Business Growth Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers who move revenue, brand, and culture forward. Browse by lane to find the right fit for your audience.
Growth is the only line item every executive in the room is measured against, and it never comes from a single lever. It is founders who built something from nothing, the brand and sales minds who turn attention into revenue, the operators who make customer experience and culture compound, and the strategists who read markets before they turn. The speakers on this page span that full arc, from Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John to Simon Sinek, James Clear, Will Guidara, and Peter Zeihan. For a corporate meeting planner, that range means you can anchor a sales kickoff, a leadership summit, or a customer conference with a keynote that sends people back to work with a sharper plan and the conviction to run it.
Founders and Entrepreneurs
Builders who started from scratch, from Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John to Marc Randolph and Magic Johnson. They fit kickoffs and founder driven, growth minded rooms.
Alex Banayan
Author of The Third Door and youngest person to interview Gates, Buffett, and Lady Gaga. The go-to keynote for founders who need proof that scrappy access beats credentials every time.
Barbara Corcoran
She turned a $1,000 loan into The Corcoran Group, sold it, and became one of the most recognized investors on Shark Tank. The defining keynote for founders who built something from almost nothing.
Candy Valentino
Serial founder who scaled and exited multiple businesses before 40 and wrote a WSJ bestseller on wealth-building outside Wall Street. The right anchor for small-business and exit-strategy summits.
Chris Barton
The founder who built Shazam on a wild bet that phones could name any song, then sold it to Apple for $400 million. A first-person blueprint for betting on a category nobody believed in yet.
Danny Meyer
Danny Meyer turned a single New York cafe into one of the most respected hospitality groups in the country, then scaled Shake Shack into a public company. The essential keynote on brand culture and founder-led growth.
Daymond John
Daymond John sewed his first FUBU hats with $40 and no outside backing, built a global brand, and became a household name through Shark Tank. The original bootstrapped-to-icon story for founder and franchise events.
Jamie Siminoff
Jamie Siminoff built Ring in his garage, got rejected on Shark Tank, then sold it to Amazon for over a billion dollars. The keynote for hardware founders and product-launch audiences who need a real comeback arc.
Jennifer Fleiss
Jennifer Fleiss co-founded Rent the Runway from a dorm-room experiment and reshaped how consumers think about fashion ownership. She brings a rare co-founder lens on scaling a consumer tech brand from idea to institution.
Jesse Cole
Jesse Cole bought a struggling minor-league team and turned it into the Savannah Bananas, a sold-out global touring phenomenon. The keynote on category creation and brand reinvention that extends well beyond sports.
Jesse Itzler
Jesse Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet, sold it to Berkshire Hathaway, then kept building lifestyle brands and bought into an NBA team. A serial founder who shows audiences how to keep building after the big exit.
Johnny Cupcakes
Johnny Cupcakes started selling T-shirts from his car and built a cult retail brand with stores designed to feel like bakeries. The keynote for brand builders who want to see how deep customer experience drives loyalty.
Josh Linkner
Five-time tech founder and venture investor who has codified how creative troublemakers build companies and drive lasting innovation. The right anchor for innovation summits that need frameworks, not just inspiration.
Kenton Lee
Kenton Lee noticed a child in Kenya wearing shoes over her hands and invented a sandal that expands five sizes over four years. His purpose-driven founder story is among the most memorable in the social-impact space.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson built a billion-dollar portfolio across theaters, coffee, and real estate by focusing on markets others skipped. The keynote for investor and franchise audiences on brand, capital, and community.
Marc Randolph
Marc Randolph co-founded Netflix and served as its first CEO, steering it from a car-ride pitch to a category-defining platform. A first-hand founder account of product iteration, pivots, and scaling belief.
Mike Cessario
Mike Cessario built Liquid Death into a breakout brand by treating canned water like a heavy-metal record label. The keynote for brand and marketing audiences on category creation through radical positioning.
Robert Herjavec
Robert Herjavec arrived in North America with nothing and built a global cybersecurity firm before joining Shark Tank. His arc from immigrant kid to tech CEO translates directly for sales-driven and entrepreneurship audiences.
Zack Kass
Zack Kass was Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI when AI shifted from research to business infrastructure. He translates that front-row experience into practical category-creation strategy for founder and future-of-business audiences.
Sales, Marketing and Brand
Brand and demand voices like Simon Sinek, James Clear, Jonah Berger, and Kindra Hall, built for sales kickoffs and marketing summits that need to turn attention into revenue.
Amy Jo Martin
Personal brand architect who has built visible founder brands that convert social audiences into revenue. Her work is built for founders whose credibility is the product.
David Horsager
David Horsager built the Eight Pillars of Trust framework adopted by Fortune 500 sales teams to shorten deal cycles. He speaks to teams where credibility gaps are costing closed revenue.
Debra Jasper
Debra Jasper trains revenue teams to write messages that get opened, answered, and acted on. She is the choice when sellers need sharper digital communication that earns the meeting.
Erik Qualman
Author of Socialnomics and a leading keynoter on digital reputation, AI, and social strategy. He translates digital tools into measurable demand-generation outcomes for marketing audiences.
