Travels from New Hampshire, USA
Majka Burhardt's speaking fee falls within range: $10,000 to $15,000
Majka Burhardt has a passion for creating unusual connections. As a professional climber, social entrepreneur, author, mother of twins, and filmmaker Majka has spent more than two decades leading multi-stage international ventures focused on current issues of environmental and cultural significance spanning Africa, Europe, South, and North America.
Majka is the Founder and CEO of Legado, an international organization that helps secure Thriving Futures for both people and the places they call home. Legado originated in 2011 during a pioneering climbing and conservation research expedition to Mozambique and is supported today by some of the world’s most influential social change funders and decision-makers.
Majka is the author of More: Life at the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood (Pegasus Books ’23), a Next Big Idea Club Must Read. More is an intense and emotional journey born at the confluence of motherhood, adventure, career, and marriage. Raw, candid, and galvanizing, the book is a passionate and poignant testament to the enduring power of love and our lifelong journey to understand ourselves as we strive to always pursue more.
Majka’s first book Vertical Ethiopia: Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa (2008) was short‑listed for the Banff Book Award. Her second book, Coffee Story: Ethiopia, was released in August 2011 and featured by Starbucks in 2013, and re-released as a second edition in 2018.
In 2010, Majka produced Waypoint Namibia and the film was featured at international film festivals and shown on NBC’s Universal Sports. Majka was nominated for an EPIC Emerging Artist Award for her work as the Executive Producer. Her 2016 film Namuli was released to acclaim at over 50 international film festivals and across the US on PBS. Namuli tells the story of Majka’s climbing and conservation research Mount Namuli, Mozambique’s second highest mountain and a critical target for conservation in southeast Africa— and of the origins of Legado.
As a keynote speaker, Majka addresses a diverse group of organizations and companies. Her clients have included Google, Nespresso, the Commonwealth Club, Banff Film and Book Festival, Colorado Environmental Coalition, universities and colleges throughout North America, and many others.
Her work and projects have been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, Outside Magazine, NPR and many other major international media outlets. Majka’s articles have appeared in publications including Fortune, Afar, Men’s Health, Skiing Magazine, Backpacker, Patagonia, Alpinist, Women’s Adventure, The Explorers Journal, and Climbing, where her column “Whipped,” ran for six years.
Concurrent with her role as Executive Director of Legado, Majka is a professional climber and ambassador with top outdoor company Patagonia. She is an American Mountain Guides Association Rock Guide and Ice Instructor and also former two-term member of the organizations’ Board of Directors. Majka is a Mulago Foundation Henry Arnhold Fellow for her work in conservation entrepreneurship, graduated from Princeton University cum laude, and received a MFA in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers.
Majka lives in New Hampshire with her husband, Peter Doucette, and their twin children.
In connection with the theme of human survival, Majka Burhardt talks about her concept of survival based on conversation--the icky kind. She explains what she means by saying, "Like when you're wiggling a tooth and it hurts but it feels good and you kind of want to keep doing it." Burhardt explains how people can make that type of conversation part of their life and how they can achieve better conservation and connection with others if they're willing to make an effort.She reminisces about a recent trip she took to Africa where she originally went to Ethiopia to research coffee but was distracted by big, unclimbed sandstone towers reaching 500 feet into the sky. As a professional rock climber, she decided to put together a team of four women to climb these towers. She goes on to explain how word of this plan traveled really fast through Ethiopia and how a publisher contacted her asking her to write about the experience with the goal of changing Ethiopia through rock climbing.
Through her experiences and stories, Majka Burhardt offers insights on how teams can collaborate and achieve their goals; ways to succeed in a challenging environment; how individuals can reach their full potential for work and other purposes; and the role people play in their local communities and in the world. Burhardt also gives speeches on coffee – from its origins to the impact it has on the global economy.
Leadership When It Matters
What climbing in the wild can teach us about teams, collaboration, and true grit
How do teams achieve impossible goals? How do stakeholders coalesce into powerful teams? In Majka’s Leadership When it Matters keynote she shares the vital commitments of cohesion that create innovative and successful teams. Majka’s astonishing stories and footage of successfully leading teams through poisonous-snake-infested grasslands, up crumbling sandstone spires, and into charged tribal politics galvanize leaders and team members into productive action.
