One of the best parts about my job as a program consultant at Leading Authorities is that I am constantly learning new things. I work with a diverse set of speakers covering a variety of industries and a broad array of business and motivational topics\u2013which means that every day is different and that I\u2019m always learning and being challenged with new information and ideas. It\u2019s a lot of fun to help clients build their meetings and solve their organization\u2019s challenges along the way.<\/p>\n\n
I was recently inspired by one of my clients who put together a program with the theme \u201cDiversity Leads to Innovation.\u201d This client wanted to focus on the many reasons that working with a diverse group of leaders, thinkers, and coworkers ultimately leads to better and more effective ideas.<\/p>\n\n
I receive many topic requests around innovation, and a good amount around diversity. This was the first time I received a request for a speaker to address how diversity can lead to innovation, and I immediately took to and loved the theme. I was so impressed that my client had dedicated an entire internal conference around this theme that the challenge of finding them the perfect speaker led to my inspiration. It was truly motivating to see how much importance a company placed on this topic and how much they cared about their employees.<\/p>\n\n
Diversity leads to innovation touches on so many different sub topics: inclusion, communication, leadership, and growth to name a few. I put together a list of 22 speakers who touch upon this overarching idea as well as these smaller themes. Here is a list of speakers who talk about why diversity is so essential to innovation.<\/p>\n\n
I’ve compiled a list of 22 suggestions for keynote speaker who cover this trending topic:<\/p>\n\n
Read more about each of these dynamic keynote speakers on how to embrace diversity to drive innovation below and click on the links in each speaker’s description to navigate to their individual speaker profile pages to learn more about their experience, expertise, and speaking topics.<\/p>\n\n
Former Senior Vice President, Chief Global Diversity and Engagement Officer of Pepsico<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Deborah Shaw is an expert in navigating uncertainty, as well as the reasons why unlikely people can often be the source of our greatest new ideas. She\u00a0discovered strategies for success that formed a bridge from tough inner-city beginnings to award-winning entrepreneur and Fortune 50 senior executive and consultant. In 2004, Deborah founded the Rosado Shaw Group, LLC., a consulting and advisory firm focused on intervening in today’s complex challenges around culture, performance, talent engagement, and diversity. Since 1996, Deborah has delivered custom executive briefings, seminars, keynotes, and consulting to organizations that include Accenture, American Express, The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, IBM, Microsoft, New York Life, PepsiCo, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and many more.\u00a0 |\u00a0See more on Deborah Shaw here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Astrophysicist, Space Science Education Lead for NASA, and Inspirational Speaker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Dr. Oluseyi\u2019s presentation is a combination of his motivational personal story and a mind-bending look at his scientific research. Born into deep poverty in Mississippi, he grew up in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the country, which led him to spending most of his time indoors reading and watching PBS nature shows, where he realized his love of science and space. He went on to obtain three degrees, 12 patents for inventions in modern computer chips, and to work on Nobel Prize-winning research projects. Funny, honest, and incredibly inspiring, Hakeem moves audiences to never give up while offering a glimpse into galaxy secrets currently being unlocked by the world\u2019s top minds. He\u2019s also the author of the forthcoming memoir\u00a0The Stars in My Soul: My Unlikely Journey Through Space and Time<\/i>, to which the movie rights have already been bought!\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Hakeem Oluseyi here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Former Chief Marketing Officer at the National Football League and Former President and CEO of Pepsi Cola North America<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Whether serving as CEO, Chief Marketing Officer, or Chairman of the Board, Dawn Hudson has led an impressive career spanning high-level posts in media, retail, consumer goods, consulting, and healthcare at some of the biggest corporations in the world including the NFL, PepsiCo, Lowe\u2019s Home Improvement, Allergan, PF Chang\u2019s, the LPGA, and NVIDIA.\u00a0Hudson’s track record of success is packed with groundbreaking ideas born of an ability to see what\u2019s around the corner and an expertise in crafting revenue-boosting competitive advantages, and she is able to relate these themes to the importance of diversity. Hudson has been recognized as the \u201cMost Vital Leader in Tech, Media, and Marketing\u201d by\u00a0AdWeek<\/i>\u2014topping a list of 50 industry titans\u2014and twice as one of\u00a0Fortune<\/i>\u00a0magazine\u2019s \u201c50 Most Powerful Women in Business.