March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor, celebrate, and recognize the important role that women have played in American history.
Gotham Artists continues to partner with trailblazing women speakers, including public figures, CEOs, bestselling authors, professional athletes, celebrities, and activists.
We proudly highlight some of our most popular and in-demand female voices below. We look forward to partnering with corporations, associations, and organizations to inspire, educate, and empower audiences across the country.
Aisha Harris: Co-Host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hou
Aisha is a co-host and reporter for the NPR podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour. She previously covered the arts as a critic, editor, and podcaster for The New York Times and Slate Magazine. Her subjects have included film and TV criticism, artist interviews, and cultural reporting/essays, and she has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs as a cultural commentator. She earned her bachelor’s degree in theatre from Northwestern University and her master’s degree in cinema studies from New York University.
Anna Maria Chavez: Former CEO of the National School Boards Association and the Girl Scouts of the USA & Chief Impact Officer and President, Encantos.org
As one of the world’s top experts on women’s leadership, youth development, and aging, Anna Maria Chávez is a dedicated advocate for helping others across every stage of life.
April Hansen: Expert on Company Culture and Hypergrowth
April Hansen is a nurse, tech entrepreneur, workforce expert and hyper-growth business executive inspired by everyday leaders who do their work well, face their human doubts, and find a way to thrive even through chaos. From helping to lead the largest deployment of healthcare personnel in our nation’s history while the business grew by 9x in two years, April has unearthed key insights on the art and science of creating healthier workplaces and business growth fueled through effective leadership and hope as a strategy.
Sam Rad: The Radical Futurist GOTHAM ARTISTS COLLECTIVE
Sam Rad combines the mindsets of an anthropologist and technologist, bringing her “radical next” perspectives on what’s in store for the future.With the charisma of a rockstar, curiosity of an anthropologist, creativity of an entrepreneur, and calm confidence of an ex-professional skydiver,Sam effortlessly guides organizations and individuals to thrive in times of radical and accelerating change. Through her signature candid and clever delivery, Sam distills complex topics while leading the audience on a compelling, informative, and approachable journey of educational storytelling.
Natalie Nixon: Creativity Strategist, President: Figure 8 Thinking LLC
Natalie Nixon, PhD is the creativity whisperer for the C-Suite. She is a creativity strategist, global keynote speaker and author. As CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC she advises leaders on transformation and helps them amplify growth and business value – by applying wonder and rigor.
Cynt Marshall: CEO, Dallas Mavericks
Cynthia Marshall has been a dynamic force for inclusion and diversity within the Mavericks organization and over a 36-year career at AT&T. When Cynt was hired as new the CEO of the Mavs in March 2018, she set her sights on a culture transformation. Her vision was for the Mavericks organization to become the NBA standard for inclusion and diversity, and brought transparency, trust, and her values-based leadership style that evolved the company culture in her first 100 days.
Mikki Kendall: Diversity Speaker, Writer, Consultant and Feminist
Mikki Kendall is a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist who talks a lot about intersectionality, policing, gender, sexual assault, and other current events. 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, food politics, police violence, tech, and pop culture at institutions and universities across the country.
Rose Marcario: President and CEO of Patagonia
Rose is the President and CEO of Patagonia a 2000-employee outdoor clothing brand dedicated to environmental and social responsibility. After joining Patagonia in 2008 Marcario quickly embarked on transforming the company.
Rosie Rios: 43rd Treasurer of the United States
Rosie Rios was the 43rd Treasurer of the United States and is a Visiting Scholar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. She is most recently known for initiating and leading the efforts to place a portrait of a woman on the front of U.S. currency for the first time in the nation’s history.
Shabnam Mogharabi: Entrepreneur, Entertainment Executive & Author
Shabnam Mogharabi is an entertainment entrepreneur, author, and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in media and storytelling. She is a lifelong student of positive psychology and an expert on how to create socially impactful and entertaining content.
