Top Activist Speakers

Adam Sterling
Adam Sterling is the director of the Sudan Divestment Task Force, a project of the Genocide Intervention Network. Adam has received a number of humanitarian awards and serves as an advisor on Sudan investment issues for numerous institutional investors, state pension funds, state legislators, and federal representatives. Additionally, Adam is a featured subject in the 2007 documentary...
Alanis Morissette
This Canadian songstress has sold tens of millions of albums and been nominated for and won scores of awards including Grammy's and Golden Globes during a decade-long career. But that's not enough for a woman who has spent years giving a voice to causes from global warming to disaster aid..jpg)
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has been nominated for an Academy Award and a Tony Award, he has received both a Golden Globe and an Emmy. He currently stars in the award-winning television series 30 Rock on NBC. Alec is a vigorous supporter and advocate for various causes, including...
Alyssa Milano
Actress Alyssa Milano has spent almost her entire life in the public eye. A famous child actor, Alyssa has continued to work throughout her adulthood in both television and film. Alyssa has a history of starring in long running successful television series. She most recently starred on the hit WB series "Charmed" for nine years. The series' debut was the highest-rated premiere in the network
Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen is Bravo's Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development. He is responsible for overseeing the network's current development and production slate including hits such as the Emmy and James Beard award-winning "Top Chef," “Top Chef Masters,” "The Real Housewives” franchises, "The Millionaire Matchmaker," "Million Dollar Listing," “The Rachel Zoe Project,"...
Betty Anne Waters
What would you do if your loved one was sentenced to life in prison – and you were 100% certain of his innocence? Betty Anne Waters – inspiration for the upcoming major motion picture Betty Anne Waters "Conviction" starring Oscar© winner Hillary Swank – lived that nightmare when, in 1983, her brother was sentenced to life without parole for a murder and robbery he swore he didn’t commit. When...
Cameron Sinclair
As the Executive Director and Co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, Cameron Sinclair is not only an architect, but an author, humanitarian and world-class visionary. During his studies at the University of Westminster and at the Bartlett School of Architecture, Cameron developed a passion in social, cultural and humanitarian design. His resulting postgraduate thesis focused on providing...
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate has endeared herself to audiences and received accolades for her strength and versatility in theatre, film and television. With her recent People’s Choice nomination for “Favorite TV Female,” and her recent Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy" for Samantha Who?...
David Simon
David Simon, 49, is a Baltimore-based journalist, author and television producer. Born in Washington, he came to Baltimore in 1983 to work as a crime reporter at The Baltimore Sun. While at the paper, he reported and wrote two works of narrative non-fiction, Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood, the former an account of a...
Dustin Lance Black
Dustin Lance Black is a multi-talented writer, producer and director, having won the 2008 Academy Award and Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay for MILK, the Gus Van Sant-directed biopic of the late gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Recently, Black filmed his feature directorial debut WHAT'S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA, a drama that stars Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris...
Ed Begley, Jr
The truth about global warming is very inconvenient – it takes ingenuity, sacrifice, and commitment to incorporate energy efficiency and sustainable living into daily life. And nobody knows that better than long-time environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr., star of HGTV’s acclaimed Living With Ed, which illuminates his 30+ year passionate commitment to saving the planet...
Eugene Jarecki
Eugene Jarecki is an award-winning dramatic and documentary filmmaker and visiting senior fellow at BrownUniversity's Watson Institute. After training at Princeton as a stage director, Jarecki turned to film in 1992, and his first short film, Season of the Litterbees, premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival before winning both a Student Academy Award and the Time Warner Grand Prize.
Eve Ensler
EVE ENSLER, playwright, performer, and activist, is the author of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, translated into over 45 languages and performed in over 130 countries, including sold-out runs at both Off-Broadway's Westside Theater and on London's West End (2002 Olivier Award nomination, Best Entertainment.) Her experience performing THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES inspired her to create V-Day, a global movement...
Ishmael Beah
Ishmael Beah was born in Sierra Leone on November 23, 1980. When he was eleven, Ishmael’s life, along with the lives of millions of other Sierra Leoneans, was derailed by the outbreak of a brutal civil war. After his parents and two brothers were killed, Ishmael was recruited to fight as a child soldier. He was thirteen.
Jay Sean
Jay Sean is the international superstar behind songs such as "Down," featuring Lil Wayne, and "Do You Remember," chart-topping hits from his U.S. debut album All or Nothing, which helped catapult him into a league reserved for just a few. Now, he is gearing up for the release of his fourth album, the highly anticipated Cash Money/Universal Republic follow-up Freeze Time, with music, including...
Jeffrey Wright
Critically acclaimed actor Jeffrey Wright continually pushes the boundaries of his craft with inspiring and celebrated performances in an illustrious career that has spanned the worlds of theatre, film and television. In addition to acting, Wright is Vice Chairman of Taia Lion Resources and Chairman of Taia Peace Foundation. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Tribeca Film...
