Speaking
Eat Drink Politics president Michele Simon presents lively and thought-provoking lectures at colleges, universities, and professional conferences across the nation. She has spoken at New York University, Yale University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Michele has also taught courses in health policy at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and alcohol policy at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, Michele’s presentations are frequently requested by diverse groups that include public health professionals, lawyers, journalists, and faith leaders, both in the U.S. and internationally.
You can watch clips of her talks here and download her “one-sheet” here.
Upcoming Events
World Health Organization technical consultation: “addressing and managing conflicts of interest in the planning and delivery of nutrition programmes at country level”, presenting on U.S. experience, October 7-8, Geneva
Speaking Topics
Food Industry Lies and Your Health
Audience: This talk appeals to a general audience at colleges, universities, and community groups. And it can be tailored to professional non-profit and advocacy groups seeking to understand industry tactics — and how to battle them more effectively.
Ethical Food Marketing, Or, How Not To Get Sued
Audience: This talk appeals to business groups, natural foods marketers, non-profits, and other leaders in the food movement who seek to understand the best business practices in ethical marketing. It’s can also be tailored to general groups looking for entertaining, inspiring inside stories of the fight against Big Food lies.
Food Industry Lobbying 101: Countering Corporate Tactics
- Food industry trade groups and how they lobby;
- Industry front groups are how they shape the public discourse;
- Examples of industry tactics, such a co-opting health professionals;
- How advocates can more effective respond.
Food Stamps, Follow the Money: Are Corporations Profiting from Hungry Americans?
- Major food manufacturers such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Mars;
- Leading food retailers such as Walmart;
- Banks, such as J.P. Morgan Chase, which administer SNAP benefits.
Are the Nation’s Nutrition Professionals in the Pocket of Big Food?
- Where else can Americans turn for nutrition advice when registered dietitians are earning continuing education units from the likes of Coca-Cola and Hershey’s?
- How do these partnerships impact the policy positions of the nation’s leading organization of nutrition professionals?
- What are the long-term implications for policy-making and credibility of health organizations?
Alcohol Politics: Understanding the Beer, Wine, and Spirits Industry
Testimonials
Marion Nestle, professor, New York University
Michele Simon is a terrific speaker.
She is clear, organized, and provocative. If you want groups talking up a storm afterwards, she’s the one.
Claire Brindis, Director, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco
Michele Simon’s lecture at UCSF on food industry tactics was superb.
Her informative approach and rigorous analyses, along with the crystal clear way she conveyed complex material, helped our diverse audience better understand the environment in which they conduct their efforts. Her speech clearly leveled the playing field.
Josh Golin, Associate Director, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
Michele Simon is a dynamic, engaging, and informative speaker.
Her knowledge of food policy is second to none, and her presentations make what could be a dry topic accessible and entertaining. I can’t recommend Michele highly enough.
John Robbins, author and speaker
Michele Simon is a powerful and passionate speaker.
Her knowledge about food topics is unassailable and she inspires audiences and challenges them to make a difference.
Janet Poppendieck, Professor Emerita, Hunter College, CUNY
Michele Simon electrified an audience of Hunter College public health students.
Her clear, compelling presentation and trenchant analysis of how food corporations undermine our health was so important for our students to hear. Students stayed for an hour after the formal talk and we finally had to call a halt to the Q&A and chase them out.
Frances Moore Lappé, author and speaker
Michele Simon fits the bill.
With national attention riveted on our food and health crisis, audiences want to hear from credible, clear-headed, and independent experts. There aren’t many, but Michele Simon fits the bill. Her book, Appetite for Profit, is groundbreaking and made Simon the go-to source for fresh, hard-hitting, penetrating analysis of what’s wrong and what we all can do. I continue to learn from her work and highly recommend her as a speaker.