Kathleen Boyle Wrigley, Author & Speaker, speaking behind a podium with a microphone.

Kathleen Boyle Wrigley, Speaker & Author.
Built to Rise Keynotes for People Facing Real Life

Every audience is carrying something.

Some are caring for children through anxiety, grief, or a digital world that changes faster than adults can keep up.

Some are leading through uncertainty.

Some are exhausted from being strong.

Others are standing at the beginning

of a chapter they never wanted.

Kathleen Boyle Wrigley brings

professional insight and a

deeply personal understanding

of resilience to the room. Her

keynotes combine honest

storytelling, humor, faith when

appropriate, and practical

guidance that helps people feel

understood and able to move

forward.

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Hope... That Has Been Tested

Built to Rise does not ask people to pretend that hardship did not hurt. It gives them permission to tell the truth about what happened and recognize that the story is still being written.

Kathleen knows that message professionally and personally. She has helped children and families through difficult chapters for decades. She has also lived through childhood instability, the death of her only brother in the line of duty, three brain surgeries, a stroke, public betrayal, divorce, and starting over at 55.

Her message carries hope because she has had to use it.

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Speaker & Advocate

Kathleen brings real-world experience and professional expertise to audiences who are navigating change, supporting others, and choosing to rise through life's challenges.

Education

Businesses & Nonprofits

Families & Caregivers

faith
communities

Schools and districts building emotionally healthy learning environments for students and staff

Companies, nonprofits, associations, and professional groups investing in resilient people, healthy cultures, and thriving teams.

Parents and caregivers seeking encouragement, practical tools, and hope for life's challenging seasons.

Churches and faith-based organizations exploring the intersection of resilience, purpose, and hope.

Different Settings... A shared Purpose

Building the courage, connection and the capacity to rise.

“Kathleen’s message of resilience is more than inspirational—it is practical wisdom for our community.”
-Sara Jenkins, School Counselor

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Messages That are Built To Rise

Kathleen’s presentations are warm, honest, and deeply human.

She brings the kind of message that makes people feel understood, gives them words for what they have been carrying, and reminds them they are not alone.

Her audiences leave encouraged, but they also leave with something more lasting: practical perspective, renewed hope, and the courage to take their next step.

Built to Rise: When Your Only Choice Is to Rise and Rebuild

Some chapters are chosen. Others are handed to us.

In Kathleen's signature keynote, she shares the experiences that taught her how grief, love, faith, humor, and resilience can occupy the same story.

Kathleen does not offer a tidy formula for getting over what happened. She helps people understand what it means to move through it. Audiences learn how to separate identity from adversity, accept support without shame, and recognize the strength involved in taking the next honest step.

This keynote can be adapted for corporations, professional conferences, healthcare and mental health organizations, women's events, schools, community gatherings, and faith-based audiences.

Audiences leave with:

A healthier understanding of resilience
Language for acknowledging loss without becoming defined by it
Permission to receive help and begin again
Practical ways to identify the next step forward
Renewed hope grounded in a real and imperfect story

Best for Organizations facing change, loss, burnout, disruption, or a season of rebuilding.

Kathleen fell at mile one of the Fargo Marathon and earned the nickname Speedbump. The fall hurt. It was also funny, humbling, and far too accurate a metaphor for life to ignore.

In this lively, honest keynote, Kathleen explores what happens when the road changes before we feel ready. She uses humor, personal stories, and practical perspective to help audiences distinguish a setback from an ending.

The message is simple: a speedbump may slow you down, but it does not get to decide where you stop.

Audiences leave with:

A memorable way to reframe setbacks
Greater compassion for the uneven process of recovery
Practical questions for choosing the next step
Permission to laugh while doing hard work

Best for Corporate events, women's conferences, professional associations, leadership gatherings, and community events.

Speedbumps & Comebacks

Raising Resilient Kids in a Digital World

Parents, educators, and helping professionals are watching children struggle with anxiety, attention, sleep, emotional regulation, social pressure, gaming, and the constant pull of screens.

Kathleen brings decades of clinical and school-based experience to a conversation that can easily become driven by fear or blame. She helps adults understand what children are facing and shows them how to create healthier boundaries while protecting connection.

This presentation can be adapted for parent nights, school staff development, mental health organizations, churches, and community events.

Audiences leave with

A clearer understanding of how technology can affect childhood and family relationships
Practical ways to create age-appropriate boundaries
Conversation starters that reduce defensiveness
Tools for protecting sleep, attention, emotional health, and real-world connection
Encouragement for partnering with children rather than parenting from panic

Children do not always have the words to explain what grief, anxiety, trauma, or major change is doing inside them. Their pain may appear through behavior, silence, worry, anger, perfectionism, withdrawal, or physical symptoms.

Kathleen helps the adults around them slow down, look beneath the behavior, and become a steadier source of safety and connection.

Audiences leave with

A better understanding of how children communicate distress
Practical ways to respond with safety and connection
Language for difficult conversations
Guidance for recognizing when additional professional support may be needed
Renewed confidence in the power of a safe and consistent adult

Best for Educators, school counselors, mental health professionals, parents, child-serving organizations, and faith communities.

Building Solution-Based Youth

Some seasons require more than determination. They require faith, community, forgiveness, boundaries, and the grace to admit that we cannot carry everything alone.

Kathleen shares how faith held her through grief, illness, betrayal, and the difficult work of beginning again. This message makes room for both sorrow and hope without rushing either one.

