The 100+ tech & business women speakers you need at your next event

“Where are the women?”

“Why was the stage dominated by male speakers?”

“Couldn’t the organizers find qualified female speakers?”

These are questions that attendees, — male and female — ask themselves on the way home from the conferences and events that you worked so hard planning.

As two female co-founders, of an event-tech startup, Evolero, who are often listed on leading and innovative startup lists, run our own events, we are on the frontline and know too well and feel the urgency for women to be on stage.

Women are leading startups, Fortune 500 companies, and investing more and more in the next generation of innovation. Today, not having a balanced representation, not having a woman on stage, is a liability for your conference and in short will turn people away.

An exciting change is imminent. The inner feminine qualities that encompass women is reflected and presented through the impact that they have on the business and tech world.

More women in tech and business means more than just job opportunities for women, but their presence in the arena will foster more diverse and holistic innovation.

Events are powerful and play a major part in change. It’s the physical experience which is incredibly powerful, this is why you see an increase in live events as opposed to what was predicted when online social connectivity exploded. It’s obvious that bringing in more women and making sure women are on stage at events is a catalyst for change.

Although today women are more visible in the tech and business arena, and according to statistics women run startups are more capital efficient, and generate more revenue than male run startups, we still are asked by our clients about female keynote speakers, great event panelists.

We have reached out to 100’s of our clients, who organize leading innovation and tech events, our business partners and event industry leaders to create a quality list.

This list of “100+ Amazing Female Speakers” from the world of business and technology, includes well-known keynote speakers, international names, and rising stars- incredible speakers that you haven’t heard of yet, but need to!

In addition we have added information including what you need to know before you hire a speaker, what to ask, and how to choose speakers for your next event or conference.

Questions to answer before hiring a conference speaker:

Are you in the market for a professional speaker or a “rising star” speaker?

Is your keynote speaker or conference speaker going to educate, share your message, inform and entertain?

1. Is the speaker known for their storytelling ability?
2. Does the speaker fee match the quality of the speaker?
3. Do you have a budget that includes travel and hosting expenses for speakers? And how are you compensating your “free” speakers?
4. Will the event speaker you choose spend time on site with attendees – before and after their session?
5.  Is the speaker a professional speaker or an expert in their field? Have you heard them speak?
6. Will your audience have a “wow” moment during the speaker’s presentation? What will they take away from the presentation?
7. Will the event speaker you choose help with the event marketing or buzz creation?
8. Can you build an interactive bio for them including social profiles, videos, decks, SlideShare?

Before you hire or pitch the speakers on your target list make sure that you are well aware of your budget, including agency fees, registration costs, hotels, ground transportation, meals, flights, etc.

We asked some of the top speakers agents and event planners their top tips for hiring speakers.

Here are their tips:

Shawna Suckow, Planner, Speaker and Author

Ask how interactive the presentation will be, and HOW

If a speaker is minimally interactive with the audience, that means it’s a lecture, which is a red flag to me these days, unless it’s a keynote presentation. Breakouts have to be engaging today, or you’ll lose the audience.

Social Proof is important these days

What the speaker says about herself isn’t as credible as what other people say about the speaker. Every speaker has carefully cultivated quotes from raving audience members, but I prefer to seek out my own input by asking for feedback on planner message boards.

Ask the speaker if she’s willing to help promote her session on social media with your event hashtag, or by writing a brief blog, or by filming a one- or two-minute video. In my opinion, it’s important to get speakers involved in pre-event promotions these days, not just have them show up to speak and leave.

Premiere Speakers – Shawn Hanks, President and Brian Lord, Senior Vice President

Plan ahead…

You have many more options as an event planner when planning months in advance. Every event is different – some plan 12-months in advance while some only plan three months in advance. But planning with adequate lead time gives you more speaker options, better date options, and allows you time for an adequate selection and decision process.

Know your needs

A good bureau contact or speaker advocate can coach you on what information is needed during your process. Date, location, time slot are the basic building blocks, but deeper information is also valuable. Event theme, anticipated take-aways, keynote or deeper training?

If you have a grasp on the full need, a bureau advisor can provide you a detailed shortlist of options. Those options will all be qualified of the job, and the real selection can be made based on best content and fit.

