David Otunga

Climbing Mountains to Reach Your Dreams

Even as a little boy, David Otunga knew he wanted to become an entertainer. Despite being picked on relentlessly by his peers, David never compromised his dreams and goals. Following his graduation from Harvard Law School and becoming a lawyer at one of Chicago’s top law firms, David decided to take a leap of faith and follow his dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. He turned his dreams into a reality and became a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar and body builder.

By sharing his story and transformation from a regular kid into a worldwide celebrity, David inspires students to set huge goals and shares with them strategies to achieve them. Perfect for Black History Month, anti-bullying programs, career development seminars, and programs on men’s issues and masculinity, David’s keynote will push students to set lofty goals and prove to them that with hard work, determination, and perseverance, they can reach their dreams.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• the importance of setting goals and stopping at nothing to achieve them,
• how there are no obstacles which are insurmountable, so long as they have a vision and plan to work hard to overcome them, and
• how breaking down barriers and never settling for “no,” they can achieve their dreams.

Don’t Believe What the Bullies Say

So many students today have a negative self-image. They don’t think they’re smart enough, tall enough, attractive enough, or good enough for others around them. Unfortunately, these negative thoughts are often fueled by the voices of the bullies in our lives. David Otunga empowers and encourages audiences to realize that what naysayers and bullies think doesn’t matter nearly as much as what you think of yourself.

David works to encourage students in his audience to realize that people will experience all kinds of bullying at all stages of their lives and to learn that if you buy into the negativity you will start to believe it and it can manifest. However, if you believe that you are a great person with amazing talents, then that’s what you will become. Through his keynote, Don’t Believe What the Bullies Say, David helps students learn how to keep a positive mindset and to use different tactics to maintain a positive self-image that will ultimately lead them to become the best versions of themselves.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• the importance of having a positive self-image and about the power of positive thinking,
• tactics and strategies for dealing with bullies at all stages of their lives, and
• ways to develop their positive self-image that will help them become the best version of themselves.

More than Black and White

With the Black Lives Matter movement, national news stories and even the most recent presidential election, it’s more important than ever that students embrace diversity and inclusion within their campus communities.

Right from the start, this informative keynote creates a comfortable and safe environment where students can ask questions, build more awareness and participate in a meaningful discussion about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

Drawing from his own life, David Otunga shares his story and experiences as a biracial man in America. From his mother’s family disowning her for marrying a black man during the height of the civil rights movement, to overcoming obstacles during his childhood and becoming an Ivy League graduate, corporate attorney and professional athlete, David speaks openly about his struggles and how we can spread the message of unity and tolerance.

This keynote is the perfect choice for Dr. Martin Luther King day events, Black History Month, a better understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement or any other diversity-related programming.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of this program, students will learn:

• how stereotypes are harmful to all people,
• what it means to be a minority on a predominately white campus,
• how to properly address difficult conversations and handle confrontations regarding sensitive subjects, and
• how to identify racial fatigue and “microagressions.”