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Mike  Veny

Mike Veny

Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist® and Best-Selling Author

Biography

"Emotional wellness is the foundation of emotional intelligence and a core component of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion." - Mike Veny

Mike Veny is fiercely committed to empowering employees to discover the gift of emotional wellness so they can accelerate personal and professional growth. If you are looking for a proven speaker who can transform your attendees through addressing mental health, team building and wellbeing, then you've come to the right place. Read More >

Mike Veny is the winner of Corporate LiveWire’s 2022 Innovation & Excellence Award for his work as a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®. As a PM360 ELITE Award Winner, he was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the healthcare industry for his work with patient advocacy. Determined to overcome a lifetime of serious mental health challenges, Mike’s career began as a professional drummer and evolved into becoming a change maker in the workplace wellness industry.

In addition to being a world-class keynote speaker, he’s a corporate drumming event facilitator for team building, podcast host, and the author of several books, including the best-selling book, Transforming Stigma: How to Become a Mental Wellness Superhero. His expertise and life experience have been featured on ABC, NBC, and CBS news.

As a child, Mike was expelled from several schools, attempted suicide, and spent time in psychiatric hospitals for extended periods of time. His path to eventually becoming a motivational speaker became evident at an early age when he learned how to convince the staff to discharge him.

In the fifth grade, Mike was put in a special education class. Aside from getting more individualized attention from the teacher, he learned that pencil erasers make great sounds when tapped on a desk. He had no idea that drumming would become his path to mental wellness.

As an adult, Mike spent many years facilitating drum workshops for children with disabilities. The project was such a hit that he continued to expand his drumming program, first to adults in recovery and eventually to team building in organizations.

Mike delivers unique learning experiences designed to move past simply educating an audience to provide them with actionable steps they can take to change their lives and work environments. He’s delivered presentations to Fortune 500 companies, healthcare providers, and educators, including Microsoft, CVS Health, T-Mobile, Heineken, Salesforce, Keurig Dr. Pepper, and The Wounded Warrior Project. In addition, his reputation as a dynamic speaker provides confidence and peace of mind for meeting planners everywhere.

Mike Veny, Inc. is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Mike Veny, Inc. complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, Mike Veny, Inc. is accredited to issue the IACET CEU.

The organization is also recognized by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® and is a Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) Accredited Provider.

Mike partners with leaders to customize presentations, including interactive drumming workshops, to fit your event's needs and deliver an epic outcome for your organization. Once you book a keynote, ask about his workshops, books, and courses. If you are looking for a compelling speaker who will connect with, entertain, and engage your audience—all while educating and uniting them around improving wellness—you’ve come to the right place! Read Less ^

Speaker Videos

TEDx: Mental Illness is an Asset

Virtual Presentation: Transforming Stigma

Unleash Your Groove: Team Building

"A Real Man" with Mike Veny on Depression Recovery

Transforming Stigma in College

Interview with Depression

Drumming Breakout Session

Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness

ABC8: Quad Cities NAMI Candlelight Recovery Dinner

Highlights Video

Speech Topics

Mike Veny, Inc. is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Mike Veny, Inc. complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, Mike Veny, Inc. is accredited to issue the IACET CEU. Read More >

Here is a list of organizations that accept the IACET CEU Read Less ^

Transforming Stigma® in the Workplace

60 Minutes: 0.1 IACET CEUs, 1 SHRM PDCs, 1 HRCI Credit Read More >

This presentation is informed by psychological research and will show you how a mentally healthy workplace improves individual productivity, team performance, and company profits.

Overview

This presentation is the best kept secret to improved PRODUCTIVITY, team PERFORMANCE and company PROFITS. Addressing mental health is a vital component of your company’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy and a totally new way of looking at. Top companies are setting a new standard for Diversity & Inclusion through investing in essential resources for mental wellness. Attendees will learn practical tools on how to transform stigma into strength and empower each other to get the help that they need.

Learning Objectives

Through this engaging and entertaining in person or virtual keynote, your attendees will learn tools to help:

  • Cultivate a culture of self-care.
  • Identify strategies and considerations for having conversations about mental health in the workplace.
  • Identify resources to support mental wellness.

CAS Learning Outcomes Read Less ^

  • Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application
  • Intrapersonal development
  • Interpersonal competence

Transforming Stigma® in the Classroom

60 Minutes: 0.1 IACET CEUs Read More >

This presentation is informed by psychological research and will show you how to cultivate mental wellness in the classroom.

Overview

This compelling professional development keynote presentation has been a source of MOTIVATION and SUICIDE PREVENTION for schools throughout the USA. It’s an abundance of simple and practical steps (with colorful examples) that teachers can take to IMMEDIATELY to cultivate mental wellness in the classroom. This presentation offers HOPE and TOOLS for teachers who work with students who are struggling with mental health challenges, behavioral health challenges, and self-destructive behavior. Take this important first step to help your students.

