Keynotes
Matthew Spence
Completed the 29029 Everesting Challenge, turning one extraordinary climb into leadership lessons for thriving at the edge of uncertainty.
Watch Matthew in action
Matthew was a speaker at TEDx Sonoma County where he gave a talk called “Hitting the Wall and Persevering: What Happens After ‘I Can’t’”, centered on Finding Power in Purpose, a core chapter from LESSONS FROM THE WALL: 15 Thing I Learned About Leadership & Life by Doing Something Really Hard.
About Matthew
Matthew Spence isn't an elite athlete.
He's an executive coach, author, leadership consultant, husband, father, and—as he likes to describe himself—"an average guy who decided to do something really hard."
That decision led him to the 29029 Everesting Challenge, one of the world's most demanding endurance events, where participants climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest in less than 36 hours. The experience fundamentally changed how he thinks about leadership, resilience, and what people are capable of when they choose growth over certainty.
Those insights and that story are captured in his new book Lessons from the Wall: 15 Things I Learned About Leadership & Life by Doing Something Really Hard—a keynote and leadership framework that helps leaders navigate the moments when experience isn't enough, the old playbook no longer works, and every step forward requires courage rather than certainty.
For more than 25 years, Matthew has coached and developed leaders inside some of the world's most respected organizations, including Meta, Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., and Gap Inc. Working with executives leading through transformation has reinforced what he discovered on the mountain: every leader eventually encounters a wall. The question isn't whether you'll face one—it's how you'll respond when you do.
Today, Matthew helps organizations build leaders who thrive at the edge of uncertainty.
Blending unforgettable stories from the climb with practical leadership insights, Matthew equips leaders to navigate ambiguity, communicate with purpose, build resilient teams, and lead with confidence and humanity in an AI-driven world.
Audiences leave inspired by the journey and equipped with actionable tools for turning uncertainty into progress—and the confidence to help others do the same.
A life spent on stages large and small…
Matthew began his career as a stage actor, performing in educational theater companies touring throughout California and late-night improvisational theater in Chicago. He’s leveraged the skills honed through those experiences whether on large stages for keynote addresses, in the classroom, boardroom or in one-on-one settings to unlock and drive positive behavioral change in individuals, teams and organizations.
Session Formats
Keynote
Workshop
Fireside Chat
Panel
In-person or Virtual
Leadership. Motivational. Peak Performance.
Best For
Team Offsites
Annual Meetings & All-Hands
Leadership Retreats
Sales Kickoffs
Corporate & Executive Dinners
Keynote Topics
No Invisible Medals (45–60 minutes)
In today's always-on workplace, many leaders wear busyness as a badge of honor—but no one remembers the sacrifices that come at the expense of our health, relationships, and leadership. Through unforgettable stories from his 29029 Everesting Challenge, Matthew challenges audiences to redefine success, build sustainable resilience, and create lives with purpose beyond productivity.
Find Your Lighthouses (45–60 minutes)
When the path gets steep, talent and determination alone aren't enough. Through powerful stories from his Everesting journey, Matthew shows leaders how to discover the "lighthouses" that guide them through uncertainty, inspire resilient teams, and connect daily work to a deeper sense of purpose.
Create Kairos Time (45–60 minutes)
Some moments change everything. Drawing on the ancient Greek concept of Kairos, Matthew equips leaders to recognize, prepare for, and intentionally create the defining moments that shape careers, teams, and organizations—transforming how they lead through uncertainty.
Become, Don't Just Achieve (45–60 minutes)
Achievement is fleeting. Fulfillment lasts. Through unforgettable stories from completing the 29029 Everesting Challenge, Matthew challenges leaders to shift their focus from external success to personal growth—becoming the kind of leader and human being others want to follow.
Workshops
Lessons from the Wall Leadership Workshop: Half-Day (3–4 Hours)
Bring the lessons from Lessons from the Wall into your organization through a highly interactive workshop that transforms inspiration into action. Customized to your team's goals, participants explore the leadership topics most relevant to their challenges through storytelling, facilitated discussion, reflection, and practical application.
Lessons from the Wall Leadership Experience - Full-Day (6–8 Hours)
This immersive, full-day leadership experience gives teams the time and space to turn insight into lasting change. Built around the most relevant lessons from Lessons from the Wall, the experience combines storytelling, peer coaching, team exercises, and action planning to strengthen leadership, culture, and team effectiveness.
Achievements
Four-time finisher of the 29029 Everesting Challenge
Author of “Lessons from the Wall: 15 Things I Learned About Leadership & Life by Doing Something Really Hard”
TEDx Speaker
Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
Leadership Circle Profile (LCP) Certified Coach
Prosci Change Management Practitioner & Certified Facilitator
Former marathon runner and triathlete
Roles
VP Talent & Culture, Collibra
Sr. Director Leadership Development, Meta
Sr. Director Performance & Engagement, Levi Strauss & Co.
Leadership Development, Gap Inc.
Sales Enablement, Nike