Speaking
A passionate speaker and expert story-teller, Russell excels at engaging audiences in conversations at the intersection of sustainability, justice, and culture. She has shared her unique perspective on change-making through culture with audiences worldwide since 2012 when she gave one of TED’s ten most popular talks of all time with over 40 Million views on the power of image.
“Grace Under Pressure.” MoMA R&D Salon, February 2024.
The Power of image. TEDxMidAtlantic, 2012.
SELECT TALKS, PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES, WORKSHOPS
Book Talk, The Future We Choose, in conversation with Christiana Figueres & Tom Carnac. New York Public Library, 2020.
Speaker. Slow Factory Study Hall at the New York Times. With Mari Copeny, Tina Lawson, Tina Lawson, Yara Shahidi. Moderated by Celine Semaan. 2020.
Guest Lecture. Harvard Law School. 2019.
Speaker and Workshop Organizer. “Fashion & Sustainability.” Frieze, 2019 With Hawa Arsala, Céline Semaan and Lilian Liu. Moderated by Sinead Bovell.
Guest Lecture. “Artist Frameworks for Responding to the Climate Crisis.” NYU ITP, 2019.
Global Climate Action Summit, 2018.
Speaker. “Fashion and Sustainability.” Teen Vogue Summit, 2018. With Aurora James and Rio Uribe.
Speaker. “We do not consent.” Glamour Woman of the Year, 2017.
Speaker. “Dems on Climate Change.” In conversation with Hill Harper. DNC, 2016.
Speaker. “Fashion Activism.” SXSW, 2015.
Speaker. Jack Shainman Gallery MEET: Artist Series, 2014. In conversation with Hank Willis Thomas and Rujeko Hockley.
Speaker. “Women lead on Climate.” UN Foundation, Paris. 2015.
Speaker. “Women & Trade.” United Nations, 2014.
Speaker. “Public Art & Building Grassroots Political Power.” Sages & Scientists, Chopra Foundation, Los Angeles. 2014.
Guest Lecture. "Model Memoirs: The Life Stories of International Fashion Models." Hosted by Dr. Imani Perry. Princeton University, 2013.
Keynote Speaker. “The Power of Image.” Elle Japan 25 year anniversary. Tokyo, Japan, 2013.
Series curator: Art Activism lectures at TEDxMidatlantic. With Bayeté Ross Smith, Misra Walker, Alexis Casson and Mursi Haynes. Washington D.C., 2013.
Workshop Organizer and Participating Artist. Art Hack Day: Campaign Finance Reform, sponsored by Sunlight Foundation, Democracy Center, and Purpose, lead organizer and participating artist. Harvard University, 2013.
Speaker. “Looks Aren’t Everything, Believe Me I’m a Model.” TED. 2012. (With over 40 million views, this remains one of the top ten most watched TED talks of all time.)
Speaker. "Salon 47 Grace under Pressure", MoMA R&D Salon, New York, NY, 2024. With Leonardo Bravo, Wille James Jennings, and Bill T. Jones. Moderated by Paola Antonelli.
Speaker and Workshop Organizer. Fashion & Imagination Workshop, 180 Strand, London, 2024. With Kenya Hunt, Benjamin Huseby, Isaac Kairuki, Laura Moseley, and Soo Joo Park.
Book Talk, How To Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone, in conversation with Eisa Davis, The Strand, New York, NY, 2024.
Book Talk, We Will Be Jaguars, in conversation with Nemonte Nequimo and Mitch Anderson, Barnes and Noble, New York, NY, 2024.
Book Talk, How To Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone, in conversation with Bex McCharen and Alejandra Smits, Books & Books, Miami, FL, 2024.
Book Talk, How To Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone, in conversation with Irina and Alejandra Smits, Pulp Montreal, CA, 2024.
Speaker. “Future of Fashion.” ATMOSx20Summers, Provincetown, MA, 2024. With Camila Falquez.
Keynote Speaker. “Fashion and Imagination.” Fashion Institute of Technology. NY, NY, 2024.
Book Talk, Women Talk Money: Breaking the Taboo. Elliott Bay, Seattle, WA. Virtual, 2022. With Victoria Patterson, Rebecca Walker, and Neela Vaswani.
Workshop Organizer. #RadicalCrafting Circles. Virtual, 2022. With Dewey Cyr, Kat Hoelck, Reilly Fitzsimons, Madeline Jubilee Saito.
Speaker. “The Power of Collective Activism”, REmake Live, 2021.
Book talk, All We Can Save Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Brooklyn Public Library, virtual, 2020. With Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Kendra Pierre-Louis.
Speaker. Pre-Election Rally hosted by Florida Student Power, Power U Center for Social Change, Engage Miami, Florida Planned Parenthood, Next Gen American & The Dream Defenders. Virtual, 2020.
Speaker. Building Blocks Breakfast, Push Buffalo. Virtual, 2020.
Speaker. #PayUp Campaign Remake Press Conference, Virtual. 2020.