Biography

Book Robyn Benincasa through The Keynote Curators.

When the challenges are steep, and the competition fierce, Robyn Benincasa provides individuals and organizations the tools they need to inspire themselves and one another to their greatest heights and to cross their most challenging finish lines.

For the last 20 years, she and her teammates have been competing at the front of the pack in the most unique and compelling classrooms on earth: The jungles of Borneo, the Himalayan peaks of Tibet, the rivers of Fiji, the rainforests of Ecuador and the deserts of Namibia, studying the good, the bad, and the not-so-pretty of Extreme Teamwork. It is through these harrowing, life affirming and often hilarious experiences in the world’s most grueling challenges that she has emerged with her truly unique perspective on what it takes to build the kind of world class teams that succeed against all odds, triumph in the face of adversity and win as one in times of great challenge and change. Robyn accepts full blame for inspiring people to do insane things like climb Mount Kilimanjaro, run their first triathlon, start their own adventure racing teams, hike across the Grand Canyon with a group of Survivors, or start their own businesses. This is, after all, who she is and what she does: Robyn Benincasa inspires people to grab life with one hand, grab their teammates with the other, and to create that special magic that makes all of us better TOGETHER than we ever would have been alone!

Robyn Benincasa has made an art form of extreme performance by competing and winning at the highest levels of sport and business; her keynotes are powerful, impactful, and packed with practical, real-world takeaways that inspire peak performance and exceptional leadership. As a 20+ year veteran San Diego firefighter, a World Champion Adventure Racer, a 2014 CNN Hero, a Guinness World Record Endurance Kayaker, a best-selling author, and founder of The Project Athena Foundation, Robyn Benincasa *definitely* knows a thing or two about creating Human Synergy, or as Robyn puts it, “That magic that allows groups of ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things together.”

Known as an inspirational force for leadership, teambuilding, and extreme performance, her award winning and game-changing keynotes have earned Robyn Benincasa accolades as one of 2020s World’s Top 50 Keynote Speakers (Real Leaders Magazine), the #1 Female Speaker for Meetings.net, and is one of the Top 10 Speakers featured by Harvard Business Review. For the past 15 years, Robyn’s keynotes have motivated countless teams and received rave reviews from user groups, associations, and Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, Starbucks, Walmart, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, HubSpot, Intel, and more.

Robyn Benincasa’s multi-faceted experience inspires people to grab life with one hand, grab their teammates with the other, and to achieve audacious goals that they could never accomplish alone. She is the expert that companies call on to build world class teams, inspire peak performance and create a culture of champions. Robyn has successfully translated the lessons learned from extreme team sports to the corporate world, with compelling keynotes that show how groups of ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things together.

Grab ahold of your seats! Robyn Benincasa’s incredible stories and breathtaking footage of extreme teams in action is an invigorating thrill ride that will leave you energized.

Contact us for Robyn Benincasa’s fees and availability.

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Win as One!

Achieving Breakthrough Performance Through Collaboration, Creativity and a Culture of One!

Keynote Themes
● Team culture
● Growth mindset
● Embracing challenge as a springboard to future success vs fearing challenge
● Individual and team resilience
● Creativity, innovation and agility
● Adversity management skills

Whether something is changing in your business or industry, what’s your approach: do you see a challenge as a threat or an opportunity? As leaders, our response can drive our organization to adapt, overcome and win through a mindset of relentless success through connection, calculated risk taking, and collaboration.

In this unique, authentic and fast-paced multimedia keynote, Robyn shares the essential elements of world class performance that allowed her adventure racing team to overcome known and unexpected challenges to become the sport’s most prolific and consistent world champions. They weren’t the fastest team. Yet they discovered smarter, better and more efficient ways through the course through fierce teamwork and innovation, using their resources in game-changing ways, and sharing challenges and strengths from start to finish.

