Motivational speaker · Hong Kong
Your team leaves inspired and energised, with the tools they need to make real behavioural changes.
Based in Hong Kong. Keynote speaker for building resilient, AI-ready teams.
Akash Karia is a Hong Kong motivational speaker who helps teams build the resilience, curiosity and courage to handle change and AI.
Booked in Hong Kong bySun LifeAIACitiFWDJ.P. MorganEYSony PicturesHKUThe Trade Desk
Who is this for?
Hong Kong teams going through AI, restructures, new strategies or a tough year. Town halls, offsites, conferences and lunch-and-learn series.
What your team gets
An interactive keynote on resilience, curiosity and courage, built around your people. 45 to 90 minutes, in person, hybrid or virtual.
Why book akash?
Sun Life, AIA, Citi, FWD, J.P. Morgan, EY, Sony Pictures and HKU have booked Akash in Hong Kong. Ranked Top 10 communication expert (Global Gurus 2025).
Keynotes
Three keynotes, plus one built around your theme. Each one is built around your people, your goals and the change you’re facing.
For teams facing change and AI
If in the last year you’ve wondered how to keep up with all the change without being overwhelmed, how to get comfortable with change, or how to lead your team when things are moving this fast, then this keynote is for you.
I’ve delivered versions of it for Sun Life Hong Kong and Kellogg’s.
Your team walks away with three practical tools: building resilience and navigating change, using AI as a creative partner, and communicating clearly when things are uncertain.
Navigating change and AIResilience and courageA learner’s mindset
For leaders in industries being reshaped
For teams whose industry is being reshaped by technology. Your team learns to keep up without being overwhelmed, talk about new tools with confidence while still learning them, spark curiosity in customers and colleagues, and have bolder conversations when nobody has all the answers.
Bold conversationsLeading through uncertaintyCuriosity and creativity
For sales and client-facing teams
For sales and client-facing teams who need to win the room. Your team learns to open a pitch so people lean in, tell the story behind the numbers, handle pushback without getting defensive, and ask for the decision.
I’ve run Pitch Mastery as a keynote and B2B sales training workshop in Hong Kong and across Asia-Pacific, including for TikTok’s sales teams (scoring 4.97 or higher out of 5).
Your team walks away with: a simple structure for any pitch, stories that make the numbers stick, and a confident close.
PersuasionStorytelling for salesHandling objectionsClosing
For conferences with a theme
Already have a conference theme? Tell me what it is. I’ll build the keynote around it.
For communication skills, see my communication keynotes. For B2B sales teams, see my sales training in Hong Kong. For wellbeing, see wellbeing keynotes. For hands-on speaking practice, see my public speaking training in Hong Kong.
Your themeYour industryYour people
I’m an introvert turned global keynote speaker. I’ve worked with leaders in 27 countries, in rooms of seven executives and rooms of more than 2,000 people.
Hong Kong is home. It’s where I’ve worked with teams at Sun Life, AIA, Citi, J.P. Morgan, Sony Pictures, FWD, The University of Hong Kong, The Trade Desk and EY.
Before your event, we talk about your people, your goals and the customisations you need to make this the best event you’ve had. Then I build the keynote around it.
I’ve written 12 best-selling books, and the storytelling framework I created is now taught at Harvard Business School.
27
countries spoken in
Top 10
communication experts, Global Gurus 2025
4.86/5
average audience rating from the last 5 keynotes delivered in Hong Kong
Tell me the date and who’ll be in the room. I’ll come back with ideas for your keynote.
It’s in every headline, every product launch, every town hall. And now it’s reshaping the way your team works.
But all of this can feel overwhelming. The tech is arriving faster than anyone can keep up with. New tools, new targets, new structures… and the same people are expected to stay calm, creative and productive through all of it.
I help your team try new things and speak up, even before they feel ready.
When I talk to HR and business leaders in Hong Kong, I hear the same story. A recent insurance client put it this way: new AI tools keep arriving, people feel overwhelmed, and everyone is too busy to try new ways of working. People know they need to change. They just aren’t proactive about it.
