Grassroots Activist & Public Safety Advocate; Founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving; Author of "Giving Sorrow Words"
Candy Lightner Biography
Candy Lightner is a prominent grassroots activist known for her role in reshaping public policy and attitudes toward drunk driving in the United States. Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) after her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a repeat drunk driver. Motivated by the lenient sentencing of the offender, Lightner organized what was initially called Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, later renamed Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She sought to challenge the prevailing societal acceptance of drunk driving and advocate for systemic change.
As MADD's founding chief executive officer, president, and chairman of the board, Lightner led the organization from a small California grassroots group to an international entity with more than 400 chapters and an annual budget exceeding $12 million. Under her leadership, MADD's membership grew to over 2 million, and the organization played a key role in legislative changes, including the national push to raise the legal drinking age to 21. Lightner called for the formation of commissions on drunk driving at both the state and federal levels and served on these bodies, including the National Commission on Drunk Driving. Her advocacy has been credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
Lightner has appeared on major television shows, testified before Congress, and addressed professional and business groups to promote changes in public attitudes, judicial practices, and legislation related to impaired driving. Media outlets have recognized her influence, with People Magazine referring to her as "the Conscience of a Nation," and Time including her among "Seven Who Succeeded." She has been named YWCA Woman of the Year and ranked among the top 25 most influential women in America by World Almanac and Book of Facts.
Lightner's life and work have been featured in documentaries such as "The Twentieth Century Project" and "Seeds of Resiliency," as well as the Emmy-nominated television movie "Mothers Against Drunk Drivers: The Candy Lightner Story." She is the author of the book "Giving Sorrow Words: How to Cope with Grief and Get on with Your Life." Lightner has received the President's Volunteer Action Award and holds an honorary doctorate in humanities and public service.
Beyond her work with MADD, Lightner founded We Save Lives, an organization focused on combating drunk, drugged, and distracted driving. She also co-founded the Drop the A Word movement, which encourages the use of terms such as "crash," "collision," "wreck," or "crime" instead of "accident" when referring to traffic incidents. Lightner has contributed her expertise to seminars and conferences for organizations including Franklin Covey Leadership Center, Center for Creative Leadership, and Columbia Business School's Institute for Personal Leadership. As a keynote speaker and advocate, Lightner shares her experience in public safety, traffic safety, and victim advocacy with audiences worldwide.
Candy Lightner Speaking Topics
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Go Live with Candace!
Candace Lightner engages your audience with her unique and innovative approach, inspiring them to take action, stand up for their beliefs and achieve success. During this compelling session, Candace will accept questions from the audience and social media. Everyone will walk away with renewed motivation to become agents of change.
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How to Transform a Movement into a Revolution
Based on Candy Lightner's successful grass roots and legislative advocacy, this is a passionate and informative “tool kit” for changing the “status quo.”
Candy Lightner Videos
The Mother Who Made Drunk Driving Punishable | Candy Lightner
The Mother Who Made Drunk Driving Punishable | Candy Lightner.
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How do I book Candy Lightner to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Candy Lightner 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 Candy Lightner, 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 Candy Lightner or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Candy Lightner
Speaking fees for Candy Lightner, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Candy Lightner are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Candy Lightner, 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 Candy Lightner speak about?
Candy Lightner is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Addiction & Recovery, Author, Female Leadership, Health & Wellness, Influential Women, Mental Health, Middle Eastern Heritage, Non-Fiction Authors, Social Activism, Storytelling -
Where does Candy Lightner travel from?
Candy Lightner generally travels from Alexandria, VA, 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 Candy Lightner’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Candy Lightner 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 Candy Lightner 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 Candy Lightner 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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Candy Lightner is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Go Live with Candace!, How to Transform a Movement into a Revolution, How Candace Lightner Changed the Culture of a Nation and Courage to Intervene. The estimated speaking fee range to book Candy Lightner for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Candy Lightner generally travels from Alexandria, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jessica Simpson, Vance Johnson, Tara Conner, Linda Sarsour and Kelli Nielsen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Candy Lightner for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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