From the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to the bustling Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco provides a stunning backdrop for any occasion. It’s no wonder why many organizations choose this city as the location for their major conferences and summits. Great events demand great speakers, and San Francisco has no shortage of keynote speakers to offer. 

Whether it’s an industry conference or a corporate retreat, choosing a keynote speaker in San Francisco is sure to elevate any occasion to new heights. From renowned entrepreneurs who have shaped the tech industry, to sports Hall of Famers, and money experts, San Francisco has a wealth of talent to inspire and motivate any audience.

Best Keynote Speakers in San Francisco

Tan Le 
Recognized as one of the most influential women in technology, top business and innovation speaker Tan Le is the founder and CEO of Silicon Valley-based EMOTIV, the leader in EEG-Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology. Her work focuses on non-invasive “brainwear” that allows humans to interface with computers. This technology will transform our work environments, promote mental health and wellbeing, create radically personalized consumer experiences, accelerate how we learn, and transform the lives of people with physical limitations and cognitive differences. A captivating and authoritative speaker on what she calls the “NeuroGeneration,” three-time TED speaker Le takes audiences on a fascinating journey into current and future technologies that will forever transform not only how we live and work, but what it means to be human.

Jerry Rice
Hall of Fame wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the best wide receiver to ever play in the National Football League, and arguably the greatest player of all time. During his 15-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, Rice won three Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXIII (’88), Super Bowl XXIV (’89) and SB XXIX (’94)) and one Super Bowl MVP. He enjoyed three seasons with the Oakland Raiders, including a Super Bowl appearance and one season with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring in 2005. Rice was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in January 2010, his first year of eligibility.

Jessica Mah
As Founder and CEO of inDinero, Jessica loves helping entrepreneurs run better businesses. She started inDinero back in 2010 to help entrepreneurs with all their accounting and tax needs after going through the same challenges with her own businesses. Jessica has grown inDinero from zero to multi-million dollar revenues with over 150 full-time employees and has been featured in the Forbes and Inc 30 under 30 Lists. 

Adam Smiley Poswolsky
One of the top workplace belonging speakers in the world, Smiley helps companies foster belonging and human connection in an ever-evolving workforce. Smiley’s keynotes provide a practical and actionable toolkit for leaders to attract and retain top talent, increase employee connection, engage high-performing teams, and create a culture of belonging.

SC Moatti
SC Moatti is a technology visionary, venture capital investor, and bestselling author of Mobilized, an insider’s guide to the business and future of connected technology. While serving as an executive at mobile pioneers like Facebook, Trulia and Nokia, SC launched and monetized mobile products that are now used by billions of people and have received prestigious awards, including an Emmy nomination. Moatti is highly regarded in the tech industry, and has been called “a genius at making mobile products people love” by Andrew Chen, a top executive at UBER.

Rick Welts
One of the most respected executives in sports and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018, Rick Welts’ career spanned 46 years in executive roles with three NBA teams and the NBA League office in New York City. Welts stepped away from his position as President & Chief Operating Officer of the Golden State Warriors in June 2021 after 10 seasons with the club, during which time the team reached the NBA Finals in five consecutive years and won three NBA championships (2015, 2017, and 2018). Additionally, Welts oversaw the development and opening of one of the world’s top arenas, Chase Center, in September 2019. The project—a privately financed sports and entertainment venue and district in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood—required Welts to navigate an incredibly complex and challenging political environment.

Andrea Barrica
Andrea Barrica is an entrepreneur, investor, and empathy warrior. Andrea co-founded inDinero, a financial SaaS company, generating the company’s first $1M, advising over 300 startups on their finances, and developing a passion for customer and team success. Currently, Andrea is a venture partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at 500 Startups, one of the world’s most active, global seed funds, where she advises founders on pitching, sales, and growing startups. Throughout her career, Andrea has gained a reputation as a powerful force in the world of tech startups, using her superpowers of empathy and storytelling, to help people more more money.

Barry O’Reilly
Barry O’Reilly is a top innovation keynote speaker, business advisor, entrepreneur, and author who has pioneered the intersection of business model innovation, product development, organizational design, and culture transformation. Every day, Barry helps many of the world’s leading companies break the vicious cycles that spiral businesses toward death by enabling a culture of experimentation and learning to unlock the insights required for better decision making, higher performance, and results.

Nan Crawford
Nan Crawford is a top communication keynote speaker who has brought her dynamic, creative approach to many of the most notable names in business. Organizational clients include: American Express, Cisco, Disney, Google, Hewlett Packard, Nike, Target and Wells Fargo.

Jamie Hyneman 
Best known as Host and Executive Producer of Discovery Channel’s long-running science and engineering series, MythBusters, Dr., Dr., Dr. (HC) Jamie Hyneman has an unusually diverse background, ranging from his education in Russian linguistics, to survival expert, to charter boat captain, diver, film effects specialist, engineer, and inventor. After deciding to leave linguistics behind, Jamie started and ran a successful charter business in the Caribbean for a number of years. Eventually he sailed back up to the States and sought work in film effects. Over the course of thirty years, he’s had his hands in over 800 commercials and feature films, first as a technician, then as a manager, and finally as founder of M5 Industries in San Francisco.

Denise Lee Yohn
Blending a fresh perspective, twenty-five years of experience working with world-class brands including Sony and Frito-Lay, and a talent for inspiring audiences, Denise Lee Yohn is a leading authority on building and positioning exceptional brands and a popular business keynote speaker.

Ready to book a keynote speaker in San Francisco? Reach out to BigSpeak Speakers Bureau today. Please email info@bigspeak.com to inquire.