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Dr. Donna M Beegle

Dr. Donna M Beegle

Keynote Speaker: President of Communication Across Barriers Inc. & Author of "See Poverty, Be The Difference"

Dr. Donna M Beegle Biography

Donna Beegle grew up in generational, migrant-labor poverty and was essentially homeless the first 26 years of her life. She is the only member of her family who has not been incarcerated. At 15, she left school to get married and start a family. But, at 25, she found herself with two children, no husband, little education, few marketable job skills, and no access to affordable housing. With the help of Community Action and mentors, she received stable housing and was able to achieve her GED and—10 years later—her doctorate in educational leadership. She focused her studies and research on understanding poverty impacts and solutions for assisting children and adults to move out and stay out of the crisis of poverty. All these experiences provide Dr. Beegle with an authentic voice with which to speak, write, and train across the nation to break the iron cage of poverty.

Dr. Beegle brings an insider perspective combined with 34 years of working with communities in all 50 states to improve outcomes for our neighbors living in the crisis of poverty. As president of Communication Across Barriers, a consulting firm dedicated to building poverty-informed communities that are armed with tools to break barriers, Dr. Beegle has designed models and curriculum to directly impact people currently in poverty, as well as professionals who want to make a difference for children and adults living in poverty. She works directly with children and adults currently in poverty, as well as professionals who want to make a difference. Dr. Beegle works with social service, housing, educators, justice professionals, health care providers, and communities across the nation who want to assist people of all races in moving out and staying out of the war zone of poverty. Dr. Beegle is also the founder of the Opportunity Community movement, which provides the structure and foundation for communities to work together in new ways to break poverty barriers.

Her inspiring story and work have been featured on CNN and PBS and in publications around the nation. Dr. Beegle has authored four books and training curriculum sets, including “See Poverty...Be the Difference,” “An Action Approach for Educating Students in Poverty,” “Breaking Poverty Barriers to Equal Justice,” and “If Not Me, Then Who? Empowering Our Neighbors.” Dr. Beegle has won numerous awards including Speaker of the Year for the New Mexico Bar Foundation, Woman of Influence for Portland Business Association, Oregon Ethics in Business award, the Telly Award for her poverty-informed work on the Opportunity Knock$ series that helps families get out of poverty, and she was selected as a Woodrow Wilson Princeton Fellow. In addition, she has had two classrooms in the Portland State University School of Social Work named in her honor for the work she has done to change lives for youth and adults in poverty. Her favorite quote is “I know too much to be silent.”

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dr. Donna M Beegle and other top speakers and celebrities.

Dr. Donna M Beegle Speaking Topics

Building your Resource Backpack: A Proven Model for Breaking Poverty Barriers to Education

Schools cannot fight the evil villain “Poverty” alone. We have to work together in ways we have never worked before to build a poverty-informed community that aligns with a schools efforts to break poverty barriers. In this session, Dr. Beegle will share case studies of communities and schools who have succeeded in doing community-wide efforts to remove any poverty barrier that can be removed. This session provides a foundation for moving from “It’s not my job” to “If not me, then who” approach to breaking barriers. Dr. Beegle shares tools that assist in working more effectively with community partners to remove any poverty barrier that can be removed.

Teaching and Learning Tools that Work for People Who Live in the Crisis of Poverty

The impacts of poverty on our students does not stop at the school door. Students are bombarded daily with the worries of daily life—such as having no place to live, no food to eat, cars being towed, lights being shut out, and so many other injuries of poverty. For students who come from poverty, only 11 percent leave college with a degree or certificate. For students who come out of the foster care system, only three percent leave with a degree or certificate. In this interactive session, Dr. Donna M. Beegle—who was born into generational, migrant labor poverty—will provide insights into what faculty, staff, and leaders can do to improve educational outcomes for all students. She assists participants with effective teaching and learning strategies that help make the learning more purposeful and meaningful to students facing poverty. During this session, she builds a foundation for the systemic changes needed to ensure that students from poverty succeed.

