Devon Harris reaching out to the audience during a keynote

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Black History Month · MLK Day · Juneteenth · Booking 2027

Black motivational speaker and three-time Olympian

Devon Harris is a Black motivational speaker, three-time Winter Olympian and original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team. He brings a story of excellence nobody expected to Black History Month celebrations, employee resource group events and conferences, and gives everyone in the room a simple way to keep pushing.

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Winter Olympic Games: Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992 and Nagano 1998.Named an Olympian for Life by the World Olympians Association in 2018

Booked by teams at

  • Microsoft
  • IBM
  • Adobe
  • PayPal
  • Merck
See all 200+ clients
200+Organizations that booked him
5Continents he has spoken on
20+Years on corporate and association stages

Planning for February?

February is the busiest month for these events, and dates go first. Reach out as early as you can.

Check your date

The story behind the speaker

A Black motivational speaker who lived the story

Devon grew up in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica, with very little money. He went on to graduate from Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served as an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force, leaving as a Captain. Along the way he was often the only one in the room who looked or sounded like him.

In 1987 he answered a call for volunteers to start a bobsled team in a country with no snow. The team learned push starts on a homemade track, crashed on Olympic ice in Calgary in front of the world, and walked the sled across the finish line. Devon came back to two more Winter Games as captain. The story inspired the Disney film Cool Runnings, and on stage Devon tells what really happened.

That is why Devon's story works so well in Black History Month. It is a celebration of excellence the world did not expect, told with warmth and humor, and it speaks to everyone in the room.

What your audience gets

  • The real story, from the push track in Jamaica to three Olympic Games
  • A celebration of people who were underestimated and kept coming back
  • A message for everyone in the room, whatever their background
  • A simple system to use the next morning: Responsibility, Reframe, Reset
  • Time with your people after the keynote, for photos, questions and signed books
The original Jamaican bobsled team on their first trip to a bobsled track in 1987

1987: the team's first trip to a bobsled track

“The challenges of his early life gave great credibility to his messages. The feedback from attendees was highly positive.”
Spectralink Corporation

The Black History Month keynote

Keep On Pushing™Celebrate the past. Push the next run.

Devon's signature keynote, built around your Black History Month theme. He celebrates people who were underestimated and kept going, then gives your audience his 3R System, plus one habit that makes it work for a whole team.

  1. 01

    What is mine to own?

    Responsibility

    No snow, no money and no precedent. The team owned what it could control, and every person can own how they treat colleagues, who they listen to and who they invite in.

  2. 02

    What else could this mean?

    Reframe

    The world laughed at a team from Jamaica. They saw a chance to make history. See difference as a strength and look at a problem from someone else's point of view.

  3. 03

    What do we do next?

    Reset

    Past injustices are real, and they do not have to define what comes next. Honor the history, keep learning and choose the next step that moves you forward.

  4. 04

    Who is pushing with you?

    Push Together

    A sled only goes fast when every athlete pushes. Belonging is built by everyone, and allies matter as much as anyone.

Built around your theme: yours, or the national theme set each year by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which founded Black History Month.

Check Devon's availability

What clients say

A story that stays with people

Read all client reviews
“We have had guest speakers in the past, but none have delivered a message of such significance as yours. It was simple and pure but at the same time profound and extremely moving. Your words motivated and inspired all of us to focus on our dreams and that giving up should never be an option.”
Textron
“You spoke candidly about your life experiences, motivating everyone to exceed their expectations and be all they can be.”
Martin Midstream Partners
“Your presentation will not be easily forgotten! I believe that your testimony and the valuable insight that you shared will make many human beings PASSIONATE about ACHIEVING, not only for Syngenta but for many other companies as well.”
Syngenta, Andean and Caribbean
“Exceptional! That is the first word that comes to mind after you exceeded our high expectations.”
US Bankruptcy Court

See Devon on stage

Watch Devon on stage

Speaker reelWalk-on, the story, the room on its feet and what clients said afterwards.

Meet Devon HarrisA short introduction to Devon on stage.

Inside the story

Where Devon comes from, and how a team from Jamaica ended up on Olympic ice.

The Olympic storyDevon's full bio

Where Devon speaks

In February, and all year

Heritage events land best when they are more than a February date on the calendar. Devon opened the 2015 Burlington Diversity Conference and speaks to corporate, campus and community audiences year-round.

  1. January

    Martin Luther King Jr. Day

    Service days and MLK events built around courage, responsibility and pushing together.

  2. February

    Black History Month celebrations

    All-hands meetings, lunch-and-learns and company celebrations that bring the whole organization into the room.

