Description
Kristina Karlsson keynote speaker sessions come from the Swedish-born entrepreneur who built kikki.K into one of the world’s most beloved design and stationery brands. At just 22, Kristina moved from a small farm in Sweden to Australia. She had no money, no connections and no clear plan. One night, she wrote her dreams down on paper. She then built a life that turned those dreams into reality.
Kristina Karlsson keynote speaker: building a $650 million global brand
From her kitchen table, Kristina and her partner Paul launched kikki.K. Together, they grew it into an award-winning global business. It reached 120 retail stores across five countries. The team grew to 1,500 people, with customers in over 150 countries and $650 million in total revenue. Over two decades, Kristina became the creative force behind an authentic, founder-led brand. That brand inspired millions to live their best life through the power of dreaming and design.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of her stores. In 2021, kikki.K went into voluntary administration. As a result, Kristina lost control of the business in heartbreaking circumstances. It was a defining moment that tested everything she believed about success, resilience and self-worth.
A mission to inspire 101 million dreamers
Instead of giving up, Kristina started again with a renewed mission. She now aims to inspire and empower 101 million people to dream big and take action toward the life they truly want. Her journey from building, and losing, a $650 million business to starting again with grace and optimism is deeply human. She speaks openly about the lessons of reinvention, purpose and courage that only come from experience.
Organisations that book Kristina Karlsson keynote speaker sessions can expect a raw, uplifting and transformational journey through success, failure and renewal. Kristina is based in Melbourne, Australia. Explore more business keynote speakers represented by Corporate Speakers Global, or connect with Kristina on LinkedIn to learn more about her story.
Keynote topics:
Lessons from Growing & Losing a $650m business…and starting again with a smile
History is peppered with the real-life stories of people who have broken the mould – dreamed up a new future – and gone on to make those dreams reality. Kristina is one of them, and in this engaging and raw presentation, she shares the key business & personal lessons she learned along the way – from business success to failure – and starting again..engaging, educating, inspiring & empowering audiences to make personal, team or organisational transformations.
Kristina takes goal setting to a new level – beyond constraints – to tap into your delegates hearts as well as their minds in an unconstrained and powerful way.
A great way to start strategy or planning sessions – or if you need to shake up and inspire your people to consider new approaches.
Tap the Power of Dreaming (2.5 hr Optional Workshop)
Drawing on her personal experience writing her dreams on paper in her early twenties, and then making them happen, the learnings she made researching and writing her best-selling book about the power of dreaming and her knowledge as a global thought-leader on the power of dreaming – Kristina helps audiences discover their dreams (business, team, personal or all) and to create an action plan to go get them.
Testimonials
We were blown away by how positively the event was received, due in no small part to your participation and sharing copies of your book. Your session rated 10/10 by 38% of attendees and 83% rated it higher than 9/10.”
The Leadership Institute – Women in Leadership Summit 2023
“Kristina’s speaker score was 9/10. That’s remarkable for this audience”
International Entrepreneurs Organisation, Sydney
“I’ve followed Kristina’s story for a long-time. I thought she would give a good keynote, but I had no idea it would be THAT good! People laughed, cried… and learnt.”
Dale Beaumont, Business Blueprint Conference
Kristina Karlsson was a wonderful speaker. She came prepared with her talk and tips in mind for the type of audience she had been briefed about. She outlined that it wasn’t all plain sailing, that it was hard work with long hours but working for yourself and making a success from it was a fantastic feeling. Kristina connected with our guests and the feedback has been extremely positive. Very pleasant to deal with and nothing was too much trouble, we would highly recommend her as a speaker.
Maroondah City Council
