2026 Roster
Keynote Speakers for Hire
The people on this roster built the things your audience already uses. Siri. Shazam. Production AI at Airbnb and Yembo. Tell us about your event and we'll come back within 24 hours with two or three names and real fee ranges.
Get a ShortlistAvailable to book for 2026
Shannon Rowbury
First woman in US history to medal in the Olympic 1500-meter race
Zach Rattner
AI Founder & CTO with physical industry customers in 20+ countries
Adam Cheyer
Co-Creator of Siri and 5x founder at the intersection of AI and human potential
Philip Lakin
Director of AI Transformation at Zapier and the operator companies call when AI adoption stalls, with 1,000+ hours turning enterprise teams from AI-curious to AI-capable
Maya Ackerman
CEO of WaveAI & AI Professor at Santa Clara University
Milly Tamati
Founder of Generalist World — built a 150,000-person global movement from a Scottish island with 191 residents
Chris Barton
Founder & Creator of Shazam, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Tech Investor
Mo Tiwari
OpenAI researcher, Stanford CS PhD bridging cutting-edge AI with real-world impact
Drue Kataoka
Visual AI pioneer who has keynoted at Davos, Milken Global, the Vatican Academy of Pontifical Sciences, and the world's most prestigious stages
Abigail Posner
Anthropologist & Former Director, U.S. Creative Works at Google | Becoming Irreplaceable in an AI World
David Homan
USA Today Best-Selling Author and Speaker on Trust, Relationship Value, and Human Connection
Matthew Spence
Four-time finisher of the 29029 Everesting Challenge, turning one extraordinary climb into leadership lessons for thriving at the edge of uncertainty
Nicole Malachowski
First Woman Thunderbird Pilot | Combat Veteran, Fighter Squadron Commander & Former White House Adviser
Suneel Gupta
Founding CEO of RISE & Bestselling Author of Backable | Harvard Medical School Visiting Scholar
Browse keynote speakers by topic
Each topic page carries the full roster for that subject, fee guidance, and the questions we get asked most about booking it.
What it costs to hire a keynote speaker in 2026
Fees below are for a 45-minute in-person keynote. Virtual runs roughly 15-25% lower for the same speaker.
$10,000 – $25,000
Emerging founder voices, senior researchers, and CTOs of growth-stage companies.
$25,000 – $50,000
Operators with a recognizable product behind them, Olympic-tier athletes, and published authors.
$50,000 – $75,000+
Founders of products your audience already uses daily, and speakers with global keynote track records.
For a fuller breakdown of what drives a speaker's fee, read our guide to hiring a keynote speaker.
Which format your event needs
The same speaker costs a different amount and needs a different brief depending on where you put them. Four formats come up most, and they are not interchangeable.
Opening keynote
Goes first and sets the frame every later session gets measured against. This is the slot where a founder the room already recognizes does the most work: Chris Barton opening on how Shazam got built gives the rest of your programme something to argue with.
Panel or fireside
Moderating is a separate skill from delivering a keynote, and the same person is not always good at both. If you want a roster speaker in the moderator chair rather than as a panelist, say so when you inquire, because we shortlist differently for it.
Virtual keynote or webinar
Runs 15-25% below the in-person fee for the same speaker, with no travel to coordinate. Every speaker on the 2026 roster delivers with broadcast-grade audio and lighting and does the same prep call as an in-person booking. Tell us your platform and audience size and we will factor both into the shortlist.
Internal corporate session
A smaller room that wants more specificity. Sales kickoffs and leadership offsites need someone who will read your numbers before writing the talk, which is a different job from a conference keynote. Philip Lakin has put 1,000+ hours into moving enterprise teams from AI-curious to AI-capable.
What to have ready before you inquire
We come back within 24 hours with two or three names. These five answers are what make that turnaround possible.
- Your date, or the window you are choosing between if it is not locked.
- Who is in the room and at what seniority. A VP audience and an all-hands are different bookings.
- What they already believe about your topic, so the speaker can argue with it rather than repeat it.
- The one thing you want them doing differently afterwards.
- Your all-in budget, including travel and lodging rather than the speaking fee alone.
Budget is the answer people hold back most often. Give us a real number and the shortlist comes back tighter, because we would rather send you two speakers you can afford than five you cannot.
How booking works
Tell us about the event
Date, audience, and what you want people doing differently on Monday morning. That is enough for us to build a shortlist.
Get a shortlist in 24 hours
Two or three speakers matched to your audience and budget, with real fee ranges attached rather than "contact us" placeholders.
Prep call, then stage
Every speaker on our roster does a prep call with the host before the event so the talk is calibrated to your room.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a keynote speaker?
Most speakers on our roster book between $10,000 and $75,000 for a 45-minute keynote in 2026. Founders of widely-used consumer products and Olympic-tier athletes sit in the upper half of that range; emerging founder voices and academic researchers sit in the lower half. Virtual keynotes typically run 15-25% below the in-person fee for the same speaker. Custom workshops, multi-day formats, and international travel add to the base fee.
How far in advance should I book a keynote speaker?
Six to twelve months for top-tier names, and three to six months for most other speakers. Two windows fill earliest every year: sales kickoff season from January through March, and the September-through-November conference rush. If your event lands in either window, double the lead time you would normally plan for.
What is the difference between hiring through a bureau and booking a speaker directly?
A bureau costs you nothing extra in most cases, because the speaker's fee already accounts for representation. What you get is a shortlist filtered against your audience rather than a search engine, contracting and travel handled for you, and a backup plan if a speaker has to cancel. Booking direct makes sense when you already know exactly who you want and have run the logistics before.
Can we hire a keynote speaker for a virtual or hybrid event?
Yes. Every speaker on our 2026 roster delivers virtual and hybrid keynotes with broadcast-grade audio and lighting, and the same prep-call discipline as an in-person booking. Tell us your platform and audience size when you inquire and we will factor it into the shortlist.
What information do you need to recommend a speaker?
Three things get us to a shortlist fast: who is in the room and at what seniority, what they already believe about your topic, and the one change you want from them after the event. Date and budget matter too, but the right speaker comes out of those first three answers.
Ready to hire a keynote speaker?
Tell us the date, the audience, and what you want them to walk out believing. We'll reply within 24 hours.
Start Your Inquiry