Award-Winning Comedian, Actor & Storyteller; Three-Time Emmy Award Nominee; Creator of "East 14th"

San Francisco, CA, USA
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Don Reed Biography

Don Reed is an American comedian, actor, writer, director, producer, and storyteller whose career spans television, film, stage, and broadcasting. Reed was recruited to UCLA for intercollegiate speech and debate competition, where he became a national champion in competitive events including Speech to Entertain, Poetry, and Dramatic readings—a foundation that has informed every dimension of his career. While performing stand-up comedy at NACA, Reed caught the attention of comedian Sinbad, who helped him secure roles in two episodes of "A Different World," the television spin-off of "The Cosby Show." He also appeared on the HBO television program "Dream On," Robert Townsend's HBO special "Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime," and the film "The Meteor Man." Reed received nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards: one each for "Dream On," "The Cosby Show," and "Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime."

After a run Off-Broadway with one of his one-man storytelling shows, Reed was selected by the executive producers of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to perform stand-up for the live studio audience daily as the warm-up comedian for more than 1,000 episodes. He is the first African American warm-up comedian for a major late-night show. Reed later co-headed the Voice Over/Radio Division for NBC Advertising & Promotion, where he wrote, directed, and produced advertising for a wide range of NBC programming, including "Will & Grace," "Saturday Night Live," and "30 Rock." His voice-over work includes credits for "Spiderman," "The Flintstones," "2 Broke Girls," and network promos.

Reed is known for his solo theatrical shows, debuting with the autobiographical "East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player" and presenting a total of five solo shows. Publications such as The New Yorker, San Francisco Chronicle, and New York Times have recognized his impact on the solo performance scene, with shows running Off-Broadway in New York City as well as in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. His show "East 14th" received the Theater Bay Area Award for Outstanding Production of a Solo Show and was an NAACP Double Nominee for Best Actor and Best Playwright. His second show, "The Kipling Hotel: The 80's," was also a nominee in the playwright category. Reed was honored with the Snap Judgment NPR/WNYC Performance of the Year for his story "I Miss Toni," which has been used as a teaching tool from high schools to American University's Fine Arts Masters Program in Washington, D.C.

Reed co-starred in the Amazon Prime streaming comedy series "Bartlett," alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of "Hamilton." He also secured an agreement with Carson Entertainment Group to access the entire library of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" for his solo production "The Never Too Late Show." Reed became an author with Simon & Schuster, writing a memoir based on his solo shows. He also created, hosts, and produces "Redwood Nights: Storytelling Under the Stars" at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax, California. As a keynote speaker on diversity and inclusion, Reed brings storytelling, comedy, and performance expertise to corporate and public audiences across stage, screen, and radio.

BOOK Don Reed

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/01/2026.

Don Reed Speaking Topics

  • Diversity, Inclusion, Equity

  • Motivation

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Don Reed Videos

The Diversity Zone Video

The Diversity Zone Video

Don Reed - Western Digital Leadership Conference Opening

Don Reed - Western Digital Leadership Conference Opening

Speaker/Storyteller Don Reed opens the Western Digital Leadership Conference with an engaging spoken word presentation on... The Future.

3 Feet Past the Finish Line: Utilizing Your True Story

3 Feet Past the Finish Line: Utilizing Your True Story

This is a motivational keynote presented before the American Accountants Association at the Gaylord in Washington, D.C. Here, Don Reed presents his...

  • How do I book Don Reed to speak at my event?

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

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

    Don Reed is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Comedian, DEI, Diversity & Inclusion, Marketing, Motivational, Storytelling
  • Where does Don Reed travel from?

    Don Reed generally travels from San Francisco, 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 Don Reed’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Don Reed 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 Don Reed 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 Don Reed 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.

Don Reed is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Diversity, Inclusion, Equity , Motivation and After Dinner - Standup Comedy Performance . The estimated speaking fee range to book Don Reed for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Don Reed generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Mike Rowe, Lisa Cunningham, Steve Way, Cody Clark and Chardelle Moore. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Don Reed for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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