Tez Steinberg

Biography

Tez Steinberg is a keynote speaker, serial founder, and the only person in history to row a boat 2,700 miles alone from California to Hawaii with no prior rowing experience. Named “One of the 50 best young minds in the world” by the World Economic Forum, Tez is an expert in teaching mindset, performance, and resilience to fellow leaders.

An award-winning speaker with over 10 years experience, Tez is known for sharing unforgettable stories from his journey overcoming depression to become a world record athlete, and for empowering audiences with powerful tools and techniques to steady their minds against stress and transcend their limitations.

Tez earned his MBA from London Business School and his BA in Economics from Macalester College and the University of Oxford. He’s founded 4 nonprofits and has 6 years experience in top-tier management consulting with a focus on Learning and Development for Big Tech clients. Tez’s leadership has been recognized by some of the world’s foremost organizations, including the Explorers Club of New York, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, NEXUS Global, Summit Series, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.

Talk topics include:

Leadership: Motivate And Lead Your Team Across Uncharted Waters
Inspiration: Find Your Ocean And The Courage To Cross It
Performance: Optimize Your Mind To Maximize Your Results
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THE COURAGE TO LOSE SIGHT OF SHORE: Leadership

My world record row was not a solo feat. I was alone in my boat for 71 days, and I relied on a talented, highly curated team who supported me remotely and helped complete our mission to inspire the world and raise valuable funds for charity.

In this session you’ll learn how to lead, motivate and grow those around you. I’ll share my experience and lessons learned from leading 4 nonprofits across the US and Latin America – experiences which led the World Economic Forum to name me “one of the 50 best young minds in the world.”

I’ll walk you through the secrets of effective self-talk – in other words, how to lead yourself – and then how to guide, mentor and develop others to excel in their roles and achieve your common vision.

You have the power to achieve audacious goals and rally your team, even while you navigate uncertainty and risk.

But first, you need to learn how to focus your mind, to turn stress into success, and to lead others through turbulent waters.

THE GROWTH EQUATION: Inspiration

In spring 2016, while I was earning my MBA in London, I got a call that changed my life forever. My father suddenly died. And he had taken his own life.

In the grief that followed I had a clear choice: I could recoil and withdraw, OR to choose to relate to this harrowing experience as an opportunity to grow into the leader I aimed to become.

I chose the latter. And to accelerate that growth, I decided to row across an ocean alone. And to dedicate the journey to inspiring others to believe in themselves and to create a positive legacy with my life.

There was just one catch: I wasn’t a rower or a sailor. I’d never even been to sea!

When I boarded my 23-foot rowboat in July 2020, the next 10 weeks became a crash course in transcending my mental blocks as I pushed farther out to sea, and further inside my mind and heart.

This journey taught me SO much about grit, resilience, and using setbacks as springboards for success. And, in addition to my 15-year journey growing from depressed college student into world-class athlete, it taught me to see every event – whether seeming “positive” or “negative” – as an opportunity to choose growth.

And it turns out, these are the same keys to success whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or simply aiming to become the best version of yourself.

How would your business, conference or community benefit from learning powerful techniques to steady your mind against stress and transcend your limitations?

The upside is enormous. When inspiration strikes, anything is possible. I’m living proof. And through my Tez Talk, that inspiration and action can come to you.

OPTIMIZE YOUR MIND FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS: Performance

People often assume athletes are built in the gym. But to master your craft – whether in sports or business – you must first find and grow your inner athlete.

This is especially true for solo ocean rowing, the hardest endurance feat on the planet. Fitness is secondary; performance is driven by mindset.

My story shows this lesson in action. Due to lockdowns in spring 2020, I had just 3 days to train in my boat before pushing out to sea.

To survive and thrive amidst the expedition’s obstacles – like week-long counter currents that pushed me backwards every time I rested – I had to change how I related to each setback, measured my progress, and focused my mind.

I came to realize that these setbacks weren’t preventing my success – they would become the very foundation of it. And when you make this connection with your own obstacles, you will discover powerful new ways to adapt, pivot, and accelerate towards your most audacious goals.

In this talk, you’ll learn how to blast past what “should” be possible by cultivating your inner belief in achieving the impossible. And then bring vision into reality with the skills to persevere with purpose and poise against the greatest odds.

Testimonials

You truly have a gift for sharing your stories and bringing us all along on your adventures. You’re natural and engaging. Really, really well done. Just incredible.

– Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group

You are exceptional in your thinking, analysis, and delivery. Wrapping up our program with your story was simply perfect. This was a sentiment shared by our leaders as well.

– Natalie Melamed - Principal, Palo Alto Networks

Tez is one of the most inspiring people and speakers I've ever heard. He's riveting, and leaves you feeling like you want to play a bigger game in your life.

– James Hodges - CEO, Amphibian Capital

Over the last 20 years we’ve had the opportunity to hear a lot of great speakers at our events. Tez ranked right up at the top of the list. His story is the perfect mix of inspiration, personal reflection and motivation to do more.

– Chris Hadley - VP Franchising, Byrider

It is a rare gift to have lived a story worth telling and be as gifted a storyteller as Tez. How he turned his epic adventure into a moment of action for the entire audience was masterful.

– Andy Ellwood - Serial Entrepreneur, Executive Coach

You literally made me cry. This is how we need to tell stories.

– Deloitte Partner responsible for 15,000-person P&L

You were the highlight of the Summit.

– Participant, @ Human Performance Summit

Best Talk

– Voted by audience of 3,000 business leaders at Deloitte Innovation Festival

Your talk was incredible... Beyond inspiring.

– Participant, Tez Talk at New York University

Thank you for your words of inspiration. I cannot express how helpful your story was for me.

– Participant, Tez Talk

Very engaging and some awesome takeaways on mental toughness that really resonated with me.

– Participant, Tez Talk

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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.