Adriana Aristizábal · International Keynote Speaker

The Courageto Ascend™

From the Frontlines to the Himalayas

War correspondent. Diplomat. Founder. High-altitude mountaineer. Adriana Aristizábal speaks on leadership under pressure, courage and reinvention, drawn from a life lived where the stakes are real.

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Adriana Aristizábal, international keynote speaker, in a dark blazer

Journalism

War correspondent, Colombia

Diplomacy

Consul of Colombia in New York

Enterprise

Founder & CEO, iVoice Communications

High-Altitude Mountaineering

Lobuche Peak · Everest region · Himalayas

Meet Adriana

A Life Beyond the Comfort Zone

  • JournalismWar correspondent covering Colombia’s drug war
  • DiplomacyConsul of Colombia in New York, 2004–2013
  • EnterpriseFounder & CEO, iVoice Communications, since 2014
  • High-altitude mountaineeringSummit of Lobuche Peak (~20,075 ft) in the Everest region of the Himalayas, June 2026
  • LanguagesKeynotes in English and Spanish

Adriana Aristizábal has spent her life walking toward the moments most people would rather avoid.

As a war correspondent in Colombia, she reported from the frontlines of the drug war, witnessing the human cost of violence and the extraordinary resilience of the people who live through it.

After threats against her life, she left everything familiar and rebuilt her future in the United States. That second beginning led to diplomacy, as Consul of Colombia in New York, and to entrepreneurship, as Founder & CEO of iVoice Communications, a strategic communications agency connecting organizations, cultures and communities.

In June 2026 she took on a different kind of challenge: as a high-altitude mountaineer, she summited Lobuche Peak in the Everest region of the Himalayas, at roughly 20,075 feet.

Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to keep moving forward with it.

Today Adriana brings these experiences to leaders, teams and students who need to perform, decide and grow when the path ahead is uncertain.

Adriana Aristizábal reporting for RCN Televisión on a riverbank in Colombia, with armed military patrol boats behind her
War correspondent · RCN Televisión, Colombia
Adriana Aristizábal climbing a fixed rope on the snow slopes of Lobuche Peak, in helmet, goggles and orange expedition suit
Climbing Lobuche Peak · Himalayas, 2026
Adriana Aristizábal speaking on a panel at the International Conference on Mine Action in Baku, shown on the screen behind the stage
Mine action panel · Baku, 2024

Keynotes

Three talks. One question: what do you do when it gets hard?

Each keynote is built on lived experience, not theory, and is tailored to the audience, the industry and the moment your organization is in.

01

Signature keynote

The Courage to Ascend™

Leadership, fear and resilience under pressure

From the frontlines of war to the summit of a Himalayan peak, Adriana shows how courage is built inside uncertainty, why fear can become a teacher rather than a barrier, and how small, deliberate steps carry people and teams to places they once thought impossible.

Audiences leave able to

  • Act with clarity when fear and pressure are high
  • Break impossible goals into the next achievable step
  • Build resilience as a daily practice, not a reaction
  • Lead others through moments of real risk

Ideal for: leadership conferences, annual meetings and kickoffs, women’s leadership forums, opening and closing keynotes.

02

Leading Through Uncertainty

Lessons from war zones, boardrooms and the world’s highest mountains

What does it take to make decisions when the stakes are high and the outcome is unknown? Drawing on journalism, diplomacy, entrepreneurship and mountaineering, Adriana explores the mindset and practices that keep leaders steady, and teams aligned, when the map no longer matches the terrain.

Audiences leave able to

  • Make sound decisions with incomplete information
  • Stay calm and credible in a crisis
  • Build trust and shared purpose across a team
  • Treat change as terrain to navigate, not a threat

Ideal for: executive teams, risk and crisis leadership, organizations in transformation, financial services and insurance audiences.

03

The Power of Reinvention

Turning adversity into opportunity

From forced displacement to diplomacy and entrepreneurship, Adriana shares how to rebuild a life, redefine success and turn unexpected setbacks into the beginning of something larger, for individuals and for organizations.

