Head Start Keynote Speaker
Your Head Start Team Can Find Their Fight Again. I Can Help.
★★★★★ 4.9 / 5.0 at NHSA Parent & Family Engagement Conference
"I would recommend him to be a keynote speaker for any and all NHSA functions." - Attendee, NHSA Parent and Family Engagement Conference, Orlando
His Story Is Your Mission
I Know Your World Because I Lived It
I was the kid Head Start was built for. I grew up in a tiny village in Haiti with no running water, no electricity, and no one who believed I would survive. I was sick, hungry, and invisible. The only reason I am standing here today is that a few caring adults looked at me and saw something worth saving.
That is your staff. Every single day.
I came to America at 21 with five dollars, two shirts, and no English. I washed cars in a Miami parking lot. I worked as a doorman for fourteen years. I taught myself to read, to speak, and to dream in a language I did not grow up with.
Today I keynote for Coca-Cola, Aflac, the U.S. Army, Verizon Wireless, and BlueCross BlueShield. I have been featured on 60 Minutes, CNN, and ABC.
But the rooms that feel most like home to me are Head Start rooms. Because your mission and my story are the same story. One caring adult can change a child's life. I am proof.
4.9
Out of 5.0 at NHSA
5.0
Perfect score at NHSA
33
Positive evaluations
20+
On stage
Track record
Head Start Audiences I Have Served
I have keynoted and presented at every level of the Head Start community.
01Â Â National Head Start Association (NHSA)
Parent and Family Engagement Conference, Orlando. Session: "The Village Hero Formula: How One Caring Adult Can Shape a Child's Future." Rated 4.9/5.0 overall. Perfect 5.0 on repeat-at-future-conference question.
02Â Â Region IV Head Start Association
Regional conference keynote
03Â Â South Carolina State Head Start Association
State association keynote
04Â Â Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority
Local grantee event
From the national stage to the regional room to the local grantee, I speak the language of this work because I have been in these rooms again and again.
Track record
Head Start Audiences I Have Served
Head Start leaders and staff are tired. They are worried about funding. They are carrying the weight of children and families on their shoulders while the rules keep changing underneath them. They do not need a pep talk. They need someone to say the hard thing, stand with them while they hear it, and hand them something real to carry back to the classroom on Monday.
The Village Hero Formula
Your staff will rediscover the power of being one caring adult in a child's life. I use my own story of growing up without that adult to show your team what happens when they show up and what happens when nobody does. They will leave the room knowing that their daily work is not small. It is the whole thing.
No Condition Is Permanent
Your leaders will learn how to move from coping to real persistence. Not motivation that wears off by Tuesday, but a shift in how they see struggle. I teach that the hard season is not the ending. It is the place where they are being built. They will walk out with a new way to talk to themselves and their teams when the funding news gets ugly.
Every keynote is built for your specific audience. Tell me who is in the room, what they are struggling with, and what you want them to feel when they leave. I will shape the message to fit.
What They Said
What Head Start Audiences Say
No Condition Is Permanent
"Rene restored my faith and confidence to continue the work I do at the American Samoa Child Care."
"MY FAVORITE SPEAKER!! He was so inspirational and motivating! Loved him!"
"He would be a great Key Note Speaker for the next conference!! He was AMAZING!"
"This was my first time hearing this gentleman speak and all I can say is wow. I was completely moved by his session."
"Please have Rene as a key note speaker at the next conference or sooner."
Speaking Investment
A Rate That Respects Your Budget
I speak to Fortune 500 companies. I charge Fortune 500 rates for that work. Head Start is different.
Your mission and my story come from the same place. A poor village. A hungry kid. An adult who showed up. Because of that, I offer Head Start programs, state associations, and regional conferences a deeply discounted speaking rate. Way below my corporate fee.
Your budgets are tight. I know that. Your work matters too much for me to price myself out of the room where it can do the most good. If money is the only thing standing between your team and this message, I want that wall gone.
Common Questions
What People Ask Before Booking
1. Has Rene spoken at NHSA events?
Yes. Rene keynoted the National Head Start Association Parent and Family Engagement Conference in Orlando. He received a 4.9 out of 5.0 rating across every evaluation category and a perfect 5.0 on the question of whether the session should be repeated at a future NHSA conference. 33 attendees submitted evaluations.
2. What keynote topics does Rene offer for Head Start audiences?
Rene offers three programs built for this community: The Village Hero Formula, No Condition Is Permanent, and Kick Your Excuses Goodbye. Every keynote is customized to the specific audience, the moment they are in, and what you need them to walk out feeling and doing.
Yes. He offers a deeply discounted rate for Head Start programs, state associations, and regional conferences. He grew up in poverty in Haiti, the same world Head Start serves, and he does not want budget to be the barrier between his message and the people who need it most.
4. What Head Start organizations has Rene spoken for?
Rene has spoken for the National Head Start Association, Region IV Head Start Association, South Carolina State Head Start Association, and Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, among others.
Rene grew up as the child Head Start was designed to serve. Born in extreme poverty in rural Haiti with no running water and no electricity, he immigrated to America at 21 with five dollars and no English. He built a speaking career from a parking lot car wash. His story and Head Start's mission are the same story. Staff and leaders in these rooms recognize themselves, their students, and their families in his journey.
Common Questions
What People Ask Before Booking
If you want to read more about leading Head Start teams through this season, read the full post: Motivational Speaker for Head Start: Lead Through the Storm.
If your state association, regional conference, grantee, or in-service day needs a speaker who has been in these rooms before and knows what your people are carrying, the next step is simple. Send a note and let us start the conversation.
Ready to Book
Rene godefroy?
"Let's talk about what your audience needs
and how we can deliver it."