Top 25 Workplace Culture Transformation Speakers
- By Aaron Peterson
- Mar 03, 2026
- Pat Wadors
- Chester Elton
- Amy Edmondson
- Shawn Achor
- Ben Nemtin
- Lt Col Waldo Waldman
- Paul Epstein
- Robyn Benincasa
- Sara Ross
- David Burkus
- Angie Morgan
- Matthew Emerzian
- Matt Mayberry
- Lee Rubin
- Ryan Harris
- Smiley Poswolsky
- Victoria Labalme
- Polly LaBarre
- Henna Pryor
- Chris Bashinelli
- Colette Carlson
- Dr. Ivan Joseph
- Frankie Russo
- Danny Goldberg
- Shannon Talbot
Pat Wadors is a leader and strategist for some of the world’s top technology companies, and has become an award-winner for her role. Her main accomplishments come from her roles in HR, and she’s had multiple articles published about her in The Harvard Business Review that outline her successes. Named in the Top 50 Women in Technology, she’s become a thought leader and an accomplished speaker who shares her knowledge and expertise.
One of the most influential thought leaders, Chester Elton, is known for his expertise in workplace leadership, culture, and employee engagement. He’s appeared in many top media outlets, including NBC’s Today, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal. Gaining the Thinkers 50 Coaching Award, he was recognized for his accomplishments in the workplace and has continued to be an in-demand presence for companies across the globe.
Amy Edonson is well-known for her role as the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. She’s been recognized with many awards and has also authored many books as a tribute to her success. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth, and Teaming: How organizations learn, innovate and compete in the knowledge economy showcases her expertise in writing for all to soak in. She continues to be a well-known leader in the industry and showcases her knowledge in many ways for businesses to continue learning from her and applying her expertise to their own company.
Shawn Achor spent 12 years at Harvard and traveled to 50 countries, where he studied many different aspects, which led him to work with many Fortune 500 companies, like NASA. He is a NY Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential. Happiness Advantage is all about the research from his TED Talk, where he states that happiness is a mindset and choice. Big Potential is based on new research that talks about how happiness relates to all of the potentials that we achieve. Both of these talks have been popular, and he’s often booked heavily for speaking because of his humor, energy, and storytelling vibes.
Author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?, Ben Nemtin is a known star from MTV called The Buried Life. He’s been featured across media outlets and has been a known keynote speaker as he’s headlined business conferences and Fortune 100 leadership teams across the globe. He’s also well-known for his bucket list that he created with three friends after battling depression in university. He’s pushed others to live their life to the fullest, and he’s become well-known for exactly that.
Lt. Col Waldo Waldman, or “The Wingman,” is the author of Never Fly Solo, which is a National Bestseller. He’s been known for his role in helping organizations to build trust, courage, and commitment while breaking barriers. He uses compelling storytelling and tactics to speak to corporations on change management and resilience, to bring a better workplace environment and more success with employees. He’s an in-demand speaker and has worked with many businesses across the globe, as well as been featured on media outlets like Fox News, CNN, and The Harvard Business Review for his accomplishments.
Paul Epstein is a former executive for NFL and NBA teams, as well as a bestselling author. He’s worked as a leader i pro sports for almost 15 years, and now he is a well-known keynote speaker where he impacts many by speaking on leadership and development. His skills and knowledge in the sports industry have allowed him to share this expertise with companies such as Disney, Amazon, and NASA.
Robyn Benincasa is known for her work in teamwork as she explored some of the most treacherous areas of the world, including the Jungles of Borneo, the Himalayan Peaks of Tibet, and the rivers of Fiji. She purposely put herself in some of the more extreme situations to truly gain knowledge around teamwork that she could present at keynotes and to businesses, to better push them to work as a team and to see the benefits of teamwork as a whole. She’s not a well-known speaker who’s in demand for many businesses to share her experiences and knowledge, and help them build a better team environment in their businesses.
With technology becoming a diverse part of today’s world, Sara Ross has dedicated her career and time to preparing some of the world’s top companies for the transition into a technology-forward future. She’s become a go-to expert for Microsoft, PepsiCo, and Wells Fargo, to name a few, when it comes to getting geared up for technology and the future of how it’ll affect operations, business, and people. Her broad perspective is why many companies are trusting her to lead the way, and she’s even been successful in changing the thought processes of some of the most skeptical audiences.
David Burkus is known as one of the world’s leading business thinkers, and he’s gone on to share his expertise and knowledge around leadership, collaboration, and teamwork. He is the best-selling author of five different books, and he’s been featured on many media outlets like CBS, Harvard Business Review, and the Wall Street Journal. Top companies continue to seek out David’s expertise, and he continues to be a well-known speaker who brings his knowledge and experience to every keynote.
Marine Corps Veteran Angie Morgan has become a renowned keynote speaker and respected author following her service in the Marine Corps. She’s written three bestselling books and has been featured in many media outlets such as Fast Company and the Harvard Business Review. Her work has been appreciated by some of the top companies, such as FedEx and Facebook, where she continues to share her expertise and knowledge around leadership and coaching to help businesses improve from the inside out.
Matthew Emerzian has worked in his career for over 15 years and now sits as one of the most popular keynote speakers and is a known author of four books. He’s been seen on some of the biggest stages talking with Zoom, Google, and HP, just to name a few top companies. He has been in the non-profit scene as the founder of Every Monday Matters, which focuses in the education departments and has helped millions of people. His early days started as SVP of Rob Kardashian’s music marketing company, but took a turn when he woke up with a serious panic attack that turned into chronic depression and anxiety. This is when he created The Mattering Mindset and continues to be a force in the mental health space for many.
