Hayley Foster

Connector, Consultant, Event planner, Idea generator, Life mentor, Parent, Producer, Social entrepreneur

I am absolutely passionate about connecting women to their voices and the messages they are driven to share. I eat short talks for breakfast! It is the central focus for all of the speaking / coaching/ training work I do. The journey began by co-creating the first large-scale TEDx event in history, TEDxNASA, in November 2009. For the past seven years, I've contributed to this dynamic community of thinkers and doers to spread ideas that make a difference. Over time, it has become my profession as well as my contribution. When I'm not advising on TEDx events, I work with a variety of professionals with high stakes short talks to give - authors & educators, business owners & corporate staffs, PhDs & engineers...making the complex obvious and understood. Recent contributions to the TEDx community include collaborating with Pat Mitchell on TEDWomen connections; TEDxWomen 2015; presenting Getting the Best out of Your Speakers at TEDActive; and core team participation at TEDxRVA, TEDxSevenMileBeach, TEDxSaskatoon, and TEDxBogotáMujeres.

Elevating the ideas of smart people for the good of humanity - Being a catalyst to bring out the message you are meant to share - Making a contribution to society, because the finest purpose of a life is to contribute something significant that outlasts it.

Talk to Strangers

Content Curator, Event Consultant, Public speaking, Short Talk Pro, Speaker Coach, Speaker Trainings

My career as a TEDx speaker coach, organizer and mentor was not by design, but now I can't imagine my life any other way. Immediately recognizing the benefit of collaboration between the two organizations, TEDxNASA originator Steve Craft applied for and received one of the first TEDx licenses issued. TEDx did not exist, and no one on the team had been to TED, so we were essentially flying the spaceship while building the engine. I immediately volunteered my speaking expertise to make the event a success. November 20, 2009, TEDxNASA: A Space to Create hosted a full day event with a slate of 25 speakers for 1,450 live attendees and 78,000 online participants from around the world. What is common today was then an extraordinary accomplishment. We were thrilled that our event became the gold standard for large scale TEDx events for years to come. We were further honored by the invitation to speak at TEDActive 2011 and share our experience with TEDx organizers from around the world. Seven years later, I am now a full-time speaker coach and corporate trainer. I work with smart people to identify and elevate their core messages for the good of humanity. As a TEDx mentor, I volunteer my talent worldwide, virtually and in person, to ensure the quality of events put on by new organizers and to increase the momentum of our growing community as a force for good. No work I’ve ever done has been more gratifying, or has made a bigger impact. I am so grateful.

I am an exceptional listener who can distill an hour of conversation with you down to one brilliant insight that sparks understanding.