YAYA McBRIDE.

A live keynote experience for conferences and professional gatherings

Resilience: Who Are You Becoming?

A powerful 45–60-minute experience that helps attendees navigate pressure, reconnect with their purpose, and lead from a deeper understanding of themselves and others.

Yamile "Yaya" McBride, seated and smiling.
25+ years In public education —
former school administrator

Spoken & featured in

RiverRun International Film Festival Women Rocking Business Hustle Winston-Salem SecondAct Women Winston-Salem Ambassadors

The human behind the professional

Your attendees carry more than their job titles.

Professionals are constantly responding to change, pressure, expectations, and the needs of others. Over time, it becomes easy to operate on autopilot, react from frustration, or lose connection with the purpose that brought them to the work.

Conferences provide valuable information and strategies. But people also need space to pause, understand what they are carrying, and reconnect with who they are becoming.

Yaya with keynote speaker Joseph McClendon III at a speaker event.
0%

of U.S. employees face moderate to very high stress at work — a six-year high.

Aflac WorkForces Report, 2024
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of employees feel connected to their organization’s mission or purpose — a record low.

Gallup, 2024
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say they don’t get enough uninterrupted time during the workday to focus and reflect.

Microsoft Work Trend Index

Numbers like these are why the experience has to work as hard as the message does.

The keynote experience

A keynote that continues after the conference ends.

Resilience: Who Are You Becoming? combines relatable storytelling, guided reflection, practical tools, and honest conversation to help attendees understand how emotions, beliefs, and expectations influence the way they respond to challenges.

Attendees are invited to look beyond what is happening around them, recognize what is happening within them, and make more intentional choices about how they move forward.

A group of women celebrating together at the Latinas Finas event.

What attendees carry forward

Attendees leave encouraged to:

  • Recognize how emotions and expectations shape their responses
  • Regulate themselves more effectively during difficult moments
  • Navigate change and setbacks without losing their sense of direction
  • Reconnect with their strengths, values, and purpose
  • Lead others with greater curiosity and understanding
  • See possibility beyond present limitations
  • Make intentional choices about who they are becoming

Why Yaya

Grounded in experience, not just inspiration.

As an educator and former administrator, the speaker understands what it means to lead people, navigate complex systems, manage competing expectations, and remain connected to the human beings behind the work.

The message is practical, deeply human, and designed to complement conference themes centered on resilience, leadership, well-being, education, community, and personal growth.

Yamile "Yaya" McBride speaking to an audience, mid-gesture.

“I don’t come to give students another lecture. I create an experience they can feel.”

Built to fit your event

Three ways it can show up at your conference.

Keynote

General session keynote

A full-stage 45–60 minute experience for your general session or opening keynote — setting the tone for the whole event.

Breakout

Breakout or workshop session

A smaller, more interactive session for a track or session slot, with room for attendees to actually engage, not just watch.

Multi-day

Multi-day summit or leadership retreat

A deeper, extended engagement across a conference or offsite — pairing a keynote with a follow-up workshop or closing session.

Bring this to your attendees

Give your audience more than a memorable moment.

Bring your attendees together for an experience that creates reflection in the room—and continues influencing how they live, work, and lead after the event. Resilience: Who Are You Becoming? can serve as an opening keynote, closing keynote, or featured general session.