Speaker Profile
Majka Burhardt is an adventurer who has declared an end to conventional ideas of safety. She has traveled throughout the world by bike, canoe, and - more often than not - by hand and foot. For the past two decades, Burhardt has journeyed from the Roof of Africa to the waters of the Arctic, and her stories of taking chances, embracing risk, and living with uncertainty and change inspire and empower audiences to think differently about their own life choices and risk profiles. A respected writer and filmmaker, Burhardt is the author of two books; Vertical Ethiopia and Coffee Story: Ethiopia. She champions “Additive Adventure”—when adventure goes beyond exploration to cultural and environmental connections that create a larger conversation of singular and collective human meaning. (Full bio below.)
Book An Event
To schedule an event, contact Majka directly at mb@majkaburhardt.com, or via the agents at Speakers' Spotlight : Carthy@speakers.ca | 1-800-333-4453
Additional Information
Speeches and Keynotes
Majka's lecture themes focus on the intersection of personal and communal risk and reward. Her topics range from the anthropological exploration of Southern Africa to ice climbing, from first ascents to conservation management, and from East African politics to Midwestern upbringings. Her talks include the threads of environment, culture, adventure, and inquisition.
Majka's presentations combine stories with graphics and images from award winning photographers and well-known sources of news and public consciousness. She is also available to work with smaller groups and in workshops and clinics in conjunction with her talks.
Majka crafts her presentations to match and challenge her audiences. Please see below for an expanded description of the following talks:
- Additive Adventure
- Coffee Story: Ethiopia, The Tour
- Leadership When it Matters
- Why the Risks You're Taking are Not The Ones You Need
- Vertical Ethiopia and Waypoint Namibia Tour
Additive Adventure
Adventure that begins where most explorations end
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 impact? 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: Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, Seattle Town Hall, and University of Minnesota. Learn More
Industry Speaking Series: The Coffee Story Ethiopia Industry Speaking Series offers a unique experience to companies and organizations in the coffee industry. Ms Burhardt can address intimate executive sessions, company-wide meetings, large-scale conferences, public forums, and joint initiatives. Learn More
Leadership When It Matters
What climbing in the wild can teach us about teams, collaboration, and true grit
You can’t lead teams through poisonous-snake-infested grasslands, up crumbling sandstone spires, and into confrontations with local tribes without the willingness to have tough conversations -- many of them. Majka examines what it means to dig into these conversations as a leader, and as a team, and how to emerge on the other side with clearer objectives and returns. Her interactive talk will have listeners exploring issues of diversity, identity, and collaboration -- and taking away new strategies to integrate known and unknown stakeholders into cohesive teams that achieve apparently impossible goals.
Why The Risks You Think You're Taking Are Not the Ones You Need
Toward a new model of risk assessment and living on the edge
One free cup of coffee, one photo, one word—each of these were all it took to launch Majka on her most recent elaborate expeditions. Majka advocates taking the biggest risk first, because choice doesn't confine you, it sets you free. Her fresh take on interpreting gut decisions allows audiences to engage in their own risk assessments and learn to embrace change and mobility with new clarity and realism. Majka’s understanding of the nuances of change combine with masterful storytelling to energize and inspire audiences about new ways to manage their professional and personal relationships with risk and danger.
Previous Speaking Tours
Majka often gives talks in conjunction with specific expeditions and projects. Please see more about the following for details on past tours:
Speaker Bio
Majka Burhardt is a writer, climber, and guide who has declared an end to conventional ideas of safety. For the past two decades, Majka has journeyed from the Roof of Africa to the waters of the Arctic and when she’s not mid-journey, Majka enjoys sharing her stories with audiences of any size.
Majka's stories of taking chances, embracing risk, and living with uncertainty and change inspire and empower audiences to think differently about their own life choices and risk profiles. By telling the human stories behind seemingly superhuman pursuits, Majka illuminates the ability of us all to become active participants in the greater dialog of our lives. It all starts, according to Majka, with the willingness to have a conversation. Majka shares her conversations through in-time stories of what makes her pause, think, squirm, and believe.
A respected writer and filmmaker, Majka is the author of two books; Vertical Ethiopia and Coffee Story: Ethiopia. Vertical Ethiopia was short-listed for the Banff Book Award. She was the Executive Producer of the film Waypoint Namibia, earning a nomination for an EPIC Emerging Artist Award, and of the forthcoming Lost Mountain. Burhardt’s writing regularly appears in publications including Alpinist, AFAR, The Explorer’s Journal, and Climbing Magazine, where she has been a columnist since 2004. Her work has been featured on news programs, radio shows, magazines and newspapers and in film festivals throughout the world.
Majka specializes in making the remote accessible. She champions “Additive Adventure”—when adventure goes beyond exploration to cultural and environmental connections that create a larger conversation of singular and collective human meaning. The result is a series of stories that emphasize comfort in the uncomfortable and safety in relativity.
Majka has an MFA in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers, and she received her BA in Anthropology from Princeton University. She is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and serves on the organization’s Board of Directors. Her speaking events have included audiences such as the Cleveland World Affairs Council, the 92nd Street Y, TEDxSMU, Banff Film and Book Festival, Colorado Environmental Coalition, universities and colleges throughout North America, and many others.
Photos: Celin Serbo | Travis Horn | Travis Horn | Peter Doucette | James Q Martin