Keynotes and workshops that help audiences build trust, strengthen belonging, and create connections they can count on.
Connection used to happen by default. Now we must build it on purpose.
Keynotes and workshops that help audiences build trust, strengthen belonging, and create connections they can count on.
Connection used to happen by default.
Now we must build it on purpose.
As featured in:
signature keynotes
The Connection Gap at Work:
How to build trust, reduce burnout, and improve collaboration in a Slack-and-Zoom-heavy workplace
How to Find Your People:
A practical guide to building real connections in over-scheduled lives
Human Connection in the Age of AI:
Why real relationships are becoming a critical advantage in a changing world
signature keynotes:
According to research from Harvard Business Review, Employees who feel like they belong are 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their fullest potential. When teams experience low engagement, it’s not because people don’t care. It’s because connection has become an accidental, low-priority by-product rather than an intentional part of how work happens.
In this highly practical keynote, Katherine Goldstein offers a clear, actionable approach to building real connections at work and beyond. Moving past awkward networking and one-off events, she introduces the “Deep Casual” framework—a system for creating consistent, low-pressure interactions that strengthen relationships over time.
Grounded in research and real-world examples, this talk shows how stronger relationships don’t just improve workplace culture—they drive collaboration, increase engagement, help employees do their best work, and play a critical role in reducing burnout and isolation.
Audience takeaway:
A practical, research-backed roadmap for building trust, improving collaboration, and creating stronger, more connected teams without adding more meetings.
How to build trust, reduce burnout, and improve collaboration in a Slack-and-Zoom-heavy workplace
The Connection Gap at Work:
We live in a world with endless ways to connect, and yet many people have never felt more isolated. Research from Cigna shows that 58% of adults report feeling lonely.
In this thought-provoking keynote, Katherine Goldstein explores a defining tension of our time: as it becomes easier to simulate relationships, the connections we can count on within teams and in everyday life are becoming more essential.
Drawing on research from her forthcoming book Neighboring, Katherine shows that this moment isn’t just about new technology; it’s part of a broader, decades-long shift away from the structures that once made human social connections a strong fabric of our everyday lives.
For organizations, the shift creates a real, underdiscussed business risk: employees and teams may appear highly reachable on the surface, but lack the trust and cohesion needed to collaborate, innovate, and perform at their best.
Connection used to happen by default. Now we must build it on purpose.
Audience takeaway:
A clear, research-backed perspective on what creates trust, belonging, and resilience, and why these conditions can no longer be left to chance.
signature keynotes:
Human Connection in the Age of AI:
Why real relationships are becoming a critical advantage in a changing world
We’ve been sold the idea that connection should be effortless: the always available friend group, the thriving community, the “village” of support that will magically appear when we need it. In reality, most people feel overextended, isolated, and unsure how to build the kind of relationships they can truly count on.
In this highly practical and deeply relatable talk, Katherine Goldstein offers a clear, actionable approach to finding your people and building a village that works in real life. Drawing on research and insights from her forthcoming book Neighboring, she introduces the “Deep Casual mindset”—a low-pressure, sustainable way to create connection through small, consistent interactions over time.
This talk can be adapted as a keynote or an interactive workshop, and can be tailored to address the specific challenges audiences are facing, from the pressure of over-scheduled family life and the “kids’ activity doom loop,” to knowing how to build a village (and be a villager), and how to foster deeper connections that fit into busy lives.
Audience takeaway:
A realistic, research-backed roadmap for finding your people, building meaningful relationships, and creating a support system you can count on.
signature keynotes:
A practical guide to building real connections in over-scheduled lives
How to Find Your People:
signature keynotes
The Connection Gap at Work:
How to build trust, reduce burnout, and improve collaboration in a Slack-and-Zoom-heavy workplace
Human Connection in the Age of AI:
Why real relationships are becoming a critical advantage in a changing world
How to Find Your People:
A practical guide to building real connections in over-scheduled lives
signature keynotes:
According to research from Harvard Business Review, Employees who feel like they belong are 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their fullest potential. When teams experience low engagement, it’s not because people don’t care. It’s because connection has become an accidental, low-priority by-product rather than an intentional part of how work happens.
In this highly practical keynote, Katherine Goldstein offers a clear, actionable approach to building real connections at work and beyond. Moving past awkward networking and one-off events, she introduces the “Deep Casual” framework—a system for creating consistent, low-pressure interactions that strengthen relationships over time.
Grounded in research and real-world examples, this talk shows how stronger relationships don’t just improve workplace culture—they drive collaboration, increase engagement, help employees do their best work, and play a critical role in reducing burnout and isolation.
Audience takeaway:
A practical, research-backed roadmap for building trust, improving collaboration, and creating stronger, more connected teams without adding more meetings.
How to build trust, reduce burnout, and improve collaboration in a Slack-and-Zoom-heavy workplace
The Connection Gap at Work:
We live in a world with endless ways to connect, and yet many people have never felt more isolated. Research from Cigna shows that 58% of adults report feeling lonely.
