Motivational Resilience Expert & Brain Cancer Survivor; Author of "Dead? Wrong!"; Creator of "If I Only Had a Brain"
Matt Pond Biography
Matt Pond is a motivational keynote speaker, author, and brain cancer survivor known for sharing his story of resilience with audiences nationwide. Pond began experiencing unusual episodes while playing basketball, which led to a diagnosis of a rare brain cancer, oligoastrocytoma-glioblastoma mix, in his temporal lobe. At the time, he was completing his final year of school and was given a survival prognosis of less than 1 percent, with medical professionals estimating only three months to live.
Pond underwent radiation, eight types of chemotherapy, and three surgeries before being declared cancer-free. The effects of cancer treatment, including the loss of his ability to read, write, and use his right side, became ongoing challenges. He adapted by developing a method to play acoustic guitar with one hand, relearning to read and write, and completing a bachelor's degree at BYU-Idaho. These experiences form the foundation of his public message about perseverance, adaptability, and overcoming adversity.
Pond delivers a performance-based speaking program, presenting his show "If I Only Had a Brain" at school assemblies, youth conferences, and community events throughout Utah and Idaho. He has served on the Huntsman Cancer Institute Patient Education Steering Committee in Salt Lake City and performed his one-handed guitar playing at the institute's community events. His presentations combine storytelling, music, humor, and visual elements to address topics such as cancer survivorship, health and wellness, and motivation.
Pond authored the book "Dead? Wrong!: How Terminal Brain Cancer Saved My Life," which details his diagnosis and the impact it had on his life and perspective. He promotes the mantra, "what can I do with what I have," emphasizing adaptability and a positive outlook. Pond's work as a keynote speaker and author highlights the human capacity to rebuild, adapt, and find purpose in the face of significant challenges.
Matt Pond Videos
-
How do I book Matt Pond to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Matt Pond 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 Pond, 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 Pond or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Matt Pond
Speaking fees for Matt Pond, 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 Pond are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Matt Pond, 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 Pond speak about?
Matt Pond is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Cancer, Cancer Survivors, Health & Wellness, Inspirational, Motivational, Non-Fiction Authors, Overcoming Adversity, Storytelling -
Where does Matt Pond travel from?
Matt Pond generally travels from Ucon, ID, 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 Pond’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Matt Pond 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 Pond 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 Pond 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 Pond is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Matt Pond for your event is available upon request. Matt Pond generally travels from Ucon, ID, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jason Tharp, Don Yaeger, Scott Hamilton, J. Victor Clevenger and Stacey Hines. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Matt Pond for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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.








