Liam Elkind
Liam Elkind is a nonprofit CEO and Rhodes Scholar who co-founded Invisible Hands as a Junior in college. He mobilized over 15,000 volunteers to deliver food to and connect with those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. He teaches compassionate leadership, community organizing, and practical non-profit management for creating change.
PRIMARY TOPICS
- Entrepreneurship
- Ethics & Values
- Leadership
- Non-Profit Organization
- Organizational Development
- Servant Leadership
- Social Entrepreneurship
GETTING TO KNOW
LIAM ELKIND
Liam Elkind is a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and a graduate of Yale University. He is the co-founder of Invisible Hands, a non-profit organization that mobilized over 15,000 volunteers to deliver essential items such as food and medicine to those in need, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Driven by a belief that tech can scale community-based solutions to seemingly intractable problems, Liam builds technology-powered civic infrastructure that turns neighbor-to-neighbor goodwill into measurable, citywide impact. His work with Invisible Hands garnered national attention, featuring prominently in media outlets including Fox and Friends, Andrea Mitchell Reports, Good Morning America, The Associated Press, Men’s Health, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Beyond Invisible Hands, Liam is the founder of Registration Is Student Empowerment (RISE), a tech-enabled student voter registration organization that leverages digital tools to activate young voters at scale. His commitment to civic engagement is further evidenced by his participation in prestigious fellowships including the Swing Left College Fellowship, Mount Vernon Leadership Fellowship, Newman Civic Fellowship, and the Clinton Global Initiative University Fellowship.
In 2025, Liam shook the New York City political system in a way that hadn’t been done in decades, when he launched a campaign for Congress, challenging a 50-year incumbent and bringing his community-first approach to electoral politics. His candidacy persuaded the incumbent to step down, and Liam endorsed his state representative to succeed the Congressman. The campaign reflected Liam’s conviction that durable political change is built the same way lasting civic change is: from the ground up, powered by people.
As a speaker, Liam educates young audiences on the practicalities of leadership, community organizing, and non-profit management — blending hard technical knowledge with the soft skills that turn good ideas into real-world movements.
Liam’s work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, the George H. W. Bush Daily Points of Light Award, and the 2020 Webby Award for Special Achievement. He was recognized as one of 2020’s top philanthropists by Town & Country Magazine, alongside figures like Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Fauci, and received the Manhattan Institute’s Civil Society Award. He has also been listed among Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” and received the Grant Thornton Purple Paladin Award for up-and-coming non-profits.
Liam is uniquely qualified to connect with young audiences — a 20-something nationally recognized humanitarian, technologist, and non-profit co-founder who understands firsthand the emotional, theoretical, and practical challenges young people face in making an impact. He emphasizes that “young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow — we are already leading today.”
Keynotes
The Leadership of Compassion
In this inspiring keynote, Liam Elkind shares his journey from college student to internationally recognized nonprofit founder and crisis response leader. As co-founder and CEO of Invisible Hands, Liam mobilized over 15,000 volunteers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver essential supplies to vulnerable populations, transforming a grassroots idea into an internationally celebrated organization.
Drawing from his leadership experiences, both the successes and the setbacks, Liam offers audiences a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead with compassion under pressure. He explores the operational and human-centered challenges of scaling a volunteer-driven organization and distills actionable leadership lessons relevant to today’s business and civic environments.
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT:
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- Learn how to build and mobilize mission-driven teams, even in times of crisis
- Learn strategies for recruiting, retaining, and energizing volunteers and stakeholders
- Learn how to leverage youth perspectives and fresh leadership approaches as strategic assets
- Learn the business case for compassionate leadership and its role in driving resilience, loyalty, and impact
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Recognizing, Recruiting, and Retaining Young Leaders
Liam offers corporate leaders practical strategies for today’s competitive talent landscape. He provides insights to recognize, recruit, and retain exceptional young talent, focusing on Gen-Z’s unique aspirations and purpose-driven work ethic. Learn how to foster environments that attract and engage the next wave of high-performing leaders, ensuring sustained organizational growth and innovation.
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT:
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- Retain young employees/volunteers
- Learn how to provide followers with a sense of purpose
- Gain an understanding of Gen-Z
Pulling Together to Pull Through: How to Lead in Crisis
Invisible Hands Co-Founder Liam Elkind shares his transformative journey leading a non-profit that rapidly scaled to over 15,000 volunteers amidst unprecedented global challenges, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from this direct experience, Elkind provides corporate leaders with actionable insights on effective crisis leadership and organizational resilience.
Attendees will learn vital strategies for responding quickly and thoughtfully during periods of disruption, emphasizing the critical balance of listening to experts, trusting instincts, and maintaining unwavering adaptability. Elkind highlights how agility and a purpose-driven approach can empower teams to navigate uncertainty and emerge stronger. He also shares unique perspectives on leveraging emerging talent and fostering leadership potential within your organization, demonstrating how diverse perspectives can drive innovative solutions in turbulent times. This session equips leaders to cultivate a resilient culture capable of transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and sustained success.
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT:
- Listening skills
- Responding to internal crisis
- Responding to global crisis
- Decision-making skills
- Leadership skills
Speaker Resources
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
To help you promote your event with Liam, EVERGREEN has created promotional templates. In this folder, you will find resources for social media and press photos that you can use for your event.
Review Promotional Materials
LOGISTICAL MATERIALS
Below you will find logistical resources for the day of your event with Liam.
In-Person AV Needs (PDF)
Speaking Introduction (PDF)
