TED Talk Speakers

Leading Authorities speakers bureau represents amazing speakers who have spoken on the official TED conference stage. These top speakers represent the TED slogan "ideas worth spreading" with their fantastic keynotes. TED Talk speakers are a great option if you're looking for a veteran speaker, comfortable in front of large, high-profile audiences with a presentation that is guaranteed to spark innovation and provoke action. Here are some of our top recommendations for TED Talk speakers.

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

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

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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.

Former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Fees
  • Local: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US East: $75,001 and up*
  • US West: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Europe: $75,001 and up*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*
With a medical, scientific, and philanthropic career that spans more than 30 years, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann has devoted her life to improving the human condition through innovation. Most recently, she was the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading the organization’s vision for a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. She was formerly the first female chancellor of University of California at San Francisco and spent 14 years at biotech firm Genentech, leading the development of a number of breakthrough medicines. An innovator and leader in life sciences, Dr. Desmond-Hellmann’s diverse training as an oncologist, scientist, and business executive leads to her endless curiosity about the world and her desire to change it for the better. In speeches, she shares her unique insights not only on revolutionizing global health, but also on effective and innovative leadership. Using lessons-learned as a trailblazing female leader of one of the world’s largest philanthropies, Dr. Desmond-Hellmann inspires audiences with her unparalleled perspective on how to foster an environment of collaboration and relentless innovation to drive disruptive solutions that make an impact.

Former Commander of US and International Forces in Afghanistan, Best-Selling Author, & Co-Founder of the McChrystal Group

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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.

Record-Breaking Explorer & Repeat TED Speaker

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
Polar explorer, TED speaker, and record-breaking long-distance skier Ben Saunders fuses the spirit of adventure with impressive technical ingenuity. He has five North Pole expeditions under his belt and is best known for leading one of the most ambitious expeditions in a century. Humble and self-effacing, he is an explorer of limits and his message is one of inspiration, empowerment, and boundless potential. He explores the dichotomy between ideas and action and urges audiences to consider carefully how to spend the “tiny amount of time we each have on this planet.”

Expert in Technology-Driven Innovation & Human Evolution; Stanford University Adjunct Professor; Futurist; Neuroscientist; and Technologist

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Poppy Crum works to bridge the gap between technology and insightful, effective human interaction. As a multi-dimensional advocate of empathetic technology, she builds technologies that best leverage human physiology to enhance our experiences and how we interact with the world. Poppy serves as the Chief Technology Officer at NextSense and is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, as well as its Symbolic Systems Program. She is formerly the Chief Scientist at Dolby Laboratories. She is dedicated to the development of immersive technologies that leverage human physiology and perceptual realities to enhance our experiences and interactions in the world. She is a frequent speaker on topics related to the intersection of human experience, artificial intelligence, sensory data-science, and immersive technologies.

Former President of Research and Development at Walt Disney Imagineering

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*
Bran Ferren is a designer and technologist working in entertainment, product development, engineering, architecture, and the sciences. He is former president of research and development, and creative technology for Walt Disney. Once known for entertaining millions by creating special effects for Hollywood, theme parks and Broadway, Applied Minds co-founder Bran Ferren now solves impossible tech challenges with previously unimaginable inventions. He has been named one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company.

Social Robotics Expert & MIT Media Lab Research Specialist

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
A leading expert in robot ethics, Dr. Kate Darling is a research scientist at the MIT Media Lab, where she investigates social robotics and conducts experimental studies on human-robot interaction. Forever interested in how technology intersects with society, Kate has a background in law & economics and intellectual property, she explores the emotional connection between people and life-like machines, seeking to influence technology design and policy direction. Her writing and research anticipate difficult questions that lawmakers, engineers, and the wider public will need to address as human-robot relationships evolve in the coming decades. Dr. Darling’s work has been featured in international media, and she has authored multiple academic publications and contributed to industry publications from Vogue to Die Zeit to the BBC, and in 2017, the American Bar Association honored her legal work with the Mark T. Banner Award in Intellectual Property.

Founder & CEO of Not Impossible Labs and Author of Not Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn't Be Done

Fees
  • Local: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • US East: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • US West: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Europe: $75,001 and up*
  • Asia: $75,001 and up*
Mick Ebeling is an American film, television and commercial executive producer as well as an author, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was named as on one of the Top 50 Most Creative People of 2014, won the SXSW Innovation Award twice in a row (2014 and 2015), and was awarded the 2014 Muhammed Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award. He is the CEO of Not Impossible, an organization that develops creative technology solutions to address real-world problems.

