Speaking Topics
Dr. Keita Franklin speaks to audiences of healthcare leaders, policymakers, veteran-serving organizations, corporations, and community groups on the themes of suicide prevention, leadership in high-stakes environments, public health transformation, and what it takes to truly serve the people our systems are built to help. Each talk can be adapted to keynote (45-60 min), breakout (30 min), or fireside-chat format.
The Humanity Cure: How Small Acts Change the World
Drawn from her forthcoming book, this keynote makes the case that the mental health crisis — loneliness, disconnection, suicide — will not be solved by systems alone. Using stories from her own career inside the DoD, the VA, and the field, Keita shows how the smallest human acts are often the most consequential interventions we have, and why the people closest to the problem are usually closer to the solution than the systems give them credit for. Ideal for: leadership audiences, healthcare conferences, veteran-serving organizations, corporate wellness events.
Suicide Prevention as Public Health: Where We Are and What Comes Next
A substantive, evidence-based talk on where suicide prevention stands today — drawn from Keita’s work leading national prevention efforts at DoD and VA and her current role co-directing the Columbia Lighthouse Project. Covers the shift from medical-model to public health approaches, what the data actually tells us, and what an effective strategy looks like for any organization serious about reducing suicide risk. Ideal for: healthcare systems, academic medical centers, public health conferences, state and federal policy convenings.
Leading Through Crisis: What 25 Years Inside Federal Systems Taught Me About Change
A leadership keynote for executives working inside complex, high-stakes organizations — hospitals, federal agencies, nonprofits, corporations. Keita shares what she learned advising the White House, testifying before Congress, and driving systems change inside two of the largest agencies in the federal government. She speaks candidly about what worked, what didn’t, and what leaders in any sector can take away about moving big organizations in the right direction. Ideal for: executive audiences, leadership development programs, women in leadership events.
The Architecture of Belonging: Building Workplaces Where People Actually Stay
Most organizations are doing more for employee wellbeing than ever before — and getting less for it. Engagement is down, burnout is up, and benefits packages are full of programs no one uses. In healthcare, helping professions, and other high-stakes work, the people we most need to keep are walking out the door.
In this keynote, drawn from research and stories in The Humanity Cure, Dr. Keita Franklin argues that what most organizations call “wellbeing” is a thin layer of programming over a deeper structural problem. The real drivers of retention and resilience aren’t perks. They’re presence, belonging, and connection — and they have to be built into the culture, not bolted on.
Drawing on 25 years inside some of the most demanding workplaces in America, Keita lays out what actually moves the needle: how leaders create cultures where people feel seen, how teams build trust under pressure, and what the smallest acts of human attention can do that no benefits package ever will. She is honest about why most workplace mental health initiatives miss the mark, and clear about what to do instead.
Dr. Franklin has presented to national and international audiences across federal, healthcare, academic, military, veteran-serving, and corporate settings — including Congressional testimony, White House and National Security Council briefings, keynotes for veteran-service organizations, and presentations at international conferences on suicide prevention, behavioral health, and public health leadership. Talks can be adapted for live, virtual, or hybrid delivery, and tailored to the audience and context.