Ryann Richardson

Founder, Political Activist, Miss Black America
Ryann
Richardson

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AVAILABLE FOR

Keynote
Virtual Presentation
Fireside Chat
Panelist
Emcee
Moderator
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Fee ranges

Domestic In-Person (USA):

$15,000*

International In-Person:

Please inquire

Virtual:

$12,500*

Other:

* Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees vary by engagement type and are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact Gravity Speakers.

Traveling from

New York, USA

About

Ryann Richardson made history when she became the 50th Anniversary Miss Black America, taking up the mantle of the country’s first pageant and nationally televised celebration of women of color. Before that, the tech marketer-turned-founder and Diversity & Inclusion leader spent 10 years building brands and shaping internal culture for companies spanning from early-stage startups (Victor) to billion-dollar "unicorns" (Uber) to the Fortune 500 (T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom).  Her work earned her a spot as the youngest honoree on Savoy Magazine’s list of Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America and set her on the path of discovering her unique purpose as a champion for underrepresented voices.

Ryann led East Coast regional marketing and partnerships at Uber. She’s credited with directing the company’s marketing presence at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and later developed Uber’s first comprehensive multicultural marketing strategy.  After experiencing the negative effects of the company’s, now-infamous, toxic culture Ryann co-founded Uber’s employee-led Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, a grassroots team dedicated to social and policy change within the organization.

Ryann was previously Vice President and Head of North American Marketing for UK-based private aviation marketplace app, Victor, and early in her career, worked on the national expansion of the MetroPCS wireless brand after T-Mobile’s acquisition of the then-regional company.

Today, Ryann is a Keynote Speaker and host. Through her national speaking tour, she's reached thousands of people of color, women, marginalized people, and allies with talks on social equity, representation, and culture. Her TED Talk on the Politics of Beauty and Power comes to TED.com in early 2020 and she stars in the upcoming feature documentary, Subjects of Desire, exploring the evolution of American beauty standards and the appropriation of Black cultural aesthetics.

Now in her second act as a founder, she's building the Ellington Lafayette Co., a new type of tech incubator, focusing exclusively on startups that drive social equity for women, people of color, and other marginalized communities.

Ryann also leads the TAKE UP SPACE MVMT, a social action campaign focused on building social, political, and economic power for historically marginalized communities through educational programming, grassroots activism, and commercial and non-profit partnerships.

In 2020, Ryann endorsed and became a national surrogate for Pete Buttigieg's Presidential campaign. She travels to key battleground states stumping for the former Mayor and advocating policies with specific impact on the lives of people of color. In 2021, Ryann was also featured in the documentary “Subjects of Desire”. The documentary explores the cultural shift in North American beauty standards towards embracing Black female aesthetics and features while exposing the deliberate and often dangerous portrayals of Black women in the media.

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Topics

Topics

Pressure Makes Diamonds: Finding purpose and a new path in a time of crisis

The Art of the Pivot: Re-assess, Re-define, and Re-direct

Take Up Space: Our Right, Our Responsibility, Our Rebellion

Power and Duty in Our New Innovation Revolution

The Truth About Beauty and Power

2020 Vision: It’s Time We See an Actual “Black Agenda”

Workshop: Build Stuff that Matters

Ryann works with clients to craft bespoke presentations for their unique audience needs.

Videos

https://youtu.be/GUq107opZwk
TEDxCitrusParkWomen: Beauty is Power: Why I'm No Longer Afraid to Own It
https://youtu.be/P_Mvh74YIQ0
Wonder Women in Tech 2019: Ryann Richardson
https://youtu.be/H7loGDCXh-E
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ALC 2019: Natural as Miss Black America - Ryann Richardson
https://youtu.be/IsRFOSJoD6Q
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ALC 2019: On Reshaping a "Professional" Look Ryann Richardson
https://wjla.com/news/lets-talk/a-dc-native-takes-the-miss-black-american-crownhttps://wjla.com/news/lets-talk/a-dc-native-takes-the-miss-black-american-crown
WJLA: A DC Native takes the Miss Black American Crown

Books

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Testimonials

“Ryann Richardson was an absolute delight to work with. Her infectious spirit and positivity is something she is able to exude both on and off the stage. Our audience loved hearing her speak about her personal journey, which she wove together with her expertise and humor. Ryann is one of those forces that you have to sit back in awe and just watch. What I most appreciated about working with Ryann is how down-to-earth and approachable she was with not only my team, but with the audience and anyone else who crossed her path. I highly recommend Ryann Richardson. She is strong, confident, and impressive, and she is a gift to any program, event or initiative.”

Lisa Mae Brunson
Founder, Wonder Women Tech

“Thank you so very much for your time, talent and the outpouring of your wisdom. I think I can speak for not only myself, but also for all of the attendees, when I say we all left full, and encouraged. No matter where each woman is in their career, I am positive that they left feeling more empowered, with more clarity.”

Shana Bryant
Founder, HUSTLEx2 Conference

“Ryann Richardson was a huge asset and contribution to our most recent Fashinnovation conference held at FIT during NYFW. Her words of enlightenment on being a woman enhancing Women’s Empowerment and her stance on inclusivity in a space that is mostly male dominated (tech space) was extremely inspiring! Thank you SO much for shining your bright light on our stage.”

Jordana Guimaraes
Co-Founder, FASHINNOVATION

“We really enjoyed having Ryann at BITCON2019!  She brought grace, intelligence, and beauty to the stage. Her talks resonated strongly within our program.”

Elizabeth Cotton
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Blacks in Technology/BITCON

“We had the honor and pleasure to welcome Ryann in celebration of International Women’s Day. We talked about career, political engagement, inclusion, equality, and what it means when women deliberately take up space. Authentic and generous, Ryann inspired us all!”

Founder, She for S.H.E
Valérie-Anne Demulier

“Ryann Richardson is the quintessential balance of elegant perspective and powerful impact.I had the rare and incredible pleasure of highlighting Ryann as a glorified keynote speaker for a TEDx in Southern California. She is the perfect combination of entertainment, insightfulness, inspiration, intellect and globally sound reasoning. It is a joy to watch as she guides her audiences through transformational thinking and personal awareness; truly raising the collaboration and oneness of her audiences beyond imaginable limits. Ryann is at best, revolutionary lightning in a bottle.”

Erica Morrison
Global HR Executive and Curator of TEDxCitrusParkWomen