Biography

Over the last 20 years, Kai has been the host and senior editor of Marketplace, the most popular program on business and the economy – radio or television, commercial or public broadcasting – in the country. He also co-hosts the podcast Make Me Smart.

Kai won an Emmy Award in 2012 for Outstanding Investigative Journalism on a PBS Frontline documentary about money in politics entitled Big SkyBig Money. His written work has been featured in The New York Times and The Atlantic. He is frequently called on as an event and panel moderator at such conferences as the Aspen Ideas Festival, Atlantic Ideas, Fortune Brainstorm, and Fast Company Innovation. Kai also speaks regularly with policymakers, including the Federal Reserve Chair, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of the White House National Economic Council. He interviewed President Obama twice in the Oval Office and once on a folding chair in the middle of the Nevada desert. 

Read More

Videos

Kai Ryssdal explains the Bond Market

Stronger Together: Expanding Worker Voice to Expand Economic Opportunity

Request Availability

Blog Posts

Why Top Event Planners Use Story to Double Audience Engagement, with Bruce Turkel

Learn from Hall of Fame speaker Bruce Turkel how story transforms events from forgettable content into experiences attendees quote months later.

Read More

New Year Planning Moves That Turn Events Into Strategic Levers (Not Just Calendar Fillers)

Design your New Year with intention using proven strategies from top thought leaders & transform your 2026 events from calendar fillers into meaningful moments.

Read More

How Top Speakers Shift Attention to Their Audience and Increase Event Engagement

Learn from emcee Scott Bloom how shifting your attention from yourself to your audience creates transformative speaking experiences that drive real engagement.

Read More

Creating Impactful Leadership with Gratitude: Lessons from Chris Schembra

Learn from keynote speaker Chris Schembra how gratitude transforms leaders and help them build a workplace culture that people want to be part of.

Read More

7 Ways Gratitude Transforms Your Events (From Burnout to Breakthrough)

Gratitude isn't about being nice; it's a performance tool. Learn how to design events that help attendees feel seen, process hard years, and leave inspired.

Read More

Best Artificial Intelligence Speakers for Retail & eCommerce Conferences (2026)

Discover the Best Artificial Intelligence Speakers for Retail & eCommerce Conferences and design AI agendas that grow revenue, CX, and loyalty.

Read More

Related Economy Speakers

Contact Us Today

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.
    A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form