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Wade Davis

Wade Davis

Keynote Speaker: Former NFL Cornerback; LGBT Advocate; Executive Director, You Can Play Project; Co-Creator, This is Luv Campaign

Wade Davis Biography

Former NFL Player Wade Davis is a thought leader, public speaker, and writer on gender, race, and orientation equality. Wade is currently the Vice President of Inclusion Strategy for Product at Netflix and has consulted for companies including Google, Procter & Gamble, Viacom, and others to co-create transformative solutions to build inclusive corporate cultures. Additionally, Wade coaches senior leaders to adapt and flex their leadership styles to meet the needs and develop their employee population.

Wade is a Global Champion for Innovation for UN Women, and serves on the boards of MeToo International, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the MAD Foundation, Promundo, the Peace Studio, and Sparks + Honey. Wade is also a Global Champion for Girl Up, a program of the United Nations Foundation.

Wade’s work to engage, educate, and help men understand what actions to take toward gender equality has included partnerships with the Ms. Foundation and Ebony Magazine where he launched the #BlackMenAndFeminism campaign and with the Ms. Foundation For Women’s #MyFeminismIs campaign. Understanding the importance of engaging men around gender equity and equality, Wade built a ‘Men’s Gender Equality Development’ leadership program that launched with the United Nations in 2018.

Wade was the NFL’s first LGBT inclusion consultant and has consulted for numerous professional sports leagues on issues at the intersection of sexism, racism and homophobia. Wade created league-wide inclusive leadership strategies, led inclusion-training sessions for coaches and players, as well as built and launched national engagement initiatives.

In addition to his work in sports and corporate culture and leadership, Wade consults with entertainment industry leaders, including Fox, Viacom, and NBC. A frequent guest on podcasts and as a commentator for various news programs, Wade’s work in media has also included consulting on Oscar winner John Ridley’s series, American Crime, where he also filmed a co-star role.

A former national surrogate for President Obama, Wade has been an Adjunct Professor at both the NYU School of Professional Studies Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media, and Business and the Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration. Wade gave his first TEDx Talk at the University of Florida entitled: The Mask of Masculinity, and works to engage men through a variety of vehicles to become more self-reflective and divest in patriarchal practices. He continues to lecture on the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and sports at universities nationally and internationally.

Davis was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University for his leadership and ongoing efforts to eradicate homophobia and sexism in athletics. He is currently at work on his first book.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Wade Davis and other top speakers and celebrities.

Wade Davis Speaking Topics

LGBT & Sports: The Coming Out Process

As a former NFL player and one of the few openly gay former professional athletes, Wade shares his own coming out process and the work he does as an LGBT consultant for the NFL and as Executive Director of the You Can Play Project, an organization with partnership with including the NHL, MLS, CFL and others.

At Risk vs. At Promise: Defining Inner City Youth

When working in marginalized communities, the words and the language that we use matters, and how we talk about the young people we are trying to impact can determine how we show up – as social justice advocates or as saviors. Do we see their promise? Do we see them as we look at ourselves in the mirror? While working with marginalized youth at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, teaching at the Harvey Milk High School, and creating the country’s only inner city LGBT sports camp, Wade explains how to embody this idea of fictive kinship and see the promise in young people.

Masculinity: An Imaginary Friend

How do you define masculinity? Wade defines masculinity as an imaginary friend, and if left unchecked, masculinity can be highly toxic. Through his teachings and training, he’s learned we must do the work to unlearn the seductive nature of sexism and toxic masculinity, and move to create space for all without stigma and shame being attached. Wade talks about the work he’s done to undo the constraints of perceived masculinity, and move forward in a positive way.

Intentional Diversity & Inclusion

Have we emptied the true meaning of intersectionality by only changing the optics of organizations, without understanding the structural and institutional challenges that go unnoticed? Through practical and tangible examples, see how Wade can help your business evolve into a space where diversity and inclusion become part of your organizational DNA.

Sexism: How Ending Sexist Oppression Will Free Men

Far too often we imagine that ending sexism impacts only women. Yet if we re-imagine the gender roles and expand our understanding of masculinity and femininity, men benefit from the expansion: how they can show up in the world without the pressures of performing toxic forms of hyper masculinity. Wade explores his own dialog with feminism, tools to be pro-active about ending the sexist dialog, and leads conversation around the topic.

Wade Davis Videos

Wade Davis: Women’s Equality Is A Man’s Game Too
2019 Points of Light Conference: Wade Davis
How to Be a Male Ally

How do I book Wade Davis to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Wade Davis 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 Wade Davis, 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 Wade Davis or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Wade Davis for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Wade Davis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Wade Davis are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Wade Davis, 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 Wade Davis speak about?

Wade Davis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as LGBTQ, Diversity, Athlete, TED, Inspirational, Motivational, Sports Motivation, Personal Growth, Football, Sports, Black Heritage, Human Resources and DEI.

Who is the agent for Wade Davis?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Wade Davis 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 Wade Davis 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 Wade Davis 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.


Wade Davis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including LGBTQ, Diversity and Athlete. The estimated speaking fee range to book Wade Davis for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Wade Davis can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jason Collins, Geena Rocero and Chella Man. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Wade Davis for an upcoming event.

Wade Davis Speaking Topics

  • LGBT & Sports: The Coming Out Process

    As a former NFL player and one of the few openly gay former professional athletes, Wade shares his own coming out process and the work he does as an LGBT consultant for the NFL and as Executive Director of the You Can Play Project, an organization with partnership with including the NHL, MLS, CFL and others.

  • At Risk vs. At Promise: Defining Inner City Youth

    When working in marginalized communities, the words and the language that we use matters, and how we talk about the young people we are trying to impact can determine how we show up – as social justice advocates or as saviors. Do we see their promise? Do we see them as we look at ourselves in the mirror? While working with marginalized youth at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, teaching at the Harvey Milk High School, and creating the country’s only inner city LGBT sports camp, Wade explains how to embody this idea of fictive kinship and see the promise in young people.

  • Masculinity: An Imaginary Friend

    How do you define masculinity? Wade defines masculinity as an imaginary friend, and if left unchecked, masculinity can be highly toxic. Through his teachings and training, he’s learned we must do the work to unlearn the seductive nature of sexism and toxic masculinity, and move to create space for all without stigma and shame being attached. Wade talks about the work he’s done to undo the constraints of perceived masculinity, and move forward in a positive way.

  • Intentional Diversity & Inclusion

    Have we emptied the true meaning of intersectionality by only changing the optics of organizations, without understanding the structural and institutional challenges that go unnoticed? Through practical and tangible examples, see how Wade can help your business evolve into a space where diversity and inclusion become part of your organizational DNA.

  • Sexism: How Ending Sexist Oppression Will Free Men

    Far too often we imagine that ending sexism impacts only women. Yet if we re-imagine the gender roles and expand our understanding of masculinity and femininity, men benefit from the expansion: how they can show up in the world without the pressures of performing toxic forms of hyper masculinity. Wade explores his own dialog with feminism, tools to be pro-active about ending the sexist dialog, and leads conversation around the topic.

Wade Davis Videos

Wade Davis: Women’s Equality Is A Man’s Game Too
2019 Points of Light Conference: Wade Davis
How to Be a Male Ally
Feminism Should end Patriarchy - Wade Davis
The Mask of Masculinity | Wade Davis | TEDxUF
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WADE DAVIS

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