Communicating and Relating More Effectively Across Poverty Barriers

Research has shown that people who live in the crisis of poverty, much like Donna, enter school with a much different exposure to vocabulary and experiences than people from middle-class. In this session, Dr. Beegle uses activities and breakouts to engage leaders and faculty in understanding their own communication and relationship styles and how the messages sent in an organization in writing or verbally are often not the messages received. Participants gain insights into differences in communicating and relating more effectively across social class barriers. This session explores the impact of life experiences on communication styles and provides a framework for improving an organizations communication and relationships with people who live in the war zone of poverty.

In addition to the foundational training session, Dr. Beegle has the following training sessions that she can add to your professional development, or she can weave many of the strategies from these sessions into the other foundational training sessions.

Breaking the Iron Cage of Poverty for Leaders

Leaders set the tone for how an organizations culture responds to the impacts of poverty and racism. Most information on poverty comes from the media, which predominately provides stories that perpetuate myths and stereotypes. In this interactive segment, Dr. Beegle will provide leaders and faculty with a poverty knowledge base necessary for creating a more inclusive, responsive environment for students living in the crisis of poverty. Participants will gain tools for understanding how life looks and feels from the perspectives of people impacted by the many different types of poverty and what barriers we need to remove to increase success. Dr. Beegle will weave her story of dropping out of school at 15 to marry, then obtaining her GED at Mt. Hood Community College at 26 and—10 years later—her doctorate in educational leadership. She will provide participants with concrete examples of how other organizations are using her poverty-informed practices to change the statistic of people living in poverty.

Poverty-Informed Training

One of the best places to start is by providing poverty-informed training to your leaders, faculty, and staff to build the internal capacity of your organization. With these poverty-informed training sessions, participants will be given a foundational understanding of poverty, common definition of poverty, the many different lived experiences, and how each impacts a person living in poverty success along with practical and actionable items that improve outcomes. We recommend the poverty-informed training sessions start with the following two training sessions which build the foundation for creating equity and a poverty-informed campus.

Dr. Donna M Beegle Videos

Transformations Podcast Interview: Dr. Donna Beegle
GSBA Summer Conference keynote speaker Dr. Donna Beegle ...
Barnes and... A Conversation with Dr. Donna Beegle - YouTube

How do I book Dr. Donna M Beegle to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dr. Donna M Beegle for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dr. Donna M Beegle, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dr. Donna M Beegle or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Dr. Donna M Beegle for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Dr. Donna M Beegle, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dr. Donna M Beegle are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. Donna M Beegle, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Dr. Donna M Beegle speak about?

Dr. Donna M Beegle is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Educational Motivation, Family & Parenting, Women, Inspirational, Social Activism, Motivational, Education, Non-Profit and Workshop.

Where does Dr. Donna M Beegle travel from?

Dr. Donna M Beegle generally travels from Tigard, OR, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Dr. Donna M Beegle?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dr. Donna M Beegle for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dr. Donna M Beegle for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dr. Donna M Beegle or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Dr. Donna M Beegle is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Educational Motivation, Family & Parenting and Women. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dr. Donna M Beegle for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Dr. Donna M Beegle generally travels from Tigard, OR, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Liz Dozier, Stacey Bess and Erin Gruwell. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dr. Donna M Beegle for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/09/2024.

Dr. Donna M Beegle Speaking Topics

  • Building your Resource Backpack: A Proven Model for Breaking Poverty Barriers to Education

    Schools cannot fight the evil villain “Poverty” alone. We have to work together in ways we have never worked before to build a poverty-informed community that aligns with a schools efforts to break poverty barriers. In this session, Dr. Beegle will share case studies of communities and schools who have succeeded in doing community-wide efforts to remove any poverty barrier that can be removed. This session provides a foundation for moving from “It’s not my job” to “If not me, then who” approach to breaking barriers. Dr. Beegle shares tools that assist in working more effectively with community partners to remove any poverty barrier that can be removed.

