Social Entrepreneur & Nonprofit Leader; Founder & CEO of The Empowerment Plan; IDEA Gold Award Winner; Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree
Veronika Scott Biography
Veronika Scott is a social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, a Detroit-based nonprofit organization focused on addressing homelessness and workforce development. While responding to a class assignment aimed at meeting a social need, Scott collaborated with Detroit's homeless community and, after several months, designed a heat-trapping jacket that converts into a weather-resistant sleeping bag. During her research, a conversation with a homeless woman who emphasized the need for employment rather than just a coat prompted Scott to expand her approach. This led to a model in which homeless parents are paid to learn how to manufacture the coat, providing them with income, housing opportunities, and a path toward independence.
Scott developed the concept while studying industrial design at Detroit's College for Creative Studies. Her coat-turned-sleeping bag received the IDEA Gold Award while she was still a student. The project evolved into The Empowerment Plan, which operates as a workforce development program employing individuals emerging from homelessness—primarily mothers—to produce the coat and participate in educational programming during paid work hours.
The Empowerment Plan distributes EMPWR coats across all 50 states and more than 20 countries, utilizing upcycled materials from companies such as Patagonia, Carhartt, and General Motors. The organization supports disaster relief efforts, refugee camps, and individuals in urgent need worldwide.
Scott has received multiple honors, including the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the JFK Library Foundation and Harvard University, the IDEA Gold Award, and the Diane von Furstenberg People's Voice Award. She has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, Chronicle of Philanthropy's 40 Under 40, and CNN's 10 Visionary Women, and holds an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Johnson State College. She was also named a CNN Hero.
The Empowerment Plan has been featured at international forums such as the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit. Scott's work has been profiled in Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Detroit News, and PBS NewsHour's Agents for Change. Through her experience in industrial design, social entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership, Scott demonstrates the impact of community-driven solutions in addressing homelessness and poverty.
Veronika Scott Speaking Topics
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Spread the Warmth: Empowering the Homeless One Coat (And One Job) at a time
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Empowerment Through Employment
Veronika Scott Videos
Fox2 Detroit's The Pulse Interview on Homelessness with Veronika
Our Founder and CEO Veronika Scott recently appeared on FOX2Detroit's The Pulse with Roop Raj to talk about the growing homelessness.
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How do I book Veronika Scott to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Veronika Scott 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 Veronika Scott, 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 Veronika Scott or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Veronika Scott
Speaking fees for Veronika Scott, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Veronika Scott are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Veronika Scott, 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 Veronika Scott speak about?
Veronika Scott is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Executive Leadership, Human Resources, Inspirational, Motivational, Overcoming Adversity, Personal Growth, Philanthropy, Social Activism, Social Entrepreneurship, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Technology, Women's Empowerment -
Where does Veronika Scott travel from?
Veronika Scott generally travels from Detroit, MI, 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 Veronika Scott’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Veronika Scott 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 Veronika Scott for your next private or corporate function. -
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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 Veronika Scott 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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Veronika Scott is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Spread the Warmth: Empowering the Homeless One Coat (And One Job) at a time and Empowerment Through Employment. The estimated speaking fee range to book Veronika Scott for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Veronika Scott generally travels from Detroit, MI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nicole Yeary, Allyson Kapin, Arlan Hamilton, Kavita Shukla and Shiza Shahid. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Veronika Scott for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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