APTA announces Kal Penn as TRANSform conference keynote speaker

Kal Penn will be the opening keynote speaker at the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) TRANSform Conference hosted in Seattle Oct. 9-12, 2022.

Sign up now and get the early registration discount, before it ends Aug. 12.

Kal Penn is an actor, writer, producer and former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. He is known for starring roles including the Harold and Kumar franchise, House, Designated Survivor and most recently the patriotic immigration comedy Sunnyside, which he co-created with SNL alumnus Matt Murray for NBC.

From 2009 to 2011, Penn took a sabbatical from acting when he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as an associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, where he focused primarily on outreach to young Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the arts community.

He worked on issues as diverse as the Affordable Care Act, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, college affordability, countering violent extremism, and veterans benefits for service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, among others.

He has maintained careers in both entertainment and public service, has been an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and most recently completed several global documentary series for Amazon, VICE and National Geographic.

Kal Penn will kick off APTA's biggest conference of the year, which includes:

• Educational programing
• Networking
• Closing keynote speaker Sarah Culberson
• Products and services showcase,
• Technical tours

The conference will explore cutting-edge hot topics, including transformative technology, mental health awareness, community building, innovative funding, and finance, safety and security, workforce development and worldwide mega projects.

APTA's 2022 TRANSform Conference is hosted locally by King County Metro Transit, which created a “Visit Seattle” video to showcase all the city has to offer visitors.