Shasta Nelson

Did you know that employees with meaningful relationships at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs, take fewer sick days, collaborate more effectively, provide better customer service, and stay longer with their companies? A sense of belonging is the #1 factor in employee satisfaction — and building it is one of the most effective levers for reducing turnover and increasing fulfillment.

In this dynamic, interactive keynote, friendship expert and author Shasta Nelson teaches the Science of Friendship at Work — translating her signature framework, the 3 Requirements of Relationships, into a practical lens for evaluating and strengthening connection within your teams.

Perfect for:

- Increase employee retention, engagement, and collaboration
- Equip employees with skills that improve well-being and fulfillment at work and at home
- Build a genuine culture of belonging

Audiences will leave with:

-The latest research on how meaningful workplace relationships drive engagement and retention
- The 3 Requirements of every healthy relationship — and how they build a culture of belonging
- A framework to evaluate connection within their own teams and pinpoint where to focus for maximum impact
- Concrete strategies to implement the 3 Requirements and build high-trust, resilient relationships at work

We frequently talk about how lonely it is “at the top,” and yet we’ve almost resigned ourselves to believing that’s the way it has to be.

Just as our team members need to have meaningful relationships at work to be more engaged and productive, our leaders need to feel connected and supported. The stats speak for themselves: 55% of CEOs report significant bouts of loneliness — and one in five consistently downplay it entirely (HEC Montréal, 2026).

But it doesn’t have to be this way—leaders who have supportive relationships at work are more resilient through crisis, communicate more effectively, and enjoy increased longevity and health.

In this fun and interactive program, friendship expert and author of The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time, Shasta Nelson delivers strategies to create and maintain the supportive relationships that your leaders need and addresses the biggest fears around boss-employee friendships, such as favoritism, confidentiality breaches, and more.

Perfect for:

- Boost leadership performance, resilience, and job satisfaction
- Improve communication and trust between leaders and team members
- Ensure their leaders’ health and well-being by building better relationships professionally & socially
- Combat potential favoritism, power imbalances, and confidentiality breaches arising out of boss-employee friendships


Audiences will leave with:

- The latest research on how meaningful relationships at work impact leadership performance, resilience, and communication
- The 3 requirements of all healthy relationships and how they establish a culture of support and belonging
- Strategies to strengthen the 3 requirements and create the supportive relationships that will boost your leaders’ performance and job satisfaction
- Insight into addressing the biggest fears around boss-employee friendships, such as favoritism, power imbalances, confidentiality breaches, firing and/or reprimanding a friend, and more

How many of us struggle to muster the energy to socialize with strangers or even with our closest friends?

Making new friends or deepening our existing relationships is uncomfortable, awkward, and—at times—painful. But choosing to avoid social discomfort often leaves us feeling lonely, with over 61% of the United States and 73% of Gen Z-ers feeling lonely on a regular basis.

The damage to our health, happiness, and longevity is devastating. Feeling disconnected is as harmful to our well-being as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, twice as harmful as being obese, and is the equivalent of being a lifelong alcoholic. So what’s the solution?

In this energizing program packed with real-world research and inspiring stories, friendship expert Shasta Nelson explores the #1 health factor more important than kale and treadmills and teaches us how we can enjoy long, connected lives.

Perfect for:

-Hospitals and other healthcare organizations who want to teach their communities and employees how to improve mental health through belonging and human connection.
-Leaders and organizations who want to improve their employees’ health and well-being

Audiences will leave with:

- The latest scientific discoveries on the devastating side effects of loneliness and the health benefits of connection
- A framework to reflect on and assess your social health, and identify which takeaway will make the biggest difference in fostering meaningful connection in your own life
- Healthy expectations of relationships and their discomforts, such as conflict, disappointment, and insecurities

It’s one thing to have an amazing line-up of speakers—imagine if you also had a compelling and fun presence on stage to cast the vision, respond to the energy in the room, weave together all the speakers while keeping your conference theme front and center, and most importantly, facilitate connections and networking throughout your entire event!


If you want your event team to feel supported, your attendees to feel energized and connected to one another, and your event to feel coherent and exciting—hire Shasta to set the stage as your opening speaker and stay as your Conference Connector, making belonging a core experience of your next event!