American Program Bureau (APB) has an extensive roster of speakers that includes some of the most remarkable women in our world. Each of them has achieved an incredible amount of success and earned the utmost respect in their field. Their astounding lives and experiences offer other women inspiration as they strive to succeed in their own lives. From CEOs to celebrities to authors, media personalities, heads of state, to thought leaders, APB’s women’s voices continue to lead the way in all aspects of work and life.
**Don't forget: March is Women's History Month and distinguished women speakers' schedules fill up fast. Check out our Women's History Month speaker page for fresh ideas on celebrated women speakers for your Women's History Month engagements.
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Former Prime Minister of Norway, Director-General of the World Health Organization, and Chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Dr. Brundtland has been a prominent force in addressing key issues such as healthcare, economic sustainability, and the challenges to the environment throughout the world. ...
Gail Sheehy
As the best-selling author of over a dozen books, including Passages, Gail Sheehy has rocked the culture and changed the way millions of women and men look at the stages of their lives. A Library of Congress survey named Passages one of the ten most influential books of our time. In her latest book, ...
Terry McMillan
Since McMillan's breakout novel Waiting to Exhale surged onto The New York Times bestseller list, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, often-hilarious take on the issues faced by contemporary African American women. With several of her bestsellers, including Waiting to ...
Sheryl WuDunn
As a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and professional speaker, Sheryl WuDunn offers a unique perspective on current economic, political and social issues such as women's rights. As co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Half the Sky, WuDunn calls attention to the trials and triumphs of women ...
Jane Seymour
Truly a modern Renaissance woman, award-winning actress Seymour has found success in all aspects of her rich life. Recently a hit on Dancing with the Stars, she has gone from leading roles in films, on Broadway and on television in Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman to tapping into her talent as accomplished artist, ...
Mary Robinson
As first female President of Ireland, Robinson increased the status of the nation. Formerly the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she now advises businesses worldwide on ethical practices and management. In addition to her role as Executive Director of the Ethical Globalization Initiative, she is one of five members ...
Naomi Klein
Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist, and author of the international bestseller, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Exploring the flaws of neoliberal economics and globalization, her stunning revelations and well-researched insight provides a backdrop to the connections ...
Sarah Lacy
Sarah Lacy knows Silicon Valley and the power of the Web 2.0 technology like few others. As a veteran reporter covering start ups—from technology innovation to cultural underpinnings—Lacy is an expert in translating the mystique and the might of this hub of technology to the rest of the world.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Internationally known as Africa’s “Iron Lady,” President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first woman to lead an African nation. A Harvard-educated former World Bank economist, she is a leading promoter of peace, justice, and democratic rule who was recently honored with a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in ...
Rachel Simmons
Simmons is the author of The New York Times bestseller Odd Girl Out, the first book to explore the phenomenon of bullying between girls - just as harmful as boys, but harder to recognize. The Founder and Director of The Girls’ Leadership Institute, she is a highly sought-after consultant to schools all over ...
Susan L. Taylor
As editorial director of Essence, Taylor was the driving force behind one of the most celebrated black-owned business success stories in recent times. Her firm belief in personal empowerment and tapping into the power within motivates and inspired her employees to lead Essence to become a successful global ...
Anousheh Ansari
She captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer, and earned a place in history as the first astronaut of Iranian descent. She is CEO, Chairman, and co-founder of Prodea Systems, a company which will significantly change the way all consumers interacts with the Internet and integrates ...
Rosie Perez
A film actress and choreographer, AIDS activist and women's rights advocate, Perez has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Oscar. She has recently produced, directed, and starred in Yo Soy Boricua, Pa Que Tu Lo Sepa: I Am Puerto Rican, Just So You Know, which chronicles the lives of Puerto Ricans living in the ...
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Hunter-Gault made civil rights history as the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Georgia. Now, as one of television's premier journalists, she challenges convention with her insights. A special correspondent for NPR based in South Africa, she has written New News Out of Africa, which ...
Mariane Pearl
Pearl is a unique and versatile award-winning journalist who has written A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl, a gripping and profound narrative of her experience and the pursuit of those who captured and killed her husband, Daniel Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall ...
America Ferrera
Best known for her Emmy-winning starring role in Ugly Betty, America Ferrera - an artist ambassador for Save the Children - is also an activist committed to issues surrounding education & children.
Shirin Ebadi
An extraordinary woman of many firsts, Iranian lawyer and activist Ebadi has made history as the first Muslim to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous defense of human rights in Iran. One of the most intelligent, passionate, and respected voices of dissent from within this complex nation, she speaks to the world ...
Erin Gruwell
Erin Gruwell leveraged the power of education to transform Long Beach's "unteachables," by teaching tolerance through literature and writing. Her tenacity and commitment to her students is chronicled in The Freedom Writers Diary - How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around ...
M. Joycelyn Elders
As a pediatric endocrinologist and 15th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Elders has a deep concern for young people and teaches that education, prevention, and responsibility are the keys to a healthy life. An outspoken advocate on behalf of children, she is an expert on the prevention of child abuse, teen ...
Mary Frances Berry
Former Chairperson of the US Civil Rights Commission, law professor, and esteemed civil rights historian, Berry continually defends the rights of all people with her actions and dedication to equality. From fair housing to equal opportunity to voter's rights, she has been a strong advocate for the disempowered and ...
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