Shola Kaye is a leading authority on the topics of communication, inclusive leadership, diversity, inclusion and empathy in the workplace. Winner of the 2016 Jenny Seagrove Speaking Award, Shola has forged a reputation as a keynote speaker and has spoken for various prominent clients throughout her career. When booked as a speaker, Shola focuses on themes of diversity and inclusion, leadership and communication, specialising in harnessing the power of empathy, expressing your personal brand, feedback with empathy and more. She also delivers powerful keynotes addresses focused on International Women's Day and how we can all implement gender equality and call out behaviour that does not support the move towards it.
Best known for her expertise in communication, Shola is often seen speaking on how to ensure that the workplace is inclusive and champions inclusivity for introverts and individuals in STEM, healthcare, data and technology industries. Throughout her career, Shola has been widely recognised for her work, being appointed as a member of the Royal Society of Arts and given the opportunity to publish How to be a DIVA at Public Speaking: The Step-by-Step System to Engage Your Audience and Present with Confidence and Big Talk, Small Talk. Using her expertise in STEM and her past experience as a performer, Shola delivers a range of talks as a keynote speaker which encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Before forging her reputation as a speaker, Shola studied at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Emory University. After graduating with an MS in Neuropharmacology & Analytical Chemistry, a PGCE and an MA in Natural Sciences, Shola began her career as a Management Consultant for Princeton Consultants. In this role, Shola designed management reports and worked with important clients such as Prudential Assurance and Goldman Sachs. She then went on to become a Web Producer for Razorfish Global, working with the likes of Ford Motor Company. Shola has also enjoyed a career as a successful jazz and Motown singer.
Also a former Scientific Researcher for US Centers for Disease Control, Shola has experienced first-hand the challenges of communication and visibility as a woman and introvert. Having experienced such troubles herself, Shola now makes it her mission to ensure that workplaces are more inclusive and have a solid communicative foundation. She has also regularly contributed to People Management, HR Zone and Management Today and she has been featured in Harper’s Bazar, Marie Claire and across the screens of the BBC.
Now booked as a speaker for corporate events, Shola helps people to gain visibility at work by making workplaces more inclusive. Commended for her engaging, insightful and interactive presentations, Shola has previously been invited to deliver the TED speech Why We Need More Empathy in the Workplace. When booked to speak at events, Shola covers topics such as expressing personal brand as a woman or ethnic minority, creating a workplace of respect and belonging, being powerful under pressure and harnessing the power of empathy. Providing audiences with the tools they need to become more compassionate and inclusive leaders, Shola Kaye is the perfect speaker for a number of corporate events.
Shola's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Harnessing the power of empathy
- Create a workplace of respect and belonging
- Delivering effective feedback with empathy
- Powerful under pressure
- Expressing your personal brand at work as a woman or minority
- Communication
- Leadership communication
- Diversity & inclusion
Shola is often booked as a speaker for corporate events, read her latest feedback below.
"I had the pleasure of listening to Shola speak about presenting with confidence. Her personal journey to find her own confidence captures the audience. An inspiring and thought provoking presentation" - Parveen, Senior Legal Counsel- Data Privacy, Digital and Risk Management
"I attended Shola's empathy webinar this morning and found her very articulate, with really good mastery of the subject matter. She broke down the session into simple bite-size sections, which made it easy to relate to. I especially loved the frameworks she shared - very useful takeaways. Thanks for sharing your time and paying it forward during this difficult period. Great use of an hour!" - Olanike, Board Trustee at Care & Relief for the Young
"Shola's session on Empathy was great and very concise. Even though we did it online, it was interactive and engaging. Concepts were simple to understand and there were key and practical take-away points from the session!"- Jasmine, Consumer Tester, Beauty at Hearst
"Shola has been such a pleasure to work with. Her trainings are thought provoking and educational! Our employees have given us great feedback about their experience with Shola! They love the interactive sessions where Shola takes her time to answer their questions. We can't wait to have her back for more sessions! Would definitely recommend, our company is global and she was a hit!"- Syeda, Human Resources Generalist at Nexthink
How to hire Shola Kaye
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Shola Kaye for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
