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Denise Soler Cox Leading Voice on Belonging and Award-Winning Filmmaker

About the Author

Denise Soler Cox is a leading voice on belonging and diversity, a keynote speaker, award-winning filmmaker, and expert on transforming workplace culture. She helps leaders create High Quality Cultures™ where people don’t just fit in, they belong. Belonging is the key to retention, engagement, and performance, but most organizations don’t know how to build it at scale. Denise Soler Cox uses her experience to tell inspiring stories with a single purpose…to transform how we think and speak about culture, identity and what it means to belong.

In 2020, Denise Soler Cox was recognized as a “Featured Host” by Apple Podcast North America for her podcast “The Self-ish Latina” which has listeners in 32 countries. She has been invited to speak on over 400 stages including two TEDx talks and has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands like Ralph Lauren, Amazon, Progressive, Microsoft, AARP, Facebook, LinkedIn, JP Morgan Chase, Salesforce, Dow Jones, Eli Lilly, Starbucks, SONY, L’Oréal to name a few.

Through her speaking, her award-winning film “being eñye”, and upcoming book What Will They Say? (2026), Denise Soler Cox shows brands how to build belonging and help individuals truly belonging to themselves. She has appeared as an expert guest on NBC Nightly News and her work has been featured in Forbes.com, CNN, PBS, NBC Latino, Chicago Tribune, Telemundo, Univision, Fox News Latino, HOLA, and the Huffington Post.

She was a 2023 MPI President’s Award recipient, is a distinguished member of the 4th Cohort of the Stanford Latino Leaders Entrepreneur Program and was a National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) 2017 Fellow. Denise Soler Cox was also the 2018 recipient of the “Bridge Builder Award in Education” from the Virginia Hispanic Chamber.

Contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau to invite Denise Soler Cox for speaking events as a belonging, diversity, and Latina speaker. Use the Request a Speaker form or email info@simonspeakers.com to speak to Denise Soler Cox booking agent to request her speaking fee, booking information, and availability.

Suggested Topics

The Belonging Code™
In The Belonging Code™, she reveals the unseen beliefs that quietly limit performance, especially for people raised with values of deep connection, contribution and shared success, and turns them into a competitive advantage for leadership, engagement and retention.

With her signature mix of powerful storytelling and actionable frameworks, Denise shows audiences how to stop hiding parts of themselves, lead with authenticity, and create cultures where people contribute at their highest capacity.

In this keynote, attendees will learn how to:
• Transform inherited beliefs into leadership strengths using The 4 Belonging Superpowers™ framework.
• Lead with authenticity, without self-silencing, even in environments that don’t reflect their own life experience.
• Build high-trust, high-performance cultures where innovation thrives because people feel safe to contribute fully.

The Inner Game of Belonging: Where Innovation and Identity Meet.

What if everything you thought you knew about belonging was missing the most crucial piece? Organizations invest countless resources trying to create cultures of belonging, yet still struggle with disengagement, missed innovation, and talent walking out the door. Why? Because they’re solving the wrong problem.

The real challenge isn’t about making people feel like they belong – it’s about understanding why they don’t. It’s about breaking the silence around the universal experience that’s holding your organization back: The internal dialogue that convinces your brightest minds they’re not ready, your emerging leaders they’re not qualified, and your most innovative thinkers they might be found out.

Through compelling stories and unexpected discoveries, audiences learn:
• How to turn self-doubt from a leadership liability into a catalyst for authentic connection
• Why acknowledging the “messy middle” actually accelerates both personal and team development
• The unexpected way belonging to yourself transforms how others contribute and engage
• How to create environments where innovation flows because people stop hiding and start leading

Breaking Cultural Codes That Keep Latino Leaders Silent
What if the biggest barrier to innovation isn’t lack of talent, but cultural dissonance silencing brilliant minds? After nearly 10 years of Latinas sharing their deepest truths with me, I’ve discovered how collective mindset conditioning clashes catastrophically with individual-focused North American business culture. Women raised to keep secrets “for the greater good” unconsciously sabotage their own potential. One executive never pitched her game-changing strategy, not from imposter syndrome, but because visibility felt like betrayal of everything she was taught about loyalty and survival.

Attendees will understand:
• Why cultural dissonance creates invisible barriers when collective mindset conditioning clashes with individual-focused business environments
• How early “visibility equals danger” conditioning unconsciously sabotages career potential and keeps brilliant minds from contributing fully
• Practical frameworks for interrupting cultural programming and creating environments where collective-minded individuals can thrive

Raves and Reviews

Thank you does not feel like a strong enough sentiment to express our appreciation for you and the light you bring to every place you go Denise! I wanted to extend my & our sincerest Thank you for presenting the power of Belonging to our Team. It was a truly transformational experience, that left our team synergized with optimism and purposefulness in how we see each other, except each other and create belonging.”
—SalonCentric – Professional Beauty Partners

As a first generation American and a daughter of a refugee and immigrant, there was always this gnawing sense that I didn’t quite fit anywhere. It’s something I couldn’t articulate until hearing Denise speak. She “gets” cultural dexterity and why it matters. She helped me understand the value of cultural fluency and unlock (what I call) my super power so that I can be of service to others.”
—Pipeline

Denise holds a special gift to speak from the heart and leaves everyone in the room feeling a little more love than they walked in with. This love spreads… she gives easily followed, actionable takeaways to help your team incorporate this feeling of belonging within their communities. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and the reviews were all 5 stars!”
—Colorado School Nutritionists Association

I was crying, laughing, holding my hands up in that “preach-it” position… It was exactly what everyone needed to experience. You are amazing, and in times like these, you are a beacon of light (filled with love, acceptance, and joy). I am truly happy you are, not just here, but nuestra voz! Abrazo grande Prima!!!”
—Lexia Learning

Denise is incredibly talented and inspiring. She is a beautiful storyteller and is able to move an audience. I knew that we just had to have her speak at Best Buy to deliver her message about the importance of belonging. And I am so glad that we did. We did the screening and to nobody’s surprise, more waterworks and relatable stories were shared by the audience.”
Best Buy

Denise captivated associates by describing the concept of a tangible sense of belonging. She offered insights and actionable steps, while delivering an energizing and relatable message for anyone seeking to enhance belonging at work, home, or in their community. She’s been our most praised speaker to date.”
—Performance Food Group

This was my second time hearing Denise speak and each time her message of belonging and how to create it is fresh, her delivery is authentic and her impact lasts long after she gets off stage.”
L’Oréal, Professional Products Division

Inspiring, humbling, grounding and so full of hope.”
Microsoft

Denise Soler Cox is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Anytime you have the opportunity to hear her speak, I highly suggest it!”
LinkedIn

Denise is a courageous and bold Latina who is amazingly likable and relatable. She is a new, refreshing and confident voice for American Latinos. As well, she has emerged a thought leader and influencer on the international stage. Denise is a rare jewel. In my years in nonprofit leadership, Denise stands out as a true leader among leaders. Her energy and enthusiasm; her progressive thinking and her positive persona—on top of her knowledge and skills—make her very distinct indeed. The smiles, nods and tears of audience members during Denise’s speaking engagement was an early indication of what the final outcome would be and that was complete satisfaction!”
The U.S. Small Business Administration

In the Media

Videos

Books by Denise Soler Cox

What Will They Say?
¿Qué dirán?, Spanish-language edition of What Will They Say

Contact Us

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