Keynote Speaker and Trainer on Identity, Communication and Belonging

Lead with Purpose. Belong with Pride.

Helping inclusive organisations and high-performing leadership teams strengthen communication, belonging and inclusive leadership through identity, neuroscience and emotional intelligence.

Connection Creates Change

Markus blends neuroscience, spirituality, and storytelling to help people and organisations unlock belonging, allyship, authenticity, and leadership. His talks invite audiences to see identity and contribution as a source of power and connection.

Enquire About Booking Markus

Outcomes for Organisations

Stronger Belonging & Engagement

Create workplaces where everyone feels valued

Psychological Safety

Build trust and improve retention

Align teams with meaningful vision

Innovation

Unlock individual and team potential

Purpose Driven Leadership

Create workplaces where everyone feels valued

Leadership & Team Building

Authentic Leadership

How to Build Cultures of Belonging

Overview
In this keynote, Markus reveals how identity, neuroscience, and emotional intelligence combine to create leaders who foster psychological safety and belonging.

Audiences learn why authenticity is a neurological requirement for trust, how the brain responds to inclusive vs. exclusionary leadership behaviors, and what it takes to build a culture where people feel seen, valued, and motivated to contribute fully.

This session gives leaders the science, the language, and the practical tools to lead with clarity, humanity, and confidence.

Takeways

Understand the neuroscience behind authenticity, trust, and belonging
Learn how self-awareness strengthens leadership presence and impact
Practical strategies for building psychological safety and inclusive team dynamics
How authentic leadership improves engagement, connection, and culture

👥 Corporate leaders, DEI professionals, ERG members

⏱️ 45–60 min keynote / 90 min workshop

The Human Connection Code:

How Relationships Shape Culture

Overview
Culture is built through relationships, not policies. In this keynote, Markus introduces The Human Connection Code, a 12-pillar framework that shows how trust, attraction, bonding, and deep alignment form between people.

Originally designed for personal relationships, the model translates seamlessly into workplace culture. Markus reveals how connection and belonging create high-performing teams, and how everyday interactions shape engagement, and collaboration.

Takeways

The four relational dimensions that shape every team
How trust and emotional safety form the “spine” of culture
What attracts people to a team and keeps them engaged
The bonding behaviors that strengthen collaboration
How deep alignment creates high-performance culture

👥 Leadership teams, HR, L&D, corporate offsites

⏱️ 60 min keynote / half-day workshop

Allyship and Communication

Allyship & Engagement:

How to Build Cultures of Belonging

Overview
Drawing from Markus’s work at Ausgrid, one of Australia’s largest blue-collar electrical network providers, this session shows how human connection, authentic communication, and shared responsibility transformed allyship from a niche topic into a cultural driver.

Markus demonstrates how making LGBTQ+ inclusion “everybody’s story” increased engagement, built trust, and strengthened relationships across the organisation.

Attendees walk away with practical, repeatable allyship behaviors that shift culture in real, lasting ways.

Takeways

How redefining allyship as a shared responsibility increases engagement
How to make the LGBTQ+ journey relevant and meaningful for everyone
Three practical allyship and ERG habits that strengthen culture and belonging

👥 ERG leaders, DEI strategists, middle managers

⏱️ 45–60 min keynote / 90 min applied workshop

Emotional Intelligence:

The Power of Building Trust

Overview
Relationships are the foundation of every successful team and culture. Emotional intelligence is what makes those relationships work.

In this workshop, Markus helps participants understand how EI influences the way we connect, communicate, and either build or break trust.

Through practical tools and real-world examples, attendees learn how emotions shape behaviour and how to use emotional intelligence to improve communication, collaboration, connection, and resilience.

Takeways

Gain insight into your personal communication style and how it impacts others.
Recognise the subtle, often subconscious, emotional signs that shape communication
Develop habits that strengthen empathy, collaboration, and connection.
Apply emotional intelligence tools to rebuild trust after conflict or change.

