SPEAKING

Below are my speaking topics, which can be adjusted depending on audience needs. Email me at speaking@terrellstarr.com.

Travel Beyond the Headlines: The Curiosity Advantage

Why going off the beaten path can change the way we see the world

As a travel journalist, Terrell Jermaine Starr has spent decades traveling to places many Americans know primarily through headlines—from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to countries often overlooked by mainstream travelers. As a Black man from Detroit, Terrell found himself drawn to the unfamiliar—and discovered that the places others overlooked often taught him the most about humanity.

This inspirational keynote explores curiosity as a skill we can cultivate. Through personal stories of traveling beyond the traditional tourist path, Terrell shows audiences how entering unfamiliar places can challenge assumptions, expand our worldview and teach us to become better listeners and observers.

His central message is simple: we become better at understanding the world when we become willing to question what we think we already know.

Drawing on his experience as a journalist, Terrell also examines how news headlines can flatten entire countries and communities into a single story. Travel gives us the opportunity to look beyond those narratives—to meet people, experience cultures and discover the complexity that headlines often leave out.

Audiences leave with lessons about curiosity, challenging assumptions, embracing unfamiliarity and developing a more open and globally minded perspective.

Extreme Travel: Beyond Fear, Finding Our Common Humanity

What traveling to the world’s most challenging places can teach us about courage, curiosity and connection

As a travel journalist, Terrell Jermaine Starr has spent decades traveling to places many people consider dangerous, intimidating or difficult—including Ukraine. His passion for extreme travel isn’t about seeking danger for its own sake. It’s about pushing beyond the familiar, understanding risk and discovering the people and perspectives that exist beyond the headlines.

Through personal stories from his travels and journalism, Terrell explores how preparation, curiosity and openness can help us navigate uncertainty while challenging the assumptions we make about unfamiliar places and people. He shows audiences how engaging with places that intimidate us can expand our worldview and reveal the humanity that connects us.

The lesson Terrell leaves audiences with is simple: Don’t let fear determine what—or whom—you are willing to encounter. When we have the courage to venture beyond our comfort zones, we become more curious, more adaptable and more open to discovering the common humanity that connects us all.