Speaking

Gil Winch Ph.D., is a psychologist, keynote speaker, and organizational consultant with 30 years of experience. Gil developed, founded and manages Call Yachol (CY), a unique free market social enterprise whose entire workforce of hundreds of employees and managers is comprised entirely of ‘underdogs’. Half of CY’s employees are people with severe disabilities and the rest come from marginalized or disadvantaged populations, and for most, CY is their first place of work. Yet despite that, CY’s workforce all attain regular productivity and make industry standard wages, proving that there is a huge untapped reservoir of talent – underdogs – that many employers are overlooking. Gil has an incredibly moving and inspiring life story which he talks about candidly and with much humor

Popular talk topics

Winning with underdogs

When Gil found out he had terminal cancer and  a shortened expected lifespan, , he decided to take on the challenge of changing the world with regard to the chronic unemployment of people with severe disabilities and those from other marginalized populations – and he founded CY—a company run, managed and staffed entirely by underdogs. That was 20 years ago. In this moving talk, Gil describes CY’s journey from an idea everyone was against to a successful company whose social impact is creating true global change, while fighting his own battle to survive  cancer.

How to find hidden potential

Every day, candidates who have the potential to become great employees fail screening and hiring procedures and are turned away. The reality is that traditional screening and hiring procedures are biased towards those who can manage stress during a job interview—instead of toward those who would actually do a good job in their role. In this fascinating, counterintuitive and entertaining talk, Gil reveals the secrets of finding  candidates with hidden potential  and how to nurture that potential throughout their tenure, to the benefit of all  using real examples of the inspiring employees and managers he has worked with over the years.

The Hidden Road to True Workplace Diversity and Its Surprising Impact on the Bottom Line

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) are ever more prominent in corporations’ stated strategy, values and reporting, yet this positive trend has had little effect in actual DE&I outcomes. In this inspiring, informative, and highly practical talk, Gil details the core changes corporations need to undertake to become fully inclusive and equitable, explains how such changes benefit a company’s bottom line, and sets out a practical roadmap to the future of DE&I that benefits all.

The Twin Approach to Enhancing Workplace Emotional Health and The Company's Bottom Line

Emotionally healthier employees are more engaged, loyal and productive, which is great for a company’s P&L: However, to create emotionally healthy cultures, companies need to approach things both from the bottom up (employees emotional health) and from the top down (management, leadership, and culture). In this highly engaging and practical talk, renowned psychologist Dr. Guy Winch and Founder (CY) and entrepreneur Dr. Gil Winch–both psychologists, authors, and TED speakers, provide science-based tools and highly practical techniques that can provide meaningful and lasting change. Guy will focus on how individuals can protect and boost their own emotional health, while Gil will demonstrate how managers, HR professionals, and leaders at any level can develop a culture of caring that enhances emotional well-being, as well as the company’s bottom line. This highly entertaining, practical, and eye-opening talk will leave audiences feeling inspired, informed, and empowered, as they will leave with a new toolbox they can implement immediately to the benefit of all.