Our list of top leadership speakers teach college audiences how to guide, motivate, and empower teams. Students gain practical skills in communication, collaboration, and decision-making to become confident, effective leaders.
Erin Reddick
<p>The innovative creator of culturally-inclusive AI software ChatBlackGPT, Erin Reddick provides expert insights into the ever-changing landscape of AI and the importance of inclusive technology development.</p><p>Erin Reddick has forged a vital path in the technology industry. With a career encompassing significant roles at major tech companies including Meta, Microsoft, and AWS, her most impactful contribution to the field is the creation of ChatBlackGPT, an AI software providing perspectives from the Black and African American communities.
Garry Kasparov
<p>Considered the greatest chess player that ever lived, Russian world champion Garry Kasparov shares insights on strategy, innovation, leadership, and risk. </p><p>Garry Kasparov is widely regarded as the greatest chess player in history, becoming the youngest world champion ever at 22 in 1985 and spending twenty years as the world’s top-rated player.
Dr. Peggy Whitson
<p>A renowned NASA astronaut named one of <em>TIME</em>’s Most Influential People and one of <em>Forbes</em>’ 50 Over 50, Peggy Whitson shares insight on leadership, building resilient teams, developing soft skills for success, and the importance of STEM education. </p><p>An inspirational leader dedicated to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and advancing our understanding of space, Peggy Whitson has over 37 years of experience with NASA.
José Hernández
<p>The inspiring subject of the Prime film, <em>A Million Miles Away</em>, José Hernández shares stories from his extraordinary journey from migrant farm worker to NASA astronaut, empowering audiences to persevere in challenging environments and to achieve their greatest goals. </p><p>NASA engineer José Hernández wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American had been chosen to travel into space.
Koritha Mitchell, PhD
<p>A renowned cultural critic, feminist scholar, and award-winning author, who coined the term “Know-Your-Place Aggression, Koritha analyzes American culture to empower audiences and advocate for social equity.</p><p>Her first book, <em>Living with Lynching</em>, won awards from the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) and from the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW).
Anna Maria Chávez
<p>Anna Maria Chávez is an attorney, award-winning leader, global movement builder, and President & CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation, where she drives philanthropic innovation to strengthen communities statewide. With more than 25 years of leadership across nonprofits, government, and national organizations, she has led transformative efforts as CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA and the National School Boards Association, and as a senior executive at the National Council on Aging and Encantos. She has advised U.S.
Alissa Quart
<p>Acclaimed journalist Alissa Quart speaks on topics like poverty, economic inequality, and the myth of the “American Dream.” </p><p>Alissa Quart is the author of five acclaimed books of nonfiction, including <em>Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream </em>(Ecco, 2023). The others are <em>Squeezed</em>,<em> Republic of Outsiders</em>,<em> Hothouse Kids</em>, and <em>Branded</em>.
Anika Collier Navaroli
<p>Anika Collier Navaroli is an award-winning journalist and lawyer.
Steve Kerr
<p>Drawing from his remarkable career as one of the most successful NBA coaches and players of all time, Steve Kerr provides lessons in leadership, overcoming adversity, and the importance of giving back.</p><p>Few professional coaches have had a career—or a life—as inspiring as Steve Kerr’s. Currently head coach of the Golden State Warriors and USA Basketball Men’s National Team, he is a nine-time NBA champion, having won five titles as a player and four as a head coach.
Amanda L. Tyler
This UC Berkeley Law Professor and Supreme Court expert shares stories from the book she co-wrote with friend and mentor Ruth Bader Ginsburg and gives audiences a behind-the-curtain look at the inner workings of the nation’s highest court.
A Supreme Court, civil liberties and constitutional law expert who served early in her career as a law clerk to the late and Honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amanda Tyler is currently the Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Law at UC Berkeley and an author.