Culture Keynotes
Culture is a story we share.
It’s not an offering or a perk; it’s a shared experience shaped by the interactions people have with an organization and its leadership — and how those interactions inspire motivation, meaning, action– and results!
But culture isn’t easy to talk about. That’s what we’re here for.
Organizations that are serious about using culture to drive strategy need a way to take the conversation deeper. And at the same time, make it fun, real, and human.
At CultureTalk, our approach to organizational culture is founded on storytelling. Story is a powerfully simple mechanism for getting people to lean in and align around ideas.
When we speak to audiences on things like workplace culture, employee wellbeing and team cohesion, we leverage storytelling to make these topics more personal, relatable, understandable, and memorable.
And we’d love to do this for your organization.
Meet Your Speakers
Theresa Agresta and Cynthia Forstmann
Sisters on a mission to harness the power of human intelligence, Theresa Agresta and Cynthia Forstmann are redefining what it means to create connected, meaningful, and results-driven workplaces.
As co-founders of CultureTalk, they lead a modern platform that empowers teams to build and transform vibrant cultures through the power of storytelling. To date, they’ve certified hundreds of OD and L&D professionals, as well as consultants and coaches, to integrate CultureTalk into their organizations and client work.
CultureTalk assessments and programs have impacted more than 20,000 individuals globally, spanning:
- Fortune 500 companies like Starbucks, Electrolux, and Coca-Cola
- Government agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Colleges and universities such as George Mason University, Boise State, and Skidmore
CultureTalk practitioners use its narrative framework to drive organizational change, deliver team-building experiences, and provide individualized coaching. The platform transforms culture into a tangible asset, creating a common language that aligns teams and achieves business goals.
Notable success stories include:
- Helping a media company redefine its purpose to navigate market disruption and rally its workforce
- Aligning teams in a fast-growing data center post-M&A by resolving cultural conflicts
- Developing a culturally inspired employment brand that led to 300% growth for a transportation company
- Turning around a toxic government agency culture with employee-driven action plans for accountability
Onstage and online, Theresa and Cynthia bring the business of culture to life, sharing inspiration and case studies that prove culture is currency – a vital driver of purpose, performance, and profit.
Together, they:
- Guide clients in measuring and evolving cultures that thrive under today’s demands for transparency and authenticity
- Lead focus groups, training sessions, and change initiatives that enhance emotional intelligence, leadership skills, and conflict resolution
- Speak to diverse audiences about the future of work and the role of storytelling in shaping culture and achieving success
Prior to CultureTalk, the sisters co-founded and ran Allegory, an $1M agency that specialized in culture-driven rebrands that won industry and 3 international REBRANDⓇ Awards over 15 years. Allegory served as a proving ground for CultureTalk’s narrative framework.
Theresa Agresta
Theresa holds a BA in Communications from Ramapo College. Prior to founding two businesses, she was an integral part of the PR teams for the Windows on the World and Einhorn Yaffee Prescott. She is a past board chair of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. She spends her summers boating Lake George and winters skiing mountains in New York, Vermont and Colorado.
Cynthia Forstmann
Cynthia holds a BA in Psychology from Villanova, an MA in Positive Psychology from Marymount, and an Inner MBA certificate from MindfulNYU. She is a volunteer for DisruptHR Denver and an alumni of the Denver ScaleUp Network. In her free time, she enjoys rollerblading, skiing, yoga, hosting dinner parties, and following stories of children overcoming adversity.
Speaking Topics
One-hour Keynote
All too often, the gains to be made on organizational culture go unrealized. A growing body of research confirms the bottom-line impact of culture work, but it can be hard to know where to start.
Your organization already has a culture and, in this talk, we’ll give you 5 steps for shaping it with intention.Â
We’ll define Organizational Culture: what it is and isn’t and, through a surprising and simple analogy, you’ll learn how to capitalize on the potential of your culture by turning it into a tangible asset.Â
 You’ll have a chance to consider where you are on your culture journey and where your strategy has gaps. Cynthia and Theresa bring their expertise and expressive storytelling approach to make this sometimes confusing topic exciting and accessible.Â
Your team will leave with insights they can start applying right away and renewed enthusiasm for achieving results.
3-hour Intro Workshop
Our signature Team Storytelling Workshop is a powerful half-day experience that enhances speed-to-connection, fosters trust and vulnerability, and creates team cohesion.
Cynthia and Theresa Participants uncover and share their personal storylines through a framework that catalyzes deeper, more authentic dialog.
It turns out stories around the fire (or the water cooler) served a deep-seated place in our cultural connections and understanding!
Perfect for your next leadership offsite, team retreat, or annual event, the experience can be adapted to deliver online or on-stage with audiences of 10 to 10,000.Â
This workshop is built around the CultureTalk for Individuals assessment, a 72-question survey that uncovers alignment with 12 human story patterns called Archetypes. All participants take the assessment, validate their profiles and exchange stories in small groups.
3-hour Add-on Workshop
As team members develop aptitude with Archetype storylines, they learn to apply the framework to improve interactions and outcomes. They are coached how to address potential conflicts real-time, transforming conflict into self-awareness and forward motion. Participants will learn how to analyze conflict through the lens of Archetypes. By identifying a conflict, revisiting their Story Profiles, and leveraging narrative intelligence, participants will develop action plans for productive dialogue and stronger collaborations. The group will also practice a team process for navigating potential conflicts.
2-hour Add-on Workshop
In this 2-hour workshop, participants address the challenges of change and uncertainty, which can amplify existing cracks in team culture. They will explore how different Archetype patterns respond to change, identify their own change triggers, take accountability for reactive behaviors, and learn strategies to tap into their innate motivations for positive outcomes amidst evolving work environments
