Sterling Hawkins: Innovative Leadership

Culture and innovation leader who builds resilient, creative organizations with tactical playbooks to spark idea flow, scale experimentation, and sustain change-driven performance.

Quick Facts:

Highlights:
  • Sterling Hawkins has navigated the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, from leading a multi-billion-dollar startup to overcoming its collapse, showcasing his resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.
  • Sterling’s expertise is sought after by C-level teams of some of the world’s largest organizations, where he offers strategic guidance and innovative solutions to drive sustainable growth and navigate complex business landscapes.
  • Sterling’s thought-provoking perspectives have been featured in top-tier publications such as Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times, and Forbes, establishing him as a leading voice in entrepreneurship, innovation, and organizational development.


Formats Available: Keynote (45–60 min); Executive briefing; Half-day workshop; Breakout session; Virtual masterclass.

Preferred Audience Sizes: Leadership teams (25–150); Conference keynotes (200–2,500).

Outcomes:
  1. Activate high performance with practical team routines.
  2. Turn discomfort into measurable growth and risk-taking.
  3. Build repeatable innovation systems that sustain momentum.

Keynote Topics

Get unstuck and create a sure pathway to progress, regardless of the challenges 

In a world permanently transformed by tech upheaval, competitive pressures, talent shortages, and global instability, change and uncertainty have never been more intense. But here’s the truth: change is constant, and it isn’t the enemy. It’s our approach to it that leaves us afraid of taking risks, struggling to adapt and limiting our progress.

Sterling Hawkins shares how he went from multi-billion dollar startup success story to bankruptcy to growth leader and advisor to hundreds of leading companies. The experiences, research and real-world testing shared in this ground-breaking keynote will help you break through your own challenges by reframing your relationship with change. Sterling’s proven framework cultivates a resilient growth mindset that thrives in uncertainty by empowering audiences to commit to real progress rather than burning out or becoming crushed by it. 

With his No Matter What mantra, Sterling lights a fire within individuals and teams, uniting them to capitalize on their strengths. By fostering connection, breaking down silos, and empowering team members at every level to confront uncertainty, his system transforms any change into opportunity and any challenge into greater potential.

Outcomes: 

  • Activate High Performance: Empower your team with proven practices that drive high performance, regardless of challenges.
  • Transform Discomfort into Growth: Challenge the “survival” narrative and use discomfort as a powerful catalyst for impact, resilience, and transformation.
  • Accelerate Learning and Results: Embrace a science-backed approach to harness the unknown, accelerating learning and achieving outstanding results.

This inspirational keynote is designed for leaders who are:

  • Struggling to keep up with technology disruption, competitive pressures, and market shifts.
  • Disempowered dealing with unknowns and burned out from relentless change. 
  • Under pressure to deliver stronger results by rising to challenging circumstances or ambitious goals.

Realize the potential in yourself, your team and your organization with trust-driven leadership

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, there are few constants, leaving paralyzing uncertainty in its wake. It is the role of transformational leaders to build a clear foundation of what can be trusted, enabling growth and consistent success. 

From over a decade of exploring myriad growth modalities, Sterling Hawkins introduces a revolutionary methodology for transformational leadership centered on trust. Instead of focusing solely on goals and tasks, this method orients us to the real work of growth, aligns us to our ultimate goals, and connects us with what matters most. Modeled by leaders, these principles become the ground upon which transformation takes place. In practice, the principles inspire teams, win moments of opportunity, deliver differentiated solutions, and unlock greater potential.

This paradigm shift not only reduces turnover and stimulates breakthrough approaches, but also resonates positively with partners, clients, and stakeholders. Embracing trust-driven leadership doesn’t just improve the bottom line; this proven approach enhances the workplace and shapes the very essence of the organization. 

Outcomes:

  • Unlock Hidden Potential: Harness cutting-edge, research-backed methods to build trust, enhance learning, and reveal the inherent potential within your team.
  • Catalyze Transformative Action: Implement powerful, actionable leadership practices that drive immediate and lasting change.
  • Sustain Momentum: Create enduring performance improvements that continuously accelerate team momentum and organizational growth.

