Speaking
Book Andrew for a Speaking Engagement
Topics:
THE COURAGE TO STAY HUMAN: CHOOSING CONNECTION OVER FEAR
A major motion picture is about to bring Andrew D. Kaufman’s critically acclaimed biography The Gambler Wife to the big screen. But the story behind the story — and why it matters now — runs deeper.
In this timely talk, Kaufman shares the real-life journey of Anna Dostoyevskaya, the remarkable woman who helped save her famous husband Fyodor Dostoyevsky from destruction — and reshaped literary history. Her courage wasn’t loud. It was steadfast, resilient, rooted in love.
Kaufman also draws on his own journey — from teaching in elite college classrooms to leading transformative literature seminars in jails. There, he has seen firsthand how stories of human struggle and moral complexity can awaken hope in even the darkest places.
In a time when fear pushes us apart, it’s connection — quiet, human, real — that carries us through.
Perfect for audiences navigating burnout, uncertainty, or personal reinvention, this talk delivers not only insight but courage.
RECLAIMING YOUR POWER AND PURPOSE IN TROUBLED TIMES
Scholar and author Andrew D. Kaufman shares inspirational lessons about reclaiming your power and purpose in life’s most challenging moments. Recounting what he learned from the sudden death of his father, encounters with inmates in his prison classes, and his bold decision to abandon a university professorship to pursue a higher passion, Kaufman inspires listeners to dig deep and discover new paths to meaning and fulfillment no matter the circumstances.
In this entertaining keynote scholar and educational entrepreneur Andrew Kaufman tells the improbable story of how, as a young man fresh out of a Stanford Ph.D. program, he struggled as a Hollywood actor, gambled wildly in Las Vegas, and was bilked out of large sums of money by an unscrupulous business partner. Some two decades later, however, those roller-coaster years would become the inspiration behind some of Kaufman’s greatest creative and professional successes: four books (one of which is being adapted into a feature film), a nationally recognized prison education program that is the subject of a PBS documentary, and a university professorship. Kaufman shares how his experiences have taught him the value of taking risks, believing in yourself, and transforming yesterday’s mistakes into tomorrow’s triumphs.
Praise:
“We invited Dr. Andy Kaufman to speak at our annual company party where our theme was Make Love not War. A gifted speaker, Andy was able to bring Tolstoy’s fascinating life story alive with real and relevant applications to our everyday personal and business interactions. Using equal parts wit and wisdom, Andy was both entertaining and edifying. We wholeheartedly recommend him for your organization’s next gathering.”
–Co-Founder and President, Eenhoorn, LLC
“Andrew Kaufman is, quite simply, the most entertaining, inspiring, and powerful speaker we’ve ever had. Although there were almost 300 in the audience, he had a knack for putting his audience at ease and communicating intimately with everyone, from senior executives to assembly line workers. And he left us with significant takeaways that were directly applicable to our business and personal lives. People left completely energized and mentioned they’d love to him back, that it was the fastest hour and they could’ve listened to him a lot longer. I highly recommend this uniquely talented speaker and performer for your next corporate event. You won’t regret it.”
–Tammy Guiles, Vice President and CFO, Amstore Corporation
“Andrew Kaufman is one of those rare speakers whose erudition challenges the mind and enlarges the heart, inviting listeners into a conversation with the ages and with themselves. Articulate, illuminating, eloquent. Cicero says that speech should inform and delight—Kaufman does both with consummate skill.”
–Todd Breyfogle, PhD, Director of Seminars, The Aspen Institute
