Leilani spent more than two decades in corporate sales and leadership, navigating high-stakes environments, leading teams, and closing multi-million-dollar deals. But behind every win, she saw what most companies were missing: connection. In rooms focused on performance metrics, she paid attention to what moved people, what shut them down, and what made them feel seen.
She knows the systems because she’s worked in them. But she didn’t stay there.
Instead, she rewrote the script. Armed with a journalism degree, master’s level courses in fiction and a lifelong belief in the transformative power of language, Leilani began telling stories, first through fiction, then on stages and in rooms where change needed to happen. Her novel, After the Burn, is a portrait of ambition, friendship, identity, and the quiet rebellions women stage every day in spaces not built for them. It’s fiction, yes, but like all of Leilani’s work, it’s grounded in truth.
Today, Leilani speaks, teaches, and writes at the intersection of story, empathy, and leadership. Whether she’s guiding professionals in a keynote or crafting narratives that help organizations reconnect with their people, her work offers more than insight, it creates transformation. She believes in the boldness of empathy to shift culture. In the power of personal narrative to bridge divides. In creativity as an act of leadership.
But this work isn’t about her. It’s about you. Your team. Your story.
2 topics · no fee, no honorarium, no mileage
Review available topics below. Use the “Request This Free Speech” button and fill out the contact form. Leilani contacts you to discuss the details of the request.
In a time when workplace connection is at an all-time low and culture-building feels more buzzword than blueprint, Leilani offers something different: a keynote that makes people feel—and think. Her signature talk, Building Collective Success: Empathy. Storytelling. & Change, challenges audiences to rethink the way we define leadership, performance, and culture.
Through personal narrative, pop culture references, humor, and hard data, Leilani shows how story-driven empathy isn't just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a business imperative. Expect aha moments, audience participation, and a masterclass in communication that sticks long after the standing ovation.
In this 90-minute interactive experience, Leilani guides participants through the process of writing and sharing their personal stories. The result? Deeper trust, increased empathy, and real connection between colleagues who usually only talk in metrics. Ideal for leadership retreats, ERG activations, or culture-building experiences, this workshop makes space for brave reflection and meaningful dialogue—and leaves teams more human than they were before.
This is more than a workshop—it’s a reset.
Free Speakers Chicago is a pro bono speakers bureau. Since 1996, our speakers have given free presentations to Rotary clubs, libraries, schools, and community groups across the Chicago area. Browse the full list to book a free guest speaker in Chicago, or learn more about how it works.
