Famous American Public Speakers

Sugar Ray Leonard is a former boxer and motivational speaker. Having won world titles in five different weight divisions during his boxing career, Leonard is widely considered one of the greatest boxers ever. Leonard was part of a group of boxers dubbed The Fabulous Four, which is credited with popularizing the lower weight classes in the post-Muhammad Ali era.

Author and public speaker Fran Lebowitz is best known for her book The Fran Lebowitz Reader, which combined the two books Metropolitan Life and Social Studies. She also gained fame with her 2021 Netflix docuseries Pretend It's a City. Openly lesbian, she has often spoken about feminism, politics, and AIDS.

Mike Farrell is an American actor known for playing, Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, in the popular war comedy-drama TV series, M*A*S*H. Farrell's journey from being born into a working-class family to becoming a famous Hollywood actor is quite inspiring. Also a political and social activist, Farrell has worked on several activist campaigns. In 2001, he was honored with PETA's Humanitarian Award.

Daniel Eugene Ruettiger, better known as Rudy Ruettiger, remains an icon of the football team of the University of Notre Dame. One of his parents’ 14 children, he suffered from dyslexia, before finding his calling in football. His life later inspired the film Rudy, with actor Sean Astin playing his role.

Jonathan Lipnicki soared to fame as a child actor, rubbing shoulders with top-notch stars in movies such as Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little. He has also been part of several hit series and the indie When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. He boasts of a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Apart from being a University of Houston research professor, Brene Brown has also been a successful author of New York Times bestsellers such as Braving the Wilderness, and a podcast host. She also has a lecture featured on Netflix, while her Ted Talk is one of the world’s top-five most-viewed. 

The author of New York Times bestsellers such as Untamed and Love Warrior, Glennon Doyle Melton was once described as the patron saint of female empowerment by People magazine. She is also an avid philanthropist, who heads the all-woman non-profit Together Rising, which caters to women and children.

First a convicted hacker and then a computer security consultant, Kevin Mitnick’s life is all about how ingenuity can be used negatively and positively. Currently a security consultant for top-notch companies and the FBI, the American also teaches government agencies on social engineering. His sentencing for wire fraud is controversial and often considered excessive by some quarters.

Dave Ramsey is an American radio show host, personal finance advisor, businessman, and author. He is best known for hosting The Dave Ramsey Show. He is also famous for authoring many books, including The Total Money Makeover, which featured on the New York Times bestseller list. He is also credited with founding a financial counseling service called the Lampo Group.

Best remembered as rich and spoiled Blair Warner on NBC sitcom, The Facts of Life, actress Lisa Whelchel is also a well-known singer and songwriter. She reached No. 17 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian music charts with her Christian pop album, All Because of You. Founder of Momtime Ministers and author of ten books, she is also known for her motivational speeches.

Especially known for his honest and poignant commentaries, Van Jones is an award-winning political contributor, commentator, and the host of popular CNN programs like Van Jones Show and The Redemption Project. Also a leader in the fight for criminal justice reform for more than twenty-five years, he has founded number of non-profit organizations and authored several best-selling books.

A strong conservative political commentator, author, media host and lawyer, Ben Shapiro became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the US at the age of seventeen and at twenty published his first book. The host of a daily political podcast ,The Ben Shapiro Show, he has frequently invited criticism for his views on various issues like same-sex marriage and abortion.

Kim Peek was a savant who suffered from the rare genetic syndrome, FG syndrome. Often called a “megasavant,” he had an exceptional memory and appeared in many documentaries. He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbitt in the film Rain Man. He was born with macrocephaly and damage to the cerebellum and experienced considerable social difficulties. 

Deepak Chopra is an Indian-American alternative-medicine advocate and author. After emigrating to the United States in 1970, Chopra went on to become an important figure in the New Age movement. Credited with co-founding the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Chopra is one of the wealthiest personalities in alternative medicine. He has also drawn criticisms, thanks to his tall and ridiculous claims.

American politician Rudy Giuliani, who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, received major attention and praise for his handling of crisis in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in his city. He was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in December 2001 for his efforts. However, there have also been allegations of corruption against him.

Frank Reich is an American former football player who played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is currently serving as the head coach for the popular NFL team, The Indianapolis Colts. Over the years, he has also been part of the coaching team for Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Mary Matalin is an American political consultant. Renowned for her work with the Republican Party, Matalin has worked with prominent personalities like Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney. Mary Matalin is also known for her work as an animal rights activist and was honored with PETA's Person of the Year award in December 2016.

Best known for his 1995 memoir, A Child Called "It", David James Pelzer is an American author of four autobiographical work and three self-help books. Raised by abusing parents until the age of twelve, he has described his childhood, adolescence and adulthood in the first three books. Also a motivational speaker, his message is all about triumph of human spirit.

Victoria Arlen is an American television personality currently working for ESPN. Apart from being a television personality, Arlen is also an actress, model, speaker, and former Paralympian swimmer. She is best known for overcoming two rare conditions that stripped her of her ability to walk, speak, eat, and move. In 2012, she participated in the Summer Paralympics, representing the USA.

iO Tillett Wright is an American photographer, author, activist, TV and podcast host. He is credited with founding the now-defunct international street art magazine Overspray for which he served as the editor-in-chief until 2009. His podcast The Ballad Of Billy Balls was counted among the best of 2019 and was considered for television development.

Former pastor and teacher Rob Bell has penned countless books, including the New York Times bestsellers Love Wins and What Is the Bible? He established the Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan in his late 20s. He has also made it to Time 100. He also hosts a podcast and is a sought-after speaker.