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Do you need to hire a main speaker for a corporate event, virtual meeting, conference, seminar, trade-show, convention, or company workshop?
Here is a list of the best keynote speakers in the world to consider for your event that can deliver a memorable speech and presentation that will inspire, educate, and entertain your audience.
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Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media personality, talk show host, producer and, of course, professional keynote speaker.
She managed to build an empire off her oratory skills and ability to captivate millions of people with her intelligence.
She is the richest African American woman of the 21st century and generally speaks on topics related to health, inspiration, personal development, and business.
Some of her quotes include…
“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.”
“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson is one of the greatest keynote speakers in the world. With his charm and dedication, he managed to take his Virgin brand to uncharted heights and make it one of the most valuable brands around today.
He is also a brilliant author and a recognized philanthropist. Many of the keynote speeches he gives focus on business, innovation, future trends, and strategy.
Some of his quotes include…
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”
“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.”
Barack Obama
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America who served from 2009 to 2017.
Many have attributed his successful campaign to his amazing oratory skills.
Widely considered to be one of the best conference speakers in the world, he also has a Nobel Peace Prize among his impressive list of accolades.
Many of his speaking topics include inspiration, society, politics, and innovation.
Some of his quotes include…
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”
“Focussing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realise your true potential.”
Will Smith
An American actor and musician of humble beginnings, Will Smith’s charm and articulateness has seen him rise to such heights that he has been described as “the most powerful actor in Hollywood.”
Among his many accolades are four Grammy awards and numerous Oscars and Golden Globe nominations.
The talks and presentations he gives generally focus on motivation, life purpose, success, education, and society.
Some of his quotes include…
“I wake up every morning believing today is going to be better than yesterday.”
“Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.”
“If you’re not making someone else’s life better, than you are wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other people’s lives better.”
Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher is an American actor, producer and entrepreneur who has inspired millions with his voice and, thanks to his wit and humor, has come to be regarded as not just a good keynote speaker and an amazing presenter, but also a true role model.
He has investments in over 60 companies, including Skype and Airbnb.
His speeches generally focus on business, future trends, social media, and entertainment.
Some of his quotes include…
“The failures that we have are sometimes expensive educations.”
“I’m continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you’re uncomfortable, it means you’re growing.”
Biz Stone
A co-founder of one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, Biz Stone has come a long way from his early Twitter days and is now without a doubt one of the most highly sought out public keynote speakers in the USA, if not the entire world.
He is a co-founder of ‘Jelly’, along with Ben Finkel. When he is asked to speak, he generally talks about innovation, social media, business, and future trends.
Some of his quotes include…
“Positive culture comes from being mindful, and respecting your coworkers, and being empathetic.”
“It’s important to credit the brave people that take chances to stand up to regimes. They’re the star.”
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington, the creator of Huffington Post and CEO of Thrive Global, is an outstanding professional keynote speaker, author and business woman.
She is of Greek-American descent and has authored no less than 15 books on wide- ranging topics.
She has appeared on both Time Magazine’s and Forbes Magazine’s list of the World’s Most Powerful Women.
When asked to speak, she generally discusses topics on wellness, business, politics, society, and journalism.
Some of her quotes include…
“Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.”
“America is a country ready to be taken, in fact, longing to be taken by political leaders ready to restore democracy and trust to the political process.”
Darren Hardy
Darren Hardy began his journey to being one of foremost guest speakers in the world by publishing authoritative and erudite books and opinion pieces.
He is a New York Times bestselling author and the former CEO of SUCCESS magazine.
His book, The Compound Effect, has been described as brilliant and deeply resonating.
When asked to speak, he tends to focus on business, motivation, innovation, and success.
Some of his quotes include…
“The goal is not to get rich. The goal is to live rich.”
“Everything you need to be great is already inside you. Stop waiting for someone or something to light your fire. You have the match.”
“One step. That’s all it takes. Start today. Whatever grand goal you have. Break inertia and take a single step…today.”
Steve Wozniak
Since Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computers along with his friend Steve Jobs, he has grown to become one of the most popular keynote speakers in the world.
He is a recipient of the National Medal of Technology, an inductee into the Investors Hall of Fame and a well know philanthropist among other things.
In many of the presentations he gives, he can cover a variety of topics including technology, innovation, future trends, business, and more.
Some of his quotes include…
“Wherever smart people work, doors are unlocked.”
“The human is more important than the technology. Make things more human.”
Seth Godin
Next on our list of best keynote speakers is Seth Godin, an American author and erudite business executive.
He has delivered numerous keynote speeches around the world and is regarded as one of the best conference speakers of the century.
He has more than 17 books to his name and gives talks on social media, business, future trends, and society.
Some of his quotes include…
“Leadership, on the other hand, is about creating change you believe in.”
“You have everything you need to build something far bigger than yourself.”
“How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?”
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is famous for being the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook since 2008 and being the first ever woman to serve on its board of directors.
A more under-sung aspect of her life, however, is her oratory brilliance and authorship.
She has authored numerous books and delivered several impressive keynote addresses all over the world.
