Why old retention strategies fail, and how to attract quality Gen Z talent.

You've heard it before: "We can't find good people." "Gen Z employees leave after six months." "They're lazy and entitled." But what if the problem isn't Gen Z, it's how you're trying to reach them? This generation isn't broken; the playbook is outdated.

Don takes audiences on an eye-opening journey into what actually motivates the most misunderstood generation in the workforce, dismantling tired myths and replacing them with real strategies that work.

Through stories from the classroom and early-career trenches, Don reveals why traditional hiring and onboarding processes repel the exact talent you're trying to attract.

This isn't about coddling youth, moreso, it's about recognizing that Gen Z operates differently, and the organizations that figure this out first will dominate the talent war.

In this keynote, you'll discover how to redesign your recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding to speak Gen Z's language, and more importantly, how to measure and guide their performance once they're in the door.

Walking away, you'll know exactly how to attract quality Gen Z talent, keep them, and turn them into your competitive advantage. Because the companies that crack this code won't just survive the generational shift; they'll thrive because of it.

You'll Learn:

• Why your current hiring process is secretly filtering out top Gen Z talent

• The 3 biggest myths about Gen Z that are costing you great employees

• How to restructure onboarding so Gen Z stays engaged instead of jumping ship

• Practical ways to market job opportunities that actually resonate with young talent

Giving Gen Z the creative keys: AI, autonomy, and attitude to 10x output.

AI isn't coming, it's here. And while most organizations are still figuring out policies and protocols, Gen Z is already using it in ways that would blow your mind.

These digital natives are more than comfortable with technology; they're fluent in it. The question isn't whether AI will transform your workplace, rather, it's whether you'll empower the generation that already knows how to wield it, or watch them take that genius somewhere else.

Don shares real stories from students and early-career professionals who are using AI for everything from problem-solving to creative ideation, often on platforms you've never heard of.

But here's the opportunity within the Gen Z workforce: when you give them autonomy to explore AI within your organization, they become your competitive advantage and a generational accelerator. The leaders who are winning are the ones who give their youngest employees a seat at the AI table.

This keynote is a wake-up call for organizations that want to stay ahead. You'll leave knowing exactly how Gen Z uses AI differently, why that matters, and how to create an environment where they can leverage this technology to accelerate productivity across your entire team. The future of work isn't about controlling AI, it's about unleashing the people who already know how to use it.

You'll Learn:

• How Gen Z actually uses AI in their daily workflow (and it's not what you think)

• Why giving young employees AI autonomy creates a massive competitive advantage

• Real stories of early-career talent solving problems through AI innovation

• The specific platforms and tools Gen Z gravitates toward, and why you should care

How to retain talent by turning meaningful problems into unique opportunities.

Burnout. Turnover. Disengagement. Culture drift. These aren't separate problems, they're symptoms of the same disease: meaningless work. Your people aren't leaving because the pay is bad or the benefits aren't competitive. They're leaving because they don't see the point. And Gen Z? They'll walk even faster if their work doesn't connect to something that matters.

Don challenges organizations to stop treating culture like a poster on the wall and start building purpose directly into the work itself.

Drawing from frameworks used by teachers who transform math lessons and english essays into real-world problem-solving, Don shows how to reframe existing work so it feels purposeful and impactful.

Unfortunately, this culture work has zero pizza parties, but it does have autonomy, ‘intra’preneurship, and ownership where employees feel compelled and responsible for the outcomes. When people see problems as opportunities and feel like their contributions actually move the needle, they don't “quiet quit“ they lead.

You'll walk away with a completely new lens on retention. Instead of chasing people with perks, you'll learn how to build an environment where meaningful work attracts quality talent naturally, and where Gen Z doesn't just show up, they show off.

Because purpose isn't fluff. It's the most implementable retention strategy you're not using yet.

You'll Learn:

• How to embed purpose into existing work without restructuring your entire organization

• The difference between "culture" and "purposed-based culture" and why it matters for retention

• Frameworks for fostering autonomy, ownership, and ‘intra’preneurship at every level

• How to stop meaningless work from burning out your best people

Strategies to turn young talent from entry-level employees into proactive leaders.

Your youngest employees have fresh eyes, bold ideas, and the potential to become your next great leaders, but most of them don't think they have permission to lead. They stay low, keep quiet, and assume leadership isn't an option at their age. Meanwhile, you're wondering why they're not stepping up. Here’s the truth: they're waiting for you to show them it's safe to try.

Don reveals why young people hold back and, more importantly, how to design an environment where they don't.

Through stories and real-world tactics, Don dismantles the myth that youth equals incompetence and shows how proactive young leaders can become one of your biggest assets...if you know how to cultivate them.

This keynote gives you the playbook: specific leadership behaviors to watch for, ways to redesign entry-level roles so they build leaders instead of order-takers, and the mindset shifts that transform hesitant employees into problem-solving owners.

You'll leave with actionable strategies to unlock leadership potential in people who didn't even know they had it. Because the companies that win aren't the ones waiting for leaders to emerge, they're the ones actively growing them from day one.

You'll Learn:

• Why young employees don't step into leadership (and how to change that)

• Specific behaviors that signal leadership potential in entry-level talent

• How to redesign roles so they cultivate leaders instead of task-completers

• Tactics and mindset shifts to empower young people to lead without fear