Andre Norman to Keynote 2026 Cannonball Conference
Andre Norman has been announced as this year’s Cannonball Conference keynote speaker.
The 2026 Cannonball Conference will be Thursday, Oct. 22. Registration for the event is set to open on Monday, Sept. 14.
Known as “The Ambassador of Hope,” Norman's journey is one of extraordinary transformation. Growing up in poverty in Boston, MA — raised by a single mother with six children — he faced illiteracy, the pressures of gang life, and ultimately received a 100-year prison sentence as a young man.
While serving time in solitary confinement, Norman experienced a life-changing epiphany. He committed to transforming his life by teaching himself to read and write, studying the law, and pursuing every opportunity for personal growth and finding a sense of belonging.
After serving 14 years, he walked out of prison and never looked back — eventually earning a prestigious Harvard Fellowship and becoming an instructor at the London Business School. He is the author of “Ambassador of Hope: Turning Poverty and Prison into a Purpose-Driven Life,” a powerful testament to resilience, second chances, and the belief that no past defines your future.
The Cannonball Conference for University staff members, is held each year to recognize staff contributions to SLU and receives its name from the battlefield injury suffered by St. Ignatius in 1521.