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Shola Richards

Workplace Kindness, Culture and Connection

  • CEO and Founder of Go Together Global®
  • Best-selling author of three books—Making Work WorkGo Together, and Civil Unity
  • Testified before the House of Representatives on how to bring more civility to Congress
  • Host of The Kindness Extremist Podcast (listened to in 98 countries)
  • Delivered keynote talks on kindness in three different continents
  • Appeared in major media such as CBS Mornings, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Complete Wellbeing India, and Business Insider Australia
  • Fun Fact: Nicknamed “Brother Teresa”
  • Client list includes: Activision, Allstate, Amgen, Fidelity, Gap, Genentech, Global Leadership Summit, Google, Hershey, Kaiser Permanente, KFC, Microsoft, Million Dollar Roundtable, Salesforce, SHRM, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, UCLA
  • STRONG ENOUGH TO BE KIND™ How we Build Cultures Worth Fighting For
  • THE COURAGE TO GO TOGETHER™ Three Questions to Change How You Work, Live and Lead
  • UNSTOPPABLE RESILIENCE™ The Keys to Staying Strong During Any Challenge

STRONG ENOUGH TO BE KIND™ How we Build Cultures Worth Fighting For

Most teams believe they must choose between being kind or delivering results. That false choice is driving top talent away, stalling momentum, and putting long-term success at risk.

In Strong Enough to Be Kind™, Shola Richards shatters this myth with a revolutionary truth: kindness isn’t just nice to have…it’s your competitive advantage.

Through three strategic pillars—Start Within, Just Today, and Go First—audiences gain the understanding and tools they need to build cultures that thrive in uncertainty, confront destructive behaviors head-on and deliver results competitors struggle to match.

PERFECT FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS:

  • Building high-performing cultures where people thrive in uncertainty and grow stronger through every challenge.
  • Committed to leading through change in ways that strengthens trust, morale, and well-being.
  • Wanting to stop problematic behaviors before they take root to protect trust and team performance.
  • Embracing courageous conversations that strengthen relationships and results.

AUDIENCES WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • A proven framework to transform workplace culture and drive measurable business impact.
  •  Inner strength strategies to sustain meaningful change in even the toughest environments.
  • Access to the Strong Enough to be Kind™ self-assessment to identify your strengths and growth opportunities for workplace kindness (Assessment Link).
  • Clear proof that kindness is a competitive  advantage—fueling retention, innovation, and teams that invest in each other’s success.

When you’re Strong Enough to Be Kind™, you don’t just change your workplace. You become the leader people choose to follow, and the organization your competitors wish they could build.

THE COURAGE TO GO TOGETHER™ Three Questions to Change How You Work, Live and Lead

Organizations succeed or struggle based on how people treat each other. And right now, silos and disconnection are costing organizations more than money…they’re costing them their best people.

In The Courage to Go Together™, Shola Richards introduces a powerful framework for transforming fragmented teams into unbreakable forces of connection and performance.

Grounded in the transformative Ubuntu philosophy—“I am, because we are”—this keynote reveals three simple but strategic questions that dissolve silos, strengthen civility, and unlock the kind of culture that drives breakthrough performance.

Applied consistently, they become the difference between teams that merely coexist, and teams people never want to leave.

PERFECT FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS:

  •  Feeling disconnected—with brilliant individuals who can’t perform as a true team.
  • Losing ground to the hidden costs of incivility—lower innovation, higher turnover, and weakened performance.
  • Ready to replace surface-level interactions with genuine connection that drives results.

AUDIENCES WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • The three essential questions that instantly improve team cohesion and build cultures of accountability and care.
  • Practical strategies to overcome the most common barriers to unity, including proven ways to defuse cynicism and resistance.
  • The self-awareness tools to recognize how individual behaviors impact the team—and the courage to consistently choose connection.

When teams have The Courage to Go Together™, they turn challenges into fuel for extraordinary performance.

UNSTOPPABLE RESILIENCE™ The Keys to Staying Strong During Any Challenge

When the pressure never lets up, the strongest leaders and teams don’t just survive…they rise.