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Dawn Hudson here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Former CEO and Chairman of the Board at Kellogg Company & Former Secretary of the US Department of Commerce<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The son of Cuban immigrants who began his career selling cereal to small grocers in Mexico City, Carlos Guiterrez rose to become the youngest CEO in Kellogg\u2019s 100-year history.\u00a0Named one of the most powerful Hispanic-Americans in business by\u00a0Fortune<\/em>\u00a0magazine, he was an ardent voice for business in the government as well as why new voices from various backgrounds can often contribute to forging new partnerships that may not have been possible.\u00a0As secretary of commerce, Gutierrez was a core member of President Bush\u2019s economic team.During his tenure, Gutierrez made it a top priority to open global markets for U.S. companies, and he played a key role in the passage of CAFTA-DR, a landmark trade agreement that expanded opportunities for US exports throughout Latin America.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Carlos Gutierrez here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Former Chief Executive Officer, MetricStream<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Under Shellye Archambeau’s 14 years of leadership, MetricStream has grown from a newly-formed company in 2004 into a recognized global market leader with nearly 1,500 employees globally, as of 2018. The company has been recognized for growth, product innovation, and customer success, and has been consistently named a leader in GRC by leading independent analyst firms. In April 2013, Archambeau was named the \u201c#2 Most Influential African American in Technology\u201d by\u00a0Business Insider<\/em>. She previously held senior positions with IBM during a 15-year-long career there, and was the first African American female to be sent on international assignment by IBM. She talks about her personal journey and why she believes diversity is essential to success.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Shellye Archambeau here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n In her current role at Morgan Stanley, Carla Harris is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She has extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors.\u00a0The recipient of numerous awards, including being named to\u00a0Fortune\u00a0<\/i>magazine\u2019s\u00a0list of \u201cThe 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America,\u201d Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women\u2019s Business Council in 2013. She helps groups tap into their unique potential and understand why our individual gifts are at the core of our success equations. She is the author of two best-selling books,\u00a0Strategize To Win\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0Expect To Win<\/i>, and the creator of \u201cCarla\u2019s Pearls,\u201d the centerpiece of her speeches and television appearances.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Carla Harris here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Leadership and Organizational Dynamics Expert & Repeat\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0Best-Selling Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Born in Israel and raised in Texas, Ori Brafman specializes in unique approaches to problem solving, and imparts the lessons he has learned about approaching problems in new ways to diverse audiences globally. His ideas have been implemented by the US government, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, the Chicago Bulls, the San Francisco 49ers, Amazon, Facebook, Family Business Network, and PWC.\u00a0Brafman is a multiple\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/i>best-selling author. His new best-selling book,\u00a0Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9\/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership<\/i>, examines today\u2019s leadership landscape and argues that inclusion is no longer a \u201cnice-to-have\u201d but a strategic imperative in the digital world.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Ori Brafman here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Republican Strategist and Political Contributor to CNN, ABC News, & Telemundo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Ana Navarro\u00a0is a top Republican strategist and political contributor for CNN and ABC\u00a0who served as the national Hispanic co-chair for Governor Huntsman\u2019s 2012 Presidential campaign, national co-chair of Senator John McCain\u2019s Hispanic Advisory Council,\u00a0national surrogate for Senator John McCain\u2019s 2008 Presidential campaign, as well as an ambassador for the United Nations\u2019 Human Rights Commission.\u00a0Ana is an advocate for changes in immigration policies and\u00a0sustained political outreach efforts for the Hispanic community.\u00a0Respected on both sides of the political aisle for her straight shooting and candor, Navarro frequently appears on top media outlets, such as\u00a0Meet the Press<\/i>,\u00a0Anderson Cooper 360<\/i>, and\u00a0The View<\/i>, to name a few, where she\u00a0shares her insights, as well as her personal journey to success.