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Fenton Jagdeo Jr.

Speaker Exclusive

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Advocate for Radical Curiosity

Fenton Jagdeo Jr. advocates for radical curiosity, innovative leadership thinking, and forward momentum in ways that ensure unique personal and professional development experiences for your whole team. He’s got a rare combination of experience as a startup executive, a civic leader on large public boards, and an advisor to large corporations. He is currently the youngest person ever to sit on the Toronto Transit Commission’s board of directors and his former company, Faculty, a cosmetics brand for men, has gained the attention of Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, and GQ.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
Contact us for more information about this speaker & their virtual presentations. Click here for some of the most popular formats for virtual events.
Innovating your Future with Curiosity & Strategy

Fenton demystifies what it means to pursue innovation, strategic planning and radical curiosity.  He shows why it’s so important to the long term success of organizations & what happens if you don’t innovate. 

He explains why aggressive future scenario planning is important to help make better decisions today, while building a competitive moat around whatever you do.

Fenton believes the new rule for being successful is that there are no rules. The most important factor to becoming the type of dynamic worker that will define this era is the ability to be curious. His approach encourages a sense of urgency and inspires the courage in business leaders to think outside of today’s framing. 

Takeaways:

  • Practical tools that staff at all levels of an organization can use to bring more success to every day innovation and decision making. 
  • Future scenario planning.
  • A repeatable framework to activate and execute on your curiosity to drive innovation.
Black on Bay Street, and Beyond Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

Fenton was the 1% at his university. The 1% in his elite business program. The 1% at his first job. He was the 1% at Deloitte. He’s the 1% of civic leaders. He’s the 1% for venture capital raising anywhere, and the 1% for startup leaders. And when he means 1%,  he doesn’t mean wealth, he means race: 1% represents the summation of black population in a similar positions.

This conversation will raise shocking facts about Canada’s black population, and by offering up real lived experiences he’s come up against, he shows why diversity is important… and not from an emotional “do good for the people” PR way but by focusing on what he knows best: the logical, financial, and strategic arguments for why giving oxygen to a group of minorities that have been disenfranchised for hundreds of years is a competitive advantage for us all.  He considers himself to be one of the lucky ones, but there’s no reason why that should be the case.

Takeaways:

  • Logical and financial arguments for why diversity is a competitive advantage.
  • What may be on the minds of your black employees who are too afraid to say it.
  • Practical ways to think about corporate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
Civic Engagement & Leadership

There’s a misconception around getting involved in public service (from simple volunteering to joining public boards); people believe that the altruism you receive is the only benefit, but there are tangible benefits that help you career, your community, and your self development.

Fenton talks through his experiences in the world of civic engagement: from the first door he ever knocked on for a candidate, to joining large decision making bodies that impact your day to day like public transit and libraries,  walking through how he was able to maneuver these opportunities and what these opportunities have afforded him from a career, skill development, and networking perspective.

Takeaways:

  • The importance of community engagement.
  • How to make the most of your public service.
Startups & The Rise of Ungendered Consumption

Fenton built Faculty, the men’s cosmetics company covered by HYPEBEAST, The Wall Street Journal, and Esquire, raising millions in venture capital during one of the worst financial periods in recent history.

Hear some of the consumer trends around Gen Z, their interests, buying patterns, and behaviors,  their perspective on “ungendered consumption” and what they look for in companies trying to court their disposable dollar. 

Takeaways:

  • What’s required to get in the hearts and minds of the newest generation of spenders, before it’s too late.
  • The bet on makeup for men in a half a trillion dollar industry unchanged for almost 100 years and dominated by gendered consumption.
  • Guiding principles and learnings to survive and succeed when literally all odds are against you.
Servant Leadership: Navigating Challenging Relationships and Environments

From embattled charities in Canada, to working on Saudi Arabian mega projects against a backdrop of chaotic geopolitics, and advising a wealthy family office in the Balkans (not too dissimilar to HBO’s Succession!), Fenton has had the privilege of working on a ton of projects, with a ton of people, all around the world… and it’s not always easy. There’s a massive clash of ideas, philosophies, and world views that stress test relationships and where success goes. 

With an emphasis on understanding people, Fenton provides strategies for successfully navigating challenging work environments and working with difficult people.

