Vishen Lakhiani
Founder & CEO of Mindvalley | 3x Bestselling Author | Creator of The 6 Phase Meditation | Watkins Top 100 Most Spiritually Influential
Greg Hoffman
Former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike | Bestselling Author of Emotion by Design | Founder of Modern Arena | Fast Company Most Creative People in Business
Few people understand the power of brand and emotion like Greg Hoffman, the former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike. Over 27 years, he rose from intern to CMO and shaped iconic campaigns like Dream Crazy and Equality, turning the Swoosh into a symbol of human potential. Author of the bestseller Emotion by Design and founder of advisory group Modern Arena, he shows audiences how to unlock creativity and build brands that inspire lasting loyalty.
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Greg Hoffman biography
Greg Hoffman is the former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike and one of the world’s most respected voices on creativity, brand-building, and the art of forging emotional connections between companies and the people they serve. Over a 27-year career at Nike, he rose from design intern to CMO, helping transform the Swoosh from a logo into a global symbol of human potential.
Marketing speaker Greg Hoffman is best known for leading some of the most iconic brand campaigns of the modern era, from the Colin Kaepernick “Dream Crazy” film and the Equality campaign to the Kobe System ads and Nike’s Olympic storytelling. As Global Chief Marketing Officer, he oversaw a worldwide marketing organization of more than 2,000 people and defined the brand’s voice through storytelling that made audiences feel they were part of something larger than themselves.
His acclaimed book Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike, published by Random House and translated into more than a dozen languages, distills nearly three decades of experience into a practical playbook for building brands that resonate. Fast Company has named him one of the Most Creative People in Business, and he has also been recognized among Business Insider’s 50 Most Innovative CMOs and on AdAge’s Power Players list.
From Nike to Modern Arena
After leaving Nike, where his final role was Vice President of Global Brand Innovation, Hoffman founded the brand advisory group Modern Arena, helping Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits build brand strength, business growth, and social impact. He also teaches branding and marketing at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he chairs the innovation committee.
As a speaker, Greg Hoffman gives audiences an insider’s view of how the world’s most emotionally resonant brand was built, and how any organization can do the same. With charisma and hard-won wisdom, he shows leaders that creativity is a team sport, that daring to be remembered beats playing it safe, and that the right culture can turn everyday employees into a force for breakthrough ideas, leaving senior audiences inspired to lead more boldly.
Greg Hoffman Speaking Videos
Impressions of Sport
Greg Hoffman on Fostering Curiosity by Going Outside Yourself
Greg Hoffman Keynote Topics
Drawing on nearly three decades at Nike, Greg Hoffman reveals how the world's most emotionally powerful brand was built, one story at a time. He shares the guiding principles behind his work: that creativity is a team sport, that brands should dare to be remembered, and that the goal is to leave a legacy rather than just a memory. With behind-the-scenes stories from Nike's most famous campaigns, this keynote gives leaders an insider's guide to unlocking inspiration and forging deeper emotional bonds with the people they serve.
The most powerful emotional bonds with customers are built from the inside out. Leading a global Nike brand team across offices from Portland to Tokyo, Hoffman learned that creativity thrives only when an organization is designed to support it. In this talk, he draws lessons from the world of elite sport to show how the composition and chemistry of the best teams mirror those of the most innovative companies, leaving audiences with the courage and tools to build a genuine culture of ideas.
Courage, Hoffman argues, is in short supply at exactly the moment organizations need it most. In this energizing keynote, he offers a practical, personal methodology for embedding risk-taking into the very structure of a team, not as a one-off experiment but as a repeatable habit. He shows leaders how to incentivize bold thinking, move beyond the comfort zone, and turn the capacity for breakthroughs into a lasting competitive advantage.
An emotional bond with your audience lets a brand transcend its products and leave a lasting legacy, and few brands have done this better than Nike. Using real-world case studies, Hoffman reveals how to speak directly to consumers, stay authentic to your voice, and craft stories in which people see themselves. Audiences learn how emotive storytelling builds a brand persona that endures, motivating customers to connect with the brand and pursue their own aspirations.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Greg Hoffman
Why Greg Hoffman?
Booking Greg Hoffman brings your audience the creative mind behind some of the most iconic brand campaigns in modern history. As Nike's former Chief Marketing Officer, he spent 27 years turning a logo into a global symbol of human potential, and he distills those lessons into practical, repeatable principles any organization can use. Charismatic and deeply insightful, he shows leaders how to unlock creativity, embrace bold risk-taking, and build brands that forge real emotional connections with customers. For events focused on marketing, branding, creativity, innovation, or leadership, Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you bring his expertise to your stage.
What is Greg Hoffman known for?
Hoffman is best known as the former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike, where he spent 27 years and led the creation of landmark campaigns including the Colin Kaepernick "Dream Crazy" film, the Equality campaign, and Nike's Olympic storytelling. He is also the author of the bestselling book Emotion by Design and the founder of the brand advisory group Modern Arena.
What is Greg Hoffman's book Emotion by Design about?
Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike, published by Random House in 2022, draws on Hoffman's nearly three decades at the company to explain how brands can build stronger emotional connections with their audiences. Translated into more than a dozen languages, it offers actionable principles on creativity, storytelling, and leadership, illustrated with behind-the-scenes stories from Nike's most memorable campaigns.
What topics does marketing speaker Greg Hoffman cover?
His keynotes focus on brand-building, emotive storytelling, creative leadership, innovation, and building cultures of radical collaboration and risk-taking. Having spoken at companies such as Netflix, Google, and Meta, he is valued for pairing famous Nike case studies with practical frameworks audiences can apply right away. To check his availability and tailor a keynote or workshop to your event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Greg Hoffman as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Greg Hoffman as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Greg Hoffman's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Greg Hoffman or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Greg Hoffman speaking fee?
Greg Hoffman speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Greg Hoffman to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Greg Hoffman.
How can I contact Greg Hoffman?
We only work with Greg Hoffman on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Greg Hoffman and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Greg Hoffman speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Greg Hoffman for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Greg Hoffman for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Greg Hoffman is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Greg Hoffman for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
