The Center for Inquiry (CFI) Speakers Bureau is a tool for campus groups, community groups, and conference organizers to find quality speakers on topics related to CFI’s mission of fostering a secular society based on reason, science, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values.
If you would like to book a speaker, you may email them at the address provided on their profile. Unless indicated otherwise, CFI does not typically act as an intermediary between speakers and groups.
“CFI Speakers” are staff, board members, and volunteer representatives.
If you have questions about the CFI Speakers Bureau, please contact the CFI Outreach Department at outreach@centerforinquiry.
Viewpoints and information presented by speakers do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of, nor should they be attributed to, CFI or its affiliates, or any of their directors or officers.
Found 13 Result(s)
Ronnelle Adams
Topics: Arts & Entertainment, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: African American humanism, Art & science, Coming out atheist, Critical thinking, LGBTQ issues
Ronnelle Adams is an author/poet and secular activist from the Washington, D.C. area. His first children’s book, Aching and Praying, was published in 2011 and he has spoken at the Reason Rally, the American Atheist Convention, and for secular college groups. He has also contributed to an upcoming narratives book, Atheists In America, by Columbia University professor …
Learn more about Ronnelle Adams >Ben Blanchard
Topics: Humanism, Philosophy, Science (General), Social Issues & Movements, Sociology & Anthropology
Subtopics: Alternative medicine, Atheist/secular movement, Campus group organizing, Coming out atheist, Community group organizing, Conspiracy theories, Ethics & morality, Event planning, Evolution, LGBTQ issues, Meaning of life, Paranormal & fringe-science claims, Philosophy of science, Pseudoscience, Science denial, Science education, Sex & sexuality, Skeptic movement
Ben is an organizer and activist best known for his service work through the Pathfinders Project, a yearlong international service trip sponsored by Foundation Beyond Belief. The Pathfinders supported clean water, education, human rights, and environmental conservation work around in eight countries the globe, as well as providing the framework for the Humanist Service Corps. …
Learn more about Ben Blanchard >Diane Burkholder
Topics: Activism & Organizing, Atheism & Secularism, Cognitive Science, Humanism, Social Issues & Movements, Sociology & Anthropology
Subtopics: African American humanism, Atheist/secular movement, Community group organizing, Event planning, LGBTQ issues, Mental illness, Sex & sexuality, Starting a group
Diane Burkholder is a cisgender, queer, mixed race, Black feminist community organizer who has lived in Kansas City since 2011, via South Dakota and California. Her education is in sociology (CSU-Long Beach) and Ethnic Studies (San Francisco State University). She’s a co-founder of One-Struggle KC, a coalition of Kansas City activists seeking to connect the struggles …
Learn more about Diane Burkholder >Greta Christina
Topics: Atheism & Secularism, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: Atheist/secular movement, Coming out atheist, LGBTQ issues
Greta Christina has been writing professionally since 1989, on topics including atheism, sexuality and sex-positivity, LGBT issues, politics, culture, and whatever crosses her mind. She is author of The Way of the Heathen: Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life; of Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God; of Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How …
Learn more about Greta Christina >JT Eberhard
Topics: Activism & Organizing, Psychology, Religion, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: Atheist/secular movement, Campus group organizing, Event planning, LGBTQ issues, Mental illness
As a student, JT Eberhard co-founded the Missouri State University Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which became one of the nation’s largest and most active college skeptic groups within a year. He would go on to lead the group for five years. He previously served as the High School Specialist with the Secular Student …
Learn more about JT Eberhard >Nick Fish
Topics: Politics
Subtopics: LGBTQ issues, Lobbying, Separation of church and state
Nick is a civil rights and civil liberties activist who has spent his career in nonprofit advocacy, organizing, and fundraising. Since running an office that knocked on 25,000 doors and registered 5,000 voters in North Carolina during the 2008 election, Nick has worked with some of the nation’s most prominent political organizations and progressive nonprofits. …
