Topic: Courage

Candace Doby TedX

Candace Doby

 Candace Doby knows that life is too short to play games with your potential. She has spoken to nearly 100K+ people about how to own your brilliance at work, transforming employees into more confident, empowered, and productive people.

Past Speaking Engagements

 
TedX Atlanta
EGR – Global Gaming
YMCA
University of Georgia
SUNY Oneonta
MARTA
 

Speaking Options

Create A Courage-Ready Culture

Candace Doby HeadshotWhat could your organization accomplish with a workplace culture that duly equips and rightly supports team members to take worthwhile risks and perform to their potential? A lot — including more innovation, higher employee engagement and increased productivity. In this presentation, speaker and coach Candace Doby shows leaders how to create a Courage-Ready Culture™ where everyone can contribute and own their brilliance.

 

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

  • Follow the courage process its team members go through to prepare themselves to own their brilliance at work.
  • Identify key opportunities within that process to deliberately engage and support their teams in taking worthwhile risks.
  • Apply key strategies to those opportunities that, when repeated, start to create a culture where employees are ready, willing and able to courageously speak up, step up and show up.
 

Courage at Work: How to take more risks and own your brilliance

Candace Doby Promotional Head Shot PhotoAn organization’s ability to reach its highest level of excellence comes down to one thing: its people — courageously owning their brilliance, in both typical and transitional times.  But how do you get them to speak up with divergent ideas, show up with authenticity and step up with confidence when failure and judgment loom as potential outcomes? In this leadership development presentation, speaker and coach Candace Doby blends storytelling and research to take participants through a process for how to manage fear, activate personal courage and take worthwhile risks — so they can unleash their potential and make a greater impact on their organization.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

  • Identify three key components in the development of courage that will eliminate the frustrating feeling of not knowing where to start when facing a new challenge. 
  • Convert those components into a process that prepares them to evaluate risks from insight, instead of insecurity.
  • Leverage that process when opportunities arise for them to step outside of their comfort zone and demonstrate their brilliance.

 

The Courage To Own Your Brilliance: DEI In The Workplace

Candace Doby TedXIt takes a lot of courage to thrive in a world where you are challenged, questioned, and/or dealing with daily microaggressions as a person of color. In this talk, Candace shares stories of DEI + belonging through the lens of courage. She offers advice about how to conjure your courage to more fully embody your own brilliance — to lay claim to your uniqueness, skills, and experiences — to support the creation of space for DEI+Belonging initiatives to take root in organizations. This talk is ideal for corporate ERGs as well as youth (schools/colleges/organizations) and is ideal for Black History Month, too.

Calling On Courage: What Black History Can Teach Us About Taking More Worthwhile Risks At Work

What stops us from taking worthwhile risks in the workplace — risks like having hard conversations about diversity and inclusion, showing up authentically for ourselves and our teams, and challenging old systems that do not serve new workplace realities? The answer centers on courage. Speaker and coach Candace Doby leverages stories of incredible courage from leaders in black history to show participants how to conjure their own to speak up, step up and show up at work. 

Selected Media

Sizzle Reel

TEDx: Be Courageous. Not Fearless.

Press

Testimonials

Candace doby testimonial by ashlie white“Our organization was looking for an energetic and engaging speaker to motivate our attendees in their roles as advocates. We were incredibly fortunate to find Candace Doby to give the keynote during our annual Policy Forum in Washington D.C. She presented with a fantastic energy. Her engaging style is also approachable and down-to-earth, allowing attendees to connect to her message and see themselves within it.”
Ashlie White, Chief Programs Officer – Amputee Coalition

 

Cara Dollinger testimonail for Candace Doby“Candace spoke for us at our  council conference, kicking off our main event which had about 1100 attendees. Having her speak really set the tone and filled everyone with excitement as we went into the week! Her message was well-delivered, inspirational and she tailored it to fit our attendees. She was professional, fun and relatable. I highly recommend Candace as a keynote speaker!”
Cara Dollinger, League of SE Credit Unions

About Candace

Featured on MSNBC and NPR, Candace Doby is a speaker, author, and coach who works with companies and organizations to create a culture of courage where employees perform at their highest potential.

