Adam Joel: Survivor. Speaker. Filmmaker. "Abuse thrives in Silence. Let's Talk about it."

Most people don’t know what abuse looks like until it turns violent.

That’s what makes Adam Joel unique. With his interactive Keynotes, workshops, and training sessions, he can show your community, colleagues, or students how to spot the signs of abuse early — BEFORE it turns violent.

Everyone deserves a relationship safety talk.

Give the people you care about approachable, life-changing Abuse Prevention tips that will stick. Adam can deliver validation, healing, and a practical, visual guide to lesser-known signs of abuse & coercive control.

Adam speaking on stage

Whether you’re looking out for your campus, staff, clients, or community, Adam’s got your back.

Choose from his menu of ready-to-go Keynote Topics, OR Contact him about customizing a talk for your audience and goals!

KEYNOTES

Relationship Safety Talk
How to Support Survivors From Different Backgrounds
  • THE STAKES: Most people don’t know how to spot the signs of abuse until it turns violent.

    Adam reveals the subtler sides of abuse by breaking down 10 Toxic Relationship Myths perpetuated by Hollywood— and replacing them with 10 Relationship Lessons we can use to make our own love stories healthier!

    AUDIENCES: Youth: college, military, etc. | Community groups: Parents, faith groups, etc.

  • THE STAKES: Abusers know how to customize abuse to their victim’s identities and vulnerabilites — so the support must be customized too.

    Survivors are not a monolith. Abusers weaponize your identity against you— your gender, race, health, faith, sexuality, immigration status, and more. Learn how to meet survivors where they’re at and help them reconnect with their community. ‍ ‍

    AUDIENCES: DV Professionals | Social Workers | Healthcare Workers | Community Leaders

Raising the Bar for Consent
  • THE STAKES: 1 in 6 men, 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 2 trans people experience sexual violence.

    Together, we’re raising the bar for consent by unpacking toxic masculinity & rape culture. We’ll also practice building consent BEYOND the bedroom to develop a healthier understanding of boundaries, relationships, and sex.

    AUDIENCES: Youth | Community groups | Judicial training | Perpetrator Intervention

A Visual Guide to DV Law
  • THE STAKES: As US states are beginning to enact coercive control laws, the education is lagging behind.

    Adam provides practical, visual examples of DV laws in action, helping justice & law enforcement officials take their skills to the next level. With a film crafted by DV experts, Adam explores how the least visible forms of abuse are often the most dangerous.

    AUDIENCES: Policymakers & Activists | Judicial: Judges, Staff, Probation Officers | Law Enforcement: Police, Campus Safety, etc.

About Adam Joel

TEDx Speaker, Survivor, Impact-Driven Filmmaker

Adam Joel is an impact-driven filmmaker and a survivor of relationship abuse. After co-founding Aggressively Compassionate, a production company that makes films for good causes, Adam launched his campaign against abuse as the Writer & Director of The Last Drop— a short sci-fi film about relationship abuse inspired by the memories of real survivors. Adam is providing this project and his services as a speaker to help advocates, educators, policymakers, and community groups lead meaningful conversations about relationship safety all over the world.

PAST CLIENTS INCLUDE…

Georgia Commission on Family Violence
Administrative Office of PA Courts
Chicago Police Department
Cheshire Medical Center
Maryland Health Care Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Ending Domestic Abuse hosted by Dr. Ludy Green
Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse
Island News
Western University School for the Deaf
Jana's Campaign
Montclair film
Inkwell
STOP Domestic Violence Conference
Conference on Crimes Against Women
PREVAIL
NJ courts
Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Texas Council on Family Violence
Partnered with a Survivor Podcast
New York Coalition Against Domestic Violence
TEDx
Utah Valley University
Lewis University
Domestic Violence Program of Harkimer County
IFYS
Pomona College
Between Friends
JBWS
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
CASDA
End Domestic Abuse WI
NASW- Virginia Chapter
VCU
The Peach Pit
Florida Office of the State Courts Administrator
Ruth's Cottage and The Patticake House
US Army
NWU
The Network
Institute on Violence, Abuse and Traume
Safe & Together Institute

See Adam in Action

TESTIMONIALS

  • "This is by far the best presentation on DV I have ever had in my 23 years in the court system."

    — Court Staff Member from the Administrative Office of the Courts in NJ

  • “I learned that there are many different types of abuse, not just physical, and that people can find the support and courage within themselves to heal and leave violent relationships.”

    — 2023 DVS Conference attendee

  • "Adam is such a talented and knowledgeable speaker. It's not easy to infuse a bit of humor when talking about a difficult subject, but Adam does it deftly. You'll laugh, you'll learn something. It was an engaging and enlightening talk on relationship safety."

    — TEDxNorthwesternU attendee

  • "Adam uses his experience as a remarkable training...Adam was clear in his presentation and I look forward to seeing more of him."

    — DVS Conference attendee

  • “Perhaps the best presentation this year.”

    — 2025 Texas Council on Family Violence Conference attendee

  • "This was absolutely amazing! Very relatable relationship safety talk. I definitely will be reaching out to Mr. Joel for speaking engagements."

    — 2024 Hawaii IVAT Summitt Attendee

  • "I felt as if you were talking to me…I wanted to tell you after your speech that you are very inspiring, but I couldn't keep my eyes dry. Thank you very much for opening my eyes to my current situation."

    — 2024 Hawaii IVAT Summitt attendee

  • “Appreciated Adam’s perspective and how he used his own style to bring awareness to the issue of intimate partner violence.”

    — 2025 Texas Council on Family Violence Conference attendee

Reach out to Adam!

Fill out the form below, or book a free consultation on his Calendly HERE

Abuse thrives in silence.

Let’s talk about it.

Want to go straight to a video call?

FAQs

  • I offer a wide range of speaking engagements (keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, and more), and a variety of topics (see my Keynotes section to learn more). I can also customize my talk for your audience and event needs! Send me an email or schedule a virtual meeting through my Calendly and I'd be happy to discuss!

  • Getting started is simple. Reach out via email or schedule a virtual meeting through my Calendly and we’ll start the conversation. Consultations are free!

  • As a filmmaker, I have a unique perspective on how movies & TV shows romanticize abuse, fuel toxic masculinity, and justify rape culture. With my Abuse Prevention film, The Last Drop, I offer visual examples for the hardest-to-spot forms of abuse— like emotional abuse, digital abuse, and isolation tactics. I also customize my talks for any audience (from professionals at the highest levels, all the way down to middle school students).

    In each of my talks, I make sure to discuss how abuse disproportionately affects marginalized groups, such as women, non-binary folks, BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ folks, indigenous people, people with language/citizenship barriers, and people with disabilities. As a male survivor, I’m also living proof that men experience abuse too. Basically, anyone can experience abuse and anyone can be abusive. Together, we can explore how abuse can be “customized” to the identity, values, and passions of the survivor— and how our support systems should be customized too.

  • I offer flexible pricing based on event type, travel, and complexity. After an initial conversation, I’ll provide a transparent quote with NO hidden costs or fees, and we’ll discuss from there!