Keynotes with Katya Davydova
“I’ve never thought of it that way.”
Let’s give your audience a reason to turn to each other and say that.
Through unexpected stories, playful participation, and ideas people can try for themselves, Katya invites audiences to rediscover wonder and find their footing in a changing world.
For conferences, professional associations, leadership gatherings, and company offsites.
Selected speaking appearances
7,500+ leaders reached across 800+ workshops, coaching engagements, and keynotes.
TEDxHuntingtonBeach
Massachusetts Conference for Women
Culture Summit
READY22 Public Safety Conference
As Seen On
TEDx talk
A little taste of treasure hunting.
Watch Katya’s TEDx talk, Treasure Hunting: Finding Joy and Wonder in the Ordinary.
“Imagine if we could navigate life like treasure hunters…”
It starts there. Where might it take your audience?
TEDx talk · Treasure Hunting
This video is the Treasure Hunting keynote. Staying Sane is a separate talk, just below.
Keynote 01
Treasure Hunting
Finding Joy and Wonder in the Ordinary
When was the last time something ordinary stopped you in your tracks?
During a season of fifteen-hour workdays, a company merger, and far too much phone-scrolling, Katya began a small experiment: leave the house and notice something new.
A crunching leaf. A ridiculous shadow. The crinkle of a stranger’s smile.
That experiment became a book, a TEDx talk, and the Treasure Hunt Principle: a mindset and practice of deliberately seeking moments of joy and wonder in everyday life.
Through storytelling and a treasure hunt of their own, audiences explore what they might be overlooking—and how to turn the common sense of noticing into common practice.
Audience takeaways
- Experience the Treasure Hunt Principle and choose a way to practice it daily.
- Explore how joy and difficulty can exist in the same day.
- Discover a simple way to spark connection by exchanging everyday treasures.
A good fit for
Conferences, association gatherings, employee appreciation events, and company offsites where people could use fresh energy, connection, and a reminder that there’s still something worth noticing.
Keynote 02
Staying Sane in a Chaotic World
Finding Your Footing When Life Won’t Hold Still
You’ve adjusted the plan. Again.
The responsibilities keep coming, the headlines aren’t helping, and apparently “getting through this busy stretch” has become a permanent arrangement.
How do we meet uncertainty without spending our lives bracing for it?
Drawing on her work in leadership development and her own experiments with loosening the grip of perfectionism, Katya explores what helps us stay grounded while circumstances keep shifting.
Stories, reflection, and audience participation make this a chance to examine a real challenge—and consider another way of meeting it.
Audience takeaways
- Distinguish what’s happening from the predictions and assumptions surrounding it.
- Identify where they have influence and where support could help.
- Choose one action they can take before everything feels certain.
A good fit for
Leadership conferences, professional associations, and company gatherings where people are navigating changing expectations, organizational transitions, or the fatigue of figuring things out as they go.
From the room
“Little tips provided by the speaker are game changers and I am already practicing finding the Joy every day in everything I see or do!”
“I love your delivery. And what a unique perspective on how to seek more joy in our lives! 😍”
“Thank you for bringing so many people a different perspective on joy and helping them to find it in their lives. YOU are a joy to work with. Thank you!”
Carolyn G., Program Director, Conferences for Women
“This was by far my favorite session in my years attending From Day One!”
From Day One conference participant
“This was the best session I have taken with Electives! It evoked a lot of emotion, and I really enjoyed the insights. Please do more sessions like this one, and please invite Katya back for other sessions! She was absolutely lovely - very warm and welcoming while also keeping things moving.”
Staying Sane participant
Meet Katya
Katya Davydova is a TEDx speaker, executive coach, leadership facilitator, and author of Joy in Plain Sight.
Her work brings organizational development and behavioral science into conversation with everyday human questions: What are we overlooking? What helps us change? How do we live with what we can’t control?
She holds an M.S. in Organizational Development and Knowledge Management and an ACC credential from the International Coaching Federation.
Expect curiosity, practical application, and a willingness to make room for a little delight.
Planning your event?
Can the keynote connect to our event theme?
Yes. We’ll discuss your audience, the context they’re arriving from, and what you’d like them to take away. From there, we can shape relevant examples and moments of participation around your event.
Will the audience participate?
Yes. Participation might include a brief reflection, an exchange with someone nearby, or trying a practice together. We’ll discuss what suits your audience and setting.
Can we add a workshop?
Yes. A companion workshop gives participants more time to apply the ideas to their own situations, practice, and receive feedback.
Explore workshops and facilitationWhat’s happening in your audience’s world?
Tell me who’s coming, what they’re navigating, and what you hope they’ll leave talking about.