Corporate Culture Speaker - Jessica D. Winder 

Elevating People, Performance & Purpose

Is your company struggling to keep people engaged and aligned? Are you looking for a speaker who can help your team build a culture that actually works?

Jessica  D. Winder is an HR executive, business owner, culture consultant, and speaker who shows companies how to connect values to action. Her talks help organizations turn culture into a core driver of engagement and results.

Why a Corporate Culture Speaker Matters Now

Behind most great businesses are cultures that support their people. Now more than ever, companies need guidance on how to build trust, boost belonging, and lead with values that actually make people want to come to work.

In this era of hybrid work, burnout, and rapid change, companies need leaders who can make culture tangible, actionable, and aligned with performance.

The right speaker can help teams course-correct before low morale turns into high turnover and, even worse, high costs.

The Impact of Culture on Engagement, Retention & Productivity

Strong culture isn’t about perks. It’s about purpose. It’s what keeps people engaged and helps teams thrive.

When the workplace is toxic, people leave. A study from MIT found that culture is 10 times more likely to cause turnover than low pay.

When it works, it works. Employees who feel aligned with their workplace culture are less likely to burn out and more likely to stay long-term. In fact, Gallup found they are:

  • 4.3 times as likely to be engaged at work

  • 5.3 times as likely to strongly agree they would recommend their organization as a great place to work

  • 62% less likely to feel burned out very often or always

  • 47% less likely to be actively looking for another job

Culture also helps hybrid teams work better. It builds trust, supports new ideas, and helps everyone stay connected, even across screens.

Yet many teams still struggle. Only 2 in 10 employees strongly agree that their coworkers are committed to their company’s cultural values. The exact same number of employees say their manager helps connect those values to their daily work.

How Culture Shapes Brand Reputation & Customer Loyalty

Your team’s culture isn’t just an “HR thing.” It changes how your brand is seen in the world.  How your people feel on the inside can really shape how your brand looks on the outside. A strong culture builds pride, care, and trust. A weak one chips away at all three.

Wells Fargo shows what happens when company culture breaks down. For years, the bank pushed staff to meet strict sales goals. Many worked nights and weekends without pay. Some opened fake accounts in customers’ names just to hit their numbers. Leaders were warned. Whistleblowers sent emails, even to the CEO. But nothing changed. Instead, the company punished those who spoke up, firing them and damaging their careers.

When the news came out, the public turned. Even though only a small group of customers were affected, trust collapsed. Fourteen percent had already switched banks. Nearly a third said they were thinking about it.

The culture you cultivate at your company can impact more than just employee happiness or lack thereof. It can actually hurt your bottom line with your customers.

The Business Case for a Thriving Organizational Culture

Great culture isn’t just good for people, it’s smart business. Companies that invest in culture see better results, from lower turnover to faster growth.

Quantifying the ROI of Culture Investments

Culture isn’t just about feeling good, as we saw above, it affects the bottom line.

Bain & Company found that companies with strong, inclusive cultures don’t just do better, they win big. They grow revenue 10 times faster. They earn 5 times more before taxes. And they deliver 5 times more value to their investors.

A better culture also means less turnover, faster teamwork, and happier customers. When people like where they work, they stay longer and solve problems faster.

Tools like engagement surveys or eNPS help track how people feel and perform. Good scores often lead to strong business results.

The Cost of Poor Culture: Turnover, Burnout & Disengagement

Poor culture can cost a company more than it thinks. When people don’t feel valued or safe, they stop caring or leave.

Burnout goes up. Absences increase. People may show up but not really work. That’s called presenteeism, and it’s hard to track until results drop.

Hiring gets harder. Replacing good workers takes time and money. And while leaders may not see the problem right away, it grows in the background.

According to Gallup, low employee engagement cost the global economy $438 billion in 2024. That’s a clear sign that culture isn’t just about feelings, it’s about the bottom line.

