Workshops and Events
Now booking for Fall/Winter 2023. These workshops are created with a DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) and intersectional approach to mental health, career coaching, and leadership. Vanessa is also available for in-person or virtual panels or speaking engagement events on mental health, leadership and empowerment.
POPULAR
Thriving as Your Authentic Self:
Intersectional
Mental Health Awareness
An interactive corporate engagement workshop and safe space to address and educate on mental health issues with an intersectional perspective centering the lived experience of BIPOC, women, parents, LGBTQ+ and disabled employees. All employees and allies are encouraged to attend.
This session will empower attendees by exploring strategies and tools to cope with common mental health challenges in the workplace, such as chronic stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, social media addiction, and work-life balance. We'll discuss how discrimination, microaggressions, cultural stigmas, systemic bias, and code-switching impact mental health - and how we can create supportive environments for healing and growth.
Attendees will learn practical tips on how to identify signs of mental health concerns, implement self-care and boundary practices, and how to access culturally competent mental health support and resources.
“Vanessa hosted a fantastic mental health awareness workshop with a focus on our BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ employees. The content was engaging, well-researched, and offered practical tips for preventing burnout and setting healthy boundaries. Vanessa’s vulnerability about her own mental health challenges created a safe space for others in the room to open up, leading to an honest dialogue around mental health. I’d recommend Vanessa to any organization looking to support employees on their mental health journeys.”
Recommended for Mental Health and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
(DEIB)
ELEVATE:
Empowering Leaders for Mental Health Success
Successful leadership and mental health are intrinsically connected. This session is an interactive group workshop and safe space that empowers and engages attendees on mental health topics and inclusive leadership frameworks. Programming is centered on culturally relevant and data-informed issues and resources that elevate specific identities and communities (AAPI / Asian diaspora, women, parents, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodiverse).
What You’ll Get:
Empowerment Masterclass: 60-90 minute interactive leadership and mental health workshop, specifically customized to your organization’s demographics and needs
Keynote Speaker, Host & Facilitator: Vanessa Shiliwala
Diversity/Equity/Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Forum: Data, Exercises, Personal Stories, Resources and Practical Frameworks that can be implemented to promote more inclusive and equitable pathways for leadership at all levels. We’ll create spaces to share celebrations and achievements, identify challenges and barriers, and map out ways to navigate systemic and cultural barriers to representation, success, and visibility.
Mental Health Toolkit: We’ll explore mental health topics and resources to manage stress, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, negative self-talk, social media, burnout, racial trauma, family/parenting, and more.
Q&A: 30-45 minute Q&A or topical listening session
Post-Event Report and Recommendations: Custom report with observations and key recommendations for the group or organization, including an action plan with milestones for more diverse, equitable and inclusive leadership.
BIPOC Mental Health at Work: Navigating Identity, Power & Purpose
AAPI, Black, Latinx, Indigenous groups or ERGs
This session will dive deeper into culturally specific issues for BIPOC communities and specifically address how to positively impact organizational culture at work, home, communities and more.
The workshop will cover topics such as culturally responsive mental health practices, building a supportive workplace culture, and taking practical steps to promote mental health.
We'll explore strategies and practical tools via case studies, role-play scenarios, and breakout groups to improve employees' cross-racial solidarity, engagement/sense of purpose, mental health, and retention.
Keynote or Virtual Panel Speaker
Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala (she/her) is a Senior Marketing Leader, Speaker, Facilitator, and Podcast Host and is available to speak on topics such as AAPI Leadership and Empowerment, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Women’s Leadership and Empowerment, Mental Health, AAPI Mental Health, AAPI Representation in Corporate Cultures, Activism, Entrepreneurship, Career Shifts and Pauses, Family and Parenting, and LGBTQ+ allyship and resources.
About Vanessa:
Founder, Host and Producer of Thrive Spice Podcast, a top-ranked mental health and leadership podcast featured on Good Housekeeping, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Mental Health Advocate recognized by NAMI
Senior Business Leader with 15+ years of experience in Fortune 500 & Tech companies
Award-Winning DEI Leader
NYU Communications Graduate
More Reviews & Testimonials
100% of attendees would recommend Vanessa and Thrive Spice to a friend and colleague.
“Vanessa was so wonderful to work with from the start and was flexible with our time and budget. When I first reached out to her, we were able to brainstorm so many ideas already and quickly organized the events without hesitation. She shared a few topics and sent us the final outline of the event beforehand. During the event, Vanessa started off with a breathing and reflecting exercise which I thought was so helpful and empowering. She provided many resources and tips about mental health throughout her presentation deck. Vanessa was also vulnerable with us which truly built trust within our group. Our API ERG members were able to take some time to reflect and share some of our experiences as well. We left the session with Vanessa feeling light and hopeful. We were so appreciative of the session and hopefully we can work with her again in the future. Overall, Vanessa was so professional and endearing to work with. I will definitely recommend her to my network.”
- RADY PHENG, CO-CHAIR, AAPI ERG at TEACHABLE
“This was a wonderful event! Thank you for sharing all you did, and creating an environment that allowed for vulnerability.”
“The Q&A at the end was superb.”
All workshops include:
Keynote Speaker & Facilitator Vanessa Shiliwala and workshop presentation (1-2 hours)
Mental Health Masterclass with culturally relevant data, frameworks, interactive group exercises, and resources customized for AAPI, BIPOC, women, parents, LGBTQ+, Neurodiverse and Disabled employee groups and/or ERGs
15-30 minute Q&A/listening session to hold space for attendees or community members
Full PDF of deck and toolkit of mental health and leadership resources, and option to record event
Post-event feedback survey of attendees
Final report of the event with key summary and recommendations on creating a supportive work culture for mental health and DEI, and improving employee engagement, sense of purpose and inclusion, and retention.