Candace combines a decade of research on courage with her experiences leading marketing teams at Chipotle and traveling the world solo. This unique combination equips her with the implementable strategies she has shared with thousands of leaders to help them courageously speak up, step up and show up in the workplace.
 
Candace is known for delivering those strategies with a blend of truth, love and a bit of shade to match the realness of courage, which prompts clients to refer to her in-person and virtual presence as “captivating”. She has spoken with thousands of employees at organizations such as the The Timken Company, The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transportation Authority, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and The American Camp Association.
 

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Deirdre Cooper Owens

Deirdre Cooper Owens, PhD

Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens is an award winning author and a historian most known for her writings on slavery and the history of reproductive medicine. She is also widely known for capturing the history of Harriet Tubman as a disabled woman and how it relates to DEI. 

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Desiree Adaway

Desiree creates and sustains a culture of equity and inclusivity. She’s the one who runs towards the difficult questions.  

Past Speaking Engagements

 
3 Percent Conference
The Gates Foundation
DePaul University
AWWEE
Vaya Health
OnTrack
 

Speaking Options

Organizational Reckonings: Past, Present, And Future

As organizations work to challenge, address, and repair racial inequities in the present, we need to know the truth of our past.

The truth is that American industry was built on genocide and chattel slavery. It’s not surprising that the concept of middle management and many accounting practices were developed on slave plantations. One year, ten years, of anti-racism work won’t reverse 400 years of colonization and white supremacy. But a long-term, resourced, intentional commitment can transform our organizations into places rooted in transparency and trust, where People of Color experience true equity, power, and inclusion.

During this talk, we’ll explore our history, its impact on today, and look at ways organizations have successfully pushed back on the norms of white supremacy.

The History Of The Racial Sleep Gap & Creating Communities Of Care 

Did you know that nearly 1/2 of of all Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders get fewer then 7 hours of sleep every night? And that the decrease in duration and quality of sleep leads to poor health outcomes?
 
The history of racial inequities in rest and health pushes us to ask: What is the cost on our bodies and minds as we live with White Supremacy? We’ll also explore the Praxis of Liberation and what it takes to develop communities of care to heal.

Bipoc Resiliency

Desiree Adaway - Melibee Global Speaker on topics of Diversity, Women, and History

What would it look like to be a person of color in the US and flourish? To be safe and to thrive in our workplaces, in our communities. To thrive in our own bodies and minds, without the constant need to contort and conform? To move beyond the relentless pressures placed on us. This is a moment to push what we’ve been told is possible, to deepen our analysis and imagination of what justice, equity, and liberation can look like. To invest even more deeply in each other. This workshop will create space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to be in conversation about racial equity, the pressures of dominant cultural norms, tools for resiliency, and building collective power.

 

A Critical Analysis Of Power: The Relationship Between Racial Equity And Truth

We’ll name different types of power that operate in the workplace and explore exactly what white dominant culture is, and how it impacts organizational culture, relationships, policies, and processes. We’ll look at what behaviors and practices reinforce dominant culture and share ways we can work to mitigate it.

 

Black Joy: Rest And Resilience

In this talk, we’ll talk about White Dominant organizational culture, the problem with expectations of constant resilience from BIPOC, and rest as a pathway to healing.

 

Black Joy: Waging Love And Claiming Joy

Are we treating ourselves with enough joy, tenderness, and peace? What practices are we engendering and developing in the community to support a love ethic and claim joy? In this talk, we’ll look at a framework for lifelong learning, pleasure, and Joy as resistance.

