Lauren Ridloff Speaking Fee: $30,000 to $50,000
Travels From:
NYC - New York City
Primary Topic Category:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) / Social Justice
Secondary Topic Category:
Big Names / Headliners / Star Power
Lauren Ridloff Speaker Profile: At A Glance
Lauren Ridloff began her meteoric rise as an actor just five years ago. Prior to that, she won the title of Miss Deaf America and was a kindergarten teacher in Manhattan for a decade. After leaving that job, she was hired in 2016 to tutor director Kenny Leon in American Sign Language as he readied the Broadway revival of Children of A Lesser God. Kenny and the producers concluded that Lauren was ideal for the lead. She pulled it off with resounding success, including multiple rave reviews from the NYT and a Tony nomination. She soon became a series regular on AMC's The Walking Dead before becoming the first deaf superhero in Marvel's Eternals
Related Speakers
Gaby Natale
Three-Time Daytime Emmy Winner | Speaker | Author | Entrepreneur
Gaby Natale is a triple Emmy® Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and motivational speaker known for her high-energy, barrier-breaking message. The first Latina to win three Daytime Emmys® back-to-back, she inspires global audiences with her frameworks on resilience, innovation, and leadership. Her clients include Google, Microsoft, JPMorgan, and the United Nations. Author of The Virtuous Circle and founder of AGANARmedia, Gaby has been named one of People’s “25 Most Powerful Latinas” and now also serves as a Susan G. Komen ambassador.
Ashton Sanders
Actor Best Known for Moonlight | Advocate for Diversity & Inclusion | Speaker on Representation in Media
Ashton Sanders is an acclaimed actor best known for his breakthrough role in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight. His performance earned widespread recognition, establishing him as a powerful talent in Hollywood. He has since starred in films like The Equalizer 2 and Captive State, showcasing his range and depth as an actor. Beyond film, Sanders is a strong advocate for diversity and representation in media. His work continues to push boundaries, inspiring the next generation of artists and storytellers.
Ben O'Keefe
Storyteller, Strategist & Cultural Force for Change
Ben O’Keefe is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, award-winning writer, activist, and sought-after public speaker whose influence spans entertainment, politics, and culture. From crafting campaigns for folks like Alicia Keys and Amazon Studios to advising leaders like Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ben’s work drives national conversations and cultural change. As a producer, he was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He brings fearless honesty, cultural fluency, and a passion for moving conversations—and culture—forward.
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Civil Rights Advocate & Professor of Law
Kimberlé Crenshaw, Professor of Law at UCLA and Columbia Law School, is a leading authority in the area of Civil Rights, Black feminist legal theory, and race, racism and the law. Her work has been foundational in two fields of study that have come to be known by terms that she coined: Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality. Crenshaw’s articles have appeared in the Harvard Law Review, National Black Law Journal, Stanford Law Review and Southern California Law Review.
Angela Davis
Legendary Human Rights Activist & Author
Through her activism and scholarship over many decades, Angela Davis has been deeply involved in movements for social justice around the world. Her work as an educator has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender justice. Professor Davis is especially concerned with the tendency to devote more resources and attention to the prison system than to educational institutions. Having helped popularize the notion of a “prison industrial complex,” she now urges audiences to think seriously about the future and to help forge a 21st century abolitionist movement.
Mikki Kendall
Best Selling Author | Diversity Consultant | Feminist
Mikki Kendall a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling HOOD FEMINISM, and the women's-history graphic novel AMAZONS, ABOLITIONISTS, AND ACTIVISTS. Her essays can be found at TIME, the New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, Ebony, Essence, Salon, The Boston Globe, NBC, Bustle, Islamic Monthly, and a host of other sites. Her media appearances include BBC, NPR, the Daily Show, PBS, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, WVON, WBEZ, and Showtime. She has discussed race, feminism, education, employment, food politics, police violence, sexual assault, tech, community.
Dr. Akilah Cadet
Founder, Speaker, and Executive Coach of Change Cadet
Dr. Akilah Cadet is the Founder and CEO of Change Cadet, an organizational development consulting firm that offers services that support embedding belonging into overall company culture, identity and strategy. As a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur her work is behind some of the biggest brands you use everyday. Dismantling white supremacy through storytelling is at the core of her work as a leader, speaker, creative director, producer, writer, editor and author of forthcoming book White Supremacy is All Around: Notes From a Black Disabled Woman in a White World.
Mike Africa Jr.
Hip Hop Artist | Writer | Member of MOVE
Mike Africa, Jr. is the son of two political prisoners who were each sentenced to 100 years in prison. Mike and his family became the subject of the HBO Film "40 Years A Prisoner" about his life and struggle to get his parents released from prison. He's now a member of The MOVE Organization, and the Black Philly Radical Collective. Mike is a motivational resilience speaker who pushes his powerful “Never Give Up” message with his dynamic stage performances mixing music in his orations.
Michael Eric Dyson
Academic & Radio Host
Named one of the 150 most powerful African Americans by Ebony magazine, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, an American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner, “is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time.” Dr. Dyson has appeared on nearly every major media outlet and he is also a contributing editor to TIME magazine. In addition, he hosts a news and talk program on NPR, “The Michael Eric Dyson Show,” where he delivers thoughtful analysis of today’s biggest stories from pop culture to race relations.
Shaniqua McClendon
Political Strategist & Senior Political Director, Crooked Media
Shaniqua McClendon has worked in politics for more than a decade and currently serves as Vice President of Political Strategy for Crooked Media, home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America. In this role, Shaniqua led the creation of their voter and volunteer engagement program, Vote Save America, that has raised more than $55 million for progressive candidates and causes, while mobilizing more than 500,000 voters, volunteers, and grassroots donors across the country to support Democratic victories in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
