Educator, Author, Speaker,

and Social Entrepreneur

Hey There! I’m Alex. I put my heart and soul into helping people from all walks of life become changemakers — leading with character, connection, and contribution — one bold, small step at a time.

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Official Bio

Alex Budak is a UC Berkeley faculty member, co-founder of StartSomeGood, and the author of Becoming a Changemaker.

Alex helps people spark change, find fulfillment, and make an impact wherever they go. An award-winning faculty member at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and School of Public Health, his impact-focused courses teach students to think, act, and lead differently -- and have even inspired student tattoos.

His book, Becoming a Changemaker, is being translated into 23 languages. CNBC named it a top 5 non-fiction book about work.

Alex began his hands-on, community-driven change work as co-founder of StartSomeGood. The platform has raised millions of dollars to help launch and scale new change efforts in over 50 countries.

A UCLA and Georgetown graduate, he has spoken on leadership, change, and meaning around the world, from Ukraine to Cambodia. He regularly leads workshops and keynotes for organizations like Accenture, Salesforce, The World Bank and UNHCR.

A few more things: Alex loves traveling (39 countries and counting), trying new workouts, and spending time with his favorite changemakers—his wife Rebecca and their toddler son. He also once learned the hard way to never go budget skydiving.

Ways to Connect

  • Speaking

    Experience impactful, research-driven talks that inspire change and leadership at all levels. Alex offers practical tools and strategies you can start using right away to create lasting impact in your organization.

    BOOK ALEX

  • Writing

    Discover fresh insights to transform your life, career, and community. This inclusive guide will help you find your voice, overcome obstacles, and become a leader of change—no matter where you are.

    GET THE BOOK

  • Teaching

    From Berkeley Haas to Public Health and Executive Education, Alex teaches students and executives how to turn ideas into action. Learn how to create meaningful change and become a leader, no matter your background.

    TAKE A CLASS

Speaking & Podcast Interviews

Recent Speaking Events

Salesforce / Lyft / Intuit / Sony / Rakuten / UNHCR / World Bank / Accenture / MIT / Georgetown / Culture Summit / Morning Brew

Podcast Interviews

Hello Monday / Greg McKeown / Curious Minds at Work / Lead from the Heart / The Unlock Moment / Full playlist here

Have a Speaking Opportunity or Podcast in mind?

Alex is passionate about and regularly speaks on the topics of leadership, change, impact, purpose, social entrepreneurship, inclusion and:

  • Becoming a Changemaker

  • Leading From Where You Are

  • Making an Impact

  • Finding Fulfillment

  • “There’s no one better than Alex to teach people how to become a transformational leader.”

    -Aaron Levie / CEO, Box

  • “Professor Budak’s Becoming a Changemaker course was life changing. It helped me find my voice and transformed who I am as a person and a leader."

    Alicia Wilson / Olympic Athlete, Great Britain & UC Berkeley ‘23

  • "Alex's talk garnered some of the brightest engagement and attendance we have ever seen!"

    Sarika Saksena / Inclusion & Diversity, Accenture

Contact

I’d love to hear from you! Whether it’s a speaking opportunity, media inquiry, or just sharing ideas, let’s connect and see how we can create something impactful together.

alex@alexbudak.com