Free Speakers Chicago is a pro bono speakers bureau. Every speaker on this page presents at no cost, with no fees, no honorarium and no mileage. Browse the full roster below, or jump to a category, and request a guest speaker for your next meeting, workshop or community event.
Founder and President, Shamrock Consultants
John P. Casey is a manufacturing and operations expert who founded Shamrock Consultants, where he works with organizations to improve leadership effectiveness, operational reliability, and continuous improvement systems. He has spent the last 30 years working with manufacturing leaders across multiple industries to break reactive cycles, strengthen planning discipline, and build reliability cultures that sustain
Founder, Cascade Communications
Jennifer Fortney is the Founder of Cascade Communications (est. 2001), a nationally acclaimed integrated PR and brand marketing agency serving startups, small businesses, and family enterprises — and author of "Be a Media Magnet: A Bootstrapper's Guide to PR" (Amazon, 2025). In her nearly 30-year career in PR and marketing communications, Jennifer has worked with
President and Executive Coach, LiveWright
Dr. Bob Wright is an internationally recognized visionary, educator, bestselling author, executive coach, and transformational leadership expert who has spent more than four decades helping people realize their potential and create extraordinary results in their careers, relationships, and lives. Co-founder of the Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership, he has worked with thousands of leaders and
Founder and Managing Member, Black|Line Consulting
Jody Jankovsky, Founder and Managing Member of Black|Line Consulting, has acquired considerable experience in addressing client needs throughout his 30-year career in the IT industry. Mr. Jankovsky holds a B.S. in Computer Science with an emphasis on Accounting from Illinois State University and has continued his professional education through numerous technical and business focused classes
Principal, Founder, Executive Coach, Ocean Park Strategic Advisors
Ronald D. Martin, also known as Ron Martin, is a respected speaker, podcast host, and expert in emotional intelligence, personal boundaries, stress management, and personal transformation. With compassion and expertise, Ron empowers individuals to thrive in both their personal and professional lives. As the host of a popular podcast, Ron shares practical insights and engaging
President, College Aid Planners, Inc.
Joe Orsolini is an expert in college planning who profoundly understands the intricate details of the college financial aid system, college savings plans and educational tax breaks. Joe specializes in serving the unique financial needs of parents who plan on sending their children to college. He draws from his many years of experience assisting families
Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
Ed Spire is a retired software engineer who has started and operated two small software companies and participated in an IPO of a large software startup, culminating in the position of senior director of software engineering for a large multinational team of engineers. In his retirement, Ed is participating in several areas of political activism
Keynote Speaker, Certified High-Performance Coach, No Woman Left Behind
Rosie Zilinskas is a keynote speaker, former Fortune 500 Executive Vice President, and the creator of The Articulation Gap: the distance between the impact you create and the impact leadership recognizes and rewards. After years of believing her results would speak for themselves, a senior executive told her four words that changed her career: "You
CEO and Professor, LiveWright
Dr. Judith Wright is a transformational leader, bestselling author, educator, and internationally recognized pioneer in human development whose life's work explores one of the most consequential questions we can ask: What becomes possible when we stop merely living the lives we inherited and begin consciously becoming who we were meant to be? She draws on
Business Strategist/Consultant, Bounce Solutions Jean Kuhn
Jean Kuhn, Speaker, Author and Serial Entrepreneur, began her career on April 29, 1985, when the nurse put that first baby in her arms, and she knew she was not going back to a J-O-B she hated. In 2002, Jean bought her first of two bankrupt businesses and turned it around in 12 months adding
Founder & President, Performance Advisors Group, Inc.
Mark James is an accomplished business improvement advisor with over 40 years of experience in workplace and channel performance, change management, customer loyalty, and measurement. He is the founder and President of Performance Advisors Group, Inc., which helps growing and mature B2B companies achieve sustainable growth and competitive advantage by eliminating barriers that get in
Motivational & Business Keynote Speaker | Emcee | Facilitator , Strategy Hackers
Troy Sandidge is a global keynote speaker, emcee, author, and workshop facilitator. As a TEDx speaker who delivered the opening talk at Makerere University in Uganda, sharing stages featuring Oprah Winfrey, President Barack Obama, Daymond John, Russell Brunson, and Gary Vaynerchuk. His sessions fuse growth strategy, leadership, mindset, marketing, and human performance into high-energy experiences.
