Dr. Marisa G. Franco
Psychologist, professor, friendship expert, and New York Times-bestselling author of Platonic
Priya Parker
Facilitator, strategic advisor, and acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering
Photo credit: Fernando Palafox
Priya Parker is an internationally-recognized expert on creating purposeful gatherings and reimagining how we come together in our workplaces and our communities. She is a conflict facilitator, strategic advisor, speaker, and author of the acclaimed book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters and the host of The Art of Gathering Digital Course. Whether addressing CEOs, non-profit leaders, students or community organizers, Parker captivates audiences with her unique blend of storytelling, research-backed insights, and practical strategies.
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About Priya Parker
In a world where connection often feels fleeting and gatherings can lack meaning and focus, Priya Parker emerges as a bold catalyst for change. As a visionary facilitator, author, and sought-after speaker, Parker is helping us take a deeper look at how anyone can create collective meaning and belonging in modern life, one gathering at a time. Krista Tippett, host of the podcast On Being has called her “the voice of what it means to gather in this world we inhabit now.”
Priya Parker is the acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, former executive producer and host of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart, and a trusted facilitator, advisor and strategist to leaders and organizations.
In The Art of Gathering, Parker argues that most gatherings lack intentionality and structure, resulting in bland and forgettable experiences. In her book and her engaging in-conversation presentations, she offers insights and strategies for designing gatherings that are engaging, intentional, and transformative. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose and desired outcome of a gathering, as well as the significance of setting the right context, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering meaningful interactions among participants. Event planners, corporate executives, and community organizers alike leave Parker’s sessions equipped with tools to transform their own events.
Parker has spoken on the TED Main Stage and her sessions have been viewed over 3 million times. Drawing from her diverse training in conflict resolution, business management, public policy, and community-building, her talks dive into the anatomy of gathering with purpose. Whether she is talking about gathering as a 21st-century leadership skill, fostering belonging among remote teams, the art of hosting meetings everyone wants to attend, or connecting people across identities, backgrounds, and hierarchies, Parker gives her audiences the skills they need to succeed.
Parker has helped numerous clients develop better in-person and virtual gatherings, including tech and Fortune 500 companies, leading non-profits, education groups, and government agencies, among others.
Parker’s The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters was named a Best Business Book of the Year by Amazon, Esquire Magazine, NPR, the Financial Times, 1-800-CEO-READS and Bloomberg. In 2023, The Wall Street Journal tapped Parker as their work expert for their Future of Everything series.
Her work has been featured in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, Oprah.com, Real Simple Magazine, Glamour, The Today Show, and Morning Joe, among others. Parker studied organizational design at M.I.T., public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and political and social thought at the University of Virginia. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two children.
Contact us about booking Priya Parker to speak at your next event.
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Speaking Topics
Gathering to Create Belonging
There is a growing “belonging” crisis in modern, diverse workplaces where work happens via remote and hybrid formats. When people are not in the same room as their colleagues and the workforce is in the midst of drastic changes, how do leaders create a sense of meaning, belonging, and purpose for their teams? How can organizations create a sense of collective belonging while still honoring individual differences? In this provocative, funny, and warm moderated conversation, conflict resolution facilitator and author Priya Parker provides candid, practical, lens-shifting advice on vital 21st-century leadership skills. As a seasoned group facilitator, educator, and researcher, she breaks down the anatomy of meaningful connections and gives audiences the skills needed to create meaningful shared experiences, one gathering at a time.
How to Bring Employees Back Into the Office (And Why That is the Wrong Question To Ask)
Should employees come into the office three days a week? Is two days enough? Will they have a dedicated space to sit when they come in and will the new lounge area include a snack bar? These are the questions (still) preoccupying many leaders and HR departments. And while these logistics are important and resource allocation is challenging in hybrid work environments, as Priya Parker argues, many organizations are asking the wrong questions when it comes to bringing employees back into the office well. In this thoughtful and candid conversation, Parker will talk about why companies need a gathering strategy, not a snack strategy if they want employees to come into the office and feel connected to colleagues and their work. Through careful questions and practical tips, Parker helps organizations develop a tailored gathering strategy for in-person meetings, personal encounters, and moments of serendipity that are time well spent for any employee.
Bridging the Generational Gathering Gap
In this discussion, Priya Parker will look at the generational relationships, patterns, differences, and conversations that shape workplace gatherings and relationships. How can thoughtfully planned gatherings bridge the gap between generations born into a world of digital connectivity who gravitate towards the flexibility and autonomy of remote work and the generations for whom the office is not just a place of work, but a hub for social connection, mentorship, and professional identity? Parker will help audiences understand that by embracing diversity in work styles and leveraging the strengths of each generation, organizations can create inclusive environments where all employees thrive.
Gathering for Inclusion
As part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, the concept of belonging is emerging as a pivotal focus. An intentionally designed gathering is an opportunity for people to experience inclusivity and belonging, not just talk about it. The modern leadership skill, particularly in virtual and hybrid environments, is the ability to create for fostering psychological togetherness, even when you’re not all in the same room. In this timely and important discussion, Priya Parker talks to HR professionals, DEI leaders, and diverse teams about how to ensure the right people are having the right conversations at the right time.
Categories: Business + Management Speakers, Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Month Speakers, Company Reads Speakers, Culture + Arts Speakers, Diversity + Inclusion Speakers, Future of Work Speakers, Innovation + Creativity Speakers, Leadership Speakers, Motivational + Inspirational Speakers, Productivity and Time Management Speakers, TED Talks Speakers, Women's Interest Speakers -
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Praise for Priya Parker
For me, it truly was an honor and privilege to host this conversation with Priya. A huge thank you to Priya for engaging with the audience in the way she did and turning the session into a live experience of what she writes and speaks about.
