Jennifer Shahade

You don’t need to know how to play chess to think like a champion strategist. Three-time National Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade reveals how the principles behind elite chess decision-making can transform the way leaders, teams, and organizations approach challenges.

In this engaging and interactive talk, Jennifer shares how to:

• Build decision trees to anticipate risk and reward in complex business environments.
• Manage time and focus under pressure to make smarter, faster calls.
• Identify and strengthen organizational “blind spots” using a growth mindset.

Through vivid, live chess examples and relatable business parallels, Jennifer illustrates how world-class players think to uncover hidden opportunities. She’ll also show how to apply a human-first approach to AI, combining strategic intuition with technological insight to enhance creativity and adaptability. Attendees will leave with a powerful decision-making toolkit that applies to day-to-day leadership—no chess knowledge required.

Chess and poker are masterclasses in making smart decisions under pressure. As an international champion in both arenas, Jennifer Shahade shares how to translate the time-tested strategies of elite players into sharper focus, faster thinking, and better outcomes in business and life. Using insights from the game clock to the poker table, Jennifer reveals how to find your “flow” more often, avoid the pitfalls of overthinking, and use time constraints as fuel for creativity and clarity. Blending strategy and real-world application, this energizing talk redefines time management.

Jennifer Shahade uses real poker hands to reveal powerful lessons in negotiation, finance, and decision-making, from managing uncertainty to recognizing when to take bold risks and when to hold back. Drawing on strategies that have taken her from tournament tables in Prague to London to Las Vegas, she demystifies complex ideas and makes them accessible to any audience.

Through concepts like the sunk cost fallacy, round-number bias, and the chess-inspired notion of Zugzwang (when every move feels like the wrong one), Jennifer shows how poker can sharpen your ability to assess risk, read situations, and stay composed under pressure. This talk delivers actionable tactics to help you negotiate smarter, think strategically, play your hand with confidence, and become a winner.

In this exclusive, hands-on session, Jennifer Shahade coaches a small group in poker strategy before attendees face off in a mini-tournament. She then offers personalized feedback on standout plays and translates those moments into practical lessons for business, negotiation, and decision-making. The workshop can also be tailored around chess, giving teams a dynamic, confidence-building experience that bridges game mastery with real-world strategy.