Workshops and Talks

Widen the room

"You model what you teach, which is a great way to learn."

— Barbara Reno, former CEO,
The Conference Board Europe

Leadership changes when we widen what we see.

Companies invite me in when something in how a team or organisation relates needs to change. Better relationships with customers. More collaboration across teams. Greater courage to lead from the heart not just the head.

Designed from decades experience to support leadership development, culture change initiatives, and turn talks at leadership forums and company conferences into provocative and playful skill-building sessions.

The Connection Workshop

An immersive experience that changes how people relate, communicate and move forward together.

Available as a 1-day workshop, a 2-day immersive, or a keynote talk with interactive session.

You can feel the moment a room closes. Nothing is said. But the conversation narrows. And the pressure of the task at hand overrides the very human agency needed to deliver it.

This work widens the frame again, keeping the exchange real and memorable.

This is an immersive experience built to cultivate the relational presence and communication skills people need to forge lasting relationships, with their clients and peers.

The 1-Day Workshop - a foundational workshop designed for small cohorts.

The 2-Day Immersive - builds directly on the one-day workshop. Great for teams. Develop a shared language for your work. Tell your story of now with presence and impact.

The Keynote & Interactive Session — personal stories and an invitation to try on something new.

What your audience takes away:

  • A clearer sense of how to hold steady, open presence in the face of uncertainty.

  • Communication skills that focus attention, deepen trust, and inspires real engagement.

  • A felt sense of what becomes possible when people think and speak together differently.

  • New ways to build relationships that last.

To bring Widen the Room into your organisation, let's talk.

Why it matters…

  • At heart, organisations are living ecosystems. They are made up of relationships. Between leaders and teams. Between colleagues and customers. Between suppliers, partners, communities, technology, AI and the wider systems they touch every day. And like every living ecosystem, their health depends on the quality of connection flowing through them.

  • When connection weakens, something begins to fragment.

  • People protect themselves. Trust weakens. Meaning fades. But when connection strengthens, something else becomes possible. The organisation becomes more resilient, collaborative, creative and alive.

“When winging it is not an option and you need your top talent at the top of their game, it's a reflex to seek support from the best.”

— Gregg Svingen,
Vice President, International Corporate Affairs, UPS

Keynote speaking

This TEDx talk isn't the most polished I've given. But the content matters as much today as it did then. It's about bringing the quality of connection to life inside organisations.

I've delivered many keynotes since. Industry conferences, leadership events on big stages and small. Happy to share references.

The Art of Connection

Something new… for organisations ready to work more wisely.

For a bigger scope of work and a wider conversation explore The Art of Connection.

In their words

  • “Our relationship has unlocked my ability to connect and lead with more compassion, essential for driving transformational change across our organisation.”

    — Silviu Popovici, CEO, PepsiCo Europe & Middle East

  • "Carissa helps you look beyond the obvious to build fundamental, deep trust to achieve high ambition goals as a team. Together with her, we have unlocked incredible value and energy."

    — Hans Peter Granicher, CEO and Co-Founder, D ONE

  • “Carissa has the combined unique skill of being able to get under the skin of an issue with incredible insight coupled with a true grasp of commercial reality and business.”

    — Harry Hyman, Founder and Chair, Primary Health Properties PLC