Top 24 Workplace Culture Speakers to Book in 2026
The right workplace culture speakers can shift how your entire organization thinks, behaves, and connects. Culture drives retention, engagement, and performance—but it's hard to move without the right voice in the room. This list covers speakers who bring real experience, sharp insight, and the kind of clarity that actually sticks with teams long after the event ends.
Top 24 Workplace Culture Speakers
Below are the profiles of the top workplace culture speakers, covering who they are and the impact they've made in this space.
Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky
Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky is a workplace culture keynote speaker and bestselling author. He explores belonging, human connection, engagement, leadership, teamwork, and the future of work.
His keynotes give leaders practical tools for…
Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky is a workplace culture keynote speaker and bestselling author. He explores belonging, human connection, engagement, leadership, teamwork, and the future of work.
His keynotes give leaders practical tools for strengthening trust, collaboration, connection, and belonging. His books include Friendship in the Age of Loneliness and The Workplace Belonging Toolkit, extending that work beyond the stage.
Heather R. Younger
Heather R. Younger is founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a workplace culture consultant and author whose leadership work draws on more than two decades of leading teams through change.
Younger developed…
Heather R. Younger is founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a workplace culture consultant and author whose leadership work draws on more than two decades of leading teams through change.
Younger developed Caring Leadership® and writes about active listening, self-leadership, and resilient teams. Her consulting connects employee voice with culture strategy, giving HR leaders practical ways to build trust and navigate organizational change.
Jenn Lim
Jenn Lim is CEO and cofounder of Delivering Happiness and the author of Beyond Happiness. Her work explores how a clear purpose and a strong workplace culture can help both employees…
Jenn Lim is CEO and cofounder of Delivering Happiness and the author of Beyond Happiness. Her work explores how a clear purpose and a strong workplace culture can help both employees and businesses succeed.
She helped grow Delivering Happiness from the ideas in Tony Hsieh’s book into a global movement and consulting company. She shows organizations how to connect their purpose with the way they treat people and measure success.
Chris Dyer
Chris Dyer is a keynote speaker, consultant, bestselling author, and former CEO whose companies earned repeated Best Place to Work recognition while appearing five times on the Inc. 5000.
Dyer turns his…
Chris Dyer is a keynote speaker, consultant, bestselling author, and former CEO whose companies earned repeated Best Place to Work recognition while appearing five times on the Inc. 5000.
Dyer turns his experience building companies into frameworks for improving culture and performance. His 7 Pillar Strategy covers transparency, positivity, measurement, acknowledgment, uniqueness, listening, and mistakes, giving leaders concrete levers for culture change.
Adrian Gostick
Adrian Gostick is an author, keynote speaker, and cofounder of The Culture Works. His research with Chester Elton spans recognition, engagement, accountability, and high-performance culture.
Gostick and Elton have spent more than…
Adrian Gostick is an author, keynote speaker, and cofounder of The Culture Works. His research with Chester Elton spans recognition, engagement, accountability, and high-performance culture.
Gostick and Elton have spent more than two decades studying how recognition, trust, teamwork, and leadership behavior shape performance. Books including All In, Leading with Gratitude, and Anxiety at Work translate that research into tools for people leaders.
Kim Scott
Kim Scott is cofounder of Radical Candor and author of Radical Candor and Radical Respect. She has experience coaching CEOs and leading teams at Google before teaching at Apple University.
Her Radical Candor…
Kim Scott is cofounder of Radical Candor and author of Radical Candor and Radical Respect. She has experience coaching CEOs and leading teams at Google before teaching at Apple University.
Her Radical Candor framework teaches managers to care about people while giving clear, honest feedback. She also writes about respect, bias, and teamwork, and how to help people feel comfortable speaking up and learning from one another.
Eric Termuende
Eric Termuende is a keynote speaker, author, and researcher whose work explores uncertainty, leadership, organizational culture, trust, adaptability, team performance, AI, and the future of work.
Rather than trying to predict work’s…
Eric Termuende is a keynote speaker, author, and researcher whose work explores uncertainty, leadership, organizational culture, trust, adaptability, team performance, AI, and the future of work.
Rather than trying to predict work’s next disruption, Termuende studies what makes teams capable of navigating it. His research and keynotes connect trust, adaptability, experimentation, belonging, and clear direction to stronger performance during uncertainty.
Colin D. Ellis
Colin D. Ellis is a workplace culture consultant, author, and speaker. He draws on 30 years of experience leading teams and managing change in several countries.
Ellis believes organizations can actively shape…
Colin D. Ellis is a workplace culture consultant, author, and speaker. He draws on 30 years of experience leading teams and managing change in several countries.
