Kristen Hadeed

In college, Kristen launched Student Maid, a cleaning company that became known on a global scale for its culture and ability to engage the next generation. Now she helps teams and leaders all over the world ignite human leadership and build a culture where trust, connection, and engagement are the norm.

Topic Categories:

Business, Communication, Future of Work, Generations, Inspirational, Leadership, Motivational, Resilience, Women

Fee Range: Contact Speaker Exchange Agency

Launched Student Maid, a cleaning company, while in college and grew it into one that employed thousands and became known on a global scale for its culture and ability to engage the next generation
Had delivered thousands of keynotes and workshops across the globe over the last decade
Host of the Human Leadership Program with thousands of alumni to date
Has worked alongside Simon Sinek for more than a decade
Named one of the “Top 100 HR Influencers of 2022” by Engagedly; included on a list of the “World’s Top 10 CEOs” by Inc.; featured in Fast Company for speaking style
Interviewed on “The Today Show”
Two-time TEDx Speaker
Author of Permission to Screw Up, which has sold more than 50,000 copies worldwide. Second book in progress! Slated to be published in Fall 2026
Author of a weekly leadership blog with thousands of subscribers

*Fee ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact your Speaker Exchange Agency representative.

About

Kristen Hadeed believes that authentic, human leadership can change the world.

At 19, with hardly any leadership experience, she started a cleaning business called Student Maid. She never expected it to be her career; it was simply away to earn money while she was in college. But before she graduated, her company received a contract to clean hundreds of apartments—and it changed her path forever. She hired a team of 60 people to help her, and within days, 75% of that team quit. That’s when her obsession with learning how to be a more human leader began.

Over the next 14 years, Kristen learned a lot by screwing up. But most importantly, she learned how to lead from her heart. Doing so helped her take Student Maid from a small cleaning company to a business known on a global scale for its culture of belonging, its focus on people, and its purpose of building leaders.

Today, she spends her time helping leaders, teams, and organizations around the world embrace their humanity. She has worked in just about every industry, in almost every U.S. state and several other countries, and in hundreds of virtual meeting rooms. Whether she is delivering a keynote talk, multi-day workshop, or facilitating ongoing development, her goal is always the same: to ignite the kind of human leadership that builds trust, belonging, and wildly engaged cultures.

Her work has been featured in news outlets including PBS, FOX, Inc., NBC, TIME,and Forbes. Her book, Permission To Screw Up, has sold more than 50,000 copies worldwide. Her first TED Talk has more than three million views on YouTube.

Topics

Growth Is A Team Sport

Strong leadership isn’t about playing it safe and having all of the answers: It’s about having the courage to take risks, make mistakes, embrace the unknown, try new things, open yourself up to differing perspectives, and challenge the status quo instead of maintaining it . . . together. In this session, you’ll learn how to take ownership of the empowerment you have to drive change and innovate. It will remind you of the tremendous ability–and opportunity–you have to reach for audacious goals, inspire others to have the courage to reach with you, define new ways of collaborating, and bring your vision to life.

We can’t do it alone: Growth is a team sport!

Attendees will experience an immediately applicable shift in their ability to:

Own their empowerment and channel it into bold, forward action
Expand their tolerance for taking risks and betting on themselves
Be architects of change instead of reacting to change after it happens
Create a culture of collaboration, relationships, and growth

Permission to Screw Up

Building on the themes in her bestselling book, Permission To Screw Up, Kristen will teach you how to let go of perfectionism, reframe your relationship with failure, and give yourself the permission to be human.

You’ll learn how to create a culture where failure equates to growth, where people feel more empowered and psychologically safe, and where collaboration and innovation go hand-in-hand.

Attendees will experience an immediately applicable shift in their ability to:

Improve their relationship with fear, failure, and imposter syndrome
Transform setbacks into learning and forward motion
Create a culture where people feel safe to take risks and make mistakes in pursuit of innovation
Leverage failure as a catalyst for career growth

Ignite Human Leadership: Build the Culture of the Future

If we want our organizations to continue to thrive, the way we think about leadership needs to shift in a big way—and we need to work together to bridge the gap.

In this session, Kristen challenges traditional leadership approaches that are no longer working and shares critical ingredients for connected and engaged cultures.

She’ll share why human leadership is the answer to navigating the challenges of our world at work; key approaches to remain competitive; and action steps you can take to build the most resilient version of your organization yet.

Attendees will experience an immediately applicable shift in their ability to:

Anticipate the needs of the next generation and successfully bridge generational gaps
Attract and retain the next generation of talent
Reignite engagement, increase talent retention, and reduce unnecessary turnover
Identify the leadership mindsets and approaches that need to shift in order to remain competitive in the future

Courageous Conversations

Courageous conversations are hard, and yet, they’re often the most rewarding and important conversations we can have to help each other grow.

When we know how to deliver feedback at work in compassionate, productive ways, we can build trust, deepen relationships, and take our team culture to the next level.

In this session, Kristen will teach you how to face the conversations you’ve been putting off and help reframe feedback as a powerful opportunity to foster true connection.

Attendees will experience an immediately applicable shift in their ability to:

Navigate conflict and have courageous conversations that build trust
Develop a habit of delivering compassionate, clear, and timely feedback
Ask better questions to receive better, more impactful feedback
Receive feedback in a way that encourages people to speak up again in the future

Build Meaningful Relationships

So often, we’re told to leave our “personal stuff” at home and make work only about . . . work. But work is personal, and we’re human.

The more we can understand one another and our unique experiences, the more compassion and empathy we’ll bring to work, and the more we’ll feel valued as a result.

In this session, Kristen will share the secret to how she built a business with an industry-leading retention rate—despite the fact that her people spent their days cleaning toilets. It wasn’t the work that kept everyone engaged; it was the focus on relationships that led to a culture of trust and belonging.

You’ll learn how to use curiosity, vulnerability, and empathy to create a similar environment in your organization and discover the connection between deeper relationships and greater results.

Attendees will experience an immediately applicable shift in their ability to:

Deepen their relationships at work and accomplish more together
Be more authentic, vulnerable, and empathetic and inspire the same in others
Strengthen the uniquely “human” parts of their culture in the face of technology and change
Develop, maintain, and elevate trust

Own Your Spark

When we feel overextended, overwhelmed, and depleted, it doesn’t just hurt us; it hurts the people around us. The key to staying energized and inspired is giving yourself what you need to keep your spark burning bright.

Taking ownership of your spark requires setting boundaries and prioritizing yourself so that you can give your best to those around you. The more you do this, the less stressed you’ll be, and the positivity you’ll bring to your work will have a ripple effect on those around you.

In this session, Kristen will help you tap into your inner resilience and recenter yourself on what is in your control: your mindset and how you care for yourself. She’ll teach you how to make your well-being a priority, be more impactful with your time and energy, and set more “human” expectations. The power is in your hands!

Attendees will experience an immediately applicable shift in their ability to:

Ignite their inner spark and keep it burning bright—even when things get overwhelming
Create sustainable work-life harmony and prioritize their well-being
Develop an inspired mindset and multiply their impact on others
Set boundaries that protect their energy and capacity