There's a disconnect between what the American people care about and what corporate media choose to focus on. This didn't start with social media, Trump, or flat screen TV's. The exploitation of workers, violence against communities of color, calls for military aggression abroad, and other "features" of our democracy have been in development for decades. As part of this process, progressives who challenge the status quo have been continuously pushed to the margins.

Progressive Speaker (PS) connects audiences with speakers who address our climate emergency, U.S. police violence and military aggression, single-payer healthcare, income inequality and other topics that are central to the progressive movement in the United States. PS was launched in February 2019 by Zhivko Illeieff, a digital strategist who volunteers his time to create alternatives to the addictive designs, pay-to-play models, and general toxicity on social and corporate media.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide an independent platform for progressive speakers and to facilitate opportunities for transformative dialogue. Click here to learn more about the history and vision of PS.

Providing a space for established and up-and-coming progressive speakers

Currently, there are few places online where people can discover and contact progressives outside of the corporate press, social media, and for-profit political groups. We provide an environment where progressive content and speakers don't have to compete with sponsored ads and click-bait, or be buried by mysterious algorithms.

Connecting progressives to speaking engagements with U.S. audiences

We can't count on social media to save us from tyranny. What has been proven to work are real-life interactions around the issues people care about. This is why our ultimate goal is to see more progressives talk in universities, conferences, workshops and other places where their ideas can reach the public.

No commission or transaction fees. All approved speakers join for free.

Progressive Speaker doesn't profit from commission fees—once contacted, speakers get to negotiate the terms of their speaking engagement. This means that the support we receive goes directly toward facilitating more speaking engagements and generating more funds for progressive public speakers in the U.S.

If you have a progressive podcast, talk show, YouTube channel, magazine, etc., we'd love to work with you. Send us your inquiries and ideas at: [email protected]. This website could not exist without the work and support of public speakers, volunteers, friends, and mentors who have contributed to its growth since the beginning. Thank you!