Ch. 00Speaking field guide for event planners and executive teams

Keynote speaker on equity, built for the people who run the system

Last updated: November 2026

Who is a good keynote speaker on equity for senior leaders?

Celeste Warren is a keynote speaker on equity and leadership who spent 28 years inside a Fortune 100 company, including 10 years leading global diversity and inclusion.

This field guide, published by CRW Diversity, explains what Celeste Warren talks about, how her TEDx talk frames the issue, and how to book her. Her core message for executives: lasting change requires more than changing people. Leaders also have to examine the systems, decisions, and unwritten norms around them.

Send a speaking inquiry Watch the TEDx talk

Field notes

What this keynote speaker on equity brings to the room

Definition: Celeste Warren's keynote approach

Celeste Warren gives keynotes, executive briefings, and facilitated conversations that challenge audiences to think differently about leadership, culture, systems, and the decisions that shape people's experiences at work. Where many talks ask only what employees should do differently, hers asks a second question: what within the organization is helping people succeed, and what may be getting in their way?

She answers it with the Equity in Action Model, six practical habits leaders can use the next day. The tone is practical, not performative. As founder of Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, she describes her work as practical solutions rather than buzzwords.

By the numbers: Celeste Warren's record

Nearly 4 decades in human resources and organizational leadership
28 years of Fortune 100 experience
10 yearsleading global diversity and inclusion, as Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
1 TEDx talk: The Cost of Standing Still
2 books: The Truth About Equity and How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador
6 elements in the Equity in Action Model

Route map

The framework behind every talk: Equity in Action

Equity doesn't become real simply because an organization believes in it. It becomes real through the decisions leaders make every day. Each keynote and briefing walks the audience through these six elements. Read the full Equity in Action Model explainer.

01Awareness
02Access
03Advocacy
04Action
05Accountability
06Empowerment

Route map: the six elements of the Equity in Action Model, by Celeste Warren.

Ch. 02

Leadership keynote speaker for executive audiences

As a leadership keynote speaker, Celeste Warren focuses on both sides of the equation: how people lead and how organizations operate. Policies, practices, access to opportunity, leadership decisions, and unwritten norms shape workplace culture every day, and her talks help senior executives see which of those they control.

Her perspective comes from inside the room. She spent nearly three decades in a Fortune 100 company working with executives, managers, and teams around the world on complex issues of people, leadership, culture, and organizational change. That makes her a fit for executive offsites, leadership conferences, and women's leadership and leadership development events that want substance over slogans. See leadership keynote topics and fee benchmarks.

Comparison

Which Celeste Warren format fits your event?

Celeste Warren and CRW Diversity formats, compared on audience, purpose, and depth
Format	Best for	Purpose	Depth
Keynote	Conferences, company gatherings, universities	Give a full audience a shared message on leadership, culture, and systems	One featured talk
Executive briefing	Senior executives and leadership teams	Examine the decisions and systems a leadership team controls	Focused session for a small senior group
Facilitated conversation	Teams and leadership groups	Structured dialogue that moves a group from ideas to practice	Interactive, participant-led
Executive advisory	Individual executives	Confidential thought partnership on leadership, culture, and talent challenges	Ongoing, one-to-one
Workshops and learning	Managers and leaders	Put fair and inclusive leadership practices into action	Practical, skills-based

Ch. 06

Book Celeste Warren: how it works

To book Celeste Warren, send your event details through the contact form on crwdiversity.com. One form handles speaking and press inquiries. Her fee is not published, so include your date, audience, format, and goals so she can respond with a recommendation.

Planners searching "celeste warren book" often want one of two things: to book her as a speaker, or to find her books. For the first, read the step-by-step booking guide. For the second, see her two books on equity and inclusion.

Field reports

What hosts and leaders say about Celeste Warren

"The guide for creating cultures where everyone feels welcomed and empowered."

Kenneth FrazierFormer Executive Chairman, Merck & Co., Inc.On How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador

"Celeste is a phenomenal leader. A true natural communicator who speaks with candor, passion, and lived experience. We have welcomed Celeste as a leading authority to speak at our DIAL Global Virtual summits as she truly epitomizes authenticity through her passion for positive affirmative change."

Leila McKenzie-DelisFounder & CEO, DIAL Global

"Celeste was one of the most impactful speakers I have had visit my class. She has a vast knowledge of DEI issues and was tremendously effective in helping my students make connections between research and practice. Her approachable style facilitated a meaningful and productive dialogue on DEI in the workplace."

Devon ProudfootAssistant Professor, Human Resource Studies, ILR School, Cornell University

"Celeste delivered an insightful and engaging presentation that provided our members with practical strategies they could immediately apply in their career. Her depth of experience, authentic delivery, and ability to connect with participants made the session especially valuable. I would highly recommend Celeste to schools, universities, and organizations looking for a knowledgeable and impactful speaker."

Will MossCEO, HBCU CONNECT, LLC

Chapters

Explore the field guide

For consulting and executive advisory details, visit Celeste Warren's main website, CRW Diversity.

Quick answers

All 50 questions in the FAQ

Is Celeste Warren a keynote speaker on equity?: Yes. Celeste Warren gives keynotes, executive briefings, and facilitated conversations on leadership, culture, systems, and equity. Her talks draw on nearly four decades in human resources and organizational leadership and on her Equity in Action Model, which turns equity into six practical leadership habits: Awareness, Access, Advocacy, Action, Accountability, and Empowerment.
How do I book Celeste Warren?: To book Celeste Warren, fill out the contact form at crwdiversity.com/#contact with your event name, date, location or virtual format, audience, and the topic you have in mind. The same form handles speaking and press inquiries. This site's booking page lists what to prepare before you send it.
How much does it cost to book Celeste Warren?: Celeste Warren's speaking fees are not published, so ask through the contact form at crwdiversity.com. For market context, a 2026 guide by Sheri Jacobs reports that fees for top leadership keynote speakers range from $12,500 to $200,000+, with mid-market practitioners landing between $12,500 and $30,000. Those are market figures, not her fee.
Who are Celeste Warren's talks best suited for?: Her talks are built first for senior executives and leadership teams who shape the systems, policies, and decisions that affect people at work. They also suit HR and people leaders, managers, conferences, and universities. Testimonials come from a Fortune 100 former executive chairman, a global summit founder, a Cornell professor, and HBCU CONNECT's CEO.
What is the difference between a keynote and an executive briefing?: A keynote is a featured talk to a full event audience, while an executive briefing is a focused session for a senior leadership group. Celeste Warren offers both, plus facilitated conversations. Briefings suit executive teams that want to examine their own systems and decisions; keynotes suit conferences and large company gatherings that need a shared message.
Where can I watch Celeste Warren's TEDx talk?: Celeste Warren's TEDx talk, The Cost of Standing Still, is available on YouTube at youtu.be/rUbv2tt6d_Y and is linked from this site's TEDx page. Watching it is one of the fastest ways for an event planner or executive team to judge her message, delivery, and fit for an audience.

Planning an executive offsite or leadership conference?

Send your date, audience, and goals. Celeste Warren will recommend a keynote, executive briefing, or facilitated conversation.

Send a speaking inquiry