“When we pay attention, when we expand our thinking, when we go beyond our fixed idea of how we see our world and ourselves, there is an opportunity for a personal renaissance. A rebirth. Be curious about what you haven’t seen. Untether yourself ...And then go and meet yourself again.”
Meet Allison
Hailed by audiences worldwide as “life-changing” “riveting” “completely unique” “bold” and “profound,” Allison Massari’s spirit of courage, kindness, and resilience resonates with participants long after an event has finished. Listed as one of the Top 10 Best Speakers for “motivation” and “personal development” in the United States by Meetings & Conventions Magazine, Allison has been featured on PBS, ABC, FOX and NBC networks.
Allison is also named on the “Top 100 Iconic Business Speakers” List. Her diverse client list includes: Intel, Capital One, GE Healthcare IT, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, LPL Financial, McKesson, Allscripts, Fresenius, Lilly, HIMSS/CHIME, Teva Pharmaceutical, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Siemens Medical, CVS Health, Beryl Institute, American Family Insurance Group, CBRE—Microsoft, and MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table).
Allison Massari’s work is a celebration of the power of the human spirit. Her potent message has reached audiences in more than 75 countries and is a testament to hope, relentless perseverance, and radical compassion.
She has dedicated her life to igniting that inner fire of passion and courage for individuals and organizations, inspiring them to reach total success, personal mastery, and fulfillment. As a diversified entrepreneur, interdisciplinary artist, and keynote speaker, Allison provides an exceptional blend of creativity, straight-forward guidance, encouragement, and business acuity.
Allison has a fascinating history. Having triumphed over two traumatic accidents, one where she was trapped in a car, burned alive, and sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns on over 50% of her body, Allison captures the hearts of her audiences with her strength, warmth, vulnerability, and honesty. She powerfully demonstrates how we can each access grace and resilience in the face of challenges and always be the light in the room.
Allison Massari’s programs are packed with content. Blending powerful life lessons with compelling, insightful, and awe-inspiring stories, she teaches genuine tools to develop a mindset of self-leadership, resilience and joyful appreciation of others—unleashing an inner strength and professional enthusiasm that elevates work culture, alleviates burnout, strengthens employee retention, and transforms lives. Prepare to be taken on a journey.
"I don’t believe there is a group who could sit before the pure magic Allison brings to a room and not be forever changed."
Jessica Chapman
Women in Science Liaison | Neuroscience Pharmaceutical Sales
Eli Lilly
Entrepreneurial Spirit
ALLISON MASSARI’S WORK HAS ALWAYS CREATED A ROAR.
With the heart of an artist, the keen vision of an entrepreneur, and a knack for success, Allison has built four thriving businesses in the past 30+ years. She began with a robust fine arts business and jewelry line. Among her accolades were art commissions for Fortune 500 companies including Lockheed Martin, General Mills and US Airways.
With characteristic vigor, Allison launched her coaching and speaking career—to outstanding success. She was quickly honored as the #1 Rising Star in Speaking by the National Speakers Association (NSA), and received immediate recognition with esteemed engagements including a TEDx event in Spain on “The Future of Happiness” and a main platform keynote at the 2013 Million Dollar Round Table Conference where she addressed an audience of 8,600. As a consistently sought out, international speaker, Allison captivates audiences, both with her virtual programs and in-person events, and she was recently honored as the main-stage closing keynote speaker at the esteemed 2022 NSA Speakers Conference.
Allison has a natural and intuitive ability in business. Her sensitivity, care, and highly effective coaching methods enabled her to become a trusted confidante to CEOs, executives and entrepreneurs. Her coaching clients have excelled and reached pinnacle achievements personally, and in their widely varied fields.
In film, Allison is featured in the award-winning international documentary “Resolve” which offers solutions to overcome adversity and PTSD, hosted by the Head of US Forces for the Military in Afghanistan.
Redefining the Impossible
In 1998, as Allison was preparing her paintings for an important museum exhibition, her world was shattered by a fiery and explosive car accident where she almost lost her life. Hit nearly head-on by another car going sixty miles per hour, Allison was stunned by a massive impact and trapped inside her car as it was engulfed in flames. She was conscious the entire time as she was burned alive.
Convinced that she was going to die, Allison was saved by a heroic onlooker, a Vietnam veteran, who ran into the fiery scene, kicked the glass out of her car window, and pulled her to safety. Then, just three years later, Allison survived another devastating crash, where she was hit again and sustained a closed-head brain injury.
Astonishingly, navigating these experiences propelled Allison to discover an unshakeable strength and determination —and to then purposefully learn the intricacies of what it takes to overcome adversity and live with heart. She says, “I didn’t want to just heal. I wanted to feel peaceful. I became relentless in my pursuit to find the answers to life.”
Allison has always believed in the miraculous.
Ultimately, this journey of healing led Allison to her life’s work. As she bravely shares her personal experiences with deep insight and sensitivity, Allison instills essential tools of self-mastery—teaching how to triumphantly access grace and resilience in the face of challenges and be a dynamic force of goodness.
