Inspirational keynotes, workshops, and customized retreats
“Melanie Ho was a phenomenal keynote choice.”
— Women’s Place Annual Symposium, The Ohio State University
Today’s problems need innovative approaches
Did you know that Fortune 500 companies, government groups, and leading universities have used the same tools as science fiction writers and comic artists to inspire future visioning and collaboration?
I blend 20 years of leadership expertise with my perspective as an artist and multi-media storyteller. My unique keynotes and workshops start with today’s most important leadership concepts — and then come alive through the power of the imaginative arts.
A unique approach to today’s most pressing issues
Frequently-requested keynote, workshop, and retreat topics (representative list)
“Real Talk” about What Women Face at Work
Let’s Draw Together: DEI without the Defensiveness
The Art of Conflict Foresight
Breaking the Crisis Loop
Leading with Intentionality in a Reactive World
“Design Fiction”: Storytelling for Future Visioning
“Melanie is a fantastic speaker. She inspires her audiences to think differently, and she brings humor and insight to the challenges all workplaces face.”
— Marina Turner, Vice President, Enterprise Memberships, Health Evolution
Taking audiences on a memorable journey
My sessions draw from research at the frontier of transformational change, from management science and organizational behavior to cognitive science and psychology. We’ll incorporate the latest thinking on how storytelling and the arts can shift our perspectives and make difficult topics easier to discuss. Get ready to laugh, draw, and imagine new futures together!
Keynote Spotlight: Using Comics for “Real Talk” about What Women Face at Work
Now more than ever, talking about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion can be complex and difficult to discuss, making it hard to have real, honest, and candid conversations. In this unique keynote, award-winning author and artist Melanie Ho will guide participants through a unique experience of looking at comics to talk about the persistent challenges that women continue to face at work. Participants will explore the concepts of intent vs. impact; the business or institutional impact of bias; the difference between sponsorship, mentorship, and allyship; why this isn’t about men vs. women; and more.
Note: this keynote can be paired with an interactive workshop where participants pick up a marker and are guided to doodle their own solutions!
Ways to work together
Keynote presentations
Interactive workshops
Professional development course series
Comprehensive in-day or multi-day retreat agenda development
One-on-one coaching and mentoring
In-person and virtual options
‘“I’m amazed by how universal Melanie’s creative approach is as a speaker. She unlocks the imagination in a way that can help your team get to the next level on any topic — strategy, leadership, DEI, change management. Our leadership team always leaves sessions with Melanie feeling energized with new ideas and next steps.”
— Elizabeth Brown, Chief of Staff, Chicago School of Professional Psychology
My commitments to you
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My commitment is to ensure audiences leave feeling energized — and that our time spent together has a positive, tangible impact in the weeks, months, and years to come.
Based on cross-sector, cross-disciplinary research on storytelling and taking audiences on a memorable and transformational journey.
For example, I often use visual storytelling and drawing to help participants unlock their imaginations on difficult issues.
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As an experienced executive and consultant to C-suite leaders, I know how to pair vision with on-the-ground execution. We’ll discuss specific outcomes for your session, such as:
Developing next steps for implementation and action
Inspiring and re-energizing groups dealing with change fatigue
Providing insights and questions to guide decision-making
Coalescing stakeholders around a common vision
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I’ve advised dozens of the nation’s top universities on how to design professional and adult learning to meet audience-specific needs. Never using a one-size-fits all approach, my focus will be ensuring that context, style, and tone match what makes sense for your industry, as well as type of gathering:
Board and executive leadership retreats
Professional development for managers and leaders
All-hands meetings
Conference keynotes or workshops
Specific industry/sector needs
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My goal is to make our partnership as stress-free as possible so you can focus on having an amazing event. I’ll show up early, stay late, and meet every deadline. I’ve also created a resource page for event planners that I’m partnering with, so that partners can find all the resources and assets they need (bios, headshots, tech preferences, etc) in one place anytime.
From intimate board and leadership retreats...
“We heard such wonderful feedback from Board members over dinner, particularly about your time with us. I couldn’t be more pleased with the flow of the meeting and the outcomes that I think we’re headed towards. Thank you so very much for the time you took to ensure your presentation was one that would work for us. I really enjoyed collaborating with you – I hope we get to do it again soon!”
— Gabrielle Sedor, Chief Operations Officer and Foundation Director, ANCOR
“When Melanie led her DEI comics workshop for our global learning community, it became clear that this was a space where many participants were processing workplace experiences of harm they had endured or witnessed for the very first time. That Melanie could hold their vulnerability in a Zoom room of hundreds of people, and teach them creative tools to make sense of their stories, testify to her deft skills as a facilitator for difficult conversations.”
...to large global virtual gatherings
— Annie Yi, Content Marketing Manager, CreativeMornings
Speaking Demo Videos
Real Talk about What Women Face at Work
The Power of Art & Visual Storytelling
Let’s talk
I’d love to inspire your audience…
… to think and imagine differently.
… to relate to others in new ways.
… to empowered action.