Lessons from Failure

You can learn more from failure than success.

Fenton delves into the key lessons learned as an entrepreneur—like determination, resilience, and uncertainty—and how these lessons can be applied in learning from failure. 

He shares stories of the peak highs and steep lows across working with well known celebrities, investors, companies, and all the crazy tales that come with running a global startup… and rest assured, there are many.

Platform Plus Presentations

Unique formats and ways to connect with audiences.
Breakout sessions with Fenton
Fenton is able to take many of his keynote presentations above and go deeper into the topic with more interactive sessions.
Workshop | Ideation and Concept Development Sessions
Facilitated by Fenton, this workshop helps groups brainstorm new ideas in a productive and methodical approach through human centered design and innovation based approaches.
Workshop | Corporate Strategy and Innovation Strategy Articulation
Strategy is all about making choices, and sometimes the hardest part about strategy is articulating it in a way that makes sense to the Board or to employees. Proper articulation also allows teams to execute on that strategy. Facilitated by Fenton, this workshop help leaders decide on their strategic choices for the business, and allow for clear articulation, serving as a springboard for further discussion.
Workshop | Scenario Planning Exercises
Scenario Planning is a tool to structure the consideration of contingencies and the resilience and flexibility of strategy under different future states to help executives develop long-term, sustainable business strategies. Facilitated by Fenton, this workshop helps uncover potential scenarios that companies might face, providing strategies for brainstorming and developing contingency plans to address them.

Audience reviews:

  • On behalf of Oxford, words cannot express our gratitude for what you did onstage for us. Based on our conversations, we knew you were going to be amazing—but you surpassed our expectations. You truly captivated our employees. The amount of prep you put into this was evident and we’re grateful for that. The way you met our Real Estate Investment professionals where they were with content that resonated with their expertise and experiences, as well as sharing your own personal stories to drive home the notion of practical allyship being second nature was magical to watch. We hope to continue our connection with you and to find as many ways as possible to move this dialogue into action. - Oxford Inclusion & Diversity ERG Leadership Team, Oxford Properties Group
  • Just wanted to thank you for presenting at the Oxford I&D yesterday. Your message was strong and I’ve committed to memory Sponsorship, Intervention, Amplification and Empathy (Education). All required to make change and I will definitely take this up with the Executive Committee. - EVP, Chief Financial Officer, Oxford Properties Group
  • SIMPLY BRILLIANT and PHENOMENAL! So very happy with him as a speaker! - Viewpoint Leadership
  • It was a privilege to have Fenton Jagdeo as the keynote speaker for Accenture Strategy Canada’s Black History Month Fireside Chat! He is an engaging speaker who candidly discussed his experiences facing racism in the workplace and in his personal life. Overall, we received tremendous feedback from this event and welcome Fenton back at any time to continue these important discussions! - Strategy Analyst, Accenture
  • Fenton was an absolute pleasure. So very personable and knowledgeable. He is very intriguing to listen to, and the hour just flew by. I honestly couldn’t believe it went so quick, I could have listened to him speak much longer :) - Senior Manager, National Conferences and Events, Habitat for Humanity Canada
  • Fenton, thank you so much for today. Your ability to captivate a room (even virtually), weave narrative with hard facts and figures, and deliver food for thought is inspiring. I hope that you get to infuse your energy into a lot more spaces, and will certainly keep an eye out for additional opportunities to invite you to facilitate conversation. - Board Director, SKETCH
  • Regardless of the audience, objective, or topic, Fenton commands attention and he uses excellent anecdotes and analogies to reinforce his argument. Moreover, he is not afraid to voice an unpopular opinion, and he does all of this with genuine optimism and authenticity. His messages resonate and inspire, and on more than one occasion, members of the audience have reached out to me
    for his contact information, as they were moved to learn more from him or to have him speak at other upcoming events. - Ivey School of Business
  • Fenton is one of the most engaging and entertaining public speakers I have come across. He has a unique talent for making group sessions intimate and individualized. The content of his talk was engaging (it remains one of the most oft discussed sessions we took part in) and perfectly walked the line between interactive and introspective. - Director of Recruitment & Executive Search, Clarity
  • Despite all the challenges that could come with speaking to an audience on the other side of the world with significant cultural differences, he did a phenomenal job. His story telling abilities, entertaining personality, and knowledge at such a young age was impressive to witness in action (it helps that he’s funny). Fenton’s talk went so well, we hired him to work on a corporate strategy engagement with the organization. - Director of Mobility, NEOM
  • Fenton is a terrific storyteller and has a talent for making technical topics digestible and entertaining. Whether it’s on a small scale (casual internal setting) or larger scale (professional audience), Fenton has a way of captivating those around him. As a public speaker, he was engaging and dynamic. Fenton broke down technical concepts into segments, provided examples, and connected theory to practical scenarios. Everyone in the room was nodding heads throughout his presentation he kept everyone’s attention for over an hour. - Manager of Design and Insights, Doblin - Deloitte’s Innovation Unit
  • If I could describe Fenton Jagdeo in one word, it would be passionate. Passionate about advocating for change, passionate about youth engagement, and most of all, passionate about using his story to positively impact others. I was continuously impressed by Fenton’s ability to own and engage a crowd. Whenever Fenton spoke, every single person in the room listened. Fenton went above and beyond each step of the way to make sure he always delivered the best. - Ethnocultural Support Services, USC
 