👥 Executives, HR, People & Culture

⏱️ 60 min keynote / 90 min storytelling lab

Personal Development

The Human Connection Code:

Building Better Relationships

Overview
Healthy relationships begin with self-awareness. In this session, Markus introduces his Human Connection Code™ Relationship Model and Relationship Styles Framework to participants to help them understand their patterns, communicate more honestly, and build relationships rooted in authenticity and belonging.

Participants learn how to deepen connection, strengthen emotional safety, and create relationships that support who they truly are.

Takeways

Understand your Relationship Style and how it shapes connection
Understand how your life and experiences shape the way you show up in relationships
Create your own belonging narrative to support healthier relationships
Build relational habits that help everyone feel seen and valued

👥 Retreats, relationship or coaching events

⏱️ 90 min / half-day workshop

The Science of Transformation:

Blending Neuroscience & Spirituality

Overview
A transformative keynote that merges brain science with spiritual principles.

Transformation happens where neuroscience and spirituality meet. It's the space where identity, intention, and biology merge.

Markus explores how the brain forms (and breaks) patterns, and how mindful, purpose-driven practices help people rewire limiting beliefs and reconnect with who they’re meant to be.

This session gives audiences a grounded, science-backed pathway to personal growth, clarity, and deep inner alignment.

Takeways

How the brain learns, adapts, and changes through neuroplasticity
How science and spirituality work together to support growth and resilience
The neurobiology of transformation and why change can feel difficult
Mind–body tools to strengthen alignment, awareness, and intentional action

👥 Coaching, wellness, mindfulness audiences

⏱️ 60 min keynote / half-day experiential workshop

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Talks

Beyond the Peach and Eggplant:

Identity and Belonging in a World That Wants You to Fit a Box

Overview
Beyond the Peach and Eggplant is an, unfiltered exploration of queer identity, beyond sexual roles, beyond stereotypes, and beyond the pressure to fit into neat little boxes.

Markus dives into the messy, complicated journey of discovering who you are when the world, the culture, and even your own community tries to define you.

Takeways

Understand how identity forms.
Recognize the limiting roles and labels that shape gay and queer culture.
Explore who you are beyond sexuality, preferences, and performative identity.
Develop tools for self-acceptance, inner strength, and personal expression.
Learn how to build belonging rooted in authenticity, not conformity.

👥 LGBTQ+ conferences, community events, retreats

⏱️ 45 min keynote / 90 min reflective workshop

Identity, Love & Belonging:

An LGBTQ-Inclusive Guide to Thriving on Campus

Overview
We all hide parts of ourselves to fit in.

In this session, Markus helps students uncover and integrate the pieces of themselves they’ve muted, masked, or minimised.

This session empowers LGBTQ students to embrace their identity, build healthier relationships, and create a sense of belonging that supports their academic, social, and emotional growth.

Takeways

Learn the stages of self-acceptance and how to navigate them with confidence
Turn vulnerability into a strength for building connection and community
Develop daily habits that foster identity alignment, resilience, and belonging

👥 Personal development events, coaching summits,

retreats

⏱️ 60 min keynote / 2 hr workshop

Youth & Student Focussed

Purpose & Mindset

Finding Direction When Everything Feels Uncertain

Overview

This session helps young people understand what belonging really feels like—and how their friendships, school environment, and community experiences shape their sense of self.

Markus guides students through the pressures of identity, performance, and comparison, showing them how to build inner confidence even when they feel different or uncertain.

The focus is practical and empowering: how to trust yourself, how to handle tough moments without losing your sense of worth, and how to choose relationships that support your growth.

Takeways

Reframing failure as part of growth, not a reflection of identity
Building a stable sense of self, separate from academic performance
Micro-habits for mental strength and daily resilience
Overcoming self-comparison culture and finding your own path

👥 Youth, students and early-career induction

programs

⏱️ 45–60 minute interactive workshop

Starting Confidently at Work:

How to Communicate So People Actually Listen

Overview
This session gives attendees a practical, confidence-building foundation for entering their first workplace. Markus helps students understand expectations, navigate team dynamics, and communicate clearly from day one.

Participants learn how to value themselves as newcomers, ask thoughtful questions, manage work–life balance, and read communication styles.