Frank Maselli
The go-to sales coach for financial advisors, with decades of work on seminar selling, referral systems, and modern client engagement. His programs move directly into production.
James Clear
Author of Atomic Habits, the definitive book on behavior design and compounding results. He reframes pipeline discipline as a system of daily inputs that outperform quota pep talks over time.
Jia Jiang
Author of Rejection Proof and architect of a 100-day challenge that rewired how he handles no. He is the speaker BD teams book when call reluctance and hesitation are costing pipeline.
Jonah Berger
Wharton professor and author of Contagious and Magic Words, with research on why ideas spread. He gives marketing audiences the science behind word of mouth and language that persuades.
Kindra Hall
Kindra Hall built a four-story framework used by sales reps and marketers to move buyers. She is the speaker when the deck is data-heavy and the brand narrative needs to land emotionally.
Mark Jeffries
Mark Jeffries specializes in the subtle communication moves that win client-facing rooms. He doubles as a polished emcee for sales conferences that need both energy and substance.
Ryan Estis
Hyper-growth keynoter whose modern selling framework centers on the human buyer in long, complex deals. He is the choice for sales kickoffs that need a real playbook for discovery and trust.
Ryan Leak
Author of Leveling Up who uses high-stakes personal questions to unlock bolder performance in producers. He is a strong fit when reps need a growth jolt that leads to bigger asks and a healthier sales culture.
Sam Richter
Sam Richter pioneered using sales intelligence and AI to give sellers a decisive pre-call edge. He teaches revenue teams to walk into every buyer conversation already knowing what matters.
Scott Burrows
Scott Burrows delivers Vision, Mindset, Grit after rebuilding his life following sudden paralysis. He speaks when a sales force needs a real comeback framework to push through a difficult quarter.
Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek introduced Start With Why and reshaped how leaders think about brand purpose. He speaks when the marketing story has drifted from its founding belief and needs to be realigned.
Stacey Hanke
Influence and executive presence expert who rebuilds the Monday-to-Monday habits that move buyers. She is the choice when sellers are skilled but not consistently remembered or trusted after the meeting.
Customer Experience and Culture
Experience and culture leaders such as Will Guidara, Jay Baer, Cynt Marshall, and David Novak, ideal for service teams and culture forward leadership events.
Bert Jacobs
Co-founder and Chief Executive Optimist of Life is Good, a brand built around a single operating idea. The right keynote when a leadership team needs to turn optimism from a mood into a repeatable system that drives service and loyalty.
Chris McChesney
Co-author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution and Global Practice Leader at FranklinCovey. Brings operational tools that translate culture work into frontline behaviors customers actually notice.
Crystal Washington
Author of One Tech Action and a practical futurist for non-technical teams. The right speaker when a CX or service team needs a concrete roadmap for meeting digital-first customers without losing the human touch.
Cynthia ‘Cynt’ Marshall
CEO of the Dallas Mavericks who executed one of the most scrutinized culture turnarounds in sports business. A proven playbook for rebuilding inclusion, trust, and belonging inside a team that had lost both.
David Novak
Former Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands and host of the How Leaders Lead podcast. Speaks on installing a recognition culture that lifts engagement, retention, and the customer experience across thousands of frontline locations.
Dr. Ivan Joseph
Performance coach and bestselling author who has built self-confidence and team trust as trainable skills across elite athletic and corporate settings. The right voice when frontline managers need concrete coaching tools.
Emmitt Smith
NFL all-time leading rusher and Hall of Famer turned successful business operator. Translates the locker-room model of purpose, grit, and accountability into a frame that holds for sales and service teams under pressure.
Eric Boles
Former NFL professional turned peak performance expert who works directly with managers navigating change. Built for middle-management audiences that need to shift from a stalling culture to one where people stretch and grow.
Jay Baer
Researcher and author of seven books on customer loyalty, including Hug Your Haters and The Time to Win. Delivers data-backed tactics for turning service moments into repeat revenue and measurable retention lift.
Nick Webb
Healthcare futurist, innovation strategist, and author who advises hospital systems and Fortune 500 health plans on the next wave of service and customer experience design. The right framework for teams building ahead of disruption.
Randy Garutti
Former CEO of Shake Shack, who scaled the brand from a single New York kiosk to a global public company without losing its hospitality soul. Speaks to multi-unit operators on maintaining warmth and culture at scale.
Steve Cadigan
First Head of Talent at LinkedIn, who built the culture from 56 to 4,200 employees through IPO. The right voice when talent strategy is the growth bottleneck and leaders need a modern model for retention and employee experience.
Tyronne Stoudemire
SVP of Global DEI at Hyatt Hotels, running a program with measurable outcomes in hire, retention, and guest experience. The right speaker when a hospitality or service brand wants inclusion strategy that changes frontline behavior.
Will Guidara
Former owner of Eleven Madison Park, the number one restaurant in the world, and author of Unreasonable Hospitality. Translates the EMP operating philosophy into reps and routines any service-driven team can install.