This winning strategy applies seamlessly to the epic adventure your business is on—no mud, blood or sweaty gear required. :)

Takeaways
● Gives everyone an immersive experience that builds the excitement needed to achieve your next huge goal together.
● Creates a team culture that continuously embraces challenges as opportunities for
innovation, visionary creativity and breakthrough performance.
● Empowers individuals to lead with their strengths and leverage their teammates’ talents to unlock greater collective potential.
● Shows teams how taking calculated risks pays off as a strategy for exponential growth.
● Inspires audiences with a success mindset tested by ordinary people (not superhuman Olympians).

Timing: 45-60 minutes
Also available as a virtual keynote presented from a professional studio.

T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K.: The 8 Essential Elements of a World Class Team Culture

Keynote Themes
● Team building
● Leading change
● Motivation and commitment
● Inspiring innovation
● Continuous improvement
● Resilience

How can your company’s team members operate like world-class teammates who collectively rise to challenges using human synergy? That’s the term Robyn Benincasa coined to describe the magic that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things together through a deeply connected team culture that ensures consistent peak performance by capitalizing on the collective strength of the team.

Based on her New York Times bestseller, Robyn’s flagship keynote takes leaders and teams on an immersive journey from being individual team members to becoming great teammates with the tools and inspiration to build their own world class teams in every aspect of their lives.

Attendees will discover that achieving consistent peak performance doesn’t result from reaching up and simply trying harder as an individual. Just as in mountaineering, reaching the summit successfully involves reaching OUT—figuratively “roping up” to other people; sharing your
strengths, and equally importantly, your challenges. Accepting help from a teammate isn’t a permanent state or sign of weakness, it’s a gift to the team. And it’s how you win.

When everyone on the team leaves their ego at the start line in pursuit of your organization’s highest purpose, there’s no finish line you can’t cross together.

Takeaways
● Fuels deep and lasting care, empathy and respect between colleagues at all levels.
● Inspires leaders to prioritize team building in their quest for world class results.
● Helps team members grow into teammates who capitalize on each other’s strengths and see themselves as leaders in their areas of expertise, regardless of title or tenure.
● Simple skills anyone can apply to cultivate consistent peak performance through real
connection with colleagues, clients, etc.
● Builds an organizational culture of “we thinkers” so teams can think creatively and take
calculated risks to reach higher peaks.
● Leaves the audience buzzing with ideas about how to raise their game and their team’s to the next level, personally and professionally.

Timing: 45-60 minutes
Also available as a virtual keynote presented from a professional studio

Why Winners Win: The Game-changing Mindset for Next-level Success

Keynote Themes
● Success mindset
● Personal leadership
● Team building
● Peak performance
● Resilience
● Innovation


What are the common attributes of people who make a lifelong habit of winning and
succeeding against all odds? Drawing inspiration from Robyn’s team of world champion
adventure athletes and winners from all walks of life, this inspiring and practical keynote dissects the traits, skills and attitudes behind the world’s most consistent high performers.

The best of the best experience uncertainty and obstacles like everyone else. Yet they reach great heights through characteristic courage, adversity management, a keen ability to create synergy with their colleagues, and the ability to continuously inspire themselves and others.

And yes, luck (opportunity + preparation): their level of preparation allows winners to discover and capitalize on opportunities.

Takeaways

● Leveraging a game-changing strategy that shifts one’s mindset from “not losing” to
winning.
● Finding the opportunity in challenges to innovate and create future success.
● Empowering continuous improvement to spur change and reinvent the game.
● Capitalizing on resources and pooling individual strengths to achieve even bigger goals.
● Demonstrating the value of G.U.T.S. (Going the distance, Unwavering in your patience and faith, Taking calculated risks, and Shattering the norm).
● Solidifying how luck is a proven formula of opportunity + preparation that drives
consistent peak performance.

Timing: 30-60 minutes
Also available as a virtual keynote presented from a professional studio.

Inspiring Greatness Through G.R.I.T.: Igniting the Passion and Perseverance to Pursue the Impossible

Key Themes
● Resilience
● Adversity management skills
● Culture of champions
● Leadership
● Team building
● Inspiration through challenges

What inspires us with drive, perseverance and resilience to pursue goals that seem impossible,
and achieve world class results in times of great change and challenge? We create this
greatness in ourselves and our teammates through GRIT, a magical combination of:
- GUTS
- RESPECT for our teammates and the mission
- INNOVATION
- TEAMWORK that makes us “sticky” to our goals and dreams.

