WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
"Yemi has a magical ability to connect with large audiences, bring them on a journey of self discovery, whilst embracing their own vulnerability. Yemi is an unexpected powerhouse of emotions and inspiration. She engaged our audience through challenging questions, difficult conversation and well timed humour"
-SUMATHI MURTHY, LEAD CONTENT CREATOR, THE OUTSIDE
"Yemi spoke at ANSTO’s International Women’s Day event. 2020 has been tough – for everyone and in many different ways. However, Yemi’s message of resilience and perspective was the exact message we needed to get through a challenging year. Yemi is engaging, raw and challenges the status quo. Our team was inspired by her bravery to share, which created an atmosphere for growth and vulnerability. For those looking to embed their learnings in a fun and practical way, Yemi’s book ‘Did You Get the Memo’ will add another dimension to your self growth toolkit"
- shaun jenkinson, ceo ansto
managing change
"Yemi has a magical ability to connect with large audiences, bring them on a journey of self discovery, whilst embracing their own vulnerability. Yemi is an unexpected powerhouse of emotions and inspiration. She engaged our audience through challenging questions, difficult conversation and well timed humour"
-SUMATHI MURTHY, LEAD CONTENT CREATOR, THE OUTSIDE
"Yemi spoke at ANSTO’s International Women’s Day event. 2020 has been tough – for everyone and in many different ways. However, Yemi’s message of resilience and perspective was the exact message we needed to get through a challenging year. Yemi is engaging, raw and challenges the status quo. Our team was inspired by her bravery to share, which created an atmosphere for growth and vulnerability. For those looking to embed their learnings in a fun and practical way, Yemi’s book ‘Did You Get the Memo’ will add another dimension to your self growth toolkit"
- shaun jenkinson, ceo ansto
through liminal thinking
"Yemi has a magical ability to connect with large audiences, bring them on a journey of self discovery, whilst embracing their own vulnerability. Yemi is an unexpected powerhouse of emotions and inspiration. She engaged our audience through challenging questions, difficult conversation and well timed humour"
-SUMATHI MURTHY, LEAD CONTENT CREATOR, THE OUTSIDE
"Yemi spoke at ANSTO’s International Women’s Day event. 2020 has been tough – for everyone and in many different ways. However, Yemi’s message of resilience and perspective was the exact message we needed to get through a challenging year. Yemi is engaging, raw and challenges the status quo. Our team was inspired by her bravery to share, which created an atmosphere for growth and vulnerability. For those looking to embed their learnings in a fun and practical way, Yemi’s book ‘Did You Get the Memo’ will add another dimension to your self growth toolkit"
- shaun jenkinson, ceo ansto
SHIFTS PARADIGMS
"Yemi has a magical ability to connect with large audiences, bring them on a journey of self discovery, whilst embracing their own vulnerability. Yemi is an unexpected powerhouse of emotions and inspiration. She engaged our audience through challenging questions, difficult conversation and well timed humour"
-SUMATHI MURTHY, LEAD CONTENT CREATOR, THE OUTSIDE
"Yemi spoke at ANSTO’s International Women’s Day event. 2020 has been tough – for everyone and in many different ways. However, Yemi’s message of resilience and perspective was the exact message we needed to get through a challenging year. Yemi is engaging, raw and challenges the status quo. Our team was inspired by her bravery to share, which created an atmosphere for growth and vulnerability. For those looking to embed their learnings in a fun and practical way, Yemi’s book ‘Did You Get the Memo’ will add another dimension to your self growth toolkit"
- shaun jenkinson, ceo ansto
Would you like to spark creativity in your people?
Do you want to create paradigm shifts?
Are you ready to inspire and move your teams to action?
Watch yemi in action
YES. YES. YES. yes. yes.
yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes.
Yemi Penn’s keynote is more than a conversation about workplace culture—it’s a transformative experience that challenges leaders and teams to rethink how they create belonging, collaboration, and innovation in times of uncertainty. Attendees leave equipped with the tools and mindset to bridge divides, foster cultures of shared power, and move from survival to thriving.
Through Cultural Peace Brokering, Yemi reveals how organizations can break free from outdated systems, navigate difficult conversations with confidence, and cultivate spaces where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired to contribute fully. This keynote isn’t just about fixing what’s broken—it’s about building something bold, sustainable, and deeply needed.
Why This Matters:
BUILDING A THRIVING CULTURE
- Toxic cultures hurt retention, creativity, and performance—ignoring them is no longer an option.
- True change requires more than policies; it demands shifts in systems, behaviors, and mindsets.
- Belonging isn’t just ethical—it drives engagement, resilience, and measurable business results.