With a mission to inspire others to reach their highest potential, Matt Mayberry has worked in the sports industry all the way to the boardrooms of the most popular organizations. He’s one of the most well-known experts in leadership, culture, and organizational performance. His work has gotten him recognized as one of the Top 30 Thought Leaders, and he has been a driving force for many organizations across the globe. He is well-known for his keynotes where he speaks to organizations about transforming their organizations from the inside out, and many organizations continue ot seek him out for exactly that.
Lee Rubin is a sought-after speaker due to the principles of clarity and practicality. He’s frequently spoken in front of many councils and organizations, where he shares his experience. He’s become a leader for multiple Fortune 500 companies such as JP Morgan, SONY, and T-Mobile. He’s delivered over 60 different keynote speeches over the last year, and he continues to be a popular speaker when it comes to top organizations and companies looking to get his insight.
Former NFL Super Bowl Champion Ryan Harris has expanded his expertise into keynote speaking following his sports career. He’s had the opportunity to speak in front of many top corporations such as Google, Microsoft, and Wells Fargo. He frequently speaks about being the “easiest speaker you’ve ever worked with,” and he leads his speakings with connection to the audience, to deliver a personalized approach for any listener. With over a decade of experience in the sports industry, he’s learned a lot and he continues to share this expertise.
Smiley Poswolsky is a well-known speaker who is hard to miss when it comes to his fitting name, as he’s almost always seen with a huge smile on his face. His success record is long as he is a popular speaker, bestselling author, and workplace expert. He is unique in the sense that he provides insights and tools that can attract and retain top talent. Many corporations and businesses look to book him for keynotes in order to get his insight to expand and progress in their own businesses. With over 700 keynotes delivered by him across 25 countries and with over 2 million views, his popularity is spiking, and his expertise is in demand across the globe.
Victoria Labalme is known for her results-driven approach that blends strategy with art in order to bring insight and tools to those who listen to her. She’s been recognized by some of the top outlets, such as The New York Times, Variety, and BBC. Represented in the Speaker Hall of Fame, she is known for her keynotes where she’s shared systems and strategies that have been put in place by some of the top corporations, such as Starbucks, PayPal, and Coca-Cola.
Polly LaBarre has been dedicated to helping leaders respond to and make decisions around the forces that make up their organizations. She’s been a sought-out speaker who has advised some of the top global corporations. She preaches resilience, innovation, and inspiration into every corporation that she works with. Polly has also worked for the last few years on developing methodology, platform, and tools that will work toward change and innovation. Her keynotes are often in front of top organizations seeking out her expertise, and she’s become a driving force in the industry as she continues to speak to and work with many organizations that we know of today.
Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor is known for her focus on the performance mindset. Her insightful mindset and playful personality have made her sought after in the keynote speaking world, and she continues to make an impact on every audience that listens to her. Her performance growth firm, Pryority Group, is focused on her teachings that the key to success is strengthening your social and mental muscles. Companies such as Google, JP Morgan Chase, and Johnson & Johnson have all looked to her for her expertise.
Chris Bashinelli is a TV host and National Geographic Explorer who is known for his keynote speeches on personal connection. Chris has been to over 40 countries, where he’s explored many different cultures, teachings, and experiences that contribute to his successes today. After losing his father to cancer when he was 20, he has dedicated his time to learning about the human condition and has become someone who practices mindfulness. His life experiences have pushed him to strive for more and increase his knowledge across many different avenues, where he’s able to now share this expertise and mindfulness in his keynote speeches.
Hall of Fame keynote speaker Colette Carlson is known for her approach to creating human-centric workplaces. Her energy and humor captivate audiences who get the pleasure of listening to her. She’s delivered hundreds of keynote speeches across five different continents, and she’s had the pleasure of speaking in front of top companies such as FedEx, PepsiCo, Exxon, and Procter and Gamble. With the rare title of a Certified Speaking Professional and her expertise in human behavior, she has become a huge asset that many look to book keynotes from.
Dr. Ivan Joseph holds many different titles, such as bestselling author, popular keynote speaker, and award-winning performance coach. He’s well-known for his successful TEDx Talk “The Skill of Self-Confidence,” which Forbes named as one of the 10 Best TED Talks. He has had a very successful sports career where he’s coached Olympians and nationally ranked teams, which earned him the title of National Coach of the Year. His mindset of confidence and cohesion driving performance is the center of his keynote speeches.
Frankie Russo has a track record for using innovation to unlock rapid growth, and he is a visionary who focuses on imagination, authenticity, and growth. His successes range from being a best-selling author to owning a popular technology company and being a leader in growth for multiple large companies. His portfolio ranges from many different companies across all industries that have looked to him for his growth expertise, to which he’s made immense progress. His keynote speeches deliver insights and tools that can be used by his audience to scale and push for growth in their own businesses, making him a sought-after keynote speaker.
Workplace culture expert and award-winning entrepreneur, Danny Goldberg, works with organizations on their most difficult challenges, including burnout, turnover, and disengagement. His success started with a multi-million dollar business he grew by the age of 24, then it continued as he studied what makes great teams thrive today. This is the kind of information and insight that he shares with audiences who attend his keynotes. His success has allowed him to speak to many organizations and help them scale past some of the most difficult hurdles they’ll face.
Human connection expert Shannon Talbot has a passion for helping corporations create healthier, more engaged, and happier workforces. In her own experience, she found herself getting burnt out, exhausted, and disconnected, which prompted her to look more into how to combat this. Now, as a renowned keynote speaker, she shares her expertise with organizations and corporations on how they can avoid this and build a workforce that’s strong, resilient, and happy in their roles.
