Insight Exchange

Real

 people.

A speakers bureau committed to fostering civil discourse and reducing polarization in society.

Polarization in the United States is not only a political issue, but an economic one.

U.S. Gini index, 1980–2023

U.S. average household income before taxes and public assistance by income group, 2021

U.S. share of total household wealth by wealth group, 2025 Q2

Unprecedented poverty and prosperity coincide…

Elon Musk

U.S. homeless population, 2007–2024

…manifesting in social division…

Median household income by place in Los Angeles, 2018

>50%
Americans who live "one crisis away from homelessness."
25%
Growth in the economic achievement gap from students born in 1970 to 2000.

…and severe class discrimination.

Americans believe homelessness is caused by…, 2024

>50%
The percent of the most financially secure Americans who believe "Poor people today have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return."
Because housing status is often viewed as "controllable," unhoused people are more likely to internalize oppression, increasing their risk of social withdrawal and mental health problems.

Insight Exchange encourages meaningful cross-class contact…

Traditional charity

Traditional charity

  • Donor–recipient relationship
  • Vertical dynamic
  • Impersonal
Insight Exchange

Insight Exchange

  • Equal relationship
  • Horizontal dynamic
  • Face-to-face
  • Dignified work
  • Skill development
  • Community building

Step 1: Recruit

  • Sourced via local shelters and mutual aid networks
  • Fully background-checked

Step 2: Train

  • 8-week 1-on-1 coaching
  • Led by university student volunteers (earning college credit)

Step 3: Speak

  • 30–60 min presentation and Q&A
  • Transport and setup handled by volunteers

Step 4: Earn

  • Immediate payment
  • Ready for re-booking

Step 5: Mobilize

  • Post-engagement surveys
  • Audiences connected with local volunteering opportunities

…targeting three distinct market segments…

Educational institution

Educational institutions

  • 25% of the global professional speaker market
  • Primary customer base
  • Fulfilling SEL and Title IV requirements
Corporation

Corporations

  • 65% of the global professional speaker market
  • Secondary customer base
  • Enhancing DEI and teaching resilience
Community organization

Community organizations

  • 7% of the global professional speaker market
  • Tertiary customer base
  • Inspiring civic and religious groups

…and building on empirical research.

Handshake

Meaningful contact

(intergroup contact theory)

According to intergroup contact theory, prejudice thrives in the absence of meaningful interaction between members of different social groups. Although originally applied in the context of race, a growing body of research has generalized the theory to a variety of intergroup relations. For example, Lee et al. (2004) found that exposure to homelessness as simple as reading about it or discussing it with friends effectively "encourages the development of positive emotions and empathy" towards "homeless people as a whole." By creating a platform for intimate and authentic cross-class contact, Insight Exchange lays the groundwork for prejudice reduction.

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Eye

Unfiltered humanity

(media richness theory)

Media richness theory posits that information communicated through “lean” mediums with less sensory modality (e.g., email) is more susceptible to loss or misinterpretation than information communicated through “rich” mediums with greater sensory modality (e.g., video). By harnessing the power of face-to-face interaction, the richest medium of communication, Insight Exchange forces audiences to confront the humanity of speakers in ways that cannot be done through news articles or social media posts.

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Sprout

Reaching youth

(principle of impressionability)

Finally, the concept of impressionability describes the “critical periods” during which lifelong attitudes and behaviors are established, namely, adolescence and young adulthood. To change these attitudes and behaviors, Gwon and Jeong (2018) note, participation in activities, including “[e]ducational programs and new lessons,” and interpersonal factors, including “[o]bservation and interaction with others,” are necessary. By targeting the teenage demographic with engagements at schools and universities, Insight Exchange prevents bias from crystalizing in the minds of the young.

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A systemic shift in how society views, treats, and legislates the unhoused.

Diversified revenue streams and a lean cost structure guarantee financial sustainability.

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    graph TD
        %% Main Node
        Net[Insight Exchange financials]

        %% Level 1: The Split
        Net --- Rev[Revenue streams]
        Net --- Cost[Cost structure]

        %% Level 2: Revenue Breakdown
        Rev --- Fees[Speaking fees]
        Rev --- Phil[Philanthropy]

        %% Level 3: Revenue Levers
        Fees --- Edu["Educational institutions
($500–$1,500)"] Fees --- Corp["Corporations
($1,500–$10,000)"] Phil --- Grants[Grants] Phil --- Don[Individual donations] %% Level 2: Cost Breakdown Cost --- Var[Variable costs] Cost --- Fix[Fixed costs] %% Level 3: Cost Levers Var --- Spk[Speaker payments] Var --- Log[Logistics] Fix --- Mkt[Marketing] Fix --- Vol[Training] %% Colors / CSS Styling within Mermaid classDef main fill:#333333B3,stroke:#000000,stroke-width:1px,color:#fff; classDef revenue fill:#d4eddaB3,stroke:#28a745,stroke-width:1px,color:#155724; classDef cost fill:#f8d7daB3,stroke:#dc3545,stroke-width:1px,color:#721c24; classDef savings fill:#d1ecf1,stroke:#17a2b8,stroke-width:1px,color:#0c5460; class Net main; class Rev,Fees,Phil,Edu,Corp,Grants,Don revenue; class Cost,Var,Fix,Spk,Log,Mkt cost; class Vol savings;

Change how your team sees the world.