- The Keynote Curators - Top Speaker Agency in North America
If you’re looking for a sign to power start your 2026, here it is: this is the year you stop negotiating with your potential.
January arrives packed with goals, spreadsheets, and ambitious plans. However, goals alone don’t move people—what truly shifts a room is a moment of raw honesty where everyone collectively decides they’re done playing small. As someone who curates speakers for a living, I’ve learned that the real question hiding underneath every agenda, every budget discussion, and every back-and-forth negotiation is this: what does this audience need to feel, think, and do differently when they leave?
Every January, I hear some version of the same request from organizational leaders: “Our people don’t need more goals—they need a jolt.” Not a surface-level pep rally, but a genuine gut check that makes people sit up straighter and quietly delete a few excuses without losing hope. That’s exactly why I’m sharing my New-Year Power Playlist for 2026, featuring five speakers whose talks consistently create that “okay, let’s go” energy that transforms teams.
Before we dive into the playlist, let’s get honest about what your organization actually needs right now. Most teams entering 2026 don’t lack information or intelligence—they lack the courage to act on what they already know. Therefore, the speakers I recommend aren’t motivational in the traditional sense; they’re catalysts who make capability feel accessible again.
I’ve spent years watching audiences respond to keynotes, and I’ve noticed a pattern: the speakers who create lasting impact don’t just make people feel good temporarily. They make people feel capable permanently. These speakers don’t just make people feel good—they rewire how teams see their own potential.
The difference matters because most organizational potential doesn’t disappear overnight; it gets negotiated down one compromise at a time, one “later” at a time, one year of playing it safe at a time. Then one day, a team looks up and realizes they’ve been busy but not brave. This playlist is designed for exactly that moment.
Jon doesn’t just talk about resilience—he embodies it in a way that makes the concept feel less like a corporate buzzword and more like a survival skill anyone can access. His story carries that rare combination of edge and light, the kind of life experience that could make someone cynical but somehow makes him more alive instead.
He’s funny when the room needs to exhale, yet he’s unflinchingly direct when the room needs to stop hiding behind “busy.” Jon is the voice you bring in when your audience needs to remember this fundamental truth: you can’t control what happens, but you absolutely can control what you do next.
What shifts in the room when Jon speaks? People stop waiting to feel ready before they take action. As a result, this makes him ideal for kickoffs, sales meetings, and leadership events where the team needs both confidence and courage in equal measure. If your 2026 agenda includes rebuilding momentum after a challenging quarter or inspiring teams to take calculated risks, Jon creates the foundation for that shift.
His background as an NFL player and professional magician gives him a unique lens on elite performance under pressure. Furthermore, his ability to weave magic into his message creates memorable moments that audiences reference months later when they need to tap back into that energy.
Justin is what happens when someone stops performing inspiration and starts building it brick by brick. And we mean that literally.
His message transcends motivation—it’s purpose with dirt under the fingernails, the kind of story that reminds an audience that meaning isn’t something you passively “find” somewhere out there. Instead, it’s something you actively choose and then prove with action.
Justin doesn’t leave people “fired up” in that shallow, temporary way that fades by Tuesday morning. He leaves them awake to possibilities they’d stopped seeing. His work with the Pygmy people in the Congo isn’t just a compelling narrative; it’s a case study in what becomes possible when someone decides to stop negotiating with their values.
What shifts in the room during his talk? Excuses feel smaller while responsibility feels genuinely possible rather than overwhelming. Consequently, he’s the perfect fit for purpose-driven organizations, culture resets, and leadership moments that need heart without relying on tired clichés. If your team has become cynical about mission statements or if your 2026 strategy involves reconnecting people to why the work matters, Justin helps bridge that gap authentically.
His approach to storytelling doesn’t manipulate emotions—it honors them while simultaneously challenging audiences to consider what they’re capable of beyond their current circumstances. For organizations navigating change in 2026, Justin provides a framework for seeing transformation as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Jade doesn’t just deliver a keynote—she takes over the room in a way that feels part concert, part strategy session, and part spiritual wake-up call (in the best sense of that word: spirit as in energy, aliveness, resolve). Jade is magnetic, but not because she’s loud or flashy—she captivates because she’s crystal clear about what she’s there to accomplish.
Her gift lies in making people confront the thing they’ve been avoiding while simultaneously making them believe they can actually do something about it. This combination is rare in the speaking world. Many speakers can identify problems, and many can inspire hope, but few can do both in a way that creates immediate action rather than eventual intention.
What shifts when Jade speaks? Self-trust returns to the room. People stop shrinking themselves to fit into spaces that were never designed for their full potential. This makes her especially powerful for women’s leadership events, high-achiever burnout recovery, transformation themes, and bold new initiatives that need champions rather than just participants.
