Grant Denton | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

Grant A. Denton — Lived Experience Advocate, Speaker & Change‑Maker

Background & Lived Experience

Grant A. Denton brings more than a decade of firsthand insight from working in homelessness and community reintegration. His lived experience fuels his compelling voice across public platforms.

Keynote Speaker & Conference Presence

Delivered a powerful talk at SXSW, engaging audiences on substance use and resilience.

speakerexchangeagency.com

youtube.com

podnews.net

schedule.sxsw.com

Invited four times to speak at Mayors’ Conferences, advising civic leaders on homelessness, recovery, and policy reform.

Presented in Washington, D.C. at a major Drug Policy Summit, shaping national narratives on drug legislation and harm reduction.

Academic & Youth Engagement

Spoken at numerous colleges and universities, incorporating lived-experience storytelling into higher ed.

Reaches young minds through visits to primary and secondary schools, equipment-free workshops focusing on life transformation and accountability.

Media & Spotlight

Featured on podcasts covering resilience, leadership, and advocacy.

On-screen in documentaries exploring homelessness, recovery journeys, and community reintegration (details available upon request).

TEDx & TED

Gave a poignant talk at TEDxReno, “The Not‑So‑Helpful Help for Those Experiencing Homelessness,” widely praised for its authenticity.

ted.com

youtube.com

Community & Correctional Outreach

Regularly visits jails and detention centers, facilitating peer-to-peer workshops with incarcerated populations.

Awards & Recognition

Received accolades for speaking and leadership in nonprofit and civic circles (specifics available upon request).

Earned consistent praise from organizers for clarity, vulnerability, and motivational presence.

Gala & Fundraising Presence

Served as keynote speaker for major fundraising galas, uniting audiences around housing justice, mental-health support, and substance-use recovery initiatives.

Praise & Impact Highlights

Described as “authentic, inspiring, and transformational” by event planners.

Noted for turning personal hardship into coherent, actionable frameworks for systems-change and service innovation.

Why it matters:

Grant Denton’s story isn’t just a narrative—it’s a catalyst. His lived experience informs every talk, connecting policymakers, professionals, students, and communities through authentic storytelling and practical policy solutions. Whether on stage at SXSW or inside a jail cell, he bridges divides—and moves audiences from empathy to action.

Current position (1)

Founder CEO

Karma Box Project

Degrees (1)

General

GED

1991 to 1996

Presentations

Presentations (9)

The Not‑So‑Helpful Help: Rethinking Homeless Services

Based on Grant’s TEDx talk, this presentation dives into the unintended harm caused by poorly designed aid. He challenges audiences to rethink how we serve homeless populations and offers practical strategies rooted in lived experience and behavioral readiness.

From the Streets to the Stage: Lived Experience as Leadership

A deeply personal and inspiring journey from addiction and homelessness to becoming a changemaker and public speaker. This talk empowers agencies, educators, and leaders to value the power of lived experience in system design, recovery, and policy advocacy.

Beyond Housing First: Tiered Solutions for Complex Homelessness

This training breaks down the limitations of one-size-fits-all models like Housing First and introduces a tiered, behavior-informed approach. Attendees walk away with tools to triage effectively, prioritize resources, and build mobility-based housing pathways.

Hope in Handcuffs: Speaking Recovery into Jail Cells

A powerful session tailored for corrections and reentry programs, where Grant shares lessons from hundreds of talks with inmates. The presentation reveals how personal connection, accountability, and structured pathways can transform lives inside the system.

Discipline, Not Dismissal: Behavior Management in Homeless Services

Training for shelter and outreach staff focused on managing behaviors with compassion and structure. Pulling from Grant’s discipline curriculum, this session introduces affective tools and intervention techniques to build safer, more effective programs.

Fix the Frame: Changing Public Perception of Homelessness

This presentation helps communities, leaders, and media shift the narrative on homelessness. Grant outlines messaging strategies, community engagement techniques, and rhetorical tools to replace pity and panic with clarity and action.

Mental Toughness: Resilience in the Face of Chaos

In this powerful keynote, Grant Denton unpacks the true meaning of mental toughness—not as brute strength, but as the ability to stay grounded when life is anything but. Drawing from his time on the streets, in addiction, and in leadership, Grant offers a raw, real, and deeply human framework for how to cultivate inner resilience. Attendees walk away with actionable tools for enduring high-stress environments, overcoming adversity, and building emotional armor without losing their empathy.

The Anatomy of Motivation: What Really Drives Us

Motivation isn’t a lightning bolt—it’s a muscle. In this high-energy, story-rich talk, Grant explores the forces that drive real, sustainable change in people’s lives. From addiction recovery to community leadership, he breaks down how clarity, purpose, and accountability shape behavior more than any slogan ever could. Audiences will leave with a better understanding of how to ignite motivation in themselves, their teams, or the people they serve—even when inspiration runs dry.

From the Streets to Sustainability: Reclaiming Purpose through Eco-Action

This talk tells the unlikely but powerful story of how someone who once lived on the streets began leading eco-based revitalization efforts in his community. Grant shares how trash cleanups, urban gardens, and community restoration projects became tools for dignity, healing, and social impact. It’s part environmentalism, part social reintegration, and fully transformative. This session challenges audiences to see environmental efforts not just as green work—but as human work.