Selected Media

Sizzle Reel

At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Spring 2023

Desiree Adaway, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Testimonials

“Desiree’s teaching and mentorship have radically enhanced our leadership, focus and vision for our work at Be Nourished. Her wisdom and skillful presence has touched every layer of our business, imbuing each with a renewed depth of focus on equity and inclusion. Desiree leads with the kind of love that is fierce, true, and holds you to your wisest self. She embodies the kind of leadership that holds space for growth and depth of change. Working with Desiree will solidify your vision for a new world so you can stay in process with that vision for a lifetime.”
Hilary Kinavey & Dana Sturtevant, Co-Creators of Body Trust®

“Desiree Adaway is a powerful doula for this lifelong process of inquiry and praxis. She takes participants down a sometimes painful and always revelatory path towards a deeper and more personal understanding of freedom, inclusion, access, race, and equity.” 
Tucson, AZ

“Desiree Adaway is a gifted coach and mentor. 
I appreciate Desiree’s extensive wisdom, her direct, no-bullshit style of communication and her huge heart. With her guidance, I have not only developed and enhanced my leadership and communication skills but I have been able to gracefully navigate my transition out of direct leadership of the organization I founded and move into an emerging new role related to that work.”
Amy Mandel, Founder and Funder, Tzedek Social Justice Fund

“Desiree brings compassionate rigor. She tells the truth about what she sees. Desiree challenges us to think deeply about what real equity looks like, and in the process, we live into our values and amplify our impact.”
Danielle Keiser, Exec. Dir. and Founder, Menstrual Health Hub

Carrie Meyer, Assistant Professor, Head of Special Collections and Archives, Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library

“As an organization with a lot of energy behind DEI, but without much experience, Desiree Adaway has helped us navigate several important junctures on our still emerging journey. I’ve grown as a person and professional because of our partnership.”
Carrie Meyer, Assistant Professor, Head of Special Collections and Archives, Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library, University of Nebraska Medical Center

About Desiree Adaway

Desiree is a consultant, trainer, coach and speaker building resilient, equitable, and inclusive organizations. Desiree is the person who says the “thing”, who runs towards difficult conversations. She is an expert at teaching others how to handle complex, charged conversations (particularly around identity and power) with grace, assertiveness, and transparency.

Desiree has over 20 years of experience creating, leading and managing international, multicultural teams through major organizational changes in over 40 countries. As the Senior Director of Mobilization for Habitat for Humanity, she was responsible for planning the strategy and training for hundreds of membership organizations, totaling more than 50,000 members. She was responsible for the overall strategy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plans for 1,600 US affiliates and one million volunteers globally. 

Her keynotes have a mix of thought-provoking content presented with humor and wit. She makes a point to create a safe space for growth. Desiree is known by colleagues, peers, and partners as being great at open, honest, and productive conversations. She is not afraid of addressing anything that gets in the way of great work. Her style is positive, approachable, engaging, service-oriented, and audience-centered.

 

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MelibeeGlobal Speaker - Jeffrey Binney Side Profile on mountain trail

Jeffrey James Binney

Jeffrey Binney was losing his mom to a health crisis. His fear for his own health turned this comedic, non-athlete into an ultrarunner. His inspiring film and storytelling will motivate you to do what feels impossible. Book inspirational speaker Jeffery Binney through Melibee Global Speakers.

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Jennifer Hamady, speaker

Jennifer Hamady

 Being of Lebanese, Cuban and Mexican descent, Jennifer Hamady deeply appreciates the need for diverse and authentic voices in this world. She has coached CEOs, written three books on voice and self-expression, and sung with Grammy Award-winners. With unsurpassed skill and heart, she empowers diverse teams and peoples to better understand each other as humans in the workplace and world (including schools). 

