Meet Iain (ee-nn).
Dr. Iain Lampert is one of the foremost public speaking experts in America.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, on rare occasions, grants an eminence credential to experts who meet three criteria:
Recognized as eminent beyond the boundaries of his or her community
Demonstrably advanced his or her field
Acknowledged by his or her peers beyond the norm for others in the specific endeavor
One person in the history of California earned an eminence credential in speech, debate, and mock trial: Iain Lampert.
After a decade of setting records with thousands of K-12 students at dozens of public, private, and parochial schools, Iain pivoted to professional training.
He’s a championship communication coach.
Iain breaks records with rhetoric. Then, he shares strategies so his students can do the same.
During high school, Iain decided he would be the most successful Impromptu speaker in California.
He succeeded, setting a statewide record for the biggest margin of victory in Impromptu speaking history. The record lasted until 2019, when he coached a freshman to win by even more. (He also coached 2nd and 3rd place at the same state championship—the only Impromptu speaking close-out ever.)
During college, Iain decided to become the most successful mock trial competitor in America.
He succeeded, winning two trial advocacy national championships and setting the all-time record for the best four-year run at the American Mock Trial Association’s championship contest in history. His record lasted until 2024, when he coached his UCLA students to beat him.
In 2021, Iain competed in the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s season-long contest. Over 100 judges evaluated him in acting, oratory, spontaneous speaking, and debate categories.
He succeeded. Iain was the PSDA’s season-long professional national champion, taking first place in every category at the final contest.
In 2024, Iain joined the International Public Debate Association’s professional division. No contestant from outside the Deep South had ever won a national title. (Iain lives in Wisconsin.)
He succeeded again. Iain was the IPDA’s season-long professional national speech AND debate champion, setting an all-time record for debate wins.
And he has an infatuation with education.
Iain can’t stop studying how people learn.
Iain was an okay student as an undergraduate at UCLA. Nothing special—he cared more about coaching younger speakers than cramming for classes.
After graduating, Iain knew he could have done better. He started studying why he had such a tough time staying engaged in undergrad.
As he learned, not all classes are created equal. If instructors don’t focus on engagement, their messages fall flat. Iain wanted to understand what techniques could consistently capture authentic attention in a classroom.
So, he earned a master’s degree in education and human development from George Washington University. That wasn’t enough, so he went back for a doctorate from Vanderbilt University.
Before the ink dried on his doctoral diploma, he earned certifications in advanced educational leadership from Harvard, college counseling from UCLA, and even human resources from Madison Area Technical College.
Iain knew there was more to learn, so he began attending Northwestern University’s executive MBA program.
Within two weeks of starting at Northwestern, he was teaching his peers—accomplished executives and managers—the art of competent, comfortable communication in biweekly classes. They started in a small side room. Soon, he was given a lecture hall.
His new friends suggested he should move from classrooms to boardrooms to share his lessons with the corporate world.
That’s how Authentalk was born.