Alexis Graham (Dean)

Speaker, Facilitator, Educator

Lead with Trust. Build with Influence. Connect Like a Human.

Alexis Dean isn’t your average facilitator—she’s a team whisperer, community architect, trust builder, and master of getting people to actually work well together.

For 20+ years, she’s helped leaders ditch the jargon, cut through the noise, and build high-performing teams that don’t just function—they thrive. As the founder of Two Roads Team Building, she’s led Fortune 100 companies, banks, universities, and global organizations through hands-on leadership training that goes way beyond trust falls and awkward icebreakers.

In 2018, she launched The Dovetail Community, now the premier mastermind and retreat hub for powerhouse women entrepreneurs. With curated events in stunning locations, Dovetail is where brilliant women connect, collaborate, and scale their businesses—without sacrificing what matters most.

Alexis has degrees from UBC, Queen’s, and the University of Toronto, but her real expertise comes from two decades in the trenches, transforming how leaders build trust, navigate conflict, and bring out the best in their teams. If you’re looking for a speaker who brings depth, humour, and real takeaways your audience will actually use, Alexis is the one.

Leadership isn’t about fancy titles or five-step frameworks—it’s about trust, connection, and real conversations that move people to action. I help leaders and teams sharpen their soft skills, build high-trust cultures, and handle the real challenges of leadership—with practical tools (and zero corporate fluff).

Why Me? (And Not Another Forgettable Leadership Speaker?)

Let’s be honest: you’ve sat through enough meh keynotes to know that most leadership talks sound the same—cue the PowerPoint, throw in a generic motivational quote, and wrap it up with a "Go be great!" moment that disappears from memory before the coffee break is over.

That’s not me.

✅ Real-World, No-Fluff Leadership Strategies – My talks aren’t theoretical fluff; they’re built on what actually works in fast-moving teams and high-pressure environments.
✅ Interactive & Engaging – No snooze-fest lectures here. Expect humor, real talk, and a delivery that makes even “soft skills” feel unskippable.
✅ Not Just Talking—Making People Think (And Act) – People leave my talks with actual tools they can use the next day. The kind that shift how they lead, work, and connect.
✅ Relatable & Real – I mix research-backed insights with real-world stories and a conversational style. Because let’s face it, leadership can be messy. Let’s talk about what actually happens when you’re managing real humans.

Signature Talks That Make Leadership Make Sense

I speak on the skills leaders need most—trust, communication, conflict resolution, and influence. Here’s what I bring to the stage:

Lead Like a Human: Influence, Trust, and the Art of Getting People to Actually Listen (Without the Corporate Jargon)

Leadership without the jargon—how to connect, inspire, and get people to follow you because they want to (not because they have to).

🔸 Why ‘soft skills’ are actually business survival skills (and why ignoring them is like ignoring your smoke alarm).
🔸 How to get people to listen, engage, and take ownership—without micromanaging or babysitting.
🔸 The magic of small shifts that make a big impact—from the words you use to the way you walk into a room.

Psychological Safety Is Your Leadership Superpower (And No, It’s Not Just ‘Being Nice’)

The highest-performing teams aren’t just talented—they trust each other enough to take smart risks, challenge ideas, and admit when they don’t know something. If your team is nodding politely but saying nothing, you have a problem.

🔸 Why “my door is always open” doesn’t create trust (and what actually does).
🔸 The power of humor, curiosity, and admitting you don’t know—and why these make you a stronger leader, not a weaker one.
🔸 The small, consistent habits that turn an awkward, hesitant team into a confident, high-performing powerhouse.

Conflict Without Chaos: How to Handle Tough Conversations Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind)

Nobody loves conflict (except maybe lawyers and reality TV producers). But avoiding it doesn’t make it go away—it just makes it messier. When handled well, conflict can actually make your team stronger, faster, and smarter.

🔸 The “Conflict Equation”: A dead-simple way to turn disagreements into progress instead of resentment.
🔸 How to give (and receive) feedback without making it weird.
🔸 Why dodging hard conversations creates more drama—and how to address tension before it explodes in a meeting at 4:55 PM on a Friday.

Custom Talks & Workshops

Need something custom? Let’s talk. Scroll down to book a call or get a proposal.

At Two Roads Team Building and Training we have a selection of workshops and team building events to offer.

Learn more here.

Who I Speak To

I’ve spoken to corporate teams, entrepreneurs, and leaders across industries, from Fortune 500 executives to fast-growing startups to women scaling seven-figure businesses. I get that leadership looks different everywhere, but the core challenges—trust, influence, team dynamics—are universal.

In 2024 I lead workshops across North America with Two Roads Teambuilding, and I also spoke at the following events:

She Evolves - Fiji Conference

Landscape Management Network - Orlando Conference

Landscape Management Network - BC Executive Retreat

Fowler Construction Management Conference

Dovetail Summit

Let’s Make Your Event One to Remember

Whether you’re hosting a leadership retreat, team event, or conference, I’d love to bring a talk that’s engaging, actionable, and genuinely useful. Let’s skip the buzzwords and get to the stuff that actually makes leadership better.

📅 Interested in booking me for your next event? Fill out the form below or book a call directly.