Golnaz GolnaraghiAward-winning social entrepreneur, human-centric leadership and belonging expert, keynote speaker
Golnaz Golnaraghi
Weaving Storytelling & Research into Action
As an award-winning social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and thought leader, Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi challenges the way we think about leadership, trust, and belonging in today’s workplaces. She is an advocate for relational leadership, showing organizations how to move beyond transactional approaches to human-centered leadership rooted in trust, connection and belonging.
With a dynamic career spanning corporate leadership, academia, and social impact, she weaves compelling storytelling with research-backed insights to inspire audiences to take meaningful action. Golnaz speaks to organizations, associations, and leaders who are ready to build workplaces where people don’t just work – they thrive.
In today’s workplace, trust isn’t a soft skill, it’s the foundation of success. This keynote introduces Golnaz’s T.R.U.S.T. Framework, a proven model that helps leaders cultivate engagement, retention and high performance. By rethinking traditional leadership models and embracing relational leadership, Golnaz guides organizations to embed trust, connection, and belonging into their leadership practices. Through real-world examples, research-driven insights, and actionable strategies, she helps leaders create environments where people feel safe, valued, and empowered to contribute their best work.
Key Takeaways:
What happens when you follow your purpose, even when the path is unconventional? In this deeply personal and inspiring talk, Golnaz shares her career journey, from corporate marketing leadership to academia to social entrepreneurship, and introduces her P.I.V.O.T. Framework for navigating career transitions with your values intact. This talk is perfect for professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs looking to define success on their own terms. Through powerful storytelling and research-backed insights, Golnaz equips audiences with the mindset and strategies to make bold career moves that are fulfilling and impactful.
Key Takeaways:
Systemic change is ultimately about people, people build systems, and people have the power to reshape them. Allyship is for all of us! Women supporting women, men as allies to women, and everyone committed to advancing workplace equity. It’s not about checking a box; it’s about daily, intentional actions that create meaningful change. In this powerful keynote, Golnaz introduces the A.C.T. Allyship Toolkit, a personalized framework for stepping into allyship with purpose and impact. Through compelling storytelling and research-backed insights, Golnaz equips leaders and professionals, women and men alike, with the tools to turn intention into action and build truly inclusive cultures where everyone can thrive.
Key Takeaways:
Trusted by Great Organizations
Dr. Golnaz has a unique and empowering way of facilitating. Her ability to put people at ease and create a safe and welcoming environment is beyond admirable. She is able to structure her flow and approach to ensure participants at different levels are engaged. Her session was extremely impactful and has left a lasting memory on the participants long after its completion.
Vicki Jaikaran, Co-Chair Women’s Network, WSIB
Dr. Golnaz’s talk was a compelling blend of rich storytelling, research and practical wisdom, rooted in the latest societal trends. She shared evidence-backed strategies and human-centered, actionable steps that empower each of us to contribute to meaningful change. Her approach resonated deeply, reminding us that no matter our background or ability level, we all have the power to tackle the root causes of gender inequality. What’s truly inspiring is her unwavering commitment to challenging the status quo and advocating for gender parity for all women – both powerful and necessary. Dr. Golnaz’s voice is one of courage and leadership, motivating us all to take action for a fairer, more inclusive future.
Sara Aghvami, Director, Inclusion and Belonging, Best Buy
Golnaz was a standout at Minerva’s annual Face of Leadership™ Inclusive Leadership Forum. As one of our top-rated speakers, she captivated the audience with her engaging presence, compelling storytelling, and data-driven insights. Her ability to balance hard truths with thoughtful perspective made for a truly impactful session.
Golnaz took the time to understand our audience of business leaders, ensuring her message was both relevant and actionable. Her beautifully designed slides complemented her presentation, making complex concepts accessible and memorable. Attendees left not only inspired but equipped with practical strategies to drive more inclusive leadership within their organizations. We are incredibly grateful for her contribution and highly recommend her for any event looking for an expert speaker who is insightful and authentic.
Tina Strehlke, Chief Executive Officer, Minerva BC
“I am a first-generation immigrant from Iran and an immigrant on this land who arrived due to a revolution in my country. Honouring the women in my lineage, I am the daughter of Mehrangiz, granddaughter of Ensieh and Heshmat. I am grateful and humbled for the opportunity to live, grow and work on the lands protected by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement, the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabeg, the Attawandaron, and the Metis peoples.”
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