Keynotes · Workshops · Executive Briefings
Book Natasha Williams
to Speak at Your
Next Event
Research-led. Commercially grounded. The only speaker bringing primary data on The Excellence Tax™ to the corporate DEI conversation.
Most DEI speakers bring lived experience.
Natasha brings the data too.
The conversation around race and the workplace has stalled. Organisations are tired of declarations that change nothing. Leaders are sceptical of DEI content that feels more like therapy than strategy. And Black professionals are exhausted by sessions that describe their experience without offering structural solutions.
Natasha Williams occupies a unique position: she is a researcher with primary data from over 1,000 UK professionals, an organisational psychologist with 14 years of senior leadership experience, and the originator of the Excellence Tax™ — a trademarked framework that reframes the DEI conversation in language that speaks to finance directors as clearly as it speaks to HR teams.
“This is not a session about awareness. It is a session about cost — and what it will take to stop paying it.”
Her sessions do not ask leaders to feel guilty. They ask leaders to act strategically. The result is a room that leaves with a diagnosis, a framework, and a set of concrete next steps — not just a raised consciousness.
“Natasha brought something I had not seen before — data that made the business case undeniable, and a framework that gave our leadership team actual language to work with. The conversation in that room shifted permanently.”
— Head of People & Culture, Professional Services FirmThree formats. One framework.
Built around your organisation’s needs.
All engagements are tailored to your sector, audience, and strategic objectives. Fees shown are indicative ranges — a bespoke quote is provided following an initial conversation.
Keynote
£1,500–£3,000 Half-day or full conference keynote · Travel expenses additionalIdeal for conferences, away days, and large-format leadership events where you need a session that lands with an audience of 50 to 500.
- 45–60 minute keynote presentation
- Excellence Tax™ research findings
- Audience Q&A session
- Pre-event briefing call
- Speaker bio and promotional materials
Leadership Workshop
£3,000–£5,000 Half-day or full-day · Up to 30 participantsFor organisations that want more than inspiration. A structured working session that equips your leadership team with diagnostic tools and a concrete action framework.
- Half or full-day facilitated workshop
- Excellence Tax™ Diagnostic Tool
- Sector-specific research data
- Structural audit framework
- Pre-workshop discovery session
- Post-workshop summary report
Executive Briefing
£5,000–£10,000 Board or C-suite · Up to 12 participantsFor boards and executive teams who need to understand the strategic and financial implications of the Excellence Tax™ — and are ready to commission structural change.
- 2–3 hour executive briefing session
- Bespoke financial modelling for your organisation
- COBE Diagnostic Assessment overview
- Private pre-briefing with CHRO or CEO
- Confidential post-session recommendations
- Priority access to Research Wave 2 findings
What Natasha speaks on
Every session is anchored in the Excellence Tax™ research. Topics can be delivered as standalone keynotes or woven into a bespoke programme.
The Excellence Tax™: What It Is and What It Costs
The flagship session. An introduction to the framework, the 15 burden categories, and the financial case for structural transformation.
Beyond Performative DEI: From Statements to Structural Repair
Why traditional DEI initiatives fail to retain Black talent — and what the research says organisations must do differently.
The Trauma Iceberg: What HR Sees vs What Is Actually Happening
A framework for leaders to accurately read and respond to racialised stress in the workplace — without defaulting to performance management.
The Retention Crisis: Reading the Data Your Exit Interviews Miss
What the Excellence Tax™ research reveals about the real drivers of Black professional attrition — and the early warning signals most organisations ignore.
From first conversation to event day
Natasha takes a limited number of engagements per quarter to ensure every session receives full preparation and attention.
Initial enquiry
Complete the booking form or schedule a 20-minute discovery call. Share your event date, audience size, and what you are hoping to achieve.
Discovery conversation
Natasha speaks directly with you — or your event lead — to understand your organisation’s context and tailor the session accordingly.
Bespoke proposal
You receive a written proposal with the recommended format, session outline, confirmed fee, and contract within five working days.
Pre-event preparation
Natasha reviews any relevant internal data or context you choose to share, and prepares materials tailored to your sector and audience.
The session
Delivered with full preparation, sector-specific data, and the kind of intellectual rigour that earns a room’s trust — and moves it to action.
Natasha Williams
Founder & Research Director
The Cost of Black Excellence
Research Institute
- MA Planning & Sustainability
- OTHM Level 7, Business & Organisational Psychology
- Somatic trauma-informed coaching
- 14 years as Managing Director
- 1,000+ professionals surveyed
Natasha Williams is not a diversity consultant. She is a research director who has spent the last two years building the most comprehensive primary dataset on Black professional workplace experience in the UK — and translating that data into a framework that changes how organisations understand their own retention and performance challenges.
The Excellence Tax™ framework, developed through grounded theory research with over 1,000 UK professionals, identifies 15 distinct burdens paid by Black professionals in workplace environments. It has been presented to corporate, public sector, and third sector audiences, and underpins a 150-page research report alongside sector-specific findings for healthcare, property, construction, and education.
Natasha brings 14 years of senior leadership experience as Managing Director of Shape Surveyors, combined with postgraduate qualifications in organisational psychology and trauma-informed practice. Her sessions are rigorous, commercially grounded, and built to move leadership teams from awareness to action.
Before you get in touch
Is Natasha available for virtual events?
Yes. All three formats are available virtually or in-person. Virtual delivery is priced at the same rate — the preparation is identical and the session quality does not change.
Do you offer sector-specific sessions?
Yes. The Excellence Tax™ research includes sector-specific data for healthcare, property and construction, and education. Sessions for these sectors draw on dedicated findings rather than the general dataset.
What is your availability?
Natasha accepts a limited number of engagements per quarter. Early enquiry is recommended, particularly for Q3 and Q4 dates. Use the booking form below to check current availability.
Can we book a session as part of a larger DEI programme?
Yes. The Executive Briefing format is particularly suited to organisations commissioning a broader programme of work. The COBE Diagnostic Assessment can also be scoped as a preceding or follow-on engagement.
What happens after the session?
Keynote attendees receive a post-session resource pack. Workshop and Executive Briefing clients receive a written summary report. All clients are invited to discuss next steps, including the Corporate Exodus Programme and COBE Diagnostic Assessment.
Ready to bring this research into your organisation?
Check availability and take the first step toward a session that gives your leadership team something most DEI content never does: a framework, a financial case, and a path to structural change.
Check Availability & BookPrefer to talk first? Email research@costofblackexcellence.com with your event date and format preference.