Steve Fredlund
FSA, MBA
MN, USIIn a world of constant change, Steve helps leaders navigate uncertainty, build trust and engagement, and make confident decisions so they can keep moving forward with clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Steve Fredlund is an award-winning keynote speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, and bestselling author of Do the Unright Thing: Memoir of a People Pleaser. With more than three decades of experience as an actuary, executive leader, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder, Steve brings a rare combination of analytical rigor, real-world leadership experience, and engaging storytelling to the stage.
Steve’s perspective was shaped by an unexpected chapter in his journey, leading humanitarian efforts in East Africa. Working in environments defined by limited resources, constant uncertainty, and high stakes, he discovered a powerful truth about leadership: progress doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from how leaders show up, how they make decisions, and how they move forward together when the path isn’t clear.
Today, Steve helps leaders and organizations navigate rapid change, build engagement when work feels heavier, and make strong decisions with limited information. Through his practical frameworks and story-driven keynotes, drawing on lessons from African safaris, high-stakes decision environments, and decades of leadership, Steve equips audiences to keep moving forward with confidence, purpose, and momentum.
Known for his warmth, laugh-out-loud humor, and ability to make complex ideas practical and relatable, Steve has inspired audiences across Fortune 500 companies, associations, healthcare systems, nonprofits, and global leadership conferences. When he’s not on stage, he enjoys disc golf, poker, and continuing to believe that this might finally be Minnesota’s year.
Steve Fredlund is an award-winning keynote speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, and bestselling author of Do the Unright Thing: Memoir of a People Pleaser. With more than three decades of experience as an actuary, executive leader, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder, Steve brings a rare combination of analytical rigor, real-world leadership experience, and engaging storytelling to the stage.
Steve’s perspective was shaped by an unexpected chapter in his journey, leading humanitarian efforts in East Africa. Working in environments defined by limited resources, constant uncertainty, and high stakes, he discovered a powerful truth about leadership: progress doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from how leaders show up, how they make decisions, and how they move forward together when the path isn’t clear.
Today, Steve helps leaders and organizations navigate rapid change, build engagement when work feels heavier, and make strong decisions with limited information. Through his practical frameworks and story-driven keynotes, drawing on lessons from African safaris, high-stakes decision environments, and decades of leadership, Steve equips audiences to keep moving forward with confidence, purpose, and momentum.
Known for his warmth, laugh-out-loud humor, and ability to make complex ideas practical and relatable, Steve has inspired audiences across Fortune 500 companies, associations, healthcare systems, nonprofits, and global leadership conferences. When he’s not on stage, he enjoys disc golf, poker, and continuing to believe that this might finally be Minnesota’s year.
EMBRACE THE ADVENTURE: How to Keep Moving Forward When the Path Isn’t Clear
In a world where change keeps accelerating and clarity rarely comes first, it is easy to feel stuck between wanting to move forward and not knowing how. In this uplifting, story-driven keynote, Steve “Safari Dude” Fredlund reframes uncertainty as part of the adventure, not a problem to eliminate. Through powerful safari stories and practical insight, audiences learn how to keep moving forward with intention, surround themselves with the right people, and take the bold action that creates...
THE COURAGE ADVANTAGE: How Leaders Build Trust, Engagement, and Performance in Uncertain Times
In today’s environment, engagement and performance are not driven by pressure or programs. They are shaped by how leaders show up every day. In this practical and human-centered keynote, Steve Fredlund shows how leaders build trust, strengthen connection, and create ownership through simple, consistent behaviors. While designed for leaders, the message resonates with anyone who influences others and wants to make a greater impact at work.
RAISE THE STAKES: How to Make High-Pressure Decisions with Limited Information
Today’s decisions must be made faster, with less information and higher stakes. In this engaging and highly relatable keynote, Steve Fredlund uses lessons from championship-level poker to show how top performers make strong, confident decisions without certainty. Audiences learn how to think clearly under pressure, evaluate competing signals, and move forward decisively even when the right answer is not obvious.
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