Brené Brown
Research Professor, University of Houston
Simon Sinek
Author & Founder of The Optimism Company
Leadership · Purpose · Organizational Culture
Speaking Fee
$100,000 – $200,000
Based In
United States
Signature Topic
Leadership & Purpose
Format
Keynote
About Simon
Simon Sinek is the author of Start With Why (2009), the book that introduced the Golden Circle and put the word "why" into everyday corporate strategy language. His 2009 TEDx Puget Sound talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, remains one of the most-viewed talks TED has ever published.
His later books extend the argument from individual purpose to the systems around it: Leaders Eat Last (2014) on why teams come to trust one another, Together Is Better (2016), Find Your Why (2017), a working guide for teams applying the first book, and The Infinite Game (2019), which argues that most businesses playing to win have misread the game they are actually in.
The Golden Circle came from an unusual vantage point. Born in Wimbledon in 1973 and raised across several countries, he studied cultural anthropology at Brandeis University and then went into advertising at Euro RSCG and Ogilvy and Mather in New York before founding his own firm. The question he was asking as an anthropologist inside an agency, why people are loyal to some organizations and indifferent to others that sell the same thing, is the question the book answers. He has since served as an adjunct staff member at the RAND Corporation and taught strategic communications at Columbia University.
He founded The Optimism Company to teach that work through courses and live programs, launched Optimism Press as an imprint with Penguin Random House in 2018, and hosts the podcast A Bit of Optimism. His audiences range from Fortune 500 leadership teams and universities to the United States military.
He is booked when an organization needs a shared vocabulary for purpose more than it needs a new strategy, and the three main books map to three situations. Start With Why suits a company that cannot say what it is for. Leaders Eat Last suits a leadership team whose problem is trust. The Infinite Game suits an executive group in the middle of a strategy that is being measured by the wrong scoreboard. Stating which of those is the room's problem is the most useful thing an inquiry can include.
Keynote Topics
Start With Why: Leading From Purpose
The Infinite Game
Building Teams That Trust Each Other
Leadership as a Practice, Not a Rank
Best For
- Executive leadership summits
- Company all-hands and annual kickoffs
- Culture and transformation programs
- Sales and go-to-market conferences
- Military and public-sector leadership events
Booking Simon Sinek: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Simon Sinek's speaking fee?
Simon Sinek's fee is typically in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Treat that as an estimate rather than a quote: the actual figure moves with event date, location and travel, session length, whether a workshop, breakout or moderated Q&A is added to the keynote, and whether book copies or licensed follow-up material are included. Submit an inquiry with your date to get a current number and confirm availability.
What topics does Simon Sinek speak on?
Start With Why and leading from purpose, The Infinite Game, building teams that trust each other, and leadership as a practice rather than a rank. He is most often booked for leadership summits, all-hands events, and conferences where the goal is to reset how the organization thinks about its purpose.
Is Simon Sinek available for virtual keynotes?
Speakers at this level usually offer a virtual option, and it removes both travel cost and the risk of a delayed flight before your slot. Availability and format vary by date, so tell us whether your event is in person, hybrid, or fully virtual and we will confirm what is possible for your date rather than assume.
Which of his books should the session be built around?
It depends on the problem in the room. Start With Why suits an organization that cannot articulate what it is for. Leaders Eat Last suits a leadership team whose issue is trust between people. The Infinite Game suits an executive group measuring a long-term strategy against a short-term scoreboard. Naming which of those applies is the most useful thing an inquiry can include.
Speakers Often Considered Alongside Simon
Appears On These Lists
Leadership Keynote SpeakersBusiness Keynote SpeakersStorytelling Keynote SpeakersCorporate Culture Keynote SpeakersVirtual Keynote Speakers for Online and Hybrid EventsBestselling Author Keynote SpeakersChicago Keynote Speakers for Conferences and Corporate EventsNew York Keynote Speakers for Conferences and Corporate EventsUtah Keynote Speakers for Conferences and Corporate EventsSalt Lake City Keynote Speakers for Corporate EventsPark City Keynote Speakers for Executive Retreats and Corporate EventsBest Keynote Speakers 2026Most Expensive Keynote SpeakersTop Keynote Speaker List
Book this speaker
Simon Sinek
Author & Founder of The Optimism Company
$100,000 – $200,000
Typically responds within one business day. No spam.