Here’s how the keynote tackles each one.
Your team adopts an exploration mindset. They treat each change as something to play with and learn from, one small step at a time.
Everyone leaves with one tiny experiment to run within 24 hours. It takes a few minutes and puts an early win on the board.
We work on courage: taking the next step before you feel ready. Your team commits to that step in front of colleagues, which makes follow-through more likely.
One of my Hong Kong clients put a big focus on measuring resilience, productivity and wellbeing. We found improvements of 30% to 50% in self-reported wellbeing and resilience scores (as tested before and after the delivery of the six-month programme).
We also saw tangible improvements in people’s physical health. They were more likely to exercise and try new habits.
What your team will explore
Every keynote I give on resilience and change is built on three skills. I call them the 3 Cs.
1
When things change fast, the people who do well stay curious. They ask better questions, experiment, and are willing to be a beginner again. Your team will gain:
2
Most people already know what to do. What holds them back is identity. Change asks them to stop being the person who knows the answer and become the person who’s willing to try. Your team will be inspired to:
3
The most important conversation is the one you have with yourself. The next most important one is with your team. Your audience will:
Curiosity+Courage+Communication
=
Teams that thrive under change
30–50%
rise in self-reported wellbeing and resilience scores with one Hong Kong client, measured over six months
01
My keynotes are built to change what people do the next day. With one Hong Kong client, we measured a 30% to 50% rise in self-reported wellbeing and resilience over six months. We rolled it out and repeated it for 5 years in a row.
02
I share tools that are grounded in real evidence, proven to work for businesses and teams like yours. I’ve spent 15 years studying, and teaching, behavioural change, and my keynotes draw on that expertise to inspire teams to change.
03
Before I became a motivational keynote speaker, I was a Chief Commercial Officer. I led a team that won two KPMG awards for being one of the fastest-growing mid-sized companies in the country. I know what it’s like to aim for bold, ambitious targets.
04
I’ve been booked by Sun Life, AIA, Citi, FWD, J.P. Morgan, EY, Sony Pictures and HKU. At HKU, 100% of survey respondents said they’d recommend it.
05
This is a highly interactive session. Your team moves, talks and laughs, and practises each tool in the room, so they can put it to work as soon as they’re back at their desks.
06
I’m based here, so there are no flights or hotels to book for local events. A panel or Q&A is included. I also travel to Macau, Shenzhen, the Greater Bay Area and across Asia-Pacific.
“Akash is one of the best speakers we’ve ever hired… Energetic, very interactive and exactly what we needed.”
Jaime Lim, Director, Internal Communications & Change, FWD Hong Kong
“
The most engaging and entertaining session I’ve probably ever attended. This one gave me by far the best tools and energy to take back to my day-to-day. Dynamic, relevant and directly useful for our business.
Tim Harriss, Sony Pictures Entertainment
“
Akash captivated and electrified our audience, delivering an exceptionally invigorating session with high audience engagement. Our post-session survey revealed a resounding consensus, with 100% of respondents enthusiastically stating that they would recommend this program to others.
Maryam Hejazinia
HKU Careers Office, The University of Hong Kong
“
As a neurodivergent individual, I find it hard to connect with speakers and often lose concentration, but Akash had me fully engaged!
Anisha Johal
EY
Tell me your date, your audience and what your team is facing right now. I’ll come back with ideas for your keynote.
At a glance
| Speaker type | Corporate motivational speaker, Hong Kong |
| Also booked as | Resilience keynote speaker, Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific |
| Based in | Hong Kong |
| Themes | Resilience, change and uncertainty, AI and the future of work, curiosity and courage, persuasion and sales |
| Keynotes | The Resilience Reset: Winning with AI; Bold Conversations: Leading Through Change and Disruption; Pitch Mastery: Close Bigger Deals, Faster |
| Formats | In person, hybrid or virtual. Keynotes of 45 to 90 minutes, workshops from 3 hours to multiple days |
| Language | English. Cantonese or Mandarin through an interpreter |
| Travel | Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, the Greater Bay Area and Asia-Pacific |
| Lead time | At least 2 weeks |
Many Hong Kong teams have colleagues across the region. So I design every keynote to work in the room and on screen.