“Pain, change, and unrest can create a deepening in our hearts, and make us so present, so awake... The very fact that we choose to ‘show up,’ to keep going, is actually an act of love. Just showing up is triumphant.”
“There is a way to experience our life and our work that feels transcendent. We can each activate a buoyant aliveness—an inner vitality—and view our life through the lens of beauty.”
Transforming Lives
Allison’s diverse client list highlights the impact that her story and message has on so many distinct audiences worldwide. She adapts her message to address the individual issues affecting each market and has worked with a broad range of industries including Finance, Insurance, Sales, IT, Energy, Real Estate, Agriculture, Healthcare, and Nonprofits. She inspires courage, tenacity, and willingness—necessary qualities in each industry. With honesty, encouragement, and clarity, Allison shows how it takes courage, again and again, in a series of many moments to be successful.
While the artistry, insight and value of Allison’s program transcends industry barriers, her unique personal history reinforces her ability to address important and sensitive subjects without alienating individuals. This is particularly true in Healthcare, where she is a leading educator—helping alleviate stress, moral injury, and burnout. Allison’s customized Healthcare keynote offers support for compassion fatigue, and provides a preeminent program on patient-centered care as it relates to health care reform. Allison states, “I knew if I could bring healing to the healers, I could have the greatest impact.”
Raised by her mother, a nurse, and her father, a cancer surgeon, Allison grew up with an intimate understanding of the demands and challenges of the medical profession. Her upbringing, coupled with the hundreds of days she spent in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and physical therapy centers, gives her a compelling view inside the patient experience. As Allison states, “Compassion heals the places that medicine cannot touch.”
As a powerful and passionate advocate for both patient and provider, Allison teaches the art of self-leadership—how to always be the healer in the room no matter the circumstances, and how to bring kindness in a matter of seconds. Her dynamic and poignant program offers real solutions to the struggle of how to keep the patient first, which increases patient satisfaction and supports the financial success of medical facilities, while improving the welfare of the patients and patient safety.
Her clients use these keynotes to provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Education Units (CEU).
“My greatest desire as a speaker is to celebrate the power of the human spirit, to make sure that no person feels alone, to ignite that inner fire of perseverance, and inspire people to reach pinnacle achievements.”
“Keep it simple. Do good every day in the world, with simple acts of kindness. Blaze a trail of sweetness. Remove all expectations of others, while going wholeheartedly after your dreams. Eat well. Sleep well. Love big.”
Giving Back
Allison believes deeply in the power of community and compassion. In 1998, as she was beginning her own journey of recovery, she felt compelled by a desire to support and uplift others. She founded The Roger Pepper Adventure Camps, a revolutionary program for teenagers with severe burn injuries, and named after the man who risked his own life to save her when he pulled her from her burning car. In partnership with the Adaptive Sport Center, a non-profit located in Crested Butte, Colorado, these life-changing camps powerfully build confidence, hope, and healing in young participants, and have done so for over 21 years.
To this day, Allison raises funds each year so that the children don’t pay a dime to attend and can feel the support and influence of the world around them. There, these teens learn to ski, snowboard, ice climb, rock climb, dog sled, make artwork, and so much more—building friendships and expanding their joy, self-esteem and vigor for life.
Artistic Expression
Though Allison’s primary artform is now the spoken word, her paintings, sculptures and mixed-media work are an integral part of her speaking—as the intimate and stunning visual backdrop to her keynotes.
Schooled in creativity as a sculptor, painter, and interdisciplinary artist, Allison always felt that her artwork was a vehicle for her passion to connect with people. After receiving her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, she went on to receive an integrated masters degree by combining MFA programs from Parsons School of Design in painting, and the School of Visual Arts in illustration in New York City.
Her artwork has been embraced by private art collectors and museums internationally. The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida also holds her artwork in its permanent collection.
““Gracefulness is facing adversity... with a song in your heart. ””
Below is a list of Allison’s most requested topics.
• The Fire Within:℠ Activating True Resilience
• Be the One℠: Retain Leaders and Teams Through a Heart-Led Culture Shift
• For Healthcare: You are the Medicine℠
"The Fire Within" Promo Reel (Excellent for Resilience, Empowerment, Mindset, and Inspiration) | 6.5 Minutes
"Be the One℠ Promo Reel (Excellent for Elevating Work Culture, Burnout, Self-Leadership, Empowerment, Mindset & Retention) | 5.5 Minutes
See Below for a Clip from “The Fire Within” (Keynote 1) | The Power of the Human Spirit | 6 Minutes
CUSTOMIZATION for Healthcare | 7 minutes
Allison customizes her inspirational message for each audience and industry. Preview a clip of Allison's healthcare keynote below. This speech was tailored for an organization serving a healthcare audience of D&A and finance professionals.
Watch Below | Testimonials | 4 minutes
