Shola Kaye has a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and a Postgraduate a Postgraduate teaching qualification from Oxford University, before moving to the USA to study neuroscience at Emory University with research carried out at the U.S Centres for Disease Control.

She spent the first part of her career in consultancy in the USA, working at household name investments banks and in the UK for global aviation and finance clients. Her struggles to communicate and gain visibility in the workplace – as a black woman and an introvert – led her to develop an interest in learning to create inclusive workplaces with open, supportive communication.

She went on to become a professional performer, appearing on stages around the world and impressing audiences with her singing voice.

Shola has a unique delivery which combines her STEM background with her performance and entertainment background to share effective frameworks to help teams work better.

In 2017 she published How to be a DIVA at Public Speaking: The Step-by-Step System to Engage your Audience and Present with Confidence, which became an Amazon number one bestseller. She followed this up with Big Talk, Small Talk – Communication Skills for All Parts of Your Life in 2020.

She has been featured in the likes of Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar magazines, on the BBC and is often called upon to chair and facilitate conferences and events. Her work has been mentioned in Forbes and her articles have appeared in industry publications such as HR Zone and Management Today.

In her role as a communication consultant, Shola hosts a popular podcast called Shortcuts to Public Speaking Success, which is often rated amongst the top ten for public speaking on the internet.

Shola Kaye Diversity Speaker

In 2016, Shola Kaye won the Jenny Seagrove speaking award. She also presented a TEDx speech on Empathy in the Workplace. Her speeches and programmes are in demand and she is frequently rebooked or tasked with running the same programmes at multiple client locations.

Shola Kaye Public Speaking

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 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.

Shola Kaye Speaking Topics

– Leadership

– Leadership Communication

– Diversity and Inclusion

– Allyship

– Manging Difficult Conversations

– The Power of Empathy

– Microaggressions and Bystander Interventions

Shola Kaye Keynote Talks

Emotional Audacity™: Developing the Human Edge in an Age of Tech-Driven Transformation: How do we inspire people to say what others won’t? How do we inspire people to do what others fear? All whilst staying open-hearted, respectful, and deeply human.

Shola introduces Emotional Audacity™, the essential leadership mindset for today’s fast-paced, high-stakes world. As companies move more swiftly and rely increasingly on systems and data, it’s the human elements of empathy, self-regulation, self-awareness, courageous communication, and motivation that can determine the success or failure of business efforts.

Shola shares her frameworks for honest self-reflection and developing resilience and dynamism through emotionally intelligent behaviour. By drawing on her own corporate background and combining it with current research, she offers audiences the tools to listen without defensiveness, and to act with purpose.

Key Takeaways

– The Caring and Daring Matrix™ Framework, 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

Create a People-First, Speak-Up Culture: How to Feel Seen, Safe, and Heard: What are the core behaviours and communication strategies that create a psychologically safe, high-performing workplace? In a culture where people feel seen, safe, and heard, innovation thrives, belonging deepens, and collaboration strengthens.

Through powerful storytelling, Shola unpacks the role of compassion, inquiry, and psychological safety to create environments of cooperation and creativity.

Key Takeaways

– Practical communication scripts and conversation starters to support transparency and authentic dialogue

– Step-by-step frameworks to encourage open conversations across the organisation

– Insights into how fear and lack of safety hinder innovation, and how to change that dynamic

– Tools to embed positive reinforcement, resilience, and safety into team communication

Practical Empathy: Sustainable, Common-Sense Strategies for Creating a Workplace of Care and Understanding: How can organisations embed empathy at every level, from the boardroom to the break room? As the need for respectful, supportive workplaces grows, empathy is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it’s a critical leadership and communication skill that directly impacts innovation, retention, and employee wellbeing.

Through storytelling and research, Shola introduces a practical approach to empathy that avoids burnout, fosters connection, and works across virtual, hybrid, and in-person teams.

Key Takeaways

– Awareness and confidence to make empathy a daily practice

– A simple, actionable three-step framework for demonstrating empathy in daily conversations

– Strategies for showing virtual empathy in hybrid and remote environments

– A variety of easy-to-use tools that support practical empathy

– Data and case studies to support the business case for empathy in the workplace

Creating a Positive Feedback Culture: Elevate Performance With Daring, Caring Communication: How can you build a thriving feedback culture where communication uplifts and energises, rather than undermines and demotivates? When feedback is delivered with clarity, empathy, and consistency, it drives performance, strengthens relationships, and creates motivated, resilient teams. But when it’s mishandled, the damage to morale and collaboration can be long-lasting.

Shona explores the difference between feedback that inspires and feedback that alienates. She equips individuals at every level with the tools and confidence to offer feedback that fuels learning and growth.

Key Takeaways

– Tools for delivering ongoing, tailored feedback that motivates and empowers

– Exercises to build resilience and openness when receiving constructive feedback

– Insights into common harmful feedback styles, including the Drive-By, the Comparison, and the Wrecking Ball, and how to avoid them

The Art of the Ask: Energise Your Caree With Audacious, Empowering Questions : What if the next step in your career was just one question away?

In this engaging keynote, Shona explores the transformative power of asking. Whether you’re seeking new opportunities, support, or personal development, the ability to make well-timed, strategic requests can change the course of your career, and workplace culture. She helps individuals to overcome the psychological barriers that hold them back from asking.

Key Takeaways

– Learn how to shift your mindset from hesitation to empowerment

– How to use questions to build connection, create visibility, and inspire action

– A deeper understanding of how asking can catalyse career growth, leadership development, and self-inclusion

– The 5R’s Framework to reduce fear of rejection and increase confidence

– Scrips and conversation tools to support high-impact, career-related requests

– Strategies for using questions to motivate others, build trust, and unlock performance

A Chat with Shola Kaye

As part of our ‘Chat with…’ podcast series at Great British Speakers, our director Jane Farnham sat down with Shola to talk about communication, leadership, diversity and inclusion, and empathy at work. Find out more HERE.

Shola is highly adept at repurposing her material for online delivery. Here is her online showreel: 

Shola Kaye Speaking Topics

– Diversity and Inclusion

– Race

– Female Empowerment

– Communication

– Teamwork in the Workplace

– Empathy

Shola Kaye Speaking Clients:

Abbvie, Allianz, Amazon, American Express, ASR Group, Barclays, BBC, Bupa Dental Care, Capital One, Deloitte, Diversity in Maritime, DMGT, Financial Conduct Authority, Google, GSK, The Guardian, Henkel, HSBC, IBM, Imperial College Business School, Kaiser Permanente, LexisNexis, LinkedIn, LVMH, Meta, Ministry of Justice, NatWest, Nestle, News UK, NHS, O2, Oracle, Pinterest, PSEG, Quest Diagnostics, RBS, Reckitt, Sempra, Sony, Target, Tate and Lyle Sugars, Tetra Pak, Total Jobs, UNFPA, Virgin Media

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book Diversity and Communication Advisor Shola Kaye for your corporate event.

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