Dr. Sai Speaks!

Transforming Rooms. Shifting Power. Moving People to Action.

As a daughter of orators, Dr. Sai knows that storytelling is strategy. She brings dynamic energy, doctoral-level expertise, and a voice forged by decades of frontline liberation work to every stage she graces. Whether delivering a keynote that shakes a room awake, facilitating a workshop that turns insight into action, or moderating a dialogue that surfaces what's been unsaid—Dr. Sai doesn't just speak to audiences, she transforms them.  Her work is grounded in a simple, non-negotiable belief: none of us are free until all of us are free. And she brings that conviction—along with the strategy, data, and lived experience to back it—to every engagement.

$60M+ Annual initiative directed advancing Black community prosperity in San Francisco

40+ National & international stages — from Aspen Institute to the Congressional Black Caucus to Tokyo, Japan

7x Black homeownership growth achieved through equity-centered strategy and community trust

Book Dr. Sai

Signature Topics

Dr. Sai speaks from experience, not from theory. Every topic below draws from her research, her years on the frontlines of reparative and equity work, and her deep roots in Black and Pacific Islander communities. All talks are customized to your audience and goals.

Topic: Liberate with Love: Leading Equity-Driven Organizational Change

Best for: Nonprofit convenings, philanthropy summits, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion leadership forums

Organizations don't transform by accident — they transform by design. Drawing from her work directing a $60M equity initiative, Dr. Sai breaks down what it actually takes to move institutions from performative equity to structural, measurable change. This talk challenges leaders to stop waiting for permission and start architecting the future their communities deserve. Attendees leave with a framework for equity-centered leadership that is bold, practical, and rooted in love as strategy.

Topic: Dreaming Forward: Inspiring Hope and Activating Power in BIPOC Leaders

Best for: Higher education, leadership conferences, ERG and affinity group events, motivational keynotes

What does it take to lead with full power when the system wasn't built for you? Dr. Sai delivers a galvanizing call to action for BIPOC leaders, emerging professionals, and anyone who has ever been told their dream was too big. Weaving personal narrative, community wisdom, and strategic clarity, this talk activates the leader within — and sends rooms home ready to move. One of Dr. Sai's most requested and highest-impact talks.

Topic: Economic Emancipation: Building Wealth in Black and Brown Communities

Best for: Economic mobility conferences, asset-building convenings, community foundations, reparations policy forums

Economic liberation is not a gift—it is a right. Dr. Sai brings firsthand lessons from catapulting Black homeownership by 7× and growing Black-owned businesses at scale to a frank, visionary conversation about what community wealth-building requires in this political and economic moment. Audiences leave not just inspired, but equipped.

Title: Identity, Intersectionality & Power: Navigating the World as a Black and Sāmoan Woman

Best for: Women's leadership events, BIPOC affinity spaces, higher education, identity and culture forums

Dr. Sai doesn't just talk about intersectionality — she lives it. As a Black and Sāmoan San Franciscan daughter of organizers and orators, she brings a deeply personal and culturally grounded perspective to questions of identity, belonging, and power. This talk is honest, intimate, and energizing — a reminder that our full selves are not a liability but our greatest strategic asset.

Speaking Formats

•     Keynote Address (20 - 60 min)

•     Workshop Facilitation (2 - 4 hrs)

•     Panel Participation or Moderation

•     Half-Day or Full-Day Intensive

•     Fireside Chat / Conversation

•     Commencement & Ceremony Address

•     Guest Lecture (Higher Education)

Fee & Booking

Speaking fees vary per engagement and may require additional travel and lodging costs. Special rates available for grassroots and community-based organizations. All engagements are customized to your audience, goals, and context. To book Dr. Sai, complete the speaking inquiry form below or email info@saidahleatutufuburch.com.

Past Speaking Engagements

“Dr. Sai served as an incredibly powerful keynote speaker at our Black Student Union Leadership Summit, where high school students from across the city gathered to connect, and grow as leaders. Her words truly spoke life into the room. She challenged our students to see themselves not only as participants in their communities, but as leaders with the power to shape their own futures.

What made her talk especially impactful was how deeply it resonated with our students. Many walked away feeling affirmed, and motivated to take action within their own schools and communities. ”
— Nikki, Pathways & Partnerships Specialist/ BSU Advisor Burton High School

  • Accenture - Employee Resource Group Equity Panel

  • African American Film Festival

  • African American Mayors Association

  • American Education Research Association

  • Aspen Institute Opportunity Youth Forum

  • Aspen Institute Regional Convening

  • Bay Area Association for Youth Black Graduation

  • Black Wealth and Asset Building Learning Lab

  • California Pay for Success Initiative

  • City College of San Francisco

  • Clark Atlanta University

  • Collective Impact Forum - Austin, TX

  • Collective Impact Forum - Philadelphia, PA

  • Commonwealth Club

  • Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference

  • Convening for the Culture

  • Duke University Black Policy Forum

  • Dreaming Forward

  • Essence Festival for the Culture Film Festival

  • Fa’a Samoa Initiative—Lalaga Le Ato Keynote

  • Healing 4 Our Families & Our Nation

  • Invest in Results

  • Michelle Meow Show - Art of Survival (36:12)

  • NeighborWorks Training Institute

  • Pathways to Parity

  • Pacific Islander Violence Prevention Conference

  • Research Focus on Black Education - AERA

  • San Francisco Department of Police Accountability

  • San Francisco Recreation & Park Department MLK Jr. Celebration

  • San Francisco Samoan Flag Day

  • Soul of SF State Black Family Day

  • SPUR Ideas + Action for a Better City

  • SYNCIS Northern California Kickoff

  • University of San Francisco

  • World Education and Research Association - Tokyo, Japan

  • Workforce Collective Impact Symposium

  • Workforce Community Solutions

  • Young Community Developers—Faces of the City Film Screening