Innovation on the World’s Sky Islands
How one woman is combating climate change by saving the world’s water towers
Nine years ago, Majka Burhardt had $11,000 from the outdoor industry and an idea about how to tackle climate change by protecting the world’s most hyper-biodiverse mountains. Today, her organization, Legado, is backed by the likes of Rainforest Trust, Patagonia, and Conservation International, and is emerging as a leader in conservation entrepreneurship on the global stage. In this keynote, Majka shares the story of using her roots as a professional climber and commitment to innovation to pioneer a new to protect the vertical last mile. From discovering new species, to shoring up the world’s water towers in the face of climate change, to leveraging a team of world-class rock climbers for cliff-side access scientific research, Majka’s story of Sky Island innovation will inspire you to create actionable change.
Triumph In Uncharted Territory
How to Use Change to Thrive
Every day in modern business we each embark into unchartered territory, filled with change, uncertainty, and unpredictable outcomes. Majka can teach your audience how to not only succeed, but triumph through every step of the journey. Majka shares the keys of dynamic risk assessment honed from years rock and ice climbing in unknown corners of the world. Attendees will become master explorers with Majka and come away with simple, concrete ways to shift challenges into possibilities and the power to use their intuition to ignite passion for change.
Global Entrepreneurship
Climbing the world’s mountains and looking beyond: going deep in global entrepreneurship and conservation
For over 20 years, Majka has been scaling mountains around the world as a professional climber. Not satisfied by her experiences on these rock faces, Majka looked beyond to what laid behind and around these mountains: the communities. Over the past two decades, Majka has tirelessly established and championed her own international enterprises that run life-transforming projects in underrepresented parts of the world. Leveraging her significant experience, education and diverse community, Majka brings these small corners of the world onto the global stage — changing the conversation about the developing world from one of famine, poverty and destitution to possibility, opportunity, legacy and vibrant futures for all. In this keynote, you’ll be inspired by Majka — a powerful female advocate, adventurer, entrepreneur, athlete and mother — as she lifts the veil on her life, work, and the beautiful, messy, and often surprising challenges that come with it.
Additive Adventure, The Series
Ongoing series integrating Majka’s recent projects merging adventure with global citizenship
What’s Additive Adventure? It’s Majka’s term for when adventure extends beyond exploration to create cultural and environmental connection. From the roots of coffee, to rock climbing expeditions in the Horn of Africa, to an unflinching look at cultural use and misuse in Namibia, Additive Adventure takes a global look at the individual’s role in larger issues and communities. Can the grandest adventure create the smallest conversation with the largest meaning? Can being a global citizen begin with a question? Can your passion lead you to your greatest impact? Majka takes on these tough questions when she takes us on a journey to go local by going to origin; by going to Additive Adventure.
Coffee Story: Ethiopia, The Tour
It’s a simple question: What if a food crop—coffee—could change a nation’s future? Be part of the answer with the Coffee Story Ethiopia Speaking Tours
Public Tour: A combined discussion of food anthropology, development, adventure, and the impact of coffee on world politics and global understanding. Event List Includes: Google Headquarters, Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, Seattle Town Hall, and many others.
Industry Speaking Series: The Coffee Story Ethiopia Industry Speaking Series offers a unique experience to companies and organizations in the coffee industry. Majka can address intimate executive sessions, company-wide meetings, large-scale conferences, public forums, and joint initiatives.
The More in Each of Us
Going deeper on motherhood, adventure, career, and marriage
Using her own experience as charted in her forthcoming book, More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood, Majka explores the intersection between the passion to be a global actor and the transformative, identity-shifting experience of parenthood and its irreversible impact on career, identity, partnership, and self. You’ll leave this keynote feeling seen, understood, and with a clearer sense of your journey as you pursue your More.
