Tom Torkelson Biography
Upon graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in economics in 1997, Tom joined Teach For America and taught fourth grade in Donna, Texas for three years, after which he successfully launched the IDEA Academy in 2000, serving as the first board president and founding principal.
At 24 years of age, Tom was then Texas’ youngest-ever charter school founder. Since 2000, Tom has led the replication efforts of the original school. System-wide there are now more than 23,000 students enrolled in the 44 schools that comprise IDEA Public Schools.
The mission of IDEA Public Schools is to prepare students from underserved communities for success in college and citizenship. Over 93% of graduates are on college campuses across the nation, where they continue to receive support and guidance from IDEA.
By 2009, the U.S. News and World Report ranked IDEA Donna College Preparatory as the 13th best high school and second best charter high school in the nation. Also in 2009, IDEA Public Schools was the first-ever charter organization to be named the best school system in the state of Texas and received the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. Today, The Washington Post’s latest rankings of America’s Most Challenging High Schools ranked all seven of IDEA’s eligible College Preparatory high schools in the top 200 high schools nationwide and in the top 50 in Texas.
Tom has be widely recognized in a variety of publications, including being featured in 2009 by Time magazine as Wendy Kopp’s pick for the 100 most influential global citizens. Tom is the recipient of the prestigious Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership (2009), University of Michigan Ross Business School’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2010), the Freddy Fender Humanitarian Award (2008), and served as Chairman of the 2007 National Charter Schools Conference. Tom is often called upon to provide expert testimony to state and local officials on issues of education policy and school choice.
An avid runner and frequent Ironman triathlon competitor, Tom and his wife, Dr. Nina Lee Torkelson, live in the Rio Grande Valley with their three children, Lincoln, Liam, and Gwendolyn.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Tom Torkelson and other top speakers and celebrities.
-
How to book Tom Torkelson?
Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Tom Torkelson for both live and virtual events for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a
booking request form for Tom Torkelson, 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 pricing information and check availability for Tom Torkelson or any other celebrity of your choice.
-
How much does it cost to book Tom Torkelson?
Booking fees for Tom Torkelson, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Other factors that can affect speaker fees include the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Tom Torkelson, please fill out the
booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
-
Who is the agent for Tom Torkelson?
All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Tom Torkelson for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Tom Torkelson for your next private or corporate function.
-
What is a full-service talent booking agency?
All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Tom Torkelson or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Tom Torkelson or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
Tom Torkelson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Tom Torkelson for your event is available upon request. Tom Torkelson generally travels from Polk County, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Stacey Shells, Jerelyn Rodriguez, Rebecca Liebman, Milagros Barsallo and Matthew Ramirez. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Tom Torkelson for an upcoming live or virtual event.
Categories:
Users also viewed these speakers:
1.800.698.2536