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Ana Navarro here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Professional Speaker, Author, & Expert on Unconscious Bias<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Dr. Sondra Thiederman is one of the nation\u2019s leading experts on unconscious bias and workplace inclusion issues. As President of Cross-Cultural Communications, a San Diego based training firm, Sondra has more than 25 years\u2019 experience as a speaker, trainer, and author. She helps professionals in Fortune 500 companies, public sector organizations, and dozens of associations find ways to successfully navigate and succeed in our increasingly diverse workplaces. Sondra\u2019s client list spans industries and associations ranging from aerospace (The Boeing Company) to Finance (Ernst and Young) to health care (The Mayo Clinic) to communications (AT&T) and beyond.\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0See more on Dr. Sondra Thiederman here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Former US Navy SEAL & Decorated Civil Rights Activist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n 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. Over the course of 13 deployments and seven combat deployments, she conducted special operations with small UAVs, HUMINT, and Direct Action missions.\u00a0Now a civil rights activist, she gives speeches and lectures at various events around the country. Kristin was a key voice in the Congressional Bill to end discrimination toward the LGBT community. She continues her \u201cnew mission\u201d fighting for equality for all Americans and a documentary story of her life,\u00a0Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story<\/i>, aired on CNN in 2014. She encourages audiences to focus on their similarities, rather than their differences, and to unlock new ideas by exploring various perspectives.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Kristin Beck here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Renowned Political Strategist and Commentator & Former Interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Veteran political strategist, Donna Brazile, is the former interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the author of the New York Times bestseller\u00a0Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House<\/i>\u00a0and the 2004 best-selling memoir\u00a0Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics<\/i>. She is a co-author of the forthcoming book\u00a0For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics.\u00a0<\/i>Ms. Brazile has devoted her life to working for progressive change, responsible governance, and the advancement of all people in a society that is fair and equitable, as well as why great ideas often come from unlikely places.\u00a0Ms. Brazile loves working with young people, encouraging them to vote, to run for office, and to work within the system to strengthen it.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0See more on Donna Brazile here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Journalist & Television Personality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Capehart is a member of\u00a0The Washington Post\u00a0<\/i>editorial board, writes about politics and social issues for the PostPartisan blog, and hosts the\u00a0Post\u2019s\u00a0<\/i>\u201cCape Up\u201d podcast. He is also an MSNBC contributor who regularly serves as a substitute anchor.\u00a0He is also revered for his abilities as an expert panelist and moderator, who is particularly skilled at directing and navigating honest, meaningful conversations with high-level personalities. In addition to his work with the\u00a0Post,\u00a0<\/i>Capehart is a regular moderator of panels at the Aspen Ideas Festival and for the Aspen Institute, the Center for American Progress and at the Atlantic Dialogues conference and the Brussels Forum of the German Marshall Fund. In moving speeches, he shares his personal story and encourages audiences to not discount people who may seem different.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Jonathan Capehart here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Co-Host of MSNBC’s\u00a0Morning Joe\u00a0<\/em>& Best-Selling Author of the Book,\u00a0Knowing Your Value<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n The Democrat to partner Joe Scarborough\u2019s Republican, Mika Brzezinski spends each weekday morning debating the headlines of the day with a roundtable of political insiders, journalists, and newsmakers.\u00a0Morning Joe\u00a0<\/em>has been called \u201crevolutionary\u201d by\u00a0TIME\u00a0<\/em>magazine and ranked a top news show by\u00a0The New York Times,\u00a0<\/em>who noted the stellar impact of Brzezinski\u2019s natural repartee with co-host Scarborough as well as her off-the cuff commentary. Most recently, Brzezinski and her co-host were both inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. In addition to her daily television presence, Mika Brzezinski is a best-selling author. Her second book,\u00a0Knowing Your Value<\/em>, looks at perceptions of value and how successful women today have achieved their deserved recognition and financial worth in the workplace.\u00a0Knowing Your Value<\/em>\u00a0reached #1 on the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/em>best-seller list for business books in 2011 and is currently in its second edition.