David Epstein
- Former host of Slate‘s popular “How To!” Podcast
- Science and Investigative Reporter at ProPublica.
David Epstein Speaker Biography
David Epstein is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the New York Times best seller The Sports Gene, both of which have been translated in more than 30 languages. (To his surprise, the latter was purchased not only by his sister but also by President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.) His third book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, is coming out on May 5, 2026.
He was previously the host of Slate‘s popular “How To!” podcast, and a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica. Prior to that, he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he co-authored the story that revealed Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had used steroids. His writing has been honored by an array of organizations, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Center on Disability and Journalism, and has been included in the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology. His story “Following the Trail of Broken Hearts,” on sudden cardiac death in athletes, was chosen as one of the top 100 stories of the last 100 years by Columbia Journalism alumni.
David has given talks about performance science and the uses (and misuses) of data on five continents; his TED Talks (here and here) have been viewed more than 12 million times. Three of his stories have been optioned for films: a Sports Illustrated story on the only living Olympian to have survived a concentration camp; an Atlantic/ProPublica piece detailing the DEA’s fraught pursuit of Chapo Guzman’s rivals; and a 2016 “This American Life” episode he wrote and narrated about a woman with two rare diseases who shares a mutant gene with an Olympic medalist.
David has master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism, and is reasonably sure he’s the only person to have co-authored a paper in the journal of Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research while a writer at Sports Illustrated. (Like many of the characters in Range, he has benefitted from a winding career.) He has worked as an ecology researcher in the Arctic, studied geology and astronomy while residing in the Sonoran Desert, and blithely signed up to work on the D-deck of a seismic research vessel shortly after it had been attacked by pirates.
David has enjoyed volunteering with the Pat Tillman Foundation and Classroom Champions. He previously served on the board of directors of Jubilee JumpStart, an early childhood education center focused on families with the least access. In 2025, he received an honorary doctorate from Drew University. An avid runner, he was a Columbia University record holder and twice NCAA All-East as an 800-meter runner.
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Speech Topics
The Power of Range: Achieving Success and High Performance in Any Domain
“David Epstein manages to make me thoroughly enjoy the experience of being told that everything I thought about something was wrong.” —Malcolm Gladwell
The secrets to success and high performance are not what we always thought they were. That’s why David Epstein’s #1 New York Times bestseller, Range, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and topped the major must-read and best-seller lists for business, leadership, and entrepreneurship books—including Forbes, Inc., The Sunday Times, and The Washington Post, as well as Apple’s best audiobooks and Amazon’s best business books. Additionally, Range was one of only five books included in Bill Gates’ “Holiday Books List,” made Adam Grant’s “New Leadership Books to Read,” and was a finalist for The Financial Times/McKinsey “Business Book of the Year.” In this highly motivating talk, David draws upon his fascinating research on the world’s most successful athletes, artists, business leaders, musicians, inventors, forecasters, scientists, and more to shatter myths and provide actionable insights on the science of high performance. Did you know that athletes who sample different sports are more likely to succeed in the long term than those who specialized early (case in point: Roger Federer vs. Tiger Woods)? Or, that most Nobel Laureates have a hobby or dabble outside their primary area of research? David contends that in most fields—especially those that are complex, unpredictable, and difficult to automate—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late or juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see—making them much better forecasters in a constantly changing, unpredictable world. Be prepared to rethink everything you thought you knew about paths to success as David Epstein unlocks the secrets to achieving high performance in any field or profession.
Confronting Change with Range & Resilience: Navigating Disruption & Turning Challenges into Opportunities
The post-pandemic world is changing at an unprecedented rate. New technologies such as AI and constant disruption demand that organizations and individuals become more resilient, agile, and equipped to tackle ambiguity on a daily basis. What was once a predictable, “kind” environment is now an uncertain, “wicked” one, requiring updated approaches to hiring, team formation, training, and creating resilient cultures grounded in diverse skill sets. In this impactful and empowering talk, David Epstein shares enlightening data, riveting research, and eclectic success stories (ranging from business leaders and legendary athletes to chess champions and NASA engineers) from his #1 New York Times bestseller, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Audiences gain insightful, actionable takeaways that will inspire them to embrace change, break down silos, make better informed decisions, re-invent their roles, re-tool their skills, and turn change, challenges, and setbacks into opportunities and triumphs.
Range and Innovation: What We Can Learn from Serial Innovators
In an organization with Range, there is a culture of constant learning and broadening of skills, and everyone can break out of silos to take a bird’s-eye view of their environment and competitive landscape. In such settings, change is embraced rather than feared, creativity flourishes, collaboration is optimized, and innovation abounds. In this game-changing talk, David Epstein recounts his experiences examining organizations ranging from 3M and NASA to the Girl Scouts and the United States Army to demonstrate how teams with diverse backgrounds, talents, and skill sets are best positioned to innovate. Audiences receive actionable takeaways that will inspire them to continually learn and improve, and value perspectives and backgrounds different from their own. He also shares proven practices from innovative organizations that foster meaningful collaboration and breakthrough results.
