We’re wired to connect! At Speakers Connection we connect Speakers with audiences who want to experience new things, share ideas, and value the importance of the human connection. With over three decades of experience in the event industry, and as your trusted partner, we help minimize risk in your Speaker selection. Our Speakers deliver on topic, budget and with an eye on the audience, every time! Our promise is to provide a short list of Speakers, who meet all of your criteria, allowing you to focus your time on other valuable elements of your meeting. Invite us to create a customized proposal featuring the best qualified speakers for your review.
Because at Speakers Connection, No Matter Where You Hold Your Meeting, Our Speakers Deliver!
A message from our Founder Jo Cavender: I’ve always been interested in education and its relationship to success. At the age of 5 my Mother discovered me on our back porch ‘playing school’ with neighborhood kids, with me being the teacher of course. Fast forward 16 years, I’m standing in front of an urban public school classroom in Memphis TN teaching sales and marketing to a future group of entrepreneurs who were at the forefront of successful careers.
In 1991, wanting to personally test those entrepreneurial skills and having acquired a passion for the spoken word, Northwest Speakers Connection (later changed to Speakers Connection) was conceived. In 2006, with a heightened appreciation of the healthcare industry, we launched our sister website: Speakers On Healthcare.
As part of my leadership in the meetings industry, I have served as past President and board member of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) where I focused on building a collegial spirit among colleagues and became a champion of ethical business practices in the speaker bureau industry. I also represented IASB in the Convention Industry Council, currently known as the Events Industry Council. I was asked to join the Ethics Committee of the National Speakers Association (NSA) as the only bureau owner to have served on that committee. I have received the coveted John Palmer Award, Dottie Walters Award and various other industry awards through IASB.
On a personal front, recognizing the vital role women play in the future of community globally, I co-founded the Columbia-Willamette group for Women of Vision (WOV) in the Portland area and also served on the board of Women of Vision, a ministry in support of World Vision’s transformative work to end poverty. I traveled to Peru offering training in leadership and business practices to women through the World Vision Microenterprise program. On behalf of our community and its partnership with World Vision, I visited Senegal, West Africa to celebrate with the villages where we funded water wells and also talked with the villagers about the importance of education. Each year we make a financial contribution to World Vision for the growth of micro-enterprise programs, healthcare, and education in developing countries.
