Mary Lemmer

Mary Lemmer is a keynote speaker, author, entrepreneur and creator of The Improve Method, an approach that uses the principles of improvisation, supported by research and behavioral science, to help leaders and teams navigate uncertainty, adapt when plans change and respond effectively when there is no script to follow. Lemmer is the author of "How to Handle Anything: Four Improv Principles for Navigating Life's Curveballs"; her TED Talk, "How Improv Can Improve Your Leadership and Life," has brought her work to a global audience.

For more than 15 years, Lemmer has designed and delivered interactive keynotes, workshops and leadership experiences for organizations including Google, Verizon, Pfizer, Square, TED, KPMG, Riot Games and Lyft. Her perspective draws from an unconventional career spanning entrepreneurship, venture capital, leadership at a fast-growing startup, and comedy. She started her first company as a teenager, has advised and invested in startups, and has helped leaders build the adaptability and communication skills required to perform when the answer is not obvious.

A longtime improviser and comedic performer, Lemmer trained at The Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings. Her work combines the energy and participation of improv with practical tools and research, giving audiences a memorable way to practice, and not just hear about, the skills they need to handle change, uncertainty and the unexpected.

Lemmer is a graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and The New York Times.