Best for Churches, faith-based conferences, women's ministries, retreats, and community gatherings.

Grace, Grit & the Work of Rebuilding

Book Kathleen

Messages That are Built To Rise

Kathleen’s presentations are warm, honest, and deeply human.

She brings the kind of message that makes people feel understood, gives them words for what they have been carrying, and reminds them they are not alone.

Her audiences leave encouraged, but they also leave with something more lasting: practical perspective, renewed hope, and the courage to take their next step.

Built to Rise: When Your Only Choice Is to Rise and Rebuild

Some chapters are chosen. Others are handed to us.

In Kathleen's signature keynote, she shares the experiences that taught her how grief, love, faith, humor, and resilience can occupy the same story.

Kathleen does not offer a tidy formula for getting over what happened. She helps people understand what it means to move through it. Audiences learn how to separate identity from adversity, accept support without shame, and recognize the strength involved in taking the next honest step.

This keynote can be adapted for corporations, professional conferences, healthcare and mental health organizations, women's events, schools, community gatherings, and faith-based audiences.

Audiences leave with:

A healthier understanding of resilience
Language for acknowledging loss without becoming defined by it
Permission to receive help and begin again
Practical ways to identify the next step forward
Renewed hope grounded in a real and imperfect story

Best for Organizations facing change, loss, burnout, disruption, or a season of rebuilding.

Kathleen fell at mile one of the Fargo Marathon and earned the nickname Speedbump. The fall hurt. It was also funny, humbling, and far too accurate a metaphor for life to ignore.

In this lively, honest keynote, Kathleen explores what happens when the road changes before we feel ready. She uses humor, personal stories, and practical perspective to help audiences distinguish a setback from an ending.

The message is simple: a speedbump may slow you down, but it does not get to decide where you stop.

Audiences leave with:

A memorable way to reframe setbacks
Greater compassion for the uneven process of recovery
Practical questions for choosing the next step
Permission to laugh while doing hard work

Best for Corporate events, women's conferences, professional associations, leadership gatherings, and community events.

Speedbumps & Comebacks

Raising Resilient Kids in a Digital World

Parents, educators, and helping professionals are watching children struggle with anxiety, attention, sleep, emotional regulation, social pressure, gaming, and the constant pull of screens.

Kathleen brings decades of clinical and school-based experience to a conversation that can easily become driven by fear or blame. She helps adults understand what children are facing and shows them how to create healthier boundaries while protecting connection.

This presentation can be adapted for parent nights, school staff development, mental health organizations, churches, and community events.

Audiences leave with

A clearer understanding of how technology can affect childhood and family relationships
Practical ways to create age-appropriate boundaries
Conversation starters that reduce defensiveness
Tools for protecting sleep, attention, emotional health, and real-world connection
Encouragement for partnering with children rather than parenting from panic

Children do not always have the words to explain what grief, anxiety, trauma, or major change is doing inside them. Their pain may appear through behavior, silence, worry, anger, perfectionism, withdrawal, or physical symptoms.

Kathleen helps the adults around them slow down, look beneath the behavior, and become a steadier source of safety and connection.

Audiences leave with

A better understanding of how children communicate distress
Practical ways to respond with safety and connection
Language for difficult conversations
Guidance for recognizing when additional professional support may be needed
Renewed confidence in the power of a safe and consistent adult

Best for Educators, school counselors, mental health professionals, parents, child-serving organizations, and faith communities.

Building Solution-Based Youth

Some seasons require more than determination. They require faith, community, forgiveness, boundaries, and the grace to admit that we cannot carry everything alone.

Kathleen shares how faith held her through grief, illness, betrayal, and the difficult work of beginning again. This message makes room for both sorrow and hope without rushing either one.

Best for Churches, faith-based conferences, women's ministries, retreats, and community gatherings.

Grace, Grit & the Work of Rebuilding

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Speaking
Experiences
Built Around Your Event

Kathleen offers:

Keynote presentations
Conference and retreat sessions
Parent and caregiver programs
School professional development
Community conversations
Faith-based messages
Children's author visits and book readings
Panels and facilitated discussions

Presentations can be adapted to the age, setting, goals, and needs of the people in the room.

Tell us about your event and the people in the room. Kathleen will help create a message that meets them where they are and reminds them what is still possible.

What is it like working with kathleen?

Tell Kathleen about the room

Share the event type, audience, goals, timing, and the challenges or conversations that matter most.

Choose and shape the message

Kathleen will recommend the strongest topic and tailor stories, professional insight, faith content, and practical takeaways to fit the setting.

Create an experience people remember

Kathleen arrives prepared to serve the audience with warmth, professionalism, humor, and a message they can carry into what comes next.

Bring Kathleen To Your Event

Tell Kathleen who will be in the room and what you hope they will carry home. She will help you choose a Built to Rise message that meets them where they are.

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Event Resources

Bring Built to Rise
to Your Community

Kathleen brings Built to Rise to corporations, schools, nonprofits, families, and communities navigating change, challenge, growth, and transition.

Through powerful storytelling, professional insight, and practical strategies, she creates experiences that connect with people across roles and generations. Whether she is speaking to leaders, educators, employees, parents, students, or community groups, Kathleen meets audiences where they are and gives them tools to move forward with greater courage, connection, and hope.

Her message is simple but powerful: hardship may shape the story, but it does not have to define what comes next.

Together, we can build the capacity to rise — stronger, more connected, and ready for what’s next.

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