Mental Health Speaker + Advocate, Compass Marketing + Promotion
Jason Prinzo – a mental health advocate, public speaker, and living testament to the power of resilience and self-transformation. Born and raised on the west side of Cincinnati, He lived through a number of physically and emotionally traumatic events. These experiences essentially laid the foundation for much of the mental health challenges he would face
Dr. Sassetti brings a unique perspective and history to his practice; he is a licensed psychologist and a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. He has dedicated his 25 plus year career to working with others to create exciting, dynamic and positive changes in their personal and professional lives. He is committed to
Certified Financial Planner
The common thread that runs through Greg Kurinec’s life is joy in serving others. As a young boy, it came in the form of helping a neighbor by shoveling snow, mowing a lawn or just bringing in their garbage cans. More recently, it was launching a not-for-profit organization that supports families affected by cancer. Even
Founder/President, R Hill Enterprises Inc
Robb is a licensed financial professional, founder of R Hill Enterprises, Inc., Has been conducting lectures for basic financial planning, has appeared on numerous media outlets across the nation, proud US ARMY veteran, earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management, author of Ask the RIGHT Questions Get the Right ANSWERS for Sound Financial Retirement
The Human Leader
There are three things almost everyone wants and virtually no one is ready for: Marriage, raising kids and leading others. As a clinical psychologist I've worked with people having all those issues. In the end, I became so concerned about the challenges that leaders face today that I decided to focus my clinical training and
Business Coach, Potential In Motion
Tom Kelly is the founder and owner of Potential In Motion, Inc. As a coach, Tom is dedicated to working with salespeople, entrepreneurs, small business owners and corporate executives that want to reach their full potential in both their business and their life. Tom is focused on “coaching to the edge of what is possible”
Partner/Owner, onPurpose Growth
Bryan McDonald has spent his whole 20+year career in new revenue growth and focused on a superior sales strategy that created a track record of success by serving vs selling people. He is a partner at onPurpose Growth, a coaching and consulting firm that serves entrepreneurs who have ambitious yearly or multiyear revenue goals, fulfill
Founder and Principal Consultant, Spectrum Strategic Solutions
Bette Lawrence-Water is a recognized dynamic speaker and community leader internationally. She is known as an expert in building collaborations, community health initiatives, and diversity and civility training. She is Founder and President of Spectrum Strategic Solutions, a consulting group dedicated to nonprofit and business management, strategic planning, and training. She is also Board President
CEO and Co-Founder, Tad More Tailoring & Alterations
Sarene Alsharif is the CEO and Co-Founder of Tad More Tailoring & Alterations, a Certified B Corporation that is redefining what a tailoring business can be. Under her leadership, Tad More has grown beyond traditional alterations to become a nationally recognized example of how sustainability, workforce development, and business success can work together to create
Law Offices of Robert J. Varak
I am a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.A, 1993) and The John Marshall Law School (J.D., 1996), where I was recognized as a Dean’s Scholar. In nearly two decades as a practicing attorney I have focused on estate planning and business law both as a sole practitioner and as an associate with several
Cyber Security Analyst, CCS Technology Group
Cybersecurity is a continual journey, and Chris's dedication to staying ahead of evolving threats makes him an invaluable asset for your attendees. Chris Higgins has a knack for making it both fun and informative. He breaks down complex cybersecurity topics into relatable terms, ensuring that everyone can understand and take away actionable steps to protect
President & Premier Home Stager, Staging Redesign Group Inc.
GraceAnn Simoni is a credentialed RESA-Pro® with the Real Estate Staging Association®, a Corporate Associate of the Mainstreet Realtors Association® and Illinois State President of the Real Estate Staging Association. She has been Staging and Redesign homes in Chicagoland since 2001. In 2005, GraceAnn founded the Staging Redesign Institute Certified Training Program, offering professional training
Principal, Baker Logistics Consulting Services Inc.
Lauren is the founder and Principal of Baker Logistics Consulting Services, Inc., a consulting firm focused on addressing international transportation, trade and customs consulting needs. Her consulting services focused on 3PL selection and management, international air and sea transportation and customs and trade compliance. Prior to starting Baker, Lauren spent thirty years in senior roles
Principal Storyteller / Founder, Be More Human
Leilani spent more than two decades in corporate sales and leadership, navigating high-stakes environments, leading teams, and closing multi-million-dollar deals. But behind every win, she saw what most companies were missing: connection. In rooms focused on performance metrics, she paid attention to what moved people, what shut them down, and what made them feel seen.
Lawyer / Partner, Kreiter, Byck and Associates, LLC
Paul M. Byck is Managing Partner of Kreiter, Byck and Associates, LLC. Paul has lectured attorneys throughout the country on the importance of communicating with clients. He is a lecturer for the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education. Paul earned his law degree from DePaul University Law School in 1990 and in the same year
CEO, Scott Hansen Consulting
Scott is a high performance coach, sought after speaker, podcast host, and a recent Best Selling Author. Along with working with Fortune 500 companies; he’s trained and coached entrepreneurs and executives on how to live a life of purpose and significance. Scott’s the creator of Ultimate Success System, a high performance coaching program teaching Entrepreneurs
Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary
Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D., is an American historian who writes, teaches, and shares history so as to respect the integrity of the historical actors who made our history. Accordingly, he believes that the goal of studying history is understanding, not judgment. Too many scholars today condemn the past and those who lived through it without
Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Ivonne joined the Citizens Utility Board in 2012. As Outreach Director, she leads the team that educates Illinois consumers on various utility issues, establishes relationships with community organizations and serves both English- and Spanish-speaking constituents. Her favorite part about working for CUB is being able to make a difference in the lives of consumers and
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