Shola Kaye Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerShola Kaye

Сommunication and inclusion specialist, an award-winning speaker and the author of two books

Shola Kaye helps global organisations create a People-First Culture, preparing for the future of work using the power of empathy, effective communication and inclusive leadership skills. Shola’s work is frequently described as engagingly practical, easily implementable and inspiring. She shares moving stories, accessible case studies and actionable insights gained from... Read More

Biography

Shola Kaye helps global organisations create a People-First Culture, preparing for the future of work using the power of empathy, effective communication and inclusive leadership skills. Shola’s work is frequently described as engagingly practical, easily implementable and inspiring. She shares moving stories, accessible case studies and actionable insights gained from working with international corporations across a wide range of industries, and sessions may be modified for leaders or for broader audiences.

Shola’s clients include American Express, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Nestle, Meta, Target, The United Nations, Kaiser Permanente, GSK, Henkel, Reckitt, HSBC, LVMH, Capital One and Oracle. She is the author of two books and has written for a variety of industry publications.

Shola’s experiences as a Black female introvert, working for global corporations, have given her an understanding of some of the many challenges faced by companies today as they seek to create environments of empathy and belonging, supporting their ever-more diverse, often remote, teams. Her work allows organisations to increase innovation, bolster belonging and develop engaging, productive environments.

Early in Shola’s career, after studying at Cambridge University, she worked in consulting and account management in New York and London with clients such as Goldman Sachs and British Airways. She has also conducted neuroscience research at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

What differentiates Shola as a speaker is that she has also spent time performing across the globe and captivating audiences as a professional entertainer. She therefore understands what it takes to keep her keynote attendees engaged and participating throughout the session, and she provides multiple opportunities for valuable self-reflection and outstanding levels of interaction.

At the moment her most popular keynote is on Elevating Empathy. In today’s challenging workplaces it’s crucial to meet people where they are, demonstrating curiosity and understanding. An empathic approach is also valuable when it comes to helping reduce resistance to change, such as restructuring, entering new markets or embarking upon new initiatives.

Shola also works with global teams that need to find ways to reduce bias and reach across cultural differences, creating an atmosphere of collaboration, inclusion and high performance. Her session ‘Inclusive Communication and Psychological Safety’ has been booked by a variety of international organisations, whether for leadership or wider groups and, as a skilled facilitator, she’s often called upon to run sessions that are a hybrid between conventional keynotes, town halls, and large group workshops.

As an introvert herself, she loves to create experiences in which everyone feels deeply involved and empowered to participate fully. Her virtual keynotes often elicit hundreds of comments in the chat, with off-the-chart participation from attendees.

She’s also a popular speaker for International Women’s Day and has worked with many organisations delivering communication programs that help women and other groups speak up and cut through the noise, enabling them to go further, faster, in their careers.

"What a fantastic presentation Shola gave to a large audience at our International Women's Day event! She was enthusiastic, highly professional, on-target with content, and provided very timely information. The messages were delivered with examples, and audience participation, thereby increasing the takeaway ability, and allowing participants to quickly apply learnings to real-life scenarios." Sonia Zacher-Martini, Manager - Project Controls, PSEG
"We were lucky enough to have Shola as our key note speaker this week for our global Women's network GlanbiaNow. Shola was perfect in addressing the #breakthebias focus of IWD and provided us strategies and practical ideas on how to manage this in the work place. She was engaging and energetic and was a great speaker even in a virtual format. Thanks Shola and please let me know if you ever need a recommendation." Wendy Chang Smith, CFO, Glanbia Performance Nutrition
"A dynamic, articulate, empathic and warm presenter. She clearly knows her subject matter. Highly recommended." Glenn Gutmacher, VP Talent Acquisition - State Street
"We booked Shola as a keynote speaker for our International Women's Day Celebration in our Global Group. She spoke to us about Calling Out, Calling In and Speaking Up. It was a very helpful session, providing plenty of takeaways and tools for our attendees to use to help create workplace equity. It was a very inspiring session. In the post session survey, 100% expressed that the content was valuable. Thank you Shola!" Lynn Poole, Human Resources Manager, MB Aerospace
"The session was both interactive, fun and also compassionate. We received a lot of positive feedback." Sumi Shukla, VP EMEA Marketing - Riverbed Technology
"The combination of empathy in the workplace and DEI really spoke to our workforce and I am excited to continue to work with Shola." Nasra Osman, UK Lead for Race & Ethnicity - Reckitt
"A joy to work with. The content was so powerful and authentically delivered, our teams are still raving about it today." Victoria Morrison, Global Marketing Director - Hotwire PR
"Great session and a lot to reflect on individually, and as a group." Paul Pythian, Executive Partner - IBM
"Wonderful to collaborate with, and she delivered exactly what we were looking for... a top-notch keynote to more than 900 people." Professor Allison G. Butler - Bryant University
"Shola managed to navigate an emotive topic with clear, actionable takeaways and with calmness, poise and respect." Louisa Golden, SVP Technology Chief of Staff - Citi

Popular Talks by Shola Kaye

  • Elevating Empathy
    Creating a workplace where everyone feels that they belong is more important than ever before, but how can you build supportive, cohesive environments within your organisation?This is a high-impact, inspiring keynote that offers the tools and the inspiration to become a more compassionate and effective leader, manager, or individual contributor....
  • Embracing Psychological Safety and Inclusive Communication
    Are you wondering why there has been so much interest in the topic of psychological safety? During this interactive keynote, we explore the vital role of psychological safety in fostering an inclusive environment that values open, authentic communication. We’ll discuss the importance of embracing vulnerability, trust, and empathy in your...
  • Inclusive Leadership: Strategies & Skills
    Equip your leaders with the skills and knowledge to combat bias and foster belonging. Today’s leaders need an expanded repertoire of skills and know-how to ensure staff are engaged, happy and productive. In this highly impactful program, leaders are given the skill set to flourish in today’s complex work environments,...
  • Creating a Speak Up Culture: Empower, Encourage, Evolve
    Give your leaders and their teams the inspiration, know-how and tools to create a culture of openness and collaboration. During this high-energy, interactive keynote we explore the power of transparency, psychological safety and positive reinforcement to create a culture where everyone feels equipped, encouraged and able to share their views...
  • Unlock High Performance by Delivering Effective Feedback
    Develop the skills to support and co-create your colleagues’ success. At work and in our personal lives, delivering effective feedback is a valuable skill. Delivered in the right way, feedback can be empowering, inspiring and can drive an individual, and their team, towards fantastic success. However, delivered in the wrong...
  • Working With Resistance
    Walk away with the tools and perspectives needed to navigate and transform resistance into a constructive force for organisational progress. This dynamic and insightful keynote adopts an international perspective, and is designed for DEI, HR, and Talent Management professionals, and groups grappling with resistance in organisational change efforts. The session...
  • Three Steps to Inclusion & Allyship
    Practical inspiration, helping you create a culture of belonging. This empowering keynote delivers practical frameworks and moving stories. You’ll walk away with the understanding that everyone can be an ally, whatever your situation. We’ll explore the importance of taking action – however limited – rather than feeling that you don’t...