Shola Kaye

Shola Kaye is a communication and inclusion specialist, an award-winning speaker, and the author of two books. Shola works with organizations to help them transform their cultures using the power of empathy, transparent communication, and inclusion nudges. Shola’s work is frequently described as both practical and inspiring. Shola created The Empathy to Equity Blueprint, a step-by-step program that guides and supports organizations on their journey towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. She shares implementable insights that help her clients create happier and more engaged environments where belonging can flourish.

Early in Shola’s career she worked in consulting and account management in New York and London with global clients and also spent time in academic research at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Later, she performed on four continents as a professional singer and entertainer. Shola’s experiences as a Black woman working for global corporations led to an understanding of some of the many challenges faced by underrepresented groups and she shares these insights during her keynotes and training, helping to create greater understanding. She always provides compelling data and research alongside multiple opportunities for reflection and interaction. Shola’s work blends her background from both the STEM and the creative industries to deliver clear, effective frameworks that allow people to work better together. These are delivered in a warm, engaging, relatable style.

Shola’s clients include American Express, Deloitte, The United Nations, Google, IBM, Nestle, Henkel, HSBC, and Oracle. Typical events include global company keynotes, leadership development sessions, employee network meetings, diversity summits, and industry conferences. Shola grew up in the UK and as a child was fostered. She went on to obtain a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and a Masters in Neuropharmacology from Emory University in Atlanta. She’s a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. One of her favorite quotes is from author Susan Cain, ‘Everyone shines given the right lighting.' 

Keynote Descriptions:

Inclusive Leadership: Strategies and 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, managing ever more diverse and demanding teams. 

What will the audience learn? 

• Explore the 6 key traits of an inclusive leader and their related behaviors
• Review key data that support the value of compassionate leadership skills in today's work environments
• Discover what it takes to create an environment of psychological safety
• Explore inclusive communication best practices to ensure everyone feels encouraged to speak up and make a contribution
• Discuss a number of behavioral nudges that help us bypass bias and create an atmosphere of innovation and belonging
• Review important cultural factors that all managers must consider when they lead diverse, multigenerational, international or intercultural team

Culture, D.E.I., Leadership: Elevating Empathy 

To increase inclusion and engagement (Suitable for all employees and delegates)

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 organization? 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. It may be modified for senior leaders, management, and whole-company keynotes. We’ll look at the important themes of curiosity, courage, and being a catalyst and you’ll understand the vital components of empathy, how to be compassionate while avoiding burnout, and why skills like emotional intelligence are in high demand.

What will the audience learn? 

• Explore the value of active listening and reasons why we may be reluctant to practice curiosity and courage

• Understand the different types of empathy 

• Find out what impact empathy and listening have on diversity, inclusion, engagement, retention, innovation, and happiness at work

•  Discuss how we might practice empathy in the virtual workplace 

• Spend time reflecting on our own levels of empathy and potential areas for self-improvement 

• Walk away with a simple three-step framework for being empathetic in nearly every situation

Unlock High Performance By Delivering Effective Feedback:

Develop the skills to support and co-create your colleagues’ success (Session is suitable for all employees, not just managers)

At work and in our personal lives, delivering effective feedback is a valuable skill. Delivered in the right way, feedback can be empowering, and inspiring and can drive an individual, and their team, towards fantastic success. However, if delivered in the wrong way, feedback can be divisive, demotivating, and destructive. And when we avoid giving feedback to spare someone’s feelings, the eventual outcome can be just as damaging. So what’s your intention as a manager? Is it to break or build? To crush or to co-create? Do you restrict your feedback to the obligatory once or twice a year, or do you feedback continuously, increasing the motivation and confidence of your team members?

What will the audience learn? 