Know what you’re looking for

Are you trying to attract clients to your event? Do you really want to drive home a message overcoming obstacles? Is the chief goal to give attendees an outlook at the upcoming political and economic client, or just a break at the end of the day?

Realize you have more than one audience 

The ‘normal audience’ we’re conditioned to think of is made up of the people sitting in the audience, and sometimes all they want is a good laugh, an autograph, and something they can brag about to their friends back at the office.

The ‘other audience’ an event planner has to worry about are the executives who care more about making sure the speaker talks about leadership, teamwork, and how the company needs to really focus on having a great year.  

Make sure you express to your agent or speaker what both audiences want so you can find someone who fits everything you need.

Another great tool filled with tips and articles is the speaker booking kit from Speaking.com

•  How to determine the best keynote speaker for your event.
•  Speaker contracting tips.
•  Working with a speaker’s bureau.
•  What to expect when booking a celebrity speaker.
•  How to prepare for your speaker’s visit.

Here is our list of the Top 100+ Women Speakers to Invite to Your Next Event

1. Alice Zagury – Founder – TheFamily. Twitter
2. Allyson Kapin – Founder of Women Who Tech & Co-Founder of Rad Campaign. Twitter, YouTube 
3. Anna Fang – Anna is the Partner and CEO of Zhen Fund where she oversees Zhen Fund’s investments, portfolio management and operations. Twitter, YouTube   
4. Suzanne Baran – Content Strategy Director. Twitter
5. Eileen Burbidge – Co-Founder, Passion Capital, London. Twitter 
6. Hilary Mason – Founder at Fast Forward Labs. Twitter
7. Mika Brzezinski – Mika is an American television host, author and journalist. Brzezinski co-hosts MSNBC’s weekday morning broadcast Morning Joe with former Republican representative Joe Scarborough. Twitter 
8. Mari Smith – Marketing executive, visionary leader of multinational teams known for her innovative and analytical thinking and entrepreneurial drive. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest 
9. Kate Russell – Tech reporter @BBCClick & author. Elite, Twitter 
10. Shawna Suckow – Customer Expert. Award-winning speaker, audience engagement enthusiast, hospitality industry evangelist, excellent parallel parker. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube 
11. Iris Shoor – Co-founder and VP Product of Takipi, a start-up company solving one of cloud computing’s toughest problems. Previously co-founder and VP Product at VisualTao, a Sequoia backed start-up company developing cloud technologies for engineering and design. Twitter     
12. Jenn Lim – CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness, Consultant at Zappos.com. Twitter
13. Jennifer Pahlka – Jennifer Pahlka is the founder and Executive Director of Code for America. Twitter.             
14. Jennifer Hyman – CEO and Co-Founder of Rent The Runway, a retail industry company which makes designer dresses and offers accessory rentals. Twitter, Speakers File
15. Kelly McDonald – President of McDonald Marketing – Speaker, Diversity Marketing Expert & Author.  Twitter, Speakers File                                                                
16. Kim Wilkens – Tech-Girls Founder, Twitter 
17. Krista Smith – West Coast Editor, Vanity Fair, CNN contributor. Twitter, Instagram, Speakers File                                            
18. Laura Voglino – VP Alliances and Cloud Ecosystem Development at IBM. Marketing executive, visionary leader of multinational teams known for her innovative, analytical thinking and entrepreneurial drive. Twitter                                                       
19. Libby Gill – Executive Coach, Consultant, Author of Four Books, and International Speaker. Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File, YouTube 
20. Lori Greiner – Shark Tank Investor, Inventor, and Entrepreneur, Known as “The Warm Blooded Shark”. Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File, Instagram 
21. Lynette Kucsma – Passionate about plant-strong eating, marketing and technology. CMO & Co-Founder of a company that makes 3D food printers, using REAL food. Twitter, Facebook 
22. Natalie Massenet – Natalie Massenet MBE is a fashion entrepreneur and former journalist, who founded the designer fashion portal Net-a-Porter. Since 2013, she has been chairman of the British Fashion Council. Instagram  
