Denise Withers (she/her)

Denise Withers helps leaders use stories to make change, for good. She's been doing this work across sectors for 30+ years, as an award-winning documentary filmmaker, innovation consultant and certified leadership coach. Together she and her clients have used stories to inspire action on issues from equity to the environment through media channels that include Discovery, CBC and National Geographic. They've told stories at the UN, Fraser Health, NASA, Iridium and all levels of government to shift culture, engage talent and fuel innovation. They've also combined storytelling with foresight, behavioural insights and design thinking to develop strategy, change narratives and re-imagine the future. Along the way, they co-founded 4 innovation labs and won 8 international awards for impact and engagement, including Platinum at the Houston Film Festival. In addition to her consulting work, Denise teaches climate leadership at Royal Roads University and serves as an executive coach at UBC. She's also presented at TEDx and published 3 books, a podcast and online journal about using stories for change.