In this keynote, Robyn shares real secrets to her teams’ success over 20 years of leading the pack in adventure racing and as a firefighter. Much of our drive comes from our connection to something greater than ourselves: the passion we have for an inspired mission, the respect for a team whose success is inextricably tied to ours, and the clients whose lives we will touch.

Audiences leave Robyn’s keynote with a deep understanding of how to create GRIT in yourself and your team. Most importantly, you’ll be on a mission to inspire GRIT in everyone who is lucky enough to know you—-the kind of leader that helps others climb their tallest peaks, fight their biggest fires, and cross their most challenging finish lines.

Key Takeaways
● Demonstrates a find-a-way-or-make-one attitude.
● Inspires teammates to commit to deep respect for one another and the higher purpose
of the mission.
● Supports the best outcomes through anticipating and preparing for all conditions and
contingencies.
● Shows how white space thinking allows for ingenious solutions and mission-driven
innovation.
● Helps leaders and teams navigate difficult challenges by envisioning what kind of story
we’d like to tell.
● Sustains a drive to succeed in tough times when it’s tempting to quit.

Timing: 45-60 minutes
Also available as a virtual keynote presented from a professional studio.

Testimonials

Thanks Robyn! You were a “rock star”! I really appreciate you being at our meeting. Your powerful presentation and message aligned perfectly with what I wanted to accomplish and you knocked it out of the ball park! I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me and sent me notes on how great they thought your presentation was. I want to sincerely thank you for traveling here and being such a big part of our meeting. Thanks again!
– Greg Guidos, President, Allstate Benefits
“Your presentation style and message really energized the attendees. We heard nothing but great comments and feedback from many of the attendees throughout the week.”
– Trent Cross, Americas Software Marketing Team, Hewlett Packard
“Words really can’t describe how amazing your presentation was today. Your commitment towards TEAMWORK is truly inspirational. The positive feedback was overwhelming. Not only did so many people come up to me after you spoke, but I also received a ton of e-mails thanking me for having you speak. You truly inspired so many people today. We have had many professional athletes speak over the years, but none of them were as down to earth and approachable as you today.”
– Tony Garcia III, Retail Regional Sales Manager, Wells Fargo
“Our morale has improved 100%. The meeting surveys were all positive and gave you lots of luv for your role in our conference.”
– John Alderson, V.P., Starbucks
“Robyn, you presented recently at an ExxonMobil GREF conference in the Woodlands Conference centre. I was very impressed by your story, your enthusiasm and the way you had channeled your experiences into such an effective team building message. When I got home I bought your book and finished reading it last night. It had two immediate impacts on me; it made the talk that you gave come flooding back into my consciousness (which was great); but it also give me inspiration on how to run a workshop I have with my team coming up soon. They are going through a tough time (not like your tough times, but in the context of our work they have too much to do, with too little time, and they are not sure how to start). Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for the pleasure of listening to you, thanks for finding out that I am a “We” thinker (I didn’t know that), and thanks for how I know the workshop is going to go.”
– Peter, ExxonMobil
“Hi Robyn, I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for sharing your story with us. I left the hotel on Wednesday feeling more than just motivated, I felt touched. I wanted you to know how warm and open you came across, not only as an inspiration but as a person. I walked away honestly saying to myself, ‘Robyn seems like she would make a really great friend’. Your story is so incredible but you present it in a totally credible way. I’ve learned a lot of things listening to people speak, but I heard things from you I’d never heard before. Thank you for touching my life. I will carry my new lessons with me for a lifetime and, because of that (and you) I will be that better person, friend, and teammate. Many blessings.”
– Rebecca Burcher, Sales Agent, Coldwell Banker Real Estate

Booksby Robyn Benincasa

How Winning Works

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