• ‍Co-Founder and COO of ShearShare: As the leader of a groundbreaking B2B beauty-tech platform, Courtney has redefined the way beauty professionals operate, showcasing her ability to innovate and lead in the tech space.‍
• Forbes Next 1000 Honoree: Recognized as a visionary entrepreneur, Courtney’s success story highlights her ability to disrupt industries and create impactful solutions.
• Championing Women Entrepreneurs: Courtney’s journey as a female tech founder underscores the importance of resilience and empowerment, making her a relatable and inspiring figure for women in tech.‍
• Representation and Inclusion: As a Black woman in tech, she serves as a role model for women from underrepresented backgrounds aspiring to succeed in STEM fields.
• Focus on Resilience: Her keynote stories often center on overcoming challenges, learning from setbacks, and building a fulfilling career, offering actionable insights for attendees.
• Authentic Storytelling: Courtney is known for her honest and inspiring stories, which blend personal anecdotes with professional lessons to motivate her audience.‍
• Actionable Insights: She provides attendees with practical tools and strategies to foster personal growth and career advancement.

Recommended Keynotes:

1) Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Thriving as a Woman in Tech

Success in tech isn’t just about skills—it’s about early confidence, measured strategy, and intentional impact. In this empowering keynote, Courtney Caldwell, a post-exit tech founder and startup entrepreneur,  shares actionable insights on navigating new workplace dynamics, building a strong personal brand, and using resilience as a competitive advantage. From overcoming self-assigned syndromes to leveraging unique perspectives as women—especially women of color—Courtney provides a roadmap for early-career professionals to thrive. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies to advocate for themselves and to shape the future of tech on their own terms.

*Courtney can adjust this topic to make it applicable to your audience

2) Do It Scared

Fear is universal—whether you’re scaling a business, raising a family, or climbing a literal mountain. In this powerful keynote, Courtney and Dr. Tye Caldwell share how fear has been a constant companion on their journey—from navigating the build, scale, and successful exit of an award-winning startup to parenting with purpose an NFL athlete to pushing past physical and mental limits on the world’s toughest climbs as they summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Through real-life stories and hard-earned insights, they challenge the idea that fear is something to avoid. Instead, they show how embracing fear can be the key to achieving audacious goals. Whether you’re launching a startup, stepping into leadership, making a career pivot or life-changing decision, raising the next generation, or tackling a personal challenge that seems insurmountable, the lesson is clear: the greatest breakthroughs happen when you do it scared.

Audiences will rethink fear, reframe risk, and take bold steps toward their biggest goals.

Three Key Objectives:

1. Reframe fear as fuel: Learn how fear can be a powerful driver for growth, resilience, and success in all areas of life.
2. Take decisive action: Develop strategies to push through uncertainty, take calculated risks with confidence, and make bold decisions in business, parenting, and personal challenges.
3. Cultivate a resilient mindset: Gain insights from real-world experiences—scaling companies, raising a family, and conquering mountains—on how to keep moving forward even when the path gets steep.

Intended Audience: Executives, entrepreneurs, founders, tech professionals, parents, and ambitious leaders looking to break through fear-driven limitations and take bold steps toward their next level of success.

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"Honestly, she was one of the best speakers I have seen in my career. -- Her story was inspiring, engaging, relevant, and just brought so much joy to me. After hearing her talk, I took to heart some of the things she does and even took a few of them and implemented them in my daily routine. -- I had a banana for breakfast too! Anyhow, this was a fantastic speaker -- Incredible." - Code42

• ‍Founder & CEO of OYA Femtech Apparel: Mitchella is redefining the intersection of technology, innovation, and fashion by creating high-performance, inclusive activewear for women.‍
• MIT Innovation Initiative Entrepreneur: With a background in designing human-centered solutions, she brings a fresh perspective on how technology can be leveraged to drive change and inclusivity.‍
• Breaking Barriers in STEM & Entrepreneurship: As a woman of color leading a pioneering femtech company, she is a role model for aspiring female entrepreneurs and technologists.‍
• Overcoming Challenges as a Founder: Mitchella’s journey—from securing funding as a minority entrepreneur to scaling a purpose-driven business—offers valuable lessons on resilience, adaptability, and leadership.‍
• Advocating for Holistic Success: She emphasizes the importance of mental well-being, confidence, and self-care as key pillars for long-term success in tech and business.‍
• Authentic Storytelling: Mitchella shares her experiences with honesty and humor, making her a compelling and relatable speaker for women navigating tech careers.

