Built for your room
Every talk starts with a prep call about your audience and goals. Sarad tailors stories and takeaways so the session fits your event, not a generic script.
Keynote speaker · Moderator · Facilitator
Talks that move rooms from conversation to action.
Sarad Davenport brings real-world experience leading community change, building inclusive media and teaching human-centered design to stages, panels and workshops, from local festivals to national summits in Washington, DC.
Typical reply within 2 business days · Virtual and in-person
Real experience. Lasting impact.
Featured at
- Tom Tom Founders Festival
- Collaborative Journalism Summit
- TNT Drama × State Farm
- The Paramount Theater
- UVA Batten School
Why planners book Sarad
A speaker who leaves your audience with something to do on Monday.
Moves people to action
A national forensics and debate competitor turned community executive, Sarad pairs sharp storytelling with practical strategies from the work itself.
Easy to partner with
Collaborative and results-oriented, with years of cross-sector work alongside universities, foundations, newsrooms and national brands.
Signature talks
Pick a topic, or let’s build one
around your theme.
Ask about a custom talk 01 · KEYNOTE
Making the Desert Bear Fruit
How communities that are often overlooked can grow real change by starting with the strengths, people and partnerships already in place.
Your audience leaves with
- Ways to recognize and build on the strengths communities already have
- Ways to turn partnerships into measurable impact
02 · KEYNOTE
Four Principles for Navigating a Changing Reality
Planning, personality, punctuality and persistence: a practical framework for staying steady and effective when everything around you is shifting.
Your audience leaves with
- Four principles they can apply right away
- Tools for leading through uncertainty
03 · WORKSHOP
Human-Centered, Future-Focused: Designing Change With People
A hands-on introduction to human-centered design, from empathy and observation to sharp problem statements, for teams improving a service or program.
Your audience leaves with
- A repeatable design process for their own work
- Hands-on practice listening to the people they serve
04 · WORKSHOP
Building Communities from the Inside Out
Asset-based community development for leaders and nonprofits: mapping local strengths and creating pathways for authentic community relationships.
Your audience leaves with
- A map of the assets already in their community
- Next steps for stronger, lasting partnerships
05 · WORKSHOP
Cultivating Your Leadership
For emerging leaders: the core ingredients of leadership, and why courageous followership matters just as much.
Your audience leaves with
- A clear picture of their own leadership strengths
- Ways to lead and follow with intention
06 · WORKSHOP OR TRAINING
Public Speaking for Nonprofit Leaders
Strong openings, managing nerves, confident delivery, better slides and virtual talks, taught by a former national forensics and debate competitor.
Your audience leaves with
- Techniques to open strong and stay calm
- A plan for their next presentation, in person or online
See Sarad in action
Keynotes, panels and moderation,
in the room and on camera.
Featured on TNT Drama · State Farm Neighborhood Sessions
Community isn’t just a topic.
It’s the work.
“What I want for myself, I want for you. What I want for my children, I want for your children.”
Sarad Davenport · Neighborhood Sessions
Bring that perspective to your next event: real stories, shared purpose and practical ways to build stronger communities.
Bring Sarad to your eventVirtual and in-person · Typical reply within 2 business days
Watch on YouTubeSignature keynote
Making the Desert Bear Fruit
A glimpse of Sarad’s mainstage address on building stronger communities from the strengths they already have.
Book this keynoteStart here
See why rooms lean in.
Ninety seconds on how Sarad thinks, what he brings to the stage and what your audience walks away with.
Check availability
Rebuilding local journalism
Collaborative Journalism Summit, Washington, DC · Panel co-facilitator
“Who Is a Runner?” screening conversation
The Paramount Theater · Moderator
Also seen on TNT Drama’s State Farm Neighborhood Sessions and Let’s Talk, discussing inclusive media ecosystems.
Find your format
One speaker, four ways
to fill your agenda.
Keynote
30–60 minutes to open or close your event with energy and a clear call to action.
Panel moderation
A prepared, warm moderator who draws out your panelists and keeps the room engaged.
Workshop & training
Half-day or full-day sessions on human-centered design, partnerships or public speaking.
Fireside & virtual
Conversational sessions, podcasts and livestreams, in person or online.
Meet Sarad
Social innovator, speaker and strategist. Human centered, future focused.
Sarad Davenport is a social sector executive, educator and human-centered designer. He led City of Promise, a federally funded Promise Neighborhood, has contributed to national policy discussions, and co-founded Vinegar Hill Magazine, a platform for inclusive storytelling.
- Lecturer, Human-Centered Design, UVA Frank Batten School
- Public speaking instructor, Virginia Union University
- National forensics and debate competitor
- Co-founder, Vinegar Hill Magazine
From the room
Don’t take our word for it.
“Sarad’s Asset-Based Community Development workshop gave our nonprofits a valuable starting point: recognizing the knowledge, skills, relationships and resources people already bring to the table, and mapping pathways to authentic community relationships. Thank you, Sarad, for contributing your expertise to a day focused on stronger connections and collaboration.”
Khalil Benhajjam, Senior Manager of Learning and Programs, Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) · Day of Learning, Charlottesville, VA
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Partners, collaborators and funders include
UVA Batten SchoolMorehouse School of MedicineAmerican Press InstituteGoogle News InitiativePress ForwardVirginia HumanitiesMetaCharlottesville Area Community FoundationBorealis PhilanthropyVirginia Community Colleges Association
Let’s make it happen
Have an event
coming up?
Tell us your date, audience and format. It takes about two minutes, and you’ll hear back with availability and a quote.
Check Sarad’s availabilityNot ready to book yet?
Get Sarad’s speaker one-sheet with topics, bio and headshots to share with your committee.