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The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau

A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.

The Disruptive Economics of Power and Prediction (21:46)

Why A Lack of Diversity Is Hurting Economics

Yes, Economics Is a Science

How John List Revolutionized Economics by Studying People in the Real World

The Simple Economics of Machine Intelligence

The Economics of Artificial Intelligence

The Breathless Rhetoric (and Prosaic Economics) of Virtual Reality

Uber and the Economics of Apologies

Global Ethics Forum: Connecting Ethics, the Environment, and Economics with Shalini Kantayya

“The First Book to Explain the Economics of Artificial Intelligence”: Advance Praise for Prediction Machines by Speaker Ajay Agrawal

“This may be the best book yet on what may be the best technology that has come along.” Lawrence H. Summers, former US treasury secretary on Ajay Agrawal’s highly anticipated book Prediction Machines—a crystal clear, realistic assessment of how AI will actually affect the economy. No hype, no speculation, just the tools and economic frameworks managers can use right […]

The Top 12 International Women’s Day Speakers for 2024: True Gender Equality, Learning From the Past, and More

Every March, International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month give us the chance to be inspired by the women of the past, and to let their stories light the way towards our shared future. Lavin is proud to represent the world’s top IWD speakers: from literary icon Margaret Atwood to civil rights legend Minnijean Brown-Trickey, and many more.

Black History Month is More Important Now Than Ever Before. The 12 Top BHM Speakers on The Past, Present, and Future

From a member of the Little Rock Nine to the award-winning author of one of the country’s most challenged books, these 12 top Black History Month speakers show us how to honor the legacy and history of Black communities across America.

Top 10 AI Speaker Douglas Rushkoff: Being Fully Human in the AI Future

Should we optimize humans for AI? Or can we optimize AI for humans? Douglas Rushkoff argues that we need to set the agenda on AI today to ensure that it doesn’t run away with us, but becomes a powerful tool for unleashing human potential.

The Best Outcome for Black Women Is the Best for Us All: Anna Gifty, Editor of The Black Agenda

“It’s really important that we don’t just state that discrimination exists,” says Anna Gifty. “We need to actually intervene in it.” As co-founder of the only nonprofit aimed at fixing the pathway problem for Black women in economics, Anna is an expert at identifying and remedying patterns of discrimination at work and beyond.

Technologies Like AI Will Reshape Society. Let’s Make Sure Everyone Prospers. MIT Economist Daron Acemoglu’s New Book

Congratulations to Lavin speaker Daron Acemoglu, one of the 10 most cited economists in the world, on the release of his new book Power and Progress: a hopeful look at the future of technology and democracy.

The Why Axis

Hidden Motives And The Undercovered Economics Of Everyday Life

Prediction Machines

The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence

Power and Prediction

The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence

Black History Month 2023: Celebrating Black Stories and Our Speakers’ Contributions to Racial Justice

For Black History Month this February, we’d like to celebrate a few of the many Lavin speakers whose work year-round shows us how to honor the legacy and history of Black communities across America. These leading voices empower us to fight for racial justice and equality, and learn more about the history of this country. ANGELA DAVIS “One […]

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About

THE LAVIN AGENCY is the world’s largest intellectual talent agency, representing leading thinkers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, consulting, and endorsements. Our Team “We have a remarkable team here, and one reason is that the staff is very diverse, politically and intellectually. I like people who want to contribute to the debate. At The Lavin […]

Lavin Speakers at SXSW 2022

The legendary South By Southwest conference—an essential collection of film fests, conferences, sessions, and networking opportunities that spotlight creativity globally—is back for 2022, and Lavin’s speakers are showing up in a big way. Here’s a who’s who of the groundbreaking Lavin talent you’ll find on the SXSW stage: Jessica Nordell’s brilliant career as a science […]

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman Unites Bold and Brave Voices to Uplift Black America

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is the editor of The Black Agenda: the first ever book to bring together dozens of Black writers, scholars, and leaders to solve today’s most pressing social issues, from economics to education to climate change. The Black Agenda “will challenge what you think is possible” (Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling […]

Anna Unites Bold and Brave Voices to Uplift Black America

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is behind The Black Agenda: the first ever book to bring together dozens of Black writers, scholars, and leaders to solve today’s most pressing social issues, from economics to education to climate change. The Black Agenda “will challenge what you think is possible” (Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author). America needs help. […]

The Lavin Agency Welcomes John List, Chief Economist at Lyft

The ideas that change the world are those that reach the largest number of people, says John List: a leading economist at The University of Chicago, and the Chief Economist at ride-share giant Lyft. But how can we make sure our best ideas reach our desired audiences? Thankfully, there are vital attributes that all “scalable” […]

Out Now—Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us “is a book we all need.”

