A top commencement speaker can make your graduation ceremony a memorable, heartfelt and inspiring experience. Their stories of success about overcoming challenges in their field will inspire graduates as they enter the next phase of their careers.

For a memorable graduation speech, consider inviting a famous celebrity speaker, renowned academic, Fortune 500 CEO, or motivational speaker to your commencement event. Here is a sampling of the top graduation and commencement speakers that have shaped the next generation of scholars.

Top Commencement Speakers 2020

Steve Wozniak

Before Woz became a cultural icon as the man behind the Apple computer, he was just another engineer working from his garage in Silicon Valley. Be inspired by how Woz and Steve Jobs helped make Apple a brand name company. Woz’s past commencement speeches have focused on continued learning throughout life and also in trusting your independent, innovative ideas. 

Molly Bloom

Molly Bloom is an inspirational speaker whose personal story became the Oscar-nominated movie Molly’s Game. She overcame back surgery to become one of the top 3 women mogul skiers in the U.S., then moved to L.A. with nothing and built up the most successful underground poker game in Hollywood only to lose it. Audiences will be treated to valuable life lessons as they learn how she came back each time life knocked her down.

Michio Kaku

Michio is the rare scientist who makes complex sciences sound simple. He has become an internationally recognized media celebrity, appearing on late-night talk shows, Emmy award-winning documentaries, and national news. Audiences will be inspired by his talks of what the future holds, in terms you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand.

Vernice Flygirl Armour

Known as FlyGirl, Vernice Armour went from cop to combat pilot in 3 years. Within months of earning her wings, FlyGirl found herself flying over the deserts of Iraq supporting the men and women on the ground. From the moment she steps on stage, she shows audiences how to acknowledge the obstacles in life without giving them power and how to create a flight plan utilizing her candid strategies to win on the battlefield of business and life.

Robert Sutton

Robert Sutton is a popular Stanford professor and bestselling author in the area of organizational change. His books, articles, and classes prepare people everywhere with the skills to identify and manage difficult bosses and co-workers. Let him prepare your graduates with entertaining advice on how to get along in the world of work.

Barb Stegemann

Barb Stegemann is a social entrepreneur and founder of 7 Virtues perfumes. She inspires audiences with her story of reducing the opium trade in Afghanistan by convincing farmers to grow the ingredients used in her perfumes instead of poppies. Her humor, candor, and charm will inspire and entertain your commencement audience.

Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor is a top motivational speaker, happiness researcher, and bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage. His happiness research has been featured on many media outlets, including Oprah Winfrey, and one of the most popular TED talks. What better way to start life after graduation than armed with the tools to have a happy life.

To bring one of these, or other graduation and commencement speakers to your event contact BigSpeak at info@BigSpeak.com

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All Top Keynote Speakers

To bring one of these, or other, graduation and commencement speakers to your event contact BigSpeak at info@BigSpeak.com

The content writers at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau are Experts on the Experts. They hold doctoral, masters, and bachelors’ degrees in business, writing, literature, and education. Their business thought pieces are published regularly in leading business publications. Working in close association with the top business, entrepreneur, and motivational speakers, BigSpeak content writers are at the forefront of industry trends and research.