I’ve spoken at corporate offices for clients like The Trade Desk (Hysan Place, Causeway Bay), Sony Pictures (CityPlaza, Taikoo Shing), The University of Hong Kong (Pok Fu Lam), Ernst & Young (CITIC Tower, Admiralty) and more.
I’m available for events anywhere in Hong Kong:
1
The date, the audience, and what your people are facing right now. Event planner? Start with my event planners page.
2
We talk about your goals, and I shape the stories, examples and activities around your team.
3
An interactive session in person, hybrid or online, with a panel or Q&A included.
4
Optional: a workshop or short virtual sessions, so the ideas turn into habits.
“
Akash is one of the best professional speakers on the planet today. He is motivating, inspiring, and interactive at the same time.
Brian Tracy
Bestselling author of Eat That Frog
“
Akash delivered true value and insights to our executive team. Highly recommended.
Marco Bizzarri
CEO, Gucci
“
Over my 20+ year career, I’ve attended dozens of communication sessions, and Akash’s has been the best.
Chad Waraksa
Bristol Myers Squibb
“
We hired Akash for our Asia-Pacific, European and North American conferences and he was a big hit! I would highly recommend his programs. Our team could not get enough!
Kevin Kelly
Stampede Global
“
Akash came into our conference 2 years in a row and refocused and re-energized us!
Mark Coxon
Milestone
“
A very engaging, interactive and vibrant session that’s rooted in research and evidence. It is testament to how well Akash did that he was invited back for more sessions.
Taha Khan
PharmD, MS
Akash Karia’s keynotes focus on resilience, navigating change and uncertainty, and thriving in the age of AI. Every session is built on his 3 Cs: curiosity, courage and communication. He tailors the stories and examples to your industry, from banking and insurance to media, tech and education.
A keynote speaker sets the tone for an event, usually in the main session. A motivational speaker focuses on how your people think and feel. Akash Karia’s keynotes do both: they lift the energy in the room, and they give your team practical tools for resilience, curiosity and courage.
Yes. Akash Karia builds most of his keynotes around what a team is going through right now, whether that’s new AI tools, a restructure or a demanding year. He covers it with you on a discovery call, then shapes the stories, examples and activities around it.
Akash Karia delivers his keynotes in English. For mixed-language audiences, he has worked with interpreters who translate into Cantonese or Mandarin, and he adjusts the pace and activities so everyone can join in.
Yes. Akash Karia is based in Hong Kong and regularly speaks in Macau, Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area, and across Asia-Pacific.
Book at least 2 weeks before your event. Popular dates go earlier, so get in touch as soon as you have a date in mind.
Yes. Akash delivers keynotes in person, hybrid and fully virtual. In hybrid sessions, he makes sure the people online are just as involved as the people in the room.
Yes. Workshops run from 3 hours to multiple days, depending on what your team needs. Some clients add one on the same day as the keynote. Others choose a follow-up programme of short virtual sessions, so the ideas turn into habits.
Start with what you want your people to do differently after the event. Then ask each speaker three questions. Have you worked with teams like ours? Will you tailor the talk after a call with us? What changed for your last client? Akash answers all three on a discovery call before you book.
The right speaker depends on your audience and what you want them to do differently afterwards. Akash has put together a list of the top keynote speakers in Hong Kong, with their topics and what each one is best for.
Tell me the date, the audience and what your people are facing right now. I’ll come back with ideas for the keynote and let you know if I’m free.
Prefer email? akash@akashkaria.com
Booked by teams at Sun Life, AIA, Citi, FWD, Sony Pictures and HKU
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