Spoken Artists
Kara Hardin
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Kara Hardin

Mental health educator and Registered Psychotherapist helping high achievers make work human again

4.9 · 505 recent attendees voted
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The pitch

A corporate-lawyer-turned-psychotherapist, Kara Hardin equips leaders and teams with the research, language, and practices to perform at a high level without burning out. She's trusted by Fortune 500s, global law firms, and high-growth companies — including Uber, General Mills, CIBC, Dentons, Clio, and Freddie Mac — to speak honestly about mental health, pressure, and the human side of ambition.

Kara Hardin, R.P., J.D., M.A. is the founder of The Practice Lab and one of North America's most sought-after keynote speakers on peak performance, mental health, and the human experience of modern work.

Signature talks

What Kara speaks on.

With employee engagement at a record low and burnout at a record high, how do you build an organization where people can strive without breaking? Kara unpacks the paradoxes of peak performance — productivity myths, digital habits, the achievement treadmill — and gives leaders a human playbook for sustained excellence. Audiences leave with practical tools to reclaim focus, delight, and satisfaction, at work and beyond.

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Mental health at work isn't an HR program. It's a leadership capability. Drawing on ten years of clinical practice and the newest research in psychology and neuroscience, Kara teaches leaders and teams how to stay grounded under pressure, support colleagues through anxiety, grief, and trauma, and build cultures where people feel safe to be honest. A keynote that's warm, funny, deeply practical — and quietly changes rooms.

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Teams aren't broken — they're burned out, cynical, and divided across generations and perspectives. Kara shows how to bridge differences, navigate stress and news-cycle fatigue, and rebuild connection and lightness at work. Topics include communication styles, generational differences, effective leadership in uncertainty, and the surprising neuroscience of play.

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Why clients book
01
Registered Psychotherapist (R.P.) and former corporate lawyer — a rare clinician who's lived inside high-performance environments
02
Founder of The Practice Lab, trusted by 100+ global organizations including Uber, General Mills, CIBC, Dentons, Clio, Gartner, and Freddie Mac
03
10,000+ program attendees served, with an average client rating of 4.9/5
04
Juris Doctor (University of Toronto Law) and M.A. in Counseling Psychology (University of St. Thomas, Minnesota)
05
Writes Making Sense on Substack — 1,000+ subscribers of senior leaders and high achievers
06
Known for combining research, humour, and personal story to make even the hardest topics feel safe to discuss
Speaker DNA

Not a bio.
A fingerprint.

Every speaker scored across 15 dimensions from watching them live. Skim it in three seconds — pick who fits your room.

Storytelling
95
Practicality
95
Emotional
95
Thought-provoking
95
Customization
92
Inspiring
92
Energy
90
Humour
90
Research-heavy
90
Strategic
85
Interactive
85
Reviews

Straight from the room.

“Working with Kara Hardin was a transformative experience for our team at Uber. From her group training sessions to her one-on-one consults, Kara was able to drive a shared understanding of mental health and its impact on performance amongst our team, all delivered in a fun and engaging way.”

FP
Faye Pang
UberEats (formerly)

“She captivated our audience and set the perfect tone for the day. The feedback from our guests was overwhelmingly positive, with many citing Kara's keynote as a highlight of their Summit experience. If you're looking for a dynamic, engaging, and impactful speaker, I highly recommend Kara.”

AW
Avi Weiss
Counselwell

“If you care about the health of you and your team, and you work in a start-up or high-growth organization, you have to work with Kara. She tackles serious ideas with actionable practices, take-aways, much-needed warmth, and lots of humour. Her thinking is transforming the way we understand mental health at work.”

BR
Brittany Reardon
Clio

“Kara was able to connect with people at every level of the organization. She knows how to make others comfortable, priming them for ultimate self-reflection and realization. She combines research, her own personal experiences, and a bit of humour to reach her audience in a way that is deeply compelling.”

JD
Jaimie DeRight
Freddie Mac

“Kara's deep knowledge combined with her genuine desire to help people navigate the complexity and messiness of modern life make her a compelling presenter. Her practical tips and takeaways are gamechangers when it comes to putting her strategies into action. Our team left Kara's session inspired.”

ST
Suzanne Thomas
Dentons

Meet Kara first.

Nobody books off a bio. Hop on a 20-minute Zoom with Kara, size up the chemistry, then decide. No pressure, no runaround.

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