Amnesty International NY Metro chapter. Liberia, human rights, and report from the ground. New York City. (February 2005)
Liberia Working Group. Shared policy lessons with U.S. government, international NGO, and UN officials in the wake of Powers’ NY Times Op-Ed “The Forest for the Peace” about a Peace-for-Nature-Swap for Liberia. in Washington, D.C. (February 2005)
Conservation International. Spoke on lessons in conservation in Liberia to Washington policy makers, and environmentalists. Washington, D.C. (May 2006)
Addressed executive management teams/staff of conservation groups in two Bolivian cities (La Paz and Santa Cruz) on creativity and time-management. (June 2006)
Green Corps 15th Anniversary. Keynote speaker, “Conserving the Amazon: What You Can Do”. New York, NY. (March 2007)
Political Salon. Keynote Speaker, “Innovations in conservation and aid: Lessons from the global front lines”. Presented to leaders in financial, intergovernmental, and non-profit sectors. New York, NY (August 2008)
Ann Arbor Book Festival. Spoke about his Liberia memoir, Blue Clay People at Breakfast with the Author event. An Arbor, MI.(May 2009.)
Synergos and the Institute for Philanthropy. Spoke on carbon ranching, poverty reduction, and Amazonian cultural survival at the "Climate Change Forum" New York City. (May 2009)
Jackson Hole Writers Conference. Non-fiction headliner. Jackson Hole, WY (June 2009)
Green Mountain Writers Conference. Speaker. Vermont. (July 2009)
Willamette Writers Conference. Lecturer. Portland, OR. (August 2009)
San Diego City College. Speaker. San Diego, CA. (October 2009)
Casper College. Lecturer at writing conference. Caspar, WY (October 2009)
Central Florida University, Global Perspectives conference. Lunch Keynote speech (Watch) on international security, development and climate change. (November 2009).
World Policy Institute and Demos. Pannelist. “After Copenhagen: Where to in the climate process?” New York, NY (February 2010)
Markit. Pannel Moderator: “Deforestation and Carbon: Logjams and Next Steps” New York, NY (March 2010)
Demos and World Policy Institute. Twelve by Twelve, launch. Reading and conversation with David Callahan. (watch on Book TV) (New York, NY, May 2010)
Pima Community College. Speaker, Pima Writers Conference. Tucson, AZ. (May 2010)
"Bill Powers’ narratives of the life of a planet-saving Yank in the developing world are more subtle, accurate, and uplifting than anything else out there today. He’s EM Forster and Arundhati Roy wrapped into one extraordinary personality. Bill spent years deep in the Amazon to show the world that a living future for the Earth need not conflict with the quest for a better life. When he tells his story in speeches around the country the force of personality that made that stunning achievement possible is on full display: an irresistible combination of a very American sense of purpose with a worldly sophistication. It is power personified in uplifting speaking."
— Glenn Hurowitz, Washington Director, Avoided Deforestation Partners and author of the critically acclaimed book, Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party