Recommended Keynotes:

1) Empowering Women's Health: The Story Behind Oya Femtech Apparel

Embarking on the journey of building Oya Femtech Apparel has been an enlightening and transformative experience. As the founder and CEO, I've not only developed a groundbreaking technical apparel brand addressing feminine health issues but have also witnessed the profound impact it has had on women's lives. Reflecting on this journey, I've gleaned three crucial lessons about advocating for women's health and fostering positive change.

Lesson 1: Advocating for the Unaware

Lesson 2: Men as Allies, Not Enemies

Lesson 3: Taking Breaks to Recharge

In conclusion, empowering women's health goes beyond providing technical solutions; it involves challenging societal norms, fostering alliances, and nurturing a culture of self-worth. Oya Femtech Apparel is not just a brand—it's a movement to redefine beauty, celebrate health, and create a more inclusive and empowering future for women.

2) The Power of Innovation: Lesson from Building Oya Femtech Apparel

As the founder and CEO of Oya Femtech Apparel, I've embarked on a journey fueled by innovation, and driven by a passion to create meaningful change in women's health. Through this experience, I've gleaned invaluable lessons that have shaped my understanding of innovation and its transformative power. Here are three key messages I've learned along the way:

• Make a Specific Community Your Focus
• You Will Win Just by Virtue of Trying
• The World Needs More Inclusive Innovators

Innovation is not merely about creating something new; it's about creating value, driving progress, and improving lives. By embracing these key lessons—focusing on community, daring to dream, and championing inclusivity—we can harness the power of innovation to shape a brighter, more equitable future for all.

"It was great. Mitchella was exactly the right person for us to work with and their personalization of the content to our team was top tier. Everyone left the presentation feeling motivated and inspired." - Kathleen Sikora, Director Talent Effectiveness & Development, Code42

Recommended Keynote:

Navigating the Workplace: Empathy, Understanding, and Actioning the Path Forward for Women

The Workplace Experiences of Women: A Full Course Meal of Understanding

Understanding the experiences of women in the workplace is like savoring a full-course meal—it requires time, attention, and an appreciation for each unique flavor. In this session, we'll unravel the complexities, challenges, and triumphs that women navigate in professional settings.

Anchoring in Empathy: The Key to Increased Productivity

Empathy is the secret sauce that enhances productivity. As leaders, anchoring ourselves in empathy allows us to truly understand our team members, fostering an environment of trust and collaboration. It's not just about leading; it's about creating a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. With a 38% drop in work-life balance for women since COVID-19 it is imperative that leaders have empathy to drive the best results from individuals and the team they manage (Hupfer et al., 2022).

Leading with Understanding: A Recipe for Success

Leading people you don't understand is like navigating uncharted waters. In this session, I'll share insights on unlocking the full potential of women on your team. By embracing their unique strengths, skills, and perspectives, you can tap into a wellspring of creativity and innovation. In fact, there is a 21% gap in profits due to a lack of gender-diverse teams (Boykin, 2023; Hunt, 2018).  I can’t think of a company that wouldn’t want to recoup a portion of that 21% of profits!

Retention Strategies: Nurturing Top-Talented Women

Retention is the cornerstone of a thriving organization. We'll explore strategies to retain top talented women, recognizing that a diverse and inclusive workplace isn't just a moral obligation—it's a pathway to increased profitability and sustainable success.  Remember, inclusive workplace cultures are 2x more likely to meet or exceed financial targets (Bourke, 2018).

Intersectionality: Navigating Complexity without Conflict

Layers of intersectionality don't have to be minefields of conflict. Instead, they can be bridges that connect us. We'll discuss how understanding and appreciating diverse identities contribute to a harmonious workplace where everyone can thrive.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our journey in this session will be a deep dive into empathy, understanding, and the path forward for women in the workplace to drive productivity and profits. Reach out to schedule a session that guides you through using authentic empathy to drive solid business results.

“Dr. V Boykin’s superpower as a speaker is making her audiences feel seen, heard, and valued. I’ve hosted many events in my career, and very rarely have I seen someone so quickly create a safe space for attendees to ask candid questions, be vulnerable about their experiences, and connect on a human level. By addressing tough topics in an accessible way, followed by specific calls to action, she leaves you feeling inspired and fully equipped to tackle your personal challenges.” - Erica Finley, Principal Marketing Manager, HubSpot

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