Tiffany Dufu, author of the bestselling book “Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less” and highly respected as a motivational speaker frequently seen on national television, will be speaking 5-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, at Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business.

Auburn’s Women in Business student organization is hosting the event, which will take place in Room 125 of Lowder Hall and is open to all Harbert students, faculty and staff.

“My life’s work is advancing women and girls,” says Dufu, who often is featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Oprah Magazine and on National Public Radio.

Dufu serves as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies and was named as one of 19 “women who are leading the way” in the Huffington Post amongst luminaries such as Diane Sawyer and Hillary Clinton.

“I was first introduced to Tiffany Dufu when she popped up on my LinkedIn page,” said Harbert MBA student Abigail Pitts, who serves as vice president of internal outreach for Auburn’s chapter of Women in Business. “When I first saw her LinkedIn, I saw that 1) she was a founder and CEO of a company, 2) her entire page was dedicated to helping women be the best they can be.

“I further researched her name online, and I was blown away by all of the things she has done to help different groups of women,” Pitts said. “We believe her keynote speech, ‘Drop the Ball,’ will encourage and empower everyone who attends.”

Dufu is founder and CEO of The Cru, which features an algorithm that matches circles of women who collaborate to meet their personal and professional goals.

Named to Fast Company’s League of Extraordinary Women, Dufu has raised nearly $20 million toward the cause of women and girls.

She was a launch team member to “Lean In” and was chief leadership officer to Levo, one of the fastest growing millennial professional networks. Prior to that, Dufu served as president of The White House Project.

“I want all of us to wake up to our own power and create the change we seek,” she said. “I’ve experienced firsthand that power comes from having a clear purpose and the passion to pursue it.

“Brave, authenticity, uncompromising integrity, and graceful resilience along the way don’t hurt either.”

Dufu lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Pitts said she is excited about the event and hopes it will help encourage more women in business, as does the organization she represents on campus.

“Auburn University’s Women in Business seeks to create a strong community of students, faculty and staff that join together to promote leadership and professional connections,” Pitts explained. “Our development initiatives focus on providing our members with the tools and skills needed to become successful business leaders who will influence the diversity and inclusion efforts of their future employers.”

Dufu is considered an inspirational speaker who addresses those goals.