What are event planners looking for in a keynote speaker right now?
While the answer depends on the audience and goals of each event, certain themes continue to come up in conversations with organizations: navigating change, leading through uncertainty, understanding AI, strengthening workplace culture, building resilience and creating stronger human connection.
At GDA Speakers, we work with companies, associations and organizations every day to identify speakers who can address the challenges their audiences are facing now.
Based on the conversations, event needs and speaker momentum we're seeing, here are 10 trending keynote speakers event planners should have on their radar.
1. Shawn Achor
Shawn Achor brings the science of happiness and human potential into conversations about performance, leadership and organizational success.
Achor is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's leading experts on the connection between happiness and success. His research challenges the assumption that people become happy once they achieve success, showing instead how a positive brain can create an advantage in performance, productivity and resilience.
His TED Talk has reached more than 25 million viewers around the world, helping make positive psychology accessible to a broad audience. More recently, Achor joined Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Podcast to discuss his latest book, The Power of Beliefs, and how the beliefs people hold can influence happiness, success and human potential.
Achor also joined Gail Davis on GDA Speakers' Backstage Pass to explore the research behind The Power of Beliefs and what it means for performance, resilience, engagement and well-being.
For organizations focused on performance, engagement and creating workplaces where people can thrive, Achor brings research-backed strategies to the stage in an engaging and practical way.
2. Carla Harris
Carla Harris brings nearly four decades of Wall Street experience to practical conversations about leadership, relationships and career advancement.
As a longtime senior leader at Morgan Stanley, Harris understands what it takes to navigate complex organizations, build influence and lead through changing business environments.
Her signature "Carla's Pearls" give audiences actionable strategies around authenticity, performance, relationships and intentional leadership. One of her most powerful concepts is the difference between performance currency and relationship currency, and why doing excellent work alone may not be enough to advance a career.
Harris recently joined Mel Robbins on The Mel Robbins Podcast for a timely conversation about the changing rules of work, including how professionals can stay relevant, build confidence and advance their careers amid uncertainty, technology and AI. She also sat down with Gail Davis on GDA Speakers' Backstage Pass to share practical strategies for navigating change, building relationships and positioning yourself for success in today's workplace.
As organizations continue to focus on developing leaders and retaining high-performing talent, Harris gives professionals tools they can immediately apply to how they show up, build relationships and lead.
3. Jamie Metzl
As artificial intelligence, genetics and biotechnology rapidly reshape business and society, Jamie Metzl helps audiences understand what may be coming next.
Metzl is a technology and healthcare futurist whose work explores some of the biggest changes affecting organizations today, from AI and emerging technologies to the future of healthcare and human potential.
Rather than simply predicting the future, Metzl helps leaders consider how they can prepare for it. His presentations connect large-scale trends to the strategic decisions organizations are making now.
Metzl recently joined Gail Davis on GDA Speakers' Backstage Pass to explore AI, technological change and why curiosity and continuous learning are becoming increasingly important as organizations prepare for what's next.
For audiences looking for a big-picture perspective on disruption, innovation and the future, Metzl brings complex topics to life in an accessible and thought-provoking way.
4. David Burkus
David Burkus helps leaders answer a question nearly every organization is asking: How do we build teams that actually work well together?
An organizational psychologist and bestselling author, Burkus translates research on leadership, teamwork and workplace culture into practical strategies leaders can use.
His work explores what separates high-performing teams from everyone else, how leaders can create stronger connections among employees and what organizations can do to build cultures where people can perform at their best.
As companies continue to navigate changing expectations around work, collaboration and employee engagement, Burkus offers practical tools for creating stronger teams.
5. Nando Parrado
Nando Parrado's extraordinary story of survival continues to resonate with audiences looking for perspective on leadership, decision-making and what matters most when the stakes are high.
Parrado is one of the survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash that stranded members of the Uruguayan rugby team and their companions high in the mountains. After enduring unimaginable conditions, Parrado and Roberto Canessa crossed the Andes in search of help, ultimately leading rescuers back to the remaining survivors.
More than five decades later, the story continues to reach new audiences. On December 18, 2026, Netflix will premiere Beyond Society, a three-part documentary series from J.A. Bayona and Carlos Torres that explores what happened after the survivors were rescued and how the tragedy shaped their lives and families in the decades that followed.
On stage, Parrado goes beyond the story of survival. He explores the decisions, relationships and priorities that emerge when everything familiar is stripped away.
