APB is a Global Speaker, Celebrity & Entertainment Agency
David  Allison

David Allison

World's Leading Authority on Human Values, CEO of a Global Research Firm & Author

David Allison

World's Leading Authority on Human Values, CEO of a Global Research Firm & Author

Biography

There is a thread that connects sales, leadership, people & culture, ESG, DEIB, employee engagement...every issue and every opportunity. No matter who we are, and what our role is, we are all just trying to get some people to do something. But people today are harder to understand than ever before. They are behaving in unpredictable ways that can’t be deciphered with demographics like age, income, gender, and education. We have more data than ever, but predicting how people will react remains a mystery.  

But what if we’re measuring the wrong things?

People are driven by their values, not their demographics. Understand what people value and you understand who they are, and why they behave as they do. That’s why David Allison turned values into data, conducting nearly a million surveys in 152 languages featuring hundreds of millions of data points. He’s made a neurological truth into a measurable metric: every decision we make, thousands of times of day, is determined by our values. It’s no wonder his research is discussed in college textbooks, Harvard Business Review, INC Magazine, Forbes, and is leveraged by organizations like Google, PayPal, lululemon, and the United Nations Foundation.

David’s dynamic keynotes have been called “rivetting” and “fascinating” and the custom data and insights he brings to each audience have been described as “entirely unique and priceless.” He shares a proven, science-backed method to identify what will engage, motivate and influence people. He explains how to use specific shared values to transform sales and marketing, people and culture, leadership, innovation, change management, DEIB, ESG, and more. His keynotes inspire you to recognize your own values, the values of the people around you, and the values of the people you want to impact with your work. You will leave his keynote with an entirely new view of who people are and what makes them tick, determined to embrace a values-driven approach to your personal and professional goals and ambitions.

“When you change how you look at people,” David says, “it changes everything.”

Speaker Videos

Synergent Connect Keynote

A Fresh Take on A.I.

How to Move Beyond the Stereotypes

What Are Valuegraphics

IFEBP Keynote

VRCA Keynote

New Brunswick Power Keynote

Mexican Events Industry Keynote

What's in a Keynote Video

Speech Topics

The Blueprint for Belonging

Discover how to create a culture of belonging from the world’s leading expert on human values.

As a gay man and an Indigenous Canadian, I know the limits of demographics when it comes to inclusion and belonging. Just like everyone else, you can’t engage, motivate or inspire me simply by speaking to my demographic labels. That’s nothing more than stereotyping, and it doesn’t work. You need to understand my values — the things that make me who I am deep inside my heart.

So where does that leave organizations who want to cultivate a culture of belonging?

As a human values expert, international keynote speaker and 2x best-selling author, I’ve conducted nearly a million surveys on human values in 152 languages featuring hundreds of millions of data points. Along the way, I’ve identified 912 types of belonging, and this keynote pinpoints which ones – in your situation – will move the needle most. And that’s not where it ends. Together we will dive deeper and explore the other values that will unite the people you want to engage, regardless of their demographic differences. Our values bring us together. Our values make us feel like we belong.

Let’s use our proven, data-driven method for identifying the shared values that will build a culture of belonging – for the people you want to reach – by honoring what they value.  These are the insights you need to drive inclusion and create real cultural change.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • CPOs and culture leaders
  • Human resources teams
  • Organizations of all sizes

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

  • The specific Power Values that will empower you to engage people and influence outcomes.
  • Creative, detailed strategies to immediately put the Power Values to use.
  • David’s revolutionary Values Thinking Process that turns shared values into actionable tactics.
  • The Three Telltale Questions that will identify the shared values of anyone you want to engage and inspire.

The Superhuman Antidote to AI

Learn David Allison’s revolutionary values-driven approach to help you thrive alongside revolutionary technology.

Businesses don't like risk, and the blend of chaos, emotion, and complexity that we call "the human factor" is one of the biggest risks any business must face. But right now, as incredibly disruptive technologies like AI emerge at a stunning pace, the only antidote is for us to become more incredibly human than ever before. To do that, we need to make “the human factor” less risky. That’s what David Allison does in this keynote.

David’s team has turned human values into data, creating boardroom-friendly facts and figures to replace subjective conversations. Now we can combine revolutionary new super-machines with a revolutionary new understanding of the humans who use them. It’s the combination we need to solve any problem and achieve any goal.

With nearly a million surveys completed in 152 languages, David’s revolutionary research has revealed the values that drive us with unprecedented detail and clarity. It’s no wonder his work is included in college textbooks used worldwide and leveraged by organizations like Google, PayPal, lululemon, and the United Nations Foundation.

