Virtual Keynote Speaker
A Virtual Session People Actually Stay For.
Live virtual keynotes, webinars, and workshops for distributed teams, multi-site organizations, and association memberships.
Live & online
Virtual gets treated as the budget version of a real keynote, and usually it is, because most speakers deliver the in-person talk into a webcam and hope. A virtual session is a different format with different rules. Chris Sund runs three companies with people spread across the country and leads them on camera every week, which is why this is built as an online session rather than a stage talk pointed at a lens.
Virtual Keynote Speaker●Live Online Sessions●Leads Distributed Teams Daily●Bestselling Author of You Are Capable of More●Forbes Business Council●Virtual Keynote Speaker●Live Online Sessions●Leads Distributed Teams Daily●Bestselling Author of You Are Capable of More●Forbes Business Council●
The screen is not the problem. The format is, and that part is fixable.
My KC Live, KCTV5 Kansas City →On Camera
You can see how he works on a screen.
For a virtual booking this matters more than it does for a stage. Chris has done live television in six markets, where there is no room to warm up and no second take. Watch a segment before you book and you will know exactly what your audience gets.
How It Is Different
Five things that make an online session work.
None of this is complicated. It is just deliberately built for the medium rather than adapted to it after the fact.
- Shorter segments, more turns. Attention online runs in shorter cycles than it does in a ballroom. The session is built in tighter blocks with something changing every few minutes, which is a structural decision made before a word is written.
- The chat is part of the session. Questions get answered by name, live. People who would never take a microphone in a room will type, which means a virtual session can surface more honest participation than the in-person version.
- Named participation, not anonymous polling. Calling on specific people and reading specific answers aloud is what keeps a room of muted squares present. It works, and it takes preparation rather than software.
- A studio setup, not a laptop on a stack of books. Hardwired connection, proper lighting, broadcast microphone, and a backup connection standing by. Your audience should never think about the technology.
- One move, not a recap. Every session closes on a single specific action, and people leave with something to do rather than a recording to file away.
People do not disengage online because the screen is small. They disengage because nothing has required them for eleven minutes.
On what makes virtual work
Formats
Seven ways organizations book online.
Multi-site organizations often run the same session twice on one day so every shift or time zone gets it live.
45 to 60 Minutes
Virtual Keynote
The full keynote built for the medium. Works as a standalone event or the opening of a virtual conference.30 to 45 Minutes
Webinar
Association member webinars and educational series, including recorded versions for members who cannot attend live.60 to 90 Minutes
Virtual Workshop
Interactive session with breakout rooms, small group work, and something built rather than only discussed.30 Minutes
Lunch & Learn
A short session that fits inside a real lunch hour, which is the format most distributed teams can actually attend.Varies
AIMulti-Site Simulcast
One live session broadcast to several locations at once, with each site gathered in a room together.Virtual AI Working Session
Take Back Your Time with AI, which arguably works better online since screen sharing is the whole point.Series
Multi-Part Series
Three or four sessions across a quarter, which builds more than a single event and costs less than repeat travel.Hybrid
Hybrid Event
In the room and streamed at once, with the remote audience treated as participants rather than spectators.Honest Answer
When virtual is right, and when it is not.
Being straight about this is worth more than winning a booking that should have been something else.
Book Virtual
When people are spread out
Distributed teams, multi-site organizations, and association memberships across a state or country. Getting everyone live in one hour is something only virtual can do.Book Virtual
When it is a series, not an event
Three sessions across a quarter builds more than one keynote does, and repeated travel would make that cost prohibitive.Book In Person
When the room is the point
Annual meetings, award banquets, and conferences where people traveled to be together. The hallway conversation afterward is half the value, and it does not have an online equivalent.More on the tradeoff in virtual versus in-person keynotes.
Who Books It
Built for organizations that are not all in one place.
The framework holds across all of them. What changes is who is on the call and what they do when it ends.
