Connection used to happen by default.
Now we must build it on purpose.
Keynotes and workshops that help audiences build their core human skills and essential connection infrastructure.... At work and in life.
Connection used to happen by default.
Now we must build it on purpose.
Keynotes and workshops that help audiences build their core human skills and essential connection infrastructure.... At work and in life.
As featured in:
“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
signature talks
BUILDING CONNECTION AT WORK IN THE AGE OF AI
Building connection is an essential skill in today’s changing industries.
As more work moves through screens and more tasks move to AI, companies will play an increasingly important role in helping their workers build and rebuild core human skills. But connection at work isn’t an employee perk or a nice-to-have. Connection infrastructure is essential to business goals and AI adoption strategy, and has a huge impact on collaboration, engagement, productivity, innovation, and the ability to meet the challenges of today’s complex professional environments. It’s also an essential skill for employees who want to grow their careers in an era of uncertainty and disruption.
Audiences will reflect on the state of their connections in their personal and professional lives. Using the Deep Casual Mindset, attendees will leave with research-backed tools they can use right away to build relationships at work and beyond.
HOW TO NEIGHBOR
You do not need more friends. You need community.
HOW TO NEIGHBOR
You do not need more friends. You need community.
Americans are spending more time alone and at home than at any other point in our history. But this is a rare social problem where people can meaningfully improve their situation on a personal level.
In this keynote, Katherine inspires attendees to reflect on whether they have community they can count on, using the powerful 10-minute test. She frames strong connections not as the result of luck or circumstance, but as a skill like any other: one you can learn, practice, and get better at over time.
Attendees will learn about the Deep Casual Mindset, which helps us prioritize connection over perfection, and will walk away brimming with ideas for strengthening their ties in neighborhoods, congregations, workplaces, “Meaning Groups,” and building a village around family life.
In a world that demands so much of us, Katherine’s talk explores how we can do less of the things that keep us isolated and do more of the simple but powerful practice of neighboring.
All talks are tailored and customizable, and can be done as a keynote or an interactive workshop at 45, 60, or 90 minutes.
signature talks
BUILDING CONNECTION AT WORK IN THE AGE OF AI
Building connection is an essential skill in today’s changing industries.
signature talks
BUILDING CONNECTION AT WORK IN THE AGE OF AI
Building connection is an essential skill in today’s changing industries.
As more work moves through screens and more tasks move to AI, companies will play an increasingly important role in helping their workers build and rebuild core human skills. But connection at work isn’t an employee perk or a nice-to-have. Connection infrastructure is essential to business goals and AI adoption strategy, and has a huge impact on collaboration, engagement, productivity, innovation, and the ability to meet the challenges of today’s complex professional environments. It’s also an essential skill for employees who want to grow their careers in an era of uncertainty and disruption.
Audiences will reflect on the state of their connections in their personal and professional lives. Using the Deep Casual Mindset, attendees will leave with research-backed tools they can use right away to build relationships at work and beyond.
HOW TO NEIGHBOR
You do not need more friends. You need community.
Americans are spending more time alone and at home than at any other point in our history. But this is a rare social problem where people can meaningfully improve their situation on a personal level.
In this keynote, Katherine inspires attendees to reflect on whether they have community they can count on, using the powerful 10-minute test. She frames strong connections not as the result of luck or circumstance, but as a skill like any other: one you can learn, practice, and get better at over time.
Attendees will learn about the Deep Casual Mindset, which helps us prioritize connection over perfection, and will walk away brimming with ideas for strengthening their ties in neighborhoods, congregations, workplaces, “Meaning Groups,” and building a village around family life.
In a world that demands so much of us, Katherine’s talk explores how we can do less of the things that keep us isolated and do more of the simple but powerful practice of neighboring.
All talks are tailored and customizable, and can be done as a keynote or an interactive workshop at 45, 60, or 90 minutes.
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
The Neighboring Tokens Game uses Katherine’s signature frameworks to give a room a way to practice small acts of neighboring together. Everyone gets poker-chip-size tokens, some for offering help and some for asking for it. As the event programming goes on, people use them with each other, put them in a jar at the front, and the room can see the connections adding up.
