Madison Butler

Redefining Workplaces with Authentic Leadership & Human-Centered Innovation
Madison
Butler

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AVAILABLE FOR

Keynote
Virtual Presentation
Fireside Chat
Panelist
Webinar
Emcee
Moderator
Workshop & Training

Fee ranges

Domestic In-Person (USA):

$12,000 - $15,000*

International In-Person:

Please inquire

Virtual:

$5,001 - $10,000*

Other:

* Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees vary by engagement type and are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact Gravity Speakers.

Traveling from

Texas, USA

About

Madison Butler is an unapologetic advocate for authenticity, vulnerability, and creating workplaces where people feel safe to show up as their true selves. A New Englander turned Austinite since 2017, Madison is passionate about helping organizations embrace the power of human connection and psychological safety as the cornerstones of a thriving culture. As the founder of Blue Haired Unicorn, she focuses on designing spaces and crafting scalable strategies with this intention in mind

Known for building bold, ethical and authentic brands through storytelling, tough empathy and data, Madison facilitates conversations that many shy away from—conversations about mental health, trauma, and the courage it takes to be vulnerable at work. She believes that embracing humanity in leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have; it's a business tenet. Humanity is the key to building resilient teams and sustainable organizations that empower people to show up fully.

Madison partners with companies to break free from outdated norms and build environments rooted in trust, transparency, and authenticity. Her mission is to help individuals and teams unlock their potential by creating spaces where they can live, work, and exist out loud.

Her work and thought leadership have been featured in prominent outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Yahoo, Rolling Stone, and many others. She has been recognized by Linkedin as a top Black voice to follow and also as Austin’s rising star by DivInc in 2021. Her first book, “Let Them See You: Empowering Change Through Authenticity,” will be released in Summer 2025, offering a powerful guide to fostering change and creating space for people to show up fully. 

As a start-up enthusiast, Madison thrives on building intentional cultures from the ground up. She is committed to redefining what it means to be “human at work,” challenging the status quo, and empowering leaders to lead with compassion, authenticity and truth.

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Topics

Topics

Authentic Leadership: Vulnerability First

The Future of Work: Designing Your Organization for Scale

Build For You: Authentic Personal Branding

Coloring Outside of the Lines: Living Your Life for You

Videos

https://textio.com/resources/webinars/how-authenticity-transforms-teamshttps://textio.com/resources/webinars/how-authenticity-transforms-teams
Real Talk: How Authenticity Transforms Teams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qeuq-kaxUHM
The Shortlist: Building Psychological Safety at Scale
https://disrupthr.co/vimeo-video/dei-the-word-culture-fit-is-a-lie-madison-butler-disrupthr-talks/https://disrupthr.co/vimeo-video/dei-the-word-culture-fit-is-a-lie-madison-butler-disrupthr-talks/
DisruptHR: The Word “Culture Fit” is a Lie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrW0VfpZYkg
Harvard Business Review: What Does “Just Be Yourself” Really Look Like at Work?
https://vimeo.com/486132090
Code-Switching Is Not Trying to Fit into White Culture, It’s Surviving It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_ZcyZz4438
West Texas HR Symposium: The Business of Belonging Creating an Authentic Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSE92ko09Sw
TechTO: Diversity & Inclusivity
https://www.thefixpodcast.org/episodes/madison-butler-how-to-be-human-at-work/https://www.thefixpodcast.org/episodes/madison-butler-how-to-be-human-at-work/
The Fix: How To Be Human At Work (Podcast)
https://laurieruettimann.com/punkrockhr-139/https://laurieruettimann.com/punkrockhr-139/
Punk Rock HR: How To Build Inclusive Cultures with Madison Butler (Podcast)

Books / Movies As an Amazon Associate, Gravity earns from qualifying purchases.

Testimonials

"Madi, thank you so much for speaking with the CPAWS-BC team earlier this week. The feedback from the staff has been incredibly positive, and your talk definitely left us wanting to engage more. It was inspirational, to-the-point, and beautifully authentic. You are gifted, indeed. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences.”

Meaghen McCord
Executive Director Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, British Columbia Chapter

“Madison talked about this and I struggle with the "well spoken" compliment, because I so admire people that are extremely clear communicators.  But she really was- just super polished, balanced humor to ease our little egos, and her confidence made you really want to learn from her - plus she was willing to share her lived experiences which was so valuable.”

Kiley W

“Highly recommend Madison for any DEI training!”

Kelsey D

“Madison Butler is a star and coveys her story and messages in such a matter of fact way. Thank you for bringing her to us”

Marc Brownstein
CEO

"Madison centered on a topic that many Red Hatters were excited to discuss for some time. She answered the various challenging yet necessary questions revolving intersectionality and what it looks like in the LGBTQ+, Black and Latinx/Hispanic community. We're even more excited because this conversation is going to continue with the other diversity and inclusion communities here at Red Hat. As we continue to push for inclusivity and focus on an open and welcoming workplace for everyone to be themselves, we thank Madison for providing her expertise on how we can accomplish that. Can't say thank you enough, Madison!"

Red Hat

"Inviting Madison Butler to be a guest speaker for our students was one of the best decisions we’ve made. Confident and inviting, Madison has the exceptional story telling skills to both capture and move the masses. Madison’s exceptional listening skills and passion to make the world a better place make a great experience for any audience. Madison had the highest engagement of our panel and our students walked away from the experience feeling motivated. I can’t wait to book Madison for more opportunities- hopefully she won’t be fully booked!"

San Jose City College

"Madi Butler’s humanity-first approach, coupled with her lived experience and astute insights on how to improve our workplaces and the communities that power them, left me wanting to learn more and to do better."

ImpactDEI

"Madison was a terrific guest who showed up prepared and answered all of our questions in a thoughtful and organized way. She is also a credible thought leader in the world of talent acquisition, corporate culture, and human resources."

PunkRockHR

“Very satisfied! Great content and great to work with.”

Marcett Banks
Portland Human Resource Management Association

“Madison was great and she really brought in her expertise and experience into the conversation making it a space that is honest and candid which is what we wanted.”

Saili Willis
Momentive

“Madison was an engaging speaker and provided excellent takeaways for both individual contributors as well as leaders and managers.”

Brittany Oberstadt
Code42

“Top Notch!”

Titus West
LaunchDarkly

“Madison was amazing to work with and offered a really impactful conversation for our employees.”

Devin Locascio
Equity & Belonging Program Specialist, Zillow Group

“Madison Butler is an incredible speaker; her presence, passion, knowledge, and storytelling ability are second to none. Our company learned so much from just a single one-hour session with Madison; not only how to better approach diversity, equity, and inclusion but also how to start taking specific steps actions in both our personal and professional lives to improve our relationships, workplaces, and communities. Thank you, Madison!”

Paige VanDemark
HR Generalist, MaryRuth Organics