Suneel Gupta

Connecting Personal Energy & Performance, Bestselling Author, Healthcare Entrepreneur

Why Book Suneel Gupta

 

  • EVERYONE LEAVES FEELING CONNECTED: With one short audience exercise, Suneel connects people in the room like never before. That power of connectedness propels them to take on change…together.
  • PLAY THE GAME OF NOW™: Before acting, teams tend to wait for certainty in a world that no longer offers it. Suneel teaches the opposite: act first, and let clarity catch up.
  • ENERGY IS A STRATEGIC ASSET: Most performance problems are energy problems in disguise. We can’t make more time, but Suneel shows simple, science-based techniques to restore energy and retain momentum.
  • SUNEEL IGNITES ACTION: Suneel tailors his keynotes and workshops for maximum impact. That’s led to repeat engagements at top companies like Eli Lilly, Bank of America, and TIAA.
  • ELEVATE TEAM PERFORMANCE: Suneel gives leaders simple tools to elevate the energy, resilience, and effectiveness of those they lead. Leaders become force multipliers, creating cultures where people excel without sacrificing well-being.
  • SCIENCE MEETS REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE: Suneel’s work is rooted in over a decade of research. He’s a Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and host of “Business Class” on Amazon Prime, a series where he uncovers performance secrets of top business leaders.
  • TAILORED PRESENTATIONS ON: Human Energy • Change • Leadership • Peak Performance • Resilience • Burnout • Human Connection • Well-being • Organizational Culture • Collaboration
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As the founding CEO of RISE, a breakthrough wellness company, Suneel Gupta helped thousands of people build better habits for life and work. Now, as a bestselling author and Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, Suneel has taken his mission one step further – helping people reset, reignite, and find meaning in their work by bolstering emotional resilience and engagement. Suneel asks, “How can an organization excel on the outside if its people are exhausted on the inside?” He helps leaders and teams build the capacity to meet today’s relentless demands without sacrificing their well-being. He equips them with science-based tools to prevent burnout, sustain energy, sharpen focus, and improve both professional and personal performance. Suneel offers a better way to work; one that results in sustainable innovation, productivity, and fulfillment.

Suneel is a resilient entrepreneur and the international bestselling author of Backable and Everyday Dharma – two books that have been translated into nine languages and have reached readers worldwide. Backable is rooted on his inner journey from twice-failed entrepreneur to becoming a leader behind two IPOs and being named “The New Face of Innovation” by the New York Stock Exchange. It reveals the mindset shifts and hidden habits of people who are extraordinary at pushing new ideas forward.

His transformative book, Everyday Dharma, codifies his mission to help people reset, reignite, and re-engage through a timeless practice called Dharma. Simply put, Dharma brings “who you are” and “what you do” into alignment. When we’re aligned, we’re capable of producing our best work and lead ourselves and others effectively, experiencing true joy along the way.

As visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School, Suneel researches and teaches the interconnection between inner well-being and outer leadership. He is also emissary for Gross National Happiness between the United States and the Kingdom of Bhutan.

As CEO of RISE Suneel helped thousands of people establish a way to personalize their physical and mental health journey while connecting with certified nutritionists and trainers at an affordable price. The company was named “App of the Year” and partnered with then-First Lady Michelle Obama before being acquired by the NASDAQ-listed company One Medical Group (now part of Amazon), expanding its reach in digital health and well-being.

Suneel was also the host of Business Class, a 2023 Webby Award-winning Series streaming on Amazon Prime. The show spotlights the struggles, resilience, and work/life habits of entrepreneurs and business visionaries like Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (Ben & Jerry’s), Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio, and Martha Stewart.

Suneel has also personally backed ventures including Impossible Foods, Airbnb, 23andMe, and SpaceX. He was one of the very first investors in CALM, which is now one of the world’s leading mental wellness platforms helping millions of people achieve a greater sense of work/life balance. He also serves as an advisor to Wisdom Ventures, a mission-driven fund investing in companies at the intersection of technology, wellbeing, and human potential.

When a reporter once asked Suneel about his purpose, his response was to “find good people and inspire them to do what inspires them.”

Speech Descriptions

  • Sustaining Momentum: The Energy to Keep Going

    We can’t create more time, but we can elevate our energy. Understanding that changes how individuals and organizations perform. Across industries, leaders are seeing the same pattern: capable, committed people are working hard, yet progress slows, decisions take longer, and morale softens. These are energy problems masquerading as strategy problems.

    Energy is not just a personal resource; it is a strategic asset. It fuels resilience, and resilience without the ability to renew energy eventually breaks down. As founding CEO of RISE (now part of Amazon), Suneel Gupta helped thousands improve physical and mental health, while studying why some teams stay effective under pressure when others burn out despite equal talent and effort. Grounded in his teaching at Harvard Medical School and more than a decade studying high-performing leaders, Suneel shares practical, research-backed ways to restore focus, strengthen collaboration, and sustain performance without adding pressure.