As businesses strive to remain relevant in a tech-driven landscape, David Allison's message serves as a timely reminder that to thrive in the future, we must lean into what makes us quintessentially human. To thrive alongside super-technologies we must be superhuman.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • People and Culture Professionals
  • Senior strategy-level leadership in any industry
  • Organizations faced with AI threats and opportunities
  • AI technology creators

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

  • The specific Power Values that will empower you to engage people and influence outcomes.
  • Creative, detailed strategies to immediately put the Power Values to use.
  • David’s revolutionary Values Thinking Process that turns shared values into actionable tactics.
  • The Three Telltale Questions that will identify the shared values of anyone you want to engage and inspire.

Boosting Sales by Being Human

Drive marketing ROI and sales growth with human values, using data and insights from the world's leading expert.

Consumers today are harder to understand than ever before, behaving in unpredictable ways and failing to fit the mold of traditional demographics like age, income, gender, and education. We have more data and insights than ever, but all that data isn’t getting us closer to achieving our goals.

But what if we’re measuring the wrong things?

For the first time, human values expert, international keynote speaker and 2x best-selling author David Allison has turned our shared human values into accurate empirical data, conducting nearly a million surveys in 152 languages featuring hundreds of millions of data points. He’s proven a neurological fact: every decision we make, thousands of times of day, is determined by our values. It’s no wonder his discoveries are included in college textbooks worldwide and leveraged by organizations like Google, PayPal, lululemon, and the United Nations Foundation.

The result of David’s global research is a proven, science-backed method for identifying the values your audience shares. His keynotes teach you to use specific values to drive sales and marketing efforts that really work. 

You can engage any audience, deliver any message, and create more sales with the power of shared human values. David’s keynote will show you how. 

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • Sales teams and leaders
  • Marketing departments and agencies
  • Organizational leaders looking to revolutionize their businesses from the ground up

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

  • The specific Power Values that will empower you to engage people and influence outcomes.
  • Creative, detailed strategies to immediately put the Power Values to use.
  • David’s revolutionary Values Thinking Process that turns shared values into actionable tactics.
  • The Three Telltale Questions that will identify the shared values of anyone you want to engage and inspire.

The Next Step: DEI Beyond the Stereotypes

Unlock the real benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion by diving deep into human values.

Here’s the truth: marginalized groups around the world have not been treated fairly, and there’s a great deal of work still to be done to acheive diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. But a strong foundation can only be built on common ground. Nothing good has ever come from doubling-down on what makes us different, without also shining a light on what unites us.

Human values expert, international keynote speaker and 2x best-selling author David Allison — himself an Indigenous Canadian and member of the LGBTQ+ community —  has turned our shared human values into accurate empirical data, conducting nearly a million surveys in 152 languages featuring hundreds of millions of data points. 

What does that mean for DEI efforts? It means that now we know what connects us. And we can use that data to move beyond what divides us. It means that we can see ourselves in each other, and celebrate what makes us unique. 

David’s revolutionary research on human values equips you with tools to go beyond demographics, with insights that offer a groundbreaking data-driven approach to understanding not just what people are, but who they are in the inside, where it counts. 


WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • DEI, culture, and HR leaders
  • Marketing departments and agencies seeking to authentically embrace DEI in their messaging
  • Organizations looking to revolutionize their business from the ground up

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

  • The specific Power Values that will empower you to engage people and influence outcomes.
  • Creative, detailed strategies to immediately put the Power Values to use.
  • David’s revolutionary Values Thinking Process that turns shared values into actionable tactics.
  • The Three Telltale Questions that will identify the shared values of anyone you want to engage and inspire.

The New Science of Values & Leadership

Leverage the next evolution in values-driven leadership with a scientific breakthrough in human values data.

Neurologists have known for years that leading people effectively requires tapping into their core values. But until now, there hasn’t been a way to determine, quantify, and read the specific values shared by large groups of people.

Human values expert, international keynote speaker and 2x best-selling author David Allison has turned our shared human values into accurate empirical data, conducting nearly a million surveys in 152 languages featuring hundreds of millions of data points. In his leadership keynotes, he isolates the values that mean the most to your specific audience or team. 

Once you learn the accurate, science-backed, shared values of your team, the transformation begins. You’ll see your true self in your work. You’ll see where your values intersect with the values of people you need to engage. And you’ll find that more effective leadership come from being more human. As David says: “If we let them, our values will unite us. Because we are all values driven.”

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • Leaders and managers at all levels
  • Organizations that want to cultivate great leaders
  • Founders & Entrepreneurs

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

  • The specific Power Values that will empower you to engage people and influence outcomes.
  • Creative, detailed strategies to immediately put the Power Values to use.
  • David’s revolutionary Values Thinking Process that turns shared values into actionable tactics.
  • The Three Telltale Questions that will identify the shared values of anyone you want to engage and inspire.

Testimonials