Talks
Conversations and thought-provoking talks on relationships, communication and human behaviour.
THE HUMAN PARADOX
Why We Know So Much About People and Still Struggle to Understand Each Other.
THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH
The Most Dangerous Beliefs Are the Ones That Serve Us.
BELONGING BY DESIGN
Stop Asking People to Fit Into Systems That Were Never Designed for Them.
Not another motivational talk.
We do not change our decisions simply because someone gives us more information. We change when the way we see a problem changes. Ligia Koijen brings philosophy into the conversations organisations often avoid: the limits of our understanding, the truths we protect and the systems we ask people to fit into. Each keynote is designed to provoke reflection that continues long after the event.
Talk 01
THE HUMAN PARADOX
Why We Know So Much About People and Still Struggle to Understand Each Other.
We have more information about human behaviour than any previous generation. We have psychology, neuroscience, communication frameworks and artificial intelligence. Yet misunderstanding continues to shape our relationships, leadership and organisations. What if the challenge is not how little we know about people, but how confidently we assume we understand them? The Human Paradox explores the distance between explanation and understanding, between communication and connection, and between knowing about human beings and knowing how to be human together. An invitation to rethink the assumptions that quietly shape everyday decisions.
Audience takeaways
Question the assumptions behind everyday communication
Recognise how interpretation shapes relationships and leadership
Identify practical opportunities to create more meaningful dialogue
Best for: Global leadership conferences, executive events, HR summits, technology organisations and business schools.
We have become experts in explaining humans, but are we becoming better at being human?
Talk 02
THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH
The Most Dangerous Beliefs Are the Ones That Serve Us.
We often challenge information that threatens our worldview. But what happens when a belief confirms our identity, protects our decisions or makes us feel right? The Illusion of Truth explores the difficulty of questioning ideas that work in our favour. Drawing on philosophy, cognitive science and human behaviour, Ligia examines certainty, influence and the stories through which we interpret reality. Particularly relevant when leaders face polarisation, AI-generated information and competing narratives, this keynote asks audiences to apply critical thinking not only to what they oppose, but also to what they most want to believe.
Audience takeaways
Notice when certainty replaces inquiry
Interrogate convenient narratives and hidden assumptions
Strengthen intellectual humility in leadership decisions
Best for: Executive boards, innovation and technology conferences, financial services, universities and strategy forums.
Can you question a truth that is working in your favour?
Talk 03
BELONGING BY DESIGN
Stop Asking People to Fit Into Systems That Were Never Designed for Them.
Inclusion often begins with an existing system deciding who may enter. Belonging asks a more fundamental question: why was the system designed this way? Through the lenses of neurodiversity, organisational culture, relationships and lived experience, Ligia challenges audiences to reconsider the structures they have normalised. Belonging by Design moves the conversation beyond awareness and individual adaptation towards the responsibility to shape environments in which different people can genuinely participate. It is a keynote about human systems, not a checklist of accommodations.
Audience takeaways
Distinguish inclusion from belonging as a design principle
Recognise how systems create unnecessary barriers
Identify questions that help teams redesign participation and communication
Best for: Multinational organisations, HR and people conferences, education, government, technology and social innovation events.
Inclusion asks who we should let in. Belonging asks why we built the walls.
A philosopher who works where ideas meet real life.
Ligia Koijen approaches relationships, communication and organisational life through philosophy, human behaviour and lived experience. Her work spans leadership, learning, neurodiversity and the design of human-centred systems. She is associated with In2motivation and the Peter Koijen Foundation and brings the same central question to every stage: what becomes possible when we are willing to reconsider what we take for granted?
One idea. A conversation that continues.
Formats: keynote; keynote with moderated Q&A; executive dialogue or facilitated session; conference panel participation. Themes can be tailored to the event's audience without changing the intellectual core of the talk.
Bring a different perspective to your next event.
Tell us about your event, the audience and the conversation you want to open. We will respond with the most relevant keynote option and next steps.