Summer Owens

Summer Owens ignites resilience and leadership in organizations seeking to empower their teams with the courage to overcome challenges and embrace professional growth. With her remarkable journey from adversity to success, Summer empowers organizations and individuals to become more confident and resilient leaders of teams or just their own lives. Summer brings a wealth of experience in harnessing the power of resilience to drive personal and professional achievement. Engaging with entities from educational institutions to corporate giants, Summer is the go-to speaker for those looking to inspire actionable change and cultivate a mindset geared towards overcoming obstacles and achieving excellence.

Embrace Adversity… and Emerge Empowered!

With an infectious blend of vulnerability and strength, Summer demystifies the path from personal hardship to professional triumph. She shares her incredible journey of becoming a mother at 15 due to a traumatic experience, to graduating top of her class and leading with distinction in the corporate and academic worlds. Summer's story resonates with audiences across all levels, offering practical lessons on navigating life's unpredictability with a resilient and determined spirit. Her engaging approach leaves attendees with tangible strategies for personal and professional development, ready to apply the S.O. What! Mindset to their own challenges.

For over a decade, Summer Owens has been a beacon of inspiration, educating and empowering people to achieve S.O. What! Success. As an award-winning author, speaker, success coach, and founder of the S.O. What! Foundation, she embodies the spirit of resilience. Her narrative has been featured prominently in national and international media outlets, and her contributions have been celebrated with numerous awards, including Memphis Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40 and the Women of Achievement Heroism Award.

Before stepping into the spotlight as a sought-after speaker and author, Summer honed her resilience and leadership skills in high-pressure roles within the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx, and through her academic journey as a first-generation college student and a magna cum laude graduate. She is an exemplar of achieving success against the odds, making her insights invaluable to those looking to elevate their personal and professional lives.

Summer has transformed her life's challenges into a powerful message of resilience, launching transformative programs, keynotes, workshops, and online courses. Her unique, trauma-informed S.O. What! Literacy, Life Skills, and Character Education curriculum has impacted thousands, underscoring her commitment to fostering resilience in the face of adversity.

A dedicated mentor and educator, Summer extends her impact through academia, guiding students to realize their potential regardless of their challenges. Her work has earned her the admiration and respect of peers and audiences worldwide, including recognition as a University of Memphis Distinguished Alumni Award honoree and other notable honors for her contributions to the community and beyond.

When not on stage or in the classroom, Summer is a relentless advocate for youth and young adults, embodying the resilience she preaches. Her life outside the limelight is filled with moments that inspire her ongoing mission to empower others to rise above their circumstances and achieve greatness.

Based in Memphis, TN, Summer Owens is a guiding light for anyone looking to turn their life's challenges into stepping stones for success. With her at your event, prepare to be moved, inspired, and equipped to tackle life's hurdles with newfound resilience and a S.O. What! Success mindset.