Liz Bohannon Speaking Fee: $20,000 to $30,000

In 2009, Liz Bohannon embarked on a mission to address social and economic challenges for women. Armed with a master’s degree in journalism and a curious mind, she traveled to Uganda to gain a deeper understanding of these issues. She discovered that women were not seeking charity but rather sustainable solutions that could provide education and respectable jobs. By approaching the problem with an open mind and fresh perspective, Liz identified a way to create a business offering a marketplace solution. Ten years later, Liz shares the story of how her company, Sseko Designs, evolved from three women crafting sandals under a mango tree into an international fashion brand. The company provides employment, educational opportunities, and entrepreneurial training to hundreds of women in Uganda and worldwide. Sseko empowers women in East Africa to continue their education and become leaders while enabling women in the U.S. to build their own Sseko businesses and create an impact. Liz’s story is rooted in lessons for success centered on maintaining a "beginner’s mind." She explores these principles in her book Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now. In it, she shares unconventional ideas for success, such as "Own Your Average," "Stop Trying to Find Your Passion…Create It," "Dream Small," "Be Good with Good Enough," and ten other guiding principles she uses with her employees and Sseko Fellows. Liz continues to lead with a "beginner’s mind," managing employees across multiple continents. This mindset enables her to be a courageous, creative, and effective leader. Using her journey from journalist to shoemaker, Liz shares her passion for social enterprise, conscious consumerism, social justice, creative leadership, and gender equality. Her experiences, grounded in over a decade of practice, offer valuable insights. The Sseko story has been featured in publications like Vogue, Redbook, O Magazine, Inc., and Fortune, as well as national broadcasts such as Shark Tank and Good Morning America. Among her accolades, Liz was named a Top Three Transformation Leader by John Maxwell, recognized by Forbes as a top 20 public speaker in the U.S., and highlighted by Bloomberg Businessweek as a top social enterprise to watch. Liz splits her time between Uganda and Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband, Ben, run Sseko Designs while raising their two young sons.