Learning Objectives

Through this engaging and entertaining in person or virtual keynote, your attendees will learn tools to help:

  • Articulate the importance of self-care.
  • Identify strategies to promote mental wellness during distance learning.
  • Integrate mental health conversations into the curriculum.
  • Detect when a student is struggling.
  • Devise strategies to support students who are struggling.

CAS Learning Outcomes Read Less ^

  • Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application
  • Intrapersonal development
  • Interpersonal competence

Unleash Your Groove™

60 Minutes: 0.1 IACET CEUs, 1 SHRM PDCs, 1 HRCI Credit Read More >

This live program is designed exclusively as a TEAM BUILDING program for employees. Through guidelines that support RESPECT for each other, they will quickly learn to embrace DIVERSITY & INCLUSION.

Overview

Engagement often spells the difference between success and failure when it comes to corporate team building events. But it can be tricky to get a room full of people with different personalities, interests, and skills to engage in the same activity. However, this is exactly what I focus on accomplishing through my corporate drumming events.

While your employees work together throughout the corporate team building activities and games, they are also learning important leadership development lessons. By using the drums I'm able to talk with your group about important leadership topics like building an environment of trust, handling confrontation, communication, the importance of listening, and cooperation. The games and activities that I take the group through allow them to put these skills into practice with each other right off the bat.

You'll get an understanding of the level of interaction and engagement that takes place during the team building session. This video is proof that a drumming event is not your regular boring old team building event. And you don't need to worry about your group having a love for music or any prior drumming experience because this event allows anyone and everyone to participate.

Learning Objectives

Through this engaging and entertaining in person or virtual keynote, your attendees will learn tools to help:

  • Cultivate a welcoming culture in which people feel like they belong
  • Explore ways to be intentional about developing a connection with others
  • Identify ways to work together toward a larger vision

CAS Learning Outcomes Read Less ^

  • Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application
  • Intrapersonal development
  • Interpersonal competence

How to Find Inner Peace in Times of Uncertainty

There has never been a more important time in history to focus on your mental wellness. Finding inner peace is crucial to your health and safety. This important presentation will revitalize you. First and foremost, you will learn to shield yourself from stress. Next, you will learn to put your mind at ease and reduce your anxiety. Last but not least, you will learn to take advantage of golden opportunities to cope with loneliness and grief. Take advantage of this special opportunity to invest in your team. Read More >

After completing this online course, participants will be able to:

  • Learn why stress management must be prioritized and 3 amazingly simple techniques to handle stress in minutes
  • Learn 3 practical exercises to relieve anxiety and manage obsessive thinking
  • Learn 3 inspiring strategies to cope with loneliness and grief

CAS Learning Objectives:

  • Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application
  • Intrapersonal development
  • Interpersonal competence

FREE supplemental materials for each attendee in Mike's virtual learning platform. Read Less ^

Transforming Stigma® into Strength

Mike Veny shares his story about living with depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He will then introduce The Stigma Cycle™: “Stigma starts with shame. Shame leads to silence. Silence leads to self-destructive behavior and suicide.” The process repeats, and it becomes an endless, downward spiral. Read More >

Learning Outcomes

  • Through this engaging and entertaining keynote, attendees will learn practical tools to help:
  • Understand The Stigma Cycle™ and what prevents students from asking for help.
  • Understand how to replace shame through self-care.
  • Use conversation to transform silence.
  • Transform sabotage, social injustice, self-destructive behavior, and prevent suicide through connecting with others.

CAS Learning and Development Outcomes

  • Intrapersonal development
  • Humanitarianism and civic engagement
  • Practical competence

Presentation Details Read Less ^

  • 1-hour keynote presentation.
  • Includes the option to purchase a book and a workbook for each student.
  • Often used as part of an existing training or Active Minds programming.

Transforming Stigma® in College

This popular keynote addresses the mental health challenges on college campuses and is guaranteed to engage your students. They have to balance classes, professors, exams, papers, money, relationships, self-image, family, and the future, and lack of sleep. ANXIETY and DEPRESSION are some of the top concerns for college students. Read More >

There are more than 1,000 suicides on college campuses per year and 1 in 5 students will experience a mental health challenge during the next year. The stigma surrounding the subject of mental health is the biggest barrier to students seeking treatment.

Learning Outcomes

  • Through this engaging and entertaining keynote, attendees will learn practical tools to help:
  • Understand The Stigma Cycle™ and what prevents students from asking for help.
  • Understand how to replace shame through self-care.
  • Use conversation to transform silence.
  • Transform sabotage, social injustice, self-destructive behavior, and prevent suicide through connecting with others.

CAS Learning and Development Outcomes

  • Intrapersonal development
  • Humanitarianism and civic engagement
  • Practical competence

Presentation Details Read Less ^

  • 1-hour keynote presentation.
  • Includes the option to purchase a book and a workbook for each student.
  • Often used as part of an existing training or Active Minds programming.