23. Pamela Fox – Pamela works at the Khan Academy on their computing curriculum. In her free time, she likes to teach for GirlDevelopIt, give talks, work on side projects, and read great books! Twitter, YouTube                                                                            
24. Peggy Anne Salz – Nine times author a Forbes contributor; Top 30 Mobile Influencer; Content Marketing Strategist a Chief Analyst of Mobile Groove. Twitter, Facebook 
25. Sarah Wood – Sarah Wood is cofounder & COO of marketing technology company UnRuly. Responsible for delivering the most awesome social video campaigns on the planet. Twitter 
26. Sunita Kaur – Managing Director, Asia, Spotify. Event Profile  
27. Abigail Noble – Head, Impact Investing, World Economic Forum. Twitter, Facebook   
28. Alexia Tsotsis – Co-Editor, TechCrunch. Twitter, Instagram 
29. Ali Brown – Successful Entrepreneur, Business Advisor, and Consultant Featured on ABC’s Secret Millionaire. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube 
30. Alyssa Milano – Actress, Humanitarian, Philanthropist, and Entrepreneur. Twitter, Facebook Speaker File, Instagram 
31. Amanda Johnson – VP Integrated Marketing, Here Media. Twitter Facebook YouTube    
32. Angela Maiers – Angela Maiers is a pioneer in digital literacy and education technologies. An award-winning educator, author, and speaker known for her work in education leadership and innovation, Angela works tirelessly to bring compassion-driven learning to classrooms around the world. Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File, YouTube            
33. Anne Mahlum – Entrepreneur, CEO, Speaker, Runner, and Founder of Back on My Feet.  Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File, YouTube 
34. Annie Duke – Mom of four, speaker and decision coach, author of Decide to Play Great Poker and The Middle Zone, a poker single. Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File      
35. Aurore Leblanc – Digital Communication Manager, KENZO. Twitter, Event Profile, Instagram
36. Axelle Lemaire – Secrétaire d’État chargée du Numérique. Twitter, Event Profile      
37. Barbara Corcoran – Co-Founder of Barbara Corcoran Venture Partners. Twitter, Facebook Speakers File, Instagram        
38. Beatriz (Bea) Rodriguez Director Diversity and Inclusion, The Home Depot. Twitter, Event Profile 
39. Candace Reese – TheCEOPundit and JOYcatalyst Founder, @EnvisionGlobal. Twitter Facebook  
40. Carey Lohrnenz – CEO at Carey Lohrenz, WSJ Bestselling Author: Fearless Leadership. The first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy. Twitter, Speaking File 
41. Carole Zibi – Head of Strategic Marketing, LinkedIn. Twitter, Event Profile   
42. Caroline Hyde – Business Correspondent @BloombergTV.  Twitter
43. Caroline Pailloux – Founder d’Ignition Program. Twitter, Event Profile   
44. Catherine Barba – Entrepreneur, mamie du (French) Web, founder of Cashstore, Malinea, Business Angel, Leetchi. Twitter
45. Catherine Bracy – Director of Community Organizing, Code for America. Twitter, Speaker File 
46. Cheryl Burgess – Described as a “social media passionista” by the Huffington Post, Cheryl Burgess helps companies turn their brands into social businesses. Twitter, Speaker File 
47. Cindy Yun – Founder and CEO, Atria. Twitter, Speaker File, Instagram                                            
48. Clara de Soto – SVP Business & Product Development at Event Farm. Co-Founder of Clearhart. Twitter, YouTube 
49. Clara Shih – Author of The Facebook Era, CEO and Founder of Hearsay Corporation and Board Director of Starbucks Corporation. Twitter, Facebook 
50. Cyndi Stivers – Cyndi Stivers is a digital-strategy and media consultant, currently working with Tina Brown Live Media (previously: Time Inc. National Geographic, Etsy, etc.). Twitter 
51. Dalila Kerchouche – Grand reporter et Ecrivain. Twitter, Event Profile 
52. Danae Ringelmann – Founder of @Indiegogo – empowering people to fund what matters to them. Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
53. Danielle Johnsons – Founder, The Urban Frontier. Twitter, Event Profile 
54. Delphine Remy-Boutang – International entrepreneur, founder @the__bureau. Twitter, Facebook, Video
55. Dominique Dalle – Cofounder  – Association Entreprendre Pour Apprendre Nord Pas de Calais. Twitter, Event Profile     
56. Donna Griffit – CEO & Co-founder invisu.me and Corporate Storyteller for Start Ups. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube. 
57. Dr. Julianne Malveaux – President and Founder at Economic Education. Twitter, YouTube  
