Headliner

Leadership keynote speakers

Alison Levine

Polar Explorer, Everest Climber & Bestselling Author of On the Edge

Speaking feeTypically $30k–$50kIndicative only, confirmed on request
  • Keynote · Fireside chat · Moderation
  • English
Check availabilityScroll the full profile

Headliner can arrange a booking with Alison Levine or their representative. This profile is compiled from public sources; availability and fees are confirmed on request. A listing here does not imply endorsement, affiliation, partnership, or exclusivity.

Signature keynotes

What your audience walks away with

  • Outcome

    On the Edge — The Art of High-Impact Leadership (current flagship)

    The leadership lessons Levine learned captaining the first American Women's Everest Expedition and surviving the world's most extreme environments — applied directly to fast-moving, high-pressure business. How to make decisions with incomplete information, when to push and when to back up, and why the plan matters less than how the team adapts when the plan breaks.

  • From Setbacks to Superpowers — Unlocking Peak Performance

    Drawn from her 600-mile South Pole expedition: how perceived limitations and hard setbacks become a team's greatest strengths through creative problem-solving, preparation, and refusing to let failure become final. A resilience keynote with the receipts.

  • Women Moving Mountains™

    How small, courageous actions compound into outsized change — inspired by her expeditions and her Climb High Foundation work training women as trekking guides in Uganda. Built for women's leadership events and organizations investing in the next generation of leaders.

  • Rise Up — Finding Strength & Conquering Challenges in Tough Times

    A mindset-and-resilience program for uncertain, high-stakes conditions: how to steady yourself and your team, keep moving when the terrain shifts, and find perspective in the hardest stretches.

  • Lessons from the Ledge

    Field-tested takeaways on leadership, teamwork, and grit from a career spent at the literal edge — the habits, humility, and preparation that separate teams that summit from teams that stall.

The story

Who Alison actually is

Alison Levine is a history-making polar explorer, mountaineer, and leadership expert who has built a keynote career on lessons learned where the margin for error is zero. She served as team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition, and she is one of fewer than twenty people in the world to complete the Adventure Grand Slam — climbing the highest peak on every continent and skiing to both the North and South Poles. In January 2008 she became the first American to complete a 600-mile traverse across West Antarctica to the South Pole, and on May 24, 2010 she stood on the summit of Mount Everest. She accomplished all of it while living with Raynaud's disease and after undergoing three heart surgeries.

Before the mountains, Levine built a business career: an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, roles in the pharmaceutical and medical-device industries, and three years at Goldman Sachs, followed by a stint as deputy finance director for a California gubernatorial campaign. She then spent four years as an adjunct professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and she continues to serve on the faculty of the Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point and as a Senior Fellow at Duke's Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics.

Levine is the author of On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller with a foreword by Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. She was executive producer of the documentary The Glass Ceiling, founded the Climb High Foundation to train jobless women in western Uganda as trekking guides, and has been recognized with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and induction into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. Today she is one of the most in-demand leadership speakers in the world, addressing audiences from Fortune 500 companies to professional sports teams to the World Economic Forum.

The receipts

Books & publications

  • On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments

    2014

    the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, with a foreword by Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski. Practical, humorous, and unorthodox leadership lessons drawn from Everest, the South Pole, and other extreme environments — and how they apply to teams and organizations under pressure.

Gravity

Career highlights & recognition

  • Milestone

    Captain, first American Women's Everest Expedition

    led the team to ~28,750 feet

  • Milestone2010

    Adventure Grand Slam finisher

    highest peak on every continent + skied to both Poles (fewer than 20 people ever); summited Everest, May 24, 2010

  • Milestone2008

    First American to traverse West Antarctica to the South Pole

    600 miles, January 2008

  • Credential

    Four years as an adjunct professor at West Point

    faculty, Thayer Leader Development Group; Senior Fellow, Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics, Duke

  • Credential

    Author of the _New York Times_ & _Wall Street Journal_ bestseller _On the Edge_

    foreword by Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski

  • Milestone

    Business background:

    Duke MBA, ~3 years at Goldman Sachs, pharma/medical-device roles

  • Award

    Ellis Island Medal of Honor

    recipient · Arizona Women's Hall of Fame inductee

  • Milestone

    Executive producer

    The Glass Ceiling documentary · founder, Climb High Foundation (Uganda)

  • Milestone

    three heart surgeries

    and lives with Raynaud's disease — while operating at extreme altitude and polar cold

Booking with confidence

What to expect when you book Alison

  • 01

    Compiled from public sources

    This profile is built from public, verifiable material and stamped with the date it was last reviewed. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace to a source.

  • 02

    Availability and fees, confirmed

    Tell us your date and brief, and we confirm Alison's availability and current fee on request. We never publish a fabricated figure or imply an exclusivity we do not hold.

  • 03

    Managed end to end

    From first inquiry to the day itself, Headliner handles briefing, contracting, and logistics, so your team can focus on the event.

Answers

Booking questions, answered

What is Alison Levine's speaking fee?

Typically $30k–$50k (indicative; confirmed on request). Alison's fee varies by event, date, format, and location, so we confirm the exact figure for your booking. Share your brief for current pricing and live availability.

Is Alison Levine available for my event date?

Availability changes with Alison's schedule and the season. Tell us your date and we'll confirm whether Alison is open, and hold the slot while you decide.

How do I book Alison Levine for my event?

Alison Levine is booked through Headliner. Tell us your event date, audience, and goals, and we'll confirm availability and the next steps — typically within four business hours.

How much does Alison Levine charge to speak?

Typically $30k–$50k (indicative; confirmed on request). It depends on event, date, format, location, and whether the session is in person or virtual. Share your brief and we'll confirm the exact figure and availability.

Can I hire Alison Levine for a corporate event?

Yes. Alison is represented for speaking engagements through Headliner on a non-exclusive basis and regularly takes corporate keynotes, conferences, and leadership events. Share your brief to check availability.

Can I book Alison Levine for a virtual keynote?

Yes. Alison presents virtual keynotes as well as in-person sessions. Virtual fees are typically quoted below a live keynote, so tell us your format for a precise quote.

What formats does Alison offer?

Alison is available for Keynote, Fireside chat, Moderation and Virtual engagements. We'll match the format to your audience and run-of-show.

What does Alison speak about?

Alison's keynote themes include Team & Culture, Endurance and Mindset. Each talk is tailored to your audience and outcomes.

What languages does Alison present in?

Alison presents in English.

Where does Alison travel from?

Alison is based in New York, NY and travels internationally for engagements; virtual sessions are also available.

Profile updated . Compiled from public sources — confirm current fees and availability with Headliner.

Book Alison Levine through Headliner

Tell us about your event and we’ll confirm Alison’s availability and fee — typically within four business hours.

Book Alison Levine through HeadlinerBrowse the roster

Keep exploring

Speakers in the same vein

Alison Levine

Typically $30k–$50k

Check availability