Brian Hooks Speaking Fee: $100,000 to $125,000

Brian Hooks is a seasoned nonprofit leader dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to overcome systemic challenges. As Chairman and CEO of Stand Together, he leads a philanthropic community that collaborates with over 700 business leaders and philanthropists to address issues such as poverty, addiction, and criminal justice reform. Under his leadership, Stand Together has supported more than 1,000 professors across 300 universities and partnered with over 200 community-based organizations, impacting millions of lives nationwide. Before joining Stand Together in 2018, Hooks served as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he guided strategy and operations for a growing research, education, and public policy center. He also held leadership roles at the Charles Koch Foundation and the Charles Koch Institute, organizations committed to advancing societal progress through education and policy reform. Hooks co-authored the national bestseller Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World with Charles Koch, advocating for a shift from top-down approaches to empowering individuals at the grassroots level. His work emphasizes the importance of collaboration across diverse perspectives to create meaningful change. In recognition of his efforts, he was named to TIME’s 2021 TIME100 Next list, highlighting leaders shaping the future of their fields. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Hooks resides in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and daughter. His approach to leadership is grounded in the belief that every person has unique potential and that collective action can drive lasting societal transformation.