Allison Shapira is an opera singer turned entrepreneur. She is the Founder/CEO of Global Public Speaking LLC, a communication training firm that works with emerging and established leaders to help them speak clearly, concisely, and confidently.

Allison is one of the world’s foremost experts on public speaking and presentation skills. She teaches public speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School and has spent over 15 years working with Fortune 50 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations around the world.

Allison is the author of the best-selling book Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others (HarperCollins Leadership, 2018).

She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, is a member of the National Speakers Association, and is an internationally renowned singer/songwriter who uses music as a way to help others find their voice and their courage to speak. She speaks Italian and Hebrew, has studied 8 other languages, and has led programs on site in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America.

Allison is passionate about empowering women, and she travels with the nonprofit Vital Voices Global Partnership, helping women leaders worldwide grow their business, run for office, or launch a non-profit organization. She has spoken at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit, the Most Powerful Women in Banking LEAD Conference, and was a finalist for 2017 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, San Diego Chapter. She lives in Washington, DC.