Our next-gen speakers bureau is live, and here’s why it matters to you
- Future Ancestors Services
- Mar 4
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 22
The Future Ancestors Services speakers bureau is live, with new Speakers being added to the line-up monthly. Explore what this means and how we're taking an innovative approach to Speaker representation.
You need someone to come in for a speech or training that meets the needs of your event and audience, and who will deliver their information and story in an engaging and accessible way. What do you do next?
According to the Diversity & Inclusion Industry Survey in 2023, over 60% or organizations will go to social media to find them, and 75% of them will struggle to find the right speaker.
But, what if you're a non-profit, student group, or grassroots collective with a limited budget - where do you find the right Speaker with ethical pricing?
You could go to a traditional Speakers Bureau. What you may find difficult to find, though, are Speaker rates and options that are considerate of smaller budgets.
Say it's also important to you that the Speaker carries lived experiences that inform their qualification and perspective to speak on a certain topic. You're struggling to find these Speakers through a Google search, or you may be uncomfortable with all the 'diverse' Speakers being siloed to the DEI section of a speakers bureau. What now?
Recognizing that these lines of inquiry are oftentimes met with adbrupt outcomes, we have launched a next-generation Speakers Bureau that deviates from the norm: a platform led by and representing voices too often sidelined. With tailored pricing structures that centre ethical and accessible pricing, we ensure that transformative engagements are possible even on tighter budgets. And we don’t stop at bookings; our bureau is also a community where Speakers receive mentorship, join communities of practice, and find real opportunities for growth.
"After providing speaking, training, and research services across Canada for several years, I saw a glaring need: clients who wanted to hire diverse Speakers had few resources to find them. With the demand for diversity growing and systemic racism being increasingly challenged, it became clear that the traditional competitive business models didn't serve our collective goals of equity and climate justice," explains Larissa Crawford, our Founder. "Instead of seeing other diverse service providers as competition, we see them as partners. We focus on uplifting and promoting these voices, contributing to more equitable and sustainable futures."
"This is social innovation in the interest of the well-being of our future generations and Mother Earth." - Larissa Crawford, Founder
Our Speakers themselves feel the impact of this approach. Adebayo Chris Katiiti (Mwami/Sebo/He/They), one of our represented voices, shares, "I have gained 3k plus followers since you shared my work. I don't take that for granted... I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to you, esteemed ancestor of the future, for your visibility, support, and the thoughtful manner in which you have shared my profile."
Cassie Ayoungman (she/her), another cherished Speaker in our bureau, remarked during her onboarding, "I am just going through the onboarding process that you have created and wanted to say how amazed I am by your hard work and dedication... I am in awe of all the incredible work you’ve done for your organization."
The Speakers you'll find here are making provenly innovative impact, everyday
How do you define innovation?
However you define it, most of us can at least recognize that fundamentally, the quality and effectiveness of our innovation is borne from the voices we open our minds and spaces to.
We connect you with experts who might be overlooked by mainstream agencies or a Google search who bring fresh, crucial perspectives and innovative ideas rooted in the work and impact they're making every day.
From tackling climate change and advocating for social justice to driving technological innovations and pushing the boundaries of medical science, their work is deeply rooted in personal experience. These are voices your audience haven't likely heard before, delivering unique and impactful experiences that can transform your spaces.
This unique approach allows our Speakers to connect with their audiences on a more profound level. Their presentations go beyond traditional lectures, offering interactive, engaging, and profoundly personal insights that resonate long after the event has ended. We've witnessed this intimately through the established relationships we have with any Speaker we represent.
We also choose to represent people who are consciously moving forward with ancestral accountability. They acknowledge that through their work, they're shaping realities present and future generations are inheriting, and they allow that to shape the actions they take.
TIKA (she/her), a Represented Speaker, captures this beautifully:
"Whether through my art, my advocacy, or my dedication to mental and emotional healing, I’m creating a ripple effect that will continue to impact the world long after my time. Acting as a future ancestor means living with intention, knowing that the love, wisdom, and change I create now will shape the future in ways I might never fully see, but will always feel."
