WilLaVeist.com

About Wil LaVeist

The Wil LaVeist journey is an inspiring underdog story. He has gone from being reared in public housing in Brooklyn, NY, to being an eyewitness reporter to the historic election of President Barack Obama. An award-winning author, journalist, professional speaker, educator, and multi-media consultant, Mr. LaVeist has more than 15 years of print and Internet journalism experience with companies such as The Arizona Republic, Tribune Interactive Inc. and The Virginian-Pilot Media Companies. He was a member of the original team that launched AZCentral.com in 1995 and he was later the architect behind the editorial and community format of BlackVoices.com (formally owned by Tribune Company) now AOL Black Voices.

Mr. LaVeist was a popular metro columnist for Tribune's Hampton Roads Daily Press in Newport News, VA. He was the publisher/editor of MIX Magazine, a multicultural monthly, website and TV show of The Virginian-Pilot Media Companies. He hosted the MIX TV cable talk show on COX 11 in Hampton Roads. His commentaries have appeared in publications such as The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Daily News and The Virginian-Pilot.

Through LaVeist Enterprises LLC, he does media consulting, professional speaking and authoring. Books include "8 Steps to Help Black Families Pay for College" (Random House/Princeton Review), "Black Voices In Commentary" (August Press), "Fired Up" a 2008 Christian Choice Book Publishing Award winner (Xulon Press) and "Tom Joyner Presents How to Prepare for College" (Amber Books).

Mr. LaVeist has been a keynote speaker at schools and for organizations ranging from the Urban League of Hampton Roads to the Society of Human Resource Management.

Speech Topics

Media & Other Appearances

- CBN News (Christian Broadcast Network), CBNNEWS.com

- "HearSay with Cathy Lewis" on National Public Radio

- "Caldwell Chronicles" on WBAI 99.5 in NYC

- "Animal Witness, The Michael Vick Case" Animal Planet TV

- CLTV News (Chicago Land Television)

- Tom Joyner Black Family Reunion at Disney, college workshop presenter

- 100 Black Men of America, Chicago, college workshop presenter

- Southern Christian Leadership Virginia State Convention, workshop presenter

- National Writers’ Empowerment Conference & Expo, workshop presenter

- Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, Internet workshop presenter

- MEGAGENESIS, High School Career Day program, keynote speaker

Mr. LaVeist is a graduate of leadership programs, such as the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (www.devosurbanleadership.org), the editing and cross-media journalism programs of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (www.mije.org), and the Leadership Institute of the Virginia Peninsula (www.vpcc.org). He has a bachelor's in English from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania and a master's in journalism from the University of Arizona. A professor at Regent University, Mr. LaVeist has been a professor at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Columbia College, and Hampton University's Scripps Howard School of Journalism. Mr. LaVeist is married and the father of three.