Free Speakers Chicago is a pro bono speakers bureau. Every presentation on this page is free to book, with no fees, no honorarium and no mileage. Browse the topics below and request a guest speaker for your next meeting, workshop or community event.
We live in a world now where the responsibility for a lifetime of financial well-being rests solely in our own hands. The increasing complexity of the financial choices and decisions we face have exposed a dismal reality: most folks do not have an adequate understanding of the financial principals, behaviors and attitudes that will foster financial well-being. In this interactive
Most leadership teams treat culture as something to articulate rather than something to build. This session breaks down why that distinction matters and what changes when an organization starts treating culture as infrastructure for decision-making instead of a poster on the wall. Attendees leave with a practical framework for locating where their teams actually stall, whether that is unclear priorities,
Professor McGarvie describes the development of pragmatism in the early 19th century as a critique of the individualistic and rights-oriented ideology of the Enlightenment. Pragmatism served as the basis for the first progressive movement, which was ultimately repudiated in the ascension of the Coolidge, Harding, and Hoover Republicans in the 1920s. How are today's progressives repeating the political errors of
Entrepreneurs and business owners who are looking to GET THE EDGE in their business. You will walk away looking at yourself and business in an entirely new light. High Performance Coach, Scott Hansen, shares key strategies to help any business owner get to the next level in their business. In this riveting 60 minute presentation, Scott will leave you with
Learn about your energy choices and ways to save money on your utility bills. During this presentation we will go over: Understanding your utility bills, Your energy choices, Energy efficiency programs that can help consumers save energy and money, and Solar options.
US President Donald Trump has complained about China's trading practices since before he took office in 2016. The US launched an investigation into Chinese trade policies in 2017. It imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese products last year, and Beijing retaliated in kind. The trade war between the two largest economies shows no sign of easing. What's
What if the conditions for success revolve around the tree of employee engagement, but engagement that isn’t about perks or productivity but about authentic investment? In this interactive session, we walk through the BridgeWork Framework to explore how people-centered workplaces are built when employees feel seen, supported, and connected to purpose. Participants will reflect on what they carry into the
In a time when workplace connection is at an all-time low and culture-building feels more buzzword than blueprint, Leilani offers something different: a keynote that makes people feel—and think. Her signature talk, Building Collective Success: Empathy. Storytelling. & Change, challenges audiences to rethink the way we define leadership, performance, and culture. Through personal narrative, pop culture references, humor, and hard
In his book, Questions That Matter, Roger Breisch writes, “Putting aside deceitful questions—whose cadence and tone imply an answer—all questions matter. Sentences that end with the ubiquitous squiggle atop a period open the future to new possibilities. Sentences ending with just a period condemn the future to limitation and constraint. Answers have a way of ending discovery and learning; captivating
We are working harder than ever—yet trust is lower, relationships are strained, and leaders are exhausted. Today’s productivity culture rewards speed, output, and performance at the expense of presence, discernment, and humanity. The result is unnecessary suffering: fear-based decisions, fractured communication, and leadership that reacts instead of leads. This session challenges the myth that more pressure produces better results. Participants
With 40 years of experience, Kline explains how Illinois residents should plan their estates to minimize taxes, avoid probate and dispose of assets.
Innovative methods of the 21st century will be discussed. Haris provides strategic clarification, organizational alignment and leadership effectiveness in order to drive organizational performance.
Examine how to budget for retirement expenses, potential sources of retirement income and potential risks such as LTC and health care costs.
If I asked what your finance department does for your business, most would say: Taxes, Pay Bills, and Reports. These answers are all accurate, but this is only one aspect of a high-performing finance team. High-performing finance teams guide businesses in their decision-making. High-performing finance teams are viewed as thought leaders and analyze deal/strategies to make sure the company achieves
Can the audience solve the climate problem? They get to pick the levers they think will have the biggest impact and see what happens. Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan have worked together to build a simulator with most of the variables in a world wide climate model. I have been trained to run a workshop using the model that has
Tom discusses electric vehicle (EV) costs from battery manufacturing to charging to driving. He also discusses a comparison of internal combustion engine and EVs on pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and costs. Other points covered are: • The current state of EV range and charging. • The role of hybrid, plug-in-hybrid, fuel-cell (hydrogen) electric, and battery electric vehicles. • Automaker initiatives
Hear what the experts say: reflexologists, iridologists, biochemists, dentists and professors. An author and TV host, Karen brings experience as an ER, psychiatric and home care nurse.
Terry’s talk is great for baby boomers, black studies groups and music lovers. He takes the audience back to the crossroads of musical history with tales and photos from his book, “In the Belly of the Blues,” of his days with musicians like the Rolling Stones, BB King and Howlin’ Wolf using rare music, video and hilarious first-person anecdotes.
This lively presentation will address the causes of fear associated with speaking when we are not comfortable doing so. Learn how to make those butterflies in your stomach "fly in formation," so you can get your point across in a confident and effective manner.
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA is a federal law that sets rules about who can view and receive your Protected Health Information or PHI. This law gives you rights over your health information and when it can be shared. In addition, HIPAA requires your physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers, and your health
Having toured more than 450 senior communities, Andrea offers advice about what to look for when searching for alternative living for a senior. Her researched facts will demystify the myths.
What do you do when your marketing tactics are not getting straight to the consumer? Edwin tells how you can bring your ideas, services or business straight to consumers and create something unforgettable. He’ll also discuss how experiential marketing has played a role in today’s economy and how anyone can utilize it today.
Learn from Kasia Weresz about reducing deadly school violence in a thought provoking presentation that focuses on prevention through understanding behavioral health.
A discussion of current events and trends in the US and global economy that can affect your life.
Most of us avoid hard conversations. I was no different. But this avoidance comes with real professional and personal costs. Over time I developed a system that I used for myself and have trained to thousands. It is an easy to make your own approach that will change your perspective from avoidance to opportunity.
The way you think affects your personal growth and your career success. In “You Are What You Think! P.O.W.E.R. Strategies to Overcome Negative Thinking,” you will learn the reality of thinking, four triggers to thinking, and five P.O.W.E.R. strategies to help you shift your thinking from negative to productive. Be ready to walk away from this interactive workshop putting into
During the first half of the twentieth century, America experienced profound cultural changes. Many of those changes were the direct result of the life of one man: George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895-1948). Author Gary Livacari is available to present a one-hour PowerPoint presentation covering the life and times of this original American sports icon. The discussion begins with Babe's early
With 30 years experience, Lea Ann offers customized talks on using social media, blogging, endowment, creating access for middle income donors, fundraising, new business models, grantwriting and trends across sectors.
This program will focus on the psychological and financial strategies and opportunities that help people transition to retirement.
The Conversation Project toolkit provides a great starting point to completing an Advance Health Care Directive. We will discuss, interactively, the reasons these instruments are needed, what the goals of them are and that they are dynamic instruments that can be changed as desired. I add tools to help this whole conversation become more than just a heavy burden; fun
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