What If You're Not Defined by Your Worst Moment?

Unlikely Collaborators Hosts Poet, Activist, and Author Ian Manuel

LOS ANGELES, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At 13 years old, Ian Manuel was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Over the next 26 years, including 18 years in solitary confinement, he lived inside a reality shaped by a single moment.

And yet, within that confinement, something began to shift.

Through poetry, reflection, and an ongoing confrontation with his own past, Manuel began to question the story he had inherited about who he was and what his life could be. Not by denying what had happened, but by examining it more deeply.

On Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m. PT, Unlikely Collaborators will host poet, author, and advocate Ian Manuel for a Spark Salon exploring identity, accountability, and the possibility of transformation.

My Time Will Come: Redemption, Identity, and the Stories That Shape Our Lives

Drawing from his memoir My Time Will Come: A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope, and Redemption, Manuel reflects on how imagination, accountability, and forgiveness became tools for survival and transformation. During his incarceration, he turned to poetry to confront his past, examine his beliefs about himself, and question the idea that his future had already been decided.

At the heart of Manuel's story is a set of questions about identity and change:

• Are we defined by our worst actions, or by our capacity to grow?
• How do the stories we tell ourselves shape what we believe is possible?
• What happens when those stories begin to shift?

One of the most powerful aspects of Manuel's journey is his relationship with the woman he shot as a teenager. Over time, she became a close friend and a strong advocate for his release. Their connection challenged both of them to see each other in a new way and reconsider what accountability and forgiveness can look like in practice.

Through poetry and lived experience, Manuel invites audiences to reflect on accountability, forgiveness, and the ways our beliefs about ourselves and others can shape the course of a life.

The evening will take place in person at Unlikely Collaborators' Santa Monica headquarters and will also be livestreamed online. In-person attendees will receive a complimentary copy of My Time Will Come.

Event Schedule
6:00 p.m. — Doors open and reception
7:00 p.m. — Program begins promptly (late entry not permitted)
8:00 p.m. — Book signing and reception

Cost: Free (registration required)

Register to Attend in person

Register to join live online

About Ian Manuel
As a 13-year-old in Tampa, Ian Manuel was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for attempted murder following his participation in a botched robbery. He served 26 years in prison, including 18 years in solitary confinement beginning at age 15, until Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative secured his release in 2016.

While incarcerated, Manuel began writing poetry, which he credits with helping him endure isolation and maintain hope. During this time, he also developed a friendship with his victim, who later became an advocate for his release.

His memoir, My Time Will Come, was published by Pantheon in May 2021. He now lives in New York City and speaks across the country at schools and organizations, sharing his story of accountability, transformation, and the power of changing one's narrative.

About Spark Salons

Spark Salons are a signature program of Unlikely Collaborators, the nonprofit founded by Elizabeth R. Koch. These gatherings bring together grantees, researchers, artists, and collaborators for conversations that challenge perspectives and deepen connections. Past Spark Salon speakers have included illusionist Harris III, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, nutrition therapist Kim Shapira, MS, RD, mythologist John Bucher, Harvard Business School professor and author Michael Norton, PhD, visionary violinist Vijay Gupta, chef and entrepreneur Ellen Bennett, artist Candy Chang, digital workplace expert and author Alexandra Samuel, PhD, grief experts Brennan Wood and Dr. Donna L. Schuurman, neuroscientist and best-selling author Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, neuroscientist and NYU Dean Wendy Suzuki, PhD, futures designer Nick Foster, RDI, sleep psychologist Jade Wu, PhD, broadcaster and author Krista Tippett, journalist and author Eliot Stein, and medical anthropologist and author Theresa MacPhail, PhD.

Watch the Spark Salons Trailer

About Unlikely Collaborators

Unlikely Collaborators is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people see themselves and the world more clearly. Founded by Elizabeth R. Koch, the organization is built on the Perception Box™ framework, the understanding that our experiences, beliefs, fears, and physiology shape the lens through which we interpret reality. By becoming aware of that lens, we create more space for reflection, flexibility, and meaningful change.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/what-if-youre-not-defined-by-your-worst-moment-302738531.html

SOURCE Unlikely Collaborators