Technology & IT Keynotes
Technology moves fast. Identity moves slower. The organizations that lead through disruption aren't the ones with the best tools — they're the ones whose leaders have done the work to become who the moment requires.
Sterling Hawkins isn't a leadership or innovation speaker who works with tech companies. He's a technology founder who built the work from the inside.
His first company was acquired by a Silicon Valley group and became part of a multi-billion dollar startup — 700 employees worldwide, private equity backing, the promise of a public offering. Then the housing market crashed, funding dried up, and the company collapsed.
What Sterling learned from that collapse — about identity, about the defaults that run tech organizations when pressure hits, about the gap between the tools a company has and the leaders it needs — became the No Matter What philosophy.
He has since brought that work to technology organizations including Intel, SAP, Samsung, Cloudera, Zebra, Corcentric, and Reflexis — helping their leaders and teams cross the threshold that product roadmaps and organizational restructuring alone can't move.
Technology organizations face a specific version of the identity problem.
The pace of change — AI disruption, platform shifts, cybersecurity threats, talent wars — is relentless. And most technology leaders respond by working harder, building better systems, and hiring smarter people. All necessary. None sufficient.
Because the real constraint isn't the technology stack or the org chart. It's the identity running the decisions. The version of the leader — or the culture — that was built for a previous technological moment, defaulting to familiar patterns when the industry has moved beyond them.
When that identity changes, everything else becomes possible. Not just better performance — a genuinely different organization, built to lead through whatever disruption comes next.
WHY TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS CHOOSE STERLING:
A Technology Founder Who Lived the Work Sterling built, scaled, and lost a multi-billion dollar tech startup. He understands the specific pressures of technology leadership — the funding cycles, the talent dynamics, the move-fast culture — not as an outside observer but as someone who has been inside it at the highest stakes.
Identity-Level Leadership for Fast-Moving Environments In technology, the half-life of any strategy is shorter than anywhere else. The leaders who sustain performance through constant change aren't the ones with the best playbook — they're the ones whose identity holds when the playbook breaks. Sterling builds that identity.
Proven Technology Experience Having worked with organizations including Intel, SAP, Samsung, Cloudera, and Reflexis, Sterling brings specific, credible experience to technology audiences. His insights are grounded in the real dynamics of tech leadership — not generic frameworks applied to a new industry.
Customized for Your Technology Moment Whether you're navigating AI disruption, scaling a high-growth organization, rebuilding culture after a restructuring, or leading through a platform shift — Sterling's discovery process ensures the keynote is built around your specific threshold.
90 Days of Impact 97% of organizations report measurable culture change following a Sterling Hawkins keynote. The No Matter What Experience extends that impact with 12 weeks of tools and support.
As an author, entrepreneur and globally recognized keynote speaker, Sterling has guided countless individuals and companies to remarkable growth.
He believes we only discover our greatest purpose and realize our potential when we learn to move beyond the security of our comfort zone.
Fortune 500 companies invite him to speak to help leaders and teams cultivate trust-powered cultures to overcome adversity and reach exciting goals. Perhaps you’ve seen his TED Talk, his bestseller Hunting Discomfort, or him or his work featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. — unveiling his proven growth roadmap drawn from his own journey back from rock bottom. You’re in the right place if you’re ready to improve your relationship with possibility (also known as uncertainty) and grow.
Meet Sterling
1+ Million
People impacted by the No Matter What Movement
Thousands
Of organizations transformed
No. 1
Best Selling Author
JOIN OUR CLIENTS CREATING GROWTH CULTURES
RAVE REVIEWS
ENGAGING AND MOTIVATING
Sterling is an engaging and highly motivating speaker. His message is clear and the team really embraced the #NoMatterWhat campaign. We really enjoyed working with him.
MICHELLE COOPER | SAP | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
KEYNOTES FOR TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS
For technology leaders ready to confront who they've been — and build the identity that leads through whatever disruption comes next.
No Matter What: The Identity Behind Your Leadership
The Threshold: Leading Through Uncertainty and Change
For technology organizations navigating platform shifts, AI disruption, market transformation, or organizational change — and need their leaders to show up differently, not just work harder.
For technology sales organizations and revenue teams ready to close the gap between potential and results.
The Identity Behind High Performance Sales
Eric Rodriguez | Vertical Markets Chief of Staff | Intel
“Sterling’s insights challenged us to think differently and push beyond our limitations.”
Hillary Fogle | Global Events Manager | Reflexis
Sterling was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. He took the time to understand our company and audience, delivered an engaging keynote that energized our attendees, and went above and beyond.
Michelle Cooper | Senior Vice President | SAP
"Sterling is an engaging and highly motivating speaker. His message is clear and the team really embraced the No Matter What campaign."
The keynote opens the door. The No Matter What Experience is designed to make sure that's just the beginning — with 12 weeks of customized content, tools, and support built around your technology organization's specific goals, culture, and audience.
Before the event to prepare the room. During to maximize the moment. After to make the identity shift irreversible.
One keynote, 90+ days of impact
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Every technology engagement starts with a discovery call to ensure the right fit and fully customized content. Sterling's team explores your goals, culture, and audience before a single slide is built.
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Yes. Sterling speaks live on stages worldwide and delivers interactive virtual keynotes for distributed technology teams. Both formats create the same No Matter What threshold experience.
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Yes. While earlier booking is recommended, Sterling and his team accommodate last-minute requests regularly — our fastest turnaround was the day before. Reach out directly to discuss availability.
Transforming Your Information technology events Starts Here
The conversation starts with a discovery call. Let's find out if Sterling is the right fit for your event — and build the moment from there.