Duane Elgin

Futurist, Sustainability Expert, and Author

  • Duane Elgin Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    $10,001 - $20,000

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Travels From

    California, USA

  • Duane Elgin Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    $10,001 - $20,000

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Travels From

    California, USA

Suggested Keynote Speaker Programs

Green Business and New Consumer Values in a World of Rapid Change:

This talk and facilitated audience conversation explores themes ranging from the life stage of the human family to how unprecedented “adversity trends” (such as climate change) are meeting equally unprecedented “opportunity trends” (such as the ...

This talk and facilitated audience conversation explores themes ranging from the life stage of the human family to how unprecedented “adversity trends” (such as climate change) are meeting equally unprecedented “opportunity trends” (such as the communications revolution), and how this, in turn, is producing a pivotal time in human history. Duane further considers what we can do in our personal, professional, and civic lives to build a more promising future. Grounded in more than 35 years of work, the “tipping point talk” provides a big picture perspective for understanding the enormous waves of change that are sweeping the world.

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The World At The Tipping Point -- A Hopeful View of Our Future:

This talk and facilitated audience conversation explores themes ranging from the life stage of the human family to how unprecedented “adversity trends” (such as climate change) are meeting equally unprecedented “opportunity trends” (such as the ...

This talk and facilitated audience conversation explores themes ranging from the life stage of the human family to how unprecedented “adversity trends” (such as climate change) are meeting equally unprecedented “opportunity trends” (such as the communications revolution), and how this, in turn, is producing a pivotal time in human history. Duane further considers what we can do in our personal, professional, and civic lives to build a more promising future. Grounded in more than 35 years of work, the “tipping point talk” provides a big picture perspective for understanding the enormous waves of change that are sweeping the world.

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Moving Toward Simplicity, Sustainability, and Community:

This keynote and/or workshop explores “cool lifestyles for our hot world.” Duane also looks at changing values as well as new forms of community that are emerging in response to climate change, energy shortages, and more. He presents a promising view of a future of...

This keynote and/or workshop explores “cool lifestyles for our hot world.” Duane also looks at changing values as well as new forms of community that are emerging in response to climate change, energy shortages, and more. He presents a promising view of a future of simplicity and community.

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We Live In a Living Universe:

A stunning view of the universe and our evolutionary journey within it is emerging from the combined wisdom of science and spirituality. In this talk, Duane explores these two threads and how they are converging with profound implications for humanity’s sense of identity...

A stunning view of the universe and our evolutionary journey within it is emerging from the combined wisdom of science and spirituality. In this talk, Duane explores these two threads and how they are converging with profound implications for humanity’s sense of identity, life-purpose, and understanding for the nature of the universe that is our home.

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Media Accountability & Citizen Empowerment:

Citizens and communities face the “perfect storm” of a world systems crisis due to climate change, shortages of oil, and more. The conversation of democracy needs to match the seriousness of the challenges we confront. In a grass-roots, trans-partisan movement, ...

Citizens and communities face the “perfect storm” of a world systems crisis due to climate change, shortages of oil, and more. The conversation of democracy needs to match the seriousness of the challenges we confront. In a grass-roots, trans-partisan movement, citizens can create a new level of conversation for democracy and communicate our way into a more sustainable and meaningful future.

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OUR WORLD IN TRANSITION: What lies ahead—disaster or renewal?

We live in a time of growing urgency. Economic breakdowns, climate change, energy shortages, and more fill the headlines. We know the world is changing but in what ways? What are the “adversity trends” and “opportunity trends” that are converging at ...

We live in a time of growing urgency. Economic breakdowns, climate change, energy shortages, and more fill the headlines. We know the world is changing but in what ways? What are the “adversity trends” and “opportunity trends” that are converging at this time and what are the alternative outcomes? Are there “big picture” perspectives that can help us make sense out of these challenging times? Can we see a bigger story being played out? What skills and talents are important to develop in these challenging times? This talk draws primarily upon my books Promise Ahead and Awakening Earth.

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MOVING FROM THE RAT RACE TO THE HUMAN RACE: Cool lifestyles for a hot planet

Lily Tomlin summarized the modern dilemma when she said that, “the problem with the rat race is that, even if you win, you’re still a rat.” Duane asserts that a growing number of people are saying they are not interested in winning the rat race but rather in ...

