Available to book
Erica Dhawan
Team Building
Critical Thinking
Company Culture
Erica Dhawan helps organizations break down silos, build trust across distance, and drive innovation through modern teamwork and digital collaboration. A WSJ bestselling author and top-ranking keynote speaker, she has been called the Oprah of Management Thinkers by Thinkers50.
Author
CEO
Innovator
Entrepreneur
Women in Business
AAPI Heritage
Inclusion
Thought Leader
Business Leader
Female CEO
Educator
Thinkers50
Philanthropy
Personal Development
Inspirational
Motivational
Professional
Erica Dhawan is an internationally recognized authority on 21st century teamwork, collaboration, and innovation, helping leaders break down silos, drive growth, and build high-performing teams across a rapidly changing digital workplace.
She is the WSJ bestselling author of three books, Use Your Brain, Digital Body Language, and Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence, and Thinkers50 named her the Oprah of Management Thinkers. Erica holds degrees from Harvard, MIT, and Wharton.
As digital tools reshape how teams work, Erica has built practical frameworks for unlocking collective performance, building trust across distance, and sustaining authentic engagement in the age of AI. Her research and storytelling translate shifting workplace behavior into strategies leaders can put into practice the next morning, helping organizations stay competitive and original as collaboration itself becomes a defining advantage.
Audiences leave Erica's sessions with interactive, research-backed strategies for stronger cross-team collaboration, clearer digital communication, and more resilient, innovative teams, paired with humor and storytelling that make dense research immediately usable back at work.
Ranked the top women's keynote speaker and featured in Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, Erica gives audiences a fresh, practical lens on modern, innovation-driving teamwork.
Topics, sessions and talks
Two teams can spend six months solving the same problem without knowing the other exists, and Erica Dhawan explains why that is a relationships problem rather than a tools one. Drawing on her concept of Connectional Intelligence, Erica shows leaders and teams how to turn people into superconnectors who surface tacit knowledge no system captured, build trust quickly across functions, regions, and levels, and unlock the collective expertise already sitting inside their own organization.
Most teams now draft with AI and simply approve what comes back, and Erica Dhawan calls that cognitive surrender rather than productivity. She argues Critical Thinking Intelligence is becoming this decade's defining skill, the way Emotional Intelligence defined the nineties. Through case studies and practical rituals such as the Think Sandwich, the Friction Meeting, and a Decision Filter for what to automate or protect, Erica sends teams home with ways to keep original judgment at the center of AI-assisted work.
Every message now reads as polished, warm, and well-structured, and Erica Dhawan points out that polish no longer proves anyone read it, cared about it, or even wrote it themselves. She decodes what still signals care and credibility once effort stops being visible in the writing, from response time to specificity to showing reasoning. Erica leaves audiences with shared rules for what gets automated, what gets drafted, and what has to come from a person.
Testimonials
Featured Projects
often considered together
David Burkus
Team Building
Leadership Development
Company Culture
Erica Farmer
Artificial Intelligence
Future of Work
Leadership Development
frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email erica.dhawan@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Erica's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
Erica Dhawan builds sessions around named frameworks drawn from her research — such as Connectional Intelligence and Critical Thinking Intelligence — and translates these into labelled practical tools, for example the Think Sandwich, the Friction Meeting, and a Decision Filter, which audiences can apply immediately after the session.
Erica Dhawan's sessions address Connectional Intelligence and breaking down organisational silos, Critical Thinking in AI-assisted work, and digital communication and collaboration. She is a WSJ bestselling author of three books, including Get Big Things Done and Digital Body Language, and was named the Oprah of Management Thinkers by Thinkers50.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
To get the sharpest shortlist, share your event date, audience, format, key objectives, and budget. A rough idea is enough to start. The more context PepTalk has, the more precisely the team can match a speaker to your brief. Send it via getapeptalk.com.
There is no additional cost to you beyond the speaker's fee. PepTalk's service, from shortlist to on-the-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, the team can agree preferential rates with your procurement department. Email hello@getapeptalk.com to discuss.
Booking a speaker with PepTalk starts with a short brief: your event, audience, date, budget, and format. Send it through getapeptalk.com or hello@getapeptalk.com and you'll get a shortlist within 24 hours. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, fees, travel, and logistics end to end.
Yes. PepTalk regularly handles last-minute requests and can secure or replace a speaker, host, or comedian quickly, often within days. Availability narrows as the date nears, so get in touch as early as you can. Email hello@getapeptalk.com with your requirements.
Speaker fees vary by profile, format, and location. In the UK and Europe, virtual keynotes typically start around GBP 2,000, with top in-person speakers reaching GBP 25,000+; in the US, fees run from about USD 5,000 to USD 100,000+. Share your budget at getapeptalk.com and we'll shortlist to fit.
Yes. If a speaker isn't listed, tell PepTalk their name and the team will approach them for you. The network extends well beyond the public roster, and PepTalk regularly books speakers who don't appear on the site. Email hello@getapeptalk.com with the name.
You'll receive a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours of sharing your brief. Each suggestion comes with profiles, fees, and PepTalk's recommendation on the strongest fit. If you need options sooner for an urgent event, say so and the team will move faster. Start at getapeptalk.com.
Yes. Beyond booking a single speaker, PepTalk helps shape a full programme, matching voices to your agenda, audience, and goals across a day or a series. It is a consultative service, not just a booking. Tell us about your event at getapeptalk.com.
Speaker fees vary based on factors like event location, format, and availability. The 'typical fee range' figure gives you a baseline of someone's local, in-person rate sits, and we'll confirm the exact fee when you get in touch.
Before your speakers arrive, confirm AV is tested, a green room is ready, and printed schedules are on hand. Prepare warm introductions for each speaker and brief your team on timings. PepTalk speakers come fully briefed, making event-day logistics smoother and stress-free from the start.
A keynote speaker delivers an inspiring or informative talk. An MC hosts and guides the event, keeping things on track. Entertainment — like a band or comedian — creates atmosphere and fun. Each serves a different purpose, and PepTalk can help you book the right talent for all three.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. Alongside direct talent, we work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies, to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
When booking a comedian, share your event format, audience size and demographics, any sensitive topics to avoid, and the tone you're after. PepTalk makes this easy — their booking process guides you through a simple checklist so nothing gets missed and your comedian is perfectly matched to your crowd.
When booking a speaker, you'll need your event date, audience details, format, key objectives, and budget. Having these ready makes the process smooth and straightforward. PepTalk's team uses this information to match you with the perfect speaker quickly and efficiently.
Yes! At PepTalk, you can absolutely bundle entertainment and speakers into one seamless package. It's a great way to create a fuller event experience while enjoying simplified booking and better value. Our team handles everything together, making the process effortless for you.
Book a motivational speaker at least 3–6 months in advance, especially for popular speakers or large events. Top speakers get booked quickly, so earlier is always better. For major conferences or peak seasons, booking 12 months ahead ensures you secure your first choice.
Yes. Most PepTalk speakers deliver virtual and hybrid sessions with live Q&A, and virtual keynotes usually cost less than in-person because there is no travel. Tell us your platform and format and we'll match speakers experienced in online delivery. Start at getapeptalk.com.
Share your organisation's top 3 strategic priorities, current challenges, and the audience's role in delivering them. A simple one-page brief works perfectly. PepTalk speakers use this context to tailor insights that feel genuinely relevant — making your event far more impactful.
Yes! Most event entertainers are happy to tailor their act to your brand, industry, or theme. From weaving in company jokes to incorporating your branding into their performance, personalisation makes all the difference. PepTalk's entertainers specialise in bespoke experiences that feel made just for your audience.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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