John Legend
Recording artist, concert performer and philanthropist John Legend has won nine Grammy awards and was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. John launched his career as a session player and vocalist, contributing to best-selling recordings by Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Kanye West before recording his own unbroken chain of Top 10 albums -- Get Lifted (2004), Once...
Kerry Washington
Winner of “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” for Ray at the NAACP Image Awards in 2005 and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for “Best Actress” in the film Lift in 2002, Kerry Washington is a versatile and fearless actress who has built an impressive list of credits in a relatively short amount of time. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in The Last King of Scotland...
Laura Dern
Laura Dern is equally celebrated for her terrific range and emotional depth as an actress, and her impassioned advocacy of women’s rights, AIDS research, reproductive choice, children’s safety initiatives and environmental conservation, among other causes. From the podium she delivers engaging lectures that empower, educate, and inspire audiences to make a difference in the world....jpg)
Lauren Bush
Lauren Bush is the CEO, Creative Director, and Co-Founder of FEED Projects, a charitable company with the mission to create good products that help feed the world. Each FEED bag sold supports various organizations like the UN World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, Millennium Villages and others. Lauren started her work as an Honorary Spokesperson for the WFP in 2004, when she helped to launch...
Lynn Nottage
Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined has also received an OBIE, the Lucille Lortel Award, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play (Manhattan Theatre Club, Goodman Theatre). It premiered in London at the Almeida Theatre in April 2010 and is touring several US regional theatres in 2010-2011. Other plays include Intimate...
Oliver Stone
OLIVER STONE has directed "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" (10), "W." ('08), "World Trade Center" ('06), "Alexander" ('04), "Any Given Sunday" ('99), "U-Turn" ('97), "Nixon" ('95), "Natural Born Killers" ('94), "Heaven and Earth" ('93), "JFK" ('91), "The Doors" ('91), "Born On The Fourth Of July" ('89), "Talk Radio" ('88), "Wall Street" ('87), "Platoon" ('86), "Salvador" ('86)...
Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis is the award-winning filmmaker who, in 2006, became the first screenwriter to write two Best Film Oscar winners back-to-back – Million Dollar Baby (2004) directed by Clint Eastwood, and Crash (2005) which he himself directed. For Crash, he won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. The film also received an additional four nominations including one for....jpg)
Paul Rieckhoff
Paul Rieckhoff, 35, is the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), America’s first and largest organization for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. A nonpartisan, nonprofit founded in 2004 with over 200,000 members in all 50 states, IAVA’s mission is to improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and their families. From 2003 to 2004, Rieckhoff...
Sylvia Earle
Sylvia A. Earle, called "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times, "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress, and first "Hero for the Planet" by Time Magazine, is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist, government official, and director for corporate and non-profit organizations including the Kerr McGee Corporation, Dresser...
Kimberly Peirce
Kimberly Peirce staked her place as a director of singular vision with her unflinching debut feature, BOYS DON'T CRY, which became one of the most acclaimed and talked about films of the year, earning numerous honors including the Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe for the film's star, Hilary Swank. Chloe Sevigny was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and...
Bill Milliken
Bill Milliken, Founder and Vice Chairman of Communities In Schools, Inc., is one of the nation's foremost pioneers in the movement to give young people the help they need to graduate from high school and go on to rewarding lives. Mr. Milliken's activism began in 1960 when he joined Young Life, an ecumenical youth organization. He helped initiate "street academies" for young people who had...
More Speakers
- Christina Applegate
- Alec Baldwin
- Ishmael Beah
- Ed Begley, Jr
- Dustin Lance Black
- Lauren Bush
- Andy Cohen
- Laura Dern
- Sylvia Earle
- Eve Ensler
- Paul Haggis
- Eugene Jarecki
- John Legend
- Alyssa Milano
- Bill Milliken
- Alanis Morissette
- Lynn Nottage
- Kimberly Peirce
- Paul Rieckhoff
- Jay Sean
- David Simon
- Cameron Sinclair
- Adam Sterling
- Oliver Stone
- Kerry Washington
- Betty Anne Waters
- Jeffrey Wright
Activist
Activist
Even though the 1960's have long since passed, college and university campuses are still a hotbed of political activity and social activism. Activists are popular college speakers because they share the same passion and dedication to their causes as the young people who line up to be a part of their audience.
Their causes span the spectrum of grass roots movements and include: environmental issues, global social causes, awareness regarding repressive regimes and other important global happenings.
Activists are leading the way for real change, and as CAA Speakers they spread their message to audiences of all ages - at colleges, universities and special events around the country.
Make a difference with your next on-campus event. Book an activist speaker from CAA Speakers.