58. Emma Jackson – Co-founder, XDs. Twitter, Facebook, Event Profile 
59. Esther Dyson Esther Dyson is chairman and founder of HICCup (Health Initiative Coordinating Council) and Chairman of EDventure Holdings.  Twitter, Speaker Profile                                 
60. Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles – Head of Resources and Innovation. Member of the Executive committee for Societe Generale. Twitter                                                                                             
61. Géraldine Gautier – Fondatrice Le monde Pharmaceutique TV. Twitter, Event Profile.     
62. Gwynne Shotwell – President, SpaceX. Twitter                                   
63. Hila Oren – Founder & CEO, Tel Aviv Global. Twitter    
64. Holly Niemela – Optimal Being Advocate. Develops mindfulness at work, wellbeing programs, conferences and retreats. Teaches Search Inside Yourself (Google) program. Twitter, Event Profile                                           
65. Jessica Jackley – Microlending Pioneer, Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Kiva  Twitter Speakers File                                             
66. Joanna Kamińska – Policy Advisor at the European Parliament Twitter Facebook Speakers File
67. Justine Ryst – Media Director Twitter France – Connecting Entertainment/Sports/Music/Politics/News to their audiences. Twitter, Event Profile        
68. Kathrin Damian – Product Director, GSMA. Twitter, Facebook
69. Karen Catlin – Karen Catlin is a leadership coach and advocate for women in the tech industry. She coaches professionals in public speaking and last year she delivered a TEDx talk: “Women in Tech – The Missing Force.” Twitter, Facebook, YouTube              
70. Kathy Ireland – Former Sports Illustrated Model, Successful Entrepreneur, C.E.O. of Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File                                                                     
71. Katty Kay – BBC News anchor and contributor and guest host for Morning Joe Twitter Speakers File Video                                                                                                                            
72. Keren Elazari  – Cyber Security Analyst, K3r3n3.com. Twitter, Event Profile, Speakers File, YouTube 
73. Laurie Segall – CNNMoney correspondent covering startups, innovation, VC’s and all things new and cool. Twitter, Video 
74. Lisa Birnbach – Lisa R. Birnbach is an author best known for co-authoring The Official Preppy Handbook, which spent 38 weeks at number one on the New York Times bestseller list in 1980.  Twitter, Facebook                                                                                                             
75. Lisa Ling – Lisa J. Ling is an American journalist, television presenter, and author. She is currently the host of This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram 
76. Liz Wald – VP International, Indiegogo. Twitter, Event Profile 
77. Magali Théveniault – Director of  Travel & Hospitality at Capgemini Consulting. Twitter, Event Profile      
78. Malika Mir – Chief Digital Officer Ipsen Pharma. Twitter, Event Profile 
79. Marie Hélène Chavigny Director Human Resources at Carrefour Market. Twitter, Event Profile 
80. Marie-Christine Maheas – Coordinator and co-author of the book ‘Mixité’. Twitter, Event Profile
81. Marion Moreau – Corporate branding specialist – SIGFOX. Twitter 
82. Marissa Mayer – Marissa Ann Mayer is the current president and CEO of Yahoo. Twitter 
83. Martha Lane Fox – The former Lastminute.com executive and Chancellor The Open University. Twitter                                             
84. Maya Elhalal-Levavi – Founder and Curator at http://ESH.media.Futurist, specializes in emerging science and tech, curator of speakers for international conferences. Twitter, Facebook 
85. Meg Whitman – CEO, Hewlett-Packard. Twitter 
86. Michal Michaeli – Founder & Managing Partner, Eva Ventures.  Twitter, Event Profile    
87. Monika Czaplicka – CEO, Wobuzz. Twitter, Facebook, Event Profile 
88. Muriel Barnéoud – President, Docapost.  Twitter 
89. Natalia Hatalska – Expert in non-traditional communication methods, trendwatcher. Author of http://hatalska.com blog recognized as one of the most influential blogs in Poland. Twitter, Facebook  
90. Nathalie Boulanger – Nathalie Boulanger is the Director of the program Orange Start-up Ecosystème. Twitter                                                                                                                             
