Shola Kaye

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 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 wide 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 a former professional singer, Shola loves to use the power of music to create an inspiring, emotional experience. Her keynote ‘The Art of the Ask’, on the power of networking and aspirational asking, has a version that starts with a song segment from the musical ‘Wicked’. The goal is to inspire your delegates to ‘Defy Gravity’ and reach for the stars. If you’d like to learn more, just ask!

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.