Adam Grant's speaker suggestions are some of the best in the business. Here are nine top speakers as personally recommended by Adam Grant, the Wharton organisational psychologist and bestselling author, along with a look at what makes each one worth booking.
Adam Grant, organisational psychologist at Wharton, author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and TED podcast host, asked his LinkedIn followers, "Who are your favourite keynote speakers? Some of mine…" He then shared a list of 38 names, and we've picked out nine of our favourites to share here. If you're building a shortlist from the Wharton and wider UPenn speaker circuit, our roundup of the UPenn keynote speakers that get standing ovations is worth a look too.
"Who are your favourite keynote speakers? Some of mine…"
Mellody Hobson on feedback
Mellody Hobson is co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments and chairman of the board at Starbucks. She built her career at Ariel after graduating from Princeton, and has become a familiar voice in American finance through regular contributions to CBS News and Black Enterprise magazine. Her influence has been recognised on Time magazine's list of the world's most influential people.
Interested in booking Mellody? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Daniel Pink on motivation and regret
Daniel Pink is an American author, journalist and speaker best known for his books A Whole New Mind, Drive and To Sell Is Human. His work explores the science of human behaviour and motivation, with a focus on intrinsic motivation, creativity and empathy in business and personal life.
Interested in booking Daniel? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Baratunde Thurston on storytelling
Baratunde Thurston is an American writer, comedian and commentator who co-founded the political blog Jack and Jill Politics and served as Director of Digital for The Onion. He's the author of the New York Times best-seller How to Be Black, and has contributed to HuffPost and the podcast This Week in Tech.
Interested in booking Baratunde? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Kat Cole on leadership
Kat Cole is a business executive who worked her way from waitressing at Hooters as a teenager to become COO of Focus Brands, the parent company of Cinnabon and Jamba Juice, and later COO of Athletic Greens, all without a college degree. She's known for her "hotshot rule", a practice of imagining someone she admires in her position to prompt fast, decisive action on new ideas.
Interested in booking Kat? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Dan Harris on self-compassion
Dan Harris is an American journalist, author and meditation teacher, best known for his book 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works. It charts his journey from scepticism to embracing mindfulness meditation and self-compassion.
Interested in booking Dan? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Brian Little on personality
Brian R. Little is a professor, author and speaker recognised for his research into personality and well-being, including the Henry A. Murray Award from the Association for Research in Personality. He's known for his work on personal project analysis, which explores how the sustained pursuit of core projects contributes to human well-being.
Interested in booking Brian? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Annie Duke on decision-making
Annie Duke is an American former professional poker player turned author and speaker in cognitive-behavioural decision science. Her book Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts applies the discipline of championship poker to everyday decision-making.
Interested in booking Annie? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Rachel Botsman on trust
Rachel Botsman is a world-renowned expert on trust and technology. She's lectured and written extensively on the subject, including her book What's Mine is Yours, named by Time as one of the "Ten Ideas That Will Change the World". Rachel is a Trust Fellow at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, where she has designed and taught courses on trust and technology, and has delivered TED talks viewed millions of times.
Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a Nigerian-American author, speaker and digital strategist known for her work on authenticity and disruption. She's written two New York Times best-sellers, I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual and Professional Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual, and her TED talk Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable has been viewed millions of times.
Interested in booking Luvvie? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
💡 Curious to find out how a PepTalk can help accelerate your team's knowledge? If you're facing challenges in your business and need a fresh perspective on feedback, motivation, leadership, trust or any of the other topics mentioned here, drop us an email at hello@getapeptalk.com or send us a chat message for a free strategy call.
Toby is a revenue growth and marketing leader with 16 years of experience across B2B, B2C, SaaS, and services. As VP of Growth at PepTalk, he drives go-to-market strategies, revenue growth, and partnerships. Previously, he led regional marketing for public SaaS companies and managed digital transformation for P&G's haircare at Publicis Groupe. With a Master’s in broadcast journalism, Toby combines storytelling expertise with strategic business growth.
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