What Top Companies Get Right

Great cultures don’t happen by chance. The top companies focus on a few key things: clear values, strong leadership, and space for people to speak up.

At average companies, only 50% of workers feel their job supports work-life balance. But at the 100 Best Companies to Work For, that number jumps to 86%. That difference shows up in how people feel and how they work.

Just 17% of U.S. workers say they’re doing well overall. But at the top companies, that number rises to 58%. These places help people feel safe, seen, and ready to do their best work. 

In fact, 80% of employees at these companies say they look forward to coming to work and feel both emotionally and mentally healthy while doing it.

And when things get tough, like during a downturn, these companies do better. One study showed that companies that listen to all their workers, especially the quiet or marginalized ones, saw their stock rise by 14.4% during the Great Recession, while the overall market dropped 35.5%.

Booking Details & Contact Information

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Meet Jessica D. Winder - Corporate Culture Professional

Let’s cover Jessica’s background and why she is the HR speaker who can help you solve problems.

From Startup HR Leader to Culture Consultant

Jessica D. Winder is the SVP of People at CoLab Software and the founder of Hidden Gem Career Coaching. She has built people-first cultures in fast-moving companies, helping teams grow without burning out. 

Her background includes leading HR and DEI efforts in startups, where values had to stay clear even as headcount multiplied.

Jessica knows how to align people, systems, and strategy. Her work has helped cut turnover by 25% and build lasting trust between leaders and staff.

Hidden Gem Career Coaching

Hidden Gem works with both job seekers trying to improve their careers and with companies trying to improve their HR.

Jessica’s consulting work gives her a rare edge. She supports people one-on-one, helping them find clarity and confidence in their careers. That insight informs her work on behalf of companies. This gives her a clear view of where employers and employees both need to improve.

Her speeches and sessions often reflect the questions employees don’t ask out loud, and help leaders hear what really matters.

Author of a Practical Career Guide

Jessica’s book, The Hidden Gem Within, is popular among workers who want real change, not just advice. It helps readers name their strengths, set healthy limits, and grow in cultures that often overlook them.

Jessica’s book is a go-to for people who feel stuck or unseen. It’s full of real-life stories and tools to help workers rediscover their voice and make choices that fit their values.

Speaker at Culture-Focused Events

Jessica has shared her insights at top HR events like Transform. She’s known for her calm, clear style and her ability to explain hard truths in ways that make people want to act.

Industry Reach

Jessica has supported companies across various industries, including but not limited to:

  • Tech and SaaS

  • Retail

  • Construction

  • Biohazard Cleanup

  • Law and Legal Services

  • Healthcare

  • Startups of all kinds

She tailors each talk to the needs of your team, whether it’s a leadership retreat or an all-hands keynote.

Keynote Topics That Transform Workplace Culture

Let’s review some of the topics Jessica can cover in a speech about company culture.

Building Trust & Psychological Safety 

Great teams start with trust. When people don’t fear blame, they can ask hard questions, share bold ideas, and move faster as a group.

Jessica helps leaders set clear team norms and stick to them. She shows how to listen in ways that matter, and how to give feedback that helps, not hurts. The outcome is stronger work and more honest teamwork.

Jessica’s talks often leave teams with simple, lasting habits that boost trust and make accountability feel natural, not forced.

Leading Culture Change in Hybrid or High-Growth Environments 

Fast growth and remote work can strain culture. Teams get spread out, and shared habits start to slip. Jessica helps leaders fix that before it gets worse.

She teaches a method for naming your culture, writing it down, and building it into daily life, from onboarding to meetings to leadership calls.

One client, a fast-growing tech firm, worked with Jessica to clarify its core values. As the team grew across time zones, those values helped them keep clarity, hire smarter, and stay aligned.

Inclusive Leadership as a Lever for Culture 

Inclusion isn’t just a value, it’s a skill set. Jessica shows leaders how to lead in ways that make people feel like they belong.