Audiences leave able to

  • Reframe setbacks as starting points
  • Rebuild confidence after disruption or loss
  • Carry identity and values into a new chapter
  • Turn personal change into leadership growth

Ideal for: universities and graduating classes, employee resource groups, Hispanic Heritage Month and women’s leadership programs, career-transition audiences.

Formats

Tailored to your stage

  • Opening & closing keynotes
  • Executive presentations
  • Fireside conversations
  • Moderated discussions
  • University lectures
  • Custom corporate sessions

Delivered in English and Spanish, in person or virtually.

Bring The Courage to Ascend™ to your next event.

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Philosophy

Five Steps.Five Breaths.™

Sometimes the most powerful leadership strategy is simply knowing how to take the next step.

High on the mountain, the summit is too far to think about. What remains is the next few steps, and the breath that makes them possible. Adriana carries that rhythm from the Himalayas to the stage.

Speaking experience

Where Adriana has spoken

A selection of corporate, academic and international engagements. A full engagement history is available to event organizers on request.

Keynotes

Corporate & executive

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Leadership conference, Boston · 2017

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Women’s History Month leadership panel, New York · 2026

Universities

Lectures & guest talks

Columbia University

Fortune Most Powerful Latinas, featured speaker · 2017. Guest speaker on international affairs and resilience

New York University (NYU)

Guest speaker on media and global communications

The City University of New York (CUNY)

Women’s History Month panel · 2026

Plymouth State University

Courage and resilience talk, women’s volleyball team · 2026

Broward College

Unlocking Colombia’s Potential

Global forums

International stages

United Nations

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), New York · 2026

Forbes 30/50 Summit

Abu Dhabi · 2022–2023

International Conference on Mine Action

Co-organized by the Government of Azerbaijan and the United Nations, Baku · 2023, 2024

Culture

Author talks

El Museo del Barrio

Author lecture, Caught in the Storm of War, New York

Planning a conference, leadership summit or university event?

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Media

Recognition, media & books

A career across journalism, diplomacy, enterprise and public service.

Journalism & Books

  • Television journalist and war correspondent, RCN Televisión, Colombia, 1998–2004
  • Author of Caught in the Storm of War: Memoirs of a War Reporter (York House Press, 2017), also published in Spanish as En fuego cruzado: memorias de una reportera de guerra
  • Contributor, HuffPost and Thrive Global, 2011–2023

Television & Media

  • News anchor and reporter, NY1 Noticias (Spectrum News), New York, 2017–2018
  • Official Spanish-language spokesperson, New York City Tourism + Conventions, since 2017
  • Quoted in The New York Times as a Colombian consular official

Diplomacy

  • Consul of Colombia in New York, 2004–2013
  • Consultant to the Consulate of Colombia in New York, 2013–2014

Honors

  • Top 100 Latina Powerhouse, HOLA! USA, 2020
  • Mujeres Destacadas, El Diario New York, 2014
  • Proclamation, New York City Council, 2008
  • Award for Outstanding Performance, Congress of Colombia, 2003
  • Award for Outstanding Performance, City of Manizales, Colombia, 2003

Boards & Committees

  • Board of Directors, Roots of Peace, since 2022
  • Board of Directors, SHE IS Foundation, since 2026
  • Hispanic Market Expert Committee for Broadway, The Broadway League

Film

Executive producer of the documentary Inside the Fire: Women on the Frontline (Spanish title: Diosas de carne y hueso: reporteras de guerra), produced and directed by Claudia Cruz and Yerbabuena Films. Currently in post-production.

Download Speaker One-Sheet (PDF) Media inquiries

Press

Media inquiries

Interviews, commentary, profiles and press materials.

Journalists and producers can request an interview with Adriana, in English or Spanish, or ask for a bio, photos or comment on leadership, diplomacy, Colombia, women on the frontline and high-altitude mountaineering. Share your deadline and her team will get back to you.

Book Adriana

Bring courage to your next event

Inspire your audience to navigate uncertainty, embrace change and find the courage to move forward.

Available for corporate keynotes, leadership conferences, universities and international events, in English or Spanish, in person or virtually. Share a few details and Adriana’s team will reply with availability.

Adriana’s team replies to every inquiry.