Leadership & business

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August 20, 2026

Adam Grant's Top Speaker Suggestions | Part Two

Part two of the top speakers selected by psychologist Adam Grant, featuring insights on leadership, motivation, and innovation.

Toby Clarke

Leadership & business

•

December 31, 2025

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Adam Grant's speaker suggestions continue in Part Two. Here are nine more top speakers personally recommended by Adam Grant, the Wharton organisational psychologist whose original list of favourite keynote speakers went viral online. We've included a little on each speaker's background, and how they've changed their fields and influenced the world we live in. What's not to love?

Adam Grant's Speaker Suggestions, Part Two

A few years ago, the legendary Adam Grant, organisational psychologist at Wharton, author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of TED's Re:Thinking podcast, asked his LinkedIn followers, "Who are your favourite keynote speakers? Some of mine…" Then, shared an incredible list of 38 names. We recently rediscovered Adam's post, which is simply too good not to share.

READ MORE FROM PEPTALK: Part One of Adam Grant's Top Speaker Suggestions

Adam Grant Speaker Psychologist — book with PepTalk

"Who are your favourite keynote speakers? Some of mine…"

Mellody Hobson

Mellody Hobson is a businesswoman and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a firm focused on the needs of African American investors. She began her career at Ariel after studying at Princeton University, working her way up to president and co-CEO. Hobson has served as a regular financial contributor for CBS News and on the boards of Starbucks and JPMorgan Chase, and in 2015 she was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Interested in booking Mellody? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Daniel Pink

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 motivation, focusing on intrinsic drive and the role of creativity and empathy in business and personal success.

Interested in booking Daniel? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Baratunde Thurston

Baratunde Thurston is an American writer, comedian and commentator. He co-founded the black political blog Jack and Jill Politics, now archived in the Library of Congress, and served as Director of Digital for The Onion. His New York Times best-seller How to Be Black, first published in 2012, remains a widely cited reference in conversations about race and identity.

Interested in booking Baratunde? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Kat Cole

Kat Cole is a business executive who rose from humble beginnings to become CEO of AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) and the former COO of Focus Brands, which operates Cinnabon and Jamba Juice. She started as a hostess and waitress at Hooters in her teens and climbed the corporate ladder without a college degree, crediting her "hotshot rule", imagining how someone she admires would act in her position, for helping her act on new ideas fast.

Interested in booking Kat? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Dan Harris

Dan Harris is an American journalist, author and meditation teacher. He is 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, which chronicles his journey from scepticism to embracing mindfulness meditation and self-compassion.

Interested in booking Dan? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Brian Little

Brian R. Little is a professor, author and speaker who has made a significant contribution to the study of human personality and well-being. He is a pioneer in personality assessment and motivation, recognised with the Henry A. Murray Award for distinguished research by the Association for Research in Personality, and is known for his work on personal project analysis and how pursuing our core life projects enhances well-being.

Interested in booking Brian? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Annie Duke

Annie Duke is an American former professional poker player and author working in cognitive-behavioural decision science and decision education. Her books, including Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts, apply her expertise in intelligent decision-making to business, championship poker and public speaking.

Interested in booking Annie? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.

Rachel Botsman

Rachel Botsman is a world-renowned expert on trust and technology. She has 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". She is a Trust Fellow at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, where she designed and taught courses on trust and technology, and has advised boards, senior leaders and governments worldwide on building trustworthy cultures.

Learn more and book Rachel Botsman →

Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a Nigerian-American author, speaker and digital strategist known for her work on authenticity and disruption. She has written two New York Times best-selling books, I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual and Professional Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual, and her TED talk, "Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable," has been viewed over 9 million times, placing her in the top 1% of TED talks.

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, decision-making or trust, drop us an email at hello@getapeptalk.com or send us a chat message for a free strategy call.

Toby Clarke