African American Speakers

At Leading Authorities speakers bureau, we work with a number of prominent African American speakers who will engage and inspire your audience. Whether you're planning a meeting, conference, or specific commemorative event, Leading Authorities speakers bureau represents some of the best speakers covering trending topics such as leadership, motivation, and social change. With our speakers, your audience will gain insightful knowledge and the skills to create a more inclusive working environment to boost employee satisfaction.

Let us know if you are interested in one of our speakers for your event.

Former Director, Executive Recruiting at Google and Holistic Leadership Strategist

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $55,001 - $75,000*
Dedicated to creating the conscious workplace for tomorrow, Virginia “Ginny” Clarke is a seasoned executive recruiter who has advised at the highest levels of corporate America for decades. A proven expert in driving diverse leadership, she is the former director of executive recruiting at Google, where she led the company’s diversity, non-tech recruiting, and leadership internal mobility teams – finding and hiring senior leaders across the company. She also built a scaled internal mobility program for Google’s senior leaders and designed much of the infrastructure that supports their executive recruiting function today. In speeches, Clarke draws on her unparalleled experience assessing thousands of executives inside corporate C-Suites and boardrooms to bring a unique, holistic five-dimensional approach to true leadership that is essential now more than ever. She delivers “no-holds-barred” discussions on the root causes that lead to a lack of diversity in organizations, and provides the integrated solutions that anyone can use to affect change.

Visionary Leader, Institutional Change Agent, President of Paul Quinn College

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire
In 2007, Dr. Michael Sorrell faced a life-altering decision. He was part of an ownership group that was on the verge of purchasing the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and he would serve as the team’s president following the completion of the deal — a dream come true for him. At the same time, he was approached by Paul Quinn College, a failing institution, to serve as the historically Black college’s president in the interim while they sought out a permanent appointment to take over the role — a search that was proving difficult as the school continued to falter. Dr. Sorrell accepted the role, hoping it would be a brief side quest on his journey to becoming an NBA executive. In reality, it marked the beginning of a transformative and innovative era for the school that continues to this day. Dr. Sorrell has spearheaded one of the great turnaround stories of our time — leading Paul Quinn’s evolution from one of the worst in the nation to a higher education powerhouse. As the longest-tenured president in the college’s history, he has instilled a “WE Over Me” mentality in students, faculty, and the community at large and has been revered throughout his historic tenure for his ability to reimagine organizations to better serve the needs of the people that depend on them. He is a testament to the power of purpose and vision. Dr. Sorrell’s talks center on why the simplest approach to leadership is often the most effective one. As he engages the audience with the experiences that led him to Paul Quinn College, and the turnaround that followed, he introduces them to his “Four Ls” for leading with impact.

Former President and COO of Nintendo of America Inc.

Fees
  • Local: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • US East: $75,001 and up*
  • US West: $75,001 and up*
  • Europe: $75,001 and up*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*

An award-winning innovator and disruptor, Reggie Fils-Aimé is a proven expert on transforming companies, re-vitalizing brands, and reshaping industries to solve daunting challenges and achieve ‘the impossible.’ Most recently, he was the president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America – the first American and African-American to hold this position and is now an influential Black speaker. Revered by business leaders and gaming fans alike, Fils-Aimé helped bring Nintendo’s greatest successes – including the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch – to the global marketplace. Using his personal story as an example, he shares with audiences his principles for effective and innovative leadership, including defining a vision, courage in decision-making, and “irrefutable integrity.”

Astrophysicist, Former Space Science Education Lead for NASA, and Inspirational Speaker

Fees
    Please Inquire

Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi has three degrees, 8 U.S. patents, four E.U. patents and has hosted shows on the Science Channel and on Discovery. But more impressive is his life story. Oluseyi grew up in the roughest neighborhoods of America, learned to survive on the street, and still taught himself Einstein’s theory of relativity from an old set of encyclopedias. At every turn he was presented with a compelling option to quit and yet he persevered. Today, he is a NASA astrophysicist, a global educator, and the author of a highly-anticipated upcoming memoir A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the Stars where he recounts his journey from the streets to the stars. Motivational and inspirational speaker Dr. Oluseyi is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities.

Cybersecurity & Emerging Technology Policy Leader, Former Acting U.S. National Cyber Director, President of the Paladin Global Institute

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $55,001 - $75,000*
Kemba Walden stands at the forefront of cybersecurity, combining a wealth of government and private sector experience with a vision for a secure digital future. As the Acting United States National Cyber Director from February to November of 2023, our nation’s highest-ranking leaders looked to her to shape the national cybersecurity policies and strategies that protect our critical infrastructure and make cyberspace safer for the organizations and individuals who depend on its stability and security. Walden, who has also served as assistant general counsel for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit, is regarded among the most respected figures in cybersecurity circles, as well as one of the most sought-after thought leaders for organizations seeking to better understand how they can maximize the security of their businesses in a constantly evolving cyber landscape.

