Jess Ekstrom

Biography

Jess lives by three words: inspiration from frustration.

Whenever she’s frustrated, she usually finds inspiration in a business idea to solve the problem. Hence, she’s a 2x successful social entrepreneur.

In 2012, she took a $300 grant and launched Headbands of Hope, a company that provides headbands to kids with illnesses.

Since then, her company has donated millions of headbands all over the world and has become the official headband provider for the NBA, WNBA, and are now sold in all Kohl’s locations.

Jess is a Forbes Top Rated speaker with past clients like Zappos, Priceline, Netflix, Canva, Edward Jones, Magnolia, Under Armour, Newell Brands, Leadercast Live, SAS, Harvard, TEDx, and more.

But her career goals are not just about getting herself on stage, she wants to help more women get on stages as public speakers. And in 2018, she founded Mic Drop Workshop®️, a company with the mission of empowering more women to share their message as a public speaker and author.

Jess is a 2x bestselling author of Chasing the Bright Side and Create Your Bright Ideas. She’s been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, Forbes, and People Magazine ran an exclusive piece about her when her book was released. You’ve most likely seen Jess on your TV whether it was an interview on your favorite morning show, shopping on QVC, or watching her run her business from her Airstream in a global Canva commercial.

Some of her recent badges of honor…

Chip Gaines said, “Jess Ekstrom is leaving her mark on this world and it’s amazing to watch her do it.”
Jess was dubbed The Ultimate Game Changer by Women’s Health Magazine
The co-founder of Netflix said, “Jess is a very poised and polished speaker- confident, funny, great connection with the audience and left them inspired.”
Jess was tapped to interview the First Lady of Iceland on women’s equality issues
Linkedin Learning and TED Education have asked Jess to host courses on the art of public speaking
Forbes named her a Top Motivational Speaker
Arianna Huffington put her on her 99 Female Disruptors List
Becoming a new mom to a little girl and advocating for moms in the workplace
And Business Insider said Jess is a “Woman to Watch”

Jess brings humor, inspiration, and entertainment to every group she addresses. Her motivational, edge-of-your-seat storytelling and infectious energy is a refreshing experience for audiences looking to improve their culture, purpose-building, and fulfillment.

Videos

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Testimonials

JESS EKSTROM IS LEAVING HER MARK ON THIS WORLD AND IT'S AMAZING TO WATCH HER DO IT.

– CHIP GAINES, Co-Founder of Magnolia Network

JESS EMBODIES EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR IN A KEYNOTE SPEAKER – INSPIRATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, RELATABLE, AND ENTERTAINING. SHE'S AMAZING TO WORK WITH AND OUR AUDIENCE ABSOLUTELY LOVED HER. I CAN'T RECOMMEND HER ENOUGH!

– Katie Gaudu, VP Industry Engagement / Inman

JESS IS PHENOMENAL. WE BOOKED HER TO SPEAK FOR NEWELL BRANDS MARKETING CONFERENCE. I SEE MANY SPEAKERS, AND SHE IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST.

– Chris Pote, Newell Brands/Devote Consultancy UK

JESS IS A VERY POISED AND POLISHED SPEAKER – CONFIDENT, FUNNY, GREAT CONNECTION WITH THE AUDIENCE AND LEFT THEM INSPIRED.

– Marc Randolph, Co-Founder of Netflix

THE FIRST TIME I HEARD JESS SPEAK AT FAILFEST I WAS BLOWN AWAY. BLOWN AWAY BY HER COMPANY, HER SPEAKING, HER MESSAGE, BUT MOST OF ALL, BLOWN AWAY BY HER.

– Jeff Hoffman, Co-Founder of Priceline.com

IT WAS A PURE PLEASURE HAVING JESS EKSTROM COME AND SPEAK AT ZAPPOS. NOT ONLY DID SHE INSPIRE OUR EMPLOYEES AND LEAVE THEM FEELING EMPOWERED TO TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGE, BUT SHE WAS 100% REAL AND CANDID ABOUT HER OWN JOURNEY. JESS WENT THE EXTRA MILE TO TAILOR THE MESSAGE TO OUR GROUP AND STAYED LONGER TO ANSWER AUDIENCE QUESTIONS AND SIGN BOOKS. WE WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST WORKING WITH JESS AND HER TEAM FOR CORPORATE OR COMMUNITY EVENTS.

– Ashley Kasevich, Business Analyst, Zappos Family of Companies

JESS FEELS LIKE YOUR BFF! SHE CONNECTS WITH HER AUDIENCE IN A REAL WAY AND MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE HAVING COFFEE AND CATCHING UP ON LIFE. SO MANY OF OUR ATTENDEES FELT INSPIRED AND FELT LIKE SHE FITS RIGHT INTO OUR EDWARD JONES CULTURE!

