Sekou Andrews

GRAMMY-nominated artist, Award-winning Innovation & Inspiration Expert, “Hamilton Meets TED” keynotes blending spoken word poetry with inspirational speaking, leaving a lasting impact.

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5 Client reviews

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+1 347 223 5128 +44 20 3744 5675

In over 15 years we’ve never<br>seen a response that positive.

Linsy Miller

VP Brand Experience, SAP-Concur

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Why you should book Sekou Andrews for your next event

He became the first spoken word poet in over 30 years to receive the GRAMMY nomination for Best Spoken Word Album.
Sekou delivers complicated business messages through inspiring keynotes that fuse performance and content.
He helps leaders embrace creative, innovative, and disruptive thinking and behavior, furthermore he helps organizations humanize business to connect more deeply with customers and employees.

Imagine harnessing the power of an engaging opening video, an electric closing performance, and an insightful main stage keynote all in one dynamic presentation. For over 20 years, Grammy-nominated artist Sekou Andrews has been helping the world’s largest organizations deliver relevant information with riveting inspiration through an innovative, unconventional category of speaking called “Poetic Voice.” 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 Google, Viacom, Toyota, Nike, Cisco, Linkedin, Global Green, Paypal, ASAE, The Gap, General Mills.

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Keynotes

Keynote by Sekou Andrews: 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.

Themes: Owning Innovation, Humanizing Leadership, Risk-taking, Change Management, Successful Failure, Collaboration/Diversity, Technology/A.I.

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Keynote by Sekou Andrews: 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.

Themes: Resilience, Growth Mindset, Adaptability, Wellbeing/Mental Health, Sustainable Growth, Transformational Leadership, Human Capital/Community

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Keynote by Sekou Andrews: 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.

Ho w to have the audacity to be a purpose-driven company without sacrificing success.

Themes: Impact/Purpose, Collaboration, Creative Thinking, Re-defining Business,
Emotional Intelligence, Social Responsibility, Storytelling

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Keynote by Sekou Andrews: The Science of Wavemaking

“It’s not that we don’t understand the science behind waves... it’s just that we like YOUR version better
”

Big ideas and bold thinking are not traits exclusive to pioneering leaders. They have been lying dormant within each of us since childhood, waiting to be reignited. This speech is the spark that rekindles your access to the imagination and creativity required to stir the waters and make waves in your industry.

Inspired by hilarious grade school theories on how waves are made, Sekou delivers a highly inspiring and informative keynote on why leaders must challenge convention to maketransformational change. Sharing pivotal moments and insights from barrier-breaking companies and individuals, Sekou shows leaders how to spark the big ideas that make a big splash.

LAUGH, BE UPLIFTED & LEARN:

How to uplevel your voice (sound waves) to amplify your influence as a leader.

How to exercise creative thinking (light waves) to give big ideas their shine.

How to shake things up (seismic waves) internally to shift employee behavior.

Themes: Challenging Convention, Bold Thinking, Leading Change, Inspiring,
Communication, Power of Partnership, Advocacy, Harnessing Imagination

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Keynote by Sekou Andrews: Love Affair with Healthcare

“When is the last time you wrote a love poem at work... ABOUT work?”

What if you could remind your audience of the moment they fell in love with healthcare? What if you could reignite the passion in providers – caregivers, executives and housekeeping alike - to connect with patients on a human, heartfelt level?

What if you could take your entire healthcare community on a laughter and tear-filled journey that renews their vows to provide the best quality care. If you could do that - write a love poem to healthcare that makes your audience fall back in love with it - this keynote is how it would sound.

LISTEN, LAUGH & BE UPLIFTED WHILE:

Being celebrated for the important work you do in healthcare.

Learning how to further humanize the practice of healthcare.

Re-engaging your love and passion for providing the best quality care.

Learning how to be a change agent within your organization.

Learning strategies for balancinghealthcare with your own self-care.

Themes: Caregiving, Reigniting Passion, Reconnecting to Purpose, Inspiring Health, Work-Life Harmony, Celebrating Impact, Humanizing Healthcare

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Keynote by Sekou Andrews: Disruption Mindset Shift

“Disruption is not just a concept, it’s a feeling ... it’s a mindset.
”

This roller coaster-of- a-speechis the embodiment of that idea. It begins with a deliberate cacophony that consistently turns on a dime while offering valuable insights from the “voices” of consumers, technology, millennials and more. Soon the experience evolves from cacophony to symphony as Sekou brings it all together, teaching you how to disrupt yourself through mindset shifts that deliver powerful business results.