  • Teaching and Learning Tools that Work for People Who Live in the Crisis of Poverty

    The impacts of poverty on our students does not stop at the school door. Students are bombarded daily with the worries of daily life—such as having no place to live, no food to eat, cars being towed, lights being shut out, and so many other injuries of poverty. For students who come from poverty, only 11 percent leave college with a degree or certificate. For students who come out of the foster care system, only three percent leave with a degree or certificate. In this interactive session, Dr. Donna M. Beegle—who was born into generational, migrant labor poverty—will provide insights into what faculty, staff, and leaders can do to improve educational outcomes for all students. She assists participants with effective teaching and learning strategies that help make the learning more purposeful and meaningful to students facing poverty. During this session, she builds a foundation for the systemic changes needed to ensure that students from poverty succeed.

  • Communicating and Relating More Effectively Across Poverty Barriers

    Research has shown that people who live in the crisis of poverty, much like Donna, enter school with a much different exposure to vocabulary and experiences than people from middle-class. In this session, Dr. Beegle uses activities and breakouts to engage leaders and faculty in understanding their own communication and relationship styles and how the messages sent in an organization in writing or verbally are often not the messages received. Participants gain insights into differences in communicating and relating more effectively across social class barriers. This session explores the impact of life experiences on communication styles and provides a framework for improving an organizations communication and relationships with people who live in the war zone of poverty.

    In addition to the foundational training session, Dr. Beegle has the following training sessions that she can add to your professional development, or she can weave many of the strategies from these sessions into the other foundational training sessions.

  • Breaking the Iron Cage of Poverty for Leaders

    Leaders set the tone for how an organizations culture responds to the impacts of poverty and racism. Most information on poverty comes from the media, which predominately provides stories that perpetuate myths and stereotypes. In this interactive segment, Dr. Beegle will provide leaders and faculty with a poverty knowledge base necessary for creating a more inclusive, responsive environment for students living in the crisis of poverty. Participants will gain tools for understanding how life looks and feels from the perspectives of people impacted by the many different types of poverty and what barriers we need to remove to increase success. Dr. Beegle will weave her story of dropping out of school at 15 to marry, then obtaining her GED at Mt. Hood Community College at 26 and—10 years later—her doctorate in educational leadership. She will provide participants with concrete examples of how other organizations are using her poverty-informed practices to change the statistic of people living in poverty.

  • Poverty-Informed Training

    One of the best places to start is by providing poverty-informed training to your leaders, faculty, and staff to build the internal capacity of your organization. With these poverty-informed training sessions, participants will be given a foundational understanding of poverty, common definition of poverty, the many different lived experiences, and how each impacts a person living in poverty success along with practical and actionable items that improve outcomes. We recommend the poverty-informed training sessions start with the following two training sessions which build the foundation for creating equity and a poverty-informed campus.

Dr. Donna M Beegle Videos

Transformations Podcast Interview: Dr. Donna Beegle
GSBA Summer Conference keynote speaker Dr. Donna Beegle ...
Barnes and... A Conversation with Dr. Donna Beegle - YouTube
Wingate University - Wingate Presents: Donna Beegle - YouTube

Dr. Donna M Beegle Reviews

  • Integrated Community Alternatives Network - Sep 05 2024

  • Tullahoma City Schools - Jul 29 2024

  • Tennessee School Boards Association - Nov 30 2023

  • Dr. Beegle was absolutely incredible to work with!
    Integrated Community Alternatives Network - Oct 04 2023

  • BMCC - May 11 2022

  • How do I book Dr. Donna M Beegle to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dr. Donna M Beegle for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dr. Donna M Beegle, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dr. Donna M Beegle or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Dr. Donna M Beegle for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Dr. Donna M Beegle, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dr. Donna M Beegle are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. Donna M Beegle, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Dr. Donna M Beegle speak about?

    Dr. Donna M Beegle is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Educational Motivation, Family & Parenting, Women, Inspirational, Social Activism, Motivational, Education, Non-Profit and Workshop.
  • Where does Dr. Donna M Beegle travel from?

    Dr. Donna M Beegle generally travels from Tigard, OR, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Dr. Donna M Beegle?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dr. Donna M Beegle for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dr. Donna M Beegle for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dr. Donna M Beegle or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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