The session also covers simple social habits, like remembering names and building rapport, that help them settle in quickly and feel confident in unfamiliar environments.

Takeways

How to have difficult conversations
Emotional regulation during conflict and stressful moments
Assertiveness vs. aggression and how to speak up without overstepping
How to communicate boundaries effectively at work
Navigating digital-age communication (texts, DMs, email tone, misunderstandings)
Social and communcation skills to integrate quickly

👥 Youth, students and early-career induction

programs

⏱️ 45–60 minute interactive workshop

Understanding Who You Are:

Building Inner Strength & Self-Trust

Overview

This session helps attendees understand their values, beliefs, and internal stories,and how these shape the way they see themselves and the way others experience them.

Markus guides students through the deeper layers of identity formation, exploring how habits, expectations, and personal history influence confidence, decision-making, and direction.

Students learn how identity is not fixed, but something they can shape intentionally. They discover how aligning choices with their values builds self-trust, and how inner strength grows from clarity, awareness, and daily practice.

Takeways

How identity develops, and why it evolves over time
How to make authentic choices that align with your values and purpose
How to recognise limiting beliefs that impact confidence or self-expression
Tools for emotional resilience in study, work, and everyday challenges
Daily habits that strengthen identity, confidence, and self-trust

👥 Youth, students and early-career induction

programs

⏱️ 45–60 minute interactive workshop

How we work together

Every organisation, community, and event has its own identity — and so do the people who are part of it.

That’s why I take the time to understand your culture, your goals, and the message you want your audience to walk away with.

Real impact happens when people feel engaged and connected because they are listened to and talked too.

Whether it’s a room full of professionals, a community network, or an intimate team session, together we shape each event around the experiences your people are already living, and the future they’re ready to explore.

The aim is simple: create a keynote or workshop that feels relevant, grounded, and genuinely useful.

My sessions can be delivered as uplifting keynotes or as smaller, practical workshops.

We can dive into real scenarios, reflective exercises, or role-play moments that help people practise new behaviours in a safe environment.

Whatever the format, the goal is the same: spark insight, build confidence, and leave people with ideas they can actually use.

Enquire About Booking Markus

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Keynote Speaker and Trainer on Identity, Communication and Belonging

Lead with Purpose. Belong with Pride.

Helping inclusive organisations and high-performing leadership teams strengthen communication, belonging and inclusive leadership through identity, neuroscience and emotional intelligence.

Connection Creates Change

Outcomes for Organisations

Stronger Belonging & Engagement

Create workplaces where everyone feels valued

Psychological Safety

Build trust and improve retention

Align teams with meaningful vision

Innovation

Unlock individual and team potential

Purpose Driven Leadership

Create workplaces where everyone feels valued

Leadership & Team Building

Authentic Leadership

How to Build Cultures of Belonging

OverviewIn this keynote, Markus reveals how identity, neuroscience, and emotional intelligence combine to create leaders who foster psychological safety and belonging.

Audiences learn why authenticity is a neurological requirement for trust, how the brain responds to inclusive vs. exclusionary leadership behaviors, and what it takes to build a culture where people feel seen, valued, and motivated to contribute fully.

👥 Corporate leaders, DEI professionals, ERG members

⏱️ 45–60 min keynote / 90 min workshop

The Human Connection Code:

How Relationships Shape Culture

OverviewCulture is built through relationships, not policies. In this keynote, Markus introduces The Human Connection Code, a 12-pillar framework that shows how trust, attraction, bonding, and deep alignment form between people.

Originally designed for personal relationships, the model translates seamlessly into workplace culture. Markus reveals how connection and belonging create high-performing teams, and how everyday interactions shape engagement, and collaboration.

👥 Leadership teams, HR, L&D, corporate offsites

⏱️ 60 min keynote / half-day workshop

Allyship and Communication

Allyship & Engagement:

How to Build Cultures of Belonging

OverviewDrawing from Markus’s work at Ausgrid, one of Australia’s largest blue-collar electrical network providers, this session shows how human connection, authentic communication, and shared responsibility transformed allyship from a niche topic into a cultural driver.

