Our Coaches
Director
Will Baker
Mr. Will Baker directs the NYU Global Debate Fund based at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, 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, and conducted IDBE research. Baker, the first African American Debate Director to secure the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) national championship since Melvin Tolson in 1935, has led NYU's award-winning debate team to consistent national success for almost 20 years, with teams comprising 30-50 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.
Baker attended high school in NYC where he competed in Policy Debate, Mock Trial and Chess. At 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 before venturing into social entrepreneurship. 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 diverse communities and facilitated thousands of awards for students across educational levels.
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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.
Student Executive Board
