Keynote SpeakerPetra Velzeboer

“Petra makes people sit up and take action” People Director, Channel 4

“Down to earth, practical and filled with humour. Petra’s keynotes inspire, inform and create a ripple effect of change. Her story of being raised in a cult is life-altering - seamlessly made relatable to audiences worldwide” CEO, Empathy Week

"It has been a unique privilege to meet and work with Petra. Petra is the rarest of keynotes; someone who knows the science but who has also a lived experience to bring to bear on such an important topic. She is brave in her approach and this you learn is perhaps the key lesson in opening up and addressing mental health needs. She achieves a mix of levity and seriousness that T.S Eliot would be proud of and it's the first talk I have seen in a long time where none of the 300 attendees glanced at their phone or checked the time. This is such an important topic that we need advocates such as Petra to open up the conversation in such a powerful, practical and ultimately uplifting way." Business Analysts Annual Conference

"We wanted to close our conference with a memorable moment – and Petra delivered on an often-ignored issue: our mental health. With positive vibes, an energetic speech, get-together touchy moments and many wake-up calls, the participants were taken on an emotional roller-coaster of positive attitudes towards our… mind." UNIBA Partners Annual Conference

"Petra supported us to develop our Global Mental Health Strategy - including bespoke content and re-development of our Mental Health Champions Programme. She offered practical support, thought leadership, clinical expertise and facilitated training in-person and virtually across the UK, US, EMEA and Asia. On top of this, Petra is adaptable, empathetic and highly committed. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to develop a market-leading approach to mental health and wellbeing. I'm excited to continue working together to implement our new strategy." Herbert Smith Freehills

"We had the pleasure of having Petra speak at an internal Guardian employee event for mental health awareness week. The honesty in which she shared her personal experience was quite moving. She was both informative and inspirational. I would highly recommend her workshop." The Guardian UK

"Petra certainly knows her stuff and has the ability to put it across in a no nonsense, practical and highly inspirational way. She brings the perfect balance of support and challenge to everything that she does. We were lucky to have Petra support a number of events at William Hill and it was a pleasure to work with her. A pleasure that I hope that we will be able to repeat again soon." William Hill

"I would highly recommend Petra as a knowledgeable and credible speaker! Petra’s authentic and engaging style, delivering at our national conferences, has been key to the success of our wellbeing program." Amey

"We invited Petra to speak at our event and were blown away by her incredibly unique story! She is an accomplished keynote speaker who provided so much practical advice on how to look after our people in the new world of work." Monzo

"Petra’s book brings inspiration, practical thinking and true thought leadership that I would recommend to anyone who wants a new angle on how to view their wellbeing at work." Pirkx

"So many of us have unwittingly become slaves to our devices. Petra not only explains the problem of digital addiction but more importantly provides practical guidance on how to break free." Partner, Simmons and Simmons

"Petra captures the most important issues of our times, debunking myths and offering practical ways we can focus thereby boosting mental health." Nilema Bhakta-Jones, Multi Award Winning Founder Courageous Leaders

"Petra Velzeboer is a master storyteller. She paints the landscape of digitalisation in societies, shows why we're hooked to our devices - then outlines a credible path to wellbeing through richer human connections, better boundaries and moving from staring at our devices to making peace with each other." Dr Ardeshir Mehran, Psychologist and Author

"Given that a third of our lives are experienced through a screen, there is nothing more important than learning how to configure technology to serve us rather than the other way around. We have to work out how to make it work for us and Petra helps us get there!" Chief Impact Officer, JAAQ

"The topic of Digital Wellbeing is timely and thought-provoking. Petra addresses one of todays most urgent challenges: how technology shapes our lives, minds and relationships. With a clear and relatable style she doesn't shy away from the tough questions, inviting people to reflect deeply on their tech habits and take action to foster meaningful connections" Founder and CEO, Empathy Studios

"Petra Velzeboer is one of the leading voices in this space, and rightly so. As the most popular and impactful speaker at the Make Work Better Conference 2024, her work is a masterclass in reclaiming control in a world that demands so much of our attention. She blends actionable advice with powerful insights guiding her audience towards clarity, balance and resilience" CEO, Investors in People