This transformational keynote is designed for leaders who are:

  • Called to lead in a meaningful new way to significantly improve morale and results.
  • Frustrated with surface-level approaches, lack of clarity and slow progress. 
  • Ready to truly align to produce breakthrough performance for themselves and their teams.

Build your capacity to grow by establishing a fresh relationship with change, control and uncertainty.

True growth comes from stepping toward a place that many fear: the unknown. High performing people and organizations must develop their relationship with the uncertainty that comes from unknowns to reach even higher levels of success. 

Created and field-tested alongside some of the world’s largest companies, Sterling Hawkins offers a proven methodology that doesn’t rely on working more or trying harder. Instead, he provides clear steps to radically rethink our relationship with the unknown and the uncomfortable. This shift builds trust that outweighs fear, courage that overrides worry and the capacity to shed our comfort zone and handle uncertainty.

No matter your current situation or level of performance, Sterling’s compelling data, moving stories, and high-energy delivery enable audiences to think differently, elevate conversations, and align to greater goals to maximize the impact of individuals, teams, and organizations.

Outcomes:

  • Master Uncertainty: Avoid common growth pitfalls and confidently navigate the unknown to propel your objectives forward.
  • Establish Psychological Safety: Apply proven practices to cultivate psychological safety within, unlocking dramatic new results in any situation.
  • Transform Your Culture: Shift from fear-driven reactions to proactive purposeful actions, fostering deep trust and maximizing long-term impact.

This growth keynote is designed for leaders who are: 

  • Ready to reach the next level of performance with a radical new approach. 
  • Seeking a framework to advance sales, business results or breakthrough performance. 
  • Inspired to make a bigger difference without sacrificing health and wellbeing.

Practical tools to build a culture of creativity, ingenuity and determination

With AI and other disruptive changes as the new constant, fostering an innovation culture is mission-critical to stay ahead. The catch is, our natural human inclination is to resist any change, seeking comfort in the security of familiar routines. 

Sterling Hawkins offers a fresh perspective on innovation built on launching, investing, and growing over 100 startups. He shares a science-backed approach to breakthrough innovation by coming from a place of curiosity, not certainty. To achieve the impact we desire in our businesses, communities and families, we need a complete perspective overhaul. 

Learn Sterling’s holistic approach for cultivating a culture of creativity, ingenuity, and determination across all areas of an organization. This keynote goes deeper than a motivational talk: it’s a transformative experience that shows you how to innovate and create from true inspiration.

Outcomes: 

  • Break Free from History: Identify and release outdated narratives that hinder team progress.
  • Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: Apply practical tools to foster an innovative culture that distinguishes your organization in a competitive market.
  • Embrace Failure to Succeed: Adopt a neuroscience-backed approach to break down silos, embrace failures, and uncover breakthrough opportunities.

This innovation keynote is designed for leaders who are:

  • Seeking a new approach to innovation that drives organic growth, competitive advantage and higher performance.
  • Looking to break free of legacy thinking, limiting beliefs and fear of failure to realize next- level breakthroughs.
  • Inspired to take smart risks, desire to embrace new technologies or approaches and need to collaborate in deeper ways.

Talent Short Bio

Sterling Hawkins is a culture and innovation leader who combines hard-earned startup experience with proven frameworks for organizational change. He’s lived the full lifecycle of entrepreneurship from scaling and leading multi-billion-dollar ventures to rebuilding after significant setbacks and uses that real-world perspective to help leaders reframe uncertainty into opportunity. Sterling’s signature “No Matter What” approach equips teams with tactical playbooks to spark idea flow, scale experiments, and sustain results without burning out.

A sought-after advisor for executive teams, Sterling translates case-study evidence and applied research into hands-on tools that leaders can implement immediately. His work focuses on practical shifts building psychological safety, instituting rapid learning loops, and embedding trust-driven leadership so organizations can operate creatively under pressure and deliver outcomes that matter. Sterling’s sessions are high-energy, story-rich, and built to move people from inspiration to action.

He also wrote Hunting Discomfort, which explores why leaning into the uncomfortable is the backbone of breakthrough performance. For events seeking both strategic insight and useful, repeatable practices, Sterling offers a powerful combination of credibility, method, and executional clarity.

