Speaking
Ulcca's keynotes don't just inform — they reorient. Drawing on futures research, cognitive science, and decades of work with leaders across sectors, she gives audiences a new lens for the moment they're living in and a felt sense of what's actually possible within it.
Workshops
Ulcca’s workshops are participatory, research-grounded, and built to develop the capacities this moment demands, the kind of thinking teams cannot do alone. She works with leadership teams, organizations, and communities to step out of fear-based narratives, examine the assumptions driving their systems, and imagine more humane ways forward.
Keynotes
Her talks are rigorously researched, deeply human, and consistently described as the kind that change how people see — not just what they know.
Selected Speaking Engagements
The Lego Ideas Conference
United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26)
United States Air Force Academy
Western Energy Caucus Annual Meeting
University of St. Thomas – Finding Forward
SXSW EDU
Grantmakers for Education Annual Conference
Council for International Schools
American Montessori Society
Deeper Learning Conference
East Asian Regional Council of Schools Annual Conference
Association for the Advancement of International Education
International Baccalaureate Global Conference
National Conference of Governor’s Schools
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Testimonials
Ulcca is an insightful and powerful presenter and her ability to frame and lead a panel discussion is among the best I have seen at any conference. In addition to the panel, she also hosted a live question and answer session with our conference keynote speaker, Isabel Wilkerson. Not only was she well received in both endeavors by the audience of 4,000, but she was also easy to work with, authentic, and personable, and she spent extra time listening to the other speakers and interacting with our members. Ulcca would be a great addition to any team, conference, or event.
-Munir Shivji, Executive Director, American Montessori Society
Ulcca’s keynote session at the AERO conference was a highlight of the event. It created space for thinking critically about how to reframe the conversation about transforming education. The ideas were fresh and challenging and made a group of adults and youth reflect on the next step in the education revolution.
-Dr. Peter Berg, AERO
Dr. Hansen delivered an incredible keynote for our school leaders and educators from around the state. So much positive feedback came back from our audience thanking us for bringing her in to speak. She hit the right notes for us in combining what she knows and brings to the table and still was able to ensure that her message and topic were relevant to our group and she could tie it to our conference theme. What a joy to work with her, but what a great asset to our event! Ulcca is a rock star.
-Peter Mason, VP Communications, Colorado League of Charter Schools
Dr. Hansen – thank you for coming to speak with us, especially at a time when we needed to relearn what leadership is. You inspire me so much. I value education so much but right now it’s failing so many when it could be the exact thing that changes someone’s life in unimaginable ways.
-Annila, 2022 CO Student Leader Institute participant
Dr. Hansen brought her depth of expertise and insight to a brilliant presentation that captivated our audience and left them inspired, which is exactly what one hopes for in a keynote. She took us on a journey, weaving together history, philosophy, science, and educational thought, connecting the dots along the way and helping our attendees see how their work fits into a bigger picture and energizing them for their work.
-Wendy Shenk-Evans, Executive, Director, Montessori Public Policy Institute
Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen is one of the most powerful and dynamic voices in educational transformation today. I had the good fortune of working with her in the research and execution phases of the 2022 feature documentary, A CURE FOR THE COMMON CLASSROOM. Dr. Hansen quickly became one of the key academics featured in the film due to her incredible expertise on the subject and, as importantly, her keen ability to synthesize the challenges and articulate them in a most accessible fashion. Dr. Hansen also traveled with the film production team to Scotland in late 2021 to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), to take part in the film’s premiere and subsequent experts panel where she was clearly one of the most engaging speakers. Her vision and roadmap to the future of education is one of achievable inspiration and intelligent architecture that will positively affect change for all.
-Andy Hourahine, Director, A CURE FOR THE COMMON CLASSROOM