Motivational Leadership Expert, FBI’s First African American Female Special Agent Assistant Director

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Cassandra “Cassi” Chandler is an innovator, strategist, investigator, and leader who has broken barriers, led diverse teams, and built cultures of motivational leadership and inclusivity at some of the world’s most important organizations, including Bank of America and the FBI. In a career that has included many “firsts” across the U.S. government and financial services industries, she served as the FBI’s first African American female special agent assistant director as well as the Bureau’s first female national spokesperson and director of public and community affairs. In addition to defining the tools motivational leaders need to mindfully build more high-performing cultures, Chandler provides actionable insights on how to move the needle while leading with empathy.

Inspirational Powerhouse, Empowers Authentic Workplace Cultures; Grammy Nominated Musician and Author

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire

Jonathan Capehart is a journalist and television personality who has worked as a policy advisor to Michael Bloomberg’s campaign, a national affairs columnist, and was a member of the Daily News editorial board which won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. Highly popular Black inspirational speaker, he currently writes for The Washington Post’s PostPartisan blog and is a contributor for MSNBC.

High-Performance Expert & Sport Psychology Consultant for the Chicago Bulls

Fees
    Please Inquire
Widely respected as an innovator in unlocking high performance in teams and individuals, Dr. Wendy Borlabi possesses expert-level understanding of the mental aspects of peak performance and works alongside the world’s top athletes to help them reframe their mindsets to reach their full potential. She is the sport psychology consultant for the Chicago Bulls where her mindset-centered philosophy to mastering your field is embedded in the team’s success and prevalent at all levels of the organization and its culture. A leading sports psychologists and performance coach, Dr. Borlabi is also an independent consultant with the NBA and is the founder of performance psychology firm Borlabi Consulting, through which she advises organizations in any industry on teamwork, elevating mental toughness, and inspiring unwavering confidence in their teams. Previously, she served as senior sports psychologist for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), preparing the country’s top athletes for dominant performances at two Winter Olympics and one Summer Olympics.

Chief Economist, The Conference Board

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Asia: $55,001 - $75,000*

With more questions than answers in today’s economic landscape, Dana M. Peterson, chief economist for the Conference Board, has established herself as a visionary, and the go-to expert providing insightful analysis and predictions to corporations, associations, and government organizations looking for clarity and foresight into how economic drivers might impact their businesses in the short- and long-term. With over two decades of experience in the field, she serves as the globally recognized think tank’s public face and primary spokesperson on all things related to the economy.

Inspirational Changemaker in Science & Society; Cutting-Edge Communicator; Founder & Director of the Ramsey Research Foundation

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • Europe: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
One of only a handful of African Americans to earn a PhD in entomology, Dr. Sammy Ramsey is an inspirational science leader and communicator who has defied the odds to achieve his dreams and is a testament to the power of grit, determination, and an unwavering commitment to one’s purpose. When people said he didn’t have what it took to make his mark in entomology, he proved them wrong by making a breakthrough discovery in the field of bee research — one that could potentially reverse a devastating pandemic in bee populations. And when people told him he didn’t “look” like a scientist, he remained true to himself and redefined what a scientist could look like. Dr. Ramsey has mastered the art of unconventional thinking to arrive at innovative solutions to some of the most significant challenges shaping the future of our society and teaches organizations and individuals how they can do the same as they address their most-pressing challenges in business and life head-on.

First African American Army Surgeon General and Former Commanding General, US Army Medical Command

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*
A trailblazer in female leadership, Lieutenant General (ret) Nadja West is the 44th Army Surgeon General and the former Commanding General of US Army Medical Command. She is the first African American woman 3-star General in the Army’s history, the first African American Army Surgeon General, and currently the highest-ranking woman to ever graduate from West Point. West shares her story of grit, perseverance, strength, and breaking boundaries, even when faced with adversity. Taking audiences on her journey to becoming the Army’s first African American woman 3-star General, she motivates them to overcome challenges with self-belief, bravery, and balance. With more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, crisis management, and disaster response – including crafting the DOD medical response to the Ebola crisis – West speaks expertly on leadership tactics to effectively lead teams through times of uncertainty and crisis.