Food, Health, & Disease Expert, Founder of the Angiogenesis Foundation, & Author

Fees
  • Local: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US East: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • US West: $35,001 - $55,000*
  • Europe: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Dr. William W. Li is an international expert on health and disease fighting based on diet, lifestyle, and treatments that keep the body’s blood vessels in balance. Dr. Li’s expertise extends across many health arenas including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease, wound healing, and more than 70 other disease conditions. His work has been recognized by O Magazine, The Atlantic, USA Today, The New York Times, TIME Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and CNN, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative. His latest book Eat to Beat Disease was released March 2019 and is a New York Times Best-seller as well as Amazon #1 best-seller.

Founder and CEO, Embrace

Fees
  • Local: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US East: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • US West: $10,001 - $20,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Jane Chen is the co-founder and CEO of Embrace, a social enterprise that aims to help the 15 million premature and low birth-weight babies born every year, through a low-cost infant warmer. The Embrace infant warmer costs about 1% of a traditional incubator and is estimated to have helped over 250,000 babies to date. Most recently, Embrace Innovations launched a new line of baby products for the US market called Little Lotus Baby, which uses NASA inspired technology to keep babies at the perfect temperature so they can sleep better. They are using buy-one, give-one model: for every product sold, a baby is helped in a developing country by the Embrace infant warmer.

Chief People Officer & General Counsel at Cheddar, Former Google Executive, & Former Head of Social Innovation at Warby Parker

Fees
  • Local: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US East: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • US West: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Europe: $20,001 - $35,000*
  • Asia: $35,001 - $55,000*
Anjali Kumar is a former Google executive and the Founding General Counsel and Head of Social Innovation at Warby Parker, a transformative lifestyle brand offering designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially-conscious businesses. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School and Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business Administration, where she teaches Law of Innovation, a graduate seminar which follows an original syllabus of her own design.

Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management & Senior Client Advisor At Morgan Stanley

Fees
  • Local: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • US East: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • US West: $55,001 - $75,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Carla Harris is Vice Chairman of Wealth Management and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She was Chair of the Morgan Stanley Foundation from 2005 to 2014, and sits on the boards of several community organizations. In August 2013, Carla was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council. She is a gospel recording artist and a popular public speaker who gives impactful career guidance to corporate audiences based on her book, “Expect to Win.” Carla joined Morgan Stanley in 1987 after completing an AB in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Spread Ideas With TED Talk Speakers

No matter what kind of event you’re hosting, our TED Talk speakers bring the charisma, experience, insight, energy, and engagement you want in a keynote speaker. Our extensive and ever-evolving bench of talented TED Talk speakers—which includes the discoverer of the Titanic’s wreckage—are also easily recognizable for the vast majority of audiences across the country and around the world and get excited about seeing on stage.

Who else makes up our roster of TED speakers? Best-selling authors, C-suite executives from big name-draw companies and well-known organizations, world record-breaking explorers and world-class athletes, exceptional military leaders and commanders, innovators and disruptors, future trends experts, every day people with incredible and unreal true stories, inspirational individuals who've made the impossible possible, and the list goes on and on. These speakers are all excellent choices to consider if you are looking for someone to educate, enlighten, engage, energize, motivate, and move your high-profile audience.

If you are overwhelmed by our vast selection of top-notch talent at Leading Authorities speakers bureau, don’t worry. Our team of industry veterans will do all the heavy lifting when it comes to sourcing and securing the perfect keynote speaker for your specific event or meeting based on your topic, theme, and audience, etc. We’ll work with you from start to finish to ensure success. We will begin by learning everything there is to know about your event—from the event budget and target audience to the mood and goal of the meeting—and then we will compile a customized list of speaker recommendations based on your specific event criteria, requirements, and needs for you to share with your organization's committee, board, or senior leadership team to help make the speaker decision making process a quicker, easier, and more seamless step to navigate in the overall keynote event planning process.

Explore all of our TED Talk speakers in the list above and click on the speaker links to browse through each of these incredible speaker's profile pages and learn more about their experience, expertise, and speaking topics.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Browse through our motivational speakers to find the perfect speaker for your in-person, hybrid, or virtual event.

Are you interested in learning more about any our TED Talk speakers? Would you like to check any of their speaking fees, availability, and speaking topics? Want to book one of our TED Talk speakers for your next event or meeting? We're here to help you! Contact our team today!

To get in touch with a member of our team right away, you can also fill out the form below, email us at Contact@lauthorities.com, live chat with us online, or call us at 1-800-SPEAKER, if you are located in the US, or call us at +44 20 3038 4689, if you are located outside of the US.

If you are looking for a specific speaker not listed above, we still encourage you to contact our team as we specialize in placing hard-to-find and in-demand keynote speakers from all around the world, which may not be listed on our website.