The Lavin Agency Speakers Blog

David Lavin, president of The Lavin Agency speakers bureau, has...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:06:52 -0500

David Lavin, president of The Lavin Agency speakers bureau, has a lot of experience working with TED speakers—especially since he’s been one himself! As he tells negotiation and communication speaker Misha Glouberman in this exclusive discussion, the secret behind the success of TED is the people they put on stage. TED doesn’t pick average, run-of-the-mill speakers to lead their lectures. Rather, they choose people who are “genuinely, passionately, engaged in doing something that’s incredible,” Lavin says. “People are hungry for content,” he continues. TED provides their attendees with an assortment of speakers who deliver quality content that inspires their audiences. We here at Lavin agree, and we represent an assortment of TED speakers sure to deliver rousing speeches no matter what the subject matter.

Susan Cain’s breakthrough research on introversion has...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:58:39 -0500

Susan Cain’s breakthrough research on introversion has been turned into another live animation video series (the first one was drawn by Molly Crabapple for RSA) and its gone viral! Composed by dwlFilms, the series features several episodes that have taken material from Cain’s bestselling book Quiet and turned it into an animated short feature. So far, the first episode has already gained over a million views! It’s no surprise that the video has become so popular given that Cain’s work on introversion has earned her many awards and accolades in the past year. Her TED talk has gained millions of views and even earned the stamp of approval from Bill Gates. Cain proposes that the introverted part of the population has vast potential, and that introverts make some of the most creative and effective leaders.

In a recent interview with TVO, human rights speaker Stephen...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:47:00 -0500

In a recent interview with TVO, human rights speaker Stephen Lewis talked about ways to get involved with a good cause when the government has so drastically cut foreign aid spending. New agreements for budgets and funding allocation has dramatically decreased the funding going to help humanitarian causes, he explains. Due to this, Lewis argues that “countries which deserve humanitarian support won’t get it and we will focus all of our relationships on trade arrangements and trade agreements which ultimately could be prejudicial because they will benefit major multinational corporations.” While he agrees that many of the millennium goals we set out to achieve in terms of diminishing global poverty have been met, there is still more to do. While he tells the audience that he doesn’t want them to feel deflated, as a lot of good has taken place, he does say that they should not give up on trying to make a difference.

In this clip from a recent keynote, How Children Succeed author...

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:20:42 -0500

In this clip from a recent keynote, How Children Succeed author Paul Tough talks about the importance of grit as a personality trait, and explains why grit and other similar character traits are as important as IQ in determining a child’s development.

With enough hard work, anyone can become a leader, says Retired...

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:41:52 -0500

With enough hard work, anyone can become a leader, says Retired General Rick Hillier.

"Make the discussion of violence a public health priority. Ask health care workers to talk about the..."

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:35:57 -0500

“Make the discussion of violence a public health priority. Ask health care workers to talk about the threat of violence in all its forms as a huge public health problem — from suicide to domestic abuse to mass murder.”

- Bioethicist Arthur Caplan, in NBCNews.com.

In a recent keynote at the One Young World Summit 2012, Fatima...

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:03:06 -0500

In a recent keynote at the One Young World Summit 2012, Fatima Bhutto spoke to a group of young “ambassadors” about the importance of collaboration in inspiring global change.

“If I got bored I would stop [writing],” says Stuart...

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:41:32 -0500

“If I got bored I would stop [writing],” says Stuart McLean, creator and host of CBC Radio’s The Vinyl Cafe on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. “It would be awful to work at something that you hated.”

"We pride ourselves on having explored nearly every corner of this planet, but behind our world is a..."

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:12:20 -0500

“We pride ourselves on having explored nearly every corner of this planet, but behind our world is a shadow world of microbes—and they are often calling the shots.”

- Nathan Wolfe, founder of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, in National Geographic.

What is the key to improving a company’s bottom line while...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:36:51 -0500

What is the key to improving a company’s bottom line while adding jobs? Increase a product’s value by making it better, says Rotman School of Management Dean Roger Martin.

Here’s Mitchell Joachim, TED Fellow and urban designer,...

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:28:07 -0500

Here’s Mitchell Joachim, TED Fellow and urban designer, talking about his ONE Lab, which he hopes to turn into a “university without walls.”

"If global warming were the work of an evil engineer, he’d deserve congratulations on a job..."

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:41:35 -0500

“If global warming were the work of an evil engineer, he’d deserve congratulations on a job well done.”

- Adam Alter, author of Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape Our Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors, in The Huffington Post on why we should be more concerned about global warming.

Samuel Arbesman’s fascinating new book, The Half-Life of...

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:37:04 -0500

Samuel Arbesman’s fascinating new book, The Half-Life of Facts, is brought to life in this quirky animated short.

“Every woman in this room is powerful and every man in...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:05:07 -0500

“Every woman in this room is powerful and every man in this room is powerful too,” Jessica Jackley says in a keynote at the One Young World Summit 2012, “[and] we have to be careful because sometimes that power goes unused.” This is especially true, she says, if you don’t believe in yourself and don’t believe in the potential of others. As the co-founder of the micro-loaning website KIVA explains, you can have the best ideas and tools at your disposal—but none of that matters in you don’t believe that you have the potential to make a change.

“People matter,” says leadership speaker Bill...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:02:40 -0500

“People matter,” says leadership speaker Bill Strickland in a recent keynote. “People are assets, not liabilities…[and] it is all in the way that you treat people that drives performance and drives behavior.”

"You don’t have to go at it thinking, “How am I going to transform 16,000 school districts in..."

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:57:04 -0500

“You don’t have to go at it thinking, “How am I going to transform 16,000 school districts in the country?” Instead, you can spend an hour working with one child. Even itty bitty steps can make a profound difference.”

- Education speaker Ninive Calegari in Good Magazine.

Candy Chang’s “Before I Die” project—where...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:51:50 -0500

Candy Chang’s “Before I Die” project—where public space in New Orleans was turned into a collaborative blackboard for residents to share their life dreams—was recently recreated in Denver. This stunning video shows the project being built.

“I dabble in modernity,” says legendary author...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:44:00 -0500

“I dabble in modernity,” says legendary author Margaret Atwood on CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. Judging by her twitter following and her active participation in the development of new digital technologies, we think Atwood is being more than a little modest.

Is Canada’s pharmaceutical system broken? Healthcare...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:33:32 -0500

Is Canada’s pharmaceutical system broken? Healthcare speaker and Chronic Condition author Jeffrey Simpson believes it is—and knows how to fix it.

Here’s investigative journalist Charles Fishman talking...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:31:18 -0500

Here’s investigative journalist Charles Fishman talking with CNBC about the return of manufacturing jobs to America from overseas. He also recently penned a cover story for The Atlantic on the subject.