10 of 2022’s Top DE&I Speakers

As business leaders have hopefully heard by now, DE&I, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, are not just some of  this year’s hot buzzwords. They are  a critical part of a healthy workplace culture and have significant, concrete impact on an organization’s bottom line, having been proven to increase staff retention and productivity.

 

It’s all well and good to have stats and articles in your back pocket, but how to successfully embrace and support a diverse workforce and promote an equitable work space is another matter entirely. That is where DE&I consultants and keynote speakers come in. The diversity speakers featured here are experts when it comes to getting down the actual business of making your business more inclusive, providing insight into effective implementation strategies and important considerations for any leader wishing to guide their teams to greatness.

 

Voted one of the Top 100 Black Thought Leaders by BlackList100, top marketing, culture, and diversity speaker Omar Johnson is an entrepreneur and innovator. The former VP of Marketing at Apple and CMO at Beats by Dre, he shares his insights on how organizations can promote diversity by making conscious decisions in their marketing and branding efforts.

 

Top leadership and diversity keynote speaker Verna Myers is an author, activist, and cultural innovator. Dedicated to eradicating barriers to diversity in the workplace, she is the founder of the Verna Myers Company, a firm specializing in making the most difficult conversations around bias, cultural competence, and inclusion accessible to all.

 

Innovation expert and diversity speaker Tan Le is an award-winning inventor who has been recognized as one of the most influential Women in Technology. As someone who grew up as an outsider, she shares the insights she’s gained into how thinking differently and existing outside social norms can be an advantage.

 

Cynthia Marshall is a top DE&I speaker and the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. With an executive career that has seen her  leading teams at AT&T, the Dow Chemical Company, and the North Carolina State Chamber of Commerce, she has earned wide recognition for her ability to align employees and get things done.

 

Former CTO of Netflix Patty McCord is a top corporate culture and DE&I keynote speaker. She is on a mission to reinvent HR to help employees manage their own careers and ambitions, be more productive, and embrace the potential promised by diverse, inclusive workplaces.

 

Gabrielle Scrimshaw is a storytelling, leadership and DE&I keynote speaker specializing in social impact in the areas of economic development and governance. She is considered a global thought leader in indigenous leadership, and is regularly sought out for her insights by North America’s largest national media outlets and corporations.

 

The former Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Google, Wema Hoover is a top executive coach and culture curator who utilizes her experiences working as a black female leader to help drive businesses to realize the true potential of diversity to empower employees and better connect with customers.

 

Bestselling author, Harvard Business School Professor, and organizational change thought leader Tsedal Neeley is a top keynote speaker on diversity, equity and inclusion. An esteemed leadership speaker and educator, she regularly aids executives in scaling their organizations for the global work revolution.

 

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a top DE&I keynote speaker, writer, broadcaster, and activist. Recognized as a Young Australian of the Year, she is a sought-after advisor and speaker on issues of social justice, specializing in the intersection of race, gender, and faith.

 

DE&I thought leader Marcus Collins is an award-winning advertiser and diversity speaker whose expertise lies in the art of virality and cultural contagion. When he’s not helping organizations capitalize on pop culture trends and social media for their marketing campaigns, he’s teaching at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

This article was originally published by BigSpeak on Apr 29, 2022.

Top Trending Topics in Fortune 500 Companies

What are the top trending topics that Fortune 500 companies are interested in 2022? After looking at our booking data, BigSpeak Speakers Bureau determined that 8 topics are topping the charts ranging from habit building to entrepreneurship to teamwork.

It doesn’t matter whether your company is private, public, big, or small, everyone can benefit from these lessons. We created a list of each topic for you and the top keynote speakers who are experts in that field.

 

Top 8 Trending Speaking Topics in Demand by Fortune 500 Companies

 

1) Habits 

Learn how to create repeatable systems of success by making small changes in your life.

James Clear is a personal development keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits. James shows audiences how small habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement can lead to the life you want.

