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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
Marianne Schnall

Marianne Schnall

New York City, United States

Typical fee range

$6k–10k

This is an estimated fee range for local in-person events. Location and format affect the final fee.

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New York City, United States

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$6k–10k

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Marianne Schnall's biography

At a glance

  • 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.

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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

Marianne Schnall - Leading The Way: Inspiring Words For Women On How To Live And Lead With Courage, Confidence, And Authenticity book cover
Marianne Schnall - What Will It Take To Make A Woman President?: Conversations About Women, Leadership, And Power book cover
Marianne Schnall - ShiftMakers podcast cover

frequently asked questions

Something we've not covered here?

How do I book Marianne Schnall for my next event?

Email marianne.schnall@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Marianne's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.

What is Marianne Schnall's speaking style like?

Marianne Schnall draws on her extensive archive of long-form interviews with global figures — including politicians, activists, and cultural leaders — to ground her talks in direct testimony and documented insight, using these conversations as evidence for the systemic and societal shifts she advocates.

What topics does Marianne Schnall specialise in?

Marianne Schnall speaks on gender allyship and shared responsibility, intergenerational activism and social change, and the barriers and pathways to women's leadership. She is the founder of Feminist.com and the author of What Will It Take to Make a Woman President, a book recommended by Beyoncé that draws on her interviews with figures including Gloria Steinem, Nancy Pelosi, and Stacey Abrams.

Does PepTalk charge a booking fee?

No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.

What happens after I send a brief?

Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.

What does the typical fee range mean?

The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.

Have all the speakers on the website worked with PepTalk before?

Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.

How far in advance should I book a speaker?

Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.