.jpeg)
Best Keynote Speakers in Tampa
Tampa Keynote Speaker Services
Tampa isn’t just about palm trees, Cuban sandwiches, and championship sports—it’s also a city where workplace culture is evolving as rapidly as its skyline. The Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metro has become one of Florida’s most dynamic business regions, with major players in healthcare, finance, tourism, and tech driving innovation. Beyond its sunshine and shoreline, Tampa Bay is gaining recognition as a hub for leadership development and forward-thinking HR strategies. At the center of this transformation are keynote speakers and consultants who inspire, challenge, and guide organizations to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern workplace.
At Digital Reference, our mission is to connect organizations with professionals who make a measurable impact. To curate this list of Tampa’s standout keynote speakers, we applied a rigorous methodology—evaluating credentials, client portfolios, community presence, and proven audience influence. Some are freelancers, others are solo entrepreneurs, and some work within established firms, but all share one defining quality: they help organizations move from inspiration to action. Below, we highlight the keynote speakers shaping how Tampa leaders, HR teams, and executives are rethinking the future of work.
🌟 Spotlight on Tampa Area Keynote Speakers
♦️ Rob Zarrilli
Leadership & Performance Coach
Rob Zarrilli is one of Tampa’s most recognized motivational keynote speakers, known for his high-energy presence and dynamic storytelling. With more than 30 years of experience, Rob has worked with both corporate and educational audiences, helping people break through limiting beliefs and embrace personal growth as the key to professional success.
His programs focus on leadership, resilience, and performance, making him a natural choice for HR leaders who want to create long-term behavioral shifts in their teams. Rob is also skilled at customizing his talks, ensuring each audience walks away with strategies they can actually use in their daily work.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Over three decades of keynote experience across industries
🔹 Known for blending humor, storytelling, and actionable lessons
🔹 Trusted advisor to both business and educational institutions
🔹 Brings a local Tampa spirit to global stages
Rob represents the kind of people-first speaker who not only motivates but also equips teams with the tools to thrive in today’s changing workplace.
♦️ Dr. India White
Equity & Resilience Advocate | Educator
Dr. India White’s story is one of resilience, courage, and transformation. Once a homeless student, she overcame tremendous odds to become a thought leader, educator, and motivational speaker. Today, she brings those experiences to her audiences, inspiring them to view challenges as opportunities for growth.
Her keynote topics often center on equity, inclusion, and educational leadership, but she also works with corporations and nonprofits on overcoming adversity, finding purpose, and driving meaningful change. India’s ability to connect with audiences comes from her authenticity—she doesn’t just talk about resilience, she embodies it.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Nationally recognized for her work in education and leadership
🔹 Delivers impactful messages on equity, resilience, and transformation
🔹 Inspires audiences by connecting lived experiences with practical strategies
🔹 A Tampa-based speaker with a national reach
For HR leaders, Dr. White offers not just inspiration but a roadmap for building inclusive workplaces where resilience and equity are more than buzzwords—they’re cultural cornerstones.
♦️ Neen James, MBA CSP
Attention Expert | Leadership Coach & Author
Neen James is an attention expert, leadership coach, and author whose work focuses on helping leaders and teams harness the power of intentional focus. With an engaging, sharp, and witty delivery, Neen has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands to improve productivity and leadership effectiveness.
She is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a designation held by less than 12% of speakers worldwide, which underscores her credibility and expertise. Her sessions are practical and highly interactive, giving audiences tools to better manage their energy, time, and attention.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Internationally recognized keynote speaker and author
🔹 Expert on attention management, productivity, and leadership
🔹 CSP designation, showcasing professional excellence
🔹 Tampa-based with a global footprint in speaking
Neen is the go-to speaker for organizations ready to take their leaders and teams to the next level by learning to prioritize what truly matters.
♦️ Cody Byrns
Author | Resilience & Change Advocate
Cody Byrns’ story is one of remarkable perseverance. After surviving a near-fatal accident that left him with severe burns, Cody chose not just to recover but to thrive—and now he shares that journey to help others overcome setbacks.
His keynote programs focus on resilience, overcoming adversity, and embracing change. Audiences are captivated not just by his story, but by the actionable lessons he draws from it, making his talks highly relevant for HR teams navigating uncertainty and transformation.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Bestselling author and sought-after keynote speaker
🔹 Shares a powerful story of survival and resilience
🔹 Helps audiences shift from victimhood to empowerment
🔹 Offers both emotional inspiration and practical guidance
For Tampa businesses, Cody brings a message of hope and resilience that resonates across industries, from healthcare to corporate leadership.
♦️ Erica Dhawan
Collaboration & Connectional Intelligence Expert | Author
Erica Dhawan is a leading authority on connectional intelligence and collaboration, making her a top choice for organizations seeking to improve communication in today’s hybrid and remote work environments.
Named one of the top management thinkers by Thinkers50, Erica combines research, storytelling, and frameworks to help leaders build trust, drive innovation, and maximize collaboration. She is also the author of Digital Body Language, a groundbreaking book on communication in the digital age.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Thinkers50-ranked management thinker
🔹 Expert on hybrid communication, trust, and collaboration
🔹 Author of Digital Body Language
🔹 Highly relevant to Tampa’s growing tech and corporate sectors
For HR and leadership audiences, Erica is invaluable—her insights directly address the challenges of leading in a digital-first, global workplace.
♦️ Chris Rollins
Leadership Coach | Workplace Inclusion Advocate
Chris Rollins is a keynote speaker and leadership coach with a passion for authenticity and inclusivity in the workplace. His background in HR and leadership development allows him to bring a people-first perspective to every keynote.
