Tania Katan is an award-winning author, globally sought-after keynote speaker, and cultural catalyst known for turning creativity into a competitive advantage—and laughter into lasting change. She is the creator of the viral social impact movement #ItWasNeverADress, which has reached over 100 million people worldwide, reframing how we see women, leadership, creativity, and belonging—one bathroom sign at a time.
Named the author of the “Best Business Book in Creativity and Innovation,” Katan’s book Creative Trespassing: How to Put the Spark and Joy Back into Your Work & Life (Penguin Random House) is a practical, punk-rock playbook for innovation in a world drowning in sameness. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity, business, culture, and courage—helping individuals and organizations unlock breakthrough ideas in times, places, and processes not typically labeled “creative.”
A top-rated speaker known for her rare blend of humor, storytelling, and immediately actionable insights, Katan has delivered keynotes and led workshops for TEDx, Google, Amazon, Expedia, Uber, Cisco, Etsy, HubSpot, American Express, Humana, TJX, UCI, Comedy Central, and the Massachusetts Conference for Women, among many others. Her ability to translate big ideas into human moments has made her a trusted voice for Fortune 500 companies, global summits, and leadership teams navigating change, uncertainty, and innovation fatigue.
Whether she’s speaking to engineers, executives, creatives, or entire organizations, Katan makes creative thinking feel accessible, energizing, and possible—often in rooms that didn’t know they needed it most. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Time, Forbes, CNN, USA Today, Adweek, GLAMOUR, HuffPost, and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.
Seth Godin calls Katan’s work a generous gift that "helps each of us find our own cape," while #1 New York Timesbestselling author Jen Sincero praises Tania as a "creative powerhouse, innovative thinker, purveyor of hilarity and fun" whose tools are "at once playful, smart, easy to implement and, dare I say, punk rock."
On stage and on the page, Tania Katan doesn’t just talk about creativity—she activates it. Audiences leave feeling braver, more connected, and ready to creatively trespass beyond the status quo—with humor, heart, and a whole lot of momentum.
Audiences walk away with:
• Practical tools to generate creative breakthroughs in non-creative industries and roles • Permission to bring their full, authentic selves to work • Fresh frameworks for solving persistent problems • Renewed energy, joy, and sense of possibility • Stories they'll retell for years
Tania proves that creativity isn't about being artistic—it's about being human. And in a world hungry for connection, innovation, and meaning, that's the competitive advantage that changes everything.
What if changing the way we see the world could change the way we shape the future—and the bottom line? The viral campaign It Was Never A Dress transformed a simple bathroom sign into a bold statement about perception, possibility, and progress. By flipping the script on outdated symbols, we ignited a global conversation about diversity, inclusion, innovation, and impact.
In this high-energy, thought-provoking session, Tania Katan—the creative mind behind Axosoft’s It Was Never A Dress, author, and creativity expert—shares how rethinking the familiar unlocks new opportunities for businesses, communities, and personal agency. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies for fostering diverse perspectives, driving creativity, and turning small shifts into big change—leading to stronger teams, breakthrough ideas, and measurable success.
Research supports the business case for diversity: companies with greater gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform their peers, and those with greater ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to do the same (McKinsey & Company)
If you’re ready to challenge assumptions, embrace bold ideas, and fuel a future of work that works for everyone, this talk is for you. Because it was never just a dress—it was always a call to think—and act—differently.
What if the key to innovation wasn’t working harder—but playing smarter? Creativity isn’t just for artists; it’s for anyone ready to shake up the status quo and turn everyday challenges into opportunities.
As CEO of Creative Trespassing, Tania Katan has spent her career sneaking imagination and ingenuity into spaces that desperately need it—from corporations to nonprofits, boardrooms to breakrooms and the results were astounding! In this high-energy, laugh-out-loud session, Tania shares wildly entertaining stories, unconventional exercises, and just the right amount of inspirational shouting (GO get ‘em, Creative Tiger!) to help you break free from stale thinking.
You’ll learn how to flex your creative muscles, inject humor into problem-solving, and turn constraints into catalysts for change. Whether you’re an individual looking for a creative spark or a leader seeking fresh approaches for your team, this talk will equip you with real tools to make work more imaginative, impactful, and—dare we say—fun.
In today’s turbulent times, leaders across all industries—from tech to the arts—are facing tectonic shifts in the modern workplace: AI, remote work, back to the office, pandemic, economic upheavals, layoffs, and uncertainty at every turn. Forbes recently wrote, “Creativity is the #1 skill we need to succeed in 2024-2028"—not just a nice-to-have, but as an essential tool for problem-solving and innovation across industries. In other words: Creativity is the North Star needed to navigate these challenges.
In this interactive talk, Tania invites you to rediscover creativity not as a soft skill, but as a powerful tool for leadership, problem-solving, and innovation especially in the face of AI. And why NOW is the time to reclaim it. She will share how creative thinking—and doing—can play a critical part in transforming your leadership/team/organization in the face of workplace turbulence.
WARNING: You might experience joy, laughter, and play, and still leave with three things you can do immediately to leverage the power of imagination to inspire and energize you, your teams, and entire organization for whatever lies ahead.