It’s Tax Day here in the U.S., and whether you owe or you’re owed, money is certainly on your mind! When it comes to the money involved with paying for a professional speaker to participate at an event, it’s important to understand the factors that play into the cost associated with their participation. The agency you work with (work with us!) should be able to guide you through the nuances of any speaker fee quote, but sometimes it’s more complex than you might understand. Learn about the several factors to consider when understanding the cost of a keynote speaker for any type of event.

Excited to share another new speaker joining Outspoken: Ximena Vengoechea! Ximena is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator whose expertise in personal and professional development helps startups and executives on user experience research and executive communication. Ximena has spent years facilitating conversations at companies like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest. Whether she’s speaking about listening and communication, design and user research, or the power of rest, her goal is to teach, inspire, and empower audiences to take action.

We are pleased to welcome another edition to our speaker roster: Dr. Lorgia García Peña. Lorgia is an award-winning scholar in American Studies and specializes in the intersections of race, colonialism, and migration with a focus on Afro-Latinx lives and experiences. Her work emphasizes social justice, women of color, feminism, and Afro-Latinx episteme. She has a strong commitment to undocumented communities and first-generation students of color.

We're living in a polarizing time in which debates over politics and policies related to hot button topics such as DEI initiatives, banned books, gender identity and sexuality, women's reproductive health, gun laws, and transgender rights stay at the top of our news coverage. But what if it didn't have to feel like everything is so polarizing? What if we could change the narrative about our differences by providing deeper understanding that can help bring us back together? Paula Stone Williams can show us the way.

Outspoken welcomes renowned visual artist Shantell Martin to the roster! Collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Puma, and The North Face; an installation with Tiffany & Co.; choreography for the Boston Ballet and backdrops for works at the New York City Ballet. Shantell Martin is an artist who has seemingly done a whole lot of everything, but one key factor strings through every work of art: intersectionality.