About
Kiesha Garrison is the surprise you never knew you needed to inspire and excite your audience. Whether in front of a Fortune 100 crowd, face-to-face with A-List celebrities, or driving impact with community changemakers, Kiesha’s poise and thoughtfulness make her a sought-after on-stage talent and event partner.
Background
Story
All Kiesha Garrison needs is a microphone and a moment. From the time she spoke up at church functions as a child to accepting the valedictorian honor in high school, speaking has been and continues to be in Kiesha’s spirit. Kiesha’s world opened up when she received a full Presidential Scholarship to attend Spelman College. After spending her childhood in a socially segregated small town which presented tough challenges for her as a dark-skinned Black girl, she now found herself an immersive learning experience among other Black women. It magnified her sense of self and planted a seed in her about her unique power to influence others and change the world.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Economics, she began a career in business development that eventually led her to years of successful digital transformation partnership work at Microsoft. Negotiating deals between this technology giant and industry leaders all over the world brought Kiesha global perspective, an appreciation for how different cultural norms influence people, and the special skill of leading from the center of high-stakes teams.
It also led to another inflection point. After delivering her first keynote speech on behalf of Microsoft to a partner organization, a tearful listener shared how she was inspired to live and work more authentically. Kiesha’s desire to use her voice to impact people was affirmed.
“Mommy let your dreams be free”. In 2017, Kiesha’s humorous nature gave rise when she signed up for a standup comedy workshop that her then 7-year-old daughter encouraged her to try. As she performed throughout Seattle, leaders at Microsoft took note of her comedic talents and stage presence and enlisted her to host numerous global events and to conduct celebrity interviews with Will Smith, Ang Lee, & Lenny Kravitz for their internal show Outside In.
She hasn’t put the microphone down since. Proudly, Kiesha has graced the stage as an emcee and interviewer for several high-impact events at organizations like Workhuman, Miami Book Fair, Women in Tech Regatta, Dress for Success Seattle, and more. She has been featured on numerous panels & has delivered personal empowerment workshops and keynote addresses at companies such as Amazon, Avalara, Microsoft and many community organizations across the US.
From scholar to tech exec to comedian to emcee – Kiesha has approached her journey courageously living as her full self. In her work, she hopes to guide moments of reflection that ignite positive mindset shifts so others can do the same. Her core motivation stems from her deep desire to shift culture towards more humane ideals.
Official bio
Kiesha Garrison is a dynamic host who leads events & conversations that spark personal, professional, and cultural shifts. She has decades of experience guiding audiences through both in-person and virtual events for learning, development, and entertainment.
Kiesha combines her 20 years of experience as a business & culture leader at Time, Inc. & Microsoft with her skill as a standup comedian to shine on-stage in a variety of settings. Most recently she served as the Director of Communications and Culture for Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence Platform Engineering team. In this role, she designed strategic messaging and engagement programs that impacted the workplace culture experience and education for a diverse and global staff of thousands.
Her skill as an emcee and moderator has made her a reliable and impactful host for several marquee corporate events including Workhuman Live, Include 2021 (Microsoft’s groundbreaking global, digital event focused on diversity and inclusion) and Microsoft’s first-ever fully virtual Ready Conference. Kiesha has also delivered insightful mainstage interviews with well-known subjects Will Smith, Ang Lee, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Catmull, and countless corporate, nonprofit, and community leaders.
In addition to her work leading events, Kiesha is committed to guiding others a towards healthier understanding of themselves and others. She produces & hosts YOU Better!, a weekly interview podcast, and speaks to teams across the country about self-discovery and personal power. Additionally, Kiesha has co-hosted Sunday Soul Sessions, a monthly wellness event within LuvvNation -a community founded by New York Times best-selling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones– and has served as a spokesperson for the women’s empowerment nonprofit Dress for Success Seattle.
From tech exec to comedian to professional host – Kiesha has approached her journey courageously living as her full self. Her overarching mission is to connect people to the insight, resources, and experiences they need to thrive in their fullest self-expression. She is a proud graduate of Spelman College is currently based in Seattle, WA.
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Kiesha is also the Founder and CEO of Hey, Black Seattle!, a new hub of information supporting people of the African diaspora who live in the Seattle area and want to connect to Black culture and community. Learn more HERE.