Michael Ventura
HE / HIM / HIS
Michael is a highly-sought keynote speaker on the topics of empathy and purposeful leadership. He is the author of Applied Empathy, and was the Founder and former CEO of Sub Rosa—a strategy and design firm that has worked with some of the world’s most influential, respected organizations. An ardent steward of self-development practices, Michael is frequently engaged as an advisor to leaders, teams, and boards seeking personal and professional growth.
Pursuing positive transformation.
Popular Talks
Empathy in Business
Learn the foundations of how to build an empathetic business that drives team performance and deeper client understanding.
Empathetic Leadership
Develop an approach to leading our organizations and our own growth with greater understanding and perspective.
Organizational Transformation
Guide your people and your organization through complex moments with better empathy.
Building Culture in Hybrid Workplaces
Understand how to connect and cultivate a resilient, supportive culture with teams working in hybrid and asynchronous ways.
Growing Better Managers
Help your managers to work with greater purpose and a connection to the organization’s growth.
Prioritizing Purpose for Individuals and Teams
Build a clear purpose that inspires and unifies your organization and puts it on the path to sustainable, long-term success.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Ensure that your leaders and teams understand the value and interdependence that makes businesses and cultures go from good to great.
Leading Teams Remotely
Deliver new strategies that help to connect and foster integration in an increasingly diversified workplace.
"You might have to get out of the place you live and go meet those people you're trying to understand," author Michael Ventura gives his #BriefButSpectacular take on applied empathy. (From @NewsHour) pic.twitter.com/fVIwr8pfLw
— PBS (@PBS) November 13, 2020
Speaking, Consulting & Workshops
Strategic Advisory
Guiding organizations through challenges and toward success.
Retreat Facilitation
Consulting, speaking and workshop facilitation for corporate off-sites and retreats.
Cultural Transformation
Supporting the evolution of a team and its skillsets.
Leadership Development
Providing counsel and personal development support for individuals and teams.
“Michael Ventura was the first call for help I placed after joining the ACLU. He has an ability to help me think big with care and compassion. And he can also hone in on details and practices that ensure successful implementation of those big plans. He has been a great co-creator and coach for me and my team.”
— REBECCA LOWELL EDWARDS, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, ACLU
“I believe empathy has been the most underrated characteristic of the biggest winners in society. Michael has demonstrated an understanding and an execution around this incredible skill that I admire tremendously.”
— GARY VAYNERCHUK, FOUNDER OF VAYNER MEDIA & BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Meaningful change happens when people come together with open arms, minds, and hearts. Honed through his experience working with a range of companies, Michael provides great insights and tools for how you too can make meaningful change happen.”
— BETH COMSTOCK, FORMER VICE CHAIR OF GENERAL ELECTRIC, NIKE BOARD MEMBER, & AUTHOR OF “IMAGINE IT FORWARD”
“I’ve worked with Michael here at the NBA and at my previous role at West Point, it’s amazing to see the impact that he has on people. I appreciate the relationship we’ve built together and everything he’s done to help me and my teams grow.”
– JuUSTIN BOKMEYER, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Our world is at a pivotal inflection point where it is essential to cultivate the practice of empathy for ourselves, our organizations, and society at large.
Michael’s work inspires us to feel, think, and act with greater curiosity, and a willingness to deepen our understanding of the nuanced perspectives that influence our lives. His study and practice of modern leadership draws from ancient wisdom to bring about new skills and adoptable behaviors that are thoughtful, provocative, and personal.
Over the past two decades, Michael has worked closely with some of the world’s foremost leaders to incite growth and catalyze change. Concepts and tools from his first book, Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership (Simon & Schuster) have been embraced by influential, respected organizations from the ACLU, Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Nike to The United Nations and the Obama Administration.
A dynamic keynote speaker on empathy and purpose, and a facilitator of workshops on empathy in business, Michael has shared his work with as an advisor to a variety of public and private boards, as well as prestigious institutions such as Princeton University and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
An ardent steward of self development practices, Michael is frequently engaged as an advisor to leaders seeking personal and professional growth.
He encourages us to consider our greatest empathy gaps and what must be done to gain new perspective. This is where the work begins.
Let’s collaborate to ensure a transformative experience.