6/15/2026 | 8:00 AM-9:30 AM

Opening General Session & Keynote Address Featuring Sean Bott

Track: Education, Training and Competencies

Career Level:

Connect for Keeps Attract, Keep, and Build Thriving Talent, Teams, & Organizations Session Description: People don’t leave jobs; they leave experiences where they feel unseen and unappreciated. In this powerful and entertaining keynote, you’ll discover practical, research-backed tools for creating real connection, recognition, and trust in the workplace. Learn how small shifts in communication can make people feel understood, valued, and motivated to bring their best every day. With jaw-dropping mind-reading moments, engaging storytelling, and a dose of humor, this session delivers both insight and inspiration, the kind you’ll be talking about long after the conference ends. Because when people feel seen, they stay, grow, and thrive.


Sean Bott

,

Spending much of his early life growing up in Saudi Arabia, Sean developed a scorching sense of humor. He began his journey into the delicious art of magic at the tender age of 12 by learning and then performing hypnosis, psychology, and stagecraft at his local library. One quirky magic shop, a degree or two, and more than three pounds later, he can now say he’s been blowing minds, making people gasp and laugh, all while eating curly fries, for over 15 years. Sprinkle on some pit stops at Second City in Chicago to keep his funny skills on point and you’re left with a one-of-a-kind mind reading experience. As you can imagine, all of that heat combined with some childhood trauma, a birth Mom still at large (maybe the rain forest?), and two really weird stepmoms, has given him some anxiety. He has studied cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and self-compassion, feeding his interest in the world of clinical mental health counseling. As that journey continues, Sean combines that knowledge, personal experience and mind-reading, to show us how to create warm connection with other humans quickly and authentically. Whether building deeper relationships as a leader, working with clients, onboarding new employees, or retaining great talent, the tools he provides, creates spaces of belonging faster and easier than ever before. When Sean engages with your people, from start to finish, his focus is on understanding their pain points and working together towards your desired outcome.