Speaking & Keynotes
Keynotes, workshops & institutes
Every talk below lists its topic, the audiences it is built for, the formats available, and what participants leave with. Download the full speaking package to share with your planning committee.
Signature Talks
Each talk, its topic and audience
Sessions are tailored to your audience, time frame, and goals — the core of each talk stays the same.
Latina Leadership & Identity
Mija, You Were Built to Lead
Identity, culture, courage, and leadership.
- Audience
- Latina educators and professionals, women's leadership conferences, student leadership summits, affinity groups, and cohort programs.
- Formats
- Keynote · Half-day workshop · Leadership cohort
- Participants leave with
- The five flames of the MijaLumbre Leadership Framework™ and how to apply them.
- Language for naming identity, voice, and power at work.
- A personal leadership plan participants leave with in hand.
Educational Leadership & Systems Change
Rooted in Identity. Built for Impact.
Leading systems, developing people, and creating pathways for others to rise.
- Audience
- Superintendents, principals, district leadership teams, boards, and aspiring leaders.
- Formats
- Keynote · Full-day institute · Executive advising
- Participants leave with
- How culturally grounded leadership strengthens organizational results.
- Practices that develop people while changing systems.
- A framework for building leadership pipelines that last.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
Tier 1 Is Not Basic
Why universal systems are the foundation of successful student support.
- Audience
- School and district MTSS teams, student support staff, instructional leaders, and state or regional conferences.
- Formats
- Keynote · Half-day workshop · Multi-session series
- Participants leave with
- What strong Tier 1 actually looks like in daily practice.
- How to stop over-referring students into intensive supports.
- A team audit tool for universal systems.
Social-Emotional Learning & Student Mental Health
From Programs to Systems
Building sustainable SEL, MTSS, and whole-child infrastructure.
- Audience
- District cabinets, SEL and mental health leads, community partners, and nonprofit leadership teams.
- Formats
- Keynote · Full-day institute · Multi-session series
- Participants leave with
- How to move from isolated initiatives to durable infrastructure.
- Staffing, funding, and data structures that hold systems together.
- A phased implementation map for the coming school year.
Formats
Ways to book a session
Formats can be combined or customized for your team, conference, or community.
45–60 minutes
Keynote
A single, story-driven address for conferences, convocations, and district kickoffs.
3 hours
Half-Day Workshop
Interactive learning with protocols, team planning time, and take-home tools.
6 hours
Full-Day Institute
Deep implementation work for leadership teams building SEL, MTSS, or student support systems.
3–6 sessions
Multi-Session Series
Job-embedded professional learning across a semester or school year, with coaching between sessions.
Custom
Leadership Cohort
A facilitated cohort experience for aspiring and sitting leaders, including MijaLumbre circles.
30–90 minutes
Panel & Fireside Conversation
Moderated conversation on leadership, equity, youth mental health, and AI-supported wellness.
Custom
Executive & Board Advising
Strategy sessions with superintendents, boards, and nonprofit leadership teams.
60–90 minutes
Virtual Session or Webinar
Live online learning for regional, statewide, or national audiences.
Topics
Additional topics
Beyond the signature talks, sessions can be built around any of these areas.
Speaking package
One PDF with the biography, signature talks, audiences, formats, topics, selected engagements, and the DESE presentation slides — ready to forward to a planning committee.
Invite Brenda
Bring Dr. Ortiz McGrath to your organization
Share your dates, audience, and goals and you'll receive a reply with availability and a session plan.