Yewande O'Neal
I help leaders discover that nothing in their story was ever wasted — their breaks, losses, and pivots are their greatest qualification. They walk away with a framework, a reckoning, and one clear answer: Why not you?
Yewande brings something rare to any stage: the credibility of a seasoned executive combined with the story of someone who has lived through their hardest chapter — and turned it into their greatest qualification.
As a Senior Executive Leadership Strategist, Maxwell Executive Speaker and Coach, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Yewande has shaped the leadership and culture of organizations across 100+ countries, impacting more than 40,000 business leaders in manufacturing, energy, healthcare, media, and private equity. Her frameworks are tested in the world's most demanding organizational environments — and delivered with the warmth and authenticity that makes every audience feel seen.
Her signature talk, Purpose Pivots: Why Not You?, draws from her forthcoming book of the same name and introduces a framework that challenges leaders to stop hiding their anti-resume — the failures, losses, and pivots they have spent years hiding — and discover that nothing in their story was wasted. Audiences leave with practical tools, a new leadership lens, and a clear answer to the question: Why not you?
What makes Yewande unforgettable is not just her credentials — it is that she lives the message. Born in Nigeria and raised in the United States, she has navigated identity, belonging, and purpose across cultures and continents. As an Operating Partner in private equity and founder of Kairos Leaders LLC, she brings both boardroom authority and genuine human depth to every engagement.
Yewande also leads Women of Kairos, a nonprofit she founded to move women from hardship into their highest calling — evidence of a leader whose commitment to transformation extends far beyond the stage.
When you book Yewande, your audience leaves changed. They leave knowing their hardest chapters qualify them for what comes next — with the framework, the permission, and the conviction to act on it.
She speaks from personal conviction: no season, no loss, and no pivot is ever wasted.
Yewande brings something rare to any stage: the credibility of a seasoned executive combined with the story of someone who has lived through their hardest chapter — and turned it into their greatest qualification.
As a Senior Executive Leadership Strategist, Maxwell Executive Speaker and Coach, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Yewande has shaped the leadership and culture of organizations across 100+ countries, impacting more than 40,000 business leaders in manufacturing, energy, healthcare, media, and private equity. Her frameworks are tested in the world's most demanding organizational environments — and delivered with the warmth and authenticity that makes every audience feel seen.
Her signature talk, Purpose Pivots: Why Not You?, draws from her forthcoming book of the same name and introduces a framework that challenges leaders to stop hiding their anti-resume — the failures, losses, and pivots they have spent years hiding — and discover that nothing in their story was wasted. Audiences leave with practical tools, a new leadership lens, and a clear answer to the question: Why not you?
What makes Yewande unforgettable is not just her credentials — it is that she lives the message. Born in Nigeria and raised in the United States, she has navigated identity, belonging, and purpose across cultures and continents. As an Operating Partner in private equity and founder of Kairos Leaders LLC, she brings both boardroom authority and genuine human depth to every engagement.
Yewande also leads Women of Kairos, a nonprofit she founded to move women from hardship into their highest calling — evidence of a leader whose commitment to transformation extends far beyond the stage.
When you book Yewande, your audience leaves changed. They leave knowing their hardest chapters qualify them for what comes next — with the framework, the permission, and the conviction to act on it.
She speaks from personal conviction: no season, no loss, and no pivot is ever wasted.
From Managing People to Multiplying Leaders
This program is perfect for:
• Executives and senior leaders
• HR professionals and team managers
• Organizations navigating growth or change
• Emerging women leaders
The audience will leave with:
• Practical strategies to strengthen leadership accountability
• Tools to improve workplace culture and engagement
• A deeper understanding of purpose driven leadership
• Actionable steps to build high performing...
Building High Performing Teams Through Culture Transformation
Format: 60 minute keynote, workshop, or corporate training
This program is perfect for:
• Corporate leaders and executives
• HR and people operations teams
• Organizations struggling with engagement or communication
• Managers leading growing or distributed teams
The audience will leave with:
• Strategies to improve team communication and trust
• Tools to strengthen employee engagement and accountability
• Leadership practices...
Purpose Pivots: Why Not You?: Nothing is wasted in your story
Format: 45–60 minute keynote | 90-minute workshop | Half-day intensive
This program is perfect for:
Senior leaders and...