PAST SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

 
Cherry Bekaert LLP
National Society for Leadership and Success
Songwriters Guild of America Logo
Womens Presidents Organization
American Bar Association Logo
Wells Fargo Ackler Logo
WICT LOGO
IBM
 

SPEAKING OPTIONS

DEI and Communication

It is necessary, incredibly self-affirming, and empowering to explore how we can be successful in a world that isn’t fair – one that is full of microaggressions, bias, and a daily need to (re)explain ourselves as people of color.  What vision can we create that acts as a beacon for ourselves and for our lives when we are faced with what feels like daily assaults? What skills do we need in order to communicate most authentically and effectively with those within and outside of our communities, so that we may bring that vision to life? Jennifer’s work with hundreds of people of color – from high school students to corporate executives = is absolutely life-altering. There are no words to convey the impact of this work with diverse people. This DEI topic can be offered for retreats or as a day-long masterclass/workshop and is ideal for diverse corporate ERGs/teams as well as students and staff of color (high school/college).

Overcoming The Fear Of Public Speaking

Managing the fear of public speaking is the subject of a thousand books, workshops, and programs that attempt to help deal with and mitigate its effects. Yet only a fundamental shift in the way in how this anxiety is perceived will allow us to overcome and transcend it. In this presentation, Jennifer speaks to the true nature of performance anxiety, helping us to break down the barrier- finally- that exists between us and other people in all of our interactions.

Leadership And Voice

As leaders, we know the importance of communication, yet our habits and blind spots can hinder our ability to effectively lead, connect and advance our careers. In this talk, Jen leads a conversation about the technical and emotional issues that interfere with our communication and self-expression. In this interactive approach, you will learn practical tools for developing and extending your most powerful voice in the workplace and beyond.

Finding Your Voice

In this presentation, Jennifer teaches us how to discover, honor, and express our most authentic selves. She explores topics including our levels of physical, mental, and emotional awareness, and how to address and resolve any limiting associations and actions that prevent us from walking openly, joyfully, and powerfully into and through our lives.

Corporate Public Speaking: The Heart & Art

Whether you’re in sales, customer service, or the CEO of a company – you’ll walk away from this talk feeling ready to communicate and lead with confidence and a new perspective on self and your stakeholders! While most communication training aims to teach you the tricks of the technical trade: how to craft a great speech, connect with your audience, and properly protect and project your voice (all important goals, for sure) –  these are not nearly important as first considering who is doing the speaking. In this engaging interactive presentation, Jennifer helps individuals and teams discover the dis-empowering ways of thinking and being that have been standing in the way of their best self-expression at work. Once revealed, Jennifer works with participants to bring the technical skills of speaking and communication to life in an interactive format that is the hallmark of her keynotes and workshops.

Voice And Communication In The Culinary Arts/Food Industry

The food industry is a demanding career path and as with any work, communication is often challenging. When you throw high stakes, pressure, and different personalities in a professional culinary kitchen into the mix, communication can quickly get out of hand. Join Jennifer for a unique look at how to bridge the divides that diminish our power and joy in working together in the food industry –  resulting in respect, partnership, and a shared sense of vision and responsibility. You and your culinary team will walk away from this incredible conversation with the skills necessary for personal, interpersonal, and professional success.

Masterclass: Voice For Singers

Working with aspiring and professional singers is one of Jennifer’s greatest joys. Each event is tailored to meet your group’s specific needs, which Jennifer brings to life through a combination of conversation and working one on one with volunteers. Whether participants sing or observe, the experience of being ‘shown’ rather than ‘told’– combined with Jennifer’s unique ability to teach and lead with love, humility, and humor– will result in a magical and memorable session, as well as vocal and personal tools that last.

 

Popular topics include:

  • Performance Presentation and Authenticity
  • Vocal Technique and Troubleshooting
  • Working With and Through Performance Anxiety
  • Bringing Balance and Bravery to a Career in Music

Selected Media

NSLS Keynote Conversation

Jennifer talks with leadership students about voice, agency, and how to move forward despite those who aim to bring you down. 

Meet Jennifer Hamady

Jennifer introduces her work as a voice psychotherapist in this short video.

