Burnout: the fastest way to shatter employee morale and grind productivity to a halt. So why does no one talk about it? Burnout can be the difference between a mass exodus and a record breaking quarter. According to the American Psychological Society workplace burnout can lead to absent employees, job dissatisfaction, and even heart disease and body pain.
The speakers on this list are actively speaking to live audiences’ resilience, stress and workplace well-being. Many have recently appeared at major 2026 events or are booked for upcoming conferences. Therefore, they are especially relevant for planners looking for timely and credible voices on this issue.
The Mollie Plotkin Group has direct access to every speaker featured here, so we can help event organizers quickly identify the right fit for their audience and connect with these speakers for live or virtual events.
Table of contents
Suneel Gupta
When teams are running hard and losing energy, Suneel Gupta helps leaders rebuild capacity before burnout becomes the norm. His keynote “Momentum: Being All In Without Burning Out” gives audiences a practical framework for sustaining focus, performance, and well-being under pressure. He was featured as the opening keynote at FSI OneVoice 2026 in February, and he is also slated to keynote the Southern California Association of Governments 2026 Regional Conference and General Assembly, which adds timely proof that his message is resonating with leadership audiences right now.
Amy Blankson
Digital overload can quietly drain morale, resilience, and judgment at work, and Amy Blankson gives leaders a clearer way to respond. Her roster topics include “FEARLESS POSITIVITY: Mastering mindset in the midst of uncertainty” and “SUPER THINKERS: How to innovate, lead, and thrive in an AI-driven world,” both of which connect burnout prevention to better leadership in a hyperconnected workplace. She is featured at the 2026 CUPA-HR Annual Conference and Expo this October, where her session focuses on how leaders can thrive as digital tools and AI reshape the way people work.
Jody Carrington
Disconnected teams lose trust, energy, and emotional steadiness fast, and Jody Carrington speaks directly to that problem. “Navigating Change: Reconnection & Resilience in Leadership” and “Decoding Emotional Intelligence” give audiences usable tools for handling pressure, conflict, and change without letting burnout spread through the culture. She led burnout and reconnection workshops in February 2026, and she is also set to deliver the keynote presentation “Decoding Emotional Intelligence” at the 2026 Toastmasters International Convention.
Michelle Gielan
Stress becomes expensive when it lowers performance, optimism, and team follow-through. Michelle Gielan’s “Resilient to the Core: How to Improve Your Default Response to Stress to Boost Performance & Happiness” is built for organizations that want measurable gains in well-being and business results at the same time. She is on the program for the 2026 ULI Spring Meeting as the featured guest speaker for the Full Member Networking Luncheon, a timely signal that her positive psychology work continues to land with executive audiences.
Tasha Eurich
Constant change leaves leaders scattered, reactive, and mentally worn down, and Tasha Eurich helps them regain clarity. Her keynote “Becoming Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos” is especially useful for audiences trying to improve self-awareness, adaptability, and high-pressure decision-making. She also is part of the speaker lineup at Workhuman Live Orlando 2026, which fits neatly with her focus on helping people protect their sanity and success in demanding workplaces.
Matthew Emerzian
Burnout grows when people stop feeling that their work and presence matter. Matthew Emerzian addresses that directly in “Human-Centered Leadership: How to Prioritize Mental Health, Increase Well-Being, Mitigate Burnout Across High-Performing Teams,” giving audiences a more connected way to build culture and performance together. He opened the 2026 cityCURRENT Virtual Signature Speaker Series in January, which makes his message especially relevant for planners looking at the year ahead.
Shawn Achor
Low morale and chronic pressure can flatten performance even in talented teams, and Shawn Achor shows audiences how mindset shifts change results. “The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance” remains one of his clearest keynote answers for organizations that want stronger resilience, better engagement, and healthier cultures. He is on the 2026 WorldatWork Total Rewards program and is also scheduled for the Florida Association of Counties 2026 Annual Conference, where his work is framed around productivity, leadership, and well-being.
