Founder of Gymboree and YogaStudio; Mentor for Social & Female Entrepreneurs
Joan Barnes Biography
Joan Barnes is an entrepreneur and businesswoman who built one of the most recognizable early childhood play and retail brands in the United States. In 1976, she founded Gymboree in San Francisco as a small play center designed to help parents and toddlers connect and learn through play. Barnes grew the concept into a global brand with hundreds of play centers and retail stores, ultimately leading to one of the most successful consumer IPOs of its era and establishing Gymboree as a billion-dollar company.
Barnes’ entrepreneurial success was driven by her creativity and commitment to community, but it also came with personal challenges. After more than a decade of rapid growth, she stepped away from the company to focus on her health and well-being, undertaking a long personal journey that included overcoming a serious eating disorder. Her frank and inspirational story of success, struggle, and resilience is explored in her memoir "Play It Forward."
Following her time with Gymboree, Barnes embraced a new chapter in the wellness space by becoming principal owner of YogaStudio, a San Francisco-based chain of yoga studios where she helped pioneer mainstream interest in yoga as a lifestyle. Under her leadership, the business expanded before she sold it to national yoga brand YogaWorks in 2008.
Beyond her business ventures, Barnes has been active in community and advocacy work, including programs dedicated to body image, food issues, and supporting women entrepreneurs. She has lived for decades in Marin County, California, mentoring emerging business leaders and remaining engaged in efforts that merge personal wellness with social impact.
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How do I book Joan Barnes to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Joan Barnes 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 Joan Barnes, 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 Joan Barnes or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Joan Barnes
Speaking fees for Joan Barnes, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Joan Barnes are under $10,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Joan Barnes, 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 Joan Barnes speak about?
Joan Barnes is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Addiction & Recovery, Author, Business, Business Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Family & Parenting, Female Leadership, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Human Resources, Influential Women, Innovation, Marketing, Mental Health, Non-Fiction Authors, Retail, Social Entrepreneurship, Strategic Leadership, Women in Business, Work-Life Balance -
Where does Joan Barnes travel from?
Joan Barnes generally travels from Mill Valley, CA, 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. -
Who is Joan Barnes’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Joan Barnes for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker 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. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Joan Barnes for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Joan Barnes or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
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If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Joan Barnes is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Joan Barnes for your event is available upon request. Joan Barnes generally travels from Mill Valley, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Zack Kass, Eric Boles, Daymond John, Jelly Roll and Rocky Bleier. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Joan Barnes for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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