When Ms. Sandberg speaks, she likes to focus on business, female empowerment, technology, social media, and future trends.
Some of her quotes include…
“We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”
“You are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. Like a muscle, you can build it up, draw on it when you need it. In that process you will figure out who you really are — and you just might become the very best version of yourself.”
Jocko Willink
John “Jocko” Willink is a retired American Navy SEAL agent and author who has transformed his experiences as a SEALs agent into several impressive addresses and motivational speeches.
He is a recipient of numerous military accolades including a Silver and Bronze Star for his service in the Iraq War.
When Jocko is on stage, you immediately feel his presence as he has a strong voice.
His lectures cover topics such as leadership, inspiration, self empowerment, courage, and hope.
Some of his quotes include…
“It is essential to develop a standardized planning process.”
“Leadership requires belief in the mission and unyielding perseverance to achieve victory.”
John Maxwell
John Calvin Maxwell is an American pastor, author, and most importantly, a good keynote speaker with an impressive ability to elicit highly passionate responses from his audience.
He is also a New York Times bestselling author with his books having sold millions of copies around the world.
He covers a wide variety of topics including personal growth, teamwork, leadership, success, and more.
Some of his quotes include…
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.”
Simon Sinek
Of British-American Nationality, Simon Sinek’s career as an author and keynote speaker has seen him inspire millions and leave behind him a trail of memorable quotes that has come to define his beautiful oration.
He is the author of Five Books, the most popular of which is “Start With Why.”
While he is known as a leadership expert, he can also discuss topics related to business and innovation.
Some of his quotes include…
“A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other.”
“Vision is the ability to talk about the future with such clarity it is as if we are talking about the past.”
“Achievement happens when we pursue and attain what we want. Success comes when we are in clear pursuit of Why we want it.”
David Goggins
Another retired US Navy Seal on our list, David Goggins chose to focus on long-distance running – marathons and triathlons – after his time with the SEAL.
He has since grown to become a great keynote speaker with a voice and seriousness matched by only few in the world.
His talks are known for being though-provoking as he challenges his audience to dig deep and do more with their life.
His speeches focuses on motivation, inspiration, and personal growth.
Some of his quotes include…
“The things that we decide to run from are the truth. When you make excuses, you’re running from the truth.”
“Life is a battle between trying to find more of yourself knowing that the real you is afraid, likes comfort, likes to be patted on the back, and doing what you need to do to get better.”
Sir Ken Robinson
Sir Kenneth Robinson is a British author, speaker and education expert.
His brilliance and erudite personality has seen him hold different advisory positions to governments and organizations, and delivered major keynote speeches in important places all over the world.
He was knighted by the queen in 2003 for his “services to the arts” and gives powerful talks on creativity, education, innovation, leadership, technology, and “finding your element”.
Some of his quotes include…
“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”
“Every single one of the 100 billion lives who have walked the face of this earth is unique and unrepeatable. To be born at all is a miracle, so what are you going to do with your life?”
Gary Vaynerchuk
Definitely one of the more popular keynote speakers in the world, Gary Vaynerchuk (aka Gary Vee) is a Belarusian-American author, speaker and entrepreneur with various New York Times bestselling books to his name.
He began his career as a wine critic before moving to keynote speaking and authorship.
He can talk on a plethora of topics that include innovation, business, motivation, social media, marketing, and more.
Some of his quotes include…
“The only differentiator in this game is your passion and your hustle.”
“Brand storytelling is not about pushing advertising, it’s about bringing value.”
“Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, what do I want to do every day for the rest of my life…Do that.”
Tony Robbins
Recognized on the Worth Magazine Power 100 list both in 2015 and 2016, Anthony Jay Robbins is an American author, philanthropist, and life coach whose self-help books include “Unlimited Power” and “Awaken the Giant.”
He focuses on helping individuals find their voices and discovering the genius within them.
While he is known for being one of the top motivational speakers in the world, he also lectures on business, personal finances, teamwork, relationships, and more.
Some of his quotes include…
“Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.”
“If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.”
“A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.”
Joel Olsteen
One of the most popular pastors in the world, Joel Olsteen is known just as much for his works in the Christian ministry as he is for his superb speeches and motivational speaking.
His televised sermons are seen by over 7 million people weekly and he is also a bestselling author.
His talks can range anywhere from inspiration to self empowerment.
Some of his quotes include…
“You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.”
“Life’s too short to spend it trying to keep others happy. You can’t please everyone. To fulfill your destiny, stay true to your heart.”
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Former NBA all-star turned powerful executive, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has proven he is just as much a basketball superstar as he is an entrepreneur with a high business acumen.
He played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons, winning numerous individual and team accolades in the process where he lead his team to 5 championships.
In the business world, he is known for helping to revitalize under-served communities while helping to grow multiple businesses where is now worth over 1 Billion dollars.
His talks will cover everything from business, entrepreneurship, inspiration, leadership, and more.
Some of his quotes include…
“In life, winning and losing will both happen. What is never acceptable is quitting.”
“I think you just have to keep knocking down doors, you have to keep being aggressive, and even if somebody says ‘No’, then you have to knock on the next door.”
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