Have your audience leaning in, laughing and learning. Keynotes for schools, systems and organisations on how people learn, lead and navigate change, complexity and challenge.
Teacher, school leader, founder: I've sat in most of these rooms, usually in the audience. Pick yours and I'll show you what I'd bring to the stage.
Staff days, leadership retreats and education conferences.
Departments, sector bodies and policy rooms.
Leadership teams, offsites and industry events.
Student conferences, leadership days and assemblies.
Agility over resilience
Schools and workplaces get more predictable just as life gets less so, then we're surprised when people fold under uncertainty. This keynote is perfect for organisations that want to build their teams' capacity to navigate uncertainty and challenge. Audiences leave with the FAR method and a set of ten-minute practices to start the following week.
A whole-school approach to the skills that matter beyond the classroom
Getting the curriculum right is one thing. Making sure young people leave with the capabilities to thrive beyond school is another. This keynote is perfect for school and system leaders who want capability to be the how of their curriculum, not a bolt-on. Audiences leave with a five-step, research-backed framework to build and measure capabilities within any curriculum.
How young people are solving real problems, and what we can learn from them
A student who turned bullying into a sock brand. Polynesian teens who built a streetwear label to fund domestic violence services. These aren't case studies; they're case-forwards. This keynote is perfect for educators, communities and young people who want to see what agency looks like when it's real. Audiences leave with the conditions that unlock it and practical steps to drive change where they live, learn and work.
Capability, culture and confidence in a world we can't predict
AI, automation and accelerated change are reshaping how we work, but the real challenge isn't technological. It's human. This keynote is perfect for organisations and government teams working out what their people need to stay relevant. Audiences leave with the six human capabilities that matter most and practical ways to build them without burning people out.
Unlocking innovation in your organisation
Most organisations say they want innovation and then build cultures that quietly punish it. This keynote is perfect for leaders who want creativity, agency and responsiveness in the DNA of their teams, not just in the strategy deck. Audiences leave with the conditions that spark and stifle innovation, and a practical playbook for turning frustration into fuel and inertia into action at any level.
Each of these is available as a 45–60 minute keynote, a two-hour masterclass or a half- or full-day workshop, and I’m happy to join as a panellist, fireside guest or MC. Keynotes can also be delivered virtually. And if your challenge isn’t on this list, tell me what it is and we'll shape a talk around it.
As students move through the education system, learning often narrows just as their cognitive capacity expands. Success becomes about getting the right answer in the right way, in a predictable, controlled environment, while the world beyond school demands adaptability, persistence and comfort with uncertainty.
Drawing on two decades as an educator, Nicole challenges the idea that young people are prepared for the future simply by mastering content or learning about resilience. She reveals why the safest place for students to struggle might be the classroom, and why learning to navigate uncertainty is one of the most important skills we can teach.
“When you think of someone who is in the right profession and is doing what they were meant to do, it's not hard to see Nicole is this person. I was blown away by her presentation, her experience that was totally relevant to our industry and her enthusiasm in what she believes in. Nicole is engaging, funny and exactly what is needed to motivate educators.”
“Time flew by. Nicole commanded a loud presence in the space and every word and visual presented was engaging and considered.”
“I could listen to Nicole for hours, she always makes me think deeper about what students need.”
“Never before have I attended a PL where I have been so engaged, motivated and inspired. Nic was simply brilliant. Feel so blessed that I have had the opportunity.”
“This was a once in a lifetime PL for me. It helped me find my fire and I know this enthusiasm and energy will flow into my classroom. This helped me remember why I became a teacher in the first place.”
“This workshop was hands-down the most useful and inspiring professional learning I have attended in many years. Nicole was outstanding.”
“Nicole is a nuanced presenter who connects with people effortlessly, engaging high levels of interest. Her anecdotes are compelling. Her message is powerful. I loved how she called me and my colleagues to action.”
“Loved the dynamism and passion of Nic and highly recommend to schools who need to ignite change to remain relevant heading into a future where creative solutions and innovation trump rote learning and compliance.”
“Nicole was the spark to get our ideas ignited, the lens to look for more clarity in our thinking, the amplifier to bring voice to teacher efficacy, and the glue to bring us together.”
