Teaching

I'm a teacher who also speaks, not a speaker who occasionally teaches. There's a difference.

I run Wavetable, where we design learning experiences for companies. I've spent 15 years in media, education, and entertainment, thinking about what makes things stick - structure, rhythm, participation, the bits people actually remember a week later. That shapes everything I do in a room, whether it's a keynote, a workshop, or a semester-long course.

300+ sessions across four continents. Speaking, workshops, teaching, facilitation - usually some combination.

(Scroll down for what I think the difference is.)

Formats

Keynotes - 20-60 minutes. I don't do the TED-style performance monologue. My keynotes have interaction built in - moments where the room does something, not just listens. Works better, sticks longer.
Workshops - This is where I live. Half-day, full-day, multi-session programs. I've designed and run hundreds of these, and it's probably what I'm best at. Hands-on, structured, vibrant, with frameworks people actually use afterwards. Not death-by-Post-it.
Teaching - Semester-long courses and guest lectures at business schools. More depth, more back-and-forth, more homework (for them and me).
Panel moderation - Honestly, underrated. A good moderator does the prep, keeps the energy, makes the panelists look smarter than they expected, and gets the audience involved. I've hosted panels on AI, creator economy, learning innovation, and media futures - and I enjoy it more than I probably should.
Facilitation - Offsites, strategy sessions, team days. When a group needs to figure something out together and needs someone to design and hold the structure.

What I tend to talk about

Humans & AI - How they actually work together, beyond the hype and panic. Practical frameworks for creative teams figuring out where AI fits (and where it doesn't).
Storytelling - For people who don't think of themselves as storytellers. Structure, rhythm, how to make complex ideas clear and memorable.
Learning design - What makes experiences stick. Why most training doesn't work and what to do instead.
Creative careers - Personal positioning, figuring out what you're actually building, navigating transitions.

Selected clients

Corporate: Deloitte Global, EY, Pernod Ricard, NBC Comcast, IBM, Spotify, Mastercard, Ubisoft, Publicis Groupe
Education: Columbia Business School, The New School, University of Westminster, V&A Museum
Events & Creative: SXSW, CES, IBTM World, Soho House, Betaworks, The British Council, CMX Summit, Creative Mornings

What people say

"Extraordinary - one of the best teachers I've had in any environment"

"Dynamic, hands-on, funny, great energy, and full of information"

"Howard's facilitation exemplified an impressive blend of creativity, analytics, and empathy"

"Not only an expert in teaching storytelling, but an engaging storyteller"

"THANK YOU HOWARD! I have the deepest respect for you and really am honored that I got to take your class. You are an amazing educator and an awesome cheerleader."

"Howard has really helped me gain the confidence I need to grow my business and be great."

"Howard is a great facilitator. He has a friendly and relatable teaching style as well as nicely designed decks that retain my focus and help me to absorb what I am meant to be learning."

If you want to work together

Drop me a note at howard@howardgray.net with what you're thinking.

What I think makes the difference

Rhythm matters more than information. Most sessions have too much content and not enough structure. I think about pacing, energy shifts, and when people need to do something - not just listen.

Participation isn't a gimmick. I don't add interaction because it's "engaging." I add it because people learn by doing, and a room full of passive listeners isn't learning much.

The room is smarter than any one person in it. My job is to unlock that, not to be the smartest one up front.

In Action

FAQs

Why you, and what's the vibe?

As a speaker, my goal is to share interesting ideas in the most engaging ways possible. Here’s some background on my approach:

Point of view: I’ve had an eclectic career (including being an illegal rave promoter, advertising producer, talent agent, entrepreneur, teacher, and soccer referee) and am hugely curious about the creativity, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. Along the way I’ve done a lot of writing, curating, speaking, and listening. I’ve done it in dozens of countries, in many industries, and with many many people. All this has helped me develop a unique point of view to share with your audience.
Experience and Experienced: Creating a great experience matters: for clients, production partners, and of course the audience. I value this greatly. I’m vastly experienced at creating meaningful live experiences both online and in-person, and have delivered talks and workshops around the world. And while no one wants there to be problems, I’m adept at dealing with challenges - from scheduling issues to technical hurdles.
Storytelling at the center: I love storytelling. It’s probably my number one skill. Scroll down for examples of my work.
No rehashing: Whatever I’m doing, I'm not into pitching services or pummeling an audience with rehashed, repetitive content. Speaking is no different. I focus on delivering something that creates a shift in people to feel inspired, energized, and eager to start conversations and take action (I’m someone who didn’t like lectures at school and university, after all). Every talk or workshop I create is customized for the audience, and there will probably be some alternative pop culture references in there too.
Tried and tested: I teach ideas that I have tried myself. I am continually working on my craft as a storyteller, entrepreneur, builder and creative human. I’m also not afraid to share the stories of the things that didn’t work (besides, that’s usually where the best learning is).

Can I watch some of your talks?

The majority of speaking and workshops are done for private clients, but I do have videos from a select number of sessions.

If you're interested in viewing more than what’s available on this page, just send me an email.

Do you ever speak for free?

Creating engaging and well-designed presentations takes a lot of time, energy, and effort so I don’t tend to speak for free, with two exceptions:

charities and nonprofits with a mission close to my heart;
opportunities to visit places I haven’t yet been to and really want to check out.

Are you in one of those locations, or run a charity or nonprofit? Drop me a note and let’s chat…

Speaker Bio & Photos

Howard Gray is the Founder of Wavetable, a creative studio building the next generation of professional development ventures. With a background spanning media, entertainment, education, and technology, Howard is also a SXSW advisory board member and certified coach. He's delivered sessions at over 250 events globally - and when not on stage, he's on a never-ending quest for the perfect breakfast. 🍳