“I want to thank you so much for your most amazing presentation. It was magical and inspiring—I was mesmerized. As was everyone else in the audience. I have had an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone I’ve spoken with. You are a true storyteller. You weave a beautiful web of words and imagesin your pitch perfect delivery. Wow.” Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy
“Majka Burhardt’s speech was incredible. Her message had instant impact and, judging from the conversations following the event, is clearly going to have lasting impact. Majka’s speaking style is the definition of dynamic and she is exceptionally inspirational, entertaining, and elucidating. Add to that her approachability and honesty and you have a rare storyteller who can inspire action. The Commonwealth Club sees the best speakers in its doors and Majka is clearly part of this group.” The Commonwealth Club of California
“Majka Burhardt represents the finest traditions of exploration.” The Explorers Club
“Majka Burhardt’s presentation was a universal hit with both our student audiences at TEDxKIDS and the adults at TEDxSMU—a huge feat! Her energy and passion allows her to connect with her audiences to share her story and make you feel like you’re along for the ride. She was a truly wonderful addition to our program, and also a joy to get to know.” TEDxSMU
“Majka’s a dynamic speaker who has a great story to tell. She engaged our audience and challenged them not just to learn about Ethiopian culture but to get involved—an appeal that moved them immediately. I look forward to hearing more about Majka’s work and seeing her back at Town Hall.” Town Hall Seattle
“Majka Burhardt was a big draw for our most recent fundraiser in support of Ethiopian schools and a big part of its success. She is a dynamic, passionate and captivating speaker with great stories and IMAGES to go with them. Most important was the feedback I received from people after the program; Majka’s program spurred further personal discussions in cars on the way home, over meals and other places about Ethiopia and how their lives can connect with people there.” PRIDE (Partners for Rural Improvement and Development in Ethiopia)
“Majka Burhardt spoke to a rapt audience about what she had learned as a writer, a climber, and a human being in Ethiopia. Burhardt’s extraordinary personal honesty drew the audience into her story and provided a context for much of the information she presented. Her connection with this place is profound.” Cleveland Council on World Affairs
“I’m so glad Majka was able to speak at the Bell Museum of Natural History. Her message was not only informative, but thought provoking. As a museum we seek to inspire curiosity and foster learning in our visitors, and Majka’s presentation was an excellent fit. And entertaining as well—filled with incredible photography and engaging stories. I loved standing among our visitors after the presentation and hearing discussions going on all around me—the ideal benchmark for an event’s success!” Bell Museum Of Natural History
“As a public lands organizer working for the Colorado Environmental Coalition in western Colorado I was immediately intrigued by Burhardt’s interest in the interface between our culture’s adventure seeking and environmental/conservation sensibilities. This issue, this need to move beyond an anthropocentric view of our surrounding landscapes, is one that consistently arises in the field of non-profit conservation work. For me specifically, the question becomes how can CEC encourage the burgeoning population of outdoor enthusiasts to come to understand, appreciate, and work to protect nature on nature’s own terms. Burhardt’s answer; tapping into the universal ‘love of landscape’ that permeates and connects the kayaker to the rancher, the hiker to the farmer, and the 33 year old Burhardt to a new Himba mother in Northern Namibia. Majka Burhardt is not to be missed.” Colorado Environmental Coalition
“I would highly recommend Majka’s presentation to anyone and everyone. In less than 45 minutes one can learn so much, one can get inspired and have fun while doing so. Now, what more can you ask for?” World Affairs Council of Oregon
“Majka gives a rousing presentation and helps her audience look deeper to see the beauty of adventure in the world.” Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum
“Majka Burhardt is an excellent storyteller who delivers with candor, energy and humor.” World Affairs Council of Houston
“We were ecstatic about bringing Majka Burhardt. She incorporates an eclectic mix of photography, immersion in foreign culture, geography, human rights, and adventure into a presentation which illuminates just how original this experience was.” Bowdoin College
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Vertical Ethiopia, Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa
What if the very country that claims the Cradle of Humanity is also the next Mecca for adventure: In March of 2007, four women traveled to northern Ethiopia to climb virgin sandstone towers in the Horn of Africa. They explored rock monoliths in a region that is best known for the drought and famine of the 1980 s and was the site of one of the bloodiest massacres of the Derg. Vertical Ethiopia is the narrative of their journey. Told through a series of vignettes that reveal what it means to climb, to travel, and to explore, Vertical Ethiopia looks closely at the intersections between adventure and culture, history and opportunity, and sky and sandstone.
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