A keynote experience for Nightingale Education Group's 2026 Annual Employee Conference
Salt Lake City — August 18–20, 2026 • Grand America Hotel
For a moment like this, you need an opener who can do more than inspire. You need someone who can reset the room, unify 1,200 employees across roles, and give them a shared mindset for the work ahead.
That's exactly what Shawn Ellis does.
Shawn empowers leaders and teams to navigate transformational change with clarity, courage, and momentum.
He has extensive experience with healthcare organizations — from hospital systems to nonprofit care networks to academic environments — and brings a uniquely personal connection to your world: his wife Megan is a nurse practitioner, giving him deeper empathy for the pressures, expectations, and emotional realities of people who support learners, nurses, and the communities they serve.

"A stop-and-turn moment."
"Practical, relatable, and energizing."
"Exactly what our people needed."
"I felt like he was talking directly to me."
Shawn is available for August 18 or 20, 2026, and is an excellent fit for your opening keynote.
Radical transformation doesn't begin with new systems or strategies. It begins when people — at every level — let go of what no longer serves them so they can step into what's next.
If Nightingale's next era requires new ways of thinking and working, this keynote gives people the tools to navigate change with clarity and commitment.
Why it fits: This keynote sets the tone for a year of transformation and aligns every department — admissions, faculty, student services, operations, clinical placement teams, leadership, and more.
Why it fits: This keynote provides a shared language for the entire organization — essential for recruiting and supporting nurses, reimagining programs, and transforming systems.
- Director, Unum
The presentation was thought-provoking and delivered with humor, sincerity, and humility. As he presented, one would believe he had known us and our company forever. He does his homework."
- SVP, Dismas Charities
- District Manager, TBHC Delivers
His authenticity and impact left us better equipped to lead with calm, clarity, and courage through our transformation."
- Senior Manager, Lockheed Martin
You have a real gift for connecting with people in a very authentic way. We were grateful to have your voice in our conversation."
- Deputy Chancellor, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Better World through Better Humanity and Better Health — is noble and necessary.
Collaboration, Innovative Design, and EVOLVITUDE™ — requires people to think and act differently.
Elevating education, closing equity gaps, and preparing the next generation of nurses — demands clarity, courage, and alignment.
Shawn's message bridges the emotional, cultural, and operational realities of your work by helping all employees:
Release the habits that keep teams overwhelmed or siloed
Move forward with shared intention and unity
Embrace new ways of thinking as systems change
Rekindle the "why" behind the work
Anchor in possibility instead of pressure
This keynote becomes the spark that carries through your 2026 TED-style events, summer programming, and the entire Radical Transformations arc.
Shawn is available on August 18 and August 20, 2026.
We'll help you choose between Choose Your Ending™ and Radical Adaptability based on your opening-session goals.
Once the date is secured, we'll schedule a planning call to tailor the keynote to Nightingale's mission, culture, and transformational goals for 2026.
This conference is the moment that sets everything in motion. Shawn would be honored to help you open it with clarity, courage, and a shared sense of purpose.
RADICAL TRANSFORMATIONS BEGIN WITH A RESET