The Sean Flaherty Experience
Browse Sean’s Media Kit with images, bio options, talk descriptions, and stage-ready intros, all crafted to simplify your event planning.
Sean's Intro Script
Our speaker today...
- Has generated four amazing adult children and one brand-new granddaughter.
- He leapt out of airplanes while serving in the U.S Navy.
- He BARREL-AGES and serves craft cocktails globally through his "nefarious" company - and is even recognized as a leading authority on antique jewelry.
Recently he has
- Driven into volcanoes in Iceland
- Crossed the Andes in Ecuador and Peru
- And completed a trek across Colombia from Bogota to Cartagena - all on dirt bikes.
Academically, he teaches his award-winning course “Leading a Culture for Innovation” to MBA students at the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, and he has lectured at Harvard University.
Professionally, he recently retired from a 300+ person software development company he built over two and a half decades with his partners — and he’ll share many lessons from that journey today.
He has been recognized as a top speaker for Vistage (the largest consortium of CEOs on Earth) every year since winning New Speaker of the Year in 2019, along with multiple other awards.
Please welcome… Sean Flaherty
(Pronounced: FLARE-it-tee)
Sean Flaherty In a Tweet
Chief architect of the Momentum Framework. Professor, technologist. and builder of companies. Helping leaders turn complexity into precision and clarity. Creator of momentum.
Sean Flaherty In Two Sentences
Sean Flaherty is a leadership science architect, professor, and longtime builder of companies. He architected the Momentum Framework, blending psychology, systems thinking, and product strategy to help CEOs and business leaders unlock clarity, connection, and sustainable growth.
Sean Flaherty In 75 Words
Sean Flaherty is a pioneer in applying the social sciences to leadership, innovation, and organizational culture. He has spent three decades helping leaders transform complexity into momentum through many mediums. A professor at the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business and chief architect of the Momentum Framework, Sean equips CEOs and senior leaders worldwide with practical tools for sustainable productivity, motivation, and high-performance team design.
Sean Flaherty In 30 Seconds
Sean Flaherty is the chief architect of The Momentum Framework, a professor, and a technologist with over 30 years of experience shaping organizational momentum and innovation. He began programming at age 11 on a commodore Vic-20, served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electrician, studied molecular genetics at the University of Rochester, and earned his MBA from the Simon School of Business. As founder of Simple Machines, which later merged with ITX Corp., Sean and his partners built a thriving 300-person community of artists, engineers, and software leaders pioneering practices in AI and product design. He architected The Momentum Framework, The Relationship Ladder, and The Accountability Spectrum, and countless other visual frameworks that help leaders translate behavioral psychology and systems thinking into practical tools for CEOs and culture builders. His work has generated businesses worth hundreds of millions, he has guided mergers and acquisitions, and educated tens of thousands of CEOs and leaders worldwide. Recognized for his ability to blend science and strategy, Sean helps organizations unlock clarity, connection, and execution >> building cultures where people and performance thrive together.
Signature Topics & Workshops
1. Leading a Culture For Innovation
How leaders create organizational momentum, psychological safety, and sustainable performance, without burnout, chaos, or micromanagement.
2. The Momentum Framework: Turning Complexity into Clarity
A practical and science-backed system that helps leaders identify obstacles, remove friction, and accelerate execution across teams.
3. The Relationship Ladder: Building Influence & Trust
How to build meaningful relationships inside and outside an organization using behavioral science and simple repeatable patterns.
4. The Accountability Spectrum
A transformative approach to accountability that replaces pressure and blame with autonomy, ownership, and predictable follow-through.
5. Designing High-Performance Cultures
How to build environments where motivation, collaboration, and innovation naturally thrive, informed by psychology, systems design, and leadership science.
Find out about workshops
Room Setup Requirements
Flipcharts
- Requires 2 full sticky flipcharts with easels (Mastervision preferred; 3M/Staples acceptable).
- Uses 20+ sheets during small workshops.
Name Tags / Table Tents
- For groups of 30+, large name tags (no table tents).
- For smaller rooms, table tents are OK.
Wall or Rolling Whiteboard
- To display previously used sheets — essential for the audience to see the visual progression.
Audio / Visual
- Prefers a simple HDMI connection (Chromebook).
- Slides are optional but enhance the experience.
- Can use Zoom/Teams/Meet if needed, but direct HDMI is ideal.
Supplies
- One brand-new black wedge Sharpie (backup).
- Pens + paper for participants.
Room Layout
- Best in a horseshoe configuration for less than <20 people.
- For >20 people, round tables arranged in a horseshoe.
- No podium in front of Sean; a small table for his laptop is enough.
Sean's Bio
Offers a high-level snapshot of Sean Flaherty’s background, experience, and facilitation approach. It highlights key elements of his professional profile, the types of tools he brings into his work, and the impact his sessions have on leaders and teams.
Download Sean's Bio
Sean's Quotes
Access a selection of Sean’s quotes that you can download and share with members of your organization.
Testimonials
"First and foremost, Sean is an amazing human! Gracious, open, kind. If you want a beautiful person give an incredible talk at a conference then Sean’s your person. Our audience always look for practical applicable takeaways and Sean delivered with aplomb. We want him back!" Adrienne Tan, Co-Founder & CEO @ Brainmates | Product Management Expert
"Sean spoke to our Vistage Group in Houston and his day with us was extremely insightful and impactful. Our company is rolling out a similar concept as the Advocate theory and his approach and articulation of his passion left a lasting mark on me and how we will roll out our campaign.
As a Vistage speaker, he was exceptional.
As a leader with bright new ideas that are easily communicated and explained by him, he is equally exceptional.
My only regret is the session could have been an entire semester in an MBA or Exec Leadership program. It’s a deep subject that moves the needle on business while also giving purpose and fulfillment to the team doing the business. It helps explain “the why” exceptionally well.
I am very happy I attended the session and will be following Sean as my career progresses in the hopes of learning more together." Marc Perilloux, President & CEO at O'Donnell/Snider Construction
"I met Sean when he spoke to my Vistage CEO group. We are a tough group of skeptical NYC CEOs and Sean is one of the dozens of outside speakers that we have had over the last 6 years. Overall, I would rate him as one of the best. The subject matter was relevant, actionable and explained in a concise manner. His momentum framework seems immediately applicable to our Company's new product process and I look forward to adding KPIs on the number of customers in each of the three buckets; trust, Loyal, Advocate. I also enjoyed hearing how strategy and tactics weight into the entire process. I recommend Sean as a speaker to CEOs, senior marketing and product development teams, and senior business leaders." John Delbridge, CEO at Mimeo, Inc.
