Chris Baker
Founder, Totem | China & APAC Marketing Strategist | Brand Strategy & Social Digital Innovation | 20+ Years Connecting Global and China Ecosystems
Laura Morgan Roberts
Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor, UVA Darden School of Business | Authority on Authenticity, Diversity & Best-Self Leadership | Thinkers50-Ranked Thinker
Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts is one of the world's leading authorities on authenticity, diversity, and the science of bringing your best self to work. A UVA Darden professor, organizational psychologist, and Thinkers50-ranked thinker, she edited the award-winning Race, Work, and Leadership. On stage, she blends rigorous science with warmth, giving audiences evidence-based tools to unlock potential in themselves and others.
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Laura Morgan Roberts biography
Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts is one of the world’s leading authorities on authenticity, diversity, and the science of bringing your best self to work. A professor, organizational psychologist, and advisor to global organizations, she has built her career around a powerful and hopeful question: how do we design workplaces and practices that allow every person to contribute from a genuine position of strength?
Leadership speaker Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts is the Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and her research focuses on maximizing human potential in diverse organizations and communities. She is a pioneer of strength-based development and a co-creator of the influential Reflected Best Self Exercise, and her widely read Harvard Business Review work, including “Women of Color Get Less Support at Work” and “To Become Your Best Self, Study Your Successes,” has reshaped how leaders think about talent, identity, and belonging.
The Science of Bringing Your Best Self to Work
Roberts is the editor of three influential books, including the Folio Award–winning Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience, published by Harvard Business Review Press, along with Positive Organizing in a Global Society and Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations. She has published more than fifty research articles, cases, and practitioner tools, and her work has been featured across global media and on Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast. A prodigy who began teaching Harvard Business School MBAs at just 27, she has since served on the faculties of Harvard, Georgetown, and Antioch, and holds affiliations with institutions from Wharton to UCLA Anderson. She earned her BA in Psychology, with highest distinction, from the University of Virginia and her MA and PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan, and she has been ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers.
As a speaker, Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts blends rigorous science with warmth and practical wisdom, giving audiences the tools to unlock potential in themselves and others. She speaks on authentic leadership, strength-based development and the “best self,” building genuinely inclusive and high-performing cultures, and supporting and advancing underrepresented talent. Audiences leave with evidence-based, immediately usable strategies, and a renewed sense of what becomes possible when people are empowered to bring their full, best selves to work.
Laura Morgan Roberts Speaking Videos
Laura Morgan Roberts: "Crown Act II" & "How to Win the Culture War
Laura Morgan Roberts performs at the 2022 Gender and Work Symposium
Laura Morgan Roberts Keynote Topics
Drawing on her pioneering research and the Reflected Best Self Exercise, Roberts shows how individuals and organizations can unlock extraordinary performance by building on strengths rather than fixating on weaknesses. She gives audiences practical, science-based tools to identify their "best self," activate it more consistently, and help others do the same.
What does it really mean to be authentic at work, and why is it harder for some than others? Roberts explores the science of authenticity and identity, showing leaders how to create the conditions in which people can bring their full selves to work, and why doing so unlocks trust, engagement, and performance across increasingly diverse teams.
Roberts translates decades of research into a practical agenda for inclusion that goes beyond good intentions. She shares what organizations and individual managers can do to ensure diverse talent, and especially underrepresented groups, isn't left behind, turning inclusion into a genuine driver of engagement, retention, and results.
Based on her landmark edited volume, Roberts offers an evidence-based look at the experiences of Black professionals and other underrepresented groups in the workplace, and what it takes to build fairer, more supportive career paths. She helps leaders understand the barriers that persist and the concrete actions that create genuine opportunity.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Laura Morgan Roberts
Why Laura Morgan Roberts?
Booking Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts gives audiences a rare blend of scientific authority and genuine warmth on the questions at the heart of modern work: authenticity, inclusion, and human potential. A tenured UVA Darden professor and organizational psychologist ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers, she has spent her career researching how people and organizations thrive when everyone can contribute from a position of strength. Her work, from the Reflected Best Self Exercise to the award-winning Race, Work, and Leadership, is both rigorously researched and immediately practical. Insightful, hopeful, and grounded in evidence, she leaves audiences with tools they can use right away, making her an ideal speaker for leadership summits, culture and inclusion events, and organizations serious about developing their people. To bring Laura Morgan Roberts to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Laura Morgan Roberts?
Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts is an American organizational psychologist, author, and the Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. An authority on authenticity, diversity, and leadership development, she is the editor of three books, including the award-winning Race, Work, and Leadership, and has published more than fifty research articles. She has taught at Harvard, Georgetown, and Antioch, and is ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers.
What is the "best self" concept in her work?
The "best self" is central to Laura Morgan Roberts's strength-based approach to development. Through tools like the Reflected Best Self Exercise, which she co-created, she helps people understand when they are at their best, as seen through the eyes of others, and how to activate those strengths more intentionally and consistently. Her research shows that building on strengths, rather than only correcting weaknesses, unlocks greater engagement, resilience, and performance for individuals and organizations alike.
What topics does leadership speaker Laura Morgan Roberts cover?
Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts speaks on authentic leadership, strength-based development and the "best self," building inclusive and high-performing cultures, and race, work, and leadership. Her keynotes suit leadership summits, culture and inclusion events, and organizations focused on developing and retaining diverse talent. To book Laura Morgan Roberts as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Laura Morgan Roberts as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Laura Morgan Roberts as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Laura Morgan Roberts's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Laura Morgan Roberts or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Laura Morgan Roberts speaking fee?
Laura Morgan Roberts speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Laura Morgan Roberts to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Laura Morgan Roberts.
How can I contact Laura Morgan Roberts?
We only work with Laura Morgan Roberts on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Laura Morgan Roberts and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Laura Morgan Roberts speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Laura Morgan Roberts for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Laura Morgan Roberts for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Laura Morgan Roberts is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Laura Morgan Roberts for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
