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Gender Speakers

Lavin’s gender keynote speakers work across all disciplines—STEM, film, journalism, business, law—breaking down the surprising and complicated ways that gender informs innovation, justice, art and more.  

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Sarah Kaplan

Director, Institute For Gender And The Economy At Rotman School Of Management | Author Of The 360° Corporation

We treat innovation as an investment: something that we do, regardless of how difficult, risky, or potentially unsuccessful it may be, because it’s worth it. Why not treat corporate social responsibility the same way? That is the question posed by SARAH KAPLAN, a former McKinsey alum turned premier MBA professor. In her rousing talks, she shows us how to reposition our biggest struggles—gender equality, diversity, the environment—into innovation challenges that will transform our organizations, making us more creative and more resilient along the way.
 
Isabel Allende

Legendary Writer and Cultural Icon | Author of The House of the Spirits

The literary icon and living legend was a “feminist in kindergarten”—she has dedicated her life and art to advocating for women. She says that the key is helping women talk to each other: “You will see that your sisters have the same problems you have, that by sharing your story, your worries, your dreams, you become part of the community. And that makes you very strong.”
Soraya Chemaly

Journalist & Author of Rage Becomes Her | Co-Founder and Director of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project

Being human means playing host to a variety of emotions—and it’s not optional. To award-winning author and viral TED speaker Soraya Chemaly, the trick is learning to see them as vital signals, critical to how well our organizations function. Chemaly speaks with crackling lucidity to the wealth of data that our emotions provide us with—at work, at home, and in the world at large. 
Deepa Purushothaman

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader | Former Senior Partner at Deloitte | Author of The First, the Few, the Only

The first Indian-American woman to make partner at Deloitte, she's lighting the way for women of color to discover and revel in their unique power at work. Even if you’re one of the first, few, or only women of color on your team or in your office, you can build community and redefine what corporate culture means for you and everyone.
 
 
Yaël Eisenstat

Former National Security Official | Former Facebook Elections Integrity Head | Future of Democracy Fellow at Berggruen Institute

Having worked in numerous high-pressure roles, where she was often the only woman at the table, Yaël Eisenstat knows the challenge of being a female leader. From the CIA, to countering extremism overseas, advising on national security issues at the White House, and tackling the threat of elections integrity at Facebook, she shares lessons on how to balance the grit and the grace of being a woman in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
Margot Lee Shetterly

Author of Hidden Figures, the #1 New York Times bestseller and hit film

Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures—a #1 NYT bestseller and inspiration for a #1 movie in America—is the true story of the black women mathematicians at NASA who helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space. In talks, Shetterly celebrates these unsung heroes, teasing out issues of race, gender, science, and innovation against the backdrop of WWII and the Civil Rights Era. 
Mira Nair

Director of Queen of Katwe, Salaam Bombay!, The Namesake, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Raised in India, schooled at Harvard, and living in New York City, Mira Nair uses her natural grasp of identity conflict to make films that explore race, gender, inter-generational strife, cultural appropriation and displacement. A poignant speaker, she captures beautifully the tug of competing worlds felt by millions of immigrants around the world. 
Kimberley Motley

International Human Rights Lawyer | Author of Lawless | TED Speaker

Kimberley Motley is the only foreign litigator working in Afghanistan. Armed with an unwavering determination and a passion for justice, she navigates the country’s punitive and capricious legal system with unprecedented success. In keynotes, she talks about the global human rights economy, and how and why we should all pay attention to—and take full advantage of—the rule of law.  
Vanessa Grigoriadis

Author of Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power and Consent on Campus

Questions about power, consent, and assault on college campus have sparked difficult—but necessary—conversations. In her bestseller, Blurred Lines, and in clear-eyed keynotes, Vanessa Grigoriadis maps out strategies to create safer, happier, more edifying college experiences—not just for students, but also for those who guide their lives in those crucial four years.
 
Sue Gardner

Executive Director of The Markup | Former Director of Wikimedia Foundation

The fight to keep the internet democratic and easily-accessible is one of society’s most urgent battles. Sue Gardner, the former Executive Director of Wikimedia, has been speaking on this topic for years. She offers a clear-eyed take on why a robust, transparent, and unobstructed internet, with the free flow of ideas and information, is essential to a healthy democracy. 
Ashton Applewhite

Anti-Ageism Activist | Author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism

Ashton Applewhite is a leading voice in an emerging movement dedicated to dismantling ageism and making age a criterion for diversity. The author of This Chair Rocks, she reveals the untapped possibilities of late life—in our communities, at work, and in ourselves.