Community & Nonprofit

By Robert P. Walker, CEO & Founder APB Speakers | When the pandemic hit last March, the event business changed forever.  As our clients scrambled to either cancel events featuring our speakers or struggled with how to go virtual,  APB immediately went to work. Our mission: to offer a virtual platform that would be the next-best thing to an in-person event.

Paralympic medalist and APB speaker Blake Leeper was recently at Scott Sabolich Prosthetics in Oklahoma City being fitted for prosthetics when he discovered that a toddler was down the hall, preparing to walk for the first time in his new prosthesis. In a heartwarming video that has now gone viral, Leeper is heard encouraging and supporting the 2-year-old, saying: “I got my legs on now! I am ready! I’m ready for you! You’re doing great! You’re doing awesome! Look…mine look like yours!”

As we come to the close of what has been a very difficult year for all, we've been reflecting on how fortunate we are to have clients and speakers such as you. The continued collaboration we've had with you throughout 2020 has ignited creativity and innovation, as we together found new ways to navigate life and business while our collective worlds turned upside down. For that we thank you.

Wishing you and yours a very healthy and safe holiday season, 
The APB Family

The APB Virtual Platform (APBVIP) is the next best thing to live, in person events during COVID-19. APBVIP allows clients to recreate the full spectrum of a 1-3 day live conference, including keynotes, panels, workshops, sponsor/exhibitor booths, and more. Recently, the University of New Haven was able to bring their Centennial to life via the APB Virtual Platform. Read about their incredible and successful experience!

A “warrior for gender equality,” Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of cancer at the age of 87 this past Friday. APB speaker and journalist Irin Carmon and attorney and activist Shana Knizhnik co-authored the book, Notorious RBG, a New York Times bestseller after a Tumblr account made by Shana, which highlighted Ruth’s precise wit and fashion sense. The book shares the never-before-told story of a transformative woman who transcends generational divides.  

APB speaker Steve Pemberton’s triumphant life story is about defying seemingly insurmountable odds as a child orphaned into foster care. His best-selling memoir, A Chance in the World, documents his childhood filled with adversity and the priceless acts of kindness he received along the way. This month, Learning Company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) introduced A Chance in the World Integrated SEL Curriculum for students in grades 8-12. This SEL curriculum is designed to bring students and educators together around Steve’s inspiring story of resilience, which portrays his experiences in the foster care system and his quest to uncover the truth about his origins. “This integrated SEL curriculum from HMH provides a dynamic framework for understanding the themes of empathy and resilience, and inspiring readers to overcome challenges to create a better future.” 

APB speaker David Epstein has made it his mission to uncover the keys to achieving high performance in any domain, and to debunk popular myths along the way. In his recent speech at TEDxManchester, he discussed why specializing early doesn't always mean career success. Be sure to check out the video on TED.com!

APB speaker Cleve Jones is a renowned activist whose work began in the 1970s during the gay liberation movement. A mentee of groundbreaking LGBTQ+ activist Harvey Milk, Jones has gone on to co-found the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, create the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and publish the memoir, When We Rise.

One of ten children born to a mother that suffered from both mental illness and substance use disorder, Christina Meredith endured years of traumatic abuse. Empowering others with her inspiring life story, Christina survived sexual, mental and emotional abuse, poverty and homelessness to forge a life committed to helping others. Through strong faith, hard work, and creativity she went on to become Miss California, enroll in college, found her own nonprofit foundation, and pursue the path to becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

APB speaker John Quiñones is an ABC news veteran as well as the host of What Would You Do? on ABC with a new season premiering July 7th  at 10|9c. What Would You Do? is the highly-rated, hidden camera ethical dilemma newsmagazine, and Quiñones has literally become “the face of doing the right thing” to millions of fans. The bystanders on this hidden camera show are forced to make tough calls when directly faced with situations of racism, violence, hate crimes and other cultural issues going on everyday.