– Jamie Hickenbottom, HR-Shared Services, Edward Jones

WHEN JESS IS ON STAGE, SHE IS A CONFIDENT AND NATURAL STORYTELLER. SHE KNOWS HOW TO FRAME THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY IN A MEANINGFUL AND IMPACTFUL WAY FOR AN AUDIENCE TO FEEL ENGAGED WITH HER STORY AND HER BUSINESS, HEADBANDS OF HOPE.

– Kelly B., Under Armour Innovative Partnerships

IF BRENE BROWN AND AMY SCHUMER HAD A BABY, IT WOULD BE JESS EKSTROM.

– Myrna P. Daramy, Audience Attendee

JESS IS A CAPTIVATING SPEAKER. HER PRESENTATION WAS THOUGHTFUL, POIGNANT, AND INSPIRING. I WOULD RECOMMEND HER AS A SPEAKER FOR ANY BUSINESS-RELATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OR NETWORKING EVENT.

– Spencer High, Manager National Association of Realtors

Booksby Jess Ekstrom

Chasing the Bright Side

For Meeting Planners

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Speaker Documents

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Blog Posts

Stop Stressing! Find Your Perfect Stress Management Style

✨ Eliz Greene addresses the complexities of stress management, highlighting the importance of recognizing and...

Why Do People Get Harley-Davidson Tattoos? Building Unwavering Brand Loyalty

🏍️ In a world where brand loyalty can seem fleeting, Ken Schmidt, former Director of...

Achieving 3 Daily Wins: Leadership Lessons with Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman

🎧 Tune in my conversation with Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman to become the person that...

Train Like You Fight: How To Take Pride in Your Preparation

How to handle unexpected challenges during high-stakes situations? Mistakes can be costly, but meticulous preparation...

Honoring Memorial Day and Inspirational Veteran Speakers

🎖️ In this week's newsletter, we honor those who sacrificed and those who continue to...

MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in Louisville, KY

🤩 The Keynote Curators was thrilled to participate in Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress...

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Reviews & Ratings

     Excellent  
     Based on 56 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Waldo Waldman 
 May 19, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’ve been Speaking professionally for 21 years and work with the largest agencies in the world. I’m a Hall of Fame keynote speaker and a New York Times best selling Author. I have can honestly say in full confidence that Seth Dechtman and his team at Keynote Curator is the best agency I have been honored to work with.
I’ve witnessed Seth’s client focused relationship skills On multiple occasions. His clients love him and he’s detail oriented and has great communication skillls.
But most importantly, I’ve been on the receiving side of his servant, focused leadership style. He treats me like a valued partner and emulates everything a wingman is.
  
 
       
   David Allison 
 May 17, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth and the Keynote Curators team are tenacious and determined to do right by their clients and their speakers. I appreciate our relationship so much, and highly reccomend this group to anyone looking to book a speaker for an event.
  
 
       
   Meir Statman 
 May 10, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. It is wonderful to join Seth in helping people reflect on their financial and life well-being and enhance them.
  
 
       
   Trevor Wilde 
 April 24, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was an amazing experience. the Keynote Speaker we had was perfect for our event and will definitely be having another for our next one!
  
 
       
   Sandro Forte 
 March 22, 2024
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Brilliantly hosted, with great content. An absolute ‘must add’ to any podcast list!
  
 
       
   Jon VanDeventer 
 November 18, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I've been working with Seth at The Keynote Curators for over 3 years. I always look forward to our meetings because of both his professional expertise and his enjoyable, engaging personality. We have fun during our virtual meetings while developing innovative strategies and accomplishing goals. It's obvious from working with Seth over a number of years that he is always making event planning and booking services an easy process and providing responsiveness that sets him apart. He's an excellent partner who gets invested in your business and collaborates through every step of a process that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
  
 
       
   Jason Galaska 
 November 7, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth and his team were fantastic to work with in 2023 and we look forward to working with Keynote Curators to find potential speaker matches for our events in the future.  Thank you, Seth, for your professionalism!
  
 
       
   Hailey Wilson 
 October 23, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A Treasure Trove for Anyone Involved in Speaker Selection!

As someone deeply involved in the intersection of marketing and technology at AImpact, I find the process of selecting the right keynote speaker to be a critical part of any successful event. Seth Dechtman's "The Keynote Curators" podcast is nothing short of a godsend for anyone facing the challenges and opportunities that come with this task.

Seth brings an almost poetic understanding to the power of words, acknowledging that a speech isn't just a scheduled event but a transformative experience that can change the dynamics of an entire room. His enthusiasm for the craft is contagious, making each episode a joy to listen to.
  
 
       
   Nicole 
 September 14, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Seth is super knowledgeable about the needs of meeting planners to have a successful event and partners with you to find just that right fit!
  
 
       
   Duncan Sigurdsson 
 August 28, 2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Working with Seth Dechtman and The Keynote Curators is always true partnership.  In the three plus years that we have been involved in various projects, I can tell you that they always deliver.  We have done some really cool stuff together.  Any meeting professional, conference planner or event producer will greatly benefit from partnering with The Keynote Curators.  High praise to Seth and his team.