Chris Pineda, PhD helps leaders and organizations rediscover purpose and build cultures where people and performance align.
5 of 5
Chris is a brilliant, creative thinker and a gifted teacher. He draws from a deep well of experience with people to inform theory and practice in the fields of leadership, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.”
Benjamin Cook, CO-Founder
Walking distance
Chris Pineda, PhD is a professional speaker, organizational psychologist, and author who helps leaders and organizations rediscover purpose and build cultures that last. His work reframes transformation as more than change it is the process of becoming whole. Through a blend of psychology, lived experience, and storytelling, Chris invites audiences to rethink how identity, meaning, and performance intersect in leadership and culture.
He is the founder of Groundwork Leadership and the creator of the Culture of One™ framework and The 7 Conditions of Transformation™, tools that equip teams to build alignment from the inside out. Chris has spoken at TEDx, statewide leadership conferences, organizational retreats, and across sectors where leaders are searching for clarity, coherence, and direction. His talks leave audiences grounded, challenged, and ready to act with purpose.
Chris Pineda, PhD is an organizational psychologist, speaker, and founder of Groundwork Leadership. His work centers on one core belief: lasting transformation begins with identity and purpose, not strategy alone. With a background in psychology and a deep understanding of organizational life, Chris helps leaders see culture as something lived daily, not written on walls.
Chris speaks to audiences across corporate organizations, higher education, nonprofit institutions, and public leadership spaces. Over the past year, he has delivered approximately 25 paid speaking engagements, working with leaders navigating growth, transition, and cultural complexity. Based in the United States and available internationally, he brings both intellectual depth and human insight to every stage.
At the heart of Chris Pineda’s work is his Culture of One™ framework. This concept challenges organizations to understand culture not as a collective abstraction, but as something that begins with each individual. Culture is shaped in everyday gestures, decisions, and interactions.
Culture of One™ helps leaders:
Clarify identity at the personal and organizational level
Build alignment between values and behavior
Strengthen trust, ownership, and responsibility across teams
By focusing on the individual as the foundation of culture, Chris shows how organizations can create environments where people feel seen, connected, and accountable—conditions necessary for sustainable performance.
Chris is also the creator of The 7 Conditions of Transformation™, a framework that guides people and organizations through meaningful, lasting change. Rather than treating transformation as a checklist or initiative, this model recognizes it as a human process.
The 7 Conditions of Transformation™ help leaders understand why transformation is often “caught, not taught.” It explains how beliefs, relationships, and shared meaning shape outcomes more powerfully than directives alone. This framework is central to Chris’s upcoming book, Culture of One: The 7 Conditions that transform people, organizations, and communities.
Chris Pineda’s keynotes explore themes that resonate deeply with modern leaders, including purpose, identity, culture, and wholeness at work. One of his most recognized talks, his TEDx keynote “The Power of a Gesture: Why Transformation is Caught not Taught,” illustrates how small, intentional actions can reshape cultures and communities.
Audiences leave with:
A new understanding of transformation as an internal and relational process
Language and frameworks to describe culture with clarity
Practical insight they can apply immediately within teams and organizations
His speaking style is reflective, grounded, and engaging—inviting leaders to think deeply while staying rooted in real-world application.
When you book Chris Pineda, you bring a speaker who combines academic rigor with human warmth and storytelling. His talks resonate with leaders who want more than motivation—they want meaning, coherence, and tools that last.
Chris adapts his message to fit conferences, leadership retreats, and organizational gatherings, ensuring relevance for each audience. Whether speaking to executives, educators, nonprofit leaders, or public servants, he creates space for reflection and forward movement.
Book Chris Pineda for your event if you are looking for a speaker who helps people rediscover purpose, strengthen culture, and lead transformation that truly lasts.
5 of 5
Chris is a brilliant, creative thinker and a gifted teacher. He draws from a deep well of experience with people to inform theory and practice in the fields of leadership, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.”
Benjamin Cook, CO-Founder Walking distance
Keynote by Chris Pineda:
In his signature keynote, Marked by Purpose, Dr. Chris Pineda bridges organizational psychology, leadership, and indigenous wisdom to help audiences rediscover the power of purpose as the foundation of performance and change.
Through research-backed frameworks and deeply human storytelling, Chris reveals how the 7 Conditions of Transformation™ create trust, psychological safety, and belonging—turning individual motivation into collective impact. Attendees leave equipped with practical insights to lead with clarity, strengthen culture, and build what Chris calls a Culture of One™—a unified environment where people thrive together.
Keynote by Chris Pineda:
At the close of Chris Pineda’s Marked by Purpose keynote, participants are invited to make their purpose visible. After reflecting deeply and creating a personal symbol that represents their purpose, they draw that symbol on their arm — a mark of commitment inspired by Chris’s Filipino heritage.
Each participant is then photographed — not as an audience member, but as someone marked by purpose. These portraits capture a decision to live with clarity, courage, and intention.
Participants receive two professional portraits as a lasting reminder of their commitment, and event organizers may receive a short highlight reel that captures the spirit of transformation shared in the room.
Keynote by Chris Pineda:
Keynote by Chris Pineda:
A research-informed framework for creating meaningful, lasting change.
Drawing on the 7 Conditions of Transformation™, Chris equips audiences with practical tools to foster trust, consistency, and resilience within their teams and organizations.
Keynote by Chris Pineda:
How to move beyond transaction and build cultures where people thrive.
Chris shows leaders how to cultivate environments of authenticity, psychological safety, and shared purpose—what he calls a Culture of One™.
Watch Chris Pineda in action
Watch Chris Pineda in action
