Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

New York Times bestselling author Greg McKeown offers a way of thinking for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.

By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for where to spend our precious time and energy, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices, instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

Essentialism is not one more thing to do. It’s a whole new way of doing less, but better, in every area of our lives. Join the millions of people who have used Essentialism to change their outlook on the world.

About Greg:

Greg McKeown has written two New York Times bestsellers: “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,” which has been voted by Goodreads as “The #1 Leadership and Success Book to Read in a Lifetime,” and “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” Together, they have been published in 37 languages.

McKeown is one of the most sought-after public speakers globally and has spoken to over 500 companies while traveling to more than 40 countries. His clients include Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Nike.

He hosts The Greg McKeown Podcast, ranked in the Top 5 of all Self Improvement podcasts (out of 11,000) and Top 10 in Educational podcasts (out of 30,000) on Apple Podcasts. Guests have included Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, Matthew McConaughey, Maria Shriver, John Hope Bryant, and Ariana Huffington.

His work has been covered in print media, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Time, Fast Company, Fortune, Politico, Inc., and Harvard Business Review. It has also been featured on NPR, NBC, FOX, and multiple times on The Steve Harvey Show.

McKeown is an active Social Innovator, serving as a Board Member for Washington D.C. policy group Resolve for 7 years and as a mentor with 2 Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. He has also spoken at non-profit groups like The Kauffman Fellows, Net Impact, and Stanford University, co-creating the popular class, Designing Life, Essentially.

Previously, McKeown collaborated in researching and writing “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” and worked for Heidrick & Struggles’ Global Leadership Practice, assessing senior executives.

McKeown earned his Masters of Business Administration from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, completed his Global Leadership and Public Policy certificate at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and is currently conducting doctoral research at the University of Cambridge.

In a time when our schools and communities are holding so much—grief, division, and ongoing calls for justice—how do we build the kinds of bridges that truly connect us? How do we ensure equity and wellbeing are not add-ons, but at the very heart of how we lead, teach, and learn? Meena Srinivasan draws powerful parallels between building physical bridges and the deeper work of bridging across differences— within ourselves, with one another, and within systems. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of mindful leadership, social- emotional learning, and equity, Meena offers a compelling framework for creating the conditions where healing, belonging, and transformation can take root.

Rooted in the vision of Beloved Community, Meena explores how qualities often overlooked in professional settings—like tenderness, warmth, and authenticity—are essential capacities for system- level change. This talk will speak directly to educators, leaders, and community partners who are reimagining what’s possible in education: where every child is seen, every voice matters, and where wellbeing and equity are guiding stars.

Participants will leave with:

• A clear, human-centered framework for bridging divides in school systems and communities
• Practical strategies to deepen trust, reduce harm, and center connection in daily work
• A renewed sense of possibility and commitment to cultivating Beloved Community

About Meena:

Meena Srinivasan is a contemplative leader, celebrated speaker, accomplished author, and visionary edupreneur with over two decades of experience at the intersection of education, equity, and wellbeing. A lifelong educator-activist, Meena is known for weaving together Mindfulness, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and Belonging to support leadership development and systemic transformation grounded in compassion.

She is the Founding Executive Director of Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL), a fellowship that cultivates equity-driven, heart-centered school and system leaders through a transformative blend of inner work and outer impact. Meena also leads Karuna Consulting, LLC, a nationally certified Minority Business Enterprise, offering keynotes, professional learning, and coaching to foster healing and justice in education systems.

Her TEDx talk on Tenderness, viewed over 2 million times and one of the most popular TEDx talks of 2024, has sparked a growing body of original research in partnership with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. A National Board Certified Teacher and former district SEL leader, Meena has worked across public, private, urban, and international school contexts, offering deep expertise in creating school cultures that prioritize connection, inclusion, and care.

She is the author of several influential books and resources for educators, including Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom and SEL Every Day: Integrating SEL with Instruction in Secondary Classrooms, which was honored by the Greater Good Science Center as one of 2019’s Favorite Books for Educators. She has also taught graduate-level SEL courses at UC Berkeley.

In 2022, Mindful Magazine named Meena one of the Ten Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement. A dedicated practitioner of yoga and meditation for over 25 years, she is an ordained Buddhist Teacher in the tradition of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. Meena serves on the Board of the Thích Nhất Hạnh Foundation and is a co-founder of the Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing, a new educational initiative rooted in spiritual practice, sacred service, and beloved community.