For us, innovation is more than technological advancement. How we define innovation includes (and even prioritizes) the application of traditional and ancestral knowledge to our contemporary realities, and we like to think that that in itself is innovative.
Booking with a next-generation speakers bureau is just different
A next-generation speakers bureau sounds cool, but let's take a minute to consider what that actually means and why that's relevant to you.
This is an evolution of the traditional platform for sourcing public speakers, redesigned to meet today's and tomorrow's needs for diversity, authenticity, and impact with foresight. Instead of focusing primarily on securing well-known personalities, this new model of a speakers bureau prioritizes a broad spectrum of voices that encourages connections among the Speakers, with tangible supports for them to grow and expand their businesses and impact.
And this is great for you. Here are a few reasons why booking with us will feel differently than, well, not.
We'll help maximize your investment.
When you book through us, you’re getting more than a Speaker. We prioritize ethical and accessible pricing so that you can secure outcomes that drive business growth, culture shifts, and long-term success in alignment with the investment you make.
We connect you with sometimes hidden talent.
We connect you with powerful Speakers and Trainers who are often overlooked by mainstream platforms. These experts bring fresh perspectives, lived experiences, and innovative ideas that your audience likely won’t hear anywhere else, making your event uniquely impactful. Using a unique model that allows the Speaker to take agency in the development and execution of a contract, we remain a guiding agent for respectful and smoothly operating Client-Speaker relationships.
We give you the opportunity to build community credibility with values-driven partnership.
Partnering with us signals your commitment to meaningful, forward-thinking engagement. By bringing in credible voices in sustainability, diversity, and innovation, you're better positioned to foster community relationships that centre trust through action and resource allocation.
Pivoting Future Ancestors Services
Today, we are a next-generation Speakers Bureau connecting clients with diverse entrepreneurs who provide speaking and training services at accessible pricing, alongside offering in-house professional services. Specializing in community impact, sustainability, Indigenization, disability, and more, the voices we represent are charting futures that inherently address our most pressing systemic challenges.
Incorporated in Alberta and serving clients globally, we are a Black, Indigenous, queer, disabled, and woman-led organization. Our leadership not only reflects the communities we serve but also approaches our work with lived experience, cultural understanding, and a dedication to dismantling systems of exclusion.
You may remember us as a subcontractor consulting firm. The reality behind a polished presentation was quite frankly a chronic state of survival that came alongside a journey towards 'doing business differently,' and a Founder who didn't always show up from the team, clients, and oragnization. To address challenges in our business structure, Larissa's management, and Contractor supports, we transitioned to a speakers bureau model carrying the many learnings from the ways we failed.
In 2020 we actually piloted a speakers bureau - the Future Ancestors Service Constellation - which has guided our strategic pivot to address past challenges, optimize resources, and expand engagement. This shift allows us to scale growth, expand client capacity, and better support entrepreneurs, broadening our impact through talented speakers and trainers.
We're thankful for the community that continues to be apart of the journey we're all on to doing our best and understanding what that looks like. Many of the Speakers we represent have their own Founder stories characterized by embracing change and learning, like Miranda Baksh (she/her), from which we draw so much inspiration and hope:
"My organization is also going into strategic planning mode to change our operational model into something that I am hoping is more mentally sustainable for me. Seeing Future Ancestors' evolution was sort of the 'permission' I needed to take the leap and I'm so glad my team and I are trying something new."
Learn more about our creation story. and what's next here.
So, looking to book a Speaker? You don’t need a specific Speaker in mind to start the conversation. Just reach out with your needs, and we'll tailor suggestions that align with your vision and goals. For any queries or to discuss your event requirements, you can contact us at speakers@futureancestors.ca.
Additionally, explore our in-house services led by Larissa Crawford (she/elle), offering bespoke speaking, training, and consulting tailored to foster change and inspire action.
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