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A popular national motivational speaker, author, blogger, and regular guest on Fox News, CNBC and radio shows, Kate Obenshain is fearless champion of expanded liberty. She inspires audiences with her passionate, experienced insights, encouraging them to dig deep to become more engaged while always staying true to their integrity and principles, even in a world that demands they abandon them.

Former Keller Williams International CEO and current Vice Chairman of the Board, Mo Anderson, said, "Kate has a gift of eloquently delivering a message that is seamlessly woven with heartfelt passion and an extraordinary level of knowledge, and the end result is truly captivating.  She literally holds the audience in the palm of her hand."

Kate is the author of Divider in Chief: The Fraud of Hope and Change (Regnery, 2012)—a book that has garnered national praise for its searing, systematic indictment of the Obama administration’s divisive, destructive tactics. Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, David Limbaugh, Congressman Allen West and other widely respected conservatives have lauded the book.

She speaks regularly all across the country--to business groups and law firm retreats; for civic, political and religious groups; conferences and conventions, women’s retreats, on college campuses—you name it, she’s done it—for over 20 years, inspiring, enlightening and entertaining audiences on topics ranging from

• effective leadership skills,
• finding the courage and confidence to achieve real success,
• overcoming challenges for women in leadership,
• reclaiming our legacy of freedom.
• and public policy topics such as government over regulation and its impact on businesses,
• economic policy,
• national security,
• education (Common Core, choice, charters),
• faith,
• parenting,
• political correctness on campus, and
• the changing role of women in politics and the work place.  

Professional Background

From 2008 to 2012, Kate championed her conservative convictions as vice president of Young America’s Foundation, a group that inspires emerging young leaders at the Reagan Ranch, Reagan Ranch Center, and on college campuses across the country. 

Encouraging young people and women to become philosophically knowledgeable and active in public policy issues is a driving passion for Kate. In 2003, she founded the Jennifer Byler Institute, a leadership training program for women in Virginia.

Kate garnered national attention as the first woman chairman of the Virginia GOP. Serving from 2003 to 2006, she led the charge against tax increases and the expanding role of government. During her tenure as chairman, she eliminated the Party’s massive debt by implementing a business mentality and aggressive fundraising operation.  She rebuilt the grassroots operation and restored strong conservative philosophical underpinnings as well as the credibility of the Party that had faced significant challenges before her term. While she was chair, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified her as a rising star in national politics.

She served as Virginia Senator George Allen's chief of staff and as his chief education and health policy adviser while he was governor. From 1995 to 2000, she advanced budgetary reform and programmatic accountability as an appointee of Governors Allen and Gilmore on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Along with Ann Coulter, Laura Schlessinger, Phyllis Schlafly and Jeane Kirkpatrick, Kate's work is featured in the book, Great American Conservative Women. Of this book, Rush Limbaugh, said, “It's past due that someone put together a collection of ideas and philosophies from conservative women in print.”

Kate has been executive producer for two movies, both for Young America's Foundation. The first, Still Point in a Turning World, was developed in honor of President Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. The Conservatives, featuring prominent conservatives such as Michelle Malkin, Mark Levin and Jonah Goldberg, provides an introduction to conservatism to young adults, and a refresher for those who need a few reminders as to why conservatism works.

Kate has also been the editor of a local magazine, fulfilled her dream of working in a bookstore, served on numerous campaigns, founded a non-profit organization that helped widows in times of distress, and sold Eskimo pies on the corner of 6th and Main Streets in Richmond, Virginia as a summer job growing up. 

Currently, in addition to her speaking, writing and media work, Kate advises political candidates as well as businesses and organizations on policy development, messaging and media.

She serves on the Board of Directors for the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute and on the Advisory Board for the Steamboat Institute. 

Honors

In 2005, Kate received Young America’s Foundation’s prestigious Torch of Freedom Award. She has also served on Young America's Foundation's board of directors.

Kate has received the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute’s Conservative Leadership Award and has been featured in six of the Institute’s popular annual calendars. 

Education

Kate attended the University of Virginia, graduating with a BA in English. She distinguished herself early as a student leader at the University of Virginia, where she was editor of the campus conservative newspaper, the Virginia Advocate. She organized one of the year’s best-attended campus events—a state-wide rally in support of America’s troops—that refuted vocal, anti-war leftists purporting to represent all students.

Media Experience

Currently, Kate is a regular on The O'Reilly Factor, appearing weekly. She has appeared on numerous cable news shows, including, Hannity,
Fox and Friends, Bulls and Bears, Your World with Neil Cavuto, Hard Ball and Larry Kudlow’s The Call. She’s been on hundreds of radio shows, including The Sean Hannity Show, The Mark Levin Show, The Dennis Miller Show, The Dennis Praeger Show, The Michael Medved Show, NPR, and is a regular on The Mark Larson Show. She has guest hosted for The Andrea Tantaros Show and The G. Gordon Liddy Show. Her writings have been featured in, among others, New York Post, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, Human Events, Breitbart.com and Richmond Times Dispatch.

Personal

Kate is a Virginia native. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia—God’s country—with her four children.  In February of 2015 she started KateOHomes.com and began pursuing a lifelong dream in real estate.  

Kate's brother, Mark Obenshain, currently serves in the Virginia State Senate. Her father, Richard, was co-chairman of the RNC and nominee for the United States Senate in 1978 before his tragic death in a plane crash. Her mother, Helen, who has been described as a "political political powerhouse in her own right," served as Virginia’s Republican National Committeewoman.