Eddie Francis is a leadership enthusiast who has spoken to over a quarter of a million people in over half of the U.S. Currently an adjunct instructor for Southern New Hampshire University, he has also taught courses at Tulane University, Dillard University and Dallas College. Known for his energetic, insightful and humorous talks, Eddie enjoys talking to groups about the leader-follower relationship, followership, personal leadership, career preparation, personal branding, philanthropy, and Divine Nine leadership.

Eddie has spoken for such institutions and organizations as the Northeast Greek Leadership Association, the Big XII Conference on Black Student Government, the American Marketing Association, the U.S. Coast Guard, Louisiana State University, Wiley College, Monster’s Diversity Leadership Program, the University of North Alabama, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has offered thought leadership about Greek life to Watch the Yard, AFLV Connections, HBCU Lifestyle, Al Jazeera America, The Huffington Post, and his own blogs. He also contributed to the 2024 Greek University book "From Letters to Leaders: Perseverance and How to Be a Great Fraternity or Sorority Alumnus".

The New Orleans native began his leadership journey as president of the Rho Epsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He then held leadership positions with the Black Student Union and Interfraternity Council. Because of his leadership, Eddie earned the Spirit of Loyola Award for Racial Understanding. He later went on to serve as an Alpha Phi Alpha alumni chapter president and campus chapter advisor. At 24 years old, Eddie became the interim director of promotions at Clear Channel Radio New Orleans. He later became an area manager for Monster.com before leading marketing and communications at Southern University at New Orleans, Paul Quinn College, and Dillard University. His journey also includes talent acquisition where he recruited for such brands as Quest Diagnostics, Staples, Sprouts Farmers Market, Caliber Collision, and Lowe’s. Eddie worked with over 300 hiring managers to recruit talent from the entry to executive levels.

Among Eddie’s honors and recognition are New Orleans Magazine’s “30 People to Watch,” the Press Club of New Orleans’ Excellence in Broadcasting Best Radio Entertainment Feature Award, one of 25 Twitter Pages Diverse Students Should Follow, and two nominations for the AMA Foundation’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year. The brand strategist and award-winning broadcaster hosts the podcasts “For Our Edification” and the Enrollify Podcast Network’s “I Wanna Work There!” He is a past host of "The HBCU Lifestyle Podcast" which was a Podbean top 10 education podcast, and he is a contributor to WBOK radio in New Orleans.

Eddie earned his master’s degree in strategic leadership from Tennessee State University. He is a member of the American Marketing Association and the International Leadership Association. Eddie is the proud husband of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. member, Dr. Halima Leak Francis, and the proud father of Stevie.

Feeling the disconnect between officers and members in student organizations? Energize your student groups by helping them strengthen the relationship between their officers and general members. Leveraging leadership theory plus follower and team development models, students will learn:

- How the leader-follower relationship works. Delve into the dynamics of this critical relationship, exploring followership and how it is impacted by leadership.

- The “Five Follower Types” found in every organization. Discover the different personalities in your group, from the enthusiastic go-getters to the quiet contributors and how each type responds to leadership.

- How to navigate group dynamics. Using Eddie’s “Gumbo Theory” framework, explore how the follower types mix and navigate differences while also learning the process of forming and maintaining a team.

Book the customized “Divine 9” version for your NPHC Greeks!

Get your students ready to snag valuable internships and early career opportunities by gaining insider knowledge from a former talent acquisition professional who worked with over 300 hiring managers in several industries to recruit from the entry to executive levels. What will students learn?

- What employers want. Students gain an advantage by decoding the skills and qualities that hiring managers are looking for from internship and job candidates before they finish school.

- The anatomy of a winning resume. Having reviewed up to 200 resumes per week as a recruiter, Eddie shows students the elements that stand out to recruiters and hiring managers while dispelling common resume myths.

- How to build an attractive personal brand NOW. Yes, students have personal brands! Students learn how to form and communicate their unique value propositions based on who they are, their skills, and talents.

Time is built in for an expert Q&A!

Motivate your students with a burning desire to inspire by showing them how to focus on their personal growth and development in order to effectively lead others. Based in leadership research and theory, this presentation will help students learn:

- The importance and impact of self-awareness. Learn why the bedrock of personal leadership is knowing oneself–understanding our strengths, weaknesses, values and biases to act authentically and meaningfully.

- Challenges that every leader must conquer. Eddie reveals the top five obstacles that leaders must overcome in order to lead people effectively.

- How to get the most out of others. Learn what it means to engage in high-quality exchanges and how followership works to gain buy-in for a high-functioning student organization.

This program is for the dreamers. Help your students be the change that they want to see through intentional giving, service and volunteering as a way to build leadership skills through philanthropy. This unique leadership presentation will help students learn:

- How to begin their philanthropic journeys. We will demystify philanthropy as something only for “rich people” by defining philanthropy, helping students focus on the cause they care most about, and where to start making a difference.

- How philanthropy builds leadership skills. This is where teamwork actually makes the dream work! Students learn how to start moving the needle through communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and innovation.

- Models and strategies for effective giving and service. Students learn how to identify resources, sustainable solutions, and how to analyze the results of their efforts.