Sterling Hawkins is a transformative figure in the realm of organizational culture and business innovation. Known for his groundbreaking work on creating cultures of innovation and resilience, Hawkins has emerged as a preeminent speaker and thought leader.

His signature speech, “No Matter What,” encapsulates his philosophy of overcoming challenges and fostering an environment where innovation thrives. As the author of the acclaimed book “Hunting Discomfort,” Hawkins provides invaluable insights into embracing and leveraging discomfort to achieve extraordinary results.

With a dynamic blend of practical experience and profound insights, Sterling Hawkins has captivated audiences worldwide. His approach goes beyond conventional motivational speaking, offering actionable strategies that drive real change within organizations.

Hawkins’s unique ability to connect with diverse audiences and inspire them to push beyond their limits makes him an indispensable asset for any event focused on growth, innovation, and resilience. Hawkins’s journey from a successful entrepreneur to a globally recognized speaker underscores his deep understanding of the complexities of modern business.

His experiences have equipped him with the knowledge and tools to help organizations navigate the turbulent waters of change and disruption, making him a sought-after speaker for companies aiming to stay ahead in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Sterling Hawkins’s expertise in organizational culture and business innovation is rooted in his diverse and extensive background. He began his career as an entrepreneur, co-founding, growing, and eventually selling several ventures, including a tech startup that revolutionized retail analytics. This hands-on experience provided him with a profound understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape and the critical role of innovation in achieving success.

Throughout his career, Hawkins has been at the forefront of technological and cultural transformations within organizations. His work with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and industry leaders has given him unique insights into the strategies and mindsets required to foster a culture of continuous innovation. By integrating cutting-edge technology with human-centric approaches, he has helped organizations unlock new levels of performance and adaptability.

A pivotal aspect of Hawkins’s influence is his ability to address the psychological barriers that hinder innovation. In his book “Hunting Discomfort,” he delves into the importance of confronting and embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth. This philosophy is a cornerstone of his speaking engagements, where he empowers audiences to move beyond their comfort zones and embrace the challenges necessary for innovation.

Hawkins’s speaking influence extends to prestigious global events, where he has shared stages with some of the most prominent figures in business and innovation. His compelling presentations have inspired thousands of leaders to rethink their approaches to culture and innovation, leading to transformative changes within their organizations. His ability to distill complex concepts into relatable and actionable insights makes his sessions not only informative but also highly engaging.

In addition to his speaking engagements, Hawkins is a prolific writer and thought leader. His articles and insights on innovation, leadership, and organizational culture are widely published and have become essential reading for business leaders and innovators. His thought-provoking perspectives challenge conventional wisdom and offer new paradigms for achieving sustainable success in today’s rapidly changing world. Hawkins’s commitment to fostering innovation extends beyond the corporate world.

He is actively involved in various initiatives aimed at driving positive social change through innovative approaches. His work with non-profits and community organizations demonstrates his belief in the power of innovation to address some of society’s most pressing challenges. This broader perspective enriches his presentations, offering audiences a holistic view of the impact of innovation.

Sterling Hawkins is a trailblazer in the fields of organizational culture and business innovation. His signature speech, “No Matter What,” and his book “Hunting Discomfort” provide powerful frameworks for embracing challenges and fostering a culture of innovation.

With a rich background in entrepreneurship and a proven track record of influencing change, Hawkins is an ideal speaker for organizations seeking to navigate the complexities of modern business. Booking Hawkins through Speakers Inc. guarantees a seamless and successful event planning experience.

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Sterling Hawkins | Innovative Leadership
5/5
5/5 (7 reviews)

Travel & Fee Range:**

  • Travels from: Denver
  • **Fee range: $20,001 - $35,000

Talent FAQ's

A: Yes — he customizes case studies, frameworks, and exercises to fit your sector and business goals.

A: Domestic bookings generally need 2-4 weeks; international bookings 6-8 weeks to accommodate travel and prep.

A: Yes — Sterling provides half-day workshops and scaled coaching packages to help embed the practices introduced on stage.

Talent Resources

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