• Understand the importance of providing ongoing, tailored, empathetic developmental feedback 

• Explore the repercussions of poor feedback styles such as The Drive-by, The Comparison, The Public Humiliation, and The Wrecking Ball

•  Discover the four elements required to create psychological safety so that your feedback is well-received

•  Take away an effective strategy for delivering feedback as an individual contributor 

• Learn three different feedback frameworks and the pros and cons of each

Break The Bias With Powerful, Empathetic Communication:

Give your people the tools to challenge bias and create a more equitable workplace

Unconscious bias training often gets a bad rap as it’s seen as divisive and ineffective. This empowering session goes beyond that, giving your people practical, accessible tools and strategies to challenge bias when they see it. It can often be hard to call out biased behavior – especially when it’s from managers and clients. This session will help you initiate conversations grounded in curiosity, empathy, and a desire to learn, which ultimately may help you achieve more than an off the-cuff ‘put down’ or quick rebuke. You’ll also discover ways to set up your teams for success by creating conditions that favour bias-free decision-making.

What will the audience learn?

• Common examples of bias and the damage they cause 

• Practical tools for breaking bias at individual and systemic levels 

• Calling out vs calling in – and how to decide which is appropriate, given your situation 

• Common examples of biased behaviors, with strategies for responding to aggressors 

• Bystander interventions for allies and anyone who wants to help fight bias 

• Recognizing and understanding intersectionality: the overlapping of different biases and discriminatory behaviors

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 daily interactions, enabling your team to unlock its full potential through collaborative ways of working.

What will the audience learn?

• Understand the key elements of psychological safety and their impact on team performance

•  Explore the relationship between psychological safety and emotional intelligence 

• Discover strategies to create a culture of inclusive communication that values and supports diverse perspectives

•  Recognize the role of empathetic leadership in fostering psychological safety

•  Learn practical techniques for building trust and promoting vulnerability within teams 

• Understand that cultural factors also play a role in the creation of psychologically safe environments

Three Steps To Inclusion: A Journey Towards Compassionate Engagement

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 have the power to make a difference. Discover a source of renewed vitality and enthusiasm for the important work of creating an inclusive workplace.

What will the audience learn?

• Explore the power of curiosity and calling in 

• Understand the importance of being an ally and calling out bias

•  Navigate the 7 dimensions of allyship and understand the various roles needed to create a sustainable DEI movement

•  Uncover the value of compassion for the self and for others. 

• We can’t pour from an empty cup; discover why and how to cultivate a ‘gain’ mindset, instead of living in the ‘gap’ 

• Learn strategies for replenishing your energy and avoiding burnout, especially when you’re hyper-empathetic

Working With Resistance:

Walk away with the tools and perspectives needed to navigate and transform resistance into a constructive force for organizational 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 organizational change efforts. The session offers a blend of academic research, real-world case studies, and cultural insights. We explore the various forms of resistance encountered in organizations, understand the best strategies to counteract them and learn how to foster an environment conducive to open communication and inclusive change.

What will the audience learn?

• Gain an in-depth understanding of the three main types of resistance encountered in DEI initiatives, informed by current research 

• Learn effective strategies to counter each type of resistance, drawing from a variety of real-life case studies 

• Explore some cultural factors that can make us reluctant to push for change, and discover how to empower individuals to take action in ways that align with their personal and cultural backgrounds

•  Learn how to apply practical communication tools and approaches that will help you immediately foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment

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 and ideas. The result of a speak-up culture? A high-performing, innovative, respectful workplace in which people can be who they are and express themselves without fear of retribution, rejection, or ridicule.

What will the audience learn?

• Look at some models and strategies that support a speak-up culture 

• Review what happens when it’s not safe to express ourselves authentically, resulting in behaviors such as covering, groupthink, and code-switching

•  Navigate ways to create team safety and an environment of collaboration so that colleagues feel comfortable sharing their views 

• Explore cultural factors that influence the way in which communication is delivered and received 

• Discover tools and communication frameworks that help everyone express themselves respectfully, regardless of personality type and cultural identity Look at the role of encouragement and support when inviting people to open up