CEO of Uncharted, Innovator and Social Entrepreneur, Trailblazing Energy Advocate

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $55,001 - $75,000*

Jessica O. Matthews is the Founder & CEO of Uncharted Power, an award-winning energy and data technology company that develops infrastructure solutions for communities, facilities, and Internet of Things. The company was founded by Jessica when she was only 22 years old. Jessica’s research and career centers around the intersection of disruptive technology, renewable energy, human behavior, and the psychology of self-actualization. A dual citizen of Nigeria & the U.S. and Black female speaker, Jessica has a degree in Psychology and Economics from Harvard University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and is listed on over 10 patents and patents pending—including her first invention of the SOCCKET, an energy generating soccer ball, at the age of 19.

Invite The Top Black Motivational Speakers To Your Event

Types of Speakers

We represent various speakers who can meet any budget or event theme. Some of the many topics our African American speakers can cover include:

  • Black History Month speakers: Educate audiences about Black history during Black History Month programs and throughout the year. Our speakers come from various backgrounds, ranging from business executives and transformational leaders, who will share their stories and lessons they've learned along the way.
  • Women's History Month speakers: Give your audience a new perspective this Women's History Month with our female African American keynote speakers. Our outstanding female speakers will educate and inspire through stories and lessons about women of color breaking barriers to create a more inclusive environment for all.
  • Motivational speakers: Our motivational speakers will share stories of perseverance to energize your audience through actionable insights. From overcoming adversity to shattering glass ceilings, we have various speakers to meet your event's theme.
  • Business speakers: Learn how to create a high-performing team from our business speakers. Our speakers include CEOs, authors, and high-ranking executives who will provide actionable insights to transform any organization.

Speaking Topics

The vast array of speakers we represent means various speaking topics to meet your event's needs. Topics and speech types include:

  • Leadership
  • Corporate culture
  • Diversity, equity, & inclusion
  • Overcoming adversity
  • Politics
  • Change management
  • Innovation
  • Adventure
  • Mental health, happiness, & wellness
  • Teamwork
  • Business strategy
  • Technology
  • Future of work

When you work with Leading Authorities speakers bureau to find an African American speaker for these categories, you will get the diverse voices and perspectives of these speakers across the various industries where these individuals hold expertise. We will work closely with you to find speakers and topics suiting your event type. 

The Services We Offer

We pull from a roster of top thought leaders to find the perfect speaker for any event. Our services involve arranging ideas for in-person, hybrid, or virtual events. We bring together high-quality speakers, trending topics, and extensive knowledge in planning memorable meetings to create a successful event. 

Our services involve in-depth consultations with clients to find knowledgeable and intriguing speakers that complement your business event or meeting. We do more than send a list of speakers. Our team asks questions about your audience and goals to craft curated lists and narrow your options to find the perfect African American speaker. 

Our tailored approach means many companies trust us as the organization of choice for finding speakers for their events. We can even replace last-minute cancellations with knowledgeable and captivating speakers. Our roster of Black speakers brings fresh and innovative voices to suit many occasions, including those focused on diversity and leadership.

Benefits of Choosing a Speaker From Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau for Your Next Event

At Leading Authorities speakers bureau, we have decades of experience selecting the appropriate speakers for conferences and meetings. Our team is happy to offer personalized services throughout the selection and booking process, and we will ensure we find the right speaker for your needs.

Here are a few reasons we are the first choice for many organizations who need speakers for their events:

  • Worldwide presence: From our headquarters in Washington, D.C., we serve the nation's top corporations, colleges and universities, and professional associations. We also have an office in London that offers global opportunities.
  • Seasoned staff: Our client service executives have almost three decades of experience. Their deep knowledge of our speaker rosters, the latest industry trends, and your organization's needs make choosing speakers easier. 
  • Excellent preparation: We handle all the details to ensure a smooth process, from the time you select a speaker to the day of your event. As a seasoned expert in arranging speakers, we'll help you achieve your goals for any event where you need a speaker.
  • People focus: We are in the people business — from the professionals who find the perfect solutions to the talented speakers who create a delightful experience for any event. 

Book a Keynote Speaker for Your Next Event

Our African American keynote speakers have the skills and experience to make any event more engaging. From CEOs to athletes, our speakers are the definition of Black excellence and will use their talent to create a relevant message that meets your overall goals.

We invite you to contact our team to learn more about our speakers. If you have any specific questions or wish to receive a curated list of our top speaker recommendations for your event and audience, you can also complete the form below, start a live chat, email our team at Contact@lauthorities.com, or call us at 1-800-SPEAKER.

Contact Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau

Looking for the right speaker for your audience? Have a question? Contact us by clicking the button below.

We invite you to contact our team to learn more about our speakers. If you have any specific questions or wish to receive a curated list of our top speaker recommendations for your event and audience, you can also complete the form below, start a live chat, email our team at Contact@lauthorities.com, or call us at 1-800-SPEAKER.