Keynote Speaker
Jess Pettitt, CSP, is a rare keynote speaker who cuts through workplace challenges and equips leaders and teams with breakthrough strategies to thrive. Her keynote presentations are designed to strengthen workplace culture, unlock leadership potential, and accelerate team performance. Whether your organization is facing change, growth, or culture shifts, Jess delivers the insights and tools that turn ideas into lasting transformation.
Keynote Speaker
Jess Pettitt, CSP, is a rare keynote speaker who cuts through workplace challenges and equips leaders and teams with breakthrough strategies to thrive. Her keynote presentations are designed to strengthen workplace culture, unlock leadership potential, and accelerate team performance. Whether your organization is facing change, growth, or culture shifts, Jess delivers the insights and tools that turn ideas into lasting transformation.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Three Keynotes that Deliver Breakthrough Results
No matter the size of your organization or the challenges you face, Jess’s keynotes are always tailored to your culture and your team’s unique needs. Her most popular topics—leadership development, team collaboration, and building resilient workplace cultures—are designed to strengthen trust, sharpen communication, and drive performance. Each program tackles real-world frustrations head-on, equipping participants with practical tools to overcome obstacles and work together at their highest potential.
Jess’s presentations use humor, compelling stories, and real-world examples to help leaders and teams explore growth opportunities and stretch their capabilities. She fosters an environment of trust and collaboration, offering forward-thinking strategies to overcome obstacles, break through barriers, and drive progress. Most importantly, Jess provides actionable tools and practical steps that empower teams to improve communication, strengthen culture, and achieve lasting performance long after the event concludes.
Whether she’s rocking a mic in a ballroom or pixelated on your laptop, Jess brings the laughs, the truth bombs, and the ‘aha’ moments your audience didn’t know they needed. Jess Pettitt’s keynotes are available both in person and virtually, offering flexible, high-impact delivery tailored to today’s dynamic workplace environments—without compromising depth, value, or engagement. For virtual options, learn more here!
Keynote 1
From Obstacles to Opportunities: Strengthening Culture & Leadership
Jess’s #1 Amazon Best Seller, Almost Doing Good, turns real-world challenges into lessons for stronger leadership and higher-performing teams. Drawing from decades of experience with organizations navigating complex situations, Jess shows professionals how to anticipate obstacles, leverage existing skills, and strengthen team agility to respond effectively to change.
By examining patterns of missteps and missed opportunities, every leader can learn how to recognize potential problems before they arise, mitigate risks, and create a culture of preparedness, collaboration, and resilience. From organizational transitions and operational challenges to high-stakes projects, Jess demonstrates that teams can maintain control, confidence, and momentum even in complex situations.
Combining her research, 20+ years of consulting, and a healthy dose of humor, Jess tackles the tough topics that often get left unspoken, helping leaders and teams take meaningful action. Her approach creates open dialogue, encourages accountability, and equips participants to lead boldly, strengthen culture, and achieve lasting performance—no matter what challenges arise.
Learning Outcomes:
- Create environments where communication, accountability, and psychological safety thrive.
- Build resilient, high-performing teams that stay engaged and productive through challenges.
- Apply practical, actionable tools to strengthen workplace culture and improve team performance
Keynote 1
From Obstacles to Opportunities: Strengthening Culture & Leadership
Jess’s #1 Amazon Best Seller, Almost Doing Good, turns real-world challenges into lessons for stronger leadership and higher-performing teams. Drawing from decades of experience with organizations navigating complex situations, Jess shows professionals how to anticipate obstacles, leverage existing skills, and strengthen team agility to respond effectively to change.
By examining patterns of missteps and missed opportunities, every leader can learn how to recognize potential problems before they arise, mitigate risks, and create a culture of preparedness, collaboration, and resilience. From organizational transitions and operational challenges to high-stakes projects, Jess demonstrates that teams can maintain control, confidence, and momentum even in complex situations.
Combining her research, 20+ years of consulting, and a healthy dose of humor, Jess tackles the tough topics that often get left unspoken, helping leaders and teams take meaningful action. Her approach creates open dialogue, encourages accountability, and equips participants to lead boldly, strengthen culture, and achieve lasting performance—no matter what challenges arise.
