For over two decades, Michael Ventura has worked as a leader, facilitator, and educator. Concepts and tools from his first book, Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership (Simon & Schuster, 2018), have been embraced by influential, respected organizations from the ACLU, Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Nike to The United Nations and the Obama Administration. His work focuses on helping leaders and their teams to practice empathy as a means to deepen connection and catalyze change.

His work is widely regarded for its ability to guide others toward feeling, thinking, and acting with greater curiosity, and a willingness to better understand one’s inner and outer worlds. His practice draws from philosophical and ancestral wisdom while also incorporating thought-provoking psychological and personal development techniques that offer real, adoptable skills and behaviors.

Michael shares his work by advising a variety of public and private organizations, as well as teaching at institutions such as Princeton University, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. His work has been featured in media outlets such as Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, PBS News Hour, and countless others. As a speaker and facilitator, Michael has shared his work with audiences at conferences including Adobe’s 99U, SxSW, The TED Conference, and events the world over.

Michael's methods have been heralded as a touchstone in a new era of leadership development. Whether working individually, with teams, or societally, he is a committed steward to the positive, transformative power of empathy. Michael is working on a forthcoming book, Prioritizing Purpose.

Topics:

  • Empathy is a squishy, confusing term for many people. It isn’t about having sympathy or being nice, it's about having understanding and being able to see things from other points of view. Michael's work demystifies the concept and offers a set of tools and behaviors to help make it a more embodiable, practiced skill. This session, based on his book Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership, is designed for leaders of all levels to learn the basics of empathy and how it is a fundamental tool in creating high performing teams, developing effective strategies, and building resilient businesses.

  • If we've learned anything over the past few years, it's that life is fragile and unpredictable. How might we make our time on this earth more poignant? And what do we need to embrace in order to support the best version of ourselves? Perhaps it isn't simply having a sense of purpose that matters, but more importantly, it's what we do to act in alignment with our purpose that truly makes life worth living. In this talk, Michael explores the pursuit of purpose and the refinement of our efforts to help bring our vision into reality. This keynote incorporates short interactive elements for self-discovery, keeping participants engaged and focused on the application of this work to their daily lives.

  • One of a business's greatest keys to success is customer understanding. Truly knowing the role you play in their lives, and the way in which your products or services meet their needs is vital to creating a meaningful long term value. Through an interactive discussion and workshop, Michael guides teams through a series of provocations and exercises designed to unlock new perspective, deeper insights, and ultimately, more lasting impact.

  • Each of us are constantly learning and evolving. In this session, participants are given the opportunity to take a digital survey in advance to understand some of their core empathic archetypes, then given the opportunity to work together with others in the group to practice their skills, learn new tactics, and bolster weak points in their practice of understanding. This session is a valuable offering for organizations looking to amplify their skills and discover areas for improvement on the path to a more integrated, high-performing team.

Twitter: @michaelventura

Instagram: @themichaelventura