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.
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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”
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
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
Owner and Real Estate Entrepreneur, Baltazar Rentals
Daniel Baltazar is a real estate entrepreneur and co-founder of Baltazar Rentals, a family-operated real estate investment and property management business in Illinois. After spending nearly a decade working as a professional skydiver, Daniel transitioned into real estate investing, building a portfolio of residential rental properties and developing a business focused on acquiring, renovating, and
Founder/President, R Hill Enterprises Inc
Robb is a licensed financial professional and founder of R Hill Enterprises, Inc. He has been conducting lectures for basic financial planning and has appeared on numerous media outlets across the nation. He is a proud US ARMY veteran, earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management, and author of Ask the RIGHT Questions Get
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
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
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
Founder and CEO, Witter Enterprise Solutions, LLC
Jennifer Witter is a finance executive, consultant, and founder of Witter Enterprise Solutions LLC. With extensive experience in accounting and financial leadership, she helps organizations strengthen financial operations and strategic decision-making. Jennifer is also pursuing certification in artificial intelligence to help businesses understand how emerging technologies can enhance financial analysis, operational efficiency, and leadership strategy.
Co-founders, BridgeWork LLC
BridgeWork is the brainchild of Anthony Bolden and Charles Cammack, whose combined passion and extensive experience in nonprofit and educational leadership form the cornerstone of our mission and operations. With over 20 years of collective experience, they bring a unique blend of insight and dedication to fostering emerging talent. Anthony Bolden, co-founder, brings a wealth
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
CEO, Roland, Ruth & Mitchell
Matt Kinnich has over 30 years of sales and general management experience, most recently as CEO of a private equity-backed education company. Matt’s Education Sector experience includes: Higher Education, Professional Education, Credentialing, Corporate Training and PreK thru 8th grade. He is passionate about education as a lever to change the trajectory of individuals, organizations and
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
Breast Cancer Talks, Hope Cometh
Dr. Funmi Apantaku-Onayemi’s focus on populations’ studies - community engagement and participatory cancer research in the minority populations has spanned three decades. She was the Midwest Regional Director of the National Cancer Institute’s National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer. During her tenure, she formed 15 coalitions in 12 Midwestern states. Many of these coalitions were
USAF Veteran, former Sports Agent,Natural Bodybuilding Competitor, Stroke Survivor, Author
Brady Johnson is an Air Force Veteran; spending thirteen years in USAF/ANG serving his country. During a tour overseas, he survived a terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia and was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal. A medal that honored his achievements in restoring order, problem solving and achieving outstanding results.While serving his country, he opened
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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