Over our 20 plus years of partnering with clients on thousands of events, AAE has gotten to know a lot of talented keynote speakers. Each one of them brings their own unique style, expertise, experiences, and talents to your events. Finding the right fit for your event starts with knowing who the leading speakers are in their respective field.
As we focus in on plans for the year, we invite you to meet some of the top keynote speakers for 2023 events. They’re ready and equipped to address some of today’s most relevant topics, including DEI training, the future of work, climate change and sustainability, social justice, emerging technology, and more. Let’s take a closer look!
1. Anthony Trucks
If you’re looking to be the best you in 2023, Anthony Trucks is your guy. He is a former NFL Athlete, international speaker, and the founder of Identity Shift coaching. He uses cutting-edge science and psychology to upgrade how you operate so you can work through the guilt that has been holding you back and elevate your life and business to reach your full potential. Having overcome his fair share of challenges, his life mission now is teaching others how to Make Shift Happen in their lives. Trucks is poised to be a great source of insight and inspiration for anyone looking to become the best version of themselves in 2023.
2. Cassandra Worthy
They say the only consistent thing in life is change, and Cassandra Worthy knows all about it. She’s shaking things up in the business world, sharing her refreshingly unique take on managing change and growing through it. She is trusted by clients around the globe including Johnson & Johnson, CVS Pharmacy, Snapchat, and Cisco. Building on her experience helping companies grow through change, Worthy inspires and motivates audiences to grow through their change challenges. Book Worthy to secure the world’s leading expert on change enthusiasm. You’ll be glad you did.
3. Alezandra Russell
Alezandra Russell fights the good fight. An award-winning Latina activist, author, and social justice warrior, she is the founder of Urban Light. This non-profit organization based in Thailand is dedicated to actively empowering the lives of boys affected by human trafficking. Russell advocates across the globe for the safety of trafficking survivors, migrants, refugees and marginalized populations. Combatting human trafficking is set to be a major focus for countries and organizations across the world in 2023, and Russell’s unique expertise makes puts her at the forefront of this fight.
4. Amali Tower
Russell isn’t the only human rights champion on our list. Amali Tower is a refugee and migration expert and Founder and Executive Director of Climate Refugees. This independent nonprofit organization was created to help people who have been displaced across borders as a result of climate change. Years of interviewing refugees fleeing conflict afforded her the chance to hear their stories of also fleeing climate change. Through this, Climate Refugees was born. As a member of the World Economic Forum Expert Network in Migration, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Response, Tower has extensive global experience in refugee protection, refugee resettlement, and forced migration and displacement contexts.
5. Aisha Fukushima
Aisha Fukushima uses her voice to advocate for change — with the help of a little rhythm too. A performance lecturer and justice strategist, she founded RAPtivism (Rap Activism), a hip hop project amplifying universal efforts for freedom and justice. As a public speaker, she links themes such as hip hop, global citizenship, empowerment, feminism and cultural activism with live musical performance. Fukushima’s ‘RAPtivism’ work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, TEDx, and The Seattle Times, among others. Her deep knowledge of intersecting social issues and unique approach to advocacy make Fukushima a top speaker to watch in the new year.
6. Alok Vaid-Menon
LGBTQ+ rights and gender issues continue to dominate our public discourse. Using poetry, comedy, lecture, performance, fashion design, and visual art, Alok Vaid-Menon (ALOK) explores trending themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging, and the human condition. ALOK is the creator of #DeGenderFashion: a movement to de-gender fashion and beauty industries. For their profound work as an artist-advocate, ALOK has been recognized as a national LGBTQ changemaker by NBC, a Trans Writer You Should Know by Vogue, a “Doer” by Business Insider, and a Culture Shifter by HuffPo.
