Those who have heard author, celebrity chef and restauranteur Carla Hall speak, know that she is passionate about encouraging everyone to live their best authentic life. That means embracing diverse backgrounds, points of view and ways of living. The heart of hospitality is helping everyone feel that they belong in the room regardless of gender, race, orientation or neuroprocessing style. Following are speakers who can help you welcome one and all in all their glory.
Denise Soler Cox
Topic: Belonging
Award-winning activist filmmaker, top 100 podcaster and upcoming author with Simon & Schuster (2026), Denise Soler Cox uses her expertise to create meaningful and inspiring work with one single purpose, to transform how we think about culture, identity and what it means to belong.
Agencies representing you: Kris Campbell, SpeakerCasting
Proudest Moment: My proudest professional moments include between being contacted by a professor in England at the University of Leicester to tell me that my film and work around belonging was a permanent part of their curriculum and then being invited to speak at their conference. And when someone from Sri Lanka reached out to me to thank me for making my film. Hearing from her knowing she’s from a vastly different culture and nationality than mine yet still deeply resonated with my message, was deeply affirming to my work. Finally, signing a major book deal with Simon & Schuster!
Take Aways: The one thing I hope attendees take away from my time on the stage is that we as humans share a deep need to belong and it’s normal to not feel like we belong at times. It’s also completely within our power to create it for ourselves and others – the only requirement is a willingness to be our most authentic self.
Need to Know: The thing I’d love for meeting planners to know about working with me is that I care deeply about the people I get to work with and for. After we’ve decided to work together I’m officially their partner in activating belonging at their event and available to brainstorm and share ideas beyond my time on the stage. I also love to connect with attendees and participate in the event as much or as little as the event planner would like. I love connecting with attendees and supporting them in incorporating the learning as much as possible after I get off the stage—it’s actually my favorite part!
Bobbie Carlton
Topics: Public Speaking for women; Career and business success through public speaking; Driving visibility through public speaking; Gender equity onstage; Creating the “No-manel Zone”.
A humorous, tell-it-like-it-is speaker who speaks extensively (and passionately) about public speaking and how it’s the driving force behind career and business success. She’s the founder of Innovation Women, a speaker platform for women; a TEDx speaker; an entertaining startup event host; she’s spoken at the United Nations; and been on the main stage for some of the world’s best-known conferences for technical and professional women. She’s inspired thousands of entrepreneurial and executive women to take control of their own speaking careers and has worked with event managers around the world to deliver diverse and inclusive events.
Agency: InnovationWomen.com
Proudest Moment: Pulling off a TEDx with only 3 days’ notice and not embarrassing myself terribly.
Take Aways: That we all have a message to share and public speaking isn’t scary, especially if we work together to help each other out. #SpeakerFriends
Need to Know: While I am a terrific, passionate, authentic speaker about public speaking, especially for women and other underrepresented groups, I also offer workshops and programming that can be of interest to corporate ERGs, departments and teams…plus, the Innovation Women platform has literally thousands of other female speakers available.
Sherron Washington
Topics: Marketing, Communication, Inclusivity, Leadership
A marketing and communication (marcom) professor, speaker and author who has imparted her wisdom and expertise for over two decades. She has an uncanny ability to develop simple, innovative and results-driven marketing and communication.
Proudest Moment: Founding a non-profit that guides and empowers young women without access to strategically forge a path to excellence.
Take Aways: I want to influence and empower them to act.
Need to Know: I am there to create an experience for their attendees to be Edutained (Educated and Entertained) while energizing them.
Bean Gill
Topics: DEI, Motivation, Innovation, Leadership, Healthcare, Sales, Entrepreneur, Mental Health/Well-Being
Benveet “Bean” Gill was paralyzed from the waist down by a virus at age 30. She overcame this challenge, becoming an advocate for disability inclusion and a co-founder of the ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre. Bean stars in the series “PUSH,” showcasing the lives of wheelchair users. Recognized with numerous awards, including Miss Wheelchair Canada and RBC Canadian Women of Influence, Bean is a passionate Inclusion Warrior and Entrepreneur. Her story inspires others to embrace their differences and fight for equality. Bean Gill helps organizations and individuals to break barriers, prioritize inclusivity, and redefine disability, cultivating courage, gratitude, and community support for people with disabilities.
Agency: See Agency
Proudest Moment: My proudest moments are when people tell me my unique perspective and passion for inclusivity inspire and motivate them, describing my presentations as “life-changing.” Elevating discussions on DEI and encouraging positive self-talk fills me with immense pride, knowing my message has a lasting impact.
Take Aways: I hope audiences learn the importance of inclusion and advocacy: prioritizing inclusivity, breaking down barriers, and redefining societal views on disability.
Need to Know: I align my presentations with event goals, engage audiences with my story, provide practical insights, and deliver tangible outcomes that justify their investment and contribute to the event’s success.
Dan J. Berger
Topics: Belonging in events—How the Science of Belonging Can Help Us Plan Better Events; Belonging on teams—The Secret Sauce for Building Vibrant Communities That Cultivate Belonging
An Israeli-American entrepreneur. His newest venture, Assemble, is a boutique chain of corporate retreat centers. He previously founded and led Social Tables, an event planning software company, which was acquired by Cvent in 2018 for $100 million. Dan is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Pacesetter Award from the Events Industry Council. Dan holds a BA from Hunter College and an MBA from Georgetown University. His book, “The Quest: The Definitive Guide to Finding Belonging” will be published by ForbesBooks in September.
Agency: Forbes Books
Proudest Moment: When someone came up to me after a session and told me that they “got more out of my session than many years of therapy.”
Take Aways: That creating a sense of belonging in any event or community starts and ends with hospitality.
Need to Know: I recognize that an audience’s time is very valuable and this is why I am maniacally focused on making sure that every minute that I spend on stage has exceptional ROI.
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