Joze Piranian

Featured Keynote Programs

Recent years have proven that change is needed in terms of how we tackle Diversity and Inclusion as a society & organizations. In this signature talk, Joze shares his journey of overcoming the adversity of being different by discussing empowerment through self-acceptance, facing fears through repeated exposure to discomfort and the necessity of organizations' leadership & HR professionals to develop a more nuanced understanding of the diverse challenges that an employee, prospective hire, supplier or client might be facing. Beyond merely labelling, D&I is a complex tango, it takes two: the empowerment of the individual and the inclusive acceptance from the other members of the organization. Actionable takeaways for building a culture of belonging will be shared, interspersed with lighthearted moments of comedy.

​Your audience will feel better informed, more empathetic and motivated to launch (or contribute) to D&I initiatives at the organization, within ERGs/Affinity Groups and in the community.

​Learning Outcomes:

• Deepen a genuine understanding of why it's necessary to create inclusive workplace cultures where individuals can show up authentically as their whole/best selves at work

• Actionable takeaways for fostering psychological safety, inclusion,  belonging and engagement

• Enhancing the capacity to display courage, self-acceptance, persistence and resilience

Suggested structure (60 min):

1. Award winning keynote (30-45 min)

2. Live discussion with moderator (0-15 min)

3. Deep Dive Q&A (15 min)

Format: Virtual or in-person

Languages: English, French or Spanish

*Also available in Training (2-4 hours)

Recent societal and personal changes in our lives have made one thing clear: every single human being needs to grow their resilience, mental wellness and capacity for overcoming discomfort and fears in order to navigate the inevitable fluctuations of life.

Drawing from his personal journey of overcoming adversity, from holding back immensely due to a

debilitating stutter to performing on stages worldwide, Joze Piranian will deliver his concrete

blueprint for confronting challenges, building unshakeable resilience, defeating the discomfort of learning new skills to thrive, and reframing our relationship with fears in order to thrive amidst uncertainty. Moreover, Joze will share mental wellness strategies and empowering mindset shifts with actionable steps. The transformational insights of his award winning keynote will be infused with hilarious comedic moments (as performed at the Laugh Factory).

​Your audience will feel invigorated, moved, entertained and transformed to start taking the steps to overcome their "inner stutter" and unlock their fullest potential at work and in life!

Learning Outcomes:

• Roadmap for identifying current fears and obstacles ("the inner stutter") that are currently reducing  the fulfillment of our potential both at work and our personal lives

• Actionable takeaways for building resilience & confidence to overcome challenges 

• Learning 4 mental wellness strategies and 3 empowering shifts to thrive in the face of adversity

Suggested structure (60 min):

1. Award winning keynote (30-45 min)

2. Live discussion with moderator (0-15 min)

3. Deep Dive Q&A (15 min)

Format: Virtual or in-person

Languages: English, French or Spanish

What is disability anyway? In this informative, illuminating and empowering keynote, Joze shares his journey of overcoming the adversity through an intersectional lens of disability, neurodiversity, society, culture and mental health. Delivered at organizations worldwide at events hosted by ERGs focused on Ability and Neurodiversity, this keynote is a journey filled with information, learning, empowerment and actionable steps for fostering a workplace culture that is truly inclusive.  Beyond merely labeling, D&I is a complex tango, it takes two: the empowerment of the individual and the inclusive acceptance from the other members of the organization. 

Your audience will feel better informed, more empathetic and motivated to launch (or contribute) to D&I initiatives at the organization, within ERGs/Affinity Groups and in the community.

Learning Outcomes:

• Awareness of the lived experience of the Person with Disability and Neurodiversity 

• Introduction to the intersectional lens of disability, neurodiversity, society, and mental health

• Understand why it's necessary to create inclusive workplace cultures where individuals who are unique can show up authentically as their whole/best selves at work

• Actionable takeaways for fostering psychological safety, inclusion,  belonging and engagement

​Suggested structure (60 min):

1. Award winning keynote (30-45 min)

2. Live discussion with moderator (0-15 min)

3. Deep Dive Q&A (15 min)​

Format: Virtual or in-person

Languages: English, French or Spanish

*Also available in Training (2-4 hours)

How can your students become the absolute best versions of themselves? How can they own what makes them unique instead of worrying about fitting in? How can they be the most empathetic, understanding & empowering allies to those who have been marginalized in one way or another?

