Join Ben McBride as he uses the power of personal stories to inspire listeners to reflect on their own potential for change. These stories, both from historical leaders and Ben's own experiences, serve as a powerful tool to connect with the audience and engage them in the narrative. By weaving in these stories, Ben provides a roadmap for leading differently—one that expands the circle of human concern. With a blend of humor, history and current events, Ben invites listeners to take a personal and professional step towards bridging differences. He encourages them to co-create a future in their families, schools, communities and workplaces, even with those they may have perceived as "the other." Ben customizes his content for specific audiences, including: 

• Business/Nonprofits: Ben provides a strategic roadmap for leading differently—one that fosters inclusion, expands the circle of collaboration and deepens the sense of belonging within organizations.
• Healthcare: Take personal and professional steps toward creating inclusive environments—whether in patient care, team dynamics or within the broader healthcare community—ensuring that everyone, even those perceived as "the other," feels seen, heard and valued.
• Educators: Learn to create an environment where every student feels valued and supported, regardless of their background or identity.
• Students: Learn to lead with kindness and create spaces of belonging for all.

In this keynote address, Ben McBride instills in the listeners the belief that collective leadership is a more potent force than individual leadership. Ben presents seven transformative shifts in this keynote that institutional leaders and C-suiters can adopt to amplify their collective outcomes and impact, with co-creation and self-care at the core. By sharing personal stories and insights from Empower Initiative's Fostering Belonging Theory, Ben educates the audience on how to engage in collective leadership, showing them how to go from where they are to where they want to be. They’ll also be encouraged to bridge differences with colleagues, fostering a culture of productivity and progress within an organization.

In this keynote address, Ben McBride urges those seeking social change to confront the challenges facing the United States, such as polarization and indifference, with a commitment to non-violence. Using current data to illustrate the alarming trend towards violence, Ben shares a framework that broadens the circle of human concern, particularly with space, to include those who profoundly disagree. Drawing from his personal experiences as a religious leader, activist, community organizer and belonging practitioner, Ben will show how to embrace courageous leadership and encourage his listeners to “trouble the waters” of our body politic by “troubling the waters” of our hearts and imagination, bridging across differences and co-creating with those we may perceive as “the other.”

For Ben McBride, one thing is for sure: None of us created the past of othering (dividing people into "us" and "them”) in our country. We inherited it. But we can bridge those differences. It’s about belonging and how we, as a collective, can co-create a future big enough to hold all our similarities and differences. Rather than seeking uniformity, which can make our uniqueness disappear, Ben invites leaders, stakeholders, and students to work toward safety, civility, and collaboration by bridging those differences. Through engaging stories, academic insights and humor, Ben explores practical strategies for fostering cultures of belonging in both personal and organizational settings. This keynote is ideal for companies, organizations and schools seeking a path forward that prioritizes respectful harmony over forced assimilation.