well-being, performance and mental resilience at more than 200 organizations around the world.
Huffington has written 15 books, including the international bestsellers Thrive and The Sleep Revolution.
USC baccalaureate speaker: ‘World’s most influential’
Born in Greece, Huffington moved to England at 16 and earned a master’s degree in economics from Cambridge University, where she became president of the prestigious Cambridge Union debating society. She has been recognized on Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people and Forbes’ Most Powerful Women list.
Tickets are required for USC commencement events this year, including for the baccalaureate, where seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
At 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, USC will host the main commencement ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. More than 60,000 people are expected to attend this year’s commencement. Individual school ceremonies will be held from Wednesday, May 14, through Saturday, May 17.