— MicrosoftWe loved hosting Priya in our office, and we couldn’t have thought of a better person to kick off the relaunch of our speaker series. Priya’s energy was infectious, and I loved looking around the room and seeing people’s smiling faces throughout the conversation.
— Event Host (Intuit Mailchimp)Priya is such a great live speaker, she really worked the crowd! I learned so much and one thing I love about her content is it inspired people to take action; someone I sat near has already shared with me an action they took because of her to solve some of their team forming issues!
— Participant (Intuit Mailchimp)Brilliant! Engaging, thoughtful, and practical—all the things we hoped for and MORE.
— Global Nonprofit OrganizationFantastic! She was intelligent, warm, funny and provided actionable items to rethink the importance of gathering, the why of gathering and to start at the beginning to cultivate unique and creative meetings!
— Association for Talent Development (ATD)Priya Parker was phenomenal. We received very positive feedback from our audience, who were a group of C-suite executives.
— Health Plan AllianceWe were so happy with Priya– she was absolutely fantastic in her recording! She was the perfect guest for our audience and her energy was amazing. Our audience loved her.
— LatticePriya delivered a closing keynote “experience” at our flagship event, CampMinder Camp, for our community of camp owners, directors, and industry thought leaders. And wow! – we could not have dreamed of a more valuable experience for this group of people who are themselves passionate about creating meaningful experiences for the children they serve. Priya blended a well-researched understanding of her audience with thoughtful and engaging questions to create a truly unique event that left participants feeling more connected to each other and to their own sense of purpose. I would not hesitate to recommend Priya’s book, The Art of Gathering, or her facilitation services to any person or organization interested in creating a truly memorable and impactful event.
— CampMinder, CampMinderPriya Parker’s Art of Gathering session challenged our group to understand more about each other, as well as themselves. We’ve hosted multiple events with Priya, and each time our teams walk away feeling connected and inspired. Priya provides an incredibly memorable session that our guests continually cite as a meaningful and impactful experience. Community is at the core of everything we do at WeWork, and Priya’s teachings help us further our mission of building and strengthening communities across the globe.
— WeWorkYou all and Priya were wonderful to work with. She created a truly beautiful experience that fostered great connection, enlightenment and understanding among our employees. Everyone was thrilled to talk with her after during the book signing and looks forward to reading and talking more about the book. This was the first company-wide event we’ve done like this and we could not have picked a better person, message and experience to seal the day our company values. Many thanks for your work in making this experience remarkable, memorable and transformative for our team.
— XD AgencyPriya Parker did more than teach us about The Art of Gathering—she made it very, very personal to Twitter. She built trust among our group, challenged us in fulfilling ways, and ultimately made us think differently about how and why we gather. Priya was absolutely phenomenal—this was one of the best events we’ve had.
— TwitterAnand and Priya were great! Everyone loved them and raved over their talk.
— Public Library AssociationPraise for The Art of Gathering
[A] remarkable new book about how we spend our time together, at work, at home, and beyond. If you want to get more out of every event, whether it’s with your boss and co-workers or friends and family, The Art of Gathering can help.
— BustleEnthusiastically delivered formulas for better get-togethers… useful to those whose job it is to plan meetings, conferences, and the like and a worthy survival manual for consumers of the same.
— Kirkus ReviewsThis clear and engaging book sets down many things you thought you knew, until you find yourself remembering that you did not attend to its simple rules at the last significant event you hosted… A passion for successful encounters enlivens every page.
— Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age and Alone TogetherA brilliant and eminently practical guide! The Art of Gathering will open your eyes to just how often we gather – and how we can turn those mundane events into dazzling opportunities for meaning, dreaming, and doing. This book should be mandatory reading for everyone from the business executive to the community activist, the conflict resolution specialist to the dinner host. Concrete advice that will forever change the way you gather.
— Daniel L. Shapiro, founder of the Harvard International Negotiation Program and author of Negotiating the NonnegotiableDon’t read this book alone. Read it at a gathering of friends, in a book club, with a team of colleagues, or on a family reunion. But read it—for its wisdom, its charm, its insight, and its ability to make every encounter with others more meaningful and enjoyable. The Art of Gathering is a book long overdue, and just in time.
— Bruce Feiler, bestselling author of The Secrets of Happy Families and Walking the BibleMany of the best things in life happen when people gather. So it’s remarkable how little conscious intent goes into planning such moments. Thank goodness for this book. It opens up new ways of thinking about wonderful gatherings with a delicious confection of smartly-defined concepts and detailed examples. Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!
— Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TEDPriya Parker’s The Art of Gathering is brilliant. The book is a timely reminder: It’s our human-to-human links that make the most meaningful moments of our lives. Page by page, Parker offers a decoder ring for the secret forces at work when we gather for business, crises or celebration. What to leave out, where to meet, how to charm—it’s all here, explained with unforgettable stories and clever tips. You’ll only put this book down because it will make you so hungry for a gathering of your own.
— Joshua Cooper Ramo, author of The Seventh Sense and The Age of the Unthinkable -
Books by Priya Parker
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Featured Title
The Art of Gathering
“As social animals, humans gather, meet, and bond—seeking meaning, purpose, creative expression, and more. In almost all cases this is an unconscious process leading to subtle frustration and a lack of satisfaction. For the last few years I’ve avoided social gatherings because I find them meaningless and banal. I learned much from this book. Priya Parker has created both an art and a science to gathering in ways that can bring joy and fulfillment to any meeting.” —Deepak Chopra
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