Jia Jiang is a top resilience expert and the bestselling author of Rejection Proof. Jia teaches audiences steps to become resilient by learning how to approach rejection.

Juliet Funt is a Fortune 500 advisor and author of A Minute to Think. Juliet shows audiences the pivotal difference between activity and productivity.

BJ Fogg is a Stanford researcher and bestselling author of Tiny Habits. BJ teaches audiences how motivation, ability, and a prompt can help you build or break the habit you want.

 

2) Redefining Impossible 

Doing amazing things in business and life is all about mindset. Learn how to change yours to reach the goals you want.

James Lawrence is a motivational speaker and world-record endurance holder for completing the greatest feats of human endurance in 2021: 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 days. Lawrence inspires business audiences to keep going towards their goals by teaching them a successful mindset.

Molly Bloom is a top corporate and inspiration speaker, former US Team skier, and the bestselling author of Molly’s Game (an Oscar-nominated film). Corporate audiences everywhere are inspired by Molly’s mindset as she overcame injury as an athlete and setbacks in business.

 

3) Performing under Pressure 

How can you operate the best under stress? Benefit from the research that has helped top athletes succeed.

JP Pawliw Fry is an internationally renowned thought leader in emotional intelligence and managing under pressure, as well as the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book Performing Under Pressure. He shows how to stay consistent when everything else isn’t.

Chaunté Lowe is a motivational keynote speaker, 4-time Olympian, 3-Time World Championship medalist, and breast cancer survivor. She has been in high demand ever since she decided to train for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics through Chemotherapy and a Double Mastectomy. Her story shows audiences the power of resilience through life’s challenges.

 

 4) Entrepreneurship 

Small business growth is booming. Learn from the best on what you need to know to find your niche and grow. 

Marc Randolph is a top corporate keynote speaker, co-founder of Netflix, and the Amazon #1 bestselling author of That Will Never Work. He helps audiences what it takes to lead, innovate, and build a company culture that can reach the heights of Netflix.

Sara Blakely is a top entrepreneur keynote speaker and the creator of Spanx & ASSETS. From her experience starting a billion-dollar company, she shows audiences how to invent the career of their dreams.

Magic Johnson is a world-renowned NBA Hall of Fame All-Star, philanthropist, and motivational speaker. With an incredible history as an athlete, entrepreneur and HIV survivor, his humorous and heartfelt stories show what it takes to succeed.

 

5) Storytelling 

The key to moving people is emotion. Learn from the masters how to craft stories that will move your customers and clients to action.

Matthew Luhn is an accomplished storyteller and business consultant, with over 25 years’ experience working on Toy Story films, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, and more at Pixar. He shares with audiences the steps to making a great story.

Deanna Marsigliese is a creativity keynote speaker, animation art director, and illustrator at Pixar Studios. Deanna specializes in storytelling through character design.

 

6) Leadership

It takes more than a title to get your team to follow you—especially in tough times. Discover how the best leaders inspire confidence in their team. 

Robert Sutton is an organizational change expert, Stanford professor, and bestselling author of Good Boss, Bad Boss. His funny and frank talks provide lessons on leadership, teamwork, workplace dynamics, and organizational change.

Thomas Kolditz is a leadership speaker and expert, retired Brigadier General, author of In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It. He can teach the essential elements leaders need to know to lead through a crisis.

Tsedal Neeley is a top virtual work expert, business thought leader and Professor at the Harvard Business School. Her book Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere was a #1 Bestseller in Business Teams on Amazon. Tsedal can provide companies and leaders with the best virtual practices to perform at the highest levels.

 

7) Change 

Whether you need to handle change that’s been imposed on you or want to change yourself, these experts can inspire you to overcome any challenge.

Cassandra Worthy is a motivational keynote speaker, innovator, and the world’s leading expert on Change Enthusiasm® Cassandra inspires and empowers her audiences so they can shine and overcome any challenge in their life.

