Speaking

I have given hundreds of talks about climate solutions, wine, sustainable food systems, and more. Audiences have included Members of Parliament, business and cultural leaders, researchers, students, activists, and book clubs. Formats range from keynote and seminar lectures, webinars, and participating in and moderating debates and panel discussions, to music festivals, wine tastings, two Reddit AskMeAnythings, and a puppet show on a pontoon boat. 
  • Lecture and moderate at about 75 international meetings and organisations each year across  public policy, civil society, arts and culture, the wine industry, foundations, and academia. 
  • Twice selected as Commencement Speaker by sustainability students at Lund University. 

Recent Talks

Keynote: Facing the climate crisis with facts, feelings, and action 

 What will it take to inspire and empower a critical mass to act in time to safeguard our climate, civilization, and the living world? Lund University sustainability scientist Kimberly Nicholas argues that it’s a combination of facts, feelings, and action. Three guiding principles to make this shift from exploitation to regeneration are to simultaneously promote human and planetary health and well-being; reduce harmful practices at their source; and strengthen the resilience of both human and natural communities. For each of us, figuring out how you can contribute to, sustain, and find meaning and joy in this work is a primary duty of being alive at this moment.

Kritikos Lecture at Oregon Humanities Center, January 2022 (Watch on YouTube)

Keynote: Museums in a Warming World

What will it take to inspire and empower a critical mass to act in time to safeguard our climate, civilization, and the living world, and how can museums be part of the fast and fair transition to a fossil-free world that's needed? Lund University sustainability scientist Kimberly Nicholas argues that it’s a combination of facts, feelings, and action, and that museums have a critical role to play in informing, inspiring, and creating new possibilities.

May 2022: Sweden Museum’s Annual Meeting (200 live and 200 hybrid online participants) (watch on YouTube)

How to Be Human in a Warming World 

Intimate discussion of "Under the Sky We Make"with an artist host about climate action and audience Q&A in an outdoor sculpture park. 

August 2022: Outdoor Sculpture Park, Körsbärsgården, Gotland, Sweden (Watch on YouTube)

Popular talks

Voted best keynote of the Öredev conference, November 2017, by 500 technology thought leaders.
Keynote at Climate Solutions for the Wine Industry in Porto, March 2019.
Talk to 8-16 year olds at Lund International School, March 2018

Available Talks

  • Wine: Climate Change You Can Taste 
    What does wine tell us about the future of life on Earth, and how can wine lovers protect the wines they love? 

  • Arts and Culture for Climate Action: 
    How can museums, musicians, artists, and creatives help make the climate revolution irresistible? 

  • Academia in the Climate Crisis: Time to Walk the Talk 
    How can universities align their research, teaching, and impact missions with climate justice? 

  • City Climate Leadership: 
    Evidence-based advice on what has already worked for cities to reduce emissions and improve quality of life for residents. 

  • What can [our organisation] do about climate change? 
    Tailored, expert advice on high-impact actions your organisation can take that use your particular skills (e.g., tech, finance, health care) to make meaningful change within and beyond your industry. 

  • What can [our members/customers] do about climate change?
    Interactive sessions with organisation leaders and customers/members to answer their questions and shape their agenda for high-impact climate action. (Recent talks of this nature include webinars for top customers of Napa Valley’s celebrated Spottswoode Wine Estates, and for members of the Stanford University Founders’ Circle, who have donated $1 million or more to the University, after Under the Sky We Make was selected as the Founders’ Circle Book of the Year by Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne). 

Testimonials

"Kim was one of the keynote speakers and joined the panel in the Foundation for Science and Technology event in May 2020 on "The effect of coronavirus on the environment - and the implications for UK policy". She is a terrific speaker, able to convey complex information in a straightforward way to a non-specialist audience, and also to give hope that climate change can be addressed. I'd definitely recommend her as a speaker at other events.” - Chief Executive, Foundation for Science and Technology

"Brilliant and skilled speaker are the words coming to my mind when I am thinking about Kim. 
In 2017, Kim delivered a keynote address: "How We Solved Climate Change: A Retrospective from 2050" in front of an audience composed of 1000 software developers and tech thought leaders at the Øredev conference for software developers in Malmö, which I have organized for the last 14 years, hosting hundreds of speakers. 
Kim delivered a compelling talk about climate change, using the right angle to talk about this topic with a tech audience. After her talk, many attendees came to her to continue the discussion, she made herself approachable and available. Our attendees gave her top marks in our survey. 
Kim was very easy to work with. I give Kim my highest recommendation as a conference speaker!” — Öredev Software Developers Conference 


"Kimberly gave great moderation of the session “Putting people at the heart of local sustainable development: The Malmö Commitment” at The ICLEI World Congress 2021-2022: The Malmö Summit. The event was attended by 600 in-person and 200 online participants, who included mayors and other city government officials, civil servants, and business and civil society leaders working for more sustainable and inclusive cities around the world.
She gave a short opening talk on reducing inequality in cities, and moderated a panel of four mayors from signatory cities of the Malmö Commitment, speaking two languages (English and Spanish). It was in my opinion one of the best high-level dialogues and her intervention was received extremely well!
Her contribution really helped to make this event a success, which was particularly appreciated given the short notice of the invitation and tight frame for preparation.
It was wonderful to work with her and I look forward to future collaborations!” — ICLEI (Cities for Climate Action) 

(More available from Kim’s LinkedIn profile) 

Selected Previous Speaking Events