Youth Leadership, Education & Empowerment Advocate; Future of Work Expert; Social Entrepreneur; Co-Founder & CEO of The Future Project
Kanya Balakrishna Biography
Kanya Balakrishna is a social entrepreneur, youth advocate, and the co-founder and CEO of The Future Project, a national youth empowerment organization dedicated to providing young people with coaching and support to navigate life and pursue their goals. The Future Project has trained and supported more than 50,000 students in communities across the country, helping them harness their passion and purpose to drive positive change.
Balakrishna's commitment to youth empowerment is informed by her personal experience as a first-generation immigrant who attended nearly a dozen schools during her upbringing. This background gave her insight into the importance of helping young people discover their ability to effect change.
Before founding The Future Project, Balakrishna built a career at the intersection of public health and communications. She served as chief speechwriter to Dr. Margaret Hamburg during Hamburg's tenure as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Balakrishna holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale College, where she studied anthropology, worked in the New Haven community, and served as managing editor of Yale Daily News. Her dedication to youth was further shaped by a decade spent teaching students at after-school learning centers in Memphis, started by her mother, an educator.
Under Balakrishna's leadership, The Future Project expanded into a national organization, with annual revenue growing from $4 million to $15 million. This rapid growth brought significant challenges, including a crisis that reduced the organization's staff from 115 to 10. Balakrishna has spoken openly about this period, introducing the concept of "the work twisties"—a term inspired by Simone Biles' Olympic experience—to describe moments when leaders lose their sense of direction. Her candid discussions about the challenges of scaling organizations and the "sacrifice trap" have resonated with founders and executives facing high-stakes leadership decisions.
Following this period of reinvention, The Future Project began offering virtual coaching to young people, leading to the development of Future Coach—a human-AI hybrid coaching system designed to support the organization's core mission with a more sustainable model. Future Coach, built on years of experience in schools and grounded in the science of purpose, provides 16- to 24-year-olds with access to human coaches enhanced by artificial intelligence, supporting them as they pursue meaningful goals.
Balakrishna has been recognized by the DRK Foundation, MAKERS, Glamour, and Generation Progress for her work. She has delivered keynote addresses at venues including TEDx Broadway and college diversity convocations. As a speaker on youth leadership, the future of work, education reform, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship, Balakrishna draws on her experience as an organizational leader and her insights into overcoming professional adversity.
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Kanya Balakrishna Speaking Topics
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Topics include, but are not limited to: • The importance of youth leadership and strategies for cultivating it
The youth mental health crisis and strategies for supporting young people during this challenging moment
The power of purpose and the impact of purpose development (in young people and beyond)
How to leverage AI for good in service of young people
More broadly – the role of technology in supporting the development of young people (and the challenges it poses)
What is coaching and why is it important/essential for young people to have access to coaching to help them navigate life
Kanya Balakrishna Videos
Kanya Balakrishna Tribute to Sir Ken Robinson | HundrED 2020 ...
Kanya Balakrishna, CEO & Founder of The Future Project reflects on her relationship with Sir Ken Robinson and the impact he had on her life ...
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Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kanya Balakrishna for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kanya Balakrishna, 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 Kanya Balakrishna or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Kanya Balakrishna
Speaking fees for Kanya Balakrishna, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kanya Balakrishna are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kanya Balakrishna, click the Check Availability 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 Kanya Balakrishna speak about?
Kanya Balakrishna is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Asian & Pacific Heritage, Business, Business Consulting, Business Growth, Communication, Creativity, Diversity & Inclusion, Early Childhood Education, Education, Education Reform, Educational Motivational, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Executive Leadership, Family & Parenting, Female Leadership, Future of Work, Futurism, Human Resources, Innovation, Inspirational, Marketing, Motivational, Music, Non-Profit, Overcoming Adversity, Personal Growth, Social Activism, Teamwork & Teambuilding, TED, Women in Business, Women in Tech, Women's Empowerment, Youth -
Where does Kanya Balakrishna travel from?
Kanya Balakrishna generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
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Kanya Balakrishna is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as . The estimated speaking fee range to book Kanya Balakrishna for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Kanya Balakrishna generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Keith L. Brown, Liz Dozier, Erin Gruwell, Robyn Jackson and Gever Tulley. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kanya Balakrishna for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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