Available to book
Marianne Schnall
Age and Ageing
Gender Equality
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.


Journalist
Author
Women in Business
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
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."
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.
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.
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.
Testimonials
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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