Overview:

If the word “leader” didn’t exist, what word would you use instead? For UC Berkeley faculty member and best-selling author Alex Budak, the future of leadership means each of us becoming a changemaker.

We can all lead change from wherever we are, and this actionable and inspiring keynote shares the research-backed steps to help individuals, teams, and organizations lead with courage, purpose, and impact. We'll cover how to question the status quo (in ways that actually work); how to lead change through influence (not just authority); and how to inspire others with your vision (no matter your title).

Key Takeaways:

-The 5 influence supepowers and how to put each one into practice right away.

-How to lead with vision (even if you aren’t a CEO or senior leader).

-The secrets of leading change from where you are.

Overview:
When we think of courage, we often picture heroic acts or fearless leaps. But true courage isn't just about grand gestures—it's about the small, everyday choices we make. In this keynote, we’ll reframe courage as a habit that anyone can cultivate, in all aspects of our lives. You'll uncover the six distinct types of courage—from moral to creative to social—and learn how to leverage them to lead a more meaningful and impactful life. Drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, and inspiring but relatable real-world stories, we’ll explore how courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to face it. Attendees will leave iwth actionable strategies to strengthen their courage muscles and apply them at work, life, and beyond.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognizing the Spectrum of Courage: Discover the six different types of courage and how each plays a role in living a fulfilling life.

• Cultivating Everyday Courage: Learn practical tools to embrace courageous actions in daily decisions, from speaking up in tough situations to embracing vulnerability.

• Overcoming Fear and Leading with Resilience: Gain strategies to face fear with confidence, reframe imposter syndrome, and foster a mindset of growth and resilience.

Overview:

Artificial Intelligence isn't just transforming industries—it's fundamentally reshaping society and redefining our roles within it. In this keynote, UC Berkeley faculty member and bestselling author Alex Budak explores the profound shifts AI is bringing to our workplaces, communities, and personal lives.

Together, we'll uncover specific ways AI is reshaping critical areas such as education, healthcare, and community engagement, highlighting exciting opportunities as well as significant ethical challenges. We'll explore and practice Alex's powerful "3 C" model—courage, connection, and contribution—as an essential framework to help us remain deeply human in an increasingly AI-driven digital world. Drawing from cutting-edge research, real-world examples, and actionable insights, you'll learn how to thrive—and lead others—with humanity, empathy, and purpose amidst rapid technological change.

Key Takeaways:

• The Human-AI Partnership: Practical strategies for effectively collaborating with AI to foster innovation, enhance decision-making, and solve complex problems.

• Ethical Leadership in AI: Frameworks for making responsible, inclusive, and ethical decisions as AI increasingly influences every aspect of our lives.

• Staying Human with the 3 Cs: Techniques for cultivating courage, connection, and contribution, ensuring we remain deeply human and effective leaders alongside rapidly evolving technology.

Overview: When we think of successful leaders, we often picture those with unwavering vision and consistent decision-making. But the most effective leaders today aren't those who stick to one approach—they're the ones who can mentally pivot at the speed of change. In this keynote, we'll reframe cognitive flexibility as the essential leadership superpower that anyone can develop, transforming how you think, decide, and lead. You'll discover the four core dimensions of mental agility, and learn how to leverage them to navigate uncertainty with confidence. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience research, behavioral psychology, and compelling real-world case studies, we'll explore how cognitive flexibility is about being strategically adaptable. Attendees will leave with a practical framework to strengthen their mental agility and apply it to drive breakthrough results in leadership, strategy, and organizational transformation.

Key Takeaways:

• Mastering the FLEX Framework: Discover the four core dimensions of cognitive flexibility—Frame-Shift, Learn-Fast, Experiment, and eXamine—and how each transforms your leadership effectiveness in complex, rapidly changing environments.

• Building Your Mental Agility Muscles: Learn evidence-based techniques to enhance your brain's adaptability, from strategic perspective-taking to rapid hypothesis testing, enabling you to make better decisions under uncertainty.

• Leading Through Disruption with Confidence: Gain actionable strategies to turn cognitive flexibility into competitive advantage, helping you anticipate change, pivot strategies effectively, and inspire teams to thrive in ambiguous situations.