His message connects powerfully to resilience and overcoming adversity while giving audiences a perspective they are unlikely to forget.
6. Damon West
Damon West's transformation from Division I quarterback to prison inmate to professor and bestselling author gives audiences a memorable framework for responding to adversity.
West's widely known "Coffee Bean" message focuses on a simple idea: rather than allowing an environment to change you, you can choose how you influence the environment around you.
His personal story gives that message unusual weight. After addiction and criminal behavior led to a lengthy prison sentence, West rebuilt his life and now speaks about resilience, accountability, leadership and personal transformation.
His message is especially relevant for organizations focused on culture, mindset and helping people take ownership of how they respond to challenges.
7. Kim Becking
Kim Becking helps leaders and teams build the resilience, adaptability and mindset they need to navigate change and uncertainty without burning out.
A leadership and change expert, Becking draws from both professional experience and significant personal challenges to help audiences rethink the way they respond when circumstances don't go according to plan.
Her approach focuses on practical strategies for managing change, strengthening resilience, reducing overwhelm and continuing to move forward during periods of uncertainty.
For organizations facing constant change and increasing demands on their people, Becking delivers an energizing message designed to help audiences build momentum while taking better care of themselves and one another.
8. Dr. Rebecca Heiss
Dr. Rebecca Heiss brings science to one of the most common challenges facing today's workforce: stress.
As a stress physiologist, Heiss helps audiences understand why the human brain and body respond to pressure the way they do and how those responses can affect performance, decision-making and behavior.
Instead of treating stress as something people simply need to eliminate, she gives audiences tools to better understand and work with their natural responses.
Her science-based approach makes her a strong fit for organizations looking to address stress management, performance and well-being without relying on generic advice.
9. John O'Leary
John O'Leary turns an extraordinary survival story into a message about purpose, possibility and how people choose to show up each day.
At nine years old, O'Leary was burned on 100 percent of his body and given little chance of survival. His recovery became the beginning of a story that has since reached audiences around the world through his keynotes and bestselling books.
His story was also the inspiration for the feature film Soul on Fire, bringing renewed attention to the lessons that have shaped his work.
O'Leary helps audiences examine how they respond to challenges, connect to purpose and recognize the impact their choices can have on the people around them. His story gives him a powerful perspective on overcoming adversity and choosing how to respond when life doesn't go according to plan.
10. Kindra Hall
In a world full of information, Kindra Hall helps leaders understand why stories are often what people remember.
A bestselling author and storytelling expert, Hall teaches organizations how to use strategic storytelling to communicate ideas, connect with audiences and inspire action.
Her work demonstrates that storytelling isn't simply a presentation technique. It can influence how companies communicate internally, market externally, lead teams and create stronger connections with customers.
As organizations compete for attention in increasingly crowded environments, Hall gives audiences a practical framework for turning information into stories people can understand and remember.
What Topics Are Trending With Event Planners?
The speakers generating interest may change, but many of the challenges event planners are trying to address are remarkably consistent.
Some of the topics we're seeing organizations prioritize include:
- Artificial intelligence and the future of work
- Leadership through change and uncertainty
- Workplace culture and employee engagement
- Resilience and mental fitness
- Human connection and belonging
- Communication and storytelling
- Peak performance and sustainable success
A trending topic doesn't automatically make someone the right speaker for your event. The strongest match happens when a speaker's expertise aligns with what your audience is experiencing and what you want them to think, feel or do differently after the event.
Should You Book a Trending Keynote Speaker?
A speaker who is generating buzz can bring excitement and relevance to an event, but popularity shouldn't be the only reason to book someone.
Start with your audience.
What are they experiencing right now? What do they need to hear? And what should be different after the keynote is over?
From there, you can identify speakers whose expertise, presentation style and message align with those goals.
Working with a speakers bureau can also help you look beyond the names already on your radar. An experienced bureau can compare speakers, provide insight into audience fit and introduce you to options you may not have considered.
Find the Right Keynote Speaker for Your Event
Since 1999, GDA Speakers has helped companies, associations and organizations find speakers who align with their audiences, objectives and event goals.
Our team considers your audience, industry, theme and desired outcome to help narrow the search and identify speakers who can create meaningful impact.
With a global network of speakers, decades of trusted relationships and a team that understands the demands of event planning, GDA makes it easier to move from an initial idea to the right speaker.
Your event deserves the right speaker. We make it happen.
Contact GDA Speakers to start your search for the right keynote speaker for your next event.
