Will Hornyak Storyteller

Keynotes and Conferences

Storyteller Finds Niche in Keynote and Motivational Speaker's Market

Working as a personal coach to assist executives in bettering their presentation skills or delivering a keynote talk to dentists or industrial designers, storyteller Will Hornyak has carved out a niche in the professional speaker's market. A graduate in journalism at Marquette University in l976 and a former reporter in Latin America, Hornyak gave up his press pass to pound nails and study mythology and storytelling. He seems to have found his true calling. Hornyak now earns a living as a full-time storyteller, much of it coming from professional organizations, business and educational associations.

Will at workshop“We invited Will to offer a keynote at the Oregon Dental Assoc. annual meeting,” said Dr. John McCoombs, chair of the speaker's committee. “He was thoroughly engaging. His stories passed on ideas which transcend cultural boundaries.” Said Tim Syfert, head of an industrial design team at the automotive interiors mega-plant for Johnson Controls in New Holland, Michigan: “We continue to refer to Will's presentation. His workshop was one of the most valueable our team attended. He brought us directly into the storytelling process.”

Hornyak teaches storytelling to MBA students at Portland (Oregon) State University and to communication's majors at Marylhurst University and performs throughout the United States.

He finds themes in his repertoire of 60 stories culled from world mythology and legend which resonate with a wide scope of listeners.

“Society is so fragmented these days and we hunger for the common roots of our humanity,” said Hornyak. “When we gather around a story we gather around a fire that warms, illumines and feeds our imagination without regard for political persuasion, belief or race.”

Some of Hornyak's recent programs presentations:

  • The Oregon Dental Association
  • The American Cancer Society
  • The Oregon Department of Human Resources
  • The Portland Business Roundtable
  • The Owen M. Panner Inn of Court (Trial Lawyers Assoc.)
  • Johnson Controls
  • Western States Accounting Executives
  • American Assoc. of Art Therapists
  • National Assoc. of Death and Grief Counselors
  • Multnomah County Diversity Conference
  • Oregon Employers Council
  • Seaside Health Promotion Conference