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Mika Brzezinski here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Former Head of Communications at SpaceX, Former Executive Communications Manager at Facebook, & Former Executive at Google<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Dex Hunter-Torricke, son of refugees from Burma,\u00a0has managed communications for some of the most-influential and admired Silicon Valley leaders and corporations of our day. From 2012 to 2016, he led the executive communications team at Facebook and served as personal speechwriter for Mark Zuckerberg.\u00a0On stage, Dex expertly combines his experience working for some of the world\u2019s most innovative and technology-driven brands with his passion for social innovation to help companies shift towards a 21st\u00a0century business methodology. Dex takes audiences into Facebook\u2019s boardroom, Musk\u2019s open-concept cubicle, the famed Googleplex, and finally to the UN itself to share lessons on what it takes in today\u2019s environment to build highly-effective internal teams, how to use storytelling in modern communications, and what to make of the steady transition from local to global that\u2019s unfolded over the past decade.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Dex Hunter-Torricke here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n World-Class Blind Adventurer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Erik Weihenmayer is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the world. Despite losing his vision at age 14, he is an accomplished climber, paraglider, skier, and kayaker who never allows blindness interfere with his passion for pursuing an exhilarating and fulfilling life. Erik brings audiences a powerful message about harnessing the power of adversity and different life experiences as fuel for greatness, emphasizing the importance of building a strong \u201cRope Team,\u201d and illuminating how to develop a \u201cNo Barriers Mindset.\u201d\u00a0Erik\u2019s talks resonate with diverse audiences from graduating college students to large sales teams to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Erik\u2019s speaking career has taken him around the globe from the 2005 APEC Summit in Chile to the 2009 Presidential Inaugural celebration in Washington, DC.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Erik Weihenmayer here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Former United States Secretary of Transportation & Current Chief Policy Officer at Lyft<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Anthony Foxx is the Chief Policy Officer at Lyft who formerly served as the 17th\u00a0United 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.\u00a0Secretary Foxx energized DOT\u2019s embrace of innovation to help solve these problems by launching the\u00a0Smart City Challenge, a national competition to implement bold, data-driven ideas that make transportation safer, easier, and more reliable in that city. In fast-paced presentations, Foxx encourages audiences to rethink what they know about “how things should be done.” He also worked to accelerate the Department\u2019s efforts to incorporate vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology into new vehicles. As Chief Policy Officer at ride-sharing powerhouse Lyft, he works to develop government partnerships and serves as adviser to Lyft’s president and CEO.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Anthony Foxx here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Founder & CEO of Black Girls CODE and Aspen Institute Fellow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n In 2011, Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls CODE, a non-profit organization dedicated to \u201cchanging the face of technology\u201d by introducing girls of color (ages seven to seventeen) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. As Oprah describes, Black Girls CODE is \u201cthe first organization of its kind.\u201d\u00a0Kimberly has helped Black Girls CODE grow from a local grassroots initiative serving only the Bay Area, to an international organization with fourteen chapters across the US and in Johannesburg, South Africa. Black Girls CODE has currently reached over 7,000 students and continues to grow and thrive. She speaks to audiences about why greatness often comes from the most unexpected places.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Kimberly Bryant here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n First African American Female Combat Pilot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Vernice \u201cFlyGirl\u201d Armour propelled herself from beat cop to combat pilot in a record-breaking three years and became America\u2019s First African American female combat pilot.\u00a0FlyGirl\u2019s first signature book,\u00a0Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter<\/em>, which was released by Penguin in 2011, chronicles the process she utilized to transition from beat cop to America\u2019s First African American Female Combat Pilot. She is an internationally-recognized inspirational leadership keynote speaker for premier leadership conferences and Fortune 500 companies, who helps groups develop a breakthrough mentality that prizes talent of all shapes and sizes.