Off-Topic: Help finding the right speaker

So i am the VP of the Entrepreneur Club at Iowa State University. One of my jobs is to find speakers for meeting dates. I have some local business owners sceduled to speak but my goal is to get a big name speaker that everyone on campus will know so we have a big turn out.

I want your help to brainstorm big name speakers that will be easy to contact and somehwhat willing to speak.

I talked to the founder and also the CEO of Zappos.com and was very close to getting them up here - but in the end the dates, etc, werent working out -- but hey -- i got a good contact out of the deal.

I also contacted many of the apprentice contestants - wow - they charge a lot

But people like that are what i am looking for - founders of successful businesses that have a decent story to tell.

Please help with my brainstorming

[quote="bonafizzle8"]do you have friendly's ice cream in iowa?[/quote]

Dont believe so - never heard of it

yeah, it's a real new england institution... i was going to say to call up the guy who founded it, but that wouldn't work if the product isnt even in your area...

If its the red place, we have a Friendly's here in Delaware, oooo, they ice cream be on point (good in proper terms lol)

And I got the solution, Ryan even knows about the person, http://www.studentmanifesto.com --- the author who wrote the book is available for speaking, check in with him.

LOL, yeah, I've ate there a couple times, there not bad, then again, I wouldn't say their the best. The bad part is, there across the highway from McDonalds here, HA HA.

yeah, they have a nice little niche, above the fast foods, dq, w/e, but under your applebees, outbacks and chilis of the world... the ice cream is top notch for icecream sold by the carton...

Do you have any local success stories? Contact the owner of the success story... everyone will have heard of them and they will be motivational.

If you can find someone local who went from rags to riches, you would have a great speaker.

The guy who started 1-800-got-junk for example (although he lives here).

Karen

[quote="ewindsor"]Did you ever get a quote from Troy from the Apprentice? I thought I remember you saying something about using him or at least talking about it, but I don't remember if you had said what he charges.[/quote]
$15,000 was the quote but he said he would drop it to 7500 for me.

I wish i could speak for an hour at that wage :)

One of the other apprentice's are contacting all the REI clubs asking to be a speaker (she is probably promoting something).

I bet she wouldn't cost that much.

Karen

[quote="Karen"]One of the other apprentice's are contacting all the REI clubs asking to be a speaker (she is probably promoting something).

I bet she wouldn't cost that much.

Karen[/quote]

REI Clubs? and which contestant?

Farrah Gray would be really good I think. BenKB told me he talked at Cinncinatti University.

You could always just get a speech on CD and play it, or project a video of them speaking. (I'm half serious) My school did that and said a "famous NFL running back" was going to speak, but it was a video projection of his speech. :lol: I didn't think it was that bad though; we all heard the same content as if he actually came, just didnt get ot see him in person nor ask questions.

[quote="JimiHendrix"]Shouldn't Kendra be working on Trump's real estate instead of doing speaking tours?[/quote]

One would think so..

Karen

he's a tight end, and I believe he's recently retired. if it matters...