91. Orna Shulman – Co-Founder of O.L.S Ventures, O.L.S Ventures 
92. Patricia Delon – Executive Director, Commercial Department at RATP. Twitter, Event Profile 
93. Rachel Schall Thomas – President at LeanIn.Org (Lean In Foundation) Twitter 
94. Randi Zuckerberg – Founder ZuckMedia Agency. Speaker. Investor. Radio Host SiriusXM. Broadway Actress/Producer. Author DotComplicated & Dot. Formerly Marketing Facebook. Twitter Facebook Speaker File Instagram 
95. Roxanne Varza – Responsible for the support program for start-ups at Microsoft. Twitter, Event Profile                                                                                             
96. Rutie Adar – Director Business Development, Head of Samsung Strategy & Innovation Center in Israel, Samsung Electronics.                                                                   
97. Sallie Krawcheck – Chair of Ellevate Network and Ellevate Asset Management, past CEO, Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney. Twitter, Speaking File
98. Sandy Carter – General Manager/Cloud Ecosystem & Developers, and Social Business Evangelist, IBM. Twitter
99. Sharinee Shannon Kalayanamitr – Entrepreneur, Humanitarian, Connector, World. Twitter, Event Profile                                                                                               
100. Sherry Coutu – Angel investor, Cambridge. Twitter
101. Sheryl Sandberg – Chief Operating Officer, Facebook. Twitter, Facebook        
102. Shira Lazar – Shira Lazar is the Host and Executive Producer of the Emmy nominated live interactive daily show show and 24/7 news hub, “What’s Trending”. Named one of Fast Company’s 2011 Most Influential Women in Technology. Twitter, Facebook, Speakers File, Instagram, YouTube       
103. Stephanie Hospital – One Ragtime founder, a global technology venture fund and advisory. Mentor at Level39 and Plug&Play. Twitter, Event Profile, Facebook  
104. Susan Wojcicki – Senior Vice President, YouTube. YouTube, Twitter, video              
105. Sylvie Jéhanno – Director Private Clients EDF. Twitter                                                  
106. Tal Shoham – Entrepreneur, CEO, Speaker, and Founder of Evolero. Twitter   
107. Tamsen Webster – Tamsen Webster is Senior Vice President for Executive Communications and Chief Marketing Officer for Oratium. Twitter, Facebook          
108. Tan Le – Tan is a top women keynote speakers; she’s also a technology whiz. She is a telecommunications entrepreneur and CEO of bioinformatics company, Emotiv. She was also a TED talk guest speaker. Twitter, Facebook                                                                                             
109. Toni Griggs – Toni Griggs is the Sales and Marketing Manager for the world’s leading event and experience marketing agency, George P. Johnson. Twitter, Event Profile                         
110. Ursula Burns – Ursula M. Burns serves as Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox. Twitter             
111. Véronique Blondelle – Director of Marketing Marché IBM France. Twitter, Event Profile    
112. Yael Reznik Cramer – VP Business Development, BRM Group. Event Profile                 
113. Yifat Oron – Yifat Oron is the CEO of LeumiTech, Leumi Group’s high tech subsidiary.             Event Profile                                                                               
114. Yoelle Maarek – Head of Yahoo Labs Israel and India. Twitter 
115. Yvonne Adele -Yvonne is the creator of media personality Ms. Megabyte and has a career that spans print, television, radio and the Internet. Yvonne is popular in the corporate speaking arena for her keynote address and complimentary workshop on her creative thinking style. Twitter, Facebook, website                                                                      
116. Zoe Sugg – English Fashion & Beauty Vlogger and Internet Personality; Best Known on YouTube as Zoella. Twitter, Instagram, YouTube                
117. Kate Russel – Journalist, reporter and author, Kate has been writing about technology and the Internet since 1995. Appearing weekly on BBC technology program Click she also speaks regularly at conferences and lectures in schools and universities inspiring the next generation of technologists. Twitter, Facebook  
118. Dr. Idit Harel Caperton Founder & CEO Globaloria, an EdTech startup. Twitter, Facebook
119. Inbal Arieli – Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at Start-Up Nation Central

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