Shola Kaye

In this tech-heavy world, Shola’s work helps humans deepen their levels of humanity and connection. She works with global organisations using the power of empathy, effective communication and bold action. She calls this combination EMOTIONAL AUDACITY™ and the tools she shares facilitate the deepening of resilience, emotional intelligence and readiness for change.

Shola’s keynotes are 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 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 high performance, supporting their ever-more demanding, often remote, teams in a world of constant disruption.

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.

Her cornerstone keynote, ‘Emotional Audacity™’ explores practical ways to build trust, connection, and influence through emotionally intelligent communication and courageous leadership.

Shola’s most booked keynote is ‘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 reach across differences, creating an atmosphere of collaboration, belonging and high performance. Her session ‘Create a People-First, Speak Up Culture’ has been booked by a variety of international organisations, whether for leadership teams or wider groups.

For organisations looking to improve the quality and quantity of feedback given, Shola’s keynote ‘Create a Positive Feedback Culture with Daring, Caring Communication’ is an ongoing, year-round favourite.

Finally, her keynote ‘The Art of the Ask’, on the power of networking and aspirational asking, is very popular for women’s events and among organisations seeking to empower their staff to be more unstoppable, whether in sales or in making bold internal career moves.

As an introvert herself, she loves to create experinces 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.

Speaking Topics

Emotional Audacity™: Developing the Human Edge in an Age of Tech-Driven Transformation

How do we inspire people to say what others won’t and do what others fear —while staying open hearted, respectful and deeply human?  Shola Kaye introduces Emotional Audacity™ — the essential leadership mindset for today’s fast-paced, high-stakes world. As organisations move more swiftly and rely increasingly on data and systems, it’s the human elements — empathy,

self-awareness, self-regulation, courageous communication, and motivation to act — that determine the success or failure of transformation efforts.

With insight, warmth, and a deeply practical approach, Shola shares frameworks for honest self-reflection and developing both resilience and dynamism through emotionally intelligent behaviour. Drawing on her corporate background, current research, and her work with global brands, Shola offers audiences the tools to listen without defensiveness and to act with an expansive sense of purpose.

This interactive keynote is ideal for leaders, people managers, and teams who are:

Driving transformation or navigating change in complex or high-pressure environments

Seeking to improve innovation and business performance by encouraging deep listening and candid feedback

Looking to build a culture where individual purpose and corporate values are aligned, leading to empowered, confident action-taking

The audience will leave with:

The Caring & Daring Matrix™ and the Feel it, Frame it, Follow Through on it™ framework to support dynamic yet empathetic decision-making

Clear strategies to listen deeply, share openly and act decisively

Structured self-reflection opportunities to support ongoing growth and development

A downloadable PDF companion guide for applying the frameworks in everyday leadership and communication scenarios

Also available: Crank up the emotional impact with a version of this speech that incorporates musical elements.