Our RedTalks series invites athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and influencers to share their stories with us – work-related or not.
Follow us on social media to hear about upcoming RedTalks, and scroll through some of our all-time favorites from the past few years below (in no particular order) –
Howard Schultz, Founder of Starbucks
Over the course of three decades as Starbucks Chairman and CEO, Schultz’s unwavering commitment to social innovation and strengthening communities landed him a spot on Forbes’ “World’s 50 Great Leaders” list.
John Calipari, Coach of the UK Wildcats
Coach Cal is a semi-regular guest at Red Ventures, hosting basketball workshops with employees and sharing his unique perspective on competition – and winning.
Bonnie St. John, First African-American Winter Paralympic Medalist
Despite having her right leg amputated at the age of 5, Bonnie made history when she took home a silver and two bronze medals at the 1984 Olympics. Today she’s a best-selling author and one of the “5 most inspiring women in America” (NBC News).
Stephen Jenkins, Frontman of Third Eye Blind
Coolest lunch break ever.
Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Apple
Eddy Cue shared what it was like to work with (and learn from) Steve Jobs, current tech trends, and what’s in store for the future.
The Charlotte Symphony
A note-worthy performance.
Piera Gelardi, Co-founder and Executive Creative Director at Refinery29
Through her work at Refinery29, Piera Gelardi has championed a new era of media and advertising for women around the world. She believes in the power of Courageous Creativity, and using storytelling to inspire.
Alex Sheen, Founder of Because I Said I Would
A powerful message about the importance of keeping your promises.
Jesse Itzler, Serial Entrepreneur
Jesse Itzler took us on a rollercoaster of emotions – from starting as a rapper to becoming a serial entrepreneur, and then living with a Marine to test his personal limits.
Kathryn Switzer, First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon
Kathryn Switzer shared the story of “sneaking” into the Boston Marathon before women were permitted, and being attacked by an event organizer in the middle of the race.
John Henry, Entrepreneur & Founder of Harlem Capital
John Henry showed us the power of an unstoppable will to succeed, and led a discussion on how we can all advocate for diverse talent in business.
Bobby Flay, Chef & TV star
We called this: “Flay Day.”
The big ideas don’t stop here — we also host some incredible speakers at our annual company-wide event, Culture FEST. Here are a few honorable mentions –
Chris Hadfield, Astronaut
Chris Hadfield’s keynote speech was out of this world.
Baratunde Thurston, Writer, Activist & Comedian
Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated writer, activist, and New York Times bestselling author. Through an analysis of news headlines, he showed us the system within systemic racism, and challenged us to change it.
Want more? Check out some of our other amazing speakers here, and be sure to follow us on social media @redventures to see who else we’ve hosted – and who’s next!
Kelly is a Principal Creative Producer on the Red Ventures Corporate Communications team and the secret voice behind our website content, video content, and social media. She is currently writing about herself in the third person.