PRESS

TESTIMONIALS

“Jennifer was the highlight of our event, and year. It is rare to see someone so talented and powerful also bring such warmth and tenderness to the table. And to so effectively connect and communicate with an audience. We all were left in awe and transformed.”
Janae Noble, Partner, Next Wave Investments, LLC

“A one in a million find… we are talking about a brilliant and truly special person.”
Dr. James Fallon, TED Speaker, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobiology (UC Irvine)

“Having attended another of Jennifer’s workshops, I knew she would be great. But I remain blown away by the impact of her time here at BuzzBack on my staff and our ability to better express ourselves and communicate with one another. The great feedback, and results, keep coming.” 
Carol Fitzgerald, CEO and Founder of BuzzBack

“Jennifer has a knack for figuring out how people tick and uses it to help people get the most out of their voices, personally and professionally.”
Paul Crick, IBM, Senior Managing Consultant and Strategy Manager, London; TEDx Speaker

“Jennifer Hamady is The Voice Whisperer”
Karen Salmansohn, NY Times best-selling author

“Jennifer Hamady was the keynote speaker at my school’s annual Global Awareness Day activities. Jennifer has a unique set of abilities—she is able to make a big room feel small and intimate, she makes students feel safe sharing their thoughts and aspirations, and she brings out a high level of engagement even at 8:00 in the morning on a Monday. Jennifer worked closely with our students to create a shared vision for the event and then brought that vision into reality. She is someone who is excellent at encouraging free-form conversation and bringing out the best and most interesting parts of that conversation. I enthusiastically recommend Jennifer!”
David Miller, Director of Global Programs, The Gunston School

“Amazing and transformational – our girls loved working with her and have begged me to bring her back. Thank you so much!”
Joel Sohn, Episcopal High School, Office of Equity & Inclusion Co-Director (PS – they did bring her back!)

“It’s The Artist’s Way, The Four Agreements, and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain all rolled into one. An author, and force to be reckoned with.”- Don Davis, Variety (referencing Jennifer’s book The Art of Singing: Discovering and Developing Your True Voice)

ABOUT JENNIFER

Jennifer Hamady is a voice consultant and board-certified psychotherapist specializing in technical and emotional issues that interfere with self-expression. With offices in New York and Washington DC, Jennifer works in private practice with musicians and others to discover, develop and confidently release their personal, professional and performance potential. Her clients include Grammy and CMA award-winners, contestants on The Voice and American Idol, performers in Emmy and Tony award-winning productions, and corporate clients (including CEO’s) across an array of industries.

Jennifer is the author of The Art of Singing: Discovering and Developing Your True Voice, Learning to Sing: A Transformative Approach to Vocal Performance and Instruction, and The Art of Singing Onstage and in the Studio. Jennifer also writes regularly for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today on matters of creative expression, and conducts workshops and lectures frequently around the world.

In addition to recording four albums of her own material, Jennifer toured internationally with Cirque du Soleil’s DELIRIUM as a lead singer and sang back-up vocals for artists and television programs including Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Patti LaBelle, Def Leppard, Jessica Simpson, Lee Ann Womack, The Grammys, American Idol, David Letterman, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show.

Her undergraduate and graduate work are in Classical Vocal Performance and Psychology, she holds current, professional affiliations with The American Counseling Association (ACA), National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), The International Women’s Writing Guild (IWWG), Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), American Society of Composers and Performers (ASCAP), Women In Music (WIM), The Author’s Guild (AG), National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the New York Singing Teacher’s Association (NYSTA).

Jennifer is of Lebanese, Cuban and Mexican descent. She loves to travel abroad and speaks Spanish. Jennifer resides in the Washington DC area.

Who Caught Your Eye

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Name*
Select from the speakers listed below.*
Please select one or more speakers of interest.
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Please select the preferred appearance location.
Please tell us more! Who is your audience? What are you goals? Why do the speakers interest you? Do you want a standard talk with Q&A or something more?
Please enter the venue name. Not required if an online appearance.
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Please enter the address of the venue location. Not required if an online appearance.
Please enter an ESTIMATED budget for the speaker fee and travel. (This field will only accept one amount and not a range.)
Please enter a date or date range in the text field provided.
How did you hear about us?*

What else do we need to know to make this a great event? Don't hold back!
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