Learn more about Nick Fish >Noelle George
Topics: Activism & Organizing, Atheism & Secularism, Chemistry, Humanism, Psychology, Science (General), Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: Atheist/secular movement, Coming out atheist, Community group organizing, Event planning, LGBTQ issues, Mental illness, Starting a group, Women & gender
Noelle George is a secular activist who grew up in Seattle and studied chemical engineering at the University of Washington. She didn’t become passionate about secular activism until she moved to Houston, TX in 2004 and was often asked, “Where do you go to church?” Noelle moved to Houston to work for a Fortune 500 …
Learn more about Noelle George >Sheldon Helms
Topics: Education, Psychology
Subtopics: LGBTQ issues, Sex & sexuality
Sheldon W. Helms is a professor of experimental psychology at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA, where he runs The Ohlone Psychology Speaker Series, hosting top-name skeptics, scientists, and authors who contribute to the teaching of critical thinking. A longtime skeptic, Sheldon has spoken for dozens of secular and skeptical groups across the country about a variety …
Learn more about Sheldon Helms >Trav Mamone
Topics: Humanism, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: LGBTQ issues
Trav Mamone is a bisexual genderqueer atheist writer and podcaster who focuses on the intersections of social justice and secular humanism. They’ve written for Ravishly, Everyday Feminism, The Humanist, Paste, and The Establishment, among others. They also host the Bi Any Means Podcast, co-host the Biskeptical Podcast, and regularly write for HuffPost. Watch Trav speak at the American Humanist conference: Listen to …
Learn more about Trav Mamone >Marissa Alexa McCool
Topics: Arts & Entertainment, Debates, History, Media, Philosophy, Politics, Social Issues & Movements, Sociology & Anthropology
Subtopics: Art & science, Atheist/secular movement, Comedy, Critical thinking, Ethics & morality, Filmmaking, Free expression issues, Journalism, LGBTQ issues, Music, Poetry, Sex & sexuality, Social media, Women & gender
Marissa Alexa McCool, 32, is a podcaster, author, performer, speaker, and an LGBT rights/atheist activist. She’s a trans woman, married, partnered, and a parent. Born in Akron, Ohio and currently residing in Saint Paul, Minnesota with her family, she graduated the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with degrees in English, Cinema and Media Studies, and …
Learn more about Marissa Alexa McCool >Maryam Namazie
Topics: Activism & Organizing, Atheism & Secularism, Politics, Religion, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: Atheist/secular movement, Campus group organizing, Coming out atheist, Community group organizing, Event planning, Free expression issues, History of atheism/secularism, Islam, Leaving religion, LGBTQ issues, Lobbying, Religious criticism, Religious extremism, Separation of church and state, Starting a group
Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born writer and activist. She is the Spokesperson for Fitnah – Movement for Women’s Liberation, One Law for All and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. She hosts a weekly television programme in Persian and English called Bread and Roses. She is on the International Advisory Board of the Raif Badawi …
Learn more about Maryam Namazie >Chris Stedman
Topics: Activism & Organizing, Humanism, Philosophy, Religion, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: Campus group organizing, Ethics & morality, LGBTQ issues
Chris Stedman is the Interfaith and Community Service Fellow for the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University and the Managing Director of State of Formation, a new initiative at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. Chris received an MA in Religion from Meadville Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago, for which he was awarded the …
Learn more about Chris Stedman >Kayley Whalen
Topics: Activism & Organizing, Atheism & Secularism, Humanism, Politics, Psychology, Social Issues & Movements
Subtopics: Atheist/secular movement, Ethics & morality, LGBTQ issues, Sex & sexuality, Women & gender
Kayley Whalen is an activist who works at the intersections of humanism, racial justice, transgender and queer issues, immigration, disability advocacy and drug policy reform. She is the Digital Strategies and Social Media Manager at the National LGBTQ Task Force and the Digital Strategy Co-Director at Trans United Fund. She is multi-racial Latina/white. She skated with the DC …
Learn more about Kayley Whalen >