Distributed Companies
Remote and hybrid teams, all-hands meetings, and leadership sessions for organizations without a single office.Multi-Site Organizations
Health systems, bank branch networks, franchise groups, and manufacturers with plants in several states.Associations
Member webinars, educational series, and virtual conferences. See association speaking.Healthcare Systems
Sessions repeated across shifts so night and weekend staff get it live. See healthcare speaking.Sales Organizations
Distributed sales teams, virtual kickoffs, and quarterly meetings.HR & L&D Teams
Learning and development calendars, leadership programs, and employee resource group events.Schools & Districts
Virtual in-service and parent nights when getting everyone to a building is the hard part.Nonprofits
Board meetings and staff sessions where travel is difficult to justify. See nonprofit speaking.International Teams
Sessions scheduled for a workable hour in another time zone, or run twice to cover both.The Framework
Four movements. Ten principles.
The same architecture as the book, restructured into shorter segments for the medium without losing the arc.
1
The Foundation
Ownership and time. What is inside your control on a calendar you did not design.2
The Breakthrough
The comfort ceiling and the inner voice. The section where the chat goes quiet and then fills up.3
The Standard
Truth over praise, and the hidden gear. Who will actually tell you the truth about your work.4
The Purpose
Finishing, and leaving people better. The close, and the one people message about afterward.The Book
Something physical after a session on a screen.
This is the strongest pairing available for a virtual booking. A session on a screen ends when the window closes. A book shipped to somebody's home turns a one hour event into something that sits on a desk.
You Are Capable of More: A No-Excuses Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. An Amazon bestseller from Game Changer Publishing, with a foreword by Ben Newman.
Ten chapters across four movements. The free companion toolkit includes a discussion guide that works for a virtual book study, a self-assessment, and a thirty day challenge. Nothing is gated behind an email address.
Length172 pages, 10 chapters
Common UseShipped to remote employees ahead of the session
Bulk OrdersAny quantity, signed and pre-signed copies available
Series UseOne chapter between sessions in a multi-part series
What People Say
The feedback speaks for itself.
“
Chris would be an incredible addition to any live audience. Each time he finds a unique way to connect on both a personal and professional level, keeping everyone engaged and attentive.
JT
Jack TiernanManager of Sales Training, Definitive Healthcare
“
His engaging style draws the audience into the conversation, creating a relaxed atmosphere that encourages learning and reflection. You leave not only inspired but equipped.
DB
DeAnna Busby-RastAuthentica Group
“
Chris consistently brings knowledge, insight, and practical advice. He led two impactful sessions and left everyone with tools they could use immediately.
GS
Gina SalazarTalent Acquisition Lead, University of Kansas Health System
“
His topics are well researched, and he weaves in practical tips and real-life examples that make every session realistic and relatable.
TB
Terry BennettNAHCR Immediate Past President
“
I always have takeaways to put into action after Chris' sessions. He cares deeply about uplifting the entire profession.
MW
Melissa WheelerCommunity Health Network
“
Chris would be an incredible addition to any live audience. Each time he finds a unique way to connect on both a personal and professional level, keeping everyone engaged and attentive.
JT
Jack TiernanManager of Sales Training, Definitive Healthcare
“
His engaging style draws the audience into the conversation, creating a relaxed atmosphere that encourages learning and reflection. You leave not only inspired but equipped.
DB
DeAnna Busby-RastAuthentica Group
“
Chris consistently brings knowledge, insight, and practical advice. He led two impactful sessions and left everyone with tools they could use immediately.
GS
Gina SalazarTalent Acquisition Lead, University of Kansas Health System
“
His topics are well researched, and he weaves in practical tips and real-life examples that make every session realistic and relatable.
TB
Terry BennettNAHCR Immediate Past President
“
I always have takeaways to put into action after Chris' sessions. He cares deeply about uplifting the entire profession.
MW
Melissa WheelerCommunity Health Network
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Best For
Events already on your calendar.
Virtual All-Hands
Member Webinar
Lunch & Learn
Virtual Conference
Leadership Series
Sales Kickoff
Multi-Site Simulcast
Hybrid Event
About Chris
He leads on camera every week.
