Storytelling is needed now more than ever. In an era of AI slop, enticing an emotional response is valid for startup founders, students, marketers and business leaders from all industries. Kahlil has been a gift as a guest speaker to my students because he exemplifies the consummate compelling story teller and leaves our students engaged, entranced, and wanting more. His lectures resonate for their emotional relevance and business practicality. This is why we ask him back every year.
Darrell KopkeFounding team member, lululemon
Executive Director, UBC Sauder Founders LabAwards and recognition
- Scotsman Fringe First
- New York Times Critics' Pick
- Broadway Drama League Nomination
- Audelco Excellence in Black Theater Award
- Best of the Fringe, Vancouver, Canada
- Best of the Fringe, Melbourne, Australia
- Just For Laughs Best Comedy Award
- Edinburgh Fringe First Award
- Edinburgh Bobby Award for Best Show
- NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Orlando Fringe Best Production
- Orlando Fringe Best of the Festival
- Orlando Fringe Audience Favorite
- Orlando Fringe Critics' Choice
Featured talk
It's Only Courage in Hindsight
It's Only Courage in Hindsight is a keynote about the decisions that define careers and companies. Fear rarely announces itself. It arrives as prudence: be realistic, wait for more certainty, not yet. Kahlil built a life by saying yes to things he was not ready for, and he shows why readiness follows action, never the other way around. Audiences leave able to separate a real constraint from an excuse they have decorated, and ready to make the call they have been putting off.
What your audience takes home
- How to spot fear when it sounds like prudence. "Be realistic" and "not yet" are its favorite disguises, and they win votes in the room.
- How to act before you feel ready. Big opportunities rarely arrive when you feel 100% ready, and you won't know until you go.
- How to tell a limit from an excuse. A real constraint is information. One you have made your identity is a cage. Before every no, ask: is it wrong for us, or are we afraid?
Best for
- Universities
- Founder and startup events
- Military and veteran groups
- Corporate leadership offsites
Watch
About Kahlil
A high school counselor told Kahlil Ashanti his odds of becoming a productive member of society were slim. The night before he left for Air Force basic training, he learned that the man he had suffered brutal abuse from, the man he believed was his father, was not.
He won the Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest and toured with Tops in Blue on five world tours, performing for over 700,000 people across 17 countries and 46 states a year. He headlined at Caesars Palace in English and Japanese, and was selected twice by Cirque du Soleil. He turned his story into Basic Training, a one-man show that won the Scotsman Fringe First, sold out Edinburgh twice, became a New York Times Critics' Pick Off-Broadway, and earned a Drama League Distinguished Performance nomination in 2009, alongside James Gandolfini and Geoffrey Rush.
He taught himself to code and built his first website in 1998, and continued to build technology between acting gigs. He started a digital experience company called Mantis XR and also built a digital pay-what-you-can ticketing system to make the arts more accessible to all. He has spoken at TEDx, SXSW, G2E Global Gaming Expo, and UBC Sauder.
Book KahlilKahlil's entertaining talk reminded me that the journey that most of us are too scared to take might turn out to be the best.
What hosts say
Kahlil's ability to deliver an entertaining, poignant and relevant message was nothing less than transformative for our students. They're still raving about it.
Cathy BurnettAssociate Professor, Theatre Studies, UBCKahlil somehow made every student feel like he was speaking directly to them individually. The impact was palpable and he even stayed extra long for Q&A and advice. Kind, professional and so generous. Highly recommended.
Tomoko OkochiInstructor, Web and Mobile Design and Development, Langara CollegeStorytelling is needed now more than ever. In an era of AI slop, enticing an emotional response is valid for startup founders, students, marketers and business leaders from all industries. Kahlil has been a gift as a guest speaker to my students because he exemplifies the consummate compelling story teller and leaves our students engaged, entranced, and wanting more. His lectures resonate for their emotional relevance and business practicality. This is why we ask him back every year.
Darrell KopkeFounding team member, lululemon
Executive Director, UBC Sauder Founders Lab