Start Here
Welcome to Speaking Engagement.
We’ve created a conference on engagement that never sleeps.
Every week, new ideas, and conversations are published for people whose work depends on building relationships — with alumni, members, customers, donors, and communities.
Across education organizations, nonprofits, and the private sector, the most successful organizations are no longer just delivering programs or services. They are building lifelong connections.
Speaking Engagement exists to explore how that work happens.
Our roots are in higher ed, but we’re expanding the conversation.
Who This Is For
This publication is for professionals whose job is to create connection.
That includes:
alumni engagement and advancement teams
nonprofit and membership organizations
marketing and community leaders
professionals in education, philanthropy, and mission-driven organizations
companies focused on customer and community engagement
If your role involves building relationships — or if your organization depends on them — this is built for you.
A Professional Development Resource
Speaking Engagement is designed to be more than a reliable content stream. It’s a professional development platform.
Organizations can use it to:
expose their teams to new ideas and perspectives
stay current on trends shaping engagement
create internal discussion and shared language
support ongoing learning without sending staff to occasional conferences
If we do this right, Speaking Engagement becomes something teams use regularly — not once a year, but every week.
What Happens Each Week
The experience is structured like an ongoing conference with multiple Speaking Engagement contributors helping to steer the conversation.
Each week centers around a theme and unfolds across multiple formats:
Keynote (Free) Our weekly interview with a practitioner whose work centers on
engagement.
Breakout (Members)
A shorter, 15–20 minute podcast reacting to news, sharing takes, and pulling out key moments from the main conversation.
Posts and Articles (Members)
Written pieces that expand on the week’s themes — frameworks, commentary, and practical applications.
Newsletter (Members)
Our ideas and commentary are delivered by email each week.
Each conversation generates multiple layers of insight — so you can engage at the level that works for you.
The Agora & Book Club (For Members)
At the center of the experience are both the Agora — a live, twice-monthly session designed for active participation, and our Book Club, where we read related works on philanthropy, business, and community-building.
Each Agora session includes:
a short, focused talk from a practitioner
small-group discussions with other members
structured dialogue around practical ideas
It’s designed to feel like a working session, not a webinar.
Our Book Club sequence includes:
Podcasts from our contributors discussing each book over two months
On-going chats strings on the book with commentary
Live events featuring the authors, whenever possible
The Core Idea
At the center of Speaking Engagement is a simple belief:
The organizations that thrive in the future will be those that build lifelong relationships with their communities.
Everything here connects back to that idea.
How to Use This
You can engage with Speaking Engagement in a few different ways:
Individually — read, listen, and follow the ideas that resonate
As a team — share episodes or articles and discuss them internally
As a member — participate in live sessions and deeper conversations
The goal is not just to inform, but to help you think differently about how your organization builds relationships.
Our Philanthropy
A portion of all paid memberships supports QuestBridge — a nonprofit that connects high-achieving, low-income students with leading colleges and universities, and supports them all the way through graduation.
If this platform is about building lifelong communities, QuestBridge is doing that work at one of the most important entry points — helping students get in, persist, and succeed.
One More Thing
Most conferences happen once a year.
Speaking Engagement happens every week. Oh, and gas prices have never been higher, so if you’re on a reduced travel budget, this is for you and your team.
Ryan
Publisher, Speaking Engagement