Michael’s workshops are phenomenal. Michael’s ability to capture an audience is unparalleled. I highly recommend any business leader attend who is looking to sharpen their decision-making skills and execute strategies that lead to growth.
Dr. Michael Burcham is an entrepreneur, strategist, and executive coach who has spent over three decades helping leaders—from first-time founders to Fortune 500 CEOs—turn bold ideas into scalable impact.
A trusted advisor to U.S. presidents and boardrooms alike, Michael brings a rare mix of real-world operating experience and high-level strategic insight. He’s led successful ventures, guided innovation in complex industries, and helped build some of the most effective executive teams in business today.
Michael is the author of Launching the Venture, a widely used playbook for building investor-ready businesses, and serves as Faculty Director at Vanderbilt’s Center for Entrepreneurship, where he equips leaders with the tools to grow, scale, and lead with clarity.
Disruption isn’t coming—it’s already here. Whether navigating healthcare reform, macroeconomic shocks, or global crises, the leaders who thrive aren’t just strategic; they’re resilient. In this powerful session, Dr. Burcham shares how he’s helped founders and Fortune 500 executives lead through chaos with courage, clarity, and conviction.
With stories from his advisory roles in public policy and private equity, Michael shows how leaders can remain decisive and grounded when the world is anything but. This talk blends hard-won wisdom with actionable tactics to help you emerge from disruption stronger, smarter, and more aligned than ever.
Audience Takeaways:
• How to lead when the map is outdated or missing entirely
• Strategies to stabilize teams and maintain morale under pressure
• Tools for rapid yet thoughtful decision-making in uncertain times
In a world of disengaged teams and skeptical stakeholders, trust is no longer a soft skill—it’s a strategic asset. In this compelling keynote, Dr. Burcham explores the “10 Commandments of Trust” and the leadership behaviors that build or break it. Drawing on decades of experience as an advisor and executive coach, Michael outlines how leaders can earn the trust of their teams, boards, customers, and communities. More than a lecture, this talk is a call to consistent action: to lead with integrity, communicate with transparency, and show up when it matters most. Whether you're trying to rebuild trust or raise the bar, this keynote gives you the playbook.
Audience Takeaways:
• Why trust is a competitive advantage—especially during inflection points
• How to diagnose and repair broken trust inside your org
• Rituals and routines that reinforce authenticity and alignment
Vision sets the direction, but culture and execution drive results. In this dynamic keynote, Dr. Michael Burcham—accomplished entrepreneur, executive coach, and leadership strategist—reveals how top-performing organizations build intentional cultures, set game-changing goals, and create systems of accountability that fuel sustained success.
Drawing on decades of experience leading high-growth companies and coaching elite executive teams, Michael shares how to move from vague values and wishful thinking to clear standards, measurable progress, and world-class performance. He explains how to architect a culture that scales, establish shared leadership habits, and drive excellence without burnout or micromanagement.
Ideal for executives, entrepreneurs, and team leaders, this keynote is a masterclass in transforming your organization into a focused, values-driven execution engine.
Audience Takeaways:
• Define values that actually shape behavior and build trust
• Set bold, measurable goals that inspire focused, strategic execution
• Build a culture of ownership, feedback, and high performance
• Create alignment and accountability across teams, especially during growth or change
• Avoid common goal-setting and cultural missteps that erode momentum
What you sell is important, but how you make money says everything. In this strategic session, Dr. Burcham unpacks why the business model is more than a financial plan—it’s a declaration of your value, scalability, and intent. After decades of teaching and practicing winning models, he explores the strengths and weaknesses of what is popular—from subscription to transaction to hybrid—and helps leaders align their model with their mission and market. This talk is ideal for founders, investors, and innovation leaders who want to evaluate or evolve their model in a rapidly changing market. Using real-world examples, Michael shows how the right model not only drives profit but amplifies purpose.
Audience Takeaways:
• How to evaluate your model’s fitness for your market and mission
• Signs your current model is stalling growth—and what to do
• The investor perspective: What great models signal beyond the numbers