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The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau

A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.

Activism & Humanitarianism

The Lavin Agency represents an inspiring body of activists: a group of artists and educators, authors and humanitarians, all working tirelessly for human rights and equity at home or abroad. Our activism and humanitarianism speakers are living proof of how change can be affected at all levels, from grassroots rallies to major lobbying initiatives.

35 Activism & Humanitarianism
Speakers
Angela Davis | Legendary Human Rights Activist

Angela Davis

Legendary human rights activist

We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.

Jelani Cobb

New Yorker Staff Writer | Columbia Journalism School Dean | Author of Three or More Is a Riot | Speaker on History, Politics, and Culture in America

In the fight for justice, we must face the past to forge a better future.

Clint Smith

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of How the Word Is Passed and Above Ground | The Atlantic Staff Writer

The legacy of slavery still shapes our cities, roads, and stories today. Understanding our history will help us make sense of our world—and fight for a better one.

Minnijean Brown-Trickey

Civil Rights Legend who Helped Desegregate Public Schools | Member of the Little Rock Nine

When we challenge what we know to be morally wrong, we grow as a society.

Bill McKibben | New York Times bestselling author of The Flag, The Cross, and the Station Wagon, Falter, and The End of Nature | Founder of 350.org and Third Act

Bill McKibben

New York Times bestselling author of Here Comes the Sun, Falter, and The End of Nature | Founder of 350.org and Third Act

The one thing that needs to be bigger than climate change is our movement to stop it.

Gabby Rivera

Author of Juliet Takes a Breath and the Marvel Comic Series America | First Latina Ever to Write for Marvel Comics

Living a revolutionary life starts with joy.

Jeff Chang

Social Historian, Cultural Critic & Community Organizer | Author, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America

Real solidarity and justice begins when we bring community into everything we do.

Eman Mohammed

Award-winning photojournalist | TED Senior Fellow

We need to bring the other’s side into focus to recognize our shared humanity.

Bill Strickland

An Extraordinary Business and Community Leader | MacArthur Genius | Founder, Bidwell Training Center | Subject, PBS Documentary Pursuing Light

Give people the tools they need, treat them with respect, and they will perform miraculous deeds.

Margot Lee Shetterly

Author of Hidden Figures: The #1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 Hit Film

A greater range of voices in the STEM fields is key to the future of American innovation.

Jessica Green

CEO of Phylagen, Inc. | TED Senior Fellow

An unlikely ally in fairness—the microbiome—may hold the key to a more transparent business world.

Negin Farsad

Director, The Muslims Are Coming! | Author, How to Make White People Laugh

The antidote to our political polarization? Laughter.

Vijay Gupta

Violinist | Artistic Director | Founder, Street Symphony | Author, Restrung (Grand Central Publishing, 2026)

Music speaks to people—touches people—in ways words alone cannot.

LaToya Ruby Frazier

Award-Winning Photographer | Member of the TIME100 | MacArthur Genius

Art is a weapon. Photos can change society—our view of ourselves and our communities.

Jer Thorp

Author of Living in Data | Former Library of Congress Innovator in Residence | Former NYT Data Artist-in-Residence

The future of data is about to be written—and it’s up to us to imagine a more just data democracy.

Ashton Applewhite

Anti-Ageism Activist | Author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism | Co-Founder of the Old School Hub

Ageism is prejudice against our future selves. What if we were free of it?

Stephen Satterfield

Host of the Peabody-Winning Netflix Docuseries High on the Hog | Founder of Whetstone Media and HONE Talent

Food is the sum of our collective origins: history, technology, culture, and more. It can help us make sense of who we are—and where we're going.

Jessica Jackley | Co-Founder of Kiva, the microlending site, and Author of Clay Water Brick

Jessica Jackley

Co-Founder of Kiva, the microlending site, and Author of Clay Water Brick

The connection between two individuals is a powerful agent for social change.

Richard Heinzl

Founder of Doctors Without Borders, Canada | CEO, My Next Health

Technology like AI can make us healthier—if we know how to use it.

Naomi Klein

Internationally Bestselling Author of Doppelganger, This Changes Everything, The Shock Doctrine, and No Logo

AI, misinformation, and polarization have made everything familiar feel slightly off. But we can still reclaim our democracy—and ourselves.

Waneek Horn-Miller | Olympian, Activist, and Speaker on Indigenous Health and Reconciliation

Waneek Horn-Miller

Olympian, Activist, and Speaker on Indigenous Health and Reconciliation

Your struggle is your motivation in disguise.

Isabella Hanson

Founder of the "I Matter" Poetry and Art Competition | Teen Vogue 21 Under 21 Honoree | Winner of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations

You can change the world, no matter who—or how old—you are.