"Adam Smith is a dynamic speaker with the ability to connect and inspire his audience. His passion and desire to impact and propel others is felt in every speech. Smith challenges students to be who they can, and find out who they are. His ability to motivate a student to aspire to be great is remarkable. Adam Smith captures, cultivates, inspires, leads, and transforms."
- Avis Brown, The University of Akron
"We're working with Adam this year to provide a virtual workshop series on respectful dialogue and intentional listening. He is doing a great job capturing the attention of our students on these MUCH-needed topics given the contentious world we exist in right now. He also did a keynote for our program in September to kick off the academic year and provide motivation for our students to continue the hard work. Adam also provided a virtual keynote address to kickoff the academic year for TRIO Upward Bound students. I'm grateful for Adam’s ability to connect with our students even in the virtual environment and create a safe space for students to ask questions and learn how to have meaningful conversations about these topics."
- LAUREN ERDMAN, Director TRIO Upward Bound, Anoka Ramsey Technical College
"Adam has the unique gift of being able to reach students, their families, and the professionals who support and guide students with the same message. His words inspire, and he backs them up with genuine care and concern. Adam will tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear, and he speaks from his own experiences, failures, and successes to help everyone see the greatest possibilities, as well as the path to achieving them."
- Teresa Radomski-Bomba, Miami University
"Adam is a truly remarkable speaker. His engaging personality and willingness to share his own life experiences allow him to build instant rapport with his audience. His passionate message of perseverance and overcoming obstacles is uplifting, inspiring, and enormously entertaining. Keeping youth engaged can be challenging, especially in a virtual setting. Adam is incredibly skilled at creating meaningful connections with students, regardless of the situation."
- CHRIS YOUNG, TRIO Upward Bound Director, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
"When Adam speaks people listen as he masterfully herds the crowd towards the purpose for which they have gathered. He knows his audience, what they seek, and delivers the message in the way they need to hear it. In a world where others will try to anchor you down, people like Adam will lift you up."
- Laura Weissbaum, Georgia State University
"Our 2021 spring orientation session was led by Adam Smith. He dropped several gems for the participants and staff members of our TRIO Student Support Services program. If you’re looking for an engaging speaker that models the use of transparency while telling his story to motivate the audience, Adam Smith is the answer. Adam sees each opportunity to share with TRIO students and staff as an opportunity to serve, which aligns with success."
- Loretta Mask Campbell, Director, TRiO Student Support Services, Wor-Wic Community College
"Adam Smith, AKA “AVP”, has the natural ability to connect with people, regardless of where they come from and make them feel like they are somebody. He makes them feel like them can move mountains and accomplish anything. The thing that sets him apart from others is he stays in contact and doesn’t leave anyone during their process of success."
- Daniel Diaz Nilsson, Kent State University
"Adam is thought-provoking, sit-up interesting, and has an absolute brilliant delivery. He has just the right blend of humor, wit and professionalism. In my estimation, truly one of the nation's best public speakers. Mr. Smith is the type of speaker you would want to listen to everyday!"
- Tyrone E. Wilson, The University of Kentucky
"Hearing Adam was appreciated and a MUST for students within our school community. He related to the high-school-aged youth on so many levels. The kids in our program come from one of the poorest zip codes in the United States, and he was able to relate with them in a matter of minutes. There were adults who initially thought his presentation would just benefit the students but, by the end, they expressed how the could relate to the positive tone and real-life situations Adam shared. I most definitely will be reaching out in the future to have Adam speak for other programs I am involved in."
- DENNIS BAILEY JR., Career Pathway Success Coach & 21st Century Site Coordinator , Manual High School - Peoria Illinois