Inspirational Speakers

Captivate your audience with dramatic stories of adversity, triumph, and change. Our awe-inspiring speakers redefine courage and human potential. They can energise listeners with stories that inspire peak performance, move your audience to action, and create a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. These inspirational speakers have moving inspirational stories that draw out emotions in your audience and leave them feeling like they are capable of accomplishing anything.

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

Most Decorated U.S. Female Olympian, 14x Olympic Medalist, 21x World Champion Swimmer, 16x World Record Breaker

Fees
    Please Inquire
Katie Ledecky is a 14-time Olympic Medalist (seven Gold, three Silver) and 21-time World Championship Gold Medalist, the most for any female swimmer. She has broken 14 World Records and 38 American Records in her career. Katie was the most decorated female athlete at both Tokyo and Rio Games and had the most decorated single Olympics performance ever by a U.S. female athlete in Rio. Katie’s success has earned her USA Swimming’s Golden Goggles Award as Female Swimmer of the Year an unprecedented eight times. A recent graduate of Stanford University, Katie is passionate about the importance of education, especially STEM and leadership programs for girls. Katie went home with more hardware at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - two gold medals and two silver medals, making her the most decorated female swimmer in individual events of all time. She also made history by winning gold at the first ever 1500m women’s event.

Blind Traveler, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, and Founder of Traveleyes

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: Please Inquire
  • US West: Please Inquire
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Blindness did not prevent Amar Latif from pursuing a successful corporate career, but when he struggled to find a travel company that supported his independence and love of travel and exploration, he started his own. His award-winning Traveleyes business brings blind and sighted travellers together, sharing 4experiences around the world. Amar’s passion for travelling as well as his openness, positivity and determination has also made him a popular TV presenter and guest, with appearances from River Walks to Celebrity Masterchef to The Last Leg. He considers why we see obstacles instead of opportunities, how passion will always overcome fear, and what happens when we look at the world differently.

Renowned Leadership Expert and Colonel, USAF (Ret.)

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

Described by Dr. Brené Brown as one of her “leadership heroes and a total badass,” U.S. Air Force retired Colonel, DeDe Halfhill is a proven leader and communications executive who draws on her 25-year accomplished military career to provide a transparent, real-world perspective on the power of embracing humanness and vulnerability in leadership. During her time with the Air Force, DeDe became a trusted advisor to some of our nation’s highest-ranking military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense. Deployed twice during the Iraq War, DeDe gained first-hand experience leading and advising through the most difficult circumstances, often when lives were at risk, and when there were no easy answers. She understands leadership, not just from studying it, but by actually living it. Weaving in both humorous and heartwarming stories, she demonstrates the practical strategies for any organization to authentically connect, build trust, and empower others in a meaningful way – and, with Brené Brown's words, that leading with vulnerability and humanity is the path to true courage and exceptional leadership.

Legendary British Skier, Four-Time Winter Olympian; BBC “Ski Sunday” & Olympic Presenter

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: Under £10,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest-ever skiers, Chemmy Alcott is a four-time Winter Olympian who has defied the odds in sport and life to inspire the world and show people that anything is possible when they’re willing to take risks. She represented Team GB throughout her 20-year sporting career, during which she became the eighth ranked skier in the world and the first British ski racer to win a run in the World Cup.

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.”

Fastest Woman to Complete a Solo Expedition to the South Pole

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: £20,001 - £35,000*
Described as “a trailblazer, and the most determined, tenacious, and motivated woman,” Preet Chandi holds the record of being the fastest woman to complete a solo unsupported ski expedition to the South Pole, as well as the distinction of being the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition on the continent. Driven by an unending desire to push her mental and physical boundaries, Preet is any Army officer, physiotherapist, Nordic skier, ultramarathon runner, and endurance athlete with an iron will that has led to her making history and breaking barriers in the world of adventuring.

Double Olympic Gold Medalist and Former Chairman, British Olympic Association

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Europe: Under £10,000*
  • Asia: £10,001 - £20,000*

British Exploratory Diver Who Played A Leading Role In The 2018 Thailand Cave Rescue

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: £20,001 - £35,000*
John Paul Volanthen is a world record-holding British exploratory cave diver who specialises in rescues through the Cave Rescue Organisation, South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue, and the British Cave Rescue Council. John hit the headlines in July 2018, when he was part of the multi-national team involved in the rescue of 12 young football players and their coach in the Tham Luang caves in Thailand. John and his co-diver, Rich Stanton, were the first to make contact with the missing youngsters when they had been lost for nine days. Both men were part of the team that successfully rescued all the boys and their coach and brought them to safety. In keynote talks, John gives audiences an astonishing account of the harrowing rescue effort. With heart-pounding anecdotes from the high-risk rescue mission, he hammers home the importance of perseverance, determination, and preparation, and explains why he believes success in life is rarely due to “luck.” John also shares his belief that anyone can rise to the occasion and achieve extraordinary things in the face of insurmountable odds. Using a combination of pictures and audio, he communicates what it was like to be there and the joy he felt when it was all over. Uplifting and inspiring, John’s story is one in a million.

