Speaking Information
Ana Homayoun
Bestselling Author and Academic Advisor
For more than 25 years, I've had the privilege of sitting with students, families, educators, and early-career professionals at some of the most pivotal moments of their lives — and what I've learned is this: the skills that help us navigate complexity, manage ourselves, and show up fully are learnable. That's the heart of everything I bring to the stage.
My research-based framework travels with me to schools, corporations, and conferences nationwide, but what makes my presentations resonate isn't just the content — it's the conversation. I create space for honesty, reflection, and real talk, whether I'm in a middle school gymnasium or on a mainstage with thousands of professionals. People leave my talks not just inspired, but actually equipped.
For school communities, I specialize in executive function skills, perfectionism, and social media — the issues that quietly shape how students, educators, and families experience learning and life. My sessions are designed to give everyone in the room something they can use the moment they walk out the door.
For corporations and organizations, I work with early-career professionals and their managers on the productivity and wellness strategies that fuel sustainable performance. I love bridging the gap between individual well-being and organizational success — because when people feel genuinely supported, they do their best work.
I've spoken to audiences of 800 middle schoolers and 5,000 professionals, and I bring the same energy, care, and intentionality to every single one. My goal is simple: that every person in the room leaves feeling seen, motivated, and ready for what's next.
The New York Times
Good Morning America
MSNBC
CNN
The Atlantic
ABC News
CNBC
The Washington Post
MSNBC
NPR
The Boston Globe
SXSW EDU
Speaking Reel
Keynote Speeches
The Skills Your Kids Actually Need: What Every Parent Should Know About Executive Functioning
For school parent education nights and community events.
We talk a lot about grades, test scores, and getting into the right school. But research tells us something different: the kids who thrive long-term are the ones who know how to organize their time, handle a setback, ask for help, and keep going when things get hard. Those are executive functioning skills, and most kids aren't getting the explicit support they need to build them.
Bestselling author Ana Homayoun has spent 25+ years in the trenches with students and families, and she's here to give parents the roadmap they've been waiting for. Clear, research-backed, and delivered with the warmth and humor that makes even the hardest conversations feel manageable.
Parents leave with real tools - this is the talk parents leave wishing they'd heard years ago.
Social Media Wellness: Raising Savvy, Balanced Kids in a World That Never Turns Off
For school communities, parent education nights, and student assemblies.
Every parent in this room has wondered if their kid is spending too much time online. Every kid has felt the pressure of likes, follows, and the constant pull of the feed. And yet most families are having the same circular conversation about screens — without any real tools to change things.
Ana Homayoun speaks to both students and parents — because the digital world affects everyone in the family, and the best solutions happen when everyone is on the same page. Her Three S's framework — Healthy Socialization, Effective Self-Regulation, and Overall Safety — gives kids and parents a shared vocabulary and concrete strategies for building a healthier, more intentional relationship with technology.
Warm, funny, and refreshingly free of doom and gloom, this is the talk families have been waiting for.
Getting In Is Not Enough: The Real Skills Students Need for Life Beyond the Finish Line
For school communities, parent education programs, and corporate ERGs.
Getting into college was supposed to be the hard part. So why are so many students struggling once they get there?
In this interactive keynote, bestselling author Ana Homayoun — drawing on 25+ years of work with students — reveals the five foundational skills that predict long-term success far better than any transcript: systems, connection, perspective, acceptance, and building your own blueprint. Practical, research-backed, and delivered with humor and heart.
After the Offer Letter: A Framework for Early-Career Professionals Who Are Ready to Thrive
Interactive workshop, 45–90 minutes with Q&A. Ideal for associates, analysts, and ERG programming.
The job market is unstable. Social media makes everyone else look like they have it figured out. And the career path you imagined looks nothing like the one you're actually on.
Ana Homayoun's four-stage framework gives early-career professionals the tools to stop measuring themselves against false benchmarks, and start building careers grounded in their own energy, intuition, and worth. Warm, engaging, and refreshingly honest, with practical tools built for the world young professionals are actually living in.
The Skills Gap No One's Talking About: How Executive Functioning Shapes Career Readiness
For HR leaders, people managers, and corporate L&D teams.
Your youngest employees are talented, motivated, and genuinely want to do well. So why are so many of them struggling, and why are the usual solutions not working?
Bestselling author and educator Ana Homayoun has spent 25+ years figuring out exactly what helps young people thrive — and her answer will change how you hire, onboard, and lead. Executive functioning skills like planning, adaptability, and knowing how to navigate feedback are the hidden engine behind every high performer. And right now, there's a generation-wide gap in these skills that no résumé will ever show you.
The organizations that understand this — and act on it — are the ones building teams that actually stick around.
Warm, funny, and impossible to ignore, Ana delivers practical tools that leaders can instantly put to use.
"Ana's work is inspirational! For decades, Ana's has focused on equipping students with the tools and skills they need to understand themselves as learners to find success in and out of school. Her books and presentations have helped families and adolescents understand how research in brain development and the power of executive functioning can help students use their strengths to overcome challenges. I have had the pleasure of working with Ana for years. She has spoken to families, faculty, and students at my school, and each time I listen to her, I learn something new."
Tracy Fedonchik
Head of School, St. Luke's School, New York, NY
“Thanks again for a great presentation. You did a very good job sharing your message and making it applicable to the broadness of the audience, and feedback was very positive. "
President of Employee Resource Group,
Fortune 10 Global Company
“You were perfect for our community and we are so grateful we had the chance to have you interact with students and parents!
I have already heard from several parents who attended who said they found your presentation very valuable and that the content was applicable, tangible and non-judgemental. The only complaint is that the parent portion should have been 3-4 hours long because our parents could have talked with you for several more hours!"
Katie Sillup
Family and Community Engagement Coordinator
Montgomery School, Chester Springs, PA
"I am truly grateful for the time that you spent with the Woodland Hill community. Your presentations have already sparked many conversations that I believe are just the start of the work to come. In fact, one of our most senior teachers felt compelled to share about her experience and encouraged the parents of her students to attend. My conversations with you and all that I was able to soak in during the presentations have opened my eyes to the many ways technology impacts our work with children and how we can empower them to be savvy consumers.
Thank you for your partnership and I hope we can work together again!"
Michelle Edwards
Head of School
Woodhill Montessori School
Rensselaer, NY
Ana has spoken at and/or consulted with schools, corporations, and organizations across the country and around the world, including:
Independent and International Schools
Convent of the Sacred Heart · The Dalton School · Harpeth Hall · National Cathedral School · Crystal Springs Uplands · Durham Academy · Menlo School · Roland Park Country School · Trinity School · Charlotte Country Day School · Katherine Delmar Burke School · Pace Academy · Penn Charter School · Stuart Country Day School · Woodside Priory · New Canaan Country School · The Lovett School · American School of Dubai
Public Schools & Districts
Los Angeles County Office of Education · Highland Park/Dallas Unified · Ramsey School District · Ridgewood Public Schools · Mill Valley Elementary School District
Nonprofits & Community Organizations
Grant Halliburton Foundation · National Charity League · Hillside Family Agencies · Safe Community Coalition · Common Sense Speakers Series
Conferences & Associations
Learning and the Brain Conference · Northwest Association of Independent Schools · American Camp Association National Conference · SXSWedu
Corporations & Financial Institutions
Barclays · Capital One · Instagram
