GLOBAL STRATEGIST | BEST SELLING AUTHOR | FORBES IMPACT 50
ROBYN O’BRIEN
The voice leaders turn to when the stakes are highest— at the intersection of courage, innovation, and what’s next.
— THE STRATEGIST
Where Courage Meets Commercial Intelligence
Called “Food’s Erin Brockovich” by Bloomberg and the New York Times, Robyn O’Brien is one of the most distinctive strategic voices of our time — an analyst-turned-activist whose 25 years at the intersection of food, finance, and climate have produced a rare and powerful lens on where the world is heading.
Her journey began not in a boardroom, but at a breakfast table, when a family crisis sent this former equity analyst — once tasked with covering billions in food industry assets — on a mission to understand the forces reshaping consumer trust, corporate risk, and the global food system. What she uncovered changed everything.
Today, Robyn brings that same forensic intelligence and hard-won courage to the world’s most ambitious organizations: helping leaders see around corners, build resilient businesses, and turn purpose into measurable profit.
1.5M+
Ted Talk Views
transcribed into dozens of languages; cited in global food policy reform
25+
Years at the Frontier
impact investing, entrepreneurship, and food system transformation
2
Bestselling Books
The Unhealthy Truth (Penguin Random House); Seeding Innovation (Wiley)
50
Forbes Impact List
for catalytic work at the intersection of food, finance, and climate
“I do not know of an author who has a broader vision when it comes to connecting the systemic breakdowns we are witnessing and who can reconnect us to techniques and pathways that restore our love for each other and our home, the planet.”
PAUL HAWKEN
ENVIRONMENTALIST, ENTREPRENEUR & BESTSELLING AUTHOR
— THE ORIGIN STORY
The Analyst Who Refused to Look Away
Robyn O’Brien didn’t set out to change an industry. She was a Wall Street-trained equity analyst, an MBA from Rice University who graduated top of her class, a mother of four — practical, data-driven, and unlikely to be labeled a crusader.
Then her youngest daughter nearly died from a reaction to a common breakfast food. And everything Robyn thought she knew about the food she’d spent years analyzing for investors came into devastating focus.
She asked the questions no one on the inside was asking. She followed the data where it led — through congressional hearings, corporate boardrooms, and kitchens across America. She faced down some of the most powerful companies in the world. And she built a movement.
That same courage, curiosity, and clarity of purpose now fuels her work with leaders who are ready to do the same in their own organizations and industries.
— WHAT ROBYN BRINGS
From the Stage to the Strategy Table
Whether keynoting for 5,000 or advising a C-suite of five, Robyn meets every room with the same rare combination: deep data, personal narrative, and a clear roadmap forward.
Keynote Speaking
Robyn has commanded the world’s most prestigious stages — from Bloomberg and Morgan Stanley to the Aspen Ideas Institute. Her talks move audiences from inspired to activated, pairing storytelling with strategic insight that lingers long after the applause.
Corporate Advisory & Consulting
With boots-on-the-ground experience at startups and multinationals alike, Robyn serves as a trusted advisor to CEOs navigating disruption, ESG mandates, and the accelerating demands of 21st-century consumers. She doesn’t just diagnose — she builds the roadmap out.
Impact Investing & Partnerships
As a partner at Montcalm and co-founder of rePlant Capital, Robyn has spent decades building the financial architecture behind sustainable food systems. She helps organizations identify, structure, and scale the investments and partnerships that define the next decade.
— CREDENTIALS AND RECOGNITION —
Forbes Impact 50
Fulbright Scholar
Rice University Professor
Executive Producer
— VOICES FROM THE ROOM —
What Leaders Say on Working with Robyn
MICHAEL PELLMAN ROWLAND
MANAGING DIRECTOR, MORGAN STANLEY
ROSE MARCARIO
FORMER CEO, PATAGONIA
BOARD MEMBER, RIVIAN
CONFERENCE ATTENDEE
FOLLOWING ROBYN’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Ready to Bring Robyn to Your Stage or Strategy Table?
Speaking engagements, corporate workshops, advisory retainers, and board partnerships — reach out to start the conversation.