World-Class Blind Adventurer

Fees
  • Local: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • US East: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • US West: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £55,001 - £75,000*
Erik Weihenmayer is a world-class adventurer, the first blind man to summit Mount Everest, and one of only 150 mountaineers to climb the Seven Summits. His latest and most demanding adventure is kayaking the 277 miles of the Grand Canyon. One of the most exciting and well-known athletes in the world, he never let his lack of vision interfere with his quality of life. Weihenmayer’s feats have earned him incredible press coverage and dozens of awards. He is also the author of two books and addresses leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, motivation, and inspiration.

Double Olympic Gold Medalist and Motivational Speaker

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Europe: Under £10,000*
  • Asia: £10,001 - £20,000*

A trailblazer in female leadership and one of the top female motivational speakers, 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.

Retired NASA Astronaut, Rocket Scientist, Electrical Engineer, & Third African American Woman in Space

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*
A NASA astronaut, Joan Higginbotham is a trailblazing electrical engineer who in December 2006, flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery to become the third African American woman to travel into space. Over the nearly 13-day mission, she joined the seven-member crew to continue construction of the International Space Station (ISS), embarking on four space walks and operating the station’s robotic arm. Sharing captivating insights from her 20-year distinguished career with NASA, Higginbotham inspires audiences with her personal journey of breaking barriers into space and beyond. Taking groups aboard the International Space Station and sharing her lessons-learned along the way, she highlights the keys to succeeding in her missions – including preparation, perseverance, and never giving up – and how these tactics can be applied to any endeavor.

Adventurer, Author, First & Only Woman to Kayak the Amazon River from Source to Sea

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: £20,001 - £35,000*
An adventurer, record-setter, and boundary-breaker, Darcy Gaechter is best known as the first woman - and member of the first team - to kayak the Amazon River from source to sea. The journey required her crew to paddle over 4,000 miles across the widest part of South America, a voyage that took 148 days to complete. She is also the author of The Kayaker’s Guide to Ecuador and Amazon Woman, an adventure memoir detailing her Amazon River expedition and the life challenges she faced to get there – the rights of which have been purchased to turn her story into a movie. Gaechter inspires audiences with her personal journey of overcoming obstacles and making the impossible possible – sharing useful tactics to take on even the most daunting of challenges and demonstrating how a strong belief in yourself and in your goal are key ingredients to any success.

NASA Astronaut, Navy SEAL, CEO and President of the National Medal of Honor Museum

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: £35,001 - £55,000*
A decorated veteran of the sea, air, land, and outer space, Captain Chris Cassidy is among the leaders of an exclusive and distinguished group of accomplished military astronauts who have made an impact on and beyond this world. Recognized for his leadership and achievements as a United States Navy SEAL and a NASA astronaut, CAPT Cassidy’s various military deployments and spaceflight missions provided the catalysts for an action-packed career where he made the most of every opportunity presented to him, even in challenging and high-stakes environments.

Expert on Leadership and Decision-Making in High-Pressure Environments

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: Please Inquire
  • US West: Please Inquire
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire

Daniel Hughes has spent the last 15 years leading and making decisions in high pressure and often environmentally hostile environments. He describes himself as a “determined problem solver, who builds teams to succeed”. He previously has been a Special Forces Instructor, Great Britain Athlete and in 2013 built a team of 268 for him to deliver the world’s highest video broadcast from the summit of Mt Everest to the BBC Newschannel. Hughes is a current 787 pilot and as the founder of Reignite Consulting, he globally delivers Management Development programmes to executive teams and helps organisations establish or reaffirm their vision and values.

Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author, TV Host, & Founder of the 100things Movement

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: £20,001 - £35,000*
Known worldwide for pursuing an incredible list of 100 Things that he wants to achieve before he dies, Sebastian Terry’s story is surprisingly not about a bucket list. It’s about something more far reaching: Permission, choice, growth, and connection. Affected by a curious mind and the death of a close friend, Sebastian experienced a moment in his life where he asked himself a simple question: “Am I happy?”. The answer was NO and so he decided to pen down a list of 100 Things that he’d always wanted to achieve. Sebastian's incredible story has grown from an entertaining tale of adventure into a global philanthropic movement that engages a growing tribe of hundreds of thousands to not just set meaningful goals, but pull the trigger and achieve them—all while helping others do the same. Guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and inspire motivation, his talk will re-engage, connect, and inspire your organization to move forward as one.
Accomplish More with Top Inspirational Speakers

What moves your audience? Is it the explorers that push themselves to discover new realms? What about the US military leaders who lead forces on high-stakes missions? Whatever it is that captures your audience’s attention, stories from our top inspirational speakers are bound to leave them amazed.

