Management Consultant Specializing in Leadership and Workplace Culture; Anti-Bullying Activist; Author

Marion, MA, USA
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Matt Paknis Biography

Matt Paknis is a senior management consultant, educator, and author known for his expertise in leadership development and organizational effectiveness, with a focus on reducing workplace bullying. Paknis brings experience from six years of college football coaching, 10 years of playing football, and five championship seasons to his consulting practice. He served as an assistant coach at Penn State under Joe Paterno and has spoken publicly about his experiences with childhood abuse, using these insights to inform his work on healthy leadership and resilience. Paknis has spent more than 25 years helping global clients adopt effective management practices and improve organizational culture. He authored the book "Successful Leaders Aren't Bullies," which presents real-world cases and strategies to address workplace bullying.

Paknis studied organizational behavior, economics, and architecture at Brown University, where he also played football and later joined the coaching staff. He coached at Brown, Penn State, and the University of Rhode Island (URI), where he earned his MBA. Paknis designed and facilitated corporate leadership and team-building programs for the University of Rhode Island's corporate retreat center and created a 50-hour Practice of Management Certificate Program for Brown's Learning Communities, which ran for more than 12 years and reached thousands of organizations.

Paknis is a guest lecturer at institutions including Bryant University, Rhode Island School of Design, URI, Brown, and University of Massachusetts. He maintains a broad private consulting client base, including long-standing engagements with international technology, automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, defense, higher education, and professional services firms. In recognition of his contributions to social progress and innovation, Paknis was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He also serves as a teacher at New Bedford Public Schools.

BOOK Matt Paknis

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/16/2025.

Matt Paknis Speaking Topics

  • Personal

    • overcoming traumas like domestic violence, the illness and death of a young
    • parent and childhood sexual abuse with healthy support and choices
    • managing self, change, and stress with balanced metrics and life
    • how to laugh, love, and sing when the world around you is collapsing
    • keeping the faith, hope, and love alive and never giving up
    • choosing to stop the cycle of abuse and addiction
    • overcoming traumas to excel as an adult

  • Interpersonal

    • building trust by protecting and elevating the vulnerable
    • managing differences and difficult conversations with constructive dialogue
    • humor, compassion, and humility, the sparks of greatness
    • including values, character, and behaviors with performance results
    • influencing exceptional results

      • processes – relationships without authority

    • coaching and empowering others to peak performance

Read More +

Matt Paknis Videos

Matt Paknis - Capitol TV

Matt Paknis - Capitol TV

Matt Paknis testifies at the House Labor Committee hearing in support of the Workplace Psychological Safety Act.

WorkplaceTV -101 - Analysis of Workplace Bullying with Matt Paknis

WorkplaceTV -101 - Analysis of Workplace Bullying with Matt Paknis

Matt Paknis, and author, Ted Talk Speaker and entrepreneur discusses Workplace Bullying

Matt Paknis - TED

Matt Paknis - TED

How to Thrive Despite Significant Setbacks

  • How do I book Matt Paknis to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Matt Paknis 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 Matt Paknis, 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 Matt Paknis or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Matt Paknis

    Speaking fees for Matt Paknis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Matt Paknis are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Matt Paknis, 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 Matt Paknis speak about?

  • Where does Matt Paknis travel from?

    Matt Paknis generally travels from Marion, MA, 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 Matt Paknis’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Matt Paknis 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 Matt Paknis 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 Matt Paknis 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.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    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.

Matt Paknis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Personal, Interpersonal and Organizational. The estimated speaking fee range to book Matt Paknis for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Matt Paknis generally travels from Marion, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Brandon Farbstein, Lizzie Velasquez, Brooks Gibbs, Emma White and Jason Tharp. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Matt Paknis for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.
Please Select Event Budget
Please enter your message
Please Enter Your Name
Please Enter Your Email
  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP