Speaking
The invisible tuition,
made visible.
Theo speaks to ERGs, university career programs, leadership institutes, and DEI conferences focused on closing the knowledge gap for first-gen and underrepresented professionals.
Signature Talks
Four talks. One through-line.
The Invisible Tuition
The knowledge your colleagues absorbed at dinner tables and alumni events didn't come with a syllabus — but it shapes who advances. This keynote names the curriculum, maps the gaps, and gives first-gen professionals a concrete framework for closing them faster than anyone expected.
ERG keynotes · DEI summits · Early-career programs
Negotiating Without a Net
Most negotiation advice assumes you can afford to walk away. This talk is built for professionals who can't — and still need to win. Constraint-aware tactics for salary negotiation, total compensation strategy, and positioning for the next conversation before this one is over.
University career centers · TRIO programs · Professional development conferences
The Unwritten Rules Curriculum
Every organization runs on informal rules that don't appear in any handbook — about feedback, sponsorship, visibility, and organizational power. This workshop maps the hidden curriculum of corporate advancement and gives participants tools to learn it faster than passive absorption ever would.
Leadership development programs · Affinity group workshops · Corporate academies
Authenticity Tax
The code-switching conversation misses the real cost — not which version of yourself you show at work, but the bandwidth you spend managing the gap. This talk reframes the conversation from presentation management to gap reduction, and offers a strategic path toward environments where the tax is lower.
DEI conferences · HR leadership forums · Management development programs
Where Theo Speaks
Built for the programs that take this work seriously.
Theo doesn't deliver inspiration. He delivers strategy — the kind that works inside real organizational constraints, with real career stakes.
Corporate ERGs & DEI Programs
Employee resource groups and talent development teams at mid-size and enterprise companies — focused on retention, advancement, and closing the opportunity gap for underrepresented professionals.
University Career Centers
First-gen student programs, TRIO, GEAR UP, and career development centers at four-year institutions — translating campus preparation into real-world advancement strategy before graduation.
Professional Associations
Annual conferences and regional chapters of organizations serving underrepresented communities in business, technology, finance, and consulting — including NABA, NSBE, ALPFA, and NBMBAA.
Leadership Development Institutes
Corporate leadership academies, cohort programs, and executive education initiatives designed to accelerate the advancement of high-potential professionals from non-traditional backgrounds.
Book Theo
Ready to bring this work to your organization?
Reach out with your event details — date, audience size, format, and goals. Theo works with a limited number of speaking engagements each year.