From military veterans and scientists to CEOs and explorers, our inspirational speakers are ready to share their stories, whether you’re hosting an event focused on team-building, goal-setting, innovation, leadership, or other topics that are trending in the lecture industry.

Because our talented inspirational speakers come from many different backgrounds, we help you find the best speaker for your event and audience. That means we think about more than your budget. We also consider your goals, audience demographics, and theme so we can create a list of inspirational speakers who meet your needs.

We don’t stop there, though. Our team also takes care of the logistics in getting your speaker from Point A to Point B and helps with choosing and organizing event extras. Find out more about our top inspirational speakers by browsing their profile today.

TOPICS COVERED BY OUR INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS

Our top motivational speakers cover a wide range of topics including, how to achieve success in life, motivation and inspiration, their bestselling books and nuggets of wisdom, the difference between female and male motivation, how to unleash the power from within and become the best version of yourself, how to succeed at public speaking, how to become a professional speaker, and how to internalize the thoughts and beliefs of top inspirational conference speakers.

Additional topics these popular motivational speakers talk about are leadership, adventure, branding, economic outlook, turnaround, teamwork, sales, risk-taking and its pros and cons, relationship building, peak performance, overcoming adversity, growth, and overall happiness and well-being. Inspiration plays a key role in enabling others to feel as though they have it within themselves to create something great or enable positive change to happen. Without inspiration, new products and ideas come to a standstill. Booking famous motivational speakers benefits any type of organization and will have a positive impact on any audience. Contact our motivational speakers bureau to get started.

These top motivational speakers and famous inspirational speakers come from all backgrounds and walks of life, with experience in delivering a motivated seminar, speaking at TED talks, are bestselling authors, former Navy SEALs, and world-renowned experts. For some professional motivational speakers, being public speakers did not always come easily. For some, watching motivation videos, having a motivational coach, reading a motivational author, watching other celebrity motivational speakers, practicing public speaking, and surrounding themselves by motivational people is what helped them succeed.

WHEN TO CONSIDER BOOKING AN INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER

These famous, inspirational speakers are perfect for any audience in any situation, but especially when your listeners are in the need for corporate speakers or business speakers that don’t just talk about the good parts of life. The most successful speakers in the world are those that can tie in personal anecdotes and instances that are relatable to audiences, even if they haven’t experienced a situation like it before. Successful celebrity speakers are authentic and can inspire and motivate people that have been in a rut or need a general pick-me-up to keep them going on a successful track.

Inspirational speakers are the perfect fit for annual meetings, sales conferences, live broadcast events, or any situation where motivational speaking is involved. A CEO keynote speaker or American motivational speaker can elevate any event experience to increase motivation and productivity.>

According to Entrepreneur, unhappy and unsatisfied workers can cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion per year. Investing in employees and company culture can help resolve this issue and increase employee happiness, satisfaction, and retention. Employers are coming to the realization that just being able to offer a job is not enough – providing a competitive salary, work perks, substantial benefits, and a welcoming and inclusive environment are all things future employees are looking to check off on their list. If these things cannot be provided, employees are going to look elsewhere to have these needs satisfied. American motivational speakers can provide companies with the inspirational talks that employees look forward to and lean on.

OUR PROCESS

Working with LAI makes planning an event and choosing a speaker for your meeting easy. If this is your first time searching for a speaker for an event – we are here to help. The process begins by reaching out to us and giving us a rundown of what type of event you’re planning and what type of presenter you’re searching for. The type of event you’re planning and the speaker for that event will need to go together – if you’re planning a formal event, a lax speaker is most likely not the right fit. Once we’ve established what type of speaker is right for the event that you're putting together, we will send you a variety of speaker options, all within your desired fee range. You will have the ability to explore each of these speakers’ profiles in-depth, their accomplishments, their bios, and their speaking topics, along with some sample speaking footage.

After you pick the speaker you would like to have present at your event and we confirm their availability, LAI handles the rest from there. Everything from deciphering travel logistics to ensure that the speaker is at the meeting on time, to providing their headshot and biography for your event marketing purposes, Leading Authorities speakers bureau is there every step of the way. Additionally, if you are looking for help producing the event, whether it is taking place virtually, in-person, or in a hybrid setting, LAI Live an help. And if you’re looking for a sizzle reel to intro your speaker or a compilation video that highlights the peaks of the meeting, LAI Video can help as well.

ACCOMPLISH MORE WITH TOP INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS

For more information or to book a speaker for you next event or meeting, contact our team.

To get in touch, you can also send us an email at Contact@lauthorities.com, fill out the form below, live chat with a member of our team online, or call us at +44 20 3038 4689.