speaking & events
Fix What’s Broken. Build What Works.
We don’t speak to inspire.
We speak to clarify.
GBS participates in conferences, events, and leadership forums because complex problems don’t get solved in isolation.
Our speaking work focuses on making sense of what isn’t working in employer brand, hiring systems, media, and organizational decision-making—and offering grounded, evidence-informed ways forward.
If you’re looking for motivational storytelling, this isn’t it.
If you want clear thinking that holds up after the applause fades, it is.
Where we show up
GBS leaders speak at:
Industry conferences and summits
Executive and leadership forums
Client and partner events
Internal leadership and transformation sessions
University and professional association events
Topics and sessions are always adapted to audience context—because generic insight doesn’t change behavior.
what we speak about
Our speaking work reflects the same systems-level thinking we bring to consulting and client delivery.
Common themes include:
Employer Brand That Actually Performs
Why most employer brands fail under pressure—and how to build ones that support hiring outcomes, not just perception.
Hiring Systems Under Stress
What breaks when organizations scale, transform, or try to “do more with less”—and how to fix the systems underneath the symptoms.
The Psychological Cost of Broken Hiring
How misalignment, opacity, and over-automation affect candidates, employees, and decision-making—and what leaders can do differently.
AI, Automation, and Accountability
How AI is changing hiring, media, and decision-making—and why ethics, clarity, and system design matter more than tools.
Designing Systems People Can Actually Use
Why hiring and talent technology fails without experience-led system design—and how to build workflows that support real human behavior.
Culture, Process, and Predictability
Why culture initiatives fail without process discipline—and how operational clarity enables human-centered outcomes.
How our speaking is different
GBS speakers don’t deliver recycled decks or trend commentary.
Our sessions are:
- Grounded in real client work and applied research
- Informed by behavioral science, systems thinking, and experience design
- Candid about trade-offs and constraints
- Designed to provoke better questions—not just agreement
Audiences leave with language, perspective, and insight they can actually use.
book our speakers
Crystal Miller Lay
CEO & Chief People Officer
Crystal Miller Lay speaks on employer brand, hiring systems, neuroinclusive design, behavioral psychology at work, and the real-world impact of broken people systems.
Her sessions blend strategy, research, and lived experience—offering clarity for leaders navigating complexity, growth, and change.
Dwane Lay
Chief Innovation Officer
Dwane Lay is a global speaker, author, and Six Sigma Black Belt who speaks on leadership, culture, process improvement, and predictable hiring systems.
His work helps leaders understand where systems fail—and how to design processes that support both performance and people.
Jenny (JCK) Cotie Kangas
Vice President of Innovation
Jenny Cotie Kangas (or JCK) speaks on systems design, talent technology, AI, user experience, and the operational realities of hiring platforms.
With leadership experience spanning WhiteRock, Eightfold, Veritone (PandoLogic), and enterprise digital experience roles, Jenny brings a rare, practitioner-level perspective on why talent systems break—and how to redesign them so people can actually use them.
Her sessions focus on:
- Designing hiring and talent systems that reflect real workflows
- Reducing friction between technology, process, and human behavior
- Translating complex systems into usable, scalable solutions
Formats we
support
GBS speakers are available for:
- Keynotes
- Panel discussions
- Fireside chats
- Executive workshops
- Client and partner events
- Internal leadership sessions
We don’t do one-size-fits-all talks. Sessions are scoped intentionally based on audience, context, and goals.
Why organizations
invite us back
Organizations invite GBS speakers because:
01
We respect the intelligence of the audience
02
We don’t oversimplify complex issues
03
We connect insight to operational reality
04
We’re honest about what works—and what doesn’t
Speaking is not separate from our work. It’s an extension of it.
Why organizations
invite us back
Organizations invite GBS speakers because:
01
We respect the intelligence of the audience
02
We don’t oversimplify complex issues
03
We connect insight to operational reality
04
We’re honest about what works—and what doesn’t
Speaking is not separate from our work. It’s an extension of it.
Why organizations
invite us back
Organizations invite GBS speakers because:
01
We respect the intelligence of the audience
02
We don’t oversimplify complex issues
03
We connect insight to operational reality
04
We’re honest about what works—and what doesn’t
Speaking is not separate from our work. It’s an extension of it.
Our goal is simple: to contribute clarity, not promotion.
For conference audiences, that means the content stands on its own—before, during, and long after the event.
A note on independence and integrity
GBS—and particularly Crystal Miller Lay—does not pay for speaking spots, nor can Crystal accept payment to speak at conferences.
This is intentional.
Because of her academic and university research relationships, our speaking work must remain independent, evidence-informed, and free from commercial influence. That independence allows conference organizers and attendees to trust that our sessions are not designed to sell a product, promote a platform, or advance a commercial agenda.
GBS manages organic and paid social as a unified system, ensuring:
01
Original research and applied insight
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02
Real-world data drawn from practice
03
Patterns and findings audiences can benefit from immediately
Interested in having GBS speak?
If you’re planning an event and want speakers who bring clarity, credibility, and substance—not hype—we should talk.
