Speaker • Storyteller • Research Collaborator • Founder
Helping people untangle the mess and move forward with clarity, purpose, and hope.
Trusted by schools, universities, healthcare systems, nonprofits, and national conferences to create meaningful conversations around mental health, resilience, leadership, grief, recovery, and human connection through lived experience, storytelling, and evidence-informed practices.
Explore the Research
Peer-Reviewed Study — Addiction Science & Clinical Practice
Medical Commentary — Anthony Alvarado & Stephen Sandelich, MD, KevinMD
Why Organizations Bring Anthony In
Over the past 13 years, Anthony has helped engage more than 500,000 youth and community members through keynotes, workshops, leadership trainings, prevention initiatives, and community storytelling experiences. His work is currently being explored through NIH-supported research focused on connection, resilience, and mental well-being.
Anthony combines lived experience, research, and storytelling to create conversations people remember long after the event ends.
His sessions are known for being:
✓ Authentic, not scripted
✓ Research-informed and practical
✓ Interactive and engaging
✓ Focused on connection, resilience, and action
✓ Adaptable for students, professionals, and community audiences
Most Requested Keynotes
Connection Changes Everything
What Research Is Teaching Us About Mental Health, Resilience & Human Connection
Drawing from NIH-supported research, lived experience, and more than a decade of work alongside youth, educators, healthcare professionals, and communities, this keynote explores why connection remains one of the strongest protective factors for mental health and well-being.
Audience Takeaways
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Practical tools for building connection
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Understanding resilience beyond "pushing through"
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Creating cultures where people feel safe asking for help
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Why belonging drives better outcomes
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Finding Meaning Through Grief, Adversity & Growth
A deeply personal and inspiring keynote about loss, healing, responsibility, and the possibility of growth after life's most difficult moments.
Audience Takeaways
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Navigating grief and adversity
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Finding purpose after loss
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Healthy coping and resilience
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Moving forward without leaving people behind
What We Carry
Burnout, Pressure, Performance & Mental Well-Being
An honest conversation about stress, burnout, boundaries, and staying human in a world that rarely slows down.
Audience Takeaways
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Recognizing burnout before it takes hold
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Building sustainable habits
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Managing pressure in healthy ways
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Creating space to reset and recover
Keynote topics
Anthony is empathetic and I believe a safe person to talk to about anything, sees the good in people, and believes there is goodness in all others.
I see Anthony as a leader in every room he enters and is at his best when he is modeling true vulnerability. He knows how to love others unconditionally, is changing the world, and an expert in pain and fear.
Greatness, true greatness! I see humility. I see someone who says "I can & we can". Anthony is confidently vulnerable, someone that makes me feel safe and secure in my own skin. A man of openness and acceptance
Who This Is For?
Perfect For
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Schools & Universities
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Leadership Teams
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Healthcare Organizations
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Mental Health & Recovery Conferences
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Nonprofit & Community Organizations
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Corporate Wellness Initiatives
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Educator & Staff Development Events
Whether delivered live or through guided group experiences, this helps people make sense of their internal noise.
SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Penn State College of Medicine — Addiction Symposium — Keynote Speaker
American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) — Annual Conference — Presenter & Research Collaborator
SAMHSA — “Road to Recovery” Expert Panel — Washington, D.C.
NAADAC — National Conference — Presenter
National Prevention Network — National Conference — Presenter
ATTC Network — Adolescent Conference — Featured Speaker
University of Houston — Collegiate Recovery Conference — Keynote Speaker
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh — Mind, Heart & Teaching Symposium — Keynote Speaker
Lawrence University — Campus Keynote & Team Sessions — Keynote Speaker & Facilitator
Santa Rosa Junior College — Keynote Speaker
RISE TOGETHER — National Keynotes, Workshops & Youth Summits — Ongoing, Multi-State
Statewide Recovery Rallies & Mental Health Conferences — Keynote & Featured Speaker in Wisconsin, Nevada & beyond
Spoken Word & Storytelling Performances
— First spoken-word performance exploring grief, recovery, and responsibility (2025)
Agency-Booked Speaking Engagements
— Corporate, education, and healthcare audiences across leadership, burnout, resilience, and lived-experience storytelling
Representation
Anthony is represented by select speaking agencies for conferences and institutional events through ENGAGE and GRAVITY SPEAKERS.
Direct inquiries are preferred*