Ellis believes organizations can actively shape their culture. His Culture Dial framework helps leaders align how people behave and work with the culture they want to build.
Sam Silverstein
Sam Silverstein is a keynote speaker, author, and former business owner who has spent decades developing approaches to accountability, leadership, and sustainable high-performance cultures.
Silverstein teaches leaders to build accountability by encouraging…
Sam Silverstein is a keynote speaker, author, and former business owner who has spent decades developing approaches to accountability, leadership, and sustainable high-performance cultures.
Silverstein teaches leaders to build accountability by encouraging people to take ownership of their work. Through his books, talks, and The Accountability Institute, he shows how keeping commitments can build trust, improve performance, and strengthen workplace culture.
Jacob Morgan
Jacob Morgan is a professionally trained futurist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author whose books and research explores leadership, employee experience, and the changing future of work.
Morgan has developed frameworks for employee…
Jacob Morgan is a professionally trained futurist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author whose books and research explores leadership, employee experience, and the changing future of work.
Morgan has developed frameworks for employee experience that connect culture, technology, and physical space. His broader research examines what future-ready leaders and organizations need as technology, expectations, and working models change.
Claude Silver
Claude Silver is Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, where she leads with a people-and-culture remit centered on belonging, individual growth, employee experience, and helping people thrive at work.
Silver helps leaders pay…
Claude Silver is Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, where she leads with a people-and-culture remit centered on belonging, individual growth, employee experience, and helping people thrive at work.
Silver helps leaders pay attention to how employees are doing, remove obstacles, and share what helps people succeed. Her work shows how empathy and connection can shape everyday decisions and help employees feel valued.
Liz Fosslien
Liz Fosslien is an author, illustrator, speaker, and expert on emotions at work. She also serves on Atlassian’s Team Anywhere leadership team, helping distributed teams improve collaboration.
With Mollie West Duffy, Fosslien…
Liz Fosslien is an author, illustrator, speaker, and expert on emotions at work. She also serves on Atlassian’s Team Anywhere leadership team, helping distributed teams improve collaboration.
With Mollie West Duffy, Fosslien co-authored No Hard Feelings and Big Feelings. Her illustrations and speaking turn behavioral science into practical guidance on vulnerability, resilience, belonging, and emotional fluency—skills that shape how people experience work.
Jennifer McClure
Jennifer McClure is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and future-of-work strategist. Her career spans HR leadership, executive search, coaching senior leaders, and organizational transformation.
McClure helps HR and business leaders navigate change,…
Jennifer McClure is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and future-of-work strategist. Her career spans HR leadership, executive search, coaching senior leaders, and organizational transformation.
McClure helps HR and business leaders navigate change, build influence, and rethink how work gets designed. She draws on experience leading teams, developing talent, and coaching executives. She sees workplace change as something leaders need to guide.
Shola Richards
Shola Richards is founder and CEO of Together Global and a bestselling author. His work on workplace culture grew from his experiences with incivility into a broader movement around kindness.
Through Making…
Shola Richards is founder and CEO of Together Global and a bestselling author. His work on workplace culture grew from his experiences with incivility into a broader movement around kindness.
Through Making Work Work, Go Together, and Civil Unity, Richards treats kindness as an active leadership practice. His work addresses toxic behavior, civility, courage, and cohesion to help organizations create healthier cultures where people can do better work together.
Laura Morgan Roberts
Laura Morgan Roberts is a Frank M. Sands Associate Professor at UVA Darden, an organizational psychologist whose research and consulting examine human potential, identity, strengths, and diversity.
Roberts studies how people can…
Laura Morgan Roberts is a Frank M. Sands Associate Professor at UVA Darden, an organizational psychologist whose research and consulting examine human potential, identity, strengths, and diversity.
Roberts studies how people can use their strengths and do their best work alongside colleagues with different backgrounds. Her research helps leaders build workplaces where people feel able to be themselves and contribute fully.
Ryan Leak
Ryan Leak is a speaker, executive coach, and bestselling author who works with leaders and organizations on leadership, resilience, workplace relationships, team culture, and professional growth.
Leak helps people build better workplace…
Ryan Leak is a speaker, executive coach, and bestselling author who works with leaders and organizations on leadership, resilience, workplace relationships, team culture, and professional growth.
Leak helps people build better workplace relationships, handle setbacks, and work with difficult colleagues. Through his books, coaching, and talks, he shares practical ways to manage these challenges and help teams perform better.
Erica Dhawan
Erica Dhawan is a keynote speaker, author, and advisor who explores modern leadership, collaboration, trust, and communication, including Digital Body Language and Get Big Things Done.
