Now Available —The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life.

Keynotes

Simran delivers a vision of renewal and hope through his keynotes, which shows how each of us can turn away from fear, uncertainty, and anger to move toward renewal and positive change.

Learn More

SIGNATURE KEYNOTE


Signature Keynote Program:
The Light We Give

Growing up in South Texas, Simran Jeet Singh and his brothers confronted racism daily. As a turbaned, bearded, brown-skinned Sikh, he continued to face prejudice and hate in college and beyond. Simran chose to be defined not by the negativity that often surrounded him but by the Sikh teachings of love and justice that he grew up with. Delving deep into these core tenets of Sikh wisdom, he has sought to embrace an outlook that guides us to see the good in everyone and to forge a path of positivity, connection, and service—a way of life that so many of us are seeking in today’s world.

In his signature keynote program, Simran lays out how we can learn to integrate ethical living with personal happiness.

Helping

Helping people reach beyond their comfort zones and limits to practice this deeper form of living.

Exploring

Exploring how everyone can learn the insights and skills that have led him to find a crucial balance.

Offering

Offering ways to commit to activism without becoming consumed by rage, self-pity, or burnout.

Simran is represented by Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau and delivers dynamic content on diversity, equity, inclusion, empathy, justice, and anti-racism. For booking information, contact Hayley Shear – hshear@penguinrandomhouse.com.

Contact Hayley
SXSW logo
PBS logo
Stanford University logo
The Daily Show logo
JFK Presidential Library and Museum logo
CommonReads Penguin Random House logo

Praise for Simran

Zeenat Rahman

“Simran is so effective because his work centers on empathy and humility. His approach isn’t one of prescribed answers, but rather engagement centered on deep listening with the objective to truly learn from the experience of others.”

University of Chicago Director, Institute of Politics

Farah Siddiqui

“I have been so inspired by his unwavering and empathetic approach to anti-racist work. He shares stories that help open one’s eyes to another’s perspective; he helps us care. Simran not only impressed the audience but inspired people to action. I would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone working to create a more inclusive and equitable culture.”

Google Community Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Michele Martell

“He held space for our group to dig deeper into the power of gratitude to maintain perspective, and to ‘find the silver lining’ even when hope feels lost. Participants were deeply moved, felt they learned practical and nuanced personal skills and were motivated to continue to ‘do the work.’We count ourselves fortunate to have met and worked with Prof. Singh.”

Blake St House (AR) Director, Programming and Membership

KEYNOTE Topics

  • Navigating Racism with Care and Compassion

    It can feel scary to interact with people these days. The more polarized our society becomes, the more we find ourselves walking on eggshells. What do we do when our jobs demand that we connect with people who have different views than us? How can we meet others with the dignity they deserve, even when they don’t respect us in return? In this session, we will explore what our identities mean to us, and how that knowledge can help make us more empathetic.

  • Representation Matters: Moving Beyond Tokenism and into Authentic Inclusion

    We hear a lot these days that representation matters. But without knowing why, we risk stumbling into common pitfalls like tokenism and affinity bias. For those who aren’t on the margins, it’s hard to truly understand what this means and what difference it makes. And for those who are, it can be hard to articulate. In this session, we will step into the shoes of those who have been rendered invisible to better understand why representation matters and how we can become more inclusive.

  • Why Building Empathy is Crucial for Racial Equity and Justice

    We all say that we choose love over hate. But when tested, we realize that it’s easier said than done and that our empathy for others is not rooted deeply enough. As a turbaned and bearded Sikh man, Simran has been subjected to racism his whole life. He has been working on the frontlines of hate violence for more than a decade. And yet, he has managed to avoid falling into the toxic trap of hate and anger. In this session, he will draw from his personal experiences and from hate incidents he has witnessed firsthand to share the wisdom he has gained on what it really takes to choose love over hate.

  • Identifying and Living by Our Values: A Compass For Success and Wholeness

    It has never been clearer that, as a society, we are failing to prioritize integrity and values-based living. And it has never felt more urgent to begin instilling these values for ourselves, for one another, and for our children. In this session, Simran guides participants to creating a values-based vision for themselves and offers tips on how to cultivate these values so that they transform from idealized aspirations to deeply embedded aspects of our character.

  • Anti-Racism as a Spiritual Practice

    Based on his award-winning show of the same name, Simran has run two programs – at Columbia University and Trinity University – on how we can take the principles of anti-racism to grow and challenge ourselves as individuals. This session takes the approach of going within to detect our biases, digging them out of ourselves, and developing practical methods to move beyond bias.

  • Best Practices for Advancing Your DEI Commitments

    Through his various experiences, Simran has collected best practices for engaging a number of topics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, empathy-building, and anti-racism. He tailors these programs depending on the wants and needs of the audience.

Workshops

Interested in Workshops?

“Dr. Singh’s work is absolutely critical and essential for educators at all levels today. He has tailored his programs, voice, activities, and wisdom to students, staff, and faculty across ages. The work of anti-racism is a lifelong process. That journey can begin with Dr. Singh’s workshops.” – Dr. Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, University of Vermont, Associate Professor, Department of Religion

Visit Workshops
Workshops
Close
Start Typing