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Speaker, feminist journalist & author

Marianne Schnall

Transform leadership cultures with Marianne Schnall, speaker, feminist journalist and author. Marianne works with organizations to advance women's leadership and social activism, delivering award-winning insights as a UN Women Champion of Change and International Women's Media Foundation honoree.

Trusted by Dartmouth College, UN Women, International Women's Media Foundation

Marianne Schnall

Speaker Biography

Key topics about

  • Author of "What Will It Take to Make A Woman President?"
  • Founder of Feminist.com, a leading women's website and nonprofit organization
  • Interviews and writings on women's leadership and empowerment
Marianne Schnall is a journalist, author, and interviewer whose work has appeared in CNN.com, Refinery29, Thrive Global, Huffington Post, TIME.com, O, The Oprah Magazine, AOL Build, Marie Claire, Glamour, Women's Media Center, and many other media outlets. She is a regular contributor to ForbesWomen. Her wide-ranging interviews with global leaders span fields as diverse as entertainment, politics, business, spirituality, and environmental and social activism and include Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Melinda Gates, President Jimmy Carter, Jane Goodall, Wangari Maathai, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Arianna Huffington, Anita Hill, Jane Fonda, Stacey Abrams, Amy Poehler, and hundreds of others. Marianne founded Feminist.com, an online community that fosters awareness, education, and activism for people worldwide. She is also the founder of What Will It Take, a media platform bringing together existing stakeholders and champions of women’s leadership across industries and issues on a single platform to foster collaboration and coordination. Marianne is the author of What Will It Take to Make a Woman President? Conversations About Women, Leadership & Power (recommended by Beyoncé), which features interviews with politicians, public officials, thought leaders, artists, and activists addressing the changing paradigms and issues around women, politics, and power. Her latest books, published by Simon & Schuster, include Leading the Way: Inspiring Words for Women on How to Live and Lead with Courage, Confidence, and Authenticity, and Dare to Be You: Inspirational Advice for Girls on Finding Your Voice, Leading Fearlessly, and Making a Difference. She was also a contributor to Robin Morgan’s anthology, Sisterhood is Forever: The Women’s Anthology for a New Millennium. Marianne is the host of the podcast ShiftMakers, which highlights exclusive insights from luminaries and movement makers as they share wisdom on how to be authentic changemakers today. She has spoken at universities and conferences across the country, organized and moderated numerous events, salons, and panels, and appeared as a media source on outlets including CNN, BBC News, and NPR. She is also a contributor for WAMC’s nationally syndicated show, “51%.” Marianne graduated from Cornell University with a BA in English and the Women’s Media Center’s Progressive Women's Voices media and leadership training program. She is the recipient of the UN Women's Champion of Change Award and was ranked as one of the top global “Real Leaders 100” by Real Leaders Magazine. She is also an awardee of the International Women’s Media Foundation's Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists. Through her writings, interviews, and websites, Marianne strives to raise awareness and inspire activism about important issues and causes.

Topics, Sessions and Talks

Women And Men As Allies
Marianne Schnall discusses the importance of collaboration between women and men in achieving gender equality, emphasizing allyship and shared responsibility in her talk "Women And Men as Allies."
Pass It On: The Next Generation
Marianne Schnall's talk, "Pass It On: The Next Generation," emphasizes the importance of empowering and inspiring the younger generation to continue the work of social and environmental activism.
What Will It Take To Get More Women In Leadership/What Makes A Woman Leader
Marianne Schnall discusses the barriers to women's leadership and shares insights on empowering women to ascend to leadership roles, emphasizing the need for societal and systemic change.

Why We Recommend Booking Marianne

Marianne brings a wealth of experience from her extensive career as a writer and interviewer, offering unique insights into leadership, empowerment, and social change. Her engaging storytelling and in-depth conversations with influential figures will inspire your team to think critically and act boldly. Booking Marianne as a speaker will elevate your event and empower your audience to find their own voice and make a meaningful impact.

Check Marianne's availability

Trusted by Dartmouth College, UN Women, International Women's Media Foundation

Testimonials

Marianne Schnall's visit to Dartmouth organized around the recent release of What Will It Take To Make A Woman President?: Conversations about Women, Leadership and Power had the dual benefit of providing the Dartmouth community with a chance to think about and discuss issues related to gender inequality - an issue greatly scrutinized at Dartmouth - and to find solutions with the input of leading female voices, as interviewed by Marianne Schnall. To engage on this topic with Marianne Schnall and to hear what barriers women face in their professional pursuits - and how to work around them - have only strengthened our community's sense of purpose and direction in taking action and pursuing greater opportunities.

Bridget Golub

Dartmouth College

Skidmore Women in Business is a new student organization at Skidmore College. The organization recently had the honor of hosting Marianne Schnall as its first speaker. For our event, she specifically tailored her speech around not only our organization's mission, but also around the personal interests of our organization's leaders and its members, making her lecture incredibly intimate and impactful. Her willingness to share her experiences and passions with us - both personally and from behind the podium - helped to enrich our community's conversation about women and leadership.

Lyssa Jackson

Co-President & Founder, Skidmore Women in Business

The idea of starting the Feminist Society at NYU began at a previous reading by Marianne Schnall, so it was only fitting to host a reading for her release of What Will It Take To Make a Woman President: Conversations about Women, Leadership, and Power. Coincidentally, Marianne was able to make the event blossom into an actual conversation about women, leadership, and power. Our intimate conversation crossed generations and races and inspired a call to action for leadership networks and mentorship that I hope to continue.

Margaret Smiley

NYU

Featured Projects

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frequently asked questions

Got Questions About Booking a Speaker?

What topics does Marianne Schnall specialise in?
Marianne Schnall specialises in discussing women's leadership, social activism, media and journalism and more.
What is Marianne Schnall's speaking style like?
Marianne delivers engaging, intimate talks that spark meaningful conversations on women and leadership. She tailors her message to each audience, inspiring action, connection, and a sense of shared purpose.
Does Marianne Schnall offer virtual speaking engagements?
Yes, Marianne Schnall offers virtual speaker bookings for webinars, online conferences, and remote or distributed team engagements.
Have all the speakers on the website previously worked with PepTalk?

Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.

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