Her background as a world-class pianist who pivoted into speaking gives her a unique perspective on creativity and reinvention. Moreover, her insights on personal development come from lived experience rather than theoretical frameworks, which resonates deeply with audiences tired of cookie-cutter advice.
If your 2026 agenda includes empowering leaders who’ve been playing it safe or if you’re working to shift organizational culture away from risk-aversion, Jade creates permission for boldness. Her entertainment value is exceptional, yet she never sacrifices substance for style.
Erica’s work is the opposite of vague corporate speak. She’s the speaker you bring in when your organization is smart, capable, and still somehow misfiring—because the real issue isn’t intelligence or effort, it’s connection and communication in modern work environments.
Erica makes invisible communication dynamics suddenly visible: the unseen signals, the small frictions that compound over time, and the “we’re fine” that actually isn’t fine at all. She provides leaders and teams with practical language and specific behaviors to reduce misunderstandings, increase trust, and move forward together more efficiently. This is motivation with handles—concepts you can grasp and implement immediately, rather than aspirational ideas that sound good in the moment but prove impossible to operationalize.
What shifts in the room during her keynote? Teams stop guessing what “good communication” actually means in practice and start implementing concrete behaviors that improve collaboration. As a result, she’s ideal for hybrid teams navigating the complexities of distributed work, leadership development programs, culture and collaboration initiatives, and scaling organizations where communication breakdowns slow growth.
Her expertise in digital body language addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing organizations in 2026: how to maintain connection and clarity when face-to-face interaction is no longer the default. For meeting professionals and event planners building agendas around professional development and teamwork, Erica provides frameworks that audiences can apply immediately to improve their daily workflows.
If your team struggles with misalignment despite having talented people and good intentions, Erica diagnoses the root cause and prescribes practical solutions. Her approach to business communication challenges is both research-backed and immediately actionable, which makes her valuable for organizations that need results rather than just inspiration.
Jesse Cole is a permission slip wrapped in a keynote. He doesn’t just talk about innovation in abstract terms—he makes people feel how genuinely possible it is when you stop obeying boring rules you never actually agreed to in the first place. His talk is for the teams that have talent and resources but have started playing it safe, organizations that want to stand out again, take creative risks again, and remember that “business” is still built by humans for humans.
Jesse leaves audiences with a specific thought echoing in their minds: “Wait, why aren’t we doing this?” That question becomes the catalyst for innovation that was always possible but somehow got dismissed as impractical or too different. His approach removes the false dichotomy between being creative and being effective—he proves they’re actually the same thing when done intentionally.
What shifts in the room when Jesse speaks? Boldness gets rebranded as practical rather than risky. Teams realize that playing it safe has its own costs, often higher than the risks associated with trying something new. Consequently, he’s perfect for customer experience initiatives, brand differentiation strategies, culture revitalization, and re-energizing teams that have gone a little flat or formulaic.
His creation of the Savannah Bananas—a baseball team that sold out every game for years by completely reimagining what a sports entertainment experience could be—provides a case study in applied creativity. Additionally, his insights on attitude and organizational culture shift demonstrate how changing perspective can unlock performance.
If your 2026 strategy involves differentiation in a crowded market or if you need to remind your team why they fell in love with the work in the first place, Jesse reconnects people to possibility. His message around being different rather than better resonates especially well with organizations that have the skills but have lost their distinctive edge.
These five speakers—Jon, Justin, Jade, Erica, and Jesse—share a common quality that makes them especially valuable for 2026 event agendas: they don’t just make people feel good temporarily, they make people feel capable permanently. That distinction matters enormously when you’re investing in a keynote speaker.
They create the kind of momentum that isn’t dependent on a perfect quarter, a perfect market, or a perfect plan. Instead, they build resilience and clarity that serves teams through whatever 2026 actually brings rather than just what we hope it brings. This adaptability is crucial because most potential doesn’t disappear suddenly—it gets negotiated down one compromise at a time, one “later” at a time, one year of playing it safe at a time.
Then one day, a team looks up and realizes they’ve been busy but not brave, active but not advancing, surviving but not thriving. This playlist is designed specifically for that realization moment, when an organization decides they’re ready to stop negotiating with their potential and start acting on it instead.
Each of these speakers brings something distinct to the stage, which means the “right” choice depends entirely on what your specific audience needs to feel, think, and do differently after your event. Let me break down how to match the speaker to the moment you’re trying to create.
Choose Jon Dorenbos when your team needs to rebuild confidence after setbacks or when you’re asking people to take on challenges that feel daunting. His message about controlling your response rather than your circumstances gives people practical courage. Similarly, his ability to blend humor with serious content makes heavy topics feel approachable rather than overwhelming.