“The Sum of Us is a must read for everyone who wants to understand how we got here, but more importantly, where we can go from here—and how we get there, together,” says Alicia Garza, author of The Purpose of Power and co-founder of Black Lives Matter. In talks based on her highly anticipated book, […]

Centering the Black Experience: Introducing Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

If we want to achieve an inclusive economy that works for all, we must begin by giving Black women a seat at the table, says Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman. An activist and emerging researcher, she specializes in data-driven solutions that address the future of work and its implications for Black people in both corporate and academic […]

Acclaimed Artist and Activist Molly Crabapple Provides Powerful Visuals for Project on Prison Life

The Zo is a groundbreaking new video project exploring the twisted realities of prison life, illustrated by superstar artist Molly Crabapple and narrated by The Wire’s Emmy-Award winning actor Michael K. Williams. Based on the essay by Yale student Patrick Doolittle and the archive of prison writings compiled in an open-source database invented by Professor […]

Prediction Machines: Ajay Agrawal Shows Business Leaders How to Leverage AI in Forbes

The revolutionary author of Prediction Machines Ajay Agrawal sat down with Forbes to discuss how AI functions, where it is best applied, and why we should embrace, rather than fear the technology.  As a researcher. entrepreneur, and bestselling author, Ajay Agrawal focuses on the economics of machine intelligence. He encourages leaders and CEOs looking to […]

Futurist Douglas Rushkoff and Sociologist Shoshana Zuboff Both Receive Nominations for Prestigious Business Book Award

Lavin speakers  Douglas Rushkoff and Shoshana Zuboff have both been nominated for the 13th annual Porchlight Business Book Awards. The awards recognize the best business books published this year, and look beyond traditional business titles to important works that businesses should be considering.  Douglas Rushkoff’s title, Team Human, explores how the internet has divided us […]

Curious About the Future of Retail? Two of Lavin’s Retail Experts Will Answer Your Questions.

The retail industry has undergone a massive, unprecedented transformation in the last few years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Retail Reinventionist Joe Jackman and Retail Futurist Doug Stephens join forces to answer your most burning questions about the industry and where it’s headed.   Joe Jackman is a master of retail reinvention. […]

The Pain of Losing Local Business: David Sax Investigates Why Saying Goodbye Hurts for the New York Times

In his New York Times opinion piece, bestselling author David Sax explores the indelible mark that brick-and-mortar businesses continue to leave on consumers—even in the digital age—and why it hurts so much when they close their doors.  “Why do we shed tears over businesses that shut their doors, when we know that the nature of […]

Lavin Speakers Nominated for Thinkers50: The World’s Most Prestigious Ranking of Management Thinkers

Thinkers50, the premier ranking of global business leaders, announced the nominees for their 2019 Distinguished Achievement Awards. Dubbed the “Oscars” of Management Thinking by the Financial Times, this year’s shortlist features no less than six Lavin Speakers, whose ideas are being recognized for their potential to change the world.   Ajay Agrawal—Digital Thinking Award In […]

Lavin Speaker Daron Acemoglu Awarded MIT’s Highest Faculty Honor

Economist Daron Acemoglu has produced influential research in government, innovation, labor, and globalization. Thanks to his groundbreaking contributions to the field, this year Acemoglu has been named Institute Professor, the highest faculty honor awarded by MIT.   Daron Acemoglu has spent over 25 years at MIT grappling with large and complex economic questions. Over the […]

Top 10 Business Keynote Speakers

Great companies start with great leaders. Leaders who recognize incredible talent, even when it’s hard to see; leaders who can spot, manage, and prevent risk; leaders who build successful teams, adapt to change and create cultures of innovation. These business keynote speakers blend personal, compelling leadership stories with years of immersive research, interviews and anecdotes […]

Get to Know Lavin’s MacArthur “Geniuses”!

This year Titus Kaphar and Vijay Gupta join a whopping SIX other Lavin Speakers in receiving MacArthur “Genius” Grants—a prestigious honor awarded to those who are forging truly significant progress towards “building a more just, verdant and peaceful world.” Get to know Lavin’s “geniuses”: Titus Kaphar’s sculptures, paintings, and installations create new and striking ways […]

Analog Expert David Sax Unlocks the Mysteries of Consumer Behavior in His Latest for Vox

“Why do we buy the things we buy?” Asks David Sax, author of The Revenge of Analog and expert on consumer behavior. This week in Vox he provides the answer: “as someone who has been looking at consumer trends and the forces that shape them over much of the past decade, when you step back […]

“America is Not a Democracy,” says Harvard professor Yascha Mounk in His Upcoming Book. But It’s Not Too Late to Change.

Democracy is in decline in the West, especially among young people. They don’t trust their politicians and they don’t see themselves reflected in policy. Harvard professor Yascha Mounk’s new book The People vs. Democracy (recently excerpted in The Atlantic) explores this alarming phenomenon—and according to a glowing Kirkus review, proposes “provocative…optimistic…reasonable remedies,” to combat it. As a speaker, Mounk’s plain, […]