Title: "What We Carry Into the Room: How Life Experience Shapes Leadership, Connection, and Communication"In today’s workplaces and communities, people carry invisible experiences that shape how they lead, communicate, and connect — caregiving, loss, transition, and profound life change. Yet these realities rarely have space in professional conversations.This session explores how lived experience influences leadership presence, communication, and workplace culture, and how story awareness can deepen trust, engagement, and human connection. Through reflection and dialogue, participants gain practical insight into leading and communicating with greater compassion and authenticity.Teri Kingston DTM is a keynote speaker, TEDx coach, and grief-informed storytelling expert who helps leaders and professionals communicate with authenticity, clarity, and human connection. She is the founder of Real Impact Speaking and one of Canada's Top Ten Speaking Coaches. A TEDx speaker and international speech champion, Teri brings over 20 years of experience helping people transform personal experience into meaningful messages that inspire change. Her work focuses on storytelling, compassionate leadership, and the human side of communication.