Select Justin Wren when your organization is experiencing a crisis of purpose or when cynicism has started creeping into your culture. His work demonstrates that purpose isn’t found in mission statements but in committed action, which helps teams move from talking about values to actually living them. Furthermore, his authenticity cuts through corporate speak in a way that resonates with audiences tired of performative leadership.
Bring in Jade Simmons when you need to address high-achiever burnout or when your most talented people have started playing small to fit in. Her message gives permission for people to show up fully rather than strategically diminishing themselves. Additionally, her energy is infectious in a way that makes boldness feel not just possible but necessary.
Book Erica Dhawan when communication breakdowns are slowing your progress or when hybrid work has created friction in collaboration. Her practical frameworks give teams immediate tools to improve rather than just awareness of the problem. Moreover, her research-backed approach satisfies leaders who need evidence alongside inspiration.
Hire Jesse Cole when your organization has the capability but has lost its creative edge or when you need to differentiate in a crowded market. His permission-giving approach helps teams remember that being different is often more valuable than being incrementally better. Likewise, his case studies prove that creativity and results aren’t opposing forces but complementary ones.
Beyond selecting the right keynote speaker, successful 2026 events require intentional design around the specific transformation you want to create. The speakers I’ve shared today work best when they’re part of a larger strategy rather than isolated one-hour interventions.
Consider what needs to happen before and after the keynote to maximize impact. What conversations should your leadership team facilitate afterward? What structural changes might support the mindset shifts these speakers inspire? How will you measure whether the investment created the intended results?
These questions matter because the best speakers don’t just deliver great content—they catalyze action that was already possible but somehow wasn’t happening. Your role as the meeting professional or event planner is to create the conditions where that catalyst can actually ignite change rather than just creating a memorable moment that fades.
Think about your 2026 calendar holistically. Where are the natural inflection points—kickoffs, mid-year strategy sessions, annual conferences, leadership retreats—where bringing in an external voice makes strategic sense? Which events would benefit most from the momentum these speakers create?
We’re entering 2026 with unprecedented challenges and opportunities simultaneously. Organizations have access to more tools, more data, and more resources than ever before, yet many teams feel stuck or overwhelmed rather than empowered. This paradox creates the perfect environment for the kind of speakers I’ve highlighted today.
The gap between potential and performance in most organizations isn’t about lacking information or capability—it’s about lacking permission, clarity, and courage to act on what they already know. These five speakers address that gap directly by making the path forward feel both necessary and achievable.
If you’re building 2026 agendas right now, you’re making decisions that will either perpetuate the status quo or create genuine transformation. The speakers you select send a message about what your organization values and believes is possible. Choose voices that challenge, inspire, and equip your teams rather than just entertaining them.
If you’re in the middle of planning 2026 events and want to explore which of these speakers would fit your specific needs, I’m happy to be a thought partner in that process. Having worked with each of these speakers extensively, I understand not just what they talk about but how they work with different audience types and organizational contexts.
The best conversations I have with meeting professionals start with understanding the specific moment you’re trying to create. Is this a kickoff where you need to energize a sales team? A culture reset where you need to address burnout? A leadership event where you need to build courage for difficult decisions? A transformation initiative where you need to overcome resistance to change?
Each situation calls for a different approach, and the wrong speaker—no matter how talented—won’t create the impact you need. Conversely, the right speaker at the right moment can shift an entire organization’s trajectory in ways that compound throughout the year.
I’ve seen it happen repeatedly: a well-chosen keynote becomes the reference point teams return to when they need to remember why they decided to stop playing small. Those moments are worth investing in strategically rather than just filling a program slot with whoever is available.
I work with meeting professionals and event planners to match the right speakers with the right moments, ensuring your 2026 events create the transformation your organization needs rather than just filling time on an agenda.
📆 Schedule a time today, and we can discuss more. We’ll talk about your specific audience, the moment you’re trying to create—whether that’s a kickoff, culture reset, leadership shift, or sales jolt—and what you want to be different after the event.
✉️ Have questions? Email me: info@thekeynotecurators.com, and I’ll respond with specific recommendations based on your needs.
👇 Or contact us with details about:
I’ll tell you which of these voices fits your situation and which one I’d save for a different room or different moment. Sometimes the speaker who seems perfect on paper isn’t the right match for your specific context, and having someone who knows these speakers deeply can save you from that mismatch.
📝 Also, make sure you stay aligned on your 2026 goals. Subscribe to our newsletter to see how other organizations are creating transformational events and which speakers are creating real impact rather than just filling program time.
This is the year you stop negotiating with your potential. Let’s make your 2026 events the catalyst for that shift.
Delivering impact (by design),
Seth
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