Markus demonstrates how making LGBTQ+ inclusion “everybody’s story” increased engagement, built trust, and strengthened relationships across the organisation.

Attendees walk away with practical, repeatable allyship behaviors that shift culture in real, lasting ways.

👥 ERG leaders, DEI strategists, middle managers

⏱️ 45–60 min keynote / 90 min applied workshop

Emotional Intelligence:

The Power of Building Trust

OverviewRelationships are the foundation of every successful team and culture. Emotional intelligence is what makes those relationships work.

In this workshop, Markus helps participants understand how EI influences the way we connect, communicate, and either build or break trust.

Through practical tools and real-world examples, attendees learn how emotions shape behaviour and how to use emotional intelligence to improve communication, collaboration, connection, and resilience.

👥 Executives, HR, People & Culture

⏱️ 60 min keynote / 90 min storytelling lab

Personal Development

The Human Connection Code:

Building Better Relationships

Participants learn how to deepen connection, strengthen emotional safety, and create relationships that support who they truly are.

👥 Retreats, relationship or coaching events

⏱️ 90 min / half-day workshop

The Science of Transformation:

Blending Neuroscience & Spirituality

OverviewA transformative keynote that merges brain science with spiritual principles.

Transformation happens where neuroscience and spirituality meet. It's the space where identity, intention, and biology merge.

Markus explores how the brain forms (and breaks) patterns, and how mindful, purpose-driven practices help people rewire limiting beliefs and reconnect with who they’re meant to be.

This session gives audiences a grounded, science-backed pathway to personal growth, clarity, and deep inner alignment.

👥 Coaching, wellness, mindfulness audiences

⏱️ 60 min keynote / half-day experiential workshop

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Talks

Beyond the Peach and Eggplant:

Identity and Belonging in a World That Wants You to Fit a Box

OverviewBeyond the Peach and Eggplant is an, unfiltered exploration of queer identity, beyond sexual roles, beyond stereotypes, and beyond the pressure to fit into neat little boxes.

Markus dives into the messy, complicated journey of discovering who you are when the world, the culture, and even your own community tries to define you.

👥 LGBTQ+ conferences, community events, retreats

⏱️ 45 min keynote / 90 min reflective workshop

Identity, Love & Belonging:

An LGBTQ-Inclusive Guide to Thriving on Campus

OverviewWe all hide parts of ourselves to fit in.

👥 Personal development events, coaching summits,

retreats

⏱️ 60 min keynote / 2 hr workshop

Youth & Student Focussed

Purpose & Mindset

Finding Direction When Everything Feels Uncertain

Overview

This session helps young people understand what belonging really feels like—and how their friendships, school environment, and community experiences shape their sense of self.

Markus guides students through the pressures of identity, performance, and comparison, showing them how to build inner confidence even when they feel different or uncertain.

👥 Youth, students and early-career induction

programs

⏱️ 45–60 minute interactive workshop

Starting Confidently at Work:

How to Communicate So People Actually Listen

Overview
In this keynote, Markus reveals how identity, neuroscience, and emotional intelligence combine to create leaders who foster psychological safety and belonging.

Overview
Culture is built through relationships, not policies. In this keynote, Markus introduces The Human Connection Code, a 12-pillar framework that shows how trust, attraction, bonding, and deep alignment form between people.

Overview
Drawing from Markus’s work at Ausgrid, one of Australia’s largest blue-collar electrical network providers, this session shows how human connection, authentic communication, and shared responsibility transformed allyship from a niche topic into a cultural driver.

Overview
Relationships are the foundation of every successful team and culture. Emotional intelligence is what makes those relationships work.

Overview
A transformative keynote that merges brain science with spiritual principles.

Overview
Beyond the Peach and Eggplant is an, unfiltered exploration of queer identity, beyond sexual roles, beyond stereotypes, and beyond the pressure to fit into neat little boxes.

Overview
We all hide parts of ourselves to fit in.

Overview
This session gives attendees a practical, confidence-building foundation for entering their first workplace. Markus helps students understand expectations, navigate team dynamics, and communicate clearly from day one.