In this thought-provoking keynote, Katherine Goldstein explores a defining tension of our time: as it becomes easier to simulate relationships, the connections we can count on within teams and in everyday life are becoming more essential.
Drawing on research from her forthcoming book Neighboring, Katherine shows that this moment isn’t just about new technology; it’s part of a broader, decades-long shift away from the structures that once made human social connections a strong fabric of our everyday lives.
For organizations, the shift creates a real, underdiscussed business risk: employees and teams may appear highly reachable on the surface, but lack the trust and cohesion needed to collaborate, innovate, and perform at their best.
Connection used to happen by default. Now we must build it on purpose.
Audience takeaway:
A clear, research-backed perspective on what creates trust, belonging, and resilience, and why these conditions can no longer be left to chance.
signature keynotes:
Human Connection in the Age of AI:
Why real relationships are becoming a critical advantage in a changing world
We’ve been sold the idea that connection should be effortless: the always available friend group, the thriving community, the “village” of support that will magically appear when we need it. In reality, most people feel overextended, isolated, and unsure how to build the kind of relationships they can truly count on.
In this highly practical and deeply relatable talk, Katherine Goldstein offers a clear, actionable approach to finding your people and building a village that works in real life. Drawing on research and insights from her forthcoming book Neighboring, she introduces the “Deep Casual mindset”—a low-pressure, sustainable way to create connection through small, consistent interactions over time.
This talk can be adapted as a keynote or an interactive workshop, and can be tailored to address the specific challenges audiences are facing, from the pressure of over-scheduled family life and the “kids’ activity doom loop,” to knowing how to build a village (and be a villager), and how to foster deeper connections that fit into busy lives.
Audience takeaway:
A realistic, research-backed roadmap for finding your people, building meaningful relationships, and creating a support system you can count on.
signature keynotes:
A practical guide to building real connections in over-scheduled lives
How to Find Your People:
3.5x
$154b
Employees who feel like they belong are 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their fullest potential.
Loneliness-driven, stress-related absenteeism costs companies $154 billion annually
- HBR
- cigna
$10T
In 2025, low employee engagement cost the world economy approximately $10 trillion in lost productivity.
- gallup
“Katherine’s keynote presentation was universally well-received, with one attendee saying that ‘every slide and discussion point resonated’ with them. She also attracted record turnout for the interactive workshop which followed one week later….. We loved having Katherine join us.
-Monica Dongre, RTI
Katherine was a dream to work with! Without a doubt, I would work with Katherine again, and I would recommend her as a speaker to any event or organization.
- Maoria Kirker, CALM
Katherine is such a passionate and knowledgeable speaker and brings a true journalist's commitment to storytelling and uncovering truth, while also tapping into real-life experiences and providing concrete solutions. I loved working with her and can't wait for the next time.
- Jessica Pallay, vivvi
We were so incredibly pleased to have Katherine speak to our Caregivers ERG. She provided a ton of meaningful data and insights and was able to resonate with so many in just an hour’s time!
- Jessica king, paycor
In our circles, Katherine is a legend and I highly recommend her as a speaker, panelist, or expert on your project.
- Allison Venditti , moms at work
What Makes katherine Different
- Small, consistent interactions that build trust
- Lowering pressure to foster connection
- Values-based decision making about how to spend your time
- Authenticity and vulnerability over perfection
- Designing “social infrastructure” that nurtures connection
trusted by:
neighboring
small actions that contribute to the people around us
/ˈnā-b(ə-)riŋ/ verb
About Katherine
Katherine Goldstein is a journalist, speaker, and author of Neighboring: A Deep Casual Guide to Building Community You Can Count on (Penguin Random House, 2027). Her work focuses on how individuals can build connections and how organizations can combat social isolation through practical advice and sustainable solutions.
She’s also the creator of The Double Shift media platform, a fellow at the Better Life Lab at New America, and a former Harvard Nieman Journalism Fellow. She’s been an instructor at the Harvard Extension School, has spoken at Fortune 500 companies and national conferences, and has had her work supported by the Ford Foundation. She has written for and been featured in The NYTimes, WashPost, Vox News, The Guardian, and NPR. She lives in Durham, NC, with her family, including pandemic twins.
About Katherine
Katherine Goldstein is a journalist, speaker, and author of Neighboring: A Deep Casual Guide to Building Community You Can Count on (Penguin Random House, 2027). Her work focuses on how individuals can build connections and how organizations can
combat social isolation through practical advice and sustainable solutions.
She’s also the creator of The Double Shift media platform, a fellow at the Better Life Lab at New America, and a former Harvard Nieman Journalism Fellow. She’s been an instructor at the Harvard Extension School, has spoken at Fortune 500 companies and national conferences, and has had her work supported by the Ford Foundation. She has written for and been featured in The NYTimes, WashPost, Vox News, The Guardian, and NPR. She lives in Durham, NC, with her family, including pandemic twins.
