Dr. Shelley Jones-Holt is a speaker, author, and visionary leader who inspires education and business leaders to transform their organizations through courageous systemic change. With a career devoted to advancing opportunity and impact, she equips leaders to move beyond words and into bold, lasting action that shapes schools, businesses, and communities for generations to come.
A deeply empathetic and passionate speaker, Dr. Shelley calls leaders to step into their courage, reclaim their purpose, and lead with heart. She believes access and opportunity are not a program but a practice—one that requires intention, accountability, and vision. Through her keynotes, workshops, and leadership coaching, she empowers audiences to build stronger systems, elevate unheard voices, and cultivate cultures where every person thrives.
Her message resonates across industries because it blends lived experience, proven strategies, and an unwavering belief in people’s capacity to lead change. Audiences leave her sessions not only inspired but also equipped with practical tools to create meaningful impact in their roles and communities.
Beyond the stage, Dr. Shelley is a trusted advisor to leaders navigating complex challenges, reminding them that true leadership is about legacy—the lives uplifted, the doors opened, and the futures reimagined.
With clarity, conviction, and compassion, Dr. Shelley Jones-Holt helps leaders everywhere embrace their responsibility to create a brighter and more promising future.
Stories of Transformation
I just completed my last day and sent my kids off for the summer. I wanted to take a moment to genuinely thank you for the role you’ve played in my journey. Your guidance, presence, and passion throughout your course didn’t just prepare me for the demands of the Alder residency or earning my master’s, they helped shape the mindset and purpose I now carry as an educator. You set the tone for what this work should look and feel like, and I’m forever grateful our paths crossed when they did. Your ability to uplift, challenge, and inspire made a deep impact on me, and I hope to carry that forward, to grow into an educator who, like you, helps shape future generations with intention and heart. I would love to stay connected and continue learning from you as I move forward in this work. With deep appreciation from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your work.
Hello teachers, I wanted to share a little story with you. Three girls had a conflict today at the beginning of lunch. It was a silly thing but tempers flared and words were exchanged. The girls were willing to have a restorative conference and were able to take responsibility for their actions and also point out respectfully what bothered them about the other. They both mentioned that they are reading the Four Agreements and were able to identify where they went wrong in the situation. I LOVE IT! THANK YOU! Thank you for reading that book with all of our students. It is truly making a huge difference.
I meant to text you earlier... thank you so much for checking in today. I wasn't hiding things well. Work has been a lot and I'm also dealing with my dad who has dementia and my mom was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Thankfully the leukemia is treatable, but there are still side effects. Anyhow, I appreciate the hug, check in, and love... it means more than you know. Thank you! You're a gem! I appreciate all that you've done for me, and for our team as a whole.
My team is so grateful for the district level meeting we had yesterday. It went really well!
Our work with Dr. Shelly Holt has assisted our Executive Cabinet team in moving from a series of capable professionals focused on their own sites and departments toward a new collaborative "first team.
Working with Dr. Jones-Holt was and is a very inspiring experience. Her personalized leadership approach and relentless push towards my personal excellence motivated me to be the best and not to be complacent with traditional accolades. She continues to raise the bar of becoming a change agent from equity for both educators and students.
Learning what feedback really is and what it isn't from the trainings with Dr. Shelley Jones-Holt has been a game-changer! My teachers are now equipping their students with actual SOUND feedback that is impacting the students' progress in tremendous ways, and the students are using the feedback with each other better as a result too!
From the perspective of law enforcement, we aren't really moved by much. Dr. Shelley's approach to understanding the role of penal code vs. ed code in schools is critical to changing how we think about having law enforcement interacting in schools. She makes it very clear how the admin/SRO team must work to benefit students, educators, communities, and keep schools safe. Every SRO and Admin team should be required to train together with her before entering schools.
Dr. Shelley Jones-Holt is a force of nature. Her level of commitment, passion, and love for work she does is life-changing for anyone who has the fortune to work with her. She is not for the weak-willed or insecure as she is undaunted by hard conversations that need to happen in today's climate to create change. I'm blessed to have worked with such an amazing leader of leaders with such a deep empathy for all vulnerable student populations and adult needs.
I've been through data analysis courses and trainings, but it really clicked with Dr. Shelley. She gave us tools to use and walked us through the process of analyzing and game planning in a step-by-step process, resulting in not just improved test scores but also teaching strategies and pedagogy districtwide. Dr. Shelley changed the conversations in our district to be focused on what matters most!
Powerful Keynotes in Action
Journey to Liberation: Understanding Individual History to Shape Your Collective Future
Cultural proficiency is widely accepted as a necessary element of effective leadership. Overlooking cultural intricacies is not just financially costly but detrimental to organizational productivity and longevity. Using research gleaned from her career in education and leadership, Dr. Shelley shows audiences the value of interacting, communicating, and working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds in settings from classrooms to corporations.
This presentation will help attendees: Improve connections by recognizing and responding to the diverse needs of clients, students, colleagues, leaders, and community members. Navigate the unique challenges posed by their own professional expectations and personal experiences Increase productivity, creativity, innovation, and profits by building empathy for equity in the workplace
Healing Our Families Through Courageous Leadership
The Five Pillars of Courageous Leadership—home, relational, personal, professional, and financial—are the backbone of our life’s journey. These vital elements are crucial for leadership at work as well as in the home and can guide us through the complexities and inequalities we encounter in our family lives. Dr. Shelley shows audiences how embracing the Five Pillars is necessary to ensure leadership resilience and success and to heal intergenerational trauma. This presentation will help attendees: Uncover the courage to address inequities in the home and in the community Develop historical knowledge, skills, and strategies to show up as a leader in one’s family and support future generations to speak up and influence Claim their legacy by focusing on individual, family, and community goals
Courageous Leadership Where We Live, Learn, and Earn: Facing Our Fears, Increasing Our Profits
Our future needs courageous leadership, especially when racism and oppression persistently affect our lives and society. And if leaders can establish their workplace as a safe space, research shows that organizations can increase productivity, connection, AND profits. Dr. Shelley shows audiences why kindness is key to courageous leadership and how, by addressing challenges with compassion, they can create spaces filled with understanding that promote employees’ well-being along with the success of their organizations.
This presentation will help attendees: Develop a structure to gather input, discuss, and address tough topics like race, poverty, and policing without shame, blame, or victimization. Create culturally safe spaces where ALL people can freely bring their whole authentic selves to work Identify how courageous leadership that centers “minoritized” employees positively impacts the bottom line
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Whether it’s a keynote, conference, or training, she brings transformation to every stage.
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