Dhawan studies how people connect…
Erica Dhawan is a keynote speaker, author, and advisor who explores modern leadership, collaboration, trust, and communication, including Digital Body Language and Get Big Things Done.
Dhawan studies how people connect and work together, especially online and across locations. She helps leaders understand tone, build trust between teams, and communicate clearly as AI and other technologies change how people work.
Dr. Romie Mushtaq
Dr. Romie Mushtaq is Chief Wellness Officer at Great Wolf Lodge. He is a physician and leadership expert whose work brings neuroscience, mindfulness, and workplace wellness into organizational culture.
At Great Wolf…
Dr. Romie Mushtaq is Chief Wellness Officer at Great Wolf Lodge. He is a physician and leadership expert whose work brings neuroscience, mindfulness, and workplace wellness into organizational culture.
At Great Wolf Lodge, Mushtaq uses her medical background and research to support employee wellness. She shows leaders how caring for employees’ well-being can help teams work effectively and prevent burnout.
Chester Elton
Chester Elton is a bestselling author, executive coach, and keynote speaker. His research with Adrian Gostick explores recognition, gratitude, engagement, accountability, and workplace culture.
Elton’s work links everyday leadership behaviors with culture…
Chester Elton is a bestselling author, executive coach, and keynote speaker. His research with Adrian Gostick explores recognition, gratitude, engagement, accountability, and workplace culture.
Elton’s work links everyday leadership behaviors with culture and performance. Research and books including The Carrot Principle, All In, Leading with Gratitude, and Anxiety at Work explore how recognition, trust, resilience, and accountability shape stronger teams.
Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is an author, speaker, and founder of The Optimism Company. He explores purpose, leadership, trust, cooperation, and the conditions that help people feel fulfilled at work.
Sinek’s “WHY” framework made…
Simon Sinek is an author, speaker, and founder of The Optimism Company. He explores purpose, leadership, trust, cooperation, and the conditions that help people feel fulfilled at work.
Sinek’s “WHY” framework made purpose central to his leadership work, while Leaders Eat Last examines trust, cooperation, and employee wellbeing. Across his books and teaching, he focuses on creating environments where people feel safe, inspired, and able to contribute.
Alicia Korten
Alicia Korten is CEO of The Culture Company, an author, Fulbright Scholar, and workplace culture keynote speaker. Her work centers on organizational values and her Values Intelligence approach.
Korten helps organizations put…
Alicia Korten is CEO of The Culture Company, an author, Fulbright Scholar, and workplace culture keynote speaker. Her work centers on organizational values and her Values Intelligence approach.
Korten helps organizations put their values into practice. Through her Values Intelligence work, books, and training, she shows leaders how shared values can guide decisions, strengthen workplace culture, and support change.
Sophie Wade
Sophie Wade is a work futurist, keynote speaker, author, and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network. She examines human-centric leadership and rapidly changing ways of working.
Wade helps leaders adapt operating practices…
Sophie Wade is a work futurist, keynote speaker, author, and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network. She examines human-centric leadership and rapidly changing ways of working.
Wade helps leaders adapt operating practices as technology, workforce expectations, and distributed work evolve. Her books, courses, and speaking connect empathy with practical workforce strategy, especially for multigenerational and geographically dispersed teams.
Jody Thompson
Jody Thompson is cofounder of CultureRx, co-creator of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), and co-author of two books about changing how work is managed.
Her ROWE model focuses on results instead of…
Jody Thompson is cofounder of CultureRx, co-creator of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), and co-author of two books about changing how work is managed.
Her ROWE model focuses on results instead of hours worked or time spent in the office. It encourages managers to give employees more control over how they work while holding them accountable for what they achieve.
Brigette Hyacinth
Brigette Hyacinth is founder and CEO of Leadership EQ, an international keynote speaker and bestselling author. Her work spans leadership, HR, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.
Hyacinth explores how leaders can adapt…
Brigette Hyacinth is founder and CEO of Leadership EQ, an international keynote speaker and bestselling author. Her work spans leadership, HR, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.
Hyacinth explores how leaders can adapt to automation and AI while still putting people first. Through her writing and talks, she connects new technology with employee engagement, workplace culture, and the way leaders treat their teams.
Selection Methodology
I selected the leaders on this list based on their relevance, demonstrated expertise and impact, professional credibility, and ongoing contributions to the field.
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I look for evidence such as leading meaningful initiatives or delivering notable results within their organizations, developing influential ideas or practices, publishing research or educational resources, speaking or teaching, and other contributions that demonstrate impact within their work or the broader field.
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