Amanda Scotese

Experiential Travel Innovator & Storyteller; Founder & Executive Director of Chicago Detours; Customer Experience Strategist

Chicago, IL, USA
Live Event: $5,000 - $10,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info
Business Consulting, Creativity, Customer Experience, DEI, Disruptive Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Female Leadership, History, Innovation, Leadership, Storytelling, Thought Leadership, Women
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Amanda Scotese Biography

Amanda Scotese is an entrepreneur, storyteller, and experiential travel innovator recognized as the founder and executive director of Chicago Detours, a tour company dedicated to connecting people with the architecture, history, and culture of Chicago. Scotese launched Chicago Detours with an emphasis on hyperlocal culture and unique city experiences. The company's guided tours highlight stories and locations often unfamiliar even to locals, establishing it as a top-rated tour provider in Chicago.

Scotese's background in travel, journalism, and education influenced her approach to founding Chicago Detours. With more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry, including work in Italy as a tour guide, guidebook editor, and researcher for Rick Steves, she returned to Chicago to further her studies in education. Scotese holds an M.A. in the Humanities from the University of Chicago, where she focused on Chicago history and architectural history, and a B.A. in Literature from the University of Michigan. Her writing includes travel articles for print and online publications such as Rick Steves' Italy travel guides, San Francisco Bay Guardian, and "The Chicago Food Encyclopedia."

Under Scotese's leadership, Chicago Detours expanded to offer both in-person and virtual programming, reaching more than 175,000 participants. The company was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine's "When Thinking Outside the Box Pays Off" and Inc. Magazine's "How 5 Small Businesses Reinvented Themselves During Covid." Chicago Detours received a nomination for the Chicago Innovation Awards for its adaptive response to industry challenges.

Scotese is a public speaker who integrates design thinking and innovation into narratives drawn from history. She has delivered presentations to more than 50,000 people as director of Chicago Detours, with clients including Slalom, McKinsey & Co., Google, DoorDash, Spencer Stuart, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. Her speaking topics include "Badass Women of History" and "Innovations at the 1893 World's Fair." Scotese has been featured in NPR, USA Today, Thrillist, and Chicago Tribune.

In addition to her work at Chicago Detours, Scotese is a customer experience strategist and consultant. She is a CCXP-certified strategist with more than 15 years of experience designing immersive experiences and customer experience strategies across technology, travel, energy, and nonprofit sectors. Influenced by cultural geographer J.B. Jackson and his work on cultural landscapes, Scotese views tour design as an accessible and creative method to engage people and places, a perspective that informs her ongoing work as a speaker, consultant, and advocate for experiential storytelling.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/30/2026.

Amanda Scotese Speaking Topics

  • Badass Women of History

    Perfect for March

    • Women's History Month and International Women's Day!

    Designed to be booked for diverse groups (especially of any gender), this eye-opening presentation will inspire attendees with the stories of six diverse women who forged their own paths across the world and across history. The women include a daredevil pilot, a trailblazing sculptor from the 1893 World’s Fair, a fierce labor union leader, and psychologist who all blazed their own paths.

    This interactive session engages the participants with intermittent games and creative challenges as well as visuals that journey from past to present. Historic photos, contemporary portrait art, and video illustrate each badass woman’s story.

    Past attendees say "We all left feeling refreshed", empowered and honored to be able to take the stories we heard. "Inspiring" is the most common descriptor.

    Attendee Results:

    • Creative collaboration with others.
    • Mindful reflection.
    • Community building.
    • Consideration of concepts in DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion).

  • Innovations at the 1893 World's Fair

    Every company is striving to achieve innovation, but how do you make small nudges to inspire people to think differently? As attendees learn about this magical event in American history, they will also understand basic methods of innovation with examples of inventions, engineering feats, and gastronomical exhibits.

    More than 100 years ago, seemingly new methods in innovation were being harnessed. Though the terminology didn't exist yet, innovators were using aspects of design thinking, iterative development, and crowdsourcing to design new products and services and scale them to an increasingly wealthy class of Americans.

    A variety of vintage photos and elaborate illustrations transport attendees to travel another time while building their understanding of the much misunderstood "innovation."

Amanda Scotese Videos

Tourism as Placemaking: PechaKucha Presentation

Tourism as Placemaking: PechaKucha Presentation

The Congress for New Urbanism, Illinois Chapter, and the Regional & Urban Design KC of AIA Chicago hosted a PechaKucha "Tactical Urbanism Slam."...

See All Videos »

  • How do I book Amanda Scotese to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Amanda Scotese 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 Amanda Scotese, 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 Amanda Scotese or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Amanda Scotese

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

    Amanda Scotese is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business Consulting, Creativity, Customer Experience, DEI, Disruptive Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Female Leadership, History, Innovation, Leadership, Storytelling, Thought Leadership, Women

  • Where does Amanda Scotese travel from?

    Amanda Scotese generally travels from Chicago, IL, 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 Amanda Scotese’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Amanda Scotese 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 Amanda Scotese 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 Amanda Scotese 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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Amanda Scotese is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Badass Women of History and Innovations at the 1893 World's Fair. The estimated speaking fee range to book Amanda Scotese for your event is available upon request. Amanda Scotese generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shantell Thomas, Sharon Gai, Joanna Peña-Bickley, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian and Jana Eggers. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Amanda Scotese for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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