Celeste Headlee

Keynote Speaker

Communication and Human Nature Expert, Award-winning journalist, and author

Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, professional speaker and author of Heard Mentality and We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter. In her 20-year career in public radio, she has been the Executive Producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as co-host of the national morning news show, The Takeaway, from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Celeste’s TEDx Talk sharing 10 ways to have a better conversation has over 19 million total views to date.

As an NPR host and journalist, Celeste has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life. Through her work, she has learned the true power of conversation and its ability to both bridge gaps or deepen wounds. In a time when conversations are often minimized to a few words in a text message and lack of meaningful communication and dialogue abounds, Celeste sheds a much-needed light on the lost and essential art of conversation. Celeste is an expert in human nature, reclaiming common humanity and finding well-being and frequently provides insight and commentary on what is good for all humans and what is bad for us, focusing the best research in neuro and social science to increase understanding of how we relate with one another and can work together in beneficial ways in our workplaces, neighborhoods, communities and homes. As a mixed race journalist of black and Jewish descent, Celeste also speaks candidly about how to converse on race and other difficult subjects.

Celeste serves as an advisory board member for Procon.org and the Listen First Project. She recently co-hosted season three of the Scene on Radio podcast – MEN. Her work and insights have been featured on TODAY Show, Inc., Time, Wired, Psychology Today, NPR, Essence, Elle, BuzzFeed, Salon, Parade, and many more. Celeste has presented to well over 100 companies, conferences, and universities. 

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