Bridge Cultures,
Boost Market Growth

Empower your audience to boost collaboration and accelerate sales with Joy Chen
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  • CEO, Multicultural Leadership Institute
  • Former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles
  • Former Fortune 500 CEO and Board Executive Recruiter
Joy Chen delivering a leadership keynote speech

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Lead Across Cultures

As AI transforms every industry, meaningful human interaction grows ever more essential, as the key to unifying teams, sparking innovation, and securing a lasting market advantage. The ability to authentically and effectively connect across cultures becomes a crucial strategic asset that sets apart the most effective leaders.

Joy Chen is your guide in this journey. She empowers your audience with the agility to transcend boundaries, a nuanced understanding of diverse cultures, and the capacity to build trust with colleagues and clients from all walks of life.
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Meet your speaker

JOY CHEN

A trailblazer in global leadership and cross-cultural market engagement
  • CEO, Multicultural Leadership Institute
  • Former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles
  • Former Fortune 500 CEO and Board Executive Recruiter

Joy Chen, CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI), is a trailblazer in global cross-cultural leadership development. A former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles and executive recruiter for Fortune 500 CEOs and Board members, her leadership has spanned three continents and been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, and Vogue China.

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As Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, Joy led economic and workforce development for a culturally diverse city whose workforce speaks 90+ languages. Her initiatives, aimed at equipping Angelenos with the necessary skills for global economic success, endure as policy benchmarks. Transitioning to the corporate sphere, Joy joined Heidrick & Struggles and over seven years recruited global leaders across North America, Europe, and Asia.

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The pivot to leadership development was serendipitously sparked by the success of Joy's leadership blog in China, launching her there as a keynote speaker, author, and training organization founder serving millions in Asia and the Americas.

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At the Multicultural Leadership Institute, Joy and her team deliver training that integrates global leadership expertise with insights from across the social sciences, enabling audiences to connect across cultures to enhance collaboration and achieve ambitious growth targets.

Trusted by:
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Experience how Joy Chen inspires and empowers every audience
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Watch now.

Joy Chen’s Keynote Topics

Joy delivers each topic through a dynamic keynote, an engaging half-day workshop, or a comprehensive training program backed by her skilled team at the Multicultural Leadership Institute. Available both in-person and online, these programs equip leaders and teams with the cultural insights they need to more deeply engage, motivate and mobilize team members and clients from all backgrounds.
Joy Chen keynote speaker Multicultural Leadership Institute speaking at Citi
FOR  LEADERS and members of global TEAMS
Leading Across Borders: Elevate Your Impact in the Global Arena
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FOR ALL LEADERS and managers
Bridge Cultures to Boost Collaboration and Grow Sales
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FOR DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL SALES TEAMS
Accelerate Cross-Cultural Sales
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Joy Chen delivering a virtual keynote speech
For Leaders and teams Expanding into Asia
Asia Markets Mastery: Cultural Insights for Market Success
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Joy Chen after speaking to crowd in China
For ERGs and All Rising Leaders
Demystifying Corporate America: The Unwritten Rules of the Game
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Enhance Your Leadership Journey
Let's connect >

Voices of Success

"Joy is captivating! She brings a unique blend of cutting-edge research, real-life stories and practical insights. I’d recommend her as a leadership speaker for any convention."

Ngan Nguyen
Senior Vice President

"Joy connects deeply with the hearts and minds of every audience member, inspiring and equipping us all to stronger leadership."

Mia Newell
Director

"Joy Chen is a strong and clear voice onstage. Her thought leadership is grounded in research and lived experience that makes for a compelling (and often, humorous!) listen. Her tailored content has propelled thousands of learners. The Multicultural Institute is a must-have resource for those committed to the development of leaders."

Angela Cheng-Cimini
Chief Human Resources Officer

"Before this course, I never really knew where to start unraveling my own invisible barriers to advancement. Through this course, I’ve found my roadmap. Now, I can confidently take back control and drive my career."

Peter Yo
Vice President

"I’ve done a ton of leadership training, seen many courses that rehash the same ideas, or are less actionable, or really long. Joy’s lessons are novel, and they cut to the chase, giving us only what we need to know. I’m super grateful for that."

Lian Huang
Senior Counsel

"Joy's program helps us to unlock the competencies we need to advance our careers, and to connect with other rising Asian leaders, so that we can uplift one another and others alongside us."

Brian Pang
Development Director

"The program provided me knowledge of roadblocks that I didn’t know existed, and that I can now overcome by being purposeful with my actions."

Heather Hansen
Global Consultant

"The program contains practical advice and tools we can use to succeed in corporate America. All are specific to the AAPI community and backed by research and data. It is really great!"

Helen Ahn
Associate Director

"This course made a huge difference in how I approach work. I’ve been sharing the techniques and lessons with coworkers who would find them useful."

Hedi Cho
Supervisor

"I highly recommend the Asian Leadership Accelerator by Joy. It was filled with incredible API-tailored knowledge and many helpful takeaways. I found so much value in the cohort interaction."

Bernice Chao
Creative Lead

Book Joy Chen

Embark on a journey of greater leadership mastery with Joy Chen. Her programs, available in person or virtually, equip your team to achieve more in a global and culturally diverse landscape. Complete this form to begin.

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Joy Chen's Newsletter

Cultural insights to broaden your leadership perspectives

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Multicultural Leadership Institute CEO and former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles Joy Chen raises a coffee cup