Albert Lin is an inspirational keynote speaker and storyteller. In 2008, we went from just another restless graduate student at UC San Diego to following his dream of becoming a National Geographic Explorer. On his journey, he lost a leg, founded a business, became an inventor, and evolved into an in-demand international keynote speaker who can show how to handle change.

 

8) Teamwork 

You can go farther and do more in business with a great team than you can alone. Learn how top teams work best together. 

Robyn Benincasa is a top motivational speaker, adventure racing world champion, and founder of Project Athena. In her entertaining and funny keynotes, she shares stories that explain the foundations of inspired leadership and how to win as a team.

Vernice Flygirl Armour is an inspirational leadership speaker and the first African-American female Marine combat pilot. Her moving and exciting talks inspire audiences and leaders to take ownership of their own work and lives.


This article was originally published by BigSpeak on Apr 18, 2022.

Best Leadership Keynote Speakers of Spring 2022

True leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders” – Tom Peters

Every successful company needs solid leaders– what does leadership mean to you? Perhaps it means being accountable and taking ownership of activities, communicating effectively to a group, or helping others. No matter how you define a leader, and regardless of their position, all employees can benefit from learning leadership skills.

Whether you want your team to feel more confident to take on bigger challenges, be better at collaborating as a team, increase inclusivity, or create a stronger company culture, our best leadership keynote speakers will leave your team feeling united and ready to reach new heights together.

 

Matthew Luhn 

Matthew Luhn is a top innovation and leadership keynote speaker and former lead animator and storyteller at Pixar Studios. Alongside his story work in Hollywood, Matthew works with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and other professionals to craft and tell stories that bridge the gap between business and heart to build stronger brands and business communication.

Robyn Benincasa 

Robyn Benincasa is a top leadership and teamwork keynote speaker, author, and Adventure Racing World Champion. One of the highest-rated, female motivational speakers in the world, she regularly shares the stage with world leaders and business icons, her customers include many Fortune companies like Starbucks, Deloitte, Aflac, Boeing, and more.

JP Pawliw-Fry 

Dr. J.P. Pawliw-Fry is a top emotional intelligence and leadership keynote speaker, leadership thought leader, peak performance expert, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Performing Under Pressure. His work with leaders from Fortune 500 companies, U.S. Marines, Olympic athletes, NBA, and NFL teams has provided him with considerable opportunities to test his science-based tools in environments of high pressure.

Cassandra Worthy 

Cassandra Worthy is a top change and transformation and leadership keynote speaker and Founder & CEO of Change Enthusiasm® Global, a well-respected Growth Enablement firm serving it’s client base through keynote speaking, training, and consulting. She is a former Fortune 100 Innovation Leader, highly dynamic speaker & presenter, chemical engineer, but above all else the world’s leading expert on Change Enthusiasm®.

Marc Randolph 

Marc Randolph is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, advisor, and investor, whose career as an entrepreneur spans four decades. In addition to being the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc has founded or co-founded six other successful startups, mentored hundreds of early-stage entrepreneurs, and as an investor has helped seed dozens of successful tech ventures (and just as many unsuccessful ones). He is host of the top-10 Apple podcast That Will Never Work, where he works directly with entrepreneurs to provide 1-on-1 mentoring.

Tiffani Bova 

Tiffani Bova is a business growth and leadership keynote speaker, innovation, growth evangelist, and the author of Growth IQ. A top influencer in Customer Experience, Digital Transformation, the Future of Work, and Sales, is a regular contributor to Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Marketing Matters on Wharton Business Radio – SiriusXM and Huffington Post in addition to a variety of industry-leading podcasts on sales, marketing, and digital business.

Simon T. Bailey 

Simon T. Bailey is a top business and leadership keynote speaker, author, and peak performance expert. He has been named one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals by SUCCESS magazine, joining a list that includes Brene Brown, Tony Robbins, and Oprah Winfrey.

