How to find guest lecturers for your class

Inviting a guest lecturer can add tremendous value to your course, program, or event. Whether you're a teacher, professor, program director, or online course creator, bringing in outside voices exposes students to fresh perspectives, real-world experience, and inspiration beyond the syllabus.

But how do you actually find great guest lecturers — especially if you don’t have a huge network or budget?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you find the right guest lecturers for your audience.

1. Define What You’re Looking For

Before you reach out to anyone, get clear on:

• The topic you want covered
• The type of guest you’re looking for (e.g. industry expert, founder, author, practitioner)
• The format of the lecture (in-person, Zoom, panel, Q&A)
• The audience (high schoolers, undergrads, professionals)

The more specific you are, the easier it is to find the right fit — and make a compelling ask.

2. Start With Your Existing Network

You probably know more potential guest lecturers than you think.

• Former colleagues
• Friends with relevant experience
• Alumni of your program
• Previous students doing interesting work
• Local professionals or entrepreneurs

Send a simple message explaining the opportunity and what you're looking for. Even if they say no, they might refer someone great.

3. Use LinkedIn Strategically

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools for finding guest speakers. Try searching for:

• Job titles + keywords (e.g. “UX Designer + speaker” or “Founder + guest lecturer”)
• Your own connections by industry
• Alumni from your university or program

Send a short, friendly message that includes:

• Why you're reaching out
• Who the audience is
• What you’re inviting them to speak about
• Time commitment and format

Here's the exact message I used to get a guest lecturer into my classroom (on LinkedIn):

Hey Joyce! I teach a freshman university class in the bay area and we're looking for guest lectures who are data analysts to talk about their experience to freshmen - would you be interested?

4. Browse Speaker Platforms and Marketplaces

There are growing numbers of platforms that connect educators with guest speakers, including:

• Guest Lecture directories like OpenLecture
• Education communities like NY EdTech Meetup, LinkedIn groups, or Educator 2 Educator
• Speaker bureaus (for higher-profile or paid speakers)

If you’re looking for mission-driven or underrepresented voices, also check:

• Diverse Speaker directories
• Nonprofit education networks
• Local community organizations

5. Ask Your Students and Alumni

Your students and alumni may have access to great guest speakers — and involving them increases engagement.

Ask:

“Who would you love to hear from on this topic?”
Or:
“Does anyone have a friend, mentor, or connection doing interesting work in this area?”

This can be especially useful for classes on entrepreneurship, social justice, or emerging technologies. You can also try the alumni office or other professors in the college.

6. Offer Clear Value (Even If You Can’t Pay)

Not every guest lecturer expects a fee — many are happy to share their expertise and give back.

Make it worth their time by:

• Sharing context about the audience
• Offering a professional intro and thank-you after
• Letting them promote their work (book, product, company)
• Providing a testimonial or LinkedIn recommendation

You can also record the session and offer a copy for their portfolio.

7. Build a Long-Term Guest Lecturer List

Once you’ve had a few great speakers, start building a database:

• Name, contact info, topic
• What class or event they spoke at
• Feedback from students
• Notes for future invitations

Over time, this becomes a valuable internal resource — and makes repeat invites easier.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right guest lecturers doesn’t require a big budget or famous contacts. With a little intention and outreach, you can build a powerful guest speaker network that brings energy, relevance, and inspiration to your learning environment.

Start with people you know. Ask clearly. Make it easy to say yes.