Tara Renze
Self-doubt and emotional fatigue can quietly erode leadership from the inside out, and Tara Renze is built for that conversation. Her keynotes “Be Who You Came to Be” and “Get Mentally Fit” connect emotional intelligence to steadier performance, stronger confidence, and better day-to-day leadership habits. She is part of the 2026 ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference on April 22, where her session focuses on the mindset that powers performance.
Michael Laidler
Pressure-heavy jobs need more than generic motivation, and Michael Laidler speaks to that with unusual credibility. “Fueling Resilience: Leading Yourself First to Turn Pressure into Growth” and “Leading into Wellness” are geared toward audiences that need steadier self-leadership, stronger culture, and better recovery under stress. He is featured in the MASCA 2026, which fits his focus on helping people perform clearly when the stakes are high.
Alisha De Lorenzo
Engagement drops when people feel flat, unseen, or stuck in stale systems, and Alisha De Lorenzo brings a sharper culture lens to that challenge. Her keynote “Unleashing a Culture of Aliveness: The Path to Getting More People More Engaged” speaks directly to burnout, retention, and energy inside the workplace. She was announced as the keynote for the NJSBA and NJASA Women’s Leadership Breakfast this April, which reinforces her relevance for audiences focused on leadership and organizational culture.
Dan Harris
Anxiety and overdrive can look productive from the outside until they start breaking people down, and Dan Harris is effective because he speaks from lived experience. His work around stress, mindfulness, and resilience still connects strongly with professional audiences who want practical mental health conversations without losing ambition. He spoke at The Jung Center’s March 24, 2026 spring benefit, “Are We 10% Happier Yet?”, which gives planners a fresh example of how his perspective continues to land in front of engaged live audiences.
Paul Epstein
Burnout often worsens when teams stay stuck in defensive habits and stop making clear decisions. Paul Epstein tackles that with keynotes like “Power of Playing Offense in Defensive Environments” and “How to Make Better Decisions Faster,” both built around confidence, clarity, and momentum. He was a keynote presenter for the Spear Summit 2026 Leadership Symposium in March, where his “Win Monday” message spoke directly to leaders trying to build stronger cultures under pressure.
Juliet Funt
Workflow overload is one of the fastest paths to burnout, and Juliet Funt stays focused on that operational reality. “Feed the Fire: Going Upstream from Mental Health at Work” and “De-Crapify Your Workflow! Reducing Waste to Amplify Results” make her especially useful for organizations that want to reduce drag, protect thinking time, and improve performance. She delivered the morning keynote at Bay Path University’s 2026 Women’s Leadership Conference, which is a timely reminder that her message lands with audiences looking for practical change, not theory alone.
Henna Pryor
High achievers often burn out because the same habits that earned early success stop serving them in constant change. Henna Pryor addresses that head-on in “Dominating Disruption and Pushing Limits” and “Awkward and Upward!,” showing audiences how to build the mental and social skills that hold up under uncertainty. She appeared on the 2026 TCIA Winter Management Conference schedule in February, where her keynote focused on modern excellence in a disruptive work environment.
Leslie Maxie
Teams trying to sustain excellence over time need stamina, perspective, and culture habits that hold up under pressure. Leslie Maxie brings that lens in “Excellence is Not an Accident: Integrating the Olympic Mindset into Your Company’s Culture,” a keynote built around focus, endurance, and long-view performance. She also appeared as a guest speaker in March 2026, a reminder that her message about resilience and disciplined growth continues to travel across different kinds of live audiences.
Susan Cain
Burnout can be reinforced by workplace cultures that reward constant noise and leave no room for depth, reflection, or quiet contribution. Susan Cain’s “Quiet Leadership: How to Harness the Strengths of Introverts to Change How We Work, Lead, and Innovate” gives planners a way into that conversation, especially for audiences rethinking communication, leadership, and team design. She is on the 2026-2027 Aims Speaker Series lineup for September 16, 2026, which keeps her squarely in the current leadership conversation.
To book a burnout keynote speaker through The Mollie Plotkin Group, contact booking@mollieplotkingroup.com or call 215-995-0905 to connect with an agent.