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Vernice Armour here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Researcher, Advisor, TED Speaker, & Best-Selling Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Originally from Israel and having previously spent 14 years as a vice president in marketing at Microsoft, Lior Zoref is currently a researcher and advisor whose work has been featured in\u00a0Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, NPR, The Huffington Post<\/i>, and more.\u00a0In his fascinating and highly-engaging talks, Dr. Zoref looks at the ways organizations and individuals can draw on wisdom of crowds to create a greater output with less effort. He shares techniques major corporations are using now to innovate and problem-solve in record time\u2014all by using the power of \u201cwe.\u201d\u00a0Zoref used stories of crowdsourcing in action\u2014including a poll of the audience\u2014to illustrate its power.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Lior Zoref here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Creator of “Poetic Voice” & Inspirational Speaker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n A schoolteacher turned actor, recording artist, two-time national poetry slam champion, entrepreneur, and award-winning poetic voice, Sekou is a multi-talented entertainer with over 2 decades of experience rocking diverse audiences.\u00a0It is no surprise that Forbes Magazine has called Sekou\u00a0\u201cthe de facto poet laureate of corporate America.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0His \u201cwow-factor\u201d is in high demand with the world\u2019s most successful organizations, including Google, Viacom, Toyota, Nike, Cisco, LinkedIn, Global Green, Paypal, ASAE, The Gap, General Mills, TEDx, and the NBA, to name but a few.\u00a0Sekou\u2019s talks on disruption are in such demand because they literally embody disruption on stage, charging audiences to disrupt themselves to access their individual innovation.\u00a0His keynotes on dynamic communication and storytelling show leaders how to deliver dense data through beautifully human presentations.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0See more on Sekou Andrews here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Expert on Marketing to Baby Boomers and Seniors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n With over 30 years of experience investigating the lifestyle and market trends of adults and Baby Boomers, Maddy\u00a0is a leading expert on the changing demographic trends currently shaping the marketplace, the workplace, and our lives. She is the co-founder of Age Wave, the nation\u2019s foremost thought-leader on population aging trends and their profound business, lifestyle, and cultural implications, and is regularly featured in prominent media publications, including\u00a0Bloomberg Businessweek<\/em>,\u00a0Forbes<\/em>,\u00a0Newsweek<\/em>,\u00a0TIME<\/em>,\u00a0and\u00a0U.S. News & World Report.\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0<\/em>See more about Maddy Dychtwald here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n CEO & Founder at GRAVITAS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Named one of\u00a0Washingtonian Magazine<\/i>‘s “Best Dressed Women”, Lisa Sun is the founder and CEO of GRAVITAS\u2014a company whose origin story dates back to her first professional review from\u00a013 years earlier. The feedback that affected her? Being told that she \u201ccomes across as young and overly enthusiastic at times,\u201d\u00a0that she \u201clacked gravitas,\u201d and \u201cshould go buy a new dress, big jewelry, and great shoes.\u201d With those words in mind, Sun filed for a global patent to build shape-wear directly into dresses. Realizing the transformative power that clothing can have, Sun\u00a0launched GRAVITAS as a Confidence Company that offers innovative apparel and styling solutions designed to give every woman a confident sense of self.\u00a0\u00a0|<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0See more about Lisa Sun here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\nDR. HAKEEM OLUSEYI<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
DAWN HUDSON<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
CARLOS GUTIERREZ<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
SHELLYE ARCHAMBEAU<\/a>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
CARLA HARRIS<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
ORI BRAFMAN<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
ANA NAVARRO<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
DR. SONDRA THIEDERMAN<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
KRISTIN BECK<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
DONNA BRAZILE<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
JONATHAN CAPEHART<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
MIKA BRZEZINSKI<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
DEX HUNTER-TORRICKE<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
ERIK WEIHENMAYER<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
ANTHONY FOXX<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
KIMBERLY BRYANT<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
VERNICE “FLYGIRL” ARMOUR<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
LIOR ZOREF<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
SEKOU ANDREWS<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
MADDY DYCHTWALD<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
LISA SUN<\/a><\/h2>\n\n