In a world of competing priorities, mental health struggles, and constant change, real resilience isn’t about “sucking it up.” It’s about building genuine strength from the inside out.

In Unstoppable Resilience™, Shola Richards delivers the proven strategies used by high performers to stay strong, focused, and effective, no matter the challenge. Beyond quick fixes, he shares the keys to building unstoppable teams who consistently bring their best, even under intense pressure.

When teams embrace these principles, they gain the clarity, energy, and confidence to face any challenge head-on…and come out stronger on the other side.

PERFECT FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS:

  • Watching burnout spread despite wellness initiatives that aren’t moving the needle on engagement or retention.
  • Managing the overwhelm of team members balancing intense work demands with personal stress, anxiety, or mental health challenges.
  • Needing practical strategies to support struggling colleagues without becoming overwhelmed themselves.

AUDIENCES WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • A resilience framework that empowers individuals to sustain peak performance under any conditions.
  • Clear strategies to handle current pressures—whether professional challenges, personal setbacks, or organizational uncertainty.
  •  Personalized resilience commitments with built-in accountability to create lasting change—not just temporary motivation.

Unstoppable teams don’t just survive tough seasons. They emerge stronger, more resilient, and more committed to shared success.

TOP REVIEWS

“Shola served as both the opening and closing speaker at a recent Summit that convened over 70 top leaders from Patient Advocacy organizations. This audience comprised a mix of seasoned veterans and emerging leaders dedicated to advocating for patients facing serious and chronic diseases. These individuals frequently attend numerous meetings, summits, and events where they listen to a variety of speakers. Shola not only captured the minds and hearts of these leaders but also made a profound impact on my colleagues, which is no small feat. His infectious energy and compelling message resonate deeply, addressing precisely what the world needs both today and every day. I cannot recommend him highly enough! There simply aren’t enough words of praise to express my appreciation for his extraordinary contributions to the success of our event! We forged a true and authentic bond and I look forward to working with Shola again!” – Linda Murakami, Head of Global Oncology Advocacy at Amgen

“I had the pleasure of seeing Shola address a 1000+ person crowd at the Institute of Internal Auditors International Conference on the topic of “courageous civility” addressing DEI in the workplace. Not only was his content highly relevant and insightful, but it was delivered in a way that was authentic and relatable to a global audience representing 40+ countries. His approach to discussing DEI was original yet practical such that attendees could take away tangible actions. My favorite advice of his “tap into your hire-self” – I will take this with me for life. I recommend Shola to any audience looking for an impactful, engaging presentation.” – Megan Turner, Partner at EY

“Shola provided the MOST EPIC opening for our annual conference at IAAP. He was incredibly engaging, authentic, and provided so many takeaways for our attendees that they are still talking about his message. I would highly recommend any organization looking for a boost of kindness and energy to let Shola come in and offer his wisdom and guidance to your group or team. 12/10 stars from me! – Melissa Mahoney, CEO of International Association of Administrative Professionals

“I would like to give my full endorsement to Shola Richards by highlighting what an extraordinary keynote speaker he is. He spoke at our event where we launched professional development to all of our campus staff and faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.
I heard him speak before and knew exactly what we needed to ensure success. And it was Shola. His positivity and energy is infectious. The way he models every single concept he teaches with anyone he encounters is humbling. Employees left our event with a fire under them and tears in their eyes. It was nothing short of spectacular. What I appreciate the most about Shola is the way his message creates simple yet powerful action items that will make anyone’s organization better than they were before he came.” – Michelle Elrod, Assistant Vice President, Cal Poly Pomona

“Today, more than ever, we need to find our way back to kindness, respect and civility. At school, at home and in our workplaces. Shola Richards is by far among the top motivational speakers I have worked with (or heard) in a 25+ year career in media and marketing. He’s entertaining, relatable to every demo and GENUINE. As a speaker, or as a corporate educator, I would highly recommend Shola. His skills, attitude and message will pay tangible dividends to your team or event and leave every participant personally motivated and engaged to do (and be) better colleagues, teammates, classmates. Unlike so many other speakers, the “shine” you take away from Shola does not fade. ” – Caroline Janik-Wong, Senior Director at Southern California News Group

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Shola’s Books