Speaker Profile Thumbnail for Guy Kawasaki

Chief Evangelist at Canva, Former Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, Former Chief Evangelist at Apple

Guy Kawasaki Speaking Fee: $75,000 to $100,000

Chief Evangelist at Canva, Former Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, Former Chief Evangelist at Apple

Speaker Profile Thumbnail for Guy Kawasaki
Speaking Fee:
$75,000 to $100,000

Travels From:
ONT - Ontario, CA

Primary Topic Category:
Business & Entrepreneurship

Secondary Topic Category:
Technology

 

Guy Kawasaki Speaker Profile: At A Glance

Guy Kawasaki is an innovation keynote speaker, social media expert, chief evangelist of Canva, and the bestselling author of The Art of the Start. His entertaining and informative talks use insights from his time in the tech industry to show audiences how to create innovative services and products using tactical and practical techniques.

Guy Kawasaki has had a remarkable and varied career spanning technology, entrepreneurship, writing, and public speaking. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1954, Guy grew up in the Kalihi Valley neighborhood, a working-class area. His parents made many sacrifices for their family, with his father working as a fireman, real estate broker, state senator, and government official, and his mother staying home to care for the family. Guy attended Iolani School, graduating in 1972, where he credits his AP English teacher, Harold Keables, with teaching him the importance of editing—a skill that has been instrumental in his success as the author of 13 books. He went on to Stanford University, graduating in 1976 with a psychology degree. After a brief stint in law school, which he quickly left, he pursued an MBA at UCLA, where he discovered his passion for sales while working for a fine-jewelry manufacturer. Guy’s career took a turn when he joined Apple, thanks to his Stanford roommate, Mike Boich. At Apple, Guy became a Macintosh evangelist, promoting the computer to software developers. This role allowed him to see the potential of the Macintosh, a moment he describes as transformative. During his time at Apple, Guy also met his wife, making his tenure there personally and professionally rewarding. In 1987, after successfully evangelizing Macintosh, Guy left Apple to start a Macintosh database company called ACIUS, which created the software 4th Dimension. Following this venture, he explored writing, speaking, and consulting, contributing to publications like MacUser, Macworld, and Forbes. In 1989, Guy co-founded Fog City Software, which developed the email application Emailer and the list server product LetterRip. He returned to Apple in 1995 as an Apple Fellow, tasked with rejuvenating the Macintosh community at a time when the company was struggling. In 1997, Guy co-founded Garage.com, an angel investor matchmaking service that evolved into Garage Technology Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies. In 2004, he launched Alltop, a site aggregating RSS feeds into various topics. In 2013, Guy became a special advisor to the CEO of Motorola, then part of Google. In 2014, he joined Canva as its chief evangelist, helping to democratize graphic design through the company’s innovative platform. A year later, he joined the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation to further his mission of democratizing knowledge. Guy’s journey also includes serving as a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz USA in 2015, embracing opportunities to promote innovation, design, and storytelling throughout his career.

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