...
West Damon (1)

Damon West

Inspirational Change Agent, Best Selling Author, Philanthropist and College Professor

Damon West
  • From behind bars to global inspiration, West shares his message of resilience, grit, and inspiration with his mantra Be A Coffee Bean
  • Through incredible storytelling, West shows audiences the incredible power within each person to positively change their environments and turn their pots of boiling water (LIFE) into a pot of coffee- just like the coffee bean
  • His inspirational message resonates with audiences of all types, corporate, association, educational, and even elite athletes at the college and professional levels
Fees
Local
$20,000 - $35,000*
US West
$20,000 - $35,000*
US East
$20,000 - $35,000*

* This specific fee falls within this range. Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact your Leading Authorities representative.

Location/Travels From: Texas
Want to build a personalized list of speakers? Log in or create a free account
image

The Coffee Bean

A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change

Check fees and availability for Damon West

Interested in Booking Damon West?

About Damon West

Download Profile

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker, 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author and former crime boss in Dallas, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime.

USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most in-demand speaker in America.”

At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury and turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life.

After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress and trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS).

One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man.

On parole in Texas until 2073, his story is one of hope, redemption, grit and the resilience of the Human spirit.

Read More »

Video Gallery

The Story of Damon West | Life Sentence to Best-Selling Author & Speaker

FELONY & FAITH | Damon West’s Road to RECOVERY

Damon West: Live for the YES!

Damon West: The Coffee Bean

Prev
Next
img

The Story of Damon West | Life Sentence to Best-Selling Author & Speaker

img

FELONY & FAITH | Damon West’s Road to RECOVERY

img

Damon West: Live for the YES!

img

Damon West: The Coffee Bean

Speech Topics

Download Topics

Designed for any group, this presentation is focused and personalized for audiences who are working to positively change their culture. Before coming in to speak to your group, Damon will learn your most serious issues and address them as part of his presentation. Damon emphasizes the need to become servant leaders in their teams, schools, communities, organizations and families. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.

In this intimate and personal presentation, Damon shares his cautionary tale and message of hope in a brutally honest presentation. Damon takes his audience on an emotional journey from childhood sexual abuse, adolescent addiction and living with ADHD, playing Division 1 football, working in the United States Congress and ultimately working for one of the biggest Wall Street banks, UBS, before being introduced to meth. His nightmare life of meth-addicted crime and receiving the maximum punishment (Life) is vividly described. The survival stories on the life-sentence building inside a Texas maximum security prison and the lessons he learned while incarcerated, which ultimately delivered him into recovery, are spell-binding and riveting. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.

This presentation is designed for businesses, corporations and teams to realize their full potential and stay ahead of the competition. For maximum effectiveness, Damon will personalize his story with your core values and goals, splicing valuable lessons and life-changing realizations he learned along the way with your organization’s story and mission statement. The themes of character, grit, goals, determination and winning the day are paramount in this presentation. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.

Hear the message that school districts all over the country are implementing as their motto: Be A Coffee Bean! This presentation is designed for school districts and academic institutions wanting to both motivate their teachers and staff, as well as implement the vitally important message of the coffee bean, that the power to change any situation is within you, not in the outside forces around you. The culture of your district can be positively changed in one hour!

Damon’s message not only addresses the physical and mental well-being of students and staff, it also meets the criteria for social and emotional learning (SEL). The SEL aspects of the coffee bean message provide the audience with much needed leadership skills and tips for living a positive life.

Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed and do book signings where requested.

Our players were very impressed. He did a great job of talking about servant leadership, did a great job of talking about choices and decisions, cause and effect of those decisions. I think his story is very compelling because of the sacrifices he had to make to get his life back to where it
needed to be. The message about helping other people and the power of controlling yourself, what you do and what you say, is so important. I’ve never heard it said as well as what Damon did tonight.

University of Alabama

We just had a guy speak to our team tonight named Damon West. Easily one of the top most powerful messages I’ve ever heard. Unbelievable. A great story and very inspirational. A message all teams should hear.

Clemson University

We are really pleased to be working with Damon to further AIG’s commitment to giving back and helping those most in need.

AIG

Damon’s presentation rocked our entire conference. His ‘Five Ways to Be A Coffee Bean’ are where growth takes place and his message aligned perfectly with ours: ‘empower others to become the best versions of themselves.’ The entire PURE family grew today.

Live PURE (People United Reaching Everyone)

We recently hosted Damon (aka The Coffee Bean) and we are forever changed by his message of hope, perseverance, and finding opportunities in adversity. Everyone should hear his story and the power of being a coffee bean in a pot of boiling water. On top of his powerful presentation, Damon answered all of the members’ questions with candor. He stuck around to network and was wonderful to work with.

YPO & YPO Gold West Michigan

Big Ideas in 24 Hours

Our veteran team is standing by to help with big ideas and real perspective. Call us at (855) 827-9635, email us at [email protected], or click below for a custom speaker proposal.

Connect with our team
L A I Video Banner

An Emmy® award-winning video marketing agency that turns complex ideas into visual stories people actually care about.

Learn more
L A I Live Banner

Transforms ideas into experiences that hit with impact. We don’t just produce events—we engineer moments that captivate, connect, and elevate.

Explore
Help Icon
Big Stage? We have big Ideas

Please fill out the form to speak with a veteran expert who can guide you quickly.

Put us to work

Connect with a real person to start brainstorming ideas and expediate your search.

Have questions or need guidance? Call (800) 773-2537 to talk with an event expert who’ll help you find the perfect fit.

Refine your search

Speakers

Topics & Types

    Recent Searches

      Webdesign by Loungelizard