- How to build thriving, inclusive cultures that foster emotional safety and shared power.
- The art of Cultural Peace Brokering to bridge divides and strengthen teams.
- Practical tools for leaders to navigate difficult conversations and drive systemic change.
Attendees leave equipped with the tools and inspiration to take ownership of their narratives, use their adversities as stepping stones, and step into a life where freedom and fulfillment are not just aspirations but lived realities. Yemi Penn’s keynote is more than a speech; it’s a transformative experience that empowers individuals to liberate themselves and live
Keynote Themes:
liberate
- Unseen shackles
- Power of acknowledgment
- Rebellious Curiosity
- Pain to power
- Deconstruct to reconstruct
Participants leave Yemi Penn's keynote inspired and equipped with the knowledge that their journey towards personal healing is intrinsically linked to the health of our planet. They are empowered with actionable steps to address their own traumas and motivated to engage in sustainable practices that promote a more harmonious relationship with the environment. "Human Sustainability: Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Planet" is not just a speech; it's a movement towards a sustainable future for both humanity and the earth.
Keynote Themes:
human sustainability
- Unseen shackles
- Power of acknowledgment
- Rebellious Curiosity
- Pain to power
- Deconstruct to reconstruct
Managing uncertainty
Understanding our primary needs and how this relates to our resilience blueprint when dealing with uncertain times
Sustainable Peak Performance + Mindset Transformation
Liminal means threshold. To solve problems, we will need to shift our perspectives and change the mindset in which these problems were created by testing our threshold.
Cultural Peace Brokering
Drawing from her research, Yemi explores how deeply ingrained narratives shape division and disconnection. She reveals the power of *Cultural Peace Brokering*—the intentional act of bridging divides through empathy, shared accountability, and courageous conversations. By acknowledging historical tensions and unseen biases, organizations and communities can move beyond polarization toward collective thriving.
Courage and Resilience
Our resilience blueprint is individual to us, meaning our specific distressing events is what creates resiliency in us, and the approach we take to get through it is what builds our blueprint.
ENQUIRE NOW TO BOOK YEMI AS YOUR NEXT SPEAKER
Leading in Uncertainty – Organizations and communities must embrace rebellious curiosity to rethink leadership, culture, and innovation in a rapidly shifting world. Stability will no longer come from rigid structures but from an ability to adapt, question, and evolve.
The Future of Belonging – As organizations scale back traditional DEI efforts, a deeper, more sustainable approach to belonging will be essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Leaders must move beyond surface-level inclusion to foster genuine connection, trust, and shared purpose
Creative Disruption for a New Era – In times of uncertainty, old systems will resist change, but innovation will require disrupting outdated models. The most successful leaders and teams will be those who harness creativity to design new ways of working, thinking, and collaborating.
2025 Considerations
Yemi Penn is a courageous, powerful, kind and compassionate thought leader. Her drive for excellence through energetic brilliance is a rare find.
leaders, teams, and communities must learn to thrive in uncertainty. 2025 and beyond will demand a bold, adaptive mindset to balance stability with transformation.
Yemi Penn’s keynotes in 2025 will equip leaders and organizations with the tools to navigate these challenges, offering strategies to turn disruption into opportunity, build thriving cultures, and shape the future of work and society.
Yemi Penn is a globally recognized keynote speaker, researcher, and entrepreneur dedicated to driving transformative change in leadership, culture, and innovation. An engineer by profession and business leader by experience, she has built multiple ventures while challenging conventional thinking on resilience and adaptability.
Having recently completed her PhD, Yemi explores new approaches to leadership and cultural evolution, using storytelling and documentary filmmaking as tools for change. She champions rebellious curiosity—a mindset that empowers leaders and organizations to challenge assumptions, embrace innovation, and create thriving cultures.
Through her keynotes, Yemi inspires bold thinking and equips organizations with strategies to navigate complexity and drive meaningful impact.
A CURIOUS REBEL, READY TO HAVE THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS THAT SEE US CONNECT, GROW AND MOVE THE DIAL.
HEY, I'm YEMI.
MEET YOUR SPEAKER
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THE OUTSIDE
"Phenomenal speaker and way of communicating. The way she held space for so much and approached topics with compassion moved me"
HARRY GOLDBERG
“Hosting Yemi on my podcast was one of my best decisions in 2022! She speaks eloquently, thoughtfully & with vulnerability. It is crystal clear that Yemi walks the walk and teaches empathetically, responsibly & from experience"
ansto
“It was a privilege to have Yemi share a keynote with our team. Our people feel re-inspired to make changes and continue the fight in light of inclusivity and equality for all.”
