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.
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
Former Steven Spielberg Project Interviewers, Personal History Interviews
Dan Gelfond is a former "Steven Spielberg project" interviewer. His company Personal History Interviews records the life stories of parents and grandparents across the U.S. to preserve their legacies for future generations. Dan is also the owner of Keepsake Family Tree Video a full service video production company. Dan will share stories of interviews he's
Managing Partner, The Alliance Strategic Group
J. Michial Schickedanz is the founder of Strategic Intercept International, where he works with executive teams and department leaders to close the gap between stated values and actual decisions, and long term strategy. His work treats culture as an execution system, not a values exercise, giving leaders a structural way to see why teams stall
Social Media Strategist, Time2Mrkt, Inc.
Dee Reinhardt loves social media. It feeds the right side of her brain and helps her creative juices flow. She helps small business understand the how and why of marketing with social media. She can help you design build or remodel your marketing to incorporate social media into your overall plan. Dee is a certified
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
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
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
CFO, Bear & Kenmore LLC
Barrett Willich has extensive experience working with companies on strategic initiatives, capital raising, implementing day-to-day processes, and overseeing general operations. He has a unique mix of investing in companies and running companies, allowing him to navigate investors' needs with management's needs. Prior to Bear & Kenmore, Barrett was Vice President of Investments at a family
President & Founder, Payables Solutions Partners, LLC
Nicole Caley stands at the forefront of the Operational Accounting world, bringing over 20 years of diverse and extensive experience, using her results- oriented, entrepreneurial mindset and leadership ability to drive change. As current Senior Accounts Payable (AP) Director with AAR Corporation and Founder & President of Payables Solutions Partners, LLC, she not only leads
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
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
Mindset & Lifestyle Coach, Claudia Braun Holistic Lifestyle Coaching
Mindset & Lifestyle coach for professional women exhausted from over giving, obligation and guilt, creating a life based on more on who they think they should be instead of who they desire to be. Work with women to bring them back to fulfillment and inner peace, so they can flourish. Coaching women for 13 years,
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
President, NaviAsia Advisors
Bill Liu helps U.S. companies enter the Chinese market. Most recently, he has also been assisting Asian companies to enter the U.S. market. Connecting companies and people globally is the focus of Bill’s career. Bill founded NaviAsia Advisors, where he is a consultant and Principal, which derived from NaviAsia Group, cofounded by Bill in 2001.
Leadership Coach, Author, Speaker, Educator, Leading to Action
Dr. Susan Neustrom is dedicated to helping people and leaders make positive changes and do amazing things. With a wealth of experience in corporate and nonprofit leadership positions, Susan is a certified leadership coach, faculty at DePaul and National Louis University, and author of “The Comfort Zone Illusion-Leaving your Comfort Zone is not so Hard
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
Owner, Full Throttle Leadership
Dennis Mellen brings years of leadership experience as a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, a twenty-eight-year retired Alaska Airlines Fleet Captain in charge of 550 pilots and 40 instructors, and a bestselling author. He is an internationally recognized speaker, an executive leadership coach, and a certified athletic mental performance master. His target audience is future,
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.
Owner, GuruNischan Unlimited
Gurunischan is a pleasure activist, mental health advocate, published author, and breath trainer with over 30 years in holistic health, experiential learning and trauma-informed, body-based transformation. After scaling a wellness business to almost a million in global sales, she used the crash of burnout and the sinister loss of her company as a catalyst to
Principal, JWillin Consulting, Ltd.
Jerilyn Willin is a leadership development consultant and career strategies coach with over 25 years experience in the field of performance and organizational development. Transitioning from a career as a psychotherapist, Jerilyn worked as an internal consultant for a decade before following the call of her entrepreneurial spirit and founded JWillin Consulting, Intl. She has
Founder, Fractional Comms & Culture Advisor, COMM-ext, LLC
Have you ever navigated an organizational change that was so poorly managed that you said "that's it! I'm outta here!" I have. And that's why I've committed my career to helping companies do better to keep their people informed, engaged, and excited—and let's face it, just to KEEP THEIR PEOPLE! AS A FRACTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER,
Music Label Manager, MEGAO Inc.
Valeria Gershanova is a creative entrepreneur, music label founder, author, and marketing strategist dedicated to helping creators transform their talent into sustainable income. As the founder of MEGAO Music, she has built a diverse portfolio of ventures spanning music, publishing, digital products, and media. Valeria’s work is rooted in the belief that talent requires a
President, Andrea Donovan Senior Living Advisors
Andrea Donovan is the President of Andrea Donovan Senior Living Advisors, a senior housing consulting and geriatric care management firm that was opened in 2006. She holds the designation of Care Manager Certified conferred upon her by the National Academy Of Certified Care Managers. Since the opening of Andrea Donovan Senior Living Advisors in 2006,
Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
As an Edward Jones financial advisor, I believe it’s important to invest my time to understand what you’re working toward before you invest your money. It's also important to understand the level of risk you're comfortable accepting when investing so we can balance it with the steps necessary to reach your long-term goals. Whether you're
Marcus Carter, Carter Property Solutions LLC
Marcus Carter is an award winning national speaker, television host, critically acclaimed author, realtor, and a presentation/branding consultant to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Marcus runs a successful Real Estate consulting business, Carter Property Solutions, advocating the use of Real Estate investing as the most inexpensive and highly effective way to grow, succeed, and expand.
Professional Organizer, Arranged By Erin
After a successful sales career, I decided to follow my passion and started Arranged By Erin Professional Organizing. I have been organizing in Chicagoland for 11 years. I love to share my knowledge and speak about organizing.
Medicare Educator, Adduci Insurance Services
Diane Adduci is an experienced Medicare educator and provides educational programs to groups throughout Illinois. Diane has 30 years of health insurance experience and has worked with small and large groups, individuals under and over 65, but has chosen to specialize in the Medicare market. Having worked as a community relations specialist for several years
Entrepreneur, Musician, and Aspiring Evangelist, Live for Christ Ministries
Natoya Johnson is a mother, entrepreneur, musician, and an aspiring evangelist at Live for Christ Ministries. She hails from Chicago, IL, where she grew up with both of her parents and a host of siblings. Her father was a musician, her mother served as a teacher for several years, and some of her aunts were
President, Sims Law Firm, Ltd.
Naperville Attorney Bryan Sims of Sims Law Firm Ltd., concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation and civil appeals. Before entering private practice, Bryan worked as a judicial law clerk for Illinois Supreme Court Justice S. Louis Rathje. He has also worked as a staff attorney for the Second District of the Illinois
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