Chris Sund is an executive leader, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of You Are Capable of More.
As President and COO of Uniti Med, GQR Healthcare, and Nebula, he helped grow Uniti Med 10x in two years and earn the number three ranking on the Inc. Regionals list among the fastest growing companies in the Midwest, while the organization earned Fortune Best Workplaces recognition and Great Place to Work certification three years running.
He is a father of three, based in Nebraska, a Maxwell Leadership Certified speaker, trainer, and coach, and Vice President of the NATHO Board of Directors. His own companies are distributed across the country, so holding attention on a screen is not a skill he practices for bookings. It is how he runs a business.
Technical
What your AV team will ask.
PlatformsZoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet, GoToWebinar, or your own platform
ConnectionHardwired ethernet with a separate backup connection standing by
Camera & AudioDedicated camera and broadcast microphone, not laptop hardware
LightingControlled studio lighting with a clean background
Tech CheckFull rehearsal on your platform before event day, always
SlidesOptional. Can present from his machine or send a deck to yours.
RecordingPermitted for internal use. Public distribution discussed up front.
ModeratorHappy to work with your host or run the session solo
Questions
Planners ask these.
Does a virtual keynote actually work as well as in person?
For some things it works better, and for others it does not. Reaching everybody live regardless of location, running a series over a quarter, and getting honest participation in a chat are all things virtual does better. What it cannot replicate is the hallway conversation after a keynote at an annual meeting. If your event is about people being together, book the room.
How much does a virtual keynote cost?
Less than the in-person version, because there is no travel, no hotel, and no day lost to airports. Multiple virtual sessions on the same day cost far less again. Send your date and format and you will get a straight number.
How do you keep people from multitasking?
Structure rather than gimmicks. Shorter segments, something changing every few minutes, questions answered by name in the chat, and specific people called on. Muted squares stay present when the session keeps requiring them, and that is a design decision made before the session is written.
What platform do you use?
Yours. Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet, GoToWebinar, or a custom event platform all work, and there is a full rehearsal on your platform before event day rather than a hopeful login ten minutes early.
Can we record it?
Yes for internal use, including sharing with employees or members who could not attend live. Public or promotional distribution is a separate conversation and gets settled in the agreement rather than afterward.
Can you run the same session more than once in a day?
Yes, and it is common. Multi-shift healthcare and manufacturing organizations run it two or three times so night and weekend staff get it live instead of watching a recording. Additional sessions on the same day are priced well below a second booking.
What about time zones?
He is in Central and will work early or late for a session that needs to land at a reasonable hour somewhere else. For organizations spanning many time zones, running it twice is usually better than making half the audience join at an unreasonable hour.
Can you do breakout rooms?
Yes, in the workshop format. Breakouts need a smaller group, clear prompts, and someone managing the platform, and all of that gets planned rather than improvised on the day.
Do you do hybrid events?
Yes. The thing that makes hybrid work is treating the remote audience as participants rather than spectators, which means their questions get answered live and by name, same as the room.
How do we start?
Send your date, your platform, how many people, and what your organization is working on. You will get availability and a plan back within one business day.
Related Programs
Other ways organizations book him.
Same framework, delivered however it needs to be delivered.
Signature Keynote
You Are Capable of More
The flagship keynote behind the book.AIAI Keynote & Working Session
A topic that works especially well online.LeadershipLeadership Keynote
Leadership as the multiplier.RetentionEmployee Retention Speaker
Why people leave, and what actually keeps them.CultureCulture Keynote
Build a workplace people never want to leave.ArchivePast Webinars
Sessions he has already delivered online.AssociationsState Associations & Chapters
Member webinars and virtual conferences.BooksBulk Book Orders
Ship copies to remote employees.Let’s Talk
Reach everyone, wherever they are.
Send your date, your platform, how many people, and what your organization is working on. You will get availability and a plan back within one business day.Or reach out directly: info@chrissund.com · 402-212-5771