Speech Thomas

Speech is the 2x Grammy Award Winning founder and lead singer of the 4X Platinum hip-hop collective Arrested Development.

Known for consistently pushing the artistic and social envelope, Speech’s Brave Leadership keynote mixed with a musical performance makes for an EXPERIENCE.

Key Speech Themes:

Inspirational & Motivational, Leadership, Overcoming Adversity, Resilience, Diversity & Inclusion, Musical Entertainment

Ideal Audiences:

General, Leadership, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners

Meet Speech

SPEECH THOMAS is the 2x Grammy Award Winning founder and lead singer of the 4X PLATINUM hip-hop collective ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.

Known for consistently pushing the artistic and social envelope, Speech’s keynote mixed with a musical performance makes for an EXPERIENCE.

Brave leaders can accomplish the seemingly impossible under any circumstance, but how often do we take a step back and ask ourselves if we could do that? Too often we assume that brave leaders are extraordinary people, unlike us, and never stop to consider that each of us holds the traits to become one. Brave leaders make bold moves, and each of us has an opportunity to do the same, and that is the message that 2x Grammy Award-Winning singer/songwriter Speech Thomas is sharing with global audiences.

Today, Speech Thomas is known for his entrepreneurship, philanthropy and as the beloved leader of the 2x Grammy Award-Winning Hip-Hop Collective, Arrested Development, but he didn't always have those accolades behind him. Growing up in Milwaukee, one of the most statistically difficult places for black youth, Speech understood that he had to make his own path. Pushing against all trends around rap and hip-hop, Speech and his bandmates decided to focus on more uplifting and positive messaging. It was a brave move at the time when lyrics were filled with hateful and violent words. But staying the course of creating a different impact served them well, which led to their song “Tennessee” becoming Arrested Development's first hit single as well as BEST RAP SONG winner at the Grammys and being named one of the “500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll” by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What helped Speech be a brave leader at a time when he could have been swayed to march in the same direction of other performers? It is that story that Speech is sharing with global audiences, and how he was able to break away from the mainstream and dig deeper to find a new way to impact the masses. And his message is helping people ask themselves, “What is my Brave Leadership path?

Speech’s messages couldn’t be more timely. With people feeling powerless and more overwhelmed than ever before, he inspires people to want to accomplish the extraordinary. He challenges participants to look around the room and realize that everyone has the potential to “do what they can with what they have and with the people around them.” At a time when companies are trying to encourage their employees to grow in every way possible, this powerful talk can be used as a springboard for fostering a new generation of brave leaders.

Topics & Descriptions

Signature Leadership Keynote Performance - Speech will sing and perform throughout this keynote making it an experience like no other.

Brave Leadership: Accomplish the Seemingly Impossible Under Any Circumstance

We’re living in very challenging times, which casts an even brighter spotlight on the fact that brave leaders are in high demand, but short in supply, and for many, the traditional leadership roles no longer even apply.
Right now being a leader can be complicated, messy, uncomfortable and even dangerous, which is why so many people are questioning if they really have what it takes to succeed. Brave Leadership is a character trait that every individual can sharpen no matter their background or career path. That is the ultimate message in this keynote by Speech Thomas, who knows what it means to be a BRAVE Leader who inspires and accomplishes the extraordinary.
By using a blend of storytelling, music and actionable strategies, he now travels the world to share the tale of how he rose to fame against all odds. By the time he is done, he has created an intimate experience which elevates every member in the audience to aspire to their personal next level of Brave Leadership.
BRAVE LEADERSHIP DEFINED: Bold, Resilient, Adaptable, Vulnerable and Encouraging
Through a unique combination of voice and song, Speech Thomas presents a keynote like no other. A gifted storyteller, his message is clear from the beginning: It's not who you are that holds you back. It's who you think you're not."
This talk is perfect for audiences who want to break free from the status quo and hear from someone who took an unlikely path to become an inspirational entrepreneur and philanthropist while reaching great heights as a Grammy Winner.
This story resonates with participants as they soon realize that what Speech is telling them always applies, no matter the situation. “Do what you can with what you have and with the people around you.”
Leaders always want to make a difference no matter what, and Speech shows how to create, innovate and enjoy groundbreaking success by being B.R.A.V.E (Bold, Resilient, Adaptable, Vulnerable, Encouraging)
Key Takeaways
- The 5 qualities of B.R.A.V.E. Leadership for meaningful and measurable results.
- How to create, innovate, and enjoy groundbreaking success as a leader by being B.R.A.V.E.
- The new definition of a disruptor and how to embrace it to accomplish good.
- How to harness the power of storytelling whether through voice or music to achieve great things.