Learning Outcomes:
- Create environments where communication, accountability, and psychological safety thrive.
- Build resilient, high-performing teams that stay engaged and productive through challenges.
- Apply practical, actionable tools to strengthen workplace culture and improve team performance
TESTIMONIALS
Keynote 2
Conversations That Matter:
Better Connections
Regardless of how traditional or progressive your organization is, there are some people and topics that at some point are off limits. You just can’t do them right now, especially when you have to bring up the difficult topics with the difficult people.
What if you could engage in these conversations with more confidence, humor, and ease? What if you could let go of someone has to win and someone has to lose or someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong? You can! Because no matter the person or topic, you are your best tool for conversations that matter.
Understanding yourself and others as differently right gives you the tools to intentionally design teams, groups, and partnerships that can bring value to a single project or your entire organization.
We are all frustrating to someone (and at times even to ourselves). Once you know who and how you are, you can (re)claim responsibility for your behavior-response-patterns and leave room for others to do the same. Before you know it, you are having better conversations and fuller relationships with those around you and clearing the way for your organization to experience greater efficacy and growth. It really is that easy.
Learning Outcomes:
- Motivate and inspire employees to act as participants in their own personal/professional growth
- Successfully disrupt the normalized status quo for good
- Serving others better/Building better teams
Keynote 2
Conversations That Matter:
Better Connections
Regardless of how traditional or progressive your organization is, there are some people and topics that at some point are off limits. You just can’t do them right now, especially when you have to bring up the difficult topics with the difficult people.
What if you could engage in these conversations with more confidence, humor, and ease? What if you could let go of someone has to win and someone has to lose or someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong? You can! Because no matter the person or topic, you are your best tool for conversations that matter.
Understanding yourself and others as differently right gives you the tools to intentionally design teams, groups, and partnerships that can bring value to a single project or your entire organization.
We are all frustrating to someone (and at times even to ourselves). Once you know who and how you are, you can (re)claim responsibility for your behavior-response-patterns and leave room for others to do the same. Before you know it, you are having better conversations and fuller relationships with those around you and clearing the way for your organization to experience greater efficacy and growth. It really is that easy.
Learning Outcomes:
- Motivate and inspire employees to act as participants in their own personal/professional growth
- Successfully disrupt the normalized status quo for good
- Serving others better/Building better teams
Jess’s signature keynotes can be customized to also include additional topics like:
Workplace Culture
Conflict Resolution
Organizational Change
Crisis Management
Psychological Safety
Communication
Trust & Team Dynamics
Resilience & Recovery
Internal Culture Crisis
All of Jess’s presentations are customized and personalized. She tailors her powerful message to reach everyone from upper management to front-line employees, regardless of the size of your organization or industry.
Jess’s signature keynotes can be customized to also include additional topics like:
Workplace Culture
Conflict Resolution
Organizational Change
Crisis Management
Psychological Safety
Communication
Trust & Team Dynamics
Resilience & Recovery
Internal Culture Crisis
All of Jess’s presentations are customized and personalized. She tailors her powerful message to reach everyone from upper management to front-line employees, regardless of the size of your organization or industry.
Audiences Love
Jess Pettitt
Jess was the featured speaker at our Global Dialogue Foundation’s Unity in Diversity Academy. She rocked the house! Her deep knowledge and understanding of all things LGBTQIA+, her humor and her compassion make everyone eager to learn. Jess has an ability to talk about this sensitive topic in a non-judgmental way, which allows people to learn. Brilliant! Awesome! Fantastic! were just some of the positive comments from attendees. Thank you Jess for your expertise, your style and your commitment.
Lenora Billings-Harris
Last night, I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing one of Jess’s presentations, and it left a lasting impression. She brings a powerful mix of authenticity, humor, and hard-earned wisdom to every moment she’s on stage. What truly sets Jess apart is her ability to challenge an audience in the most thoughtful and engaging ways. Through a series of eye-opening, interactive activities, she gently nudged us out of our comfort zones—and into spaces of reflection, connection, and growth. It was more than just a presentation; it was a meaningful, mindset-shifting experience.