Markets, Strategy and Disruption
Strategists and forecasters like Ian Bremmer, Peter Zeihan, Carla Harris, and Ron Insana, suited to executive summits and board level rooms reading the next cycle.
Alison McCauley
Author of Unblocked, sorting AI acceleration into signal vs noise for non-technical operators. The right call when leadership needs a P&L frame for AI adoption, not just a possibilities tour.
Andrew Busch
Former first Chief Market Intelligence Officer for the U.S. government, translating policy and rates into pipeline and revenue impact. Ideal for finance and sales kickoffs that need a confident macro read.
Ben Casnocha
Co-author of The Start-Up of You with Reid Hoffman, reframing careers and talent development as entrepreneurship with assets, allies, and intelligent risk. Strong fit for kickoffs that invest in their people.
Carla Harris
Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley with decades on Wall Street, pairing capital markets depth with practical guidance on performance and influence. A rare voice for finance, sales, and leadership audiences.
Clara Durodié
Fintech strategist and board-level advisor who has written the playbook on applied AI in finance, connecting governance, risk, and regulatory reality to the next decade. Built for banks and asset managers.
Eric Termuende
Future of Work researcher behind a decade of field interviews into what separates Fortune Best Places to Work from the also-rans. Workshop-ready and concrete for HR summits focused on retention and hybrid teams.
Heather McGowan
Author of The Adaptation Advantage, mapping the collapsing half-life of skills and what learning organizations must do as AI rewires every role. A sharp framework keynote for CHROs and executive teams.
Ian Bremmer
Founder of Eurasia Group, translating global power shifts and geopolitical risk into clear business implications for boards and finance audiences. The call when leadership needs geopolitics decoded for strategy.
Jerry Kaplan
Stanford AI pioneer with fifty years of research and invention, author of the canonical books on which jobs survive automation. The long-view voice when audiences want to know which AI bets actually pay off.
John Sileo
Former federal contractor turned cybersecurity keynote who makes a dense threat landscape genuinely engaging for non-technical audiences. The rare cyber speaker finance, healthcare, and sales will stay awake for.
Nell Watson
Futurist focused on machine ethics and AI governance, speaking to boards and product teams that need to deploy AI without tripping the regulatory and reputational wires now closing around the industry.
Nick Tasler
Decision strategist with a concrete framework for deciding faster and growing through disruption rather than stalling in it. A strong mid-program keynote when teams are cycling through change and need practical tools.
Patrick Schwerdtfeger
Business futurist whose Strategic Disruption framework is MBA-required reading, pairing research with actionable AI and automation guidance for the sectors actually being hit. Built for strategy offsites.
Peter Zeihan
Geopolitical strategist delivering a data-driven map of demographics, deglobalization, and which supply chains and energy markets break next. The call for finance and operations audiences planning around reality.
Rachel Wilson
Spent 15 years protecting national-security-grade financial infrastructure at the NSA before advising boards and financial institutions on cyber resilience. The go-to when finance audiences want the real threat picture.
Robert Safian
Former Fast Company Editor-in-Chief and Rapid Response podcast host, distilling what the CEOs actually reshaping business believe. An ideal opening keynote for leadership audiences who need a sharp read on change.
Ron Insana
CNBC senior analyst with decades of live market commentary, cutting through noise on rates, earnings, and policy with uncommon clarity. A trusted voice for finance and advisor audiences who need analysis without spin.
Zanny Minton Beddoes
Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, delivering the global economic read that sets the agenda for boards and heads of state. The premier keynote when a CEO or board audience wants full macro depth, not a narrowcast take.
These are founders, brand builders, sales and culture leaders, and market strategists who have built companies, scaled brands, and called the cycles that move whole industries. They draw on real operating experience rather than recycled theory, which is why their stories land with audiences who have heard the generic version too many times. From Marc Randolph and Danny Meyer to Cynt Marshall, Carla Harris, and Ian Bremmer, each one brings a distinct lens on how growth actually happens.
They flex across formats and audiences: a 45 minute mainstage keynote, a fireside chat, a half day workshop, or a leadership offsite. They fit sales kickoffs, annual conferences, board retreats, and customer events alike. Booking through Rave gets you vetted availability, transparent fees, and a team that has placed these speakers for meeting planners many times over, so the logistics never get in the way of the message.
Call (310) 614-8653 or email [email protected] to check availability and fees.
How Rave Speakers Works
See how we can deliver a standing ovation for your next event
Expert suggestions tailored to your theme and budget
We make suggestions expertly designed for your audience and theme. We've seen all the speakers we suggest present live and can share with you and your team exactly what they're like to work with.
Any Speaker. Any Time. No Additional Fees.
See a speaker on another agency's website? The lecture industry is just like the real estate business: we represent you and can book that same speaker at the same fee.
Pre-booking calls are a must for a successful event
Find a speaker of interest? First, let's make sure they're the perfect fit with a personal phone call between potential speaker and your executive team.
At no cost to you, we'll be onsite at your meeting
We not only personally deliver your speaker to your meeting, we'll get a chance to measure audience reaction so we can raise the bar even higher for your next meeting.