As an entrepreneur who is disrupting the traditional speaking model, Sekou shares inspiring stories and empowering strategies on how he helps global organizations shift their relationship to change and ready themselves for the unknown.” Prepare for an entertaining and unconventional keynote experience that will help you catch disruption’s rhythm and leave you wanting more.

LAUGH, BE UPLIFTED & LEARN:

How to shift your relationship to change in order to welcome, not fear, disruption.

The single, most important technique for training yourself to turn disaster into delight.

How to think like disruption in order to prepare today for whatever tomorrow brings.

The current shifts disrupting business units - from marketing and sales to operations and HR.

How to master the art of recovery in order to free yourself from the fear of failure.

Themes: Owning Disruption, Harnessing Change, Overcoming Adversity, Transformational Mindset, Thriving through Uncertainty, Disruptive Technology, Empowerment

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Keynote by Sekou Andrews: Find Your Voice

“Your vision is only as powerful as your voice.”

No matter how mighty the vision for your organization is, your ability to communicate it must be just as mighty. As consumers and employees expect to be moved by brands and leaders, it’s no longer enough to do your job like a rockstar; you must also communicate your value like a rockstar!

So, in this interactive presentation, Sekou shares the rockstar secrets that help amplify influence through dynamic communication. Perfect for entrepreneurs, leaders, and influencers, this keynote will unlock your ability to communicate and inspire in ways that are more compelling, passionate, and human, in order to deepen your relationships with the communities you serve.

The voice of your organization must be purposeful. The voice of your leadership must be inspiring. This speech will help you find that voice and tell your stories in the mightiest of ways.

LAUGH, BE UPLIFTED & LEARN:

How to become a more confident and compelling communicator.

Powerful techniques for embedding business data into purposeful stories.

Rockstar Secrets for turning any content into engaging audience experiences.

How to increase influence and humanize leadership by connecting authentically.

The most effective ways to take your content from informative to inspiring.

Themes: Dynamic Communication, Inspirational Leadership, Storytelling, Owning Your Stage/Platform, Imposter Syndrome, Inspiring Action, Humanizing Yourself

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Customer Reviews

In over 15 years we’ve never<br>seen a response that positive.

Linsy Miller VP Brand Experience, SAP-Concur

The energy and passion he brings to the stage resulted in the highest-scored opening our program has ever had.

Keith Pearce SVP Marketing, GENESYS

The energy level in the room was the highest I’ve ever seen, the content was amazing, and the reception by this conservative audience was beyond belief.

Trish Lilly Senior VP Thought Leadership, NAW

He took our strategy and his expertise and brought it to life in a way that’s more amazing than ever. He absolutely commands engagement and respect from the room!

Marc Patrick VP North America Brand Creative, Nike

For a conservative organization, I wasn’t sure how it was going to land. But people were floored. They were absolutely blown away by it. Not only is Sekou brilliant at what he does... but he’s also a really nice guy. He’s great to work with.

Sven Berlinger Chief Experience Officer, Northwell Health

Sekou Andrews

Grammy-nominated artist, Award-winning Innovation & Inspiration Expert, “Hamilton Meets TED” keynotes

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 Google, Viacom, Toyota, Nike, Cisco, Linkedin, Global Green, Paypal, ASAE, The Gap, General Mills, TEDx, YPO, Capital One, L’Oreal, Autodesk, ACLU, Intuit, 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 Johnson & Johnson, United Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, Blue Shield, TEDMED, Roche, 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 poetry 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 dynamic communication and storytelling show leaders how to deliver dense data through beautifully human presentations. From bold thinking and success, to healthcare and tech, 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 actor, recording artist, two-time national poetry slam champion, entrepreneur, and award-winning poetic voice, Sekou is a multi-talented entertainer with over 2 decades of experience rocking diverse audiences. His work has been featured on ABC World News, MSNBC, HBO, Good Morning America, Showtime, MTV and BET. 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, Kendrick Lamar, Maroon 5, Jill Scott, and the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. As a recording artist, his last album, “Poetic License,” made him the most awarded artist in the nation’s largest independent music organization.

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 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.