7. Michelle Li
Getting a huge wave of momentum starting in 2020, the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage movement movement is still pushing for progress. Michelle Li is one of the advocates leading the way. An award-winning, veteran journalist, Li co-launched The Very Asian Foundation this year. Her response to a racist voicemail became a global movement of unity and caught the attention of The Ellen Show. Ellen’s monetary gift of $15,000 helped create a nonprofit focused on shining a light on Asian life through advocacy and celebration. The foundation raised tens of thousands of dollars in its first 100 days and launched “The May Book Project,” which helps schools build and maintain robust Asian American youth literature collections for all readers.
8. Sylvia Acevedo
Rocket scientist, cybersecurity expert, CEO of Girl Scouts USA. Sylvia Acevedo has had some cool jobs. Her rich career experiences and ability to connect with all kinds of audiences across multiple subjects make her a speaker to keep in mind in 2023. Acevedo is a nationally recognized and highly awarded trailblazer in a variety of industries and fields, starting with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories as a rocket scientist; a tech executive in software, hardware, storage, and networking; a federal governmental leader; and CEO of one of the most trusted brands in the world. She’s the real deal.
9. David Mead
David Mead is bringing humanity back to work and challenging traditional views of what it means to lead. For over 13 years, Mead has worked with and learned from leaders all over the globe. He has discovered a pattern that is present with every leader worth following. He brings a relatable, human approach to leadership along with simple, practical tools leaders and their teams can use to create trust and human connection every day. Using these tools, he believes, we can each contribute to environments where we want to work, not where we have to work. Here’s to creating happy, inclusive, and productive workplaces in 2023.
10. Iona Bain
Perhaps the most buzz-worthy topic going into 2023, the global economy and how to find your place in it is a subject that can captivate virtually every audience. Through her thought leadership in this space, Iona Bain has earned herself the title of the UK’s go-to voice on millennial money. An award-winning journalist, broadcaster, speaker and author, she is BBC Morning Live’s resident financial expert. Since founding the pioneering Young Money Blog in 2011, she’s gone on to become one of the most respected financial writers of her generation, with a rare combination of accessibility and authority. Her down-to-earth, witty and helpful analysis of the financial problems facing millennials make her a popular choice for 2023 events.
11. Neeshad Shafi
Neeshad Shafi is a leading speaker on two topics that continue to get a lot of attention going into the new year. Shafi is an environmentalist, and policy-oriented social change expert, best known for his work on environmental, climate policies, and youth climate movement in the Middle East. Shafi has been a prominent presence at international climate summits, especially UN Climate Summit since 2015, and he’s also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI). As the climate crisis continues to be a key focus of countless countries, Shafi has the experience and expertise to keep audiences updated on the latest developments.
12. Dr. Diva Amon
One of the most pressing problems presented by the climate crisis is the effect it will have on our oceans. Protecting our oceans starts with understanding them. Dr. Diva Amon knowledge of this topic goes deep — literally. She’s a Caribbean marine biologist, 2020 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, and researcher of the weird and wonderful animals in parts of the deep ocean that few, if any, have visited before. Amon most recently starred in National Geographic and Disney+ brand new series, “Welcome to Earth.” She regularly ventures down into the depths in submersibles, with her deepest dive to 2.6 kilometers below the ocean surface. Amon is ready to help you dive into this topic in 2023.
13. Aldo Kane
Aldo Kane has embarked on adventures, too — just above the surface. But he doesn’t just do it for the thrill. Kane runs a company called Vertical Planet providing technical safety consultation and risk management for TV and film crews operating in remote, hostile and high-risk environments around the world, allowing them to shed light on crucial issues and capture breathtaking images of some of our planet’s most remote locations. Getting his start as a Royal Marines commando sniper, Kane has appeared on Discovery with Hollywood A-Listers like Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody & Henry Cavill in some of the most extreme environments on earth. He’s a fantastic choice to bring a little adventure to your 2023 events.
As you plan your events for 2023, these keynote speakers are a great starting point to generate ideas around who to book and to understand what topics are trending right now. Looking for more ideas? You can browse a full collection of the keynote speakers to watch in 2023 and browse our full database of professional speakers.
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact AAE. Our team is ready to help you create unforgettable experiences for your audience.