    Audiences leave with clear language and immediately usable practices to stay effective under pressure. Leaders leave with practical ways to elevate their own energy and the energy of the people they lead.

    Key Takeaways:
    • Why high-performing organizations quietly lose momentum even with strong talent and clear goals
    • How energy influences resilience, decision quality, connection, and collaboration
    • Four practical practices that restore focus and prevent burnout under sustained pressure
    • How restoring energy improves initiative, ownership, and follow-through across teams
    • Practical ways to reduce overwhelm and remain effective during constant change

     

  • The Game of Now: Leading, Deciding, and Taking Action in an Uncertain World

    For years, planning helped us navigate uncertainty. But the pace of change has outgrown our ability to plan. In a world moving this quickly, we need a more effective way forward. Suneel Gupta offers a timely reset for how progress actually happens when certainty is unavailable.

    The core idea is simple and transformative: instead of waiting for certainty to give you the courage to act, you take action and let courage catch up along the way. At a time when people feel numb and cautious, The Game of Now restores confidence and momentum, even when the path is still forming.

    This talk reframes uncertainty not as something to eliminate, but as something to engage with. It replaces hesitation with movement and helps people reconnect with the energy, courage, and agency needed to move forward when the world no longer waits until we feel ready.

    Audiences leave feeling steadier, more capable, and equipped with practical ways to take the next meaningful step, even without perfect information.

    Key Takeaways:
    • The real science behind why action leads to courage and how it creates clarity
    • Uncertainty is a permanent condition – and how to lead effectively within it
    • Why plans break down as change accelerates, and what to rely on instead
    • A simple framework for rebuilding momentum in fast-moving environments
    • Practical ways to manage energy and attention amid constant change

     

  • Post-Keynote & Extended Learning Options

    For groups looking to go deeper, Suneel offers highly engaging, interactive sessions that extend the keynote’s momentum and turn insights into action. These can be delivered as a post-keynote workshop (ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours) or as a longer-term leadership development series offered virtually and/or in-person. Content is customized based on the group’s objectives, with a core focus on helping foster personal and organizational growth.

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    Humanizing Your Leaders (Suneel Interviews Your Leadership)
    Drawing on his experience interviewing executives and icons for his hit Amazon Prime show Business Class, Suneel sits down with your leaders in front of your audience and does the same thing: asks the questions that reveal the person behind the title. What shaped them. What they’ve learned the hard way. The result isn’t a panel or a keynote – it’s a moment where your people see their leaders as human beings, and leaders feel genuinely seen by their teams. This tends to do more for culture in 45 minutes than a year of all-hands meetings.

    Personal Energy & Resilience (Workshop – 45 minutes to 2 hours)
    In this hands-on session, Suneel equips participants with practical tools for sustaining energy, managing through uncertainty, and amplifying the performance of their teams. They will explore actionable strategies to regulate personal energy, strengthen resilience under pressure, and elevate the energy of those around them—especially during moments of change and challenge. Expect high interaction, real-world scenarios, and leadership behaviors that can be implemented immediately.

    Elevate Leadership Series (Multi-Session Option)
    For organizations seeking long-term leadership development, Suneel’s Elevate Series offers a five-part cohort experience that integrates well-being with exceptional leadership. Each session builds on core pillars such as personal energy management, navigating difficult conversations, ownership culture, belonging in action, and purpose-driven impact. Between sessions, participants apply lessons in real-time, engage in guided assignments, and deepen learning through peer accountability.

    The Reinforcement Video Series
    For larger or distributed organizations, the goal is reach and consistency. This short-form series of pre‑recorded videos keeps the ideas from the keynote alive long after the event. Employees receive brief, practical lessons they can apply immediately, along with simple exercises and tools. Instead of a one-time experience, the keynote becomes an ongoing conversation that leaders can reference in meetings, onboarding, and everyday work across the organization.

     

Leaders and teams that fizzle out don’t run out of time or talent. What they run out of is energy.⁠
The energy you arrive with directly impacts the energy that others leave with.⁠
Rest is not a reward. It is a resource.⁠
Play the Game of Now™. Take action first and let courage catch up along the way.⁠
You don’t need to know how it ends before you begin. Just start.⁠
We’re waiting to feel certain in a world that no longer offers certainty.⁠