Entertainment performance customized with your theme woven throughout. (40 minutes)

Entertainment and a Motivational Performance

Speech Thomas will entertain by signing his top songs to get your audience off their feet! It’s the perfect way to end a conference and bring everyone together.
This entertainment option includes Speech weaving in your event theme to make this performance really tie in your message.

Videos

Musical Entertainment with client’s theme of Transformational Leadership.

Video Shorts from Speech:

Full Bio

Brave leaders come about in all shapes and sizes, but most importantly with voices that find a way to be heard in a way that transforms others.

Speech Thomas is a shining example of someone who broke the mold and boldly embraced a path that many would not take. Growing up in Milwaukee, one of the most statistically difficult places for black youth, Speech began “going against the grain,” allowing his challenges to fuel his positive impact. Speech focused on that spirit as he and his bandmates took Arrested Development from humble and rural beginnings in Georgia, to becoming a pioneering force in the music world.

Pushing against all trends at the time, their vulnerable and uplifting song “Tennessee” became their first hit single as well as being awarded BEST RAP SONG at the Grammys and was named one of the “500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll” by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Today, he uses that same spirit to help audiences understand how to carve their own path of Brave Leadership in business and life.

Speech was born Todd Thomas in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up on two sides of life: the ghetto of Milwaukee (one of the nation’s roughest cities for African Americans) and (Wauwatosa) Milwaukee’s suburbia. Speech learned how to draw from the pains and beauty of both. He would absorb the plights of his people and the retreat of a middle-class black boy in a primarily white neighborhood. He lost his grandmother to a heart attack and his older brother, Terrence Thomas to an Asthma attack within the same week, and through spirituality, he learned to recalibrate his inner anger through dynamic music. To celebrate the lives of those he lost, he coined his sound “life music.” Speech wrote the hit song “Tennessee” as a dedication to his grandmother and brother.
In the early nineties, Speech and his mother started the Terrence Thomas Scholarship and to date, the scholarship has raised over a million dollars helping young black students further their educations.
In 1995, the group disbanded, and Speech signed a solo record deal with EMI. His first single “Like Marvin Gaye Said” shot to #1 on the Japanese Tokyo 100 charts for 7 consecutive weeks. Speech has released 5 solo albums since, all of which have spawned Top 10 hit singles in Japan. His albums “1998 Hoopla” and "Spiritual People” (2000) were certified gold, while “Spiritual People” was awarded the Best black music album of the year 2000 by the acclaimed ADLIB magazine. Speech supported each album with sold-out tours.
Speech has also toured as a solo performer with the United States Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Youssou N’dour, James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Jason Mraz, Hootie & the Blowfish, and The Roots.
In 2020 Speech partnered with Resonant Pictures and Pipeline Entertainment to release the full-length documentary “16 Bars” where Speech goes into a maximum-security jail to write music with inmates. This stirring documentary has won numerous film festival awards and is now available through Lightyear Entertainment on streaming platforms worldwide. Speech continues to change lives through his keynotes and music.

Testimonials

“We were honored to host Speech Thomas, the lead singer of Arrested Development, with EO and YPO Chicago! Speech shared invaluable insights but also left an indelible mark on our entrepreneurial community.

His ability to seamlessly blend personal anecdotes with professional expertise created an unparalleled experience. Through a captivating narrative about leadership, he illuminated his path to success, highlighting the triumphs and challenges he encountered along his journey.

One of the most unique things we experienced was his singing and songwriting woven into both his stories and message! Speech aligned with our core values, his authenticity and passion resonated deeply, inspiring us to embrace our own unique paths with courage and determination. His wisdom has undoubtedly left an enduring impact, guiding us as we navigate our entrepreneurial endeavors. We are immensely grateful for the enriching and transformative session that will continue to echo within our community for years to come!