Dr. Anindya Kundu is a highly-coveted public speaker who engages audiences of all kinds by speaking truth to power. Anindya is not afraid to say what is needed to be said in these polarizing and turbulent times and his goal is to offer motivational messages around unity and equity. A 2-time TED Speaker with millions of views, Anindya speaks on a wide range of topics broadly around how people thrive and overcome obstacles. He is a national expert who covers: understanding opportunity gaps in education; how different stakeholders can demonstrate educational leadership; and the resources, supports, and relationships that promote agency and grit.

In his talks, Anindya shares his research which includes stories of individuals who have overcome immense, structural-obstacles related to poverty, including homelessness, addiction, violent trauma, incarceration, and more, to champion for equitable systems and pathways to opportunity for all. These themes are relevant across sectors and fields, motivating audiences to improve their own circumstances, their teams’, and their communities at-large. 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

  • “Anindya is a charismatic speaker. His passion and empathy make him an especially effective communicator!”

    — Dr. Angela Duckworth, psychologist and author of NYT Bestseller,
    GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseveranceurce

  • “Anindya engaged the audience of educational leaders with concrete and inspirational stories grounded in reality that could be analyzed through the research. Practical, moving, and fresh.”

    — Rosa Apodaca, Senior Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, Institute for Learning

  • “Anindya is a dynamic speaker with research-backed insights. His ability to convey complex topics with compelling examples allows him to connect with broad audiences, and stand out in today’s education landscape.”

    — Dr. Pedro Noguera, world renowned scholar of urban education

  • “Dr. Kundu ignited our Summit with his discussion on The Power of Student Agency. With the rigor of his research, the humanity of his storytelling and the relaxed, expert delivery, he inspired hundreds of educators in the audience to seize this power as they prepare for the historic 2020-21 school year.”

    — Emily Bader, Sr. Director of Marketing and Communications, LEAP Innovations

  • "Dr. Kundu used his deep sense of empathy and his compassionate approach to hit home the importance of student agency in education. Our learning designers and content developers walked away inspired to create content—for students and teachers alike—that supports that mission."

    — Elana Snow, Instructional Designer, Cengage Group

SPEAKING
SERVICES

OFFERINGS

Topics

Fostering student agency in K-12 and college and university settings; the sociology of grit and the social contexts that foster student achievement; opportunity gaps and how to address them in education, workforce, and community; equitable workforce development and how companies can create inclusive conditions; spreading cultural competency in modern times and creating networks of support; the foundations behind personalized learning.

Audiences

K-12 school districts and school boards; college and university student or faculty groups; companies and organizations interested in equitable hiring and culturally sensitive workplace conditions; parents and educators; educational professionals and conferences on student learning and motivation; professionals who engage in behavioral intervention, and anyone interested in agency, grit, goal setting, motivation, student voice and equity, cultural competency, opportunity gaps, inclusive economy and workforce development.

Select Keynotes
& Presentations

2025

San Francisco, CA: Learning and The Brain Conference. Stanford University and Berkeley University. Keynote.

Clifton, NJ: Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Support Our Schools Conference. Keynote.

Gainesville, FL: Santa Fe College. All Staff Professional Development Day. Keynote.

Winston-Salen, NC: Wake Forest University, TEDx Student Event, Invited Speaker

2024

Boston, MA: Cengage, (Leading Provider of Higher Ed Learning Materials), Invited Company Speaker

Broward, FL: Martin Luther King Elementary School, Keynote Speaker

Broward, FL: Broward County Public Schools
Student Enrichment Conference (1K people)

Philadelphia, PA: American Educational
Research Association

2022

Houston, TX: Keynote. Texas Association of
Bilingual Education, 50th Anniversary (Standing ovation from an audience of over 600+ people)

Orlando, FL: Keynote. Florida Virtual Schools
Statewide Training. 500+ people. Las Vegas,
NV: Keynote. Meadows School Staff
Development Day.

Indianapolis, IN: Keynote. Indiana Youth Institute.

Indianapolis, IN: Keynote. Simon Youth Foundation. 500+ people.

2023

Ankeny & Des Moines, IA: Iowa Association of School Boards

Charlottesville, SC: Panelist among top scholars. Educational Rights Initiative Launch at University of Virginia

Danville, CA: Keynote. San Ramon Valley Unified School District

2021 and Earlier

New York City, NY: Keynote. Career and Technical
Education (CTE) Conference for Central
Office Leadership Trenton, NJ: Keynote.
Foundation Academy Staff Development.

San Diego, CA: Keynote. Advancement Via
Individual Determination (AVID). Partial
recording. (Virtual). 500+ people, across
the country.

Chicago, IL: Keynote. LEAP Innovations National Summit. (Virtual).

Chicago, IL: Keynote. National College Attainment Network. (Virtual).

Port Chester, NY: Keynote. STEER for Student Athletes. (Virtual).

Odessa, TX: Keynote. University of Texas
Permian Basin Full-Staff Training. (Virtual).

Albany, NY: Keynote. New York State Dept of Ed, Bilingual Education Program Staff. (Virtual).

Austin, TX; Keynote. Texas Association of School Boards. (Virtual).

Arlington, VA: Keynote. Aurora Institute Symposium. (Virtual).

Washington D.C.: Touring Speaker for Clever’s (Education Tech Company) National School District Roadshow.

Dallas, TX: Touring Speaker for Clever (above).

Fort Lauderdale, FL: Touring Speaker for Clever (above).

Orange CA; Keynote. Chapman University Faculty Diversity Training.

New York City, NY: TED TALK (2017; 2020).

Bonita Springs, FL: Keynote. National Behavioral Intervention Association (NaBiTA). 500+ people.