Speaking

Speaking that sparks change

Imagine a keynote that:

  • Sets the tone and enhances engagement across your event.

  • Supports your goals, reinforcing them in a memorable way.

  • Sparks curiosity and creates space for fresh thinking.

  • Builds connection through a shared experience.

  • Inspires your audience to drive meaningful change.

A great keynote doesn’t just open your event—it opens minds.

Recent talks

  • From silos to synergy: lessons in collaborative action

    Explore how bold action and deep collaboration helped spark McMaster’s sustainability movement. In this talk, I share real-world lessons on leading through uncertainty, building capacity across silos, and choosing progress over perfection—reminding us that innovation often begins when we lead with action and learn together along the way.

    Audience feedback:

    “Kate’s talk was inspiring. The questions she posed to our group were eye-opening and sparked a lot of interesting conversation at our table .”

  • The risk of playing it safe

    This talk invites you to reframe failure as a necessary—and powerful—part of growth. Through personal stories of leadership, learning, and risk, you'll explore how being okay with getting it wrong unlocks creativity, resilience, and fulfillment. Whether you're navigating career transitions, trying something new, or chasing a dream, this talk will help you lower the stakes, embrace feedback, and design a life that’s bold, meaningful, and fully lived.

    Audience feedback:

    “Relatable! The examples about seasoned professionals being afraid to network because they might get rejected was so refreshing. It doesn’t always get easier.”

  • Beginners wanted: the necessity of learning through experience

    This talk explores why embracing the discomfort of being a beginner is essential for growth. Drawing on over a decade of research on reflective learning, I share practical strategies for turning real-life challenges into powerful learning opportunities. Whether navigating new technology, career transitions, or personal change, audiences will discover how to reflect, adapt, and grow with greater confidence and resilience.

    Audience feedback:

    “It was wonderful to receive practical tips from someone who has done so much research and experience on this topic.”

  • Dictionary

    Who am I becoming? Reflection, goal setting, and leadership in everyday life

    This interactive session invites participants to pause and reflect on who they are becoming as leaders. Through guided reflection, visualization, and goal-setting exercises, participants explore how everyday choices shape their leadership journey. A 10-page reflective workbook complements the experience, helping participants capture insights and identify practical actions to align their values, strengths, and aspirations.

    Audience feedback:
    “The session was very engaging, clear to understand, and insightful! Kate got everyone involved, was very friendly, and shared some great insight. This session was perfectly timed for where we are in our program.”

Testimonials

  • Working with Kate was exceptional from start to finish. She took the time to meet with us well in advance to deeply understand our audience, our theme, and what we wanted our keynote to achieve. She came prepared with a thoughtful draft, offered to walk through it with us the week before, and made adjustments to ensure it landed perfectly. Kate’s professionalism, preparation, and attention to detail gave us full confidence that she had our opening session under control—and she delivered. She captivated the audience with a talk that was described as ‘relatable,’ ‘inspiring,’ and filled with ‘actionable strategies to move forward.’ If you're looking for a keynote speaker who will set the tone for your event, engage your audience, and make your life as an organizer easier, connect with Kate.

    ~Lathusha and Shreya, International Women in Science Conference Co-Chairs

  • Working with Kate was a fantastic experience. From the start, she showed a genuine interest in understanding the goals of our program and our students.

    Her virtual session on reflection, goal setting, and everyday leadership started with quiet curiosity and soon grew into a lively, open dialogue as students connected with the material and with each other. By the end, it was clear how much the group had gained—students shared thoughtful insights about their strengths, areas for growth, and what leadership means to them personally.

    Kate’s facilitation style was warm, adaptive, and deeply intentional. She created a space where students felt safe to reflect, participate, and be inspired. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, with many students highlighting how much they learned about themselves and how they can take what they discovered forward in their studies and careers.

    If you’re looking for a facilitator who can spark meaningful reflection and growth—even in a virtual setting—Kate is a wonderful choice.

    ~Maggie Cockburn, McMaster University’s Faculty of Science Susan Cunningham Science Leadership Academy

Get started, today.

Connect with me to discuss your event, your audience, and your goals.

Whether you’re planning a keynote, workshop, or leadership session, I’d love to learn more about what matters most to your people and how we can bring that to life together.

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