Chris works extensively with HR leaders to foster workplaces where belonging, trust, and psychological safety are the foundation of success. His talks are filled with real-life examples, practical strategies, and a focus on creating human-centered organizations.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Experienced HR leader turned speaker and coach
🔹 Focus on authenticity, inclusion, and trust-building
🔹 Highly relatable storytelling style
🔹 Tampa-based advocate for people-first leadership
For teams navigating issues of culture and retention, Chris offers actionable insights that stick long after the keynote ends.
♦️ Topher Morrison
Business Growth & Influence Expert | Managing Director, KPI USA
Topher Morrison is a Tampa-based speaker with a reputation for straight-talking, high-impact keynotes on business growth, leadership, and influence. He is also known for his expertise in public speaking and branding, helping leaders communicate with confidence and clarity.
As the managing director of Key Person of Influence USA, Topher has worked with entrepreneurs and executives around the world. His keynotes are practical, motivating, and always focused on giving leaders tools to elevate their impact.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Managing Director of Key Person of Influence USA
🔹 Expertise in branding, influence, and public speaking
🔹 Known for bold, no-nonsense delivery
🔹 A fixture in Tampa’s business community
For Tampa leaders looking to sharpen their communication skills and build influence, Topher is the ideal speaker.
♦️ Dr. Forbes Riley
Entrepreneur | Media Personality
Dr. Forbes Riley is an award-winning TV host, entrepreneur, and motivational keynote speaker who has inspired audiences worldwide. Known as the “Queen of the Pitch,” she has generated over $2.5 billion in product sales through her unique approach to communication, persuasion, and personal branding.
Her keynotes blend personal development with business strategy, helping audiences break through self-limiting beliefs and step into their highest potential.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Award-winning entrepreneur and media personality
🔹 Expert on communication, branding, and persuasion
🔹 Has inspired global audiences with her authenticity and energy
🔹 Tampa-based but globally recognized
For HR and leadership teams, Forbes delivers a masterclass in influence and motivation.
♦️ Marnie Swedberg
Author | Mentor | Leadership Resilience Expert
Marnie Swedberg is a speaker, author, and mentor who has delivered thousands of presentations across leadership, faith, and personal development. Based in Florida, she offers keynotes that focus on clarity, confidence, and leadership resilience.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Mentor to speakers, leaders, and executives worldwide
🔹 Focus on clarity and resilience in leadership
🔹 Engaging, uplifting, and practical keynote style
Marnie is a great choice for organizations that want to combine professional growth with personal clarity.
♦️ Maxine Reyes
Leadership Coach | Keynote Speaker | U.S. Army Veteran
Maxine Reyes is a keynote speaker, leadership coach, and U.S. Army veteran who brings a unique perspective on discipline, resilience, and cultural awareness.
Her keynotes inspire audiences to embrace adaptability and unity, whether in corporate or nonprofit settings.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Veteran and leadership speaker with a focus on resilience
🔹 Inspires with a message of unity and adaptability
🔹 Brings global and multicultural insights to Tampa audiences
♦️ Lauren Golden
Founder, The Free Mama Movement | Work-Life Balance Advocate
Lauren Golden is the founder of the Free Mama movement and a keynote speaker who empowers women to balance entrepreneurship and family life. Her story resonates with leaders who want to promote flexibility, inclusivity, and work-life balance in their organizations.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Founder of the Free Mama movement
🔹 Advocate for work-life balance and entrepreneurship
🔹 Inspires audiences with authentic and relatable storytelling
♦️ Dr. David Rice
Dentist | Educator | Founder, IgniteDDS
Dr. David Rice is a dentist, educator, and keynote speaker who brings insights from healthcare leadership, mentoring, and education. As the founder of IgniteDDS, he focuses on mentoring the next generation of dental professionals—but his lessons on leadership and growth resonate beyond healthcare.
⭐ Highlights:
🔹 Founder of IgniteDDS
🔹 Focus on mentorship, leadership, and healthcare innovation
🔹 Inspires teams to embrace growth and mentorship at every level
Wrapping It Up
Tampa’s keynote speakers reflect the energy, resilience, and diversity of the city itself. From Rob Zarrilli’s motivational fire to Erica Dhawan’s expertise in digital collaboration, from Dr. India White’s story of transformation to Forbes Riley’s lessons on influence—each professional here brings something uniquely powerful to the stage. Neen James delivers sharp insights on attention and productivity, while Cody Byrns inspires with his journey of resilience. Chris Rollins champions inclusive leadership, and Topher Morrison energizes audiences with bold perspectives on branding and communication. Marnie Swedberg shares strategies on leadership and growth, while Maxine Reyes draws on her military and entrepreneurial background to empower teams. Lauren Golden uplifts women in business through her Free Mama movement, and Dr. David Rice bridges healthcare expertise with leadership strategies. Together, these voices embody the innovative and people-first spirit of the Tampa Bay area.
At Digital Reference, we believe in spotlighting these Tampa professionals because HR is about more than policies and procedures—it’s about people. Our curated methodology ensures organizations find speakers who are not just motivational, but deeply actionable, helping leaders and teams walk away with strategies they can implement right away.
Looking for more resources? Explore:
- Best Motivational Speaker Services in the USA
- Best Workforce Planning Consulting Services in the USA
- Best Organizational Culture Consulting Services in the USA
- Best Executive Coach & Consulting Services in the USA
If you’re an HR leader in Tampa—or anywhere across Florida and beyond—Digital Reference is here to help connect you with the voices that inspire transformation. From Clearwater to St. Pete and throughout the Bay area, we’re committed to making sure organizations have access to the consultants and keynote speakers who shape culture, drive innovation, and elevate people-first leadership.
Subscribe to our newsletter
We'd love to have you follow our journey, learn about to new features and functionality, and get access to talent ecosystem news.