STEVE TADDEI
I had the pleasure of first encountering Jess during an MRA conference, her session immediately stood out to me. It was evident from the start that she possessed a unique blend of expertise, energy, and passion. Jess is passionate, vulnerable, and a real advocate for DEIB. She possesses the rare ability to guide audiences through their fears and empower them to embrace change. I wholeheartedly recommend Jess to any organization. With Jess leading the way, you’ll laugh, learn, and confront those elephants head. She’s here to make a difference, one engaging session at a time.
MEREDITH BREITSTEIN
Jess was the featured speaker at our Global Dialogue Foundation’s Unity in Diversity Academy. She rocked the house! Her deep knowledge and understanding of all things LGBTQIA+, her humor and her compassion make everyone eager to learn. Jess has an ability to talk about this sensitive topic in a non-judgmental way, which allows people to learn. Brilliant! Awesome! Fantastic! were just some of the positive comments from attendees. Thank you Jess for your expertise, your style and your commitment.
Lenora Billings-Harris
Last night, I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing one of Jess’s presentations, and it left a lasting impression. She brings a powerful mix of authenticity, humor, and hard-earned wisdom to every moment she’s on stage. What truly sets Jess apart is her ability to challenge an audience in the most thoughtful and engaging ways. Through a series of eye-opening, interactive activities, she gently nudged us out of our comfort zones—and into spaces of reflection, connection, and growth. It was more than just a presentation; it was a meaningful, mindset-shifting experience.
STEVE TADDEI
I had the pleasure of first encountering Jess during an MRA conference, her session immediately stood out to me. It was evident from the start that she possessed a unique blend of expertise, energy, and passion. Jess is passionate, vulnerable, and a real advocate for DEIB. She possesses the rare ability to guide audiences through their fears and empower them to embrace change. I wholeheartedly recommend Jess to any organization. With Jess leading the way, you’ll laugh, learn, and confront those elephants head. She’s here to make a difference, one engaging session at a time.
MEREDITH BREITSTEIN
KEYNOTE 3
Good Enough Now
Sitting around waiting for change to magically happen—has it ever worked for your team? Do you feel a gap between who you are as a leader and the impact you know you could have? Do stronger collaboration, higher engagement, and peak team performance feel like goals you want but can’t yet reach?
The truth is, all of this is within reach right now—right where you are. By leading authentically and leaning into your strengths, you can immediately strengthen your teams, improve collaboration, and drive results.
This is Jess’s signature breakthrough message—an innovative, practical guide to overcoming self-doubt, breaking through habitual barriers, and maximizing the potential of both yourself and your team. It’s about doing the best we can with the resources we have, inspiring others to do the same, and building high-performing teams—starting today. Yes, even you back there in the corner—I see you.
Learning Outcomes:
- Leverage personal strengths to inspire trust, engagement, and accountability within their teams.
- Apply strategies that strengthen communication, connection, and teamwork.
- Translate insights into tangible steps that produce lasting improvement for teams and organizations
KEYNOTE 3
Good Enough Now
Sitting around waiting for change to magically happen—has it ever worked for your team? Do you feel a gap between who you are as a leader and the impact you know you could have? Do stronger collaboration, higher engagement, and peak team performance feel like goals you want but can’t yet reach?
The truth is, all of this is within reach right now—right where you are. By leading authentically and leaning into your strengths, you can immediately strengthen your teams, improve collaboration, and drive results.
This is Jess’s signature breakthrough message—an innovative, practical guide to overcoming self-doubt, breaking through habitual barriers, and maximizing the potential of both yourself and your team. It’s about doing the best we can with the resources we have, inspiring others to do the same, and building high-performing teams—starting today. Yes, even you back there in the corner—I see you.
Learning Outcomes:
- Leverage personal strengths to inspire trust, engagement, and accountability within their teams.
- Apply strategies that strengthen communication, connection, and teamwork.
- Translate insights into tangible steps that produce lasting improvement for teams and organizations