Keynotes that challenge what you believe is possible

I help people break through self-limiting beliefs and step into who they’re meant to be.

Book Mal to Speak

“Mal connected beautifully with every part of the audience. Her joyful presence, powerful storytelling, and strong communication skills left students, families, and educators with a renewed sense of hope.” — Allison Connolly, Assistant Commissioner, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Trusted by organizations across corporate, nonprofit, education, and community settings, including:

  • TEDx Boston College logo on a black background.
  • Logo of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, featuring a circular emblem with a figure and the department name in blue text.
  • Assumption University logo with a shield emblem and the university name in blue text.
  • Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth, Inc. logo with a house-shaped roof and three people underneath, in blue and green colors.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair styled in loose waves, smiling, wearing a blue and white striped blouse with the sleeves rolled up and black pants. She has a gold watch, rings, and earrings, standing against a dark textured background.

The Future You Haven't Imagined Yet

Stepping Into Who You're Meant to Be

When Mal Wrenn Corbin takes the stage, she doesn't ask audiences to become someone new. She helps them examine the beliefs shaping how they show up — and reconnect with who they are beneath fear, expectation, and the stories they've inherited.

Through story-driven keynotes that are thoughtful, energizing, and practical, Mal creates space for people to see what's possible when they stop waiting to feel ready — and start taking action from a place of identity and clarity.

Audiences leave feeling energized, grounded, and confident in their ability to take a meaningful next step.

Book Mal to Speak

This Keynote Is A Great Fit For Audiences Who:

  • Feel stuck between where they are and where they want to be

  • Are navigating change, transition, or uncertainty

  • Have achieved “success” but still feel disconnected from purpose or possibility

  • Want practical motivation that goes deeper than surface-level inspiration

  • Are ready to question the beliefs that have kept them playing small

What Audiences Take Away:

After Mal’s keynote, participants walk away with:

  • Renewed confidence in their worth and capability

  • A clearer sense of identity — beyond roles, titles, or expectations

  • Optimism and possibility about the future, even when it isn’t fully defined

  • The courage to act without waiting to feel ready

  • A practical framework for reframing fear using The What If Method — shifting from What if I fail? to What if this works?

Woman speaking on stage, wearing black dress and chunky white necklace, with her hand on her hip.

The Gratitude Problem

We live in the age of gratitude culture. Gratitude journals. Gratitude challenges. Gratitude as a prescribed cure-all. And gratitude IS important — genuinely important.

But what if the very thing you’ve been told to practice is actually holding you back?

In this keynote — born from Mal’s TEDx talk at Boston College — she challenges a deeply held cultural assumption: that gratitude is always good. Drawing on her own story of risking a nearly 30-year corporate career to publish a raw, honest memoir, Mal explores how gratitude can shift from appreciation into obligation — a psychological contract that says because I’m grateful for what I have, I’m not allowed to change.

She calls it the gratitude cage. And the most important thing about it? We build it ourselves.

Through personal story and the experiences of people many of us will recognize — the person who stays too long, gives too much, or silences an essential truth out of loyalty to what they’ve been given — Mal names the pattern and offers a way through it

This Keynote Is A Great Fit For Audiences Who:

  • Feel grateful for what they've built — but sense something needs to shift

  • Sit in the tension between loyalty and longing

  • Have stayed too long, given too much, or silenced an essential truth

  • Are navigating change in a culture that prizes positivity

  • Are ready for a more honest relationship with gratitude

What Audiences Take Away:

After this keynote, participants walk away with:

  • A clearer understanding of how gratitude can shift from appreciation into obligation

  • The Grateful AND True framework — permission to carry gratitude forward without letting it hold them back

  • A practical three-question Gratitude Check they can return to when they feel they're in the cage

  • The reminder that the cage was never locked from the outside — and they hold the keys

  • Permission to want more, without giving up what they're grateful for

Your gratitude shouldn't cost you yourself.

Testimonials

  • “Mal’s story lit up the room — not with heaviness, but with hope. The energy after her talk was incredible. Guests were more engaged, more connected to our mission, and more inspired to give.”

    — Alexis Coon, Development & Marketing Manager, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth

  • “Few speakers can mesmerize a room filled with hundreds of people while making each individual feel personally addressed. Mal has this gift.”

    — Kara Barker, Event Attendee, Habitat for Humanity Gala

  • “Mal’s presentation was heartfelt and moving. Her message left everyone feeling inspired and ready to face challenges with strength.”

    — Colleen Finn, Student, Assumption University

  • “Mal connects with students on a deep emotional level. Her vulnerability, authenticity, and strength create an environment where people feel seen, engaged, and inspired — and the impact continues well beyond the room.”

    — Karen Udall, Program Director, I Have The Right To

  • “Through everything she’s endured, Mal continues to exude light and positivity. Her resilience is inspiring — whether you’re navigating a struggle or simply need a reminder to stay focused on what’s possible. She’s someone I think of often when I need to draw strength.”

    Caitlin Murray, Host, Big Time Adulting - Podcast & Digital Media Platform

COMING SOON

Watch Mal at TEDx Boston College

A woman with brown hair and earrings wearing a white blazer and blue pants speaking into a microphone.

The Speaking Experience

Mal’s talks blend personal storytelling, reflective insight, and practical tools — creating an experience that feels both grounding and energizing.

Audiences often describe her keynotes as:

  • Mesmerizing and deeply personal

  • Hopeful, not heavy — the kind of talk that lights people up

  • Lasting — an experience that stays with people long after the event ends

Her work creates space for people to examine the stories they’ve inherited, question the beliefs that no longer serve them, and imagine a future that feels more aligned — and possible.

Book Mal to Speak
  • A woman sitting on a beige armchair in a bright room with white brick walls, plants, and decorative objects in the background. She has long brown hair, is smiling, wearing a shiny blue blouse, dark jeans, and nude high heels.

    Formats & Audiences

    Mal delivers this keynote for:

    • Conferences and professional events

    • Corporate and organizational audiences

    • Educational institutions and leadership programs

    • Nonprofit and community organizations

    Each talk is tailored to the audience and moment — while staying grounded in the same core message:

    It’s never too late to rewrite the story you’re living from.

  • Two women having a conversation indoors, one with brunette hair in a striped shirt and the other with red hair in a sleeveless top.

    Additional Speaking Engagements

    In addition to her flagship keynote, Mal is often invited to deliver purpose-driven talks for organizations and communities navigating moments of meaning, recognition, and transition.

    These engagements are typically tailored for:

    • Scholarship and leadership programs

    • Nonprofit and mission-driven organizations

    • Community and impact-focused events

    Past engagements include keynote addresses for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth.

A woman with dark brown hair, wearing a white blazer and matching top, holding a microphone, standing in front of a beige curtain, speaking or presenting.

EVENT PLANNER RESOURCES

Planning An Event?

Download Mal’s Media Kit, which includes:

  • Speaker bio

  • Keynote overviews

  • Testimonials from past events

  • Media features and speaking history

  • Contact information

Headshots available on request.

Download Media Kit

READY TO BRING MAL TO YOUR NEXT EVENT?

If you’re looking for a keynote that leaves people energized, grounded, and ready to step forward — even without all the answers — Mal would love to be part of your event.

BOOK MAL TO SPEAK