Testimonials

I didn’t know what to expect and I’m still in awe. This wasn’t just a keynote – it was a unique experience. I’d strongly recommend that every emerging leader go through this experience; it’s inspirational and transformative.
President of Human Resources, HARMAN International
Suneel Gupta is one of the highest-rated speakers we’ve ever had. But, beyond all of the practical lessons, the lasting impression our audience had was that Suneel is a genuine, caring person who understands leadership challenges. His stories were filled with humility, empathy, and emotion, traits we rarely encounter from our keynote presenters. If you’re looking for an excellent talk delivered with a strong sense of humanity, I recommend Suneel Gupta.
President, Association for Advancing Automation
Suneel is a true master of storytelling and his message was delivered to our audience at just the right time. Suneel’s keynote on beating burnout to drive innovation was timely and his ability to draw in the audience resulted in the highest engagement numbers of all the sessions for our event. Suneel provided the perfect mix of actionable insights with passion for the topic. Attendees left refreshed, energized and appreciative of the experience.
Freddie Mac
Suneel left our team at Walgreens smarter and ready to innovate.
Former Chief Marketing Officer, Walgreens
Thought-provoking and inspiring. He resonated deeply with our audience.
Global Head of Wealth, Dow Jones
Suneel was the absolute highlight of the summit! Everyone felt very connected with his messaging and most importantly, it impacted the way we view each other, our roles, and ourselves. ‘The game of now’ was brought up a lot in subsequent sessions during the offsite, and people are still talking about how powerful his storytelling was.
Executive Business Partner, Google
Suneel’s session with the Snacks Extended Leadership team was VERY positive and timely. Leaders commented that it was extremely impactful, helpful tools and the note card activity proved to be emotional and meaningful – realizing you’re not alone. Myself and my HR team are talking through ways to pull through the tools Suneel shared and how as leaders we can find the time to renew our energy and help our teams to do the same. Loved how Suneel through his storytelling gift makes learning memorable!
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Campbell’s
WOW! Suneel closed out our annual Women’s Leadership Conference with a keynote on building momentum, and it was AMAZING! His content was relevant. His pacing, flow and delivery were flawless. And his authenticity and storytelling had attendees on the edge of their seats. Suneel’s session now ranks as one of the most popular in our 20-conference history, and we are still hearing from attendees about its impact — ‘This was the most amazing and inspiring talk I have ever seen. I was so completely blown away. Wow.’, ‘Absolutely fantastic and so powerful. Loved how personal it was!’ and ‘Absolutely amazing and inspiring!
Executive Director & Chief Acceleration Officer, Integrating Women Leaders Foundation
I’ve been getting such remarkable feedback for the session. It touched me to my soul!
President & CEO, GHX
I received wonderful feedback from people who were in the audience on the impact of your session. They took away a lot of great pearls, like I knew they would. You are an inspiration, and I am so grateful to you for adapting your talk to [focus on] leadership skills. I thought you did that beautifully.
SVP, U.S. Oncology, Merck

Frequently Asked Questions

Suneel Gupta is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, healthcare entrepreneur, and expert on connecting personal energy and performance. A visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School and the founding CEO of wellness company RISE, Suneel helps leaders and teams navigate uncertainty, sustain momentum, and perform at their best without burning out. He is the bestselling author of Backable and Everyday Dharma.

Suneel Gupta speaks about leadership, navigating uncertainty, taking action, building momentum, managing energy, resilience, and sustaining high performance without burnout. Blending science, compelling storytelling, and practical tools, he helps leaders and teams move through uncertainty, turn intention into action, and build the energy needed to keep going.

Suneel offers two signature keynote programs: The Game of Now: Leading, Deciding, and Taking Action in an Uncertain World and Sustaining Momentum: The Energy to Keep Going. His presentations help audiences take courageous action amid uncertainty and build the personal and collective energy required for sustained performance.

 

Suneel brings a distinctive combination of business experience, research, storytelling, and practical strategies audiences can put to work immediately. As a healthcare entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, he connects the science of well-being with the realities of leadership and performance. His keynotes help people move forward when the path isn’t clear, manage their energy more effectively, and create momentum without sacrificing well-being.

Suneel speaks to corporate leaders, executive teams, sales organizations, healthcare groups, associations, entrepreneurs, and organizations navigating change, uncertainty, or demanding periods of growth. He is a strong fit for conferences, leadership meetings, corporate events, sales kickoffs, annual meetings, association events, executive retreats, and programs focused on leadership, resilience, well-being, and performance.

Audiences can expect compelling storytelling, science-based insights, interactive moments, and practical tools they can use immediately. Suneel challenges people to rethink how they respond to uncertainty, make decisions, manage their energy, support one another, and sustain momentum. His presentations are designed to leave audiences feeling more connected, energized, and ready to take action.

Yes. Suneel works with event organizers to understand their audience, objectives, challenges, and organizational priorities. He connects his stories, frameworks, and practical tools to the realities participants are facing, creating a keynote experience that feels relevant to the organization and the moment.

Yes. In addition to keynote presentations, Suneel can engage audiences through interactive conversations, fireside chats, moderated discussions, and Q&A. These formats can explore topics including leadership, uncertainty, decision-making, energy management, resilience, momentum, well-being, and sustainable performance.

Contact the D’Amelio Network to check Suneel Gupta’s availability, discuss your audience and event objectives, and begin the booking process.

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