Our Coaches
Director
Will Baker
Mr. Will Baker directs the Global Debate Fund based at New York University's Washington Square campus, creating curricular and co-curricular initiatives used across NYU's global campuses from Los Angeles to Shanghai. With over three decades of experience at NYU, he has taught argumentation and debate at the Steinhardt School for Culture, Education, and Human Development, developed new campus and outreach programs for students at all levels, fostered community and international debate partnerships and conducted IDBE research. Baker was the first African American Debate Director to secure the Intercollege Debate National Championship Cross since Melvin Tolson in 1935, and has led NYU's award-winning debate team to consistent national success for almost 20 years, with teams comprising up to 70 debaters. Under his leadership, the team was recognized with the 2022 & 2023 CEDA National Public Debate Award for their commitment to community service and promotion of debate's transformative potential worldwide.
While attending Cornell University, he earned over 100 speech and debate awards and was named a Venephe Wilson Scholar, the team's highest honor. Following Cornell, he worked at the International Association for Religious Freedom and Religion for Peace before venturing into social entrepreneurship. Baker attended Jamaica HS, a public school in NYC where he first competed in Policy Debate, Mock Trial and Chess. The experience inspired his later work. As CEO of the IMPACT Coalition, Baker collaborated with George Soros' Open Society Institute, establishing initiatives like the NY Urban Debate League and the Malcolm X Prison Debate Initiative, which introduced debate to low-income, marginalized communities and facilitated thousands of competitive awards and millions in college scholarships for disenfranchised students.
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In addition to his role at NYU, Will serves as Chief Strategy Officer for the NY operations of Baker Consulting Associates, a Dallas-based, minority-owned management consultancy. BCA specializes in strategic planning, staff development, program design, debate training and public speaking. BCA's clientele includes prestigious organizations such as the Open Society Institute, Deutsche Bank, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations. Currently, Baker serves on the National Parent's Council for the Rochester Institute of Technology, the International Advisory Board for the International Public Policy Forum and the Global Reconciliation Project Planning Committee.
Student Executive Board
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