Lily Tomlin summarized the modern dilemma when she said that, “the problem with the rat race is that, even if you win, you’re still a rat.” Duane asserts that a growing number of people are saying they are not interested in winning the rat race but rather in joining the human race—with a higher quality of life. What does a more balanced and sustainable way of living look like? There is no “cookbook for sustainable lifestyles” with all of the answers, so how are people freshly inventing their lives? How are people shifting how they view the world, themselves, and the human journey as an integral part of changing lifestyles? In what ways is community vital to a future of sustainable prosperity? This talk draws upon the just released and fully revised edition of my book, Voluntary Simplicity.

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COLLECTIVE CRISIS MEETS COLLECTIVE WISDOM: Stunning insights from science and spirituality offer new insights about the universe and the human journey.

Humanity has reached an historic turning point and decisions made today will be felt by people living far into the future. To make those decisions wisely, we can draw upon more than two thousand years of historical learning from both science and spiritual traditions and get a ...

Humanity has reached an historic turning point and decisions made today will be felt by people living far into the future. To make those decisions wisely, we can draw upon more than two thousand years of historical learning from both science and spiritual traditions and get a fresh view of the universe and of the human journey. When we step back and look at the big picture, we see an array of “beacons of hope” in the form of images and archetypes that are commonly recognized and inviting us into a more promising future. This talk draws upon my books, The Living Universe and Awakening Earth as well as a book I co-authored with Joseph Campbell and others, Changing Images of Man.

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About Keynote Speaker Duane Elgin

Duane Elgin’s Key Accomplishments Include . . .
Duane Elgin is an internationally recognized speaker, author and social visionary. For more than three decades, he has defined the cutting edge in consciousness research, in the ecology movement and in future studies. Duane Elgin pioneered the “Voluntary Simplicity” movement with his now classic first book of the same name. Duane Elgin looks beneath the surface turbulence of our times to explore the deeper trends that are transforming our world, examining how momentous “adversity trends” (such as climate change) are meeting equally momentous “opportunity trends” (such as the global communications revolution) and what the implications of such a convergence may hold.

Duane Elgin’s books include: The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going? Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity’s FutureVoluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich and Awakening Earth: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness. With Joseph Campbell and other scholars he co-authored the book Changing Images of Man. In addition, Duane Elgin has contributed chapters to sixteen books, and has published more than seventy articles.

For more than thirty years, Duane Elgin has been speaking and writing in four major areas: the big picture of humanity’s evolutionary journey at this pivotal time in history, more sustainable and satisfying ways of living, media accountability for an empowered citizenry and society, and the convergence of science with the world’s wisdom traditions and their shared views of a living universe.

In the early 1970s, Duane Elgin worked as a senior staff member of a joint Presidential-Congressional Commission on the American Future. He then worked as a senior social scientist with the think-tank SRI International where he co-authored numerous long-range, futures studies, such as:Anticipating Future National and Global Problems (for the President’s Science Advisor), Alternative Futures for Environmental Policy (for the Environmental Protection Agency), The Future of the Automobile (for the Ford Motor Co.), and Limits to the Management of Large, Complex Systems (for the President’s Science Advisor).

Duane Elgin has an MBA from the Wharton Business School, an MA in economic history from the University of Pennsylvania, and an honorary Doctor of Philosophy for work in “ecological and spiritual transformation” from the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco.
In 2005, Duane Elgin received the Japanese “Goi International Peace Award” in recognition of his contribution to a “global vision, consciousness, and lifestyle” that fosters a “more sustainable and spiritual culture.”

More About Duane Elgin. . .
As a speaker, Duane Elgin has given more than 300 keynotes and workshops with audiences ranging from business executives and civic groups to churches and college students. He brings an engaging, conversational approach to his presentations, which audiences often describe as “absolutely captivating” and that they “inspire our deepest thinking.”

Over the past twenty twenty-five years, Duane Elgin has co-founded three non-profit organizations concerned with media accountability and citizen empowerment.

Testimonials

“Duane Elgin gave an absolutely captivating presentation to a very bright and savvy group of business leaders in our ‘Executives Leading Sustainable Change’ program. He provoked our deepest thinking and inspired urgent action! Hiring Duane is one of the best investments we have ever made!”

Rayona Sharpnack

President of the Institute for Women Leadership, Redwood City, California

“Among the nationally distinguished presenters in our ‘Technology and Society Series’ at Santa Clara University, Duane Elgin was one of the finest. His talk and ensuing discussion on alternative futures and ecological lifestyles was rated by students and community participants as one of the most engaging and entertaining presentations of the series. I give Duane Elgin my highest recommendation.”

Mitch Saunders

Director of Programs, California Leadership

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