Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on Finding Your Voice
Sekou Andrews
Keynote Speaker
GRAMMY-nominated artist; Award-winning Innovation and Inspiration Expert; “Hamilton Meets TED” keynotes
Imagine harnessing the power of an engaging opening video, an electric closing performance, and an inspiring main stage keynote all in one dynamic presentation. For over 20 years, Grammy-nominated spoken word artist Sekou Andrews has been helping global brands deliver relevant information with riveting inspiration through an innovative, unconventional category of speaking called “Poetic Voice.”
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Sekou Andrews'S SPEAKING FEE $40K - $70K
It is no surprise that Forbes Magazine has called Sekou “the de facto poet laureate of corporate America.” His “wow-factor” is in high demand with the world’s most successful organizations, including Marriott, Apple, Google, Mastercard, Viacom, CUNA, Fiserv, AT&T, Accenture, Cisco, ASAE, Toyota, Gartner, Nike, and the NBA to name but a few. Sekou has also emerged as an inspiring voice for health and wellness, routinely evoking tears, cheers, and standing ovations at events for clients such as AMA, Kaiser, AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Cambia Health, Mayo Clinic, Northwell Health, Blue Shield, TEDMED, Humana, Genentech, and the American Nurses Association.
Many of Sekou’s clients share a similar journey with his work. It begins with the words “Why would we want spoken word at our leadership meeting?” and ends with the words “highest rating opening of our event, ever” and “only speaker invited back.” Sekou’s talks on disruption are in such demand because they literally embody disruption on stage, charging audiences to disrupt themselves to access their individual innovation. His keynotes on inspiring leadership and storytelling show leaders how to deliver dense data through beautifully human presentations. From change management and mental health, to generational leadership and AI, Sekou’s speeches are rich with actionable insight that help attendees connect more deeply with their communities, become more influential leaders, and unlock greater possibilities.
A schoolteacher turned critically-acclaimed recording artist, national poetry slam champion, award-winning entrepreneur, and trailblazing thought leader, Sekou is a multi-talented artist with over 2 decades of experience rocking diverse audiences. His work has been featured on CBS, Showtime, FOX, ABC World News, MTV, BET, MSNBC, HBO, and Good Morning America. He has given private performances for such prominent individuals as Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, Larry King, Hillary Clinton, Coretta Scott King & family and President Obama. He has also shared the stage with such heavyweights as Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Carlos Santana, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Maroon 5, Jill Scott, and the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. As a recording artist, his album, “Poetic License,” made him the most awarded artist in the nation’s largest independent music organization. Most recently, his album “Sekou Andrews & The String Theory” – featuring his poetry paired with a neo-classical orchestra from Berlin – earned him the first Grammy nomination for “Best Spoken Word Album” given to a spoken word poet in over 30 years.
Sekou has now returned to the classroom, teaching his rockstar secrets to public speakers through his highly effective Stage Might™ speaker training system, that helps executives, influencers, and leaders become more dynamic communicators by applying the techniques of master performers to business stages.
With all of the innovation and inspiration that is poetic voice, Sekou Andrews does more than inspire you with his story, he inspires you with your story. This vanguard speaker is accomplishing the seemingly impossible – bringing spoken word to the world’s largest stages, while redefining the notion of what a speaker is… and what a poet can be.
Featured Videos
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews Speaking Reel
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on D.i.Y Innovation
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on The NEXT, Next Level
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on The Audacity of “What If?”
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on The Science of Wave Making
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on a Love Affair with Healthcare
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on the Disruption Mindset Shift
Sekou Andrews
Sekou Andrews on Finding Your Voice
Sekou Andrews’s Speech Topics
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D.I.Y. Innovation
“Innovation is the difference between ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ and ‘Why didn’t I think LIKE that?’” As businesses scurry in pursuit of “big I” Innovation — A.I., robotics, and other exponential technologies — Sekou focuses on empowering your leadership with “little i’” innovation, helping you to innovate from within. Offering incredibly fresh perspectives on embracing failure, bold thinking, and the innovator’s mindset, Sekou teaches how to harness the power of collaboration, purpose, storytelling, community, and inspirational leadership to create a culture of innovation. This insightful and inspiring talk promises to surprise you with its ability to delight, discomfort, and disrupt you on a business and personal level.
Laugh, Be Uplifted, & Learn:
- How to master “little i” innovation to think, communicate and lead like an innovator
- Simple ways to use inspiration, inclusion, and intention to catalyze a culture of innovation
- How to embrace “successful failure” to empower your team’s innovation mindset
- 3-5 innovation tools that every D.i.Y. innovator must master
- How to shift a stagnant culture through creative thinking and purpose-driven innovation
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The NEXT, Next Level
“The next level is not about reaching new heights, but reaching new depths.” Ever since we were little, we’ve been obsessed with growth. But in order for the transformational leader to keep reaching the proverbial “next level,” you must first transform your concept of the word “growth” in a sustainable way. This unique keynote experience will help you unlock your ability to adapt and innovate, fortify your well-being, connect more deeply with your community and purpose, and lead with inspiration. You will learn how to win by losing, how to go higher by going deeper, and how to remind yourself, and your team, that you already have everything you need to perpetually reach your next level. Prepare to supercharge your resiliency through an energetic and inspiring keynote like no other.
Laugh, Be Uplifted, & Learn:
- How to fall gracefully and recover masterfully to create next-level resilience
- Effective ways to use collaboration to create a next-level community
- How to harness the power of inspiration to create next-level leadership
- The next-level ways to create a sustainable, perpetual growth mindset
- How to strengthen the “small muscles” of your mindset to create next-level adaptability
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The Audacity of “What If?”
“What if there is a better way?” As the innovator of an audacious new category of public speaking that brought poetry to industry in unprecedented ways, Sekou has mastered the art of audacity. His 20-year career helping global brands humanize messaging, began with two words: “What If?” “What if we could define business our own way?” “What if our way could set the standard for our industry?” This inspiring and interactive speech will help you ignite that same audacity needed for you to defy convention, deny limitations, and define yourselves for yourselves. It focuses on re-defining the word “touch” as a metaphor for how leaders and brands can impact communities in increasingly purposeful ways. Prepare to engage your imagination and learn new strategies to help your business get in TOUCH with its humanity.
Laugh, Be Uplifted, & Learn:
- How to have the audacity to empower imagination to re-define business conventions
- How to have the audacity to create collaborative communities that cultivate creative culture
- How to have the audacity to transform business impact through personal stories
- How to have the audacity to change the game by innovating how you play the game
- How to have the audacity to be a purpose-driven company without sacrificing success
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