Anne Therese Gennari
About Anne Therese Gennari
“We were thrilled to have Anne Therese as the May 2023 commencement speaker at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). Her inspiring words helped make our ceremony memorable with words of resilience, action, and optimism. Anne Therese was a pleasure to work with and generous with her time, showing a genuine interest in our students, faculty, and mission. At ESF, we work to address the Earth’s most pressing problems — and students come here because they want to be part of the solution. We are proud to be educating climate-change warriors, environmental champions, and sustainability advocates. Anne Therese’s message to the class of 2023 focused on the power of positivity, how to plant small seeds of change, and why optimism has never been more needed. I am sure our graduates will remember her words, inspired to continue improving their world. ”
Speech topics
Unlocking the Future: The Inner Leadership We Need Now
What does it mean to lead from the future that wants to emerge, rather than remain anchored in the limitations of the present?
How do we cultivate the inner leadership required to navigate uncertainty and recognize that the future is built on courageous stewardship of the unknown – the trust, belief, and bold action upon realities we’ve yet to experience?
In this keynote, Anne Therese Gennari guides individuals and organizations through the shift from climate anxiety and paralysis to resilience and meaningful action. Centered on the “Inner Leadership” pillar of Climate Optimism and rooted in the Inner Development Goals, this talk reframes climate engagement as a human development challenge.
The audience will gain clarity on the psychological barriers that stall climate action (guilt, overwhelm, helplessness) and walk away with practical tools for cultivating optimism as a strategic leadership practice. They’ll learn how to access their inner capacity to imagine boldly, act intentionally, and lead with a mindset that recognizes that tomorrow is shaped by the choices we make today.
Climate Optimism is not about taking a step back and hoping for the best to happen. It’s about diving into awareness and choosing a path of resilience, action, and hope.
In this keynote, Gennari explores:
- How to activate inner leadership as the foundation for climate action and organizational resilience.
- The psychological barriers that keep people stuck in guilt, helplessness, and overwhelm.
- Why optimism is a strategic leadership skill, not a “nice to have”. As I say, one should choose to be radically optimistic, or not radical at all.
- How curiosity, courage, and imagination unlock new pathways forward – beyond what we believe to be possible today.
- Practical inner development tools for leading change from within teams, institutions, and communities, rooted in the Inner Development Goals framework for inner-to-outer transformation.
Speaking videos
Books by Anne Therese Gennari
“The Climate Optimist Handbook: How to Shift the Narrative on Climate Change and Find the Courage to Choose Change” (2022)
How do you find the courage to choose positive change in uncertain times? How do you spread optimism to people concerned about the future but who feel too overwhelmed to know how to act? Anne Therese Gennari has been seeking the answers to those questions most of her life, and in The Climate Optimist Handbook, she offers encouragement, wisdom, and practical tools to help us let go of fear and the dismal truth of today to build toward a world that can be better and more beautiful than anything we’ve yet seen. That future starts with shifting the narrative on climate change so we can act from courage and excitement, not fear. We must let go of the guilt and responsibility we feel to save the planet and move into a place of opportunity, optimism, and hope. We should act not because it’s our duty, but because we recognize the beautiful and exciting opportunity we have to participate in the shift toward an even better world. The Climate Change Optimist Handbook will guide you through that shift to become your own source of optimism. You will learn the psychological reasons we aren’t acting more on climate change and gain tools and mindset tips to model positive change in your community and home. A grounded and resilient leader is waiting to be born inside you—one who doesn’t just believe a better world is possible, but who is eager and excited to do everything possible to make that world a reality.
At a glanceAnne Therese Gennari
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