Liam Elkind
Liam Elkind teaches compassionate leadership to the leaders of tomorrow. As a Junior in college, he co-founded Invisible Hands, mobilizing 15,000 volunteers to deliver food to and connect with those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from this experience, he empowers students to become leaders today.
TOPICS
- Civic Engagement
- Community Building
- Leadership
- Motivation & Inspiration
- Philanthropy
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Values
KEYNOTES
Getting to know
Liam Elkind
Liam Elkind is a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and a graduate of Yale University. He is the co-founder of Invisible Hands, a non-profit organization that mobilized over 15,000 volunteers to deliver essential items such as food and medicine to those in need, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. His significant humanitarian efforts and leadership of Invisible Hands have garnered national attention, featuring prominently in media outlets like Fox and Friends, Andrea Mitchell Reports, Good Morning America, The Associated Press, Men’s Health, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Beyond Invisible Hands, Liam is also the founder of Registration Is Student Empowerment (RISE), an organization focused on student voter registration. His commitment to civic engagement and leadership is further evidenced by his participation in prestigious fellowships such as the Swing Left College Fellowship, Mount Vernon Leadership Fellowship, Newman Civic Fellowship, and the Clinton Global Initiative University Fellowship. As a speaker, Liam educates young people on the practicalities of leadership, community organizing, and non-profit management in crisis. He emphasizes gaining both the soft skills and hard knowledge of leadership.
Liam’s impactful work has been widely celebrated, earning him numerous accolades. He is a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, the George H. W. Bush Daily Points of Light Award for uniting communities during the pandemic, and the 2020 Webby Award for Special Achievement. He was recognized as one of 2020’s top philanthropists by Town & Country Magazine, alongside figures like Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Fauci, and received the Manhattan Institute’s Civil Society Award. Also, he was listed among Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” and received the Grant Thornton Purple Paladin Award for up-and-coming non-profits.
Liam is uniquely qualified to connect with and educate young audiences, being a 20-something nationally recognized humanitarian and non-profit co-founder himself. He understands the emotional, theoretical, and practical challenges young people face in making an impact and emphasizes that “young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow—we are already leading today”.
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
To help you promote your event with Liam, CAMPUSPEAK has created promotional templates you can use. In this folder, you will find resources for social media, a promotional poster for printing, and press photos you can use for your event.
Link to Promotional Materials.
LOGISTICAL MATERIALS
Below you will find logistical resources for the day of your event with Liam.
KEYNOTES
The Leadership of Compassion
Liam Elkind details his journey from 20-year-old college student to internationally recognized start-up founder, community organizer, and nonprofit CEO. He takes his audience on a journey through the origin story of Invisible Hands and gives listeners a peek under the hood at the internal management of an organization boasting over 15,000 volunteers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing both his successes and his failures, Liam gives students a practical education in compassionate leadership—what it is, why it matters, and how students can use the radically transformative power of compassionate leadership in their own lives so they can begin leading today.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the program, students will learn:
- how to start a movement
- how to recruit and retain volunteers
- how to use youth as an advantage in leadership
- leading with compassion
Recognizing, Recruiting and Retaining Young Volunteers
Liam Elkind shares his journey as a start-up non-profit founder recruiting over 15,000 volunteers to deliver food and medicine to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. He teaches listeners how to recognize and retain exceptional talent, regardless of age, and how best to understand the resilience and aspirations of Gen-Z—as consumers, as employees, and as the leaders of both today and tomorrow.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the program, students will learn:
- how to retain young employees/volunteers
- how to provide followers with a sense of purpose
- an understanding of Gen-Z
Pulling Together to Pull Through: How to Lead in Crisis
In his keynote address, Invisible Hands Co-Founder Liam Elkind shares his journey from struggling college student to Rhodes Scholar and internationally recognized non-profit CEO, community organizer, and humanitarian. He teaches listeners how to respond quickly and thoughtfully during crisis by listening to experts, trusting your gut, and always being willing to adapt. He shares why young people are uniquely positioned to lead in times of global crisis, and encourages his audience to pursue a life of community service.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending this program, students will learn:
- listening skills
- responding to internal crisis
- responding to global crisis
- decision-making skills
- leadership skills