Traits of inclusive leaders include:

  • Active listening

  • Clear expectations

  • Shared decision-making

  • Openness to feedback

  • Leading with empathy

Jessica’s exercises are hands-on and practical. Leaders walk away knowing exactly how to build trust across differences.

Preventing Burnout Through Values-Aligned Culture 

When values and actions don’t match, burnout shows up fast. Jessica helps teams spot the early signs, like unclear roles, energy drains, or toxic pace, and fix them.

Her talks share tools like team energy audits, clear role expectations, and culture-based planning. These help teams work better, not just harder.

As explained above, Jessica has helped companies cut turnover by up to 25%. Her talks connect burnout to systems, not just stress.

Turning Culture into a Strategic Business Asset 

Culture is not just a “vibe”; it’s a business tool. Jessica helps leaders make culture part of the plan, not an afterthought.

She shows how culture can shape hiring, onboarding, leadership growth, and customer service. When teams align values with actions, they work faster and smarter.

Jessica’s approach includes simple tools that bring culture into performance reviews, leadership plans, and team goals, so it supports growth at every level.

What Sets Jessica Apart From Other Culture Speakers

Let’s review why Jessica is different from other HR speakers.

Grounded in Real HR Experience, Not Just Theory

Jessica isn’t just a speaker; she’s built HR systems from the inside. She’s led People teams, scaled startups, and built cultures that worked in real life. That means she doesn’t speak in theory. She speaks from doing.

She knows how to talk with CEOs, people leaders, and front-line staff. Her advice lands because it’s tested, not guessed.

Unique Blend of Research, Coaching, and Strategy

Jessica blends data, heart, and strategy. As a coach, she helps people grow. As a DEI specialist, she builds systems that include everyone. As a speaker, she pulls it all together into one clear story.

She does deep research and makes it easy to understand. Her talks don’t just make sense, they stick.

Jessica connects ideas with action. Her coaching background helps her break big topics into steps. She weaves DEI and workplace culture into clear, simple stories.

She turns stats into things people care about. She makes big ideas feel personal.

Practical Tools, Relatable Stories, Lasting Impact

Jessica gives people something to do, not just something to think about. Her toolkit can sometimes include checklists, prompts, and methods people use again and again.

Her stories feel real because they are. They’re drawn from her work, told with care, and built to teach. She leaves audiences fired up and ready to try something new.

Media Features & Thought Leadership

Jessica’s ideas are being shared across top platforms in the HR world and beyond.

Author of “The Hidden Gem Within”

As mentioned above, Jessica wrote The Hidden Gem Within to help people who feel unseen at work. It’s a step-by-step guide for finding your strengths and building a career that matches who you are. The book is honest, hopeful, and packed with tools that work.

Featured on Leading HR Podcasts and Platforms

Jessica has been invited to speak on major podcasts like:

Active LinkedIn Following & Video Content

Jessica leads real-time conversations with a large LinkedIn community. She breaks down tough HR topics into posts that spark ideas, not just likes.

Book Jessica for Your Next Event

Thinking about booking Jessica for your event? Here’s what you need to know.

Keynote Formats

Jessica offers keynotes that fit your schedule. Choose from:

  • 30-Min Talk + Q&A - Great for lunch sessions or team meetings.

  • 60-Min Keynote - Includes a live Q&A and clear tools to take back to your team.

  • 90-Min Workshop - More hands-on with group tasks, Q&A, and live coaching.

She speaks at large events, all-hands, or small team off-sites. In person, or virtually. Every talk includes a pre-event call to align on your needs.

H3: Tailored Talks for Startups, Corporations, and Nonprofits

Jessica adjusts her tone and tools to fit your team. For startups, she can keep it lean and fast-paced. For big firms, she can tie culture to results. For nonprofits, she can speak to impact and mission.

No two talks are the same. She listens first, then creates content that aligns with your goals. After your event, she can also help advise or coach your team.