Sheryl WuDunn
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist & Business Executive
Sheryl WuDunn
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist & Business Executive
Biography
Sheryl WuDunn, the first Asian-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize, is a business executive and best-selling author. She co-founded FullSky Partners, a consulting firm focusing on double-bottom line ventures in new media, technology, and healthcare services. She also serves on several boards, including the Board of Overseers at Harvard University, the Board of Directors at BayFirst Financial Corp., the advisory board of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Street Smarts VR, which uses virtual reality to train military police and other first responders.
Previously, Ms. WuDunn served as a vice president in the investment management division at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and as a commercial loan officer at Bankers Trust. She is also one of a small group of individuals who have worked at The New York Times as both an executive and journalist, holding roles in strategic planning and circulation sales, serving as editor for international markets, energy, and industry, anchoring an evening news headlines program for the Discovery-Times channel, and reporting as a foreign correspondent in Tokyo and Beijing. She has also taught courses on China at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and on responsible investing at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she was a Hauser Visiting Leader.
With her husband, Nicholas D. Kristof, Ms. WuDunn is the co-author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, which explores the challenges and opportunities facing America’s working class. Together, they also wrote A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity, which highlights evidence-based approaches to social change and was adapted into a PBS documentary, and Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a No. 1 New York Times bestseller that became a multi-platform movement, including a documentary series and digital initiatives. She has also co-authored Thunder from the East and China Wakes, two influential books on Asia.
Ms. WuDunn has received numerous prestigious honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on China, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement, the George Polk Award, and Overseas Press Club awards. She has also earned recognition from organizations such as the White House Project and Asia Women in Business, among many others.
In 2011, Newsweek named her one of the “150 Women Who Shake the World,” and she has since been recognized by Fast Company, PBS’s The Makers, Harvard Business School, and Business Insider as one of the most influential and accomplished leaders of her generation.
Ms. WuDunn earned an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and she graduated from Cornell University, where she has served on the Board of Trustees. She has also held leadership and advisory roles at Princeton and Cornell.
Ms. WuDunn has received honorary doctorates from the University of Pennsylvania and Middlebury College and is a frequent commentator in national media, appearing on programs such as Meet the Press, Fox Business News, The Colbert Report, NPR, and Bloomberg TV.
A highly sought-after speaker, Sheryl WuDunn addresses corporations, universities, global institutions, and civic organizations on topics including U.S.-China relations, social impact investing, economic inequality, and global development. She brings a unique perspective shaped by her experience in journalism, finance, and public policy, offering audiences clear insights into some of the most pressing challenges facing the world today. Sheryl WuDunn works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.
Speaker Videos
Speech at the 2010 Global Dinner
Fox Business News Interview
Half the Sky Book Trailer
TED: Our Century’s Greatest Injustice
Speech Topics
How to Change the World
What if the most powerful way to change your own life is to help change someone else’s? Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and business executive, explores how purpose, generosity, and action intersect to create meaningful impact. Drawing from her bestselling book A Path Appears, she shares powerful stories from the front lines of social progress—highlighting how individuals from all walks of life have stepped forward to make a difference. WuDunn examines what drives effective change, how to measure impact, and how to avoid common pitfalls that can limit progress. She offers practical, results-driven guidance on how each of us can contribute in ways that are both impactful and sustainable. This talk leaves audiences inspired to take action—and equipped with a clearer sense of how to do it.
Audiences will learn:
How individuals can create meaningful impact in their communities and beyond
What separates effective change-makers from well-intentioned efforts
Practical ways to align purpose with action for lasting results
How to Get Back the American Dream
For millions of Americans, the promise of upward mobility feels increasingly out of reach—but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Sheryl WuDunn brings a deeply human lens to the challenges facing working families across the country. Drawing from her experiences living in rural Oregon and reporting on economic inequality, she explores why the American Dream has eroded for so many—and what it will take to rebuild it. WuDunn emphasizes the importance of acknowledging those left behind, addressing systemic barriers, and leading with empathy for those navigating hardship and uncertainty. Through powerful storytelling and practical insight, she outlines pathways for restoring opportunity and mobility at both the individual and community level. This talk challenges audiences to rethink what progress looks like—and how we can create a more inclusive future.
Audiences will learn:
Why the American Dream has become less accessible for many communities
The role of empathy and understanding in addressing economic inequality
Practical ideas for rebuilding pathways to opportunity and mobility
How Companies Can Be Forces for Good
What if doing good wasn’t a tradeoff—but a competitive advantage? Sheryl WuDunn explores how companies can align purpose with performance to drive both impact and success. Drawing on real-world examples—from Danone’s nutrition initiatives in Bangladesh to Walmart’s ambitious sustainability efforts—she shows how bold, mission-driven strategies can transform lives while strengthening business outcomes. WuDunn examines how purpose energizes employees, builds trust with consumers, and positions companies to lead in a rapidly changing world. She also addresses the growing intersection of business, social impact, and public expectations, offering insight into how organizations can navigate this evolving landscape. This talk demonstrates that companies don’t have to choose between profit and purpose—they can achieve both.
Audiences will learn:
How purpose-driven initiatives can strengthen both impact and business performance
Why employees and consumers are increasingly drawn to mission-led organizations
Practical ways companies can “do well while doing good” in today’s environment
Winning our Planets Battle Against Climate Change
What if the fight against climate change is not only urgent—but winnable? Sheryl WuDunn brings a global and solutions-focused perspective to one of the defining challenges of our time. Drawing on years of reporting on environmental issues—from pollution in China to evaluating renewable energy investments—she explores how climate change is already reshaping economies, communities, and global stability. Yet, amid these challenges, WuDunn highlights a powerful reason for cautious optimism: the rapid advancement of alternative energy and the emergence of a new era of innovation at the local and global level. She connects these developments to tangible opportunities for progress, showing how individuals, communities, and industries can be part of the solution. This talk offers a grounded and hopeful vision for how we can confront climate change—and build a more sustainable future.
Audiences will learn:
Why climate change is an urgent global challenge with far-reaching consequences
How renewable energy and innovation are creating new pathways for progress
Practical ways individuals and communities can contribute to climate solutions
China & the U.S.: Addressing the Great Power Competition
What happens when the world’s two most powerful nations must compete—and cooperate—at the same time? Sheryl WuDunn offers a clear-eyed look at one of the most consequential geopolitical relationships of our era. Drawing on her deep experience reporting on China and global affairs, she examines the high-stakes tensions shaping U.S.–China relations—from Taiwan and the South China Sea to economic competition and technological rivalry. At the same time, WuDunn challenges audiences to see beyond conflict, highlighting the critical areas where collaboration is not only possible but necessary, including climate change, artificial intelligence, and global public health. With nuance and insight, she outlines what a balanced, strategic approach could look like—and what is at risk if we get it wrong. This talk equips audiences with a deeper understanding of the complexities, risks, and opportunities defining the future of global leadership.
Audiences will learn:
The key drivers and risks shaping U.S.–China relations today
Where competition is inevitable—and where cooperation is essential
How global stability depends on navigating this relationship effectively
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