Speaker Biography

Fenton Jagdeo Jr. believes the new rule for being successful is that there are no rules. The most important factor to becoming the type of dynamic worker that will define this era is the ability to be curious. Radically curious. And then activate and execute that curiosity into innovation. It’s this approach that’s ensured Fenton has optimized his curiosity and leveraged his experiences into dynamic career opportunities. He’s an entrepreneur and problem solver based on an ideology of creating better for the ecosystems he operates in, which impacts everyone positively. Fenton does this through a passion for action, by inspiring others, and by investing in those also building for better.

In 2022, he was named to Bay Street Bull’s Top 30×30, showcasing incredible individuals who are redefining the way we do business, championing their communities, and cultivating entirely new industries. Fenton is passionate about innovation, the importance of youth leadership, resiliency in the face of adversity, diversity as a competitive advantage, the future of mobility, GenZ and how consumer companies can court them, building startups, and navigating the venture ecosystem.

An Ivey HBA graduate, he was previously a board member of the world’s largest neighbourhood library system, the Toronto Public Library, where he was responsible for leading the strategic planning committee and developing the library’s five-year strategy. He was also a management consultant at Deloitte, Monitor and Doblin, where he helped advise private and public sector leaders. He now consults independently to senior government and business leaders across the world, helping them think through the toughest innovation and business challenges with a design thinking and leadership mindset. Recently, he advised Saudi Arabia on transit and a hotelier in Lebanon. In addition, Fenton ran a PPE operation out of Sudan and was a second strategy hire at Freshii, working closely with the CEO on new initiatives designed to push industry boundaries.

Currently, he’s the youngest person ever on the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) board of directors and the founding entrepreneur for venture-backed company, Faculty, a cosmetics brand for men. His company raised $3 million in seed funding led by The Esteé Lauder Cos., making Fenton one of the very few Black Canadians to raise capital for a venture. In 2023, the brand was acquired by Estée Lauder Companies.

Fenton is also an EDI Advisory Council Member, owns a real estate advertising agency in Texas, and is the Co-Founder of BIPOC Mentor Network, a better people network driven to democratize opportunity for BIPOC & LGTBQ+ students. He is also the youngest teacher on staff at OCAD University, the largest and most comprehensive art, design, and media university in Canada. A ‘professor of strategy’, he teaches a Masters Student class in Strategy Development where students explore scenario planning, strategic choices, identifying growth areas,  innovation capability, building new growth businesses and ventures, and choice defense with business modeling.

He’s lectured on innovation, business strategy, and leadership for various corporate teams, associations, and educational institutions. Some of his previous clients include Loblaws, Oxford Properties Group, Accenture, Ivey Business School, and more. Notably, he was a speaker at the African Smart Mobility Conference talking about the future of mobility and low cost transport options for emerging economies.

All of this having grown up on Jane Street and attending what many would consider one of the roughest high schools in Toronto, gives him the lived experience when he speaks about resilience, diversity, equity, and inclusion.