Top 7 Guest Speakers of 2024

Guest speakers have the power to impart knowledge, alter perspectives, and change lives. Whether it’s providing inspiration to a cohort of school students, or promoting work life balance in an office setting, finding the right guest speaker to engage your audience could be the key to igniting their spark within.

At Pickstar, we have compiled a list of our Top 7 Guest Speakers of 2023. It is an eclectic mix of sporting heroes, disability advocates, women’s rights activists, entertainment icons and more, with each possessing the power to engage and inspire any type of audience.

Check out our list below and start planning your guest speaker event today!

Simply put, Dylan Alcott has done it all. Superstar athlete, influential disability advocate, larrikin media personality, and the 2022 Australian of the Year.

On the court, in 2021 Dylan became the only man to ever complete the Golden Slam in Quad Singles tennis by winning all four majors and a gold medal at the Paralympics. Off the court, his advocacy work includes co-founding Get Skilled Access, a disability inclusion and accessibility consulting firm as well as launching Ability Fest, providing those living with a disability the opportunity to let loose, and utilising live music as an inclusive platform to normalise disability.

As one of Australia’s top guest speakers, Dylan is perfect for audiences interested in sport, disability, youth, or mental health.

Since beginning her media career as a political reporter for NITV, Brooke Boney has ascended to become one of Australia's most beloved radio and TV personalities, succeeding the iconic Richard Wilkins as the entertainment reporter for Channel 9's 'Today'.

A proud Gamilaroi woman, Boney stands as a beacon of inspiration for Indigenous youth around Australia, using her platform to advocate for social justice and promote Indigenous education.

Now as one Australia’s most popular television personalities, Brooke Boney is the perfect celebrity guest speaker for audiences interested in Indigenous and women's issues, entertainment, youth or social justice issues.

Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll is nothing short of an Aussie TV icon, and one of the most recognisable lifeguards in the world.

By combining his caring nature and lovable larrikin personality with a deep love of the ocean, ‘Harries’ has dedicated his life to protecting beachgoers along Australia’s picturesque shores. While ‘Harries’ shot to fame as one of the faces of the international television hit Bondi Rescue, he is also an accredited Pilates instructor and health and wellness entrepreneur. Now an in-demand guest speaker, he speaks on a myriad of topics including resilience, mental health and wellbeing, as well as his experience as Australia’s favourite lifeguard.

One of Australia’s most popular guest speakers, ‘Harries’ is perfect for audiences interested in entertainment, mental health & wellbeing, and resilience.

Despite only learning of her Cerebral Palsy at the age of 18 after winning a netball scholarship to the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport, three-time Paralympic gold medallist Katrina Webb never let her love for sport evaporate.

Her Paralympic glory inspired Australian women of all ages and abilities, and her work as a disability advocate has highlighted the importance of respect and empowerment for Australians with disabilities.

Arguably one of Australia’s most inspiring guest speakers, Katrina is perfect for audiences interested in sport, disability, women’s issues, resilience and motivation.

While most known as a star of the Australian television and radio scene, comedian Tim Ross has now crafted his own niche as an architecture and design enthusiast and advocate.

By combining his storytelling talents with his passion for architecture and design, Ross has published best selling books (The Rumpus Room, MOTEL), created sold out live shows (Man About the House, Designing a Legacy), and produced critically acclaimed television series’ (The Streets of Your Town, Designing a Legacy) showcasing some of Australia’s most iconic architects, and putting the spotlight on some of Australia’s forgotten modernist gems.

When it comes to celebrity guest speakers, Tim Ross is second to none for audiences interested in entertainment, comedy, art and design, and business.

A retired British Army Officer, criminal and human rights lawyer, humanitarian, best-selling author, Iraq War hostage survivor and international speaker, Rabia Siddique’s remarkable life and stories have taken her all over the world.

She received a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for her human rights work in Iraq, and numerous other awards for her human rights and community aid work in the Middle East, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Rabia is a highly sought after guest on television programs around the world, and is a great guest speaker for audiences interested in human rights, social justice, women’s issues, resilience and motivation.

Khadija Gbla is one of Australia’s most passionate and inspiring women. She is an award-winning human rights activist, inspirational speaker, facilitator and philanthropist.

Having represented Australia at the Harvard National Model United Nations, Commonwealth Youth Forum etc., she conducts her remarkable advocacy work in the fields of domestic and family violence, sexual health, racism, human rights, mental health, migrants and refugees and cultural diversity through her cultural consultancy, 'Khadija Gbla Cultural Consultancy'.

Gbla’s strength and determination is archetypal of so many first generation Australians, and her endless pursuit to create opportunities and agency for the marginalised makes her story even more motivational and aspirational.

As one of Australia's top guest speakers, Khadija is perfect for audiences interested in human rights, women’s issues, refugee stories, entrepreneurship and motivation.

For the best way to guarantee a great guest speaker share their unique and valuable insights on a range of topics, look no further than Pickstar for your guest speaker event. We have Australia’s largest and most diverse roster of sports stars, business leaders, political figures, and entertainers all with the ability to engage and inspire any audience.

With fast response times, you can organise a guest speaker for your event with no obligation until all parties have agreed, making planning your event a breeze.

To get started, book one of our popular guest speakers today or contact us if you have any questions - we’re here to help.

Read our informative blogs on how to find guest speakers, how to invite speakers to an event, how much a guest speaker charges, how long a guest speaker talks for, how to introduce a guest speaker, and how to thank a guest speaker.