Meet Shawn

Hi! I’m Shawn. I write. I teach. I dig into my interiority and work to get good things done. Most of the year, you can expect to see dirt under my fingernails. One of my favorite smells is burning biomass. The Ohio River runs through my veins. And, no matter how far I travel, the hills of Kentucky are never too far away. I don’t meditate by crossing my legs and sitting in silence. I dig holes. I sweat. I firmly believe that it’s through solitude and manual labor that we earn self-enlightenment. And, if given the chance, I’d like to earn the honor of walking alongside you as you pursue your work.

Here’s the third-person, official version of my bio that attempts to establish my credibility:

Shawn Humphrey is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Mary Washington. He is the founder of the Two Dollar Challenge and author of the Sidekick Manifesto. He is also on the Executive Board of Directors of One Thousand Schools and a judge and board member of the Social Impact Media Awards. Other than winning the “Outstanding Young Faculty Award” in 2010, he does not have a customarily long curriculum vitae replete with bulleted awards and peer-reviewed publications. He was too busy building.

Learn more: shawnhumphrey.com

Connect: @blucollarprof

Contact: shumphre@umw.edu

HIRE ME TO SPEAK

As a founder of multiple projects and platforms, including national summits and conferences, I know what it’s like to hire and work with speakers. I also know how words can move the human spirit. I can give a good halftime speech!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Hire me and here’s what you can expect:

  • I’ll reply promptly to your emails and telephone calls.

  • I’ll listen and make sure we are on the same page.

  • I’ll show up.

  • I’ll be on time.

  • No Diva Shit. Period. My people raised me right (except for the cussing).

  • I’ll use thought-provoking stories, activities and games to engage you and your audience in complex material.

  • I’ll stick around and find ways to collaborate with attendees.

  • I’ll follow up after the event for feedback.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

(after hiring me to speak)

“Shawn Humphrey’s presentation, both in class and to the larger Elon community, was easily the most impactful experience of the semester. While I had heard similar messages before, through my own personal work and through readings such as Toxic Charity, Shawn’s vulnerability and authenticity allowed me to truly learn from his mistakes and experiences. Other sources typically emphasized the things they were doing right in the service realm, and instead chastised the behavior of others. Such representations of reality are inherently skewed. However, Shawn’s authenticity was extremely helpful and beneficial, as I was able to engage and evaluate his message and perspective knowing he was not attempting to frame himself as some service messiah.” – Elon University Student

Here’s another:

“Shawn presented during the first-ever Kiva U Summit. He was rated among the highest of the 47 speakers at the event and was considered ‘inspiring,’ ‘innovative’ and ‘enlightening’ by Summit attendees.” – Jessica Hansen (KIVA)

And another:

“Shawn was engaging, naturally weaving his personal entrepreneurial narrative into his professional pursuits, and provided some honest and keen insights into the challenges – and rewards – of being a social entrepreneur.” – Melissa Paulson (Notre Dame’s Irish Impact Social Entrepreneurship Conference)

And, if those don’t do it for you, this one will:

“Shawn is a double threat – he knows his topic area better than anyone and he is fun and engaging to listen to. He is always at the top of my list when I’m looking for someone to speak or lead a conversation.”  – Dan Morrison 

THE NEXT STEP

Just email me at shumphre@umw.edu and I will get back with you right away.