  3. June

    Juneteenth

    Commemorations and celebrations, with a story of freedom, responsibility and pushing together.

  4. Any time

    Employee resource group events

    ERG-hosted keynotes and leadership events, with a message members can share with their colleagues.

Campuses and schools

University programs, student leadership events and school assemblies. See School Runnings and his children's book Yes, I Can!

Virtual and hybrid

The same keynote, delivered live on screen for distributed and global teams.

Length and fee

Keynotes run 45 to 60 minutes, with Q&A, adjusted to your agenda. Fees are quoted for your date, location and format. Ask for Devon's fee

Also see Devon's diversity and inclusion keynote and his resilience keynote.

Beyond the stage

Giving back where it started

In 2006 Devon founded the Keep On Pushing Foundation to give children in the Kingston neighborhood where he grew up the same chance he had. It started with a breakfast program at his old primary school, and today runs breakfast, school supply, digital training and wellness programs at primary schools in Kingston.

For schools and family events, his children's book Yes, I Can! The Story of the Jamaican Bobsled Team carries the same message for younger readers. Organizations can pair a Black History Month keynote with signed copies of his book Keep On Pushing: Hot Lessons From Cool Runnings.

The Keep On Pushing FoundationYes, I Can! book

Devon Harris with primary school students in Kingston holding new book bags from the Keep On Pushing Foundation

Planning questions

Black motivational speaker FAQ

What planners ask before they book Devon for Black History Month and heritage events. Anything else, ask Devon's team.

Portrait of Devon Harris, three-time Olympian and keynote speaker

About Devon Harris

Raised in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica. Graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and a former Captain in the Jamaica Defence Force. Original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team that inspired Cool Runnings, captain in 1992 and 1998, and an Olympian for Life (World Olympians Association, 2018). Author of Keep On Pushing: Hot Lessons From Cool Runnings.

Speaking KitFull bio

Who is Devon Harris?

Devon Harris is a Black motivational speaker, three-time Winter Olympian and original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team whose story inspired the Disney film Cool Runnings. He grew up in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica, graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, served as an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force and captained the bobsled team in 1992 and 1998. He has spoken to more than 200 organizations on five continents.

Is Devon a good fit for our Black History Month event?

Yes. As a Black motivational speaker and three-time Olympian, Devon brings a story that celebrates excellence nobody expected: a team from a country with no snow that the world laughed at, and that kept coming back. Devon builds your Black History Month theme into his signature keynote, Keep On Pushing, and closes with practical habits every person can use.

Does the keynote work for a mixed audience?

Yes. The message is for everyone in the room, not only Black employees. Devon celebrates people who were underestimated, then shows how every person, and every ally, helps a team push together.

Devon was born in Jamaica. Is his story right for a US Black History Month event?

Devon grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, and built his life and career in the United States, where he has spoken to organizations for more than 20 years. His story speaks to Black audiences across the diaspora and to everyone in the room. If your event focuses on a specific part of African American history, tell us in the form and Devon's team will tell you honestly whether he is the right fit.

Can Devon speak at MLK Day or Juneteenth events?

Yes. The same keynote works for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, Juneteenth in June and employee resource group events throughout the year. Devon tailors each one to your theme after a prep call with your team.

Can the keynote be customized to our theme?

Every keynote starts with a pre-event survey and a prep call. Devon learns your goals, your theme and your language, whether that is the national Black History Month theme or your own, and weaves them into his story.

Can Devon speak virtually?

Yes. Devon delivers keynotes in person worldwide and live on screen for virtual and hybrid events.

How far ahead should we book a Black History Month speaker?

As early as you can. February is the busiest month for these events, and many organizations plan them in the fall. Send your date through the form and Devon's team will confirm availability.

How much does it cost to book Devon?

Fees depend on the date, the location and the format, in person, virtual or hybrid. Send your event details through the form on this page and Devon's team will reply with fee and availability within 24 hours.

Check availability

Book Devon for Black History Month. Check his dates.

Tell us your date, location, audience and theme, whether it is Black History Month, MLK Day, Juneteenth or an ERG event. Devon's team replies within 24 hours with availability, fees and format options.

  • Send your event detailsDate, location, audience size and what you want people to walk away with.
  • Talk with Devon's teamAgree on the keynote, the format and your goals for the event.
  • Get a keynote built for your eventThe pre-event survey and prep call shape the story around your theme and your people.

Prefer to talk now? Call 844-853-3766 or email speaker@devonharris.com.

Check Devon's availability

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