Marita Cheng 

Marita Cheng is a top technology and leadership keynote speaker, one of Forbes Worlds Top 50 Women in Tech, and the founder of Robogals, Aipoly, and Aubot. Marita is an inspirational speaker who has given over 350 speeches since 2012 in 15 countries.

Ken Schmidt 

Ken Schmidt is a top customer loyalty and leadership keynote speaker, author, and former Director of Communications at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Ken shares stories and insights on the road to building a fanatically vocal customer base, creating a passionately loyal corporate culture, and developing leaders who inspire and motivate.

Vernice “Flygirl” Armour 

FlyGirl is a top inspirational and leadership speaker, America’s first African-American female combat pilot, and the author of Zero to Breakthrough. FlyGirl’s fresh, edgy style, high, contagious energy and unique, gutsy essence jump off the stage, page, and screen and moves people to action.


This article was originally published by BigSpeak on Apr 14, 2022.

Top Black Motivational Keynote Speakers

Motivated employees can make the difference between a business that survives and one that thrives. In fact, a meta-analysis research study by Gallup found organizations in the top quartile in employee engagement outperformed bottom-quartile businesses by at least 20% in productivity and profitability. So how can you help engage your employees so your business can be more productive and profitable?

At BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, we work with some of the top black motivational keynote speakers who can help your business thrive. These keynote speakers are athletes, thought leaders, company founders, and entertainers who have all encountered challenges in life and learned how to overcome them. Each one can impart the lessons to your organization on how to stay motivated in the face of obstacles.

 

Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is a world-renowned NBA Hall of Fame All-Star, philanthropist, and motivational speaker. His stories of overcoming challenges as an athlete, entrepreneur and HIV survivor inspire corporate and business conferences around the world.

Cassandra Worthy

Cassandra Worthy is a motivational keynote speaker, innovator, and the world’s leading expert on Change Enthusiasm®  Cassandra inspires and empowers her audiences so they can shine and overcome any challenge in their life.

Simon T. Bailey

Simon T. Bailey is a Leadership Imagineer and the former leader of the Disney Institute. He has been named one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals by SUCCESS magazine.

Daymond John

Daymond John is a motivational speaker, founder of FUBU clothing, and a reality TV investor on Shark Tank. In his talks, Daymond shares his story of overcoming tough times to grow FUBU clothing from a garage startup to a multi-million dollar company.

Risha Grant 

Risha Grant is a top diversity and inclusion keynote speaker and author of That’s BS! How Bias Synapse Disrupts Inclusive Cultures. Risha shares how diversity and inclusion can engage employees making your company more profitable and capturing more market share.

Vernice Flygirl Armour

FlyGirl is a top inspirational speaker, America’s first African-American female combat pilot, and author of Zero to Breakthrough. FlyGirl’s highly contagious energy, moving stories, and gutsy essence motivate audiences to action.

Jade Simmons

Jade Simmons is a rockstar concert pianist and powerhouse motivational performer. Her stunning mainstage presentations combine virtuoso performance and riveting storytelling to speak to the hearts, minds, and goals of a company’s most valuable resource…its people.

Chaunté Lowe

Chaunte Lowe is a motivational keynote speaker, 4-time Olympian, 3-Time World Championship medalist, and breast cancer survivor. She has been in high demand ever since she decided to train for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics through Chemotherapy and a Double Mastectomy. Her story shows audiences the power of resilience through life’s challenges.

Butterscotch

Butterscotch is a top empowerment speaker and vocal percussionist virtuosa who uses her powerful voice to defy gender and music social constructs. She shares her story of how she overcame overt biases to become crowned the world’s first female beatbox champion.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Yassmin inspires audiences as one of the 2020 LinkedIn Changemakers. She is a globally sought-after advisor on issues of social justice and has traveled to over 24 countries across five continents, speaking to governments, civil society and corporates on inclusive leadership, tackling bias and achieving substantive change.


This article was originally published by BigSpeak on Apr 13, 2022.