“I have heard Nic speak for three years. I thought I had heard it all, but I was immediately engaged, reminded of things I had forgotten and inspired with new ideas and knowledge.”
“Nicole is a passionate and engaging presenter who offers realistic and practical strategies to skill our students in future capabilities. She shares a wealth of resources to utilise within the classroom.”
“Nic provides an energy and passion for learning that is infectious and refocuses your teaching.”
“Nic always brings an invigorating energy and reaffirms for educators that we can and will make a difference for our young people in this changing world.”
“Nicole has the ability to deliver content that is relevant to all teachers, of all levels, in all curriculum areas.”
“Nic is an engaging, funny and knowledgeable presenter. I have seen her speak multiple times and I'm always blown away by the new insights I gain that continue to inspire and challenge my thinking as a leader and teacher.”
“Nicole has a knack for understanding every educational context. She came to our very alternative school and immediately understood our context and could provide strategies to improve practice. Her presentation was tailored to our site and has been hugely valuable.”
“Understands teachers and issues faced and what Nicole says just makes sense.”
“Nicole was so approachable and so knowledgeable. She spoke using examples from her own teaching experience, giving her credibility and making us feel that she was on the same level as us.”
“The fact Nicole is so aware of the pressures on teachers and works with us.”
“How does Nicole do it? She leads, challenges and provokes thought in the most constructive way.”
“Nicole was amazing at articulating what we are all trying to achieve within schools and also what we find to be our hurdles. The strategies provided are practical and inspirational. I was already having little lightbulb moments of what I can implement into the classroom!”
“Nicole is fantastic at provoking thought for educators to rethink how we can be better for empowering young people through education.”
“Engaging and fun. Nicole really grabs you and gets you excited for the future of education.”
“Nicole is an exceptional presenter. As both an educator and leading thinker she has the capacity to shift practice and positively impact everyone she works with.”
“Being real and telling me that she was not here telling me how to do my job, rather here to 'stretch my thinking', and that is what Nicole did.”
“Nicole is very knowledgeable about the content she's delivering and, more importantly, she believes what she's saying.”
“I love that she has been a teacher and the work is real life and useable in the classroom.”
Growing up in Logan City as the eldest of five, swimming unlocked an opportunity to attend a private all-girls school. Nic very quickly realised that not all postcodes are created equal — a critical experience that has shaped her passion for education and equity of opportunity since.
One of her earliest memories of ‘business’ is visiting her grandmother on the Sunshine Coast. Sitting on the floor of the office, Nic would lose herself in the large office building. It was only in adulthood that she began to appreciate her ground-breaking grandmother: Nanna Luttrell owned a real estate agency in an age when women were rarely able to find enough space to work in the industry, let alone lead.
But it was her experience teaching an all-boys Year 9 English class that changed everything. She was interrupted by a student who said, “I don’t mean to be rude, miss, but… why are we doing this?” Despite her best efforts to fumble for a better response, all she could say in the moment was, “Because we have to.” But did we? Did we have to? Thus began the Future Anything story.
An experienced former school leader within the public education system in Australia, Nic is a multi-award-winning educator and entrepreneur, and a global authority on whole-school curriculum innovation, capability development and youth entrepreneurship.
She is the Founder and CEO of Future Anything, an educator-founded and led provider that unleashes passion, potential and agency within classrooms, schools and systems across Australia and New Zealand. She is also the Founder of YouthX, Australia’s only startup accelerator program for school-aged entrepreneurs, and Catapult Cards, a design thinking toolkit for classrooms and corporates that donates 50% of its profits to micro-grants for youth-led startups.
Over the past eight years, Future Anything has worked directly with 130,000+ students and teachers.
She is a bibliophile, a turbulence enthusiast, a much-maligned eldest child and solar powered, struggling to function when the temperature drops under 22 degrees.
Nic passionately believes that youth-led ideas have the power to bend the future and works to provide young people with the support, skills and space they need to take their ideas out of the classroom and into the real world.
Tell me about the event, the audience and what you want them to walk out with.
Thanks so much for reaching out about your upcoming event. Stay tuned, and I’ll be back in touch really soon.
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