Sylvie di Giusto: Keynote Speaker, Personal Branding Expert and Author
“You’ve 7 seconds. Make them count!” says keynote speaker and corporate trainer Sylvie di Giusto, CSP, who helps individuals and organizations explore how people make up their minds very quickly about them, their leadership potential, or their company and either open the door or slam it shut. She has nearly twenty years of corporate experience in educating and inspiring thousands of clients worldwide. Throughout her career, she has held senior positions, mainly in human resources, at international organizations ranging from 10 to 100,000 employees.
Carey Lohrenz: The First Female F-14 Fighter Pilot
In her motivating and engaging keynote presentations, Carey Lohrenz shares her fascinating experiences operating in one of the world’s most challenging environments– an aircraft carrier. She can help your team triumph in this high-risk, time-crunched world.
Kate Vitasek: World’s Authority on Highly Collaborative Relationships That Drive Innovation; Author of Seven Books on Vested, Win-Win Relationships; Faculty University of Tennessee
Kate Vitasek is an international authority for her award-winning research and Vested® business model for highly collaborative relationships. Author of 7 books and a Faculty member at the University of Tennessee, she has been lauded by World Trade Magazine as one of the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce.
Nina Sossamon-Pogue : Resilience Speaker, USA Gymnast, Emmy-Winning News Anchor, Tech Executive & Author
Nina Sossamon Pogue, is known for her success in Sports, TV, and Tech and for openly sharing her failures. A former USA Gymnast, Emmy-winning News Anchor, Corporate Leader, and Best-Selling Author, Nina shares breathtaking stories of success and setbacks that inspire resilience. Using a science-backed, data-driven, Stoic Philosophy-infused approach, she empowers high achievers to navigate challenges of all sizes. With 15+ years in TV and 10+ years in tech leadership, Nina is uniquely skilled to energize audiences and enhance employee well-being in corporate settings.
April Hernandez Castillo: Actress; Author; Survivor and Advocate for Intimate Partner Violence; TEDx Speaker
April is best known for her performance as “Eva” in Freedom Writers. Her inspirational story of resilience, overcoming adversity, and choosing to move forward is a message that resonates with audiences across the globe. In her keynote entitled, Moving Forward, April intimately describes how she was able to take all her tragedies and turn them into triumphs by choosing to never give up. Form growing up in the tough streets of the Bronx during the Crack Epidemic Era, to being in an abusive relationship as a teenager, to almost taking her own life, April truly understands what it feels like when the odds are up against you.
From growing up in the tough streets of the Bronx during the Crack Epidemic Era to being in an abusive relationship as a teenager, to nearly taking her own life; April’s future looked bleak.
Embracing Me is April’s inspirational story of resilience, forgiveness, and overcoming adversity. This heartfelt yet witty memoir explores April’s story of standing up against life’s many challenges with strength, perseverance, and faith. Journey with April as she takes you on behind-the-scenes to some of the most intimate parts of her life, and learn from the wisdom she obtained along the way.
Carla Harris: Senior Client Advisor, Morgan Stanley
As the first African American to join Morgan Stanley’s management committee, Carla Harris shares proven strategies that have helped her succeed and thrive on Wall Street. She helps audiences maximize success.
Crystal Washington: Futurist, Technology Strategist & Author
Crystal Washington works with organizations that want to leverage technology to increase profits and productivity. Technology includes social media, apps, smartphones, and the web. Hired by companies including Google, Microsoft, and GE, companies in North America, Africa and Europe book Crystal Washington when they want their teams to take action online!
Ruth E. Carter: Award-Winning Costume Designer
Ruth E. Carter is the two-time Academy Award winning American film costume designer. Best known for turning the Black Panther superhero into an African King, Carter makes history as the first Black person to win the category and earn Marvel Studios their first Oscar recognition.
Barbara Stegemann: Beauty Boss | The 7 Virtues | Top Game Changer CBC Dragons’ Den | Best Selling Author & Keynote Speaker | WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada
She launched her social enterprise, The 7 Virtues out of her garage on her visa card armed with a dream to help war torn nations rebuild. Fast forward, Barb and her company are changing lives around the globe for the better and disrupting the beauty industry for the better. She took her company to the #1 top clean + planet positive perfume brand at Sephora! She has led hundreds of companies through her talks to success through the proven stoic principles of the great philosophers. She peppers her serious, no-nonsense approach with her Maritime humour.
