Daryn Kagan

Daryn Kagan is an American broadcast journalist, author, documentary filmmaker, and motivational speaker known for her tenure as an anchor and correspondent at CNN. Kagan anchored "CNN Live Today" for eight years and hosted the CNN/People news entertainment program "People in the News," in addition to earlier roles as a CNN sports reporter and anchor. Before joining CNN, Kagan earned three local Emmy Award nominations and was recognized as the top reporter in the Rocky Mountain region.

During her time at CNN, Kagan covered major news events, including serving as one of the national news anchors on air during the terrorist attacks on September 11, reporting throughout the day from CNN headquarters in Atlanta and the network's Washington, D.C. bureau. She also reported on presidential and mid-term elections, covered the second Gulf War from the Middle East, investigated the Washington, D.C. sniper attacks, and traveled to Africa with musician Bono to report on AIDS and famine for CNN networks.

After her contract with CNN ended, Kagan launched the news website DarynKagan.com, which was described by The Boston Globe as focusing on stories that illustrate the triumph of the human spirit. She expanded her brand to include television news documentaries, radio, and books. Kagan continued her television career as the host of RLTV's "Bookmark" and wrote a syndicated newspaper column for Cox Newspapers, with her weekly "What's Possible!" column appearing in newspapers nationwide.

Kagan's work in documentary filmmaking includes producing and narrating the PBS film "Breaking the Curse," which won the Gracie Award for Outstanding Documentary. The film tells the story of an American woman advocating for people living with leprosy in India. Kagan is the author of two books: "What's Possible!: 50 True Stories of People Who Dared to Dream They Could Make a Difference" and "Hope Possible: A Network News Anchor's Thoughts on Losing Her Job, Finding Love, A New Career, and My Dog, Always My Dog," a collection of personal columns about career transition. Oprah Radio has featured DarynKagan.com content on SIRIUS XM radio.

Kagan frequently speaks on the topic of reinvention, sharing her experiences of career transition, personal growth, and finding new opportunities. In her keynote talks, she discusses her journey after leaving CNN, navigating personal and professional crossroads, and the lessons learned in reinventing her career and life. Kagan also launched the "Call Me Friend" podcast, extending her positive journalism into audio format with episodes featuring conversations about connection, overcoming adversity, and navigating life transitions.