News Room

  • After some 250 gigs, Larry Bergnach retiring from the free speech circuit – Daily Southtown

    October 15, 2018

    Larry BergnachLarry Bergnach was giving a presentation about Riverview Park, the old Chicago amusement destination that closed in the 1960s, when an elderly man in the audience chimed in with his own memories of Riverview.

    The talk was at an elder care facility, and Bergnach later learned the man was in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease and had not spoken at that length “on any topic for four years,” Bergnach said.

    Those kinds of experiences were why Bergnach, of Oak Lawn, worked the pro bono speakers circuit.

    “After I would do a speech, the people were so appreciative,” he said. (more…)

  • Lunch-and-learn presentations bring excitement to workplace – Arizona Republic

    February 16, 2018

    Arizona RepublicRequests from companies planning Lunch and Learns for employees are trending much higher, according to FreeSpeakers.org, a pro bono speakers bureau. In the 2000’s, Lunch & Learns seemed to decline, but in the past six months, the speakers bureau has noticed an increase in the number of requests for speakers for businesses.

    Local groups and organizations such as Rotary clubs, libraries, and chambers of commerce are still the primary users of free speakers from our bureau, but the increase in companies making requests is significant and on the rise. (more…)

  • Non-profit matches speakers with audiences – Arizona Republic

    September 5, 2017

    Arizona RepublicMaricopa County has a vast number of not-for-profit groups, clubs and organizations. In fact, you could say the county is awash with astonishing generosity and community spirit. According to the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, the state is home to more than 21,000 nonprofit organizations that employ more than 160,000 people and engage thousands of volunteers.

    Think about libraries, retirement communities, churches, women’s groups, men’s groups, Rotaries and chambers of commerce, to mention a few. All of them are doing good things for people, and many of them feature a guest speaker at their meetings. (more…)

  • Need a speaker? New service offers speakers free of charge – Scottsdale Independent

    August 14, 2017

    Scottsdale-IndependentA new resource for groups and organizations that need speakers is now available in Phoenix and its suburbs.

    FreeSpeakers.org, a pro bono speakers bureau, has more than 20 local speakers with more than 25 different topics available.

    “All speakers present programs at no cost,” said Andy Richardson, director of FreeSpeakers.org. “This is a community service project that is 100 percent free to groups that need speakers. There is no charge to any group. Ever. Not from the speaker and not from the bureau.” (more…)

  • Free Speakers Bureau Matches Speakers to Groups

    July 31, 2017

    Speaking Opportunities in IndyWhat started with a single telephone call 15 years ago has grown into something that Free Speech Speakers Bureau founder Ginny Richardson of Burr Ridge could never have imagined.

    Richardson, founder and president of Ginny Richardson Public Relations in Hinsdale, received a phone call one day from a local Rotary Club. The club wanted a speaker for an upcoming meeting, and turned to Richardson and her connections in the community for help.

    “I made a few phone calls,” she said, and found a local banker willing to take on the job, free of charge. (more…)