Julie Averill · Speaking

Keynotes · Panels · Fireside Chats

Topics What People Say Book Julie

About Julie's Talks

Built for this moment in business.

Julie isn't a retired executive on the speaker circuit. She's actively advising boards and leadership teams through Gold Thread LLC — which means the insights are current, the examples are real, and the bullshit detector is finely calibrated.

Her talks blend hard-won lessons from scaling lululemon from $2B to $10B+ with the kind of honesty about failure, underestimation, and organizational reality that audiences don't usually get from the stage.

Available as keynotes, panel discussions, or fireside chats. Each engagement is built around your audience, your industry, and your specific challenges. No off-the-shelf presentations.

Check Availability →
Julie Averill speaking at WNORTH

W North · BC, Canada

Sample Topics

Personalized. Authentic. Transformational.

Talks and fireside chats that are practical and real. Tailored for your audience.

01

AI Without the BS

Most companies are spending millions on AI while skipping the foundations that determine whether it works. This talk cuts through the hype to address what boards and executives actually need to know: where AI creates real value, why most pilots never scale, and how to build the organizational readiness that turns experiments into competitive advantage.

02

Scaling Without Breaking

Growth exposes every crack in your foundation. Drawing from scaling lululemon from $2B to $10B+ and building teams across four continents, this talk covers what actually holds together when companies grow fast — the infrastructure decisions, talent strategies, and leadership shifts that separate companies that scale from companies that just get bigger.

03

The Human Side of Transformation

Technology doesn't transform companies. People do. This talk explores why so many AI pilots fail and what separates leaders who deliver lasting change from those who just deploy tools. Real, unvarnished examples from Nordstrom, REI, and lululemon — including what didn't work.

04

Building Cultures That Scale

How to maintain high standards while creating psychological safety. Building global teams across time zones and cultures. The practices that helped lululemon scale while building world-class technology capability — and why culture isn't a soft skill, it's your competitive infrastructure.

05

Building Global Teams That Actually Work

Most companies treat distributed teams as cost centers and wonder why they fail. This talk shares the playbook for building global teams as true capability partners — drawing from creating lululemon's India Tech Hub with nearly 50% women engineers and a 95% retention rate when the industry average was 60%.

06

Leading Beyond the Expected Script

What happens when you stop trying to fit the mold and start rewriting it. On bringing your full humanity to leadership — and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is give others permission to be fully themselves too. The professional masks that help us climb the ladder are often exactly what hold our teams back.

07

Boards, AI, and the Next Era of Corporate Governance

AI is now a boardroom issue. Julie brings a director's perspective on how companies should approach AI strategy: cutting through vendor hype, balancing risk with innovation, and embedding AI as a value driver rather than a science experiment. This session equips directors and executives to govern AI with foresight and impact.

Real Stories

No theoretical frameworks. Actual experiences from the trenches, including the failures that taught the most.

Actionable Insights

Every talk includes specific practices leaders can apply immediately — not just inspiration, but tools.

Customized Content

Each engagement is tailored to your audience, industry, and challenges. No off-the-shelf decks.

Flexible Formats

Available as keynotes, panel discussions, or fireside chats — with Q&A welcome.

Audience Feedback

What people say

From post-event messages and audience feedback forms — in their words.

"I was moved to tears at least twice during your talk. Thank you for your wisdom and message of tolerating ambiguity. This is truly where human leadership outshines the clear answers that AI can deliver."

Carey-Jo H.

WNORTH · Whistler

"I circled 'I bet on myself' from your talk. I started using that language for the first time when I relaunched my business this year — it's funny how easy it is to cheer for someone else but not yourself."

Gaia B.

WNORTH · Whistler

"She's one of the few speakers who can make AI feel urgent without making it feel overwhelming."

Priya N.

"The strongest part of the talk was how she tied everything back to business outcomes. It wasn't innovation for innovation's sake."

Rachel P.

"I loved your talk today. Thank you for being so genuine and open in sharing your lessons learned. It felt like you were talking directly to me."

Marcela C.

WNORTH · Whistler

"The refrigerator analogy was brilliant. It made a complicated shift in technology feel instantly understandable."

Aisha K.

"I saw you speak and really appreciated your session. Your perspective on leadership and transformation resonated with me, and I walked away with lots of notes to think about."

Emma L.

WNORTH · Whistler

"A lot of people talk about AI in abstract terms. Julie made it concrete, commercial, and easy to apply."

Malik S.

"THANK YOU for leading such a thoughtful table conversation. Your story and career are incredibly inspiring. I know success like yours doesn't come without sacrifice, and I just wanted to say how much I admire what you've accomplished."

Ting Ting J.

"Julie has a way of making a large audience feel like a direct conversation. It never felt scripted."

Nina D.

"'Busyness kills creativity' is so true. Incredibly inspiring to hear your story."

Megan K.

"Julie has a leadership presence. You can tell she's not just talking about strategy — she's actually doing the work with clients and teams."

Javier M.

"It was a pleasure listening to your speech. My husband and I are currently in the process of adopting, so your story truly resonated with me. Thank you for being so open."

Leslye S.

WNORTH · Whistler

"Her storytelling made the session memorable. I'm still thinking about some of the examples she used."

Patrick G.

"I wanted to express how impressed I was with your presentation. I'm so impressed with what you've done with lululemon's technology function and your own journey."

Eric B.

Pride Summit

"You leave her sessions feeling both informed and motivated to actually do something differently."

Samuel V.

"Thank you for sharing your stories with such genuine openness and honesty. I haven't been to a networking event since 2019 — I'm grateful my first one back was this one. It was truly uplifting."

Christy G. S.

"What stood out most was the confidence and calm authority she brought to the topic."

Kevin Y.

"The opening immediately pulled me in. Julie connected another AI keynote and a live chatbot demo to what she was saying in a way that felt practical and real — not theoretical."

Marcus J.

"She's very good at taking something abstract and giving people a mental model they can actually remember."

Andre T.

UW iSchool Commencement Speaking at lululemon Sweat With Pride event Outdoor corporate event

Book Julie

Let's build something worth saying.

Whether you're planning a keynote, a leadership offsite, or a fireside chat — reach out with the details and I'll get back to you personally within 24–48 hours.

Formats

Keynotes, panel discussions, and fireside chats. Each engagement is tailored to your audience and challenges.

Availability

Select dates available in 2026. Inquire early — the calendar fills quickly around book launch season.

Booking Contact

Rebecca Proulx · Fortier PR
[email protected]

Send Julie a Message

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