Tawanda Chirenda, Keynote Speaker.

Tawanda Chirenda is the Founder of Becoming a Willing Student. He is on a mission to build a next generation, authentic entrepreneurship movement of smart, caring and visionary entrepreneurs with the courage to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. Tawanda is a past member of the Toronto Business ToastMasters, and a graduate of CivicAction's DiverseCity Fellows program, one of North America's top programs for rising leaders who are interested in urban issues and impacting change.

A speaker, teacher and workshop facilitator, and a champion of authentic business coaching for entrepreneurs everywhere, Tawanda has spent his career working with corporates and startups in Toronto focusing on strategy, sales and relationship management.

A storyteller, Tawanda captivates audiences with contagious energy, compassion and humour. He is most passionate about helping entrepreneurs discover, develop and master their authentic voices so they can lead and inspire their best customers.

Prior to founding Becoming a Willing Student, Tawanda held various roles in corporate social responsibility and engagement, including as a Corporate Engagement Manager with World Vision Canada where he was part of the team helping companies meet their business needs while empowering the most vulnerable children and communities around the world. He also worked as a CSR Brand Manager for Do Some Good, a digital marketing firm, leading the growth of their community engagement platform, and helping companies leverage the platform to boost their brands and social impact.

Prior to that, Tawanda was a Corporate Engagement Manager with Imagine Canada where he led in the development and management of the Caring Company Certification, the largest corporate community investment accreditation program in Canada. In this role, Tawanda worked and partnered with leading Canadian brands helping them design forward thinking community investment strategies while increasing these brands' annual giving percentage to a minimum of 1% of their pre-tax profit.

Tawanda is on a mission to be a refreshing voice in the entrepreneurship space by providing an honest approach in getting the best return on your investment. His passion is building authentic businesses that inspire and prosper.

He holds an MA in Sustainable Development from Staffordshire University, and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Zimbabwe. Born and raised in Marondera, Zimbabwe, Tawanda lives in Toronto, Canada.

“In March, I had the pleasure of hearing Tawanda’s impassioned keynote. Technically, his form was beautifully polished; from his structure and transitions to his vocal modulation, speed, and body language, Tawanda displayed a mastery of persuasion. What was more impressive, however, was how authentic, refreshing, and powerful the content of his talk was. Rarely have I come across a speaker with a true message. Tawanda’s performance was cultivated with care and exhibited a craftsman’s subtlety, and I hope I have the privilege of hearing him speak again in the future.”

— Johnson Fung, Co-Founder and CEO, Meroe Grammaticus Inc.

Tawanda’s Presentation Topics.

  • Customer Engagement.

    The most sought-after trait by entrepreneurs worldwide is competitive advantage. What we don't realize is that the best competitive advantage we have is in our customer engagement strategy not in our product, brand, or price. In this talk, you’ll learn how to create strong, authentic and compelling interactions that resonate deeply with your ideal customers, and ultimately create true and lasting impact.

  • Entrepreneurial Thinking.

    In this talk, Tawanda guides you through a customized curriculum that is designed around foundational and high-performance skills, helping to build your capacity so you can be more and do even more. This is a proven structure that produces high-performing businesses and creates transformational business leaders. The talk is designed to give entrepreneurs an engaging experience that fast-tracks the achievement of their business goals. You’ll receive help building the skills needed to succeed in the new global marketplace.

  • Leadership Development.

    In this talk, you’ll learn the most important skill every entrepreneur needs to learn sooner rather than later – Authentic Leadership. We define Authentic Leadership as becoming the best you so you can lead, build and maintain positive relationships with your team and grow your influence.

  • Team Building.

    Build trust, consistency, confidence, and relevance in business and with your team. The people around you are your team, whether you know it or not. You are the team leader. Your customers, your employees, your partners, your investors, your network, your suppliers, your friends, and your family, are part of your team. Are you leading them or are they leading you? It’s a question you need to ask yourself if you want to become who you want to be.

  • Value Creation.

    Your value as an entrepreneur comes from the ability to speak, think, live, and love in a way that honours you and your values. You have to be feeling confident and secure to do this well. You have to be feeling strong. You have to be feeling connected to something bigger than you. You have to be feeling powerful to do this. Not the control kind of power, but the letting go kind of power.

  • Relationship Management.

    Relationship management is all about giving and with no strings attached. You need to have the mind-set of abundance. The reason most entrepreneurs are not influential in business is because they believe they have nothing to give and that the world or other people are withholding from them what they need. Their entire approach to relationship building is based on this thought of lack - whether it is a lack of customers, influence, connections, recognition, attention, acknowledgement, or respect. This thinking sabotages your relationship building efforts and limits your potential.

  • Goal Setting.

    The reason it’s hard for most entrepreneurs to become who we want to be in business and in our lives, and surround ourselves with the right people for our mission is because we haven’t taken the time necessary to discover our own interests, and master our own attitudes and feelings before we set goals. There is a certain level of mastery of yourself that is required before you set goals for yourself or your team. Your goals are how you become who you want to be.

  • Public Speaking.

    The ability to communicate and express yourself with confidence is one of the greatest gifts you can possess as an entrepreneur. There is power in being able to communicate effectively and inspire your customers through words. Public speaking is one of the fundamental aspects of good communication. Yet many people are so terrified of public speaking that they would rather die than give a speech.

  • Personal Growth.

    If you are feeling stuck in your business and with your customers and are looking to unlock the next level of business growth available and elevate yourself from the slush pile of competitors, this talk is for you. We'll show you the missing ingredient in your business. You’ll be inspired to build the business you’ve always wanted. This talk will help you break past barriers, take your business to the next level, and achieve your goals faster than the average entrepreneur.