GOOD FOR: Conferences, retreats, summits, and team offsites, especially when people don't all know each other yet or know each other virtually or in superficial ways.
Download one sheet.
The Neighboring Tokens game is available as an add-on to my in-person keynotes and workshops, and as a standalone activation at events.
A five-minute activity that transforms the idea of networking from an awkward chore to an experience that makes your in-person event unforgettable.
The Neighboring Tokens Game
what people say:
The Neighboring Tokens Game uses Katherine’s signature frameworks to give a room a way to practice small acts of neighboring together. Everyone gets poker-chip-size tokens, some for offering help and some for asking for it. As the event programming goes on, people use them with each other, put them in a jar at the front, and the room can see the connections adding up.
GOOD FOR: Conferences, retreats, summits, and team offsites, especially when people don't all know each other yet or know each other virtually or in superficial ways.
Download one sheet
The Neighboring Tokens game is available as an add-on to my in-person keynotes and workshops, and as a standalone activation at events.
A five-minute activity that transforms the idea of networking from an awkward chore to an experience that makes your in-person event unforgettable.
The Neighboring Tokens Game
what people say:
Most of us are happy to help. Asking is the hard part. Katherine's Neighboring Game put that right in our hands... Within minutes the room was full of real conversations, and people were helping each other in ways that never would have come up otherwise.
- Jon Giganti, Founder, Giganti Group
The Neighboring game was deeply resonant, fun, and helped our group (who didn't know each other coming in to this event) gel faster than I ever imagined possible.
- Amanda Northcutt, CEO, Level Up
Katherine's Neighboring game created meaningful connections withinminutes of meeting new people in a room.
- Shanna Hocking, Strategic Advisor
...the concept of neighboring has me looking for ways to ask for and offer help everywhere I look. This game will be a staple at events I host!
- Stacy Bishop, Fintech Partnership Strategist
About Katherine
Katherine Goldstein is a journalist, speaker, and consultant. A Better Life Lab at New America fellow and Nieman Journalism Fellow at Harvard, her work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Vox News, and more.
Her book, NEIGHBORING: How to Build Community You Can Count On (Penguin Random House), out April 6, 2027, is a hands-on guide to building a life rich in connection. The book outlines how community building is a skill you can learn, no matter your
circumstances. Drawing on interviews, years of research, and her own experience, Goldstein offers concrete advice for practicing the small, warm acts of “neighboring” that expand our social worlds over time with stories, exercises, and refreshingly doable advice.
She speaks at Fortune 500 companies and national conferences on the skill of neighboring at work and in life, and how companies can build essential connection infrastructure in the age of AI. She is the creator of The Double Shift newsletter and media platform, a former Harvard Extension School instructor, and her work has been supported by the Ford Foundation.
About Katherine
Katherine Goldstein is a journalist, speaker, and consultant. A Better Life Lab at New America fellow and Nieman Journalism Fellow at Harvard, her work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Vox News, and more.
Her book, NEIGHBORING: How to Build Community You Can Count On (Penguin Random House), out April 6, 2027, is a hands-on guide to building a life rich in connection. The book outlines how community building is a skill you can learn, no matter your circumstances. Drawing on interviews, years of research, and her own experience, Goldstein offers concrete advice for practicing the small, warm acts of “neighboring” that expand our social worlds over time with stories, exercises, and refreshingly doable advice.
She speaks at Fortune 500 companies and national conferences on the skill of neighboring at work and in life, and
how companies can build essential connection infrastructure in the age of AI. She is the creator of The Double Shift newsletter and media platform, a former Harvard Extension School instructor, and her work has been supported by the Ford Foundation.
trusted by:
What Makes katherine Different
- Signature frameworks around neighboring, the Deep Casual Mindset, the magnets that are essential to make groups work
- Experiential and interactive elements, such as the Ten Minute Test, that get audiences engaged right away
- Blending storytelling with data to make sessions empowering and relatable
- Powerful but low-lift takeaways audiences can try for themselves immediately.
