When the Room Needs Something More Than Just Inspiration
Kari Zeller speaks to leaders who are tired of motivational platitudes.
Her keynotes deliver frameworks that work, built from 25 years of transforming organizations under pressure, from combat zones to boardrooms.
The Mortar Attack That Changed Everything
Kari was an Air Force Officer deployed to Iraq when a mortar attack hit her base. In that moment, she realized something that shaped the rest of her career: all the leadership training and degrees she had accumulated meant nothing without the courage to act.
That insight became an obsession, bridging the gap between knowing about leadership and actually being a leader.
She’s spent 25 years pursuing that question. She’s led billion-dollar logistics operations during combat deployments and hurricane evacuations. She’s guided Fortune 100 executives through turnarounds, post-merger chaos, and strategic pivots. She’s logged 6,000+ hours coaching CEOs and their teams as a Master Certified Coach.
When Kari speaks, audiences get someone who has mobilized teams when lives were on the line, and who now helps leaders do the same when livelihoods are.
What Audiences Walk Away With
“From the ground up all the way to the executive team, she changed the way our leaders see the world.”
“Kari spoke our language so much, you’d think she worked for us.”
“The pull to do things the way you’ve always done them is strong. Kari helped us to see a new way forward.”
Keynote Topics
Leading in the Age of AI
Converting disruption into competitive advantage
The Situation
AI is moving faster than most organizations can adapt. Leaders face pressure to act while their teams fear being replaced.
What Kari Delivers
A framework for re-imagining value creation, calming workforce uncertainty, and mobilizing talent faster than technology evolves — protecting culture and profit as automation scales.
Best For
Formats
Mobilizing the Middle
Turning the “frozen layer” into a force multiplier
The Situation
Middle managers absorb pressure from above and friction from below. Strategy stalls at their level. Execution suffers.
What Kari Delivers
Methods proven in multi-billion-dollar retail, healthcare, hospitality, and military operations for unlocking the people closest to execution so strategy actually moves.
Best For
Formats
Fierce Trust: The No-Excuse Advantage
Trust as a hard business driver
The Situation
Low trust quietly erodes everything — decisions slow, collaboration dies, energy drains. Most leaders treat trust as “soft stuff.”
What Kari Delivers
Research shows high-trust companies are 2.5x more likely to be high-performing revenue organizations, with 50% higher productivity and 74% less stress. Kari gives leaders a rapid, tangible playbook to build, rebuild, and scale trust.
Best For
Formats
Proactive Accountability: Manage Promises, Not People
Ending the blame cycle
The Situation
Accountability has become a synonym for blame. Open loops pile up. Commitments slip. Leaders spend their time chasing instead of leading.
What Kari Delivers
A Create-Complete-Close system that redefines accountability as something that happens before the work — crafting clear agreements, equipping people to deliver, and closing every loop fast.
Best For
Formats
Custom & Confidential Sessions
Kari develops custom keynotes and facilitates executive sessions tailored to specific industries, strategic moments, and leadership challenges. Built in partnership with your team after a discovery conversation.
Common Custom Engagements
Where Kari Speaks
Corporate leadership events, industry conferences, executive retreats, and association gatherings — audiences from 50 to 5,000+.
Industries Served
- Retail (national multi-billion-dollar operations)
- Healthcare (50+ location systems)
- Hospitality (industry-leading restaurant groups)
- Military (U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command)
- Financial Services
- Technology
Event Types
- Annual conferences
- Executive offsites
- Board sessions
- Association keynotes
- Training kickoffs
- High-potential programs
How Booking Works
Submit an inquiry or schedule a call.
Use the form or book directly on the calendar. Either way, you’ll hear back within one business day.
We discuss your event, audience, and what success looks like.
A short discovery call to understand your context, your audience, and the outcomes you’re after.
Kari’s team proposes a tailored keynote or session.
You receive a custom proposal — topic, format, and logistics — built around your event.
Confirm details. Prepare for impact.
Once confirmed, Kari’s team handles the rest — from pre-event prep to post-event follow-through.
Or Submit a Speaking Inquiry
Or Submit a Speaking Inquiry
Speaker Resources
Download assets for your event planning and marketing.
Speaker One-Sheet
A single-page overview of Kari’s keynote topics, credentials, and booking details — ready to share with your events team.
Download PDFSpeaker Bios
Long and short-form bios formatted for event programs, websites, and conference materials.
Download BiosHeadshots & Photos
High-resolution headshots and on-stage photography for event promotion and press materials.
Download PhotosFrequently Asked Questions
Fees vary based on format (keynote, half-day workshop, full-day session), customization required, and travel. Contact us for a custom quote.
Yes. Kari delivers virtual keynotes and workshops with full engagement — including interactive elements, Q&A, and breakout facilitation when appropriate.
We recommend reaching out 3–6 months in advance for best availability, though we accommodate shorter timelines when possible.
Absolutely. Every keynote is tailored. Kari’s team conducts a discovery call to understand your audience, challenges, and desired outcomes before finalizing content.
Kari is based in Evergreen, Colorado. Travel and accommodation are typically covered by the hosting organization for in-person events.
Yes. In addition to keynotes (45–90 minutes), Kari offers half-day and full-day workshops, executive team facilitation, and multi-session leadership development programs.
Yes. Kari is experienced in panel discussions, fireside chats, and interactive Q&A formats.
About Kari
Kari Zeller is the Founder and CEO of TGN Consulting, a leadership consultancy that upgrades Leadership Operating Systems for Fortune 100 companies, healthcare systems, and government organizations.
A decorated Air Force combat veteran, Kari led billion-dollar logistics operations during deployments in Iraq and hurricane evacuations. She holds a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and has logged 6,000+ hours as a Master Certified Executive Coach. She hosts the Leadership Impact podcast.