Use Your Difference To Make A Difference™

Keynote & Workshop Menu

Tayo Rockson is a Behavioral Data Scientist, author, and 3x TEDx speaker who helps organizations turn people analytics into decisions—by combining statistical rigor, behavioral science, and cultural intelligence.

What I’m known for: making data human, translating insights into action, and helping leaders use analytics responsibly in the age of AI.

Booked by: CHRO/CPOs, Heads of People Analytics, HR Transformation Leaders, HR Tech teams, Analytics Enablement leaders, Chiefs of Staff, ERG leaders, and conference organizers.

SIGNATURE KEYNOTES

The talks most requested for conferences and leadership events

THE LAST MILE PROBLEM

Why Brilliant People Analytics Fails to Drive Decisions—and How to Close the Gap

Description:
Organizations invest heavily in people analytics tools, dashboards, and AI—yet many still struggle to connect insights to action. The gap isn’t technical; it’s behavioral. In this keynote, Tayo breaks down why smart analytics fails inside real organizations and introduces a practical way to design work for adoption, not admiration. This is the keynote for leaders and teams who are tired of producing “interesting” insights and want to start producing measurable outcomes.

Key Takeaways (Audience Leaves Able To):

• Diagnose whether you have a data problem or a translation problem

• Identify the three behavioral barriers that cause analytics to stall

• Design analytics projects for adoption, timing, and decision use

• Turn “That’s interesting” into “Here’s what we’re doing next”

Includes: a live “translation” example showing how the same insight succeeds or fails depending on delivery.

Best For: People analytics conferences, HR tech events, leadership offsites, HR transformation meetings
Length: 45–60 minutes (or 30–45 min conference version)

MAKING AI HUMAN

The Leadership Imperative for the Age of Algorithmic Decision-Making

Description:
AI is changing what’s possible in workforce analytics, but the hardest questions aren’t technical—they’re human. How do we maintain trust when algorithms influence decisions about people? When should leaders use model recommendations, and when should human judgment override them? In this keynote, Tayo offers a practical framework for responsible, human-centered people analytics in an era where prediction is easy and trust is fragile.

Key Takeaways (Audience Leaves Able To):

• Understand the trust paradox: why more accurate prediction can reduce confidence

• Use a framework to decide when to use (and not use) algorithmic recommendations

• Maintain human judgment while leveraging machine capability

• Avoid the most common ethical and cultural failure points in predictive HR

Best For: Executive leadership events, HR tech, AI ethics, board/strategy retreats
Length: 45–60 minutes

THE STORY IN THE STATS

How to Communicate Data in Ways That Change Minds and Move Organizations

Description:
Data doesn’t speak for itself. Leaders don’t ignore data because they’re irrational—they ignore it because the message is delivered in a format their brains, incentives, and context can’t absorb. In this keynote, Tayo teaches the art and science of translating analytics into leadership decisions. You’ll learn how to tell data stories that overcome skepticism, navigate politics, and drive action—without sacrificing rigor.

Key Takeaways (Audience Leaves Able To):

• Structure any insight into a story leaders can remember and repeat

• Present with clarity, confidence, and action—even under scrutiny

• Anticipate executive objections and respond without losing credibility

• Communicate differently to different audiences without “dumbing it down”

Best For: Data science events, people analytics summits, analytics leadership forums, communications-heavy teams
Length: 45–60 minutes

SPECIALIST KEYNOTES

High-demand themes for analytics-heavy or culture-heavy audiences

THE PEOPLE DATA DECODER

How to Read Workforce Data Through Three Lenses: Statistical, Behavioral, Cultural

Description:
Most analytics teams are trained to explain what happened. Behavioral Data Scientists learn to interpret why it happened—and what to do next. In this keynote, Tayo introduces a simple, powerful method for reading workforce data through three lenses: statistical rigor, behavioral insight, and cultural intelligence. This talk helps teams move beyond reporting into interpretation and intervention.

Key Takeaways:

• Use the three-lens framework to interpret workforce patterns more accurately

• Understand why “prediction without intervention” is just expensive decoration

• Learn how culture shapes what your metrics really mean

• Leave with a repeatable method for connecting data to action

Best For: People analytics & HR analytics audiences, advanced HR teams, internal analytics organizations
Length: 45–60 minutes

THE DASHBOARD TRAP

Why Your Best Work Might Be Keeping You Stuck—and How to Escape

Description:
Many talented analysts become production machines—measured by output instead of impact. They get more requests, more dashboards, more meetings, and less influence. In this provocative keynote, Tayo explains the hidden career trap in analytics work and shares a clear path to reposition yourself as a strategic partner.

Key Takeaways:

• Identify the four signs you’re stuck in the Dashboard Trap

• Shift from output metrics to impact metrics

• Build influence with stakeholders without waiting for permission

• Leave with a 90-day plan to reposition your work for decision-making

Best For: Analytics team offsites, professional development events, people analytics communities
Length: 30–45 minutes (or 45–60 expanded)

CAREER & CULTURE KEYNOTES

For leadership, ERG, university, and all-hands audiences

FROM DIPLOMAT’S SON TO DATA SCIENTIST

How Growing Up Across Five Countries Taught Me to See Patterns Others Miss

Description:
This keynote blends story and science to show why outsider perspective is a strategic advantage. Tayo shares how his Third Culture Kid experience shaped his ability to see patterns insiders miss—and why organizations need that kind of thinking now more than ever. This is a powerful talk about belonging, pattern recognition, innovation, and the leadership skill of translation.

