Local Keynote Speakers in Washington, DC

Paul Ryan served ten terms in the U.S. House of Representative and as Speaker of the House from 2015 to 2019. Known for his meteoric rise in politics and often praised for his seriousness and honesty, Ryan is a committed conservative and public servant who has spent his life advocating for real solutions that expand opportunity for Americans. Before serving as Speaker of the House, he was Chair of the House Budget Committee, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and a U.S. Vice Presidential candidate. He is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau.

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. He currently is an opinion writer for The Washington Post, host of the podcast "Capehart," and is an MSNBC contributor and anchor for "The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart."

General Stanley McChrystal is a four-star general, the former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and the former leader of Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees the most sensitive counter-terrorism units. He is widely praised for revolutionizing warfare by fusing intelligence and operations and is credited with the capture of Saddam Hussein and the location and killing al-Qaeda’s leader in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called McChrystal “one of America’s greatest warriors.” McChrystal addresses leadership, teambuilding, and geopolitics.

CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, Jake Tapper, joined the network in January 2013. His one-hour weekday program The Lead with Jake Tapper debuted in March 2013. The program seeks to examine and advance stories that demonstrate Tapper's own curiosities and interests with headlines from around the country and the globe, from politics to money, and sports to popular culture.

Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen are two of the nation’s most influential journalists. For years, they worked together building the nationally renowned digital media company POLITICO, transforming it from a newcomer on Captiol Hill to the website and accompanying newsletter that all of Washington considered a “must-read.” Now, they are co-founders of disruptive media company Axios, delivering quick, punchy news and insights on politics, business, media, and technology to a smart and highly-engaged audience. The company has already proved a disruptive force in the digital media space, specializing in high-quality news and analysis easily shared across social platforms by the country’s influential readers.

Chris Fussell is a former Navy SEAL Officer and the current President at McChrystal Group, a premier leadership and management consulting firm founded by General McChrystal and fellow SEAL David Silverman. Fussell leads the company’s sales, branding, and client relations teams, bringing his Special Operations experience and his expertise in cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing within large, dispersed organizations.

Margaret Brennan is the moderator of CBS News' Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan and the network's senior foreign affairs correspondent based in Washington, DC. Brennan has reported on politics, international affairs, foreign relations, the economy, and global markets since she joined CBS News in 2012 and was named the White House and senior foreign affairs in 2017. Prior to joining CBS News, Brennan spent a decade covering global finance, anchoring a weekday show on Bloomberg Television called "InBusiness with Margaret Brennan."

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 the highly-anticipated memoir A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the Stars where he recounts his journey from the streets to the stars. Dr. Oluseyi is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities.

Chuck Todd, NBC News’ political director and the host of Meet the Press, is one of Washington’s foremost experts on political campaigns at all levels. With what the Washingtonian calls a “savant-like knowledge of politics,” his up-to-the-minute analysis and nonpartisan commentary has made him a sought-after voice in American political coverage. Previously the network’s chief White House correspondent and host of The Daily Rundown, he has the unique ability to deliver an all-consuming passion for politics with razor-sharp analysis as he looks at politics, campaigns, and elections.

Sue M. Gordon is the former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI) – the country’s number two ranking intelligence official. As the fifth PDDNI, she co-led the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and oversaw the entire Intelligence Community, comprised of over a dozen agencies that collect information on threats against the United States. In particular, Gordon’s transformative leadership focused on integrating intelligence across the organization, expanding outreach and partnerships, driving innovation, and advancing diversity and inclusion throughout the Community. With nearly four decades of legendary and dedicated service, Gordon has led at every level of the Intelligence Community with roles spanning numerous organizations and disciplines – drawing on this experience to inspire audiences to challenge the status quo, adapt to changing environments, and apply innovation to their business.

Seth Goldman is the Co-Founder of Honest Tea, Chairman of the Board of Beyond Meat, Founder of Eat the Change, and the NYT best-selling author of Mission in a Bottle. Founded in his kitchen, he transformed Honest Tea into the nation’s top-selling organic bottled tea, which is now one of Inc. magazine’s “fastest growing companies.” With his commitment to mission-driven innovation, Goldman leads a company known for thinking outside the box. He shares the secret ingredient to Honest Tea’s success and gives audiences practical takeaways about driving growth and being profitable while staying true to an organization’s values and mission.

Brian D. Quintenz was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Trump to serve as a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in August of 2017 and served four years in his role at the agency until stepping down in August of 2021. During his time at the CFTC, Mr. Quintenz advocated for narrowly tailored, risk-focused regulation and was a champion of innovation, specifically relating to crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi). He led agency’s Technology Advisory Committee, which hosted the most comprehensive set of public crypto-related policy discussions and briefings of any federal financial regulator. During his service, the first U.S. regulated Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts listed on derivatives exchanges, and DeFi expanded rapidly. Mr. Quintenz also contributed consequential ideological perspectives to regulatory debates through dozens of domestic and international keynote speeches, conference panel discussions, and meetings with regulatory counterparts. Additionally, he successfully negotiated critical policy provisions relating to swap dealer capital regulation, the cross-border application of swap dealing rules, position limits on new commodity futures contracts, and automated trading activity. In partnership with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, Mr. Quintenz spearheaded a CFTC-SEC harmonization effort which achieved multiple successes in data reporting and security-based swaps margining and capital requirements. Prior to his appointment to the CFTC, Mr. Quintenz founded and served as the Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer of Saeculum Capital Management, a registered Commodity Pool Operator that specialized in technical analysis investment strategies.

Kristin Beck is a retired United States Navy SEAL, who served for more than 20 years in the Special Operations Forces, as well as a civil rights advocate. For her service, she has been awarded more than 50 ribbons and medals, including the Bronze Star with valor, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Beck is the nation's first transgender Navy SEAL, and was a key voice in the Congressional Bill to end LGBTQ discrimination. She shares inspiring and motivational stories from both her time as a SEAL and her current mission: fighting for equality for all Americans.

Charlie Cook is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading authorities on U.S. elections and political trends. Charlie founded the independent, non-partisan Cook Political Report in 1984, serving as Editor and Publisher until August 1, 2021 when Amy Walter took over those roles, ownership and management of the venerable newsletter. Charlie remains a contributor to the renamed “Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,” writes a weekly column for National Journal, and serves as a political analyst for both National Journal and NBC News.

Anthony Foxx is the Chief Policy Officer at Lyft who formerly served as the 17th United States Secretary of Transportation and as mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. As Secretary of Transportation, he led an agency with more than 55,000 employees and a budget of $70 billion. A digital cities innovator known as "the Great Connector" for his work in government, he discusses the American transportation system, digital cities, innovation, and coalition building.