Most requested keynotes
Beyond the Buzzwords: Inclusive Leadership in Action
In her signature keynote, TEDx speaker, trainer and author, Elena Joy, inspires her audiences to speak up and create a culture of allyship and belonging through Inclusive Leadership. Elena Joy moves her audiences to both tears and laughter as she integrates her stories of life as a Mormon mom of four who lost her marriage, her church, and her community when she came out as a lesbian, alongside actionable strategies to increase inclusion and belonging through allyship.
Through a solid foundation of Inclusive Leadership, participants will understand a deeper meaning of Allyship, whether you're trying to increase inclusivity around race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, age, etc. We will look at all the skills that are required to be a good ally, and we can use interactive experiences that are appropriate based on your organization’s specific needs. In this experience, we will identify key behaviors that demonstrate allyship, and learn to speak up on behalf of one's self and members of marginalized groups while also developing a new language to apologize for causing harm.
Whether you are a seasoned leader looking to lift the people behind you, or a rising leader who wants to speak up for yourself and marginalized communities, this workshop is a perfect fit for organizational leaders who are ready to uplevel their allyship skills.
By the end of this keynote your audience will:
Identify what a lack of inclusive leadership is costing your organization with specific action steps to remedy the most common missteps.
Discover the four pillars of Inclusive Leadership so that you can shift your mindset and your behavior in a sustainable way. (a deep dive into these four pillars along with interactive activities is available in the workshop version)
Identify the highly effective skills that are needed to speak up and influence to develop a culture of allyship, while centering and elevating marginalized voices.
Queer, Dyke and Other Words I’m too scared to say
This presentation is an easy introduction to all things LGBTQ+. Participants will explore why conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity belong in the workplace – and, specifically, in diversity and inclusion training.
We'll walk through why conversations surrounding LGBTQ+ issues are crucial for organizations, for safety, and for profit. We will explore real-world definitions and distinctions of sexual orientation and gender identity, and together learn simple and cost-effective changes any organization can make to start creating an inclusive organization.
The ROI of LGBTQ+ Inclusion
This presentation bridges the cultural gap for corporate leaders and gives leaders the edge to actually move the needle in their inclusion of marginalized populations and increase authenticity within their company culture. Here, we go beyond the basics of vocabulary and use real-world examples to create authentic inclusion.
The audience will:
Learn the number one indicator of organizational success AND how to achieve it.
Discover how LGBTQ+ Inclusion influences the bottom line
Identify common missteps that companies experience that communicate exclusivity rather than inclusivity.
Explore the survey responses that answer which employee benefits LGBTQ+ families value the most.
If you’d like to see a 5-minute mini-version of this presentation, you can check the video here: https://youtu.be/78ASEbRyrzc. Since the video is public, the information from the survey is not included.
"A Tribe of One"
Elena Joy's game-changer talk discusses her history with living life as a straight, Mormon mom and realizing she was gay at age 37.
This talk discusses how the need to belong can be damaging and how we can turn that into belonging to ourselves.
The universal themes of resilience, coming home to ourselves, and triumph make this a successful talk for any audience.
“Elena was a dynamic and engaging presenter. I enjoyed her presentation and had several impactful takeaways. She was masterful in engaging the audience. Not only is she insightful but she is also fun."
Terina M., Thrive Conference Feb 2020
“Elena was the perfect speaker for our event! She was incredibly easy to work with, open to collaborating on ideas and the flow of the evening, and the execution went so smoothly. The talk itself was fantastic, and left our attendees engaged and moved. Elena spoke from the heart, was relatable and down to earth, and ventured into sensitive territory that many people aren’t brave enough to discuss. She was kind enough to do a Q+A (many had questions), and mingle with our guests until the very end. Her voice, story and message are so necessary, and I hope that she reaches as many people as possible around the world. I would highly recommend Elena to anyone looking for a unique, personable, inspiring speaker.”