Key Takeaways:

• Why outsiders see patterns insiders take for granted

• The science of cognitive differences and pattern recognition

• How leaders can cultivate “outsider thinking” on any team

• Practical strategies for building environments where different perspectives thrive

Best For: Leadership summits, ERG events, TEDx-style events, corporate all-hands, universities
Length: 30–45 minutes

USE YOUR DIFFERENCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

A Cross-Cultural Guide to Pattern Recognition, Problem-Solving, and Belonging

Description:
Based on Tayo’s book, this keynote helps audiences recognize the value of lived experience as a leadership asset. It’s especially powerful for ERGs, early-career talent, and organizations working to build cultures where difference becomes a source of insight—not isolation.

Key Takeaways:

• The cognitive science behind diverse perspectives and better decision-making

• Frameworks for leveraging your background as a leadership advantage

• How to build cultures where difference thrives rather than survives

• Practical exercises for developing “outsider thinking”

Best For: ERG events, talent development programs, universities, book tours
Length: 45–60 minutesFROM INSIGHT TO INTERVENTION

WORKSHOPS

Hands-on training designed for real implementation

THE HUMAN FRAMEWORK

A Masterclass in Presenting Analytics to Executives

Duration: Half-day (3–4 hours) or Full-day (6–7 hours)
Ideal size: 15–30 participants

Description:
Most analytics presentations fail before the first slide because they’re designed to demonstrate rigor instead of drive decisions. This workshop teaches the HUMAN Framework—a repeatable method for presenting analytics in a way executives act on. Participants rebuild real presentations, practice delivery, and learn how to “pre-sell” insights so they land.

The HUMAN Framework:

• Hypothesis — a testable claim and clear point of view

• Urgency — connect to what matters right now

• Magnitude — quantify stakes in dollars and tradeoffs

• Action — who does what by when at what cost

• Narrative — structure insights into a story people remember

Participants Leave With:

• A rebuilt presentation using HUMAN

• A plug-and-play presentation template

• A stakeholder “pre-sell” script + objection-handling guide

• A 90-day implementation plan for their team

Best For: People analytics teams, HRBPs presenting insights, analytics leaders

FROM INSIGHT TO INTERVENTION

Designing Behavioral Nudges That Actually Change Outcomes

Duration: Half-day (3–4 hours)
Ideal size: 15–25 participants

Description:
Prediction without intervention is just data decoration. This workshop teaches teams how to convert analytics into behavior change using behavioral economics, nudge theory, and change management. Participants map drivers, design interventions, and build measurement plans that leaders can approve.

Participants Leave With:

• One completed intervention design canvas for a real challenge

• Three intervention options grounded in behavioral principles

• A measurement plan (how you’ll know it worked)

• An implementation roadmap (owner, timeline, risk points)

Best For: People analytics, HR innovation, OD, employee experience teams

THE BEHAVIORAL DATA CANVAS

Designing Analytics Projects That Actually Get Used

Duration: Half-day (3–4 hours)
Ideal size: 15–25 participants

Description:
Most analytics projects fail because the analyst didn’t clarify the decision, the stakeholders, or the path to impact. The Behavioral Data Canvas is a one-page tool that forces alignment before the first line of code.

The Canvas Covers:
Decision owner • decision required • action threshold • current belief • resistance points • champions • channel • timing • success metric

Participants Leave With:

• One completed canvas for a real project

• A project intake meeting script (questions that surface truth fast)

• “Kill criteria” rubric (when to decline, redirect, or re-scope work)

• A standard operating model for implementing the canvas across a team

CROSS-CULTURAL DATA LITERACY

Reading People Data Across Global Contexts

Duration: Half-day (3–4 hours)
Ideal size: 15–25 participants

Description:
The same engagement score means different things in different cultures. This workshop teaches teams to interpret people metrics through cultural context to avoid costly misreads and one-size-fits-all analytics.

Participants Leave With:

• Cultural calibration guidelines for interpreting workforce metrics

• Messaging strategies for global leaders and stakeholders

• A framework for avoiding false comparisons across regions

• Practical exercises using sample global datasets

ESCAPING THE DASHBOARD TRAP

Career Development for Analytics Professionals

Duration: Half-day (3 hours)
Ideal size: 15–25 participants

Description:
A structured workshop for analysts who want more influence, better positioning, and work that drives decisions—not just output. Includes assessment, stakeholder mapping, and a concrete 90-day plan.

Participants Leave With:

• A confidential diagnostic of “trap signals”

• A stakeholder influence map

• A 90-day repositioning plan

• Accountability pairing structure for follow-through

THE IMPOSTER’S GUIDE TO PEOPLE ANALYTICS

Confidence and Competence for Non-Traditional Paths

Duration: Half-day (3 hours)
Ideal size: 15–20 participants

Description:
For professionals who learned on the job, come from non-technical backgrounds, or feel like they’re behind. This workshop helps participants separate skill gaps from confidence gaps and own the “translation advantage.”

Participants Leave With:

• A skill vs confidence assessment

• A personal value narrative (what you uniquely contribute)

• Practical strategies to reduce imposter spirals

• A peer support structure for continued growth