Biography

Vanessa is Lead Investigator at Science of People. She is the bestselling author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, translated into 16 languages, and Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication. More than 50 million people watch her engaging YouTube tutorials and TEDx Talk.

Vanessa shares tangible skills to improve interpersonal communication and leadership, including her insights on how people work. She’s developed a science-based framework for understanding different personalities to improve our EQ and help us communicate with colleagues, clients, and customers.

Vanessa works with entrepreneurs, growing businesses, and trillion-dollar companies; and has been featured on CNN, BBC, CBS Mornings, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, The Today Show, and many more.

Millions visit her website every month for her methods turning “soft skills” into actionable, masterable frameworks that can be applied in daily life. Hundreds of thousands of students have taken her communication courses on Udemy, CreativeLive, LinkedIn, and her flagship course People School.

Vanessa is renowned for teaching science-backed people skills to audiences around the world including SxSW, MIT, and CES. Her groundbreaking and engaging workshops and courses teach individuals how to succeed in business and life by understanding the hidden dynamics of people.

She regularly speaks to innovative companies including Google, Facebook, Comcast, Miller-Coors, Microsoft, Amazon, and Univision. She has been a spokesperson for Dove, American Express, Clean & Clear, and Symantec.

Read More

Videos

Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

The Surprising Secrets of High Performers: How the Most Successful People Use Effective Communication to be More Productive

Highly effective people have a unique approach to productivity. Over the last decade, Vanessa has studied the patterns of successful people and found a surprising way we can all work smarter, not harder. The key is being a productive communicator. Vanessa will teach attendees how to maximize their relationships and streamline their communication with a simple, but powerful framework, as well as how to communicate like a human when leveraging AI tools. The goal is to empower attendees to increase efficiency by connecting and collaborating in a purposeful way. This highly actionable, engaging talk will energize every audience member to look at their to-do list in a completely new way.

The Three Levels of Connection: Build Stronger Relationships by Using the Science of People

Our desire for community and connection doesn’t end at work. While connection with colleagues looks different from purely personal connections, having authentic and healthy connections in the workplace is one of the main determinants of productivity and workplace satisfaction. While the increase of virtual mediums presents an added challenge, creating meaningful connections is possible. In fact, there’s a science-based blueprint to fostering connections quickly and maintaining them with professional intention. In this presentation, Vanessa Van Edwards teaches the three levels of connection that build trust and rapport. These principles can be applied at work, within teams, at conferences, and while networking, with colleagues and customers alike. Each level builds on the next, providing insight and tools on how to deepen relationships. Along with gaining a deeper understanding of the levels of connection, attendees will learn the practice of creating a safe space for vulnerability and ideas.

Charismatic Communication: The Art and Science of Presence, Confidence and Trust

Better communication skills pay dividends in every conversation for the rest of your life. There are no downsides to becoming a better communicator, but the upsides may be more powerful than we know. Studies show that people with high interpersonal intelligence (PQ) perform at higher levels, have higher salaries, have better immune systems, and help generate more revenue for companies they work for. In this research-based and reflective keynote, Vanessa Van Edwards teaches attendees powerful communication strategies based on new science that they can apply at work and in their personal lives. Pulling from her bestselling books Captivate and Cues, she shares the latest research on behavioral psychology and how it can be used to improve professional relationships, make positive and lasting impressions, and better connect with co-workers and customers. Audiences are left with a better understanding of their own communication pitfalls and the knowledge and confidence to apply new tools to become more authentically charismatic in their interactions.

Testimonials

Vanessa Van Edwards’s energy and enthusiasm during her session kept our audience of 175+ dance studio owners engaged and wanting more! Vanessa delivered valuable and actionable insights and ideas that was tailored to our audience, and she was ranked highest among our speakers for 2021. Her presentation exceeded all expectations, and her team was great to work with for logistics. I would not hesitate to recommend Vanessa for your next event!
– CEO, DANCE STUDIO OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Vanessa was phenomenal, and the highest-rated speaker out of the three we had.
– ‎PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ‎INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF TEXAS (IIAT)
Vanessa exceeded all expectations! She did a wonderful job tailoring the content to our needs & providing relatable examples based on the information we shared prior to the session. Her energy captivated the audience and she sent everyone off with actionable takeaways that they could start applying in their day to day immediately.
– ENTERPRISE CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER, TEAM LEAD, SAMSARA
That was fabulous – thank you!! We had people on the live stream from all across the world. I saw people in India, Costa Rica, Egypt, Spain, and our different offices in the U.S. Your energy was excellent – everyone was completely engaged – there were so many comments in the chat and people were sharing lots of great information. It really built an amazing feeling of community and connectedness.
– PRINCIPAL STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS LEADER, AMAZON

Booksby Vanessa Van Edwards

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People

Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication

Blog Posts

How AI Tech Is Revolutionizing How We Help Each Other

Discover how AI-driven communication and strategic questioning break down silos and foster collaboration with futurist Jonathan Brill’s insights.

Read More

Top Technology Speakers to Book in 2025

Why are technology speakers some of the most in-demand voices on stage right now? Because tech is no longer just a department; it’s the driver of everything. From artificial intelligence to cybersecurity, biotech to blockchain,...

Read More

Using Strategy To Create Meaningful Work with Seth Godin

Seth Godin shares how to use creativity with strategy to cut through the noise and do work that matters in this episode of The Keynote Curators Podcast.

Read More

The Best Speakers on Building Resilience

Why are speakers on building resilience consistently among the most impactful voices on stage? Because resilience is universal. We all face setbacks, doubts, and obstacles that test our limits. And the people who’ve walked through...

Read More

May Is for Mental Health—Why Well-Being Belongs on Every Stage

This May, spotlight mental health as the cornerstone of leadership, resilience, and innovation with top keynote insights and actionable strategies.

Read More

Turning Regret into Your Most Powerful Weapon for Change

Learn how analyzing a past regret can actually guide you to make smarter decisions with Dan Pink’s science-backed insights.

Read More

Related Speakers

Reviews & Ratings

Here's how toHit the mark with the perfect speaker!

1. Schedule a call

We’ll connect so we understand your needs to curate a selection of great speakers.

2. Book your speaker

We’ll manage all the details so you will be confident with your choice.

3. Wow your audience

Inform & educate your participants to ideas that transform their work & personal life.

Schedule a Call

Blog Posts

 

How AI Tech Is Revolutionizing How We Help Each Other

Modern organizations face unprecedented complexity. Global teams, digital transformation, and rapid technological change have fractured...

Read More

Top Technology Speakers to Book in 2025

Why are technology speakers some of the most in-demand voices on stage right now? Because...

Read More

Using Strategy To Create Meaningful Work with Seth Godin

What strategy have you been using to do work that matters in a world drowning...

Read More

The Best Speakers on Building Resilience

Why are speakers on building resilience consistently among the most impactful voices on stage? Because...

Read More

May Is for Mental Health—Why Well-Being Belongs on Every Stage

We used to whisper about mental health. Now? We put it on stages. Because mental...

Read More

Turning Regret into Your Most Powerful Weapon for Change

Imagine if regret wasn’t something to hide but something to harness. 🔍 In this clip...

Read More