Martina Navratilova
Tennis Legend & 59-Time Grand Slam Champion | 18 Singles Majors | International Tennis Hall of Fame | LGBTQ+ Advocate & Motivational Speaker
Greg Lukianoff
Free Speech Activist & First Amendment Attorney | President & CEO of FIRE | Co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind & The Canceling of the American Mind
Speaker Greg Lukianoff is the President and CEO of FIRE and one of America's leading defenders of free expression. Co-author of the bestsellers The Coddling of the American Mind and The Canceling of the American Mind, he unpacks the legal, cultural, and psychological roots of polarization and censorship. His keynotes equip leaders and educators to build resilience, viewpoint diversity, and healthier civic discourse.
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Greg Lukianoff biography
Speaker Greg Lukianoff is the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and one of America’s most prominent defenders of free speech, due process, and academic freedom. A First Amendment attorney who has spent more than two decades litigating and advocating on behalf of students and faculty across the political spectrum, he has helped shape the modern conversation on civil liberties on campus and beyond.
Lukianoff is best known to general audiences as the co-author, with Jonathan Haidt, of the bestselling The Coddling of the American Mind, which sparked an international debate on safetyism, mental health, and ideological conformity in higher education. His follow-up with Rikki Schlott, The Canceling of the American Mind, drew on FIRE’s databases to map how cancel culture works, who is affected, and how communities can replace it with a culture of free expression.
From the Courtroom to the Public Square
With degrees from American University and Stanford Law School, Lukianoff combines legal expertise with sharp storytelling. His commentary appears regularly in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and on platforms including NPR and CNN. He is the executive producer of the documentaries Can We Take a Joke? and Mighty Ira, and he leads FIRE’s annual College Free Speech Rankings, the largest survey of student attitudes toward open inquiry on American campuses.
His message lands with corporate audiences, policy forums, and university communities alike: open debate is not optional in a healthy democracy, and resilience and intellectual humility are skills any organization can build. As a speaker, Greg Lukianoff turns deep legal expertise into a clear, optimistic call for better dialogue, drawing on real cases and behavioral science to give audiences practical ways to disagree better. Booked through Aurum Speakers Bureau, his keynotes leave organizations with a stronger framework for handling disagreement, polarization, and the future of free expression.
Greg Lukianoff Speaking Videos
Free speech, explained by Greg Lukianoff
Greg Lukianoff: Cancel Culture, Deplatforming, Censorship & Free Speech
Greg Lukianoff Keynote Topics
Based on the bestseller co-authored with Jonathan Haidt, this keynote examines how three 'great untruths', fragility, emotional reasoning, and us-versus-them thinking, are reshaping mental health, education, and civic life for younger generations. Lukianoff offers concrete strategies for educators, parents, and corporate leaders who want to foster resilience, intellectual humility, and real intellectual diversity inside their organizations.
Drawing on more than two decades of legal advocacy at FIRE, Greg Lukianoff unpacks how threats to freedom of expression have evolved on campus, in workplaces, and across the digital public square. Audiences gain a clear-eyed view of where speech protections actually stand, why they matter for innovation and trust, and how organizations can build cultures that defend open inquiry without slipping into chaos.
Built on the database research behind his bestseller with Rikki Schlott, this keynote breaks cancel culture down into its component parts: who participates, who is targeted, and how patterns differ across the political spectrum. Lukianoff lays out practical steps any institution can take to replace cancellation dynamics with a healthier culture of disagreement, criticism, and reform.
This talk examines how suppressing controversial ideas inside universities weakens the foundations of a free society. Based on his earlier book Unlearning Liberty and on FIRE's annual College Free Speech Rankings, Lukianoff links campus speech codes to broader societal trends, making a compelling case for intellectual diversity, critical thinking, and the long-term value of open inquiry.
With rising rates of anxiety, polarization, and intolerance of discomfort among younger generations, this keynote explores the psychological roots of fragility and how to reverse them. Lukianoff offers tools from cognitive behavioral science and free-speech culture that schools, workplaces, and communities can use to strengthen mental health, encourage constructive disagreement, and develop sharper, more confident thinkers.
FAQs on Booking Greg Lukianoff
Why Greg Lukianoff?
Few speakers can address free speech, mental health, leadership, and education all in one keynote without losing depth in any of them. As President and CEO of FIRE, Greg Lukianoff brings two decades of frontline legal work, two New York Times bestsellers with Jonathan Haidt and Rikki Schlott, and the moral clarity of an attorney who has defended speakers from across the political spectrum. He turns complex First Amendment law and behavioral science into clear, practical guidance. Book Greg Lukianoff through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring one of the country's most influential voices on free expression to your event.
What are Greg Lukianoff's most famous books?
Lukianoff is best known for The Coddling of the American Mind, co-authored with Jonathan Haidt, and The Canceling of the American Mind, co-authored with Rikki Schlott. Both became New York Times bestsellers and helped reframe public debate over campus culture, mental health, and cancel culture. He is also the author of Unlearning Liberty and Freedom from Speech, and the executive producer of the documentaries Can We Take a Joke? and Mighty Ira.
What does Greg Lukianoff speak about?
Lukianoff speaks on free speech and the First Amendment, cancel culture, the mental health and resilience of younger generations, the future of higher education, and how organizations can foster open inquiry and viewpoint diversity. He adapts keynotes for corporate audiences, universities, foundations, and policy forums. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Greg Lukianoff to your stage with a keynote tailored to your audience and themes.
What is FIRE?
FIRE is the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil liberties organization that defends free speech, due process, and academic freedom for students and faculty at American colleges and universities, and increasingly in workplaces and society at large. Greg Lukianoff is its President and CEO and helped lead its expansion from a campus-focused group into a broader First Amendment defender.
How to book Greg Lukianoff as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Greg Lukianoff as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Greg Lukianoff'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 Lukianoff or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Greg Lukianoff speaking fee?
Greg Lukianoff 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 Lukianoff 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 Lukianoff.
How can I contact Greg Lukianoff?
We only work with Greg Lukianoff on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Greg Lukianoff and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Greg Lukianoff 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 Lukianoff 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 Lukianoff for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Greg Lukianoff is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Greg Lukianoff for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