Joze shares his journey of overcoming the adversity of being different by discussing empowerment by cultivating self-acceptance, facing fears through repeated exposure to discomfort and the necessity of students to develop a more nuanced understanding of the diverse challenges that a peer might be experiencing.

Beyond merely labelling, Diversity & Inclusion is a complex tango, it takes two: the empowerment of the individual on the one hand and the inclusive acceptance from their peers on the other. Actionable takeaways for building a culture of inclusion and belonging will be shared, in addition to a blueprint for how to face obstacles, fears and insecurities on order to fulfill one's potential. The keynote will also include some moments of lightheartedness and humour.

Learning Outcomes:

• Students will enhance their capacity of courage, persistence and resilience

• Students will enhance their understanding of inclusivity and empathy

• Students will gain confidence through humour, self-acceptance and coping skills

​Suggested structure (60 min):

1. Award winning keynote (30-45 min)

2. Live discussion with moderator (0-15 min)

3. Q&A (15 min)

Format: Virtual or in-person

Languages: English, French or Spanish

​*Also available in Training (2-4 hours)

What is stuttering? What's it like living with a stutter? What are the common biases that people might hold about the person who stutters (PWS)? How can be more inclusive of people who stutter at work and in society? In this informative lunch and learn style session, Joze introduces the audience member to the topic of stuttering to raise awareness and acceptance while sharing some actionable steps to be an ally to individuals who deal with stuttering and/or similar speech impediments. This is available virtually and is recommended during National Stuttering Awareness Week (May 9-15) or on/around International Stuttering Awareness Day (Oct 22)

Learning Outcomes:

• Introduction to facts about stuttering and the lived experience of the Person Who Stutters

• Learn about different biases that people can hold when it comes to the PWS

• Steps for being more inclusive of the PWS and/or people with other speaking disabilities

​Suggested structure (45 min):

1. Informative Lunch and Learn session (30 min)

2. Q&A (up to 15 min)

Quite often, an individual within an organization will have very limited interactions with the rest of their team or department. This isolation might be caused by the fact that this person is holding back because they are different, either in terms of cultural background, orientation, ability, gender, or because they deal with severe social anxiety, shyness (or hey, the lockdown!). This can severely affect the effectiveness of the team and can cause endless missed opportunities for synergy. One solution for that is to organize what I call Speed Socials . How does it work?

• 2 hour long mandatory* event

• Participants: members of a team or department (depending on size)

• Moderated face to face conversations with insightful questions facilitated by Joze                (think 'speed dating' but for building authentic professional relationships)

*This event would have to be mandatory in order to prevent people who tend to isolate in the first place to not skip it! 

​Learning Outcomes:

• Creating authentic connections that go beyond superficial labels

• Setting the foundation for deeper relationships and significantly more effective collaboration

•  Fostering greater inclusion, belonging and engagement within the teams. 

Suggested structure (120 min):

1. Introductory speech  (15 minutes)

2. Live discussion with moderator (90 min)

3. Group share & conclusion (15 min)

​Format: Virtual or in-person

Languages: English, French or Spanish

• Sofa Laughs is a corporate-friendly virtual comedy experience that has featured some of the best comedians in the world as seen on Netflix, Just For Laughs, The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Stephen Colbert Show and The Voice.

• Sofa Laughs was founded by lifelong stutterer, Joze Piranian, a TEDx speaker and the winner of the 2017 Inspirational Speaker of the Year Award - his Goalcast video has been seen by more than 3,000,000 people. He’s also a CBC featured stand-up comedian who speaks 6 languages and yes, he stutters in all of them!

• A 60 minute virtual stand-up comedy show exclusively for your team; enabling remote team bonding and improving employee morale & engagement.

Outcomes for Employer:

• Why not be a pioneer in providing exclusive world class entertainment for the people of your organizations to express gratitude/appreciation during times of uncertainty and change?

• Unique shared experiences with employees results in higher team morale & an increase in team productivity leading to an increase in revenue potential.

Outcomes for Teams:

• Employees are striving for a sense of belonging to a team and sharing experiences that are both meaningful and fulfilling.

• Laughing is scientifically proven to relieve stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and spurs not only creativity and collaboration but also analytic precision and productivity

Suggested structure (60 min):

1. Joze introduces the show as MC (10 minutes)

2. Diverse Comedians are introduced and